Dear Friend of Israel ,
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee passed the annual State and Foreign Operations funding bill, which included important bipartisan provisions AIPAC has lobbied for that will help keep Israel safe and America strong.
This is an important step in the legislative process to fund critical U.S.-Israel programs.
The bill included:
- Full $3.3 billion in U.S. security assistance to Israel, as agreed to in the 2016 Obama-Biden MOU.
- $2 million for a new program to promote U.S.-Israel international development cooperation to address growing challenges related to water scarcity, agriculture and energy storage.
- $2 million for a new program to promote our Eastern Mediterranean partnerships to increase regional cooperation, support energy independence and security, and defend against shared threats.
- The bipartisan Middle East Partnership for Peace Act to build economic partnerships between Israelis, Palestinians and Americans.
- Strong language condemning Iran’s aggressive and destabilizing activities throughout the region, including providing its terrorist proxy Hezbollah with advanced precision-guided missiles, and directing funds to prevent Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. AIPAC applauds the House Appropriations Committee for supporting these and other important bipartisan pro-Israel initiatives.
Below my signature is more news from the week.
Sincerely,
Brian Shankman
Director of Regional Affairs and Development
Oppose Efforts to Restrict Aid to Israel
Late last week, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was introduced in the Senate to restrict U.S. security assistance to Israel in ways that would jeopardize Israel’s ability to defend itself by itself.
This amendment politicizes U.S. support for Israel’s security.
It contradicts the 2016 Obama Memorandum of Understanding by putting dangerous restrictions on Israel’s security assistance and undermines Israel’s security by prohibiting it from using U.S.-made equipment to defend itself in a variety of foreseeable scenarios.
Please urge your senators to stand with Israel and oppose this dangerous amendment.
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Iran Suffers Major Setback to Advanced Centrifuge Program
An
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explosion last week at Iran's Natanz advanced centrifuge assembly facility caused considerably more damage than initial estimates, according to new satellite images. The facility is likely a total loss with nearly three-quarters of the building completely destroyed.
Last night,
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another explosion was reported in Iran causing power outages and possibly affecting Iranian military facilities in the area.
The Institute for Science and International Security
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called the explosion a "significant setback for the Iranian advanced gas centrifuge production and operations effort." The Institute estimates the building’s replacement would be expected to take at least a year, if not longer.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but sabotage or cyber-attack are two likely possibilities.
Iran Commits to Improve Syrian Air Defenses in Military Cooperation
Iran's economy is hurting and inflation is skyrocketing. Rather than invest in its people, the Iranian regime invests its resources in regional aggression and terrorism.
Iran's leaders have spent more than $30 billion on its war machine in Syria. Just this week, the Iranian regime said it plans to spend even more of its resources strengthening Syria's air defense systems.
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Read more.
Judge Orders Iran to Pay Millions to Khobar Tower Bombing Victims
On June 25, 1996, Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists carried out the worst terrorist attack against the American military since the bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983.
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The Khobar Towers bombing killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and injured hundreds more.
Last week, a U.S. judge ordered Iran to pay $879 million to U.S. soldiers and their families for the suffering they endured.
Israeli Company Develops a 30 Minute COVID-19 Test
Israeli researchers say they have developed a
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30 minute COVID-19 test kit and predicted that it will become a global screening solution.
The new test kit has been sent for approval to different regulators, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Izhak Haviv, chief scientist of AID Genomics, hopes that this innovation will help the world find a new normal by enabling concert venues and sports stadiums to conduct screenings upon arrival.
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