Dianne Lob, Chair, and William Daroff, CEO, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:
“We commend President Biden for signing the $1.7 trillion spending bill, passed by bipartisan majorities in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, to keep the U.S. federal government operating and particularly for the $3.3 billion in security assistance for Israel, including an additional $500 million to go towards restocking Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. After the defense system’s near depletion during the May 2021 attacks by Hamas terrorists, who launched over 4,000 rockets aimed at civilian targets, this ongoing security partnership between the U.S. and Israel will fundamentally save lives in the New Year and beyond.
“The budget also includes $2 million for U.S.-Israel homeland security cooperation. A safer and more secure Israel remains essential to maintaining stability in the Middle East and directly contributes to our nation’s security interests. Technological advances developed by Israel shared with the U.S. are used to improve the safety of our troops and our civilians at home. Tens of thousands of jobs are created in the U.S. defense and related industries by Israeli purchases.
“We are grateful for the commitment to enhancing Israel’s security by President Biden and the strong bipartisan support for Israel in Congress, which continues to be the bulwark for insuring Israel will be better able to defend herself over the long course against current and future threats.”
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