US House letter urges more military, security cooperation with Israel

Nearly 50 members of the House Armed Services Committee have signed a letter to the US Defense Department urging for increased security cooperation with Israel.

The bipartisan letter, addressed to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and signed by 47 members of the Armed Services Committee, said threats to Israel could be met with better technological cooperation.

The letter notes areas of advanced technology that are already being used by Israel against its adversaries, and suggests ways it can build upon these systems.

"Cooperative missile defense programs such as the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow are critical to ensuring Israel can meet the growing threats posed by adversaries such as Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," reads the letter, which was issued on Monday. It emphasised threats to the region by Iran and by extension Russia.

"Given the increasing sophistication of threats to Israel, we are concerned that we may be underestimating the quantity of weapons Israel will require to defend itself," it continues.

"We believe that by working together with our allies in Israel we can secure critical American achievements in emerging technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, directed energy, automation, and space."

The letter concludes by requesting an assessment on the three key areas: Israel’s short- and long-term security threats; Israeli capabilities to meet and defend against these threats, as well as any shortfalls; and an assessment of the potential for increased US-Israel defense collaboration."