Global Ministries among 56 organizations opposing US and Israeli military integration

A joint letter was sent on Thursday, Sept. 3 to Senate and House Armed Service Committee Chairmen Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers, and to committee Ranking Members Jack Reed and Adam Smith. The letter, signed by 56 civil society organizations, including Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, as well as other faith-based groups, expressed strong opposition to proposed further U.S.-Israel defense integration.

The signatories stated that they “strongly urge you to reject the entrenchment of U.S. and Israeli defense collaboration, which goes against U.S. national interests and values, and would expand the risk of U.S. complicity in, and exposure to, human rights violations, war crimes, and genocide.” The letter explains that the possibility of such integration is due to “Section 219 in the House NDAA and Section 1217 in the Senate version, which establish a new U.S. Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative aimed at accelerating joint research, development, and integration of Israeli-origin and jointly developed defense technologies into U.S. military systems and programs of record.”

The letter concludes, “We strongly urge the conferees to reject Section 219/1217, as well as any legislation seeking to intertwine U.S. and Israeli defense or intelligence capabilities.” The full text of the letter may be found below. You can take action on this issue here.