Senators Are Calling For The U.S. To Stand Ready To Provide Additional Munitions To Israel As It Defends Itself From Terrorism
WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined fellow senators in a letter to President Biden urging him to take quick action to ensure Israel has the munitions it needs, including Iron Dome interceptors to defend against Hamas’s terror attack. The senators also call for the Department of Defense to assess its stockpiles of munitions; to stand ready to coordinate ammunitions transfers to Israel; and to submit to Congress requests for any necessary supplemental assistance packages.
“We are grateful your Administration has already granted all of Israel’s requests for military hardware and that you authorized additional intelligence sharing with the Israeli military,” wrote the senators. “However, as Israel braces for a longer conflict, one that could expand to additional fronts, we urge the Administration to continue to cooperate with Israel on its military, intelligence, and humanitarian needs. Thus far, Israel has requested munitions and Iron Dome interceptors. It may soon need additional types of munitions, personal protective equipment, assistance to rebuild communities, and/or intelligence regarding Iranian cooperation with Hamas and its regional proxies.”
The letter continued, “We ask that the Department of Defense holistically assess its stockpiles of these defense articles—especially Iron Dome interceptors– so that it can quickly transfer these munitions to Israel, upon request. We further urge the Department of Defense to coordinate ammunition transfers with allies, especially those that have joined American calls of support for Israel. Finally, we urge the Administration to quickly evaluate these stockpiles, allied commitments, and near-term Israeli needs and submit to Congress any necessary supplemental assistance packages so that Congress may act quickly to get Israel the support it needs during this crisis.”
The full text of the letter can be found HERE.
Senator Rosen has been a strong leader in the fight to ensure Israel has the capabilities it needs to defend itself. She recently visited Israel with a bipartisan Senate delegation to hear from government officials about the resources and tools they need to defend themselves, and to show America’s unwavering support for Israel. Last week, she led a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Defense to transfer two additional Iron Dome batteries and other unused military assets to Israel as it continues to face rocket and missile attacks from Hamas, and the threat of Hezbollah entering the conflict. Last year, Rosen helped include a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 to authorize $500 million for the Iron Dome and other U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs.
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