US State Department funding bill to send $3.3B to Israel, sets conditions on aid to Palestine

The National Security and State Department bill provides $6.77 billion for the State Department’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, including at least $3.3 billion in grants for Israel, which would be disbursed within 30 days of enactment and used for advanced weapons systems.

According to the text of the bill, US security assistance for the West Bank and Gaza would be blocked unless the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that Palestinians are meeting US-set benchmarks and taking steps to end alleged “torture” and other abuses by Palestinian security forces.

The bill further blocks such assistance if Palestinians initiate or actively support investigations at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli nationals for alleged crimes against Palestinians.

It also includes a separate restriction barring funds appropriated under the “National Security Investment Programs” heading from being made available for assistance to the Palestinian Authority if Palestinians obtain the “same standing as member states or full membership as a state” in the UN outside a negotiated agreement with Israel.

The $3.3 billion in annual military aid for Israel is part of a 10-year, $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2016 that expires in 2028.

Axios reported in November that Israel is seeking a new 20-year deal that could include joint US-Israeli research and development of defense technologies.