Rights groups press lawmakers to scrap provision to merge US and Israeli militaries

Sixty-six civil rights and advocacy groups have called on U.S. lawmakers to eliminate a provision in a defense bill that would merge U.S. and Israeli military technologies, according to a letter obtained by Reuters. The section, Section 219 of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), aims to create frameworks for joint ventures, licensing agreements, and U.S.-based co-production partnerships.

The provision was approved by the House of Representatives in July and awaits Senate approval. Thursday's letter was addressed to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Notable signatories include Amnesty International, the National Lawyers Guild, and both Arab and Jewish groups. A statement from the letter's authors reads, "At a time in which American interests are increasingly diverging from those of Israel, and American public opinion is turning increasingly against unconditional support to Israel, creating new points of influence for Israel in the US defense-technology ecosystem is exceptionally dangerous."