Bipartisan Letter Opposing Conditions on US Aid to Israel Joined by 75% of US House Members

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 04/22/21 | News Source: Algemeiner

A bipartisan group of 331 US House members — comprising more than three-quarters of the body — signed a letter Thursday rejecting any conditions placed on US aid to Israel, one week after controversial legislation that would do so was unveiled by progressive House Democrats.

“Reducing funding or adding conditions on security assistance would be detrimental to Israel’s ability to defend itself against all threats,” said the letter, addressed to the heads of the House Appropriations Committee.

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The signatories were roughly split between both parties, and was led by Reps. Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Michael McCaul (R-TX). It followed news of a proposed bill, co-sponsored by Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other leading progressives, that would hinge aid to Israel on conditions related to the detention of Palestinian juveniles, demolition of property, and “annexation” of West Bank land.

The letter said that the $3.8 billion in FY 2020 security assistance for Israel — which includes $3.3 billion in foreign military financing and $500 million for cooperative missile defense programs — was overwhelmingly supported by both parties in Congress. It cited the “direct threats” posed to Israel by Iran and proxies such as Hezbollah, and noted the value of intelligence sharing with the US and the interest in promoting regional stability. Read more at Algemeiner