A US House committee on June 4 rejected a bid to remove a contentious clause in the defense budget bill aimed at strengthening military cooperation between the US and Israel. The measure, proposed by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, failed in a voice vote in the House Armed Services Committee, clearing the way for the clause to advance to the full House.
The clause, known as Section 224 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), would require the US Secretary of Defense to designate an executive agency responsible for coordinating joint efforts between the two countries. This agency would oversee shared initiatives including research, development, and testing of defense technologies.
Representative Khanna argued that the clause benefits Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when he is trying to shape US policy in the Middle East. He cited reports that President Donald Trump was angry with Netanyahu for escalating the conflict in Lebanon.
“People across America—whether Republican, independent, or Democrat—are saying we need to tell Netanyahu that the US decides, not any other country’s prime minister,” Khanna said.
Critics worry Section 224 could make US military aid to Israel less transparent, hiding assistance under the guise of cooperation rather than separate costs. The non-profit advocacy group A New Policy warns the clause creates a framework to maintain and expand US-Israel military ties by embedding Israeli technology into US defense supply chains, bypassing annual budget approval processes.
Senior committee member Democratic Representative Adam Smith acknowledged he was “very sympathetic” to Khanna’s frustrations with Netanyahu but argued the US has a vested interest in maintaining deep military relations with Israel. “The reason we have this partnership with Israel is because Israel has actually had to fight, developing new technologies that benefit us,” Smith said.
Palestinian rights activists warned that approving Section 224 is unacceptable while Israel faces allegations of genocide in Gaza. “It’s incredible that this is the US response to a country that has carried out genocide and gone to war with Iran and Lebanon,” said Margaret DeReus, Executive Director of the Institute for Middle East Understanding.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie has pledged to introduce an amendment to remove Section 224 when the NDAA comes to a full House vote.
