Following months of stalled legislative efforts, CUFI held an emergency meeting in Washington, hosting the Speaker of the House and 250 ministry and community leaders from across the country. As a result, the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act advanced through the House and within days passed the Senate and was signed by the President.
The bill included several top CUFI priorities, chief among them $14.3 billion in emergency aid for Israel to support Jerusalem’s efforts to bring the hostages home and defeat Hamas. The legislation also included:
- The Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act, a 2023 CUFI Washington Summit legislative priority, which sanctions certain entities central to Iran’s illicit oil industry.
- Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act, which requires the President to impose property-blocking and visa-blocking sanctions on certain persons (individuals and entities) affiliated with Iran.
FY 2023 State Foreign Operations and Defense Appropriations which included $3.3B in military assistance to Israel and $500M in support for US-Israel cooperative missile defense programs including Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome.
In the wake of the 10/7 attacks CUFI supported several pro-Israel provisions in the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, including but not limited to:
- Authorizing U.S. support of Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense System (Sec. 1665)
- Extending U.S.-Israel anti-tunnel cooperation (Sec. 1252);
- Increasing authorizations for U.S.-Israel cooperation to counter drones (Sec. 1253);
- Modifying authorization of U.S.-Israel cooperation on directed energies (Sec. 1254);
- Ensuring the Israel-based war reserves stockpile is properly equipped to handle a variety of threats through 2027 (Sec. 1255);
- Requiring a report from the Department of Defense examining whether any products sold at commissaries were produced by companies engaged in a boycott of Israel (Sec. 1258);
- Establishing an integrated Middle East maritime capability with U.S. partners in the region, including Israel (Sec. 1261).
- Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses (DEFEND) Act becomes law as part of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act
- Efforts by fringe members of Congress to deny Israel a resupply of its Iron Dome Missile Defense System are defeated and Israel received the resupply funding.
- Nonprofit Security Grant Fund appropriation increased exponentially
- FY State Foreign Operations and Defense Appropriations which included $3.3B in military assistance to Israel and $500M in support for US-Israel cooperative missile defense programs including Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome.
- FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act includes The US-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act, an authorization of funds for Israel’s missile defense programs (Sec. 1669) and the creation of an interparliamentary group (Sec. 1316) of four nations, Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States, committed to limiting Turkey’s aggression.
- Never Again Education Act signed into law.
- US-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act becomes law as part of the FY 2021 NDAA.
- The US-Israel Operations-Technology Working Group is established as part of the FY 2021 NDAA, which was the central aim of the US-Israel Military Capability Act.
- US sanctions Turkey under the Countering America Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
- FY 2021 State Foreign Operations and Defense Appropriations which included $3.3B in military assistance to Israel and $500M in support for US-Israel cooperative missile defense programs including Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome.*
- FY 2021 Homeland Security Appropriations which included $190M for the nonprofit security grant program to help protect religious sites, a two-fold increase over previous years budget.*
- US recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
- Airbnb reverses policy of delisting Israeli properties in the West Bank.
- Turkey removed from F-35 joint strike fighter program.
- FY 2020 State Foreign Operations and Defense Appropriations which included $3.3B in military assistance to Israel and $500M in support for US-Israel cooperative missile defense programs including Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome.^
- Executive Order 13899 on Combating Anti-Semitism signed by the President.
- Taylor Force Act signed into law.
- US formally opens Embassy in Jerusalem.
- US cuts off all funding to UNRWA.
- US exits JCPOA, engages maximum pressure campaign against Iran.
- Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act signed into law.
- Stop Using Human Shields Act, renamed the Sanctioning of the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act, signed into law.
*This was included as part of the FY2021 Omnibus and COVID Relief and Response Act (HR 133)
^ This was included as part of the FY2020 Consolidated Appropriations Acts (HR 1865 & HR 1158)
