Antisemitic conspiracies target Israel defense tech cooperation in NDAA

The National Defense Authorization Act has long been one of the few laws that rise above politics, typically resulting in a bipartisan show of support for our military and national defense. Each year, Congress meets to fund our military, equip our warriors, and make clear to our enemies that the United States remains committed to peace through force.

However, this year this tradition has ended.

Instead of discussing how best to strengthen America’s military, Democratic Socialists and online conspiracy theorists favor political theater over national security. One provision of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in particular—Section 1217, which established the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative—has become the target of a misinformation campaign fueled by rising antisemitism and growing domestic hostility toward American power and influence on the world stage.

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According to the idiots and far-left socialists behind this misleading campaign, Section 1217 somehow “merges” the U.S. military with the Israeli military, puts American troops under foreign command, and subordinates America’s national security to the interests of another country.

This sounds like a great plot for a novel, but none of it is even remotely true.

Truth

Section 1217 builds on decades of intelligence sharing, defense research and technology cooperation between the United States and Israel to accelerate the development of capabilities that strengthen America’s military.

Fiction

“Chapter 1217 unites our militaries.” No, it’s not like that. Section 1217 does not change America’s constitutional chain of command. It does not place even a single American soldier under Israeli authority.

This claim is not only false but also absurd. And frankly, that doesn’t make a shred of strategic sense.

Israel’s security problems are largely regional, as it fights every day to defend itself against hostile neighbors who seek to wipe the Jewish people off the map. America’s military responsibilities span every continent and ocean; It maintains a global force that can deter China in the Indo-Pacific, defend NATO allies in Europe, protect freedom of navigation and respond to terrorist threats wherever they exist.

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Neither country has any intention of “merging” military commands because that would make both countries less effective, not more.

Section 1217 is not a secret, nefarious plan buried in the NDAA, as the anti-Israel lobby might believe. This is a continuation of a defense partnership that has benefited our warfighters for decades.

While Israel has been fighting radical Islamist terrorists and hostile regimes for years, it has pioneered advances in missile defense, counter-drone technology, cyber defense, battlefield intelligence and autonomous systems. America benefits from this knowledge, just as Israel benefits from America’s industrial capacity, research, and military leadership.

Fact: Section 1217 builds on decades of intelligence sharing, defense research and technology cooperation between the United States and Israel to accelerate the development of capabilities that strengthen America’s military.

As a combat veteran, I am familiar with a concept that every warrior understands: on the battlefield, you use every advantage available to protect your troops and complete the mission. Pride and malicious political symbolism do not win wars. Superior technology, reliable allies and military dominance ensure this.

This is exactly why Congress included Section 1217 in this year’s NDAA.

Artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, autonomous systems and electronic warfare are no longer the technologies of tomorrow; Today they decide wars. In Ukraine, cheap unmanned aerial vehicles destroyed tanks worth millions of dollars. In the Middle East, missile defense systems have prevented massive dams that would otherwise devastate civilian populations.

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Our competitors do not work alone. China is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, quantum computing and next-generation military technology with one goal: to surpass the United States. Russia continues to adapt to its battlefield experience.

In this era of modern warfare, when our enemies freely share tactics, technologies, and capabilities, America cannot afford to harm itself by refusing to work with reliable allies.

The anti-Israel crowd is trying to argue that Section 1217 somehow puts Israel’s interests above America’s. This couldn’t be further backwards. This provision puts our interests first in every technological breakthrough, every improvement in missile defense, and every advance in counter-drone capabilities that save American lives. This is not charity, this is security.

As Montanans, we understand the importance of being prepared. Our government has long played a vital role in America’s national defense, from Malmstrom Air Force Base to the generations of veterans who wear our nation’s uniform. We know that deterrence is not built with speeches, but with capability, reliability, and a military so advanced that our enemies will decide not to try.

Americans should definitely discuss foreign policy. We should discuss defense spending, military priorities, and America’s role on the world stage. But these days, legitimate policy disagreements have been replaced by tired anti-Semitic tropes masquerading as national security concerns.

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Neither country has any intention of “merging” military commands because that would make both countries less effective, not more.

Let’s be clear: Conspiracies about Jewish control of America’s military have no place in a serious discussion of our nation’s defense.

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Our enemies don’t care whether the technology that defeats them was developed in Washington, Tel Aviv, or on the far side of the moon. They care about it working. We have a responsibility to ensure that American warfighters have every possible advantage when they are put in harm’s way; It’s not about trying to score political points by spreading disgusting conspiracy theories.

Section 1217 does just that by making America stronger, our military more capable, and making our enemies less likely to challenge us. This is the peace that comes from power.

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