On Tuesday, Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives withdrew $1 billion in military funding for Israel from a government funding bill following objections from liberal members in the chamber, paving the way for a potential battle over the issue later this year. Some House Democrats objected to a provision in the temporary spending bill that would provide additional funding for Israel to replenish its Iron Dome missile defense system, much of which is produced by the American company Raytheon.
The House is discussing legislation to fund the federal government until December 3 and to raise the country's borrowing limit. This dispute briefly forced the House Rules Committee to delay discussions before appropriations leaders pledged to include funding for the Israeli system in a defense spending bill later this year. This may set the stage for another conflict over military aid to Israel.
Democratic Representative Jamal Bowman stated that House members were not given enough time to consider the matter. He told reporters, "The problem is that leadership throws something on the table and gives us about five minutes to decide what we are going to do, and then tries to move forward with it." The United States has already provided over $1.6 billion to Israel for the development and construction of the Iron Dome system, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service last year. This reflects enduring strong support for Israel among both Democrats and Republicans.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid stated in a statement that the withdrawal of funding is a "technical delay" and that Democratic party leaders assured him that funding for the Iron Dome will be allocated soon. Some liberal Democrats have objected to this policy this year, citing Palestinian casualties during Israel's response to rocket attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas in May. Israel stated that most of the 4,350 rockets launched from Gaza during the conflict were intercepted and destroyed mid-air by the Iron Dome system.
