Washington:
The House on Thursday passed a bill to provide $1 billion for the Israel Iron Dome missile defense system, as Democrats shrugged off Republican criticism that their party is staggering in its support for Israel.
Democrats initially sought to put Iron Dome funding into law this week to fund the government before September 30, but removed it after protests from some members of the caucus. Instead the leadership moved quickly to provide assistance in a separate, stand-alone bill. It was passed by 420-9 votes.
“This bill reflects Congress’s commitment to our friend and ally, Israel,” said Rep. Rosa Delaro of Connecticut, Democratic chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the US began financially supporting Israel’s development of the Iron Dome system nearly a decade ago and has provided about $1.6 billion for its production and maintenance. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets fired at Israel.
Delaro said the US has committed in a 2016 memorandum of understanding with Israel to refill the Iron Dome and that the funding provided by the US is limited to a system that is completely defensive.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., accused Democrats of snatching $1 billion from an earlier bill before sending a message around the world that they were no longer involved in their mission to protect the people of Israel from terrorist attacks. Do not stand with
The Israel defense issue divides Democrats, but they forcefully pushed back on the GOP’s efforts to portray it as anti-Israeli. There are some who will not support it, but the overwhelming majority of this Congress will support the defense of the democratic state of Israel, not in a partisan way but in an American way, said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD.
Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents, was the only lawmaker to speak out against the funding, adding that Congress should also talk about the Palestinian need for protection from Israeli attacks. She said the money represented an absurd and unreasonable increase in wealth for the Iron Dome.
He also called Israel an apartheid regime, which was strongly condemned by Democratic Representative Ted Dutch, D-Fla. He rejected that description, saying that the characterization was consistent with those who advocate the abolition of a Jewish state in the world.
His criticism also gave Republicans a head start. Rape. Chuck Fleischman, R-Ten., said he has a vocal minority in the majority party that is anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and that as Americans we can never stand up for that.
The bill would need to be approved by the Senate before being signed into law.
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