54 cosponsors
Would grant the Dept. of Defense the legal authority to finance Israel’s purchase of Iron Dome missile batteries and related systems. The Iron Dome is designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery of the kind fired from Gaza and Lebanon. Unlike the other missile defense systems for Israel funded by the U.S., the Iron Dome is produced solely by Israel’s Raphael Advanced Defense Systems, and not in collaboration with U.S. defense firms.
As the system was being developed, officials from the Israeli Defense Ministry requested from their U.S. counterparts that the U.S. provide $300 m. for the Iron Dome. It was not until Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak made a final request during an April 2010 visit to the U.S. that the Obama administration agreed to provide Israel with $205 m. for the purchase. On 5/12/10, the Obama administration asked Congress to provide the funds. The public request came as Obama sought to assure members of Congress and U.S. Jewish groups of his commitment to Israel’s security while the dispute with the Netanyahu government over settlements in East Jerusalem continued.
The authorization to fund the system was included in the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for FY2011 (H.R. 6523 of 12/15/10) which passed instead.
See also: companion measure S. 3451 of 5/27/10; and related measures H.R. 5136 of 4/26/10, S. 3454 of 6/4/10, and H.R. 6523 of 12/1510.
Passed in House 410-4 on 5/20/2010