Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., is leading an effort to remove provisions from the House and Senate versions of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act that would deepen cooperation between the industrial bases of the United States and Israel.

Van Hollen and 11 other senators sent a letter Tuesday to House and Senate leadership opposing the provisions. Signatories included Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

The letter specifically targets Section 1217 of the Senate bill and Section 219 of the House measure. Both sections seek greater cooperation between the two countries on the development of weapons technology.

The House provision is called the United States-Israel Defense Cooperation Initiative. The Senate language is titled the United States-Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Unified Research, and Enhanced Security Act, also known as the FUTURES Act.

Gun Laws Have Changed! Protect yourself by knowing where you can and cannot carry your firearm, so you can travel with confidence.

Areas identified for expanded cooperation include artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and chemical and biological weapons. The provisions would establish a broader technological partnership between the United States and Israel through the annual defense policy legislation.

“The Senator is working with his colleagues to remove these provisions and will determine next steps should they remain in,” Van Hollen’s office said in an email to Military Times. “The Senator will continue to push to remove these provisions and push to protect the United States’ ability to act independently and in line with U.S. national security interests.”

The senators also challenged a provision in the fiscal 2027 Intelligence Authorization Act that proposes strengthening intelligence sharing between the two countries. According to the bill, the proposal is intended to help Israel “maintain its qualitative military edge.”

The intelligence provision also seeks to help Israel “deter and counter destabilizing activities by the Government of Iran and Iran-aligned state and nonstate actors that threaten Israel, United States forces, and regional partners.”

Scrutiny of the U.S. government’s support for Israel has intensified during the past three years. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, while a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found the war that followed U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb. 28 is increasingly unpopular in the United States.

President Donald Trump promised to end outright military aid to Israel, which previously came through a Memorandum of Understanding. The current agreement expires in 2028 and provides billions in financing over 10 years for Israel to acquire weapons made in the United States.

Critics, including Van Hollen, argue the defense bills would shift military support from an aid arrangement to a commercial partnership. Under the proposed structure, the Pentagon rather than the State Department would oversee the partnership.

The senators warned that the proposed model “would constrain the administration’s ability to independently determine how best to protect U.S. national security and would lock in long-term commitments despite our serious concerns with the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and other parts of the region.”

The United States and Israel already work together on some defense technologies. Israeli contractor Rafael Systems and Raytheon developed the David’s Sling missile interceptor system.

Opponents contend the proposed arrangement could reduce oversight of weapons transfers, compromise sensitive U.S. weapons technology, and provide little benefit to the United States. Their campaign now puts another fight over Israel policy into legislation Congress routinely treats as essential.

The authorization bill carries a price tag exceeding $1 trillion, which has already drawn significant opposition from Democrats. The House version narrowly passed in July, while Senate Democrats blocked their chamber’s version during the same month because of objections to provisions involving the Iran war.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., previously attempted to remove the United States-Israel Defense Cooperation Initiative through an amendment while the House legislation was under committee consideration. The amendment failed, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also emerged as a vocal opponent of the provision.

Van Hollen’s office said the senator will continue seeking the removal of the contested language. If the provisions survive, his office said he will decide what steps to take next.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.