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United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014

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United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleUnited States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013

United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 (H.R. 938; S. 462) are almost identical bills introduced to the 113th United States Congress.

Background

The United States and Israel do not have a formal treaty of alliance, as the US does with other nations, and it is under no obligation to come to Israel’s defense. However, the US does refer to Israel and other nations without treaties as allies.[1] The US has supported Israel with foreign aid, providing nearly $3 billion in grants annually to Israel since 1985; Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid since World War II.[2]

Israel applied to join the US government's Visa Waiver Program in 2005. The program permits citizens of selected countries to enter the US for up to 90 days without having to apply for an entry visa. The Senate rejected the bid because not all Israeli citizens own a biometric passport, the entry visa rejection rate for Israelis exceeded 3%, and Israel insists on stricter security checks for Palestinian Americans than other American citizens.[3]

Provisions/Elements of the bill

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.[4]

In both the House and Senate versions the bill declares that Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States. It amends the Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 to extend authority to add to foreign-based defense stockpiles and transfer obsolete or surplus United States Department of Defense items to Israel. It authorizes the United States President to carry out US-Israel cooperative activities, including in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, cyber-security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies, as well as renewable energy or energy efficiency. Urges the President to provide assistance for enhancement of rocket defense systems.

The House version states that it shall be US policy to include Israel in the visa waiver program when Israel satisfies such program's inclusion requirements. The Senate version specifies that satisfaction of the requirements regarding reciprocal travel privileges for U.S. citizens would be subject to security concerns.

Procedural history

In the House of Representatives, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced the bill H.R.938 on March 4, 2013. It currently has 182 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Immigration And Border Security.[5]

In the Senate, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced the bill S.462 on March 5, 2013. It currently has 20 cosponsors and has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.[6]

Public perception

The bills have been promoted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ("AIPAC"), including at its annual conference in March 2013.[7][8] AIPAC says that the bill's designation of Israel as a major strategic ally would be beneficial to the United States, as the "Middle East [is] in turmoil." AIPAC says that it is therefore important for America to "strengthen our alliance with friendly and reliable states," with Israel being such a state.

The American Jewish Committee supports the bill as well.[9]

Unnamed staffers for members of the House of Representatives said there is opposition to the security language because it seems to validate what they perceive as Israel’s tendency to turn away Arab Americans without a reason, although Israel insists this is done on the basis of security concerns. The other members of the program do not have such an exemption.[7]

The bill has been criticized in The Hill by Mike Coogan, legislative director of the US campaign to end the Israeli occupation, as containing a "tripwire provision to drag the U.S. into an Israeli initiated war with Iran", an exemption from sequestration cuts of US aid to Israel and the problematic "strategic ally" designation. He wrote that the Visa Waiver provision would allow Israel to continue to discriminate against Palestinian Americans, Arab Americans and Muslim-Americans who attempt to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories while allowing all Israeli citizens to enter. He added that it would codify discrimination against them which is now illegal under US law.[10] Lara Friedman of Americans for Peace Now wrote that the bill "takes the extraordinary step of seeking to change the current U.S. law to create a special and unique exception for Israel in U.S. immigration law."[11] James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, has lobbied against against the Senate language, and said passage of such a law would ratify "Israel’s position of creating two classes of citizen".[7]

See also

Notes/References

External links

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government.