The NDAA’s Hidden Consequence: Deeper US-Israel Military Integration

Deeper US-Israel military integration under the NDAA could lock Washington into a more permanent strategic commitment to Israel, limiting US policy flexibility while heightening tensions in the Middle East and beyond.

Section 219: Deepening US-Israel Military Integration

The NDAA will approve approximately $1.15 trillion for defense spending, including a 5-7 percent increase in the salaries of military personnel, additional spending on missile defense, hypersonics, autonomous technologies, increased ammunition and weapons, and other future technologies. Under the bill, the Department of Defense will also be renamed the Department of War, with all future references to the US Secretary of Defense or the Department of Defense in any legislation referring to the Secretary of War and the Department of War. Section 219 provides for the creation of a permanent Pentagon position to oversee expanded intelligence sharing and joint weapons development between the two countries, giving Tel Aviv a level of military integration with the US that even most NATO allies don’t have.

Furthermore, it establishes the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” a project that would identify Israeli-developed or jointly developed technologies that could be integrated into the US military systems. In addition, the initiative would promote collaborative research involving the US and Israeli governments, academia, and industry, as well as military cooperation........

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