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A controversial insertion<\/span> in the National Defense Authorization Act currently winding its way through the House would permanently intertwine U.S. and Israeli defense technology, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.<\/p>\n Lawmakers and military experts told The Intercept that Section 224, named \u201cUnited States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,\u201d is highly irregular \u2014 and closely resembles a bipartisan bill backed by the pro-Israel lobby that died in Congress earlier this year.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t think of another example of Congress formalizing integration of critical national security technologies with a foreign power,\u201d said retired Air Force Lt. Col. William Astore.<\/p>\n Unlike traditional foreign military aid programs, Section 224 would establish a framework for integrating Israeli-developed technologies directly into U.S. research, procurement, manufacturing, and acquisition processes \u2014\u00a0which military experts warned would be complicated, if not impossible, to unwind. It would apply across areas including AI, autonomous systems, cyberwarfare, biotechnology, missile defense, and defense industrial production.<\/p>\n Astore, who has taught military history at multiple institutions, said he\u2019s particularly concerned about the AI component. \u201cIsrael is a leader in using AI predictive models and programs to surveil and kill people, using manned and unmanned drones,\u201d he said. \u201cThe \u2018smart,\u2019 even autonomous technologies Israel has used against Palestinians could very well be used by the U.S. government against American citizens \u2014 especially the so-called radical left that President Trump appears to see as domestic terrorists<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe \u2018smart,\u2019 even autonomous technologies Israel has used against Palestinians could very well be used by the U.S. government against American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n The debate is raging as Congress prepares to take up the fiscal year 2027 NDAA, a routine<\/a> piece of legislation<\/a> that spells out congressional priorities and budgeting for the armed forces. The House Armed Services Committee approved the legislation on Thursday evening; it now advances for consideration by the full House.<\/p>\n A handful of legislators from both parties have rebuked Section 224. Among them is Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican known for opposing all foreign military aid \u2014 a stance that drew the ire of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and drove millions in spending against him <\/a>in the recent primary he lost to a Trump-backed challenger.<\/p>\n Massie was quick to condemn the proposal before it moved forward, writing<\/a>: \u201cIf the provision in the NDAA to integrate\/synchronize the U.S. and Israeli militaries (section 224) makes it out of committee, I\u2019ll offer an amendment to strip it from the bill on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and Massie\u2019s frequent collaborator, attempted to do something similar at the committee stage. On Thursday, Khanna introduced an amendment seeking to remove Section 224, arguing that Congress should not deepen military integration with Israel at a time when lawmakers are increasingly questioning the future of the U.S.\u2013Israel relationship. But the amendment failed<\/a> in committee after opposition from both Republicans and Democrats, including Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith, D-Wash., who argued the U.S. benefits from access to Israeli military technologies developed under real-world combat conditions, citing missile defense, drone warfare, and other emerging capabilities as areas of mutual interest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to its<\/span> proponents, the goal of Section 224 is to transition Israel away from decades of dependence<\/a> on U.S. taxpayer-funded military assistance<\/a> and toward a model centered on trade, co-development, and defense partnership \u2014 mirroring a desire expressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n With the Obama-era Memorandum of Understanding with Israel set to expire in 2028, Israel and its backers in Congress are searching for new ways to preserve U.S.\u2013Israeli military collaboration<\/a>. The current U.S.\u2013Israel MOU provides approximately $3.3 billion annually in foreign military financing and $500 million annually for missile defense cooperation, totaling $38 billion over 10 years through 2028.<\/p>\n\n