U.S. Republican, Democrat introduce bill to make Israel ’major strategic ally’
Daily Newspaper
▻http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-republican-democrat-introduce-bill-to-make-israel-major-strategic-ally.
A Republican and a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation that would make Israel a “major strategic ally,” a one-of-a-kind designation.
The bill, introduced Monday by U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida, and Ted Deutch, a Democratic from Florida, is timed for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, and 13,000 activists are expected to lobby for it and for Iran-related bills on Tuesday.
The “major strategic ally” bill codifies a number of existing facets of the relationship, including annual defense assistance and cooperation on missile defense, energy research and cyber security.
It also calls for Israel to join the program that waives pre-arranged visas for select nationals entering the United States.
The Iran-related bills AIPAC activists will champion would tighten sanctions aimed at forcing that country to suspend its suspected nuclear weapons program and would call for the president to support Israel should it feel “compelled” to strike Iran. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.