22 U.S.C. § 8602 — Statement of policy

Page 2107 TITLE 22—FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE § 8603 ‘‘(5) The Government of Iran continues to pose a grave threat to the region and the world at large with its reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons. ‘‘(6) Given these challenges, it is imperative that the United States continues to deepen cooperation with allies like Israel in pursuit of shared policy ob- jectives.’’ § 8602. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States: (1) To reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel as a Jew- ish state. As President Barack Obama stated on December 16, 2011, ‘‘America’s commitment and my commitment to Israel and Israel’s se- curity is unshakeable.’’ And as President George W. Bush stated before the Israeli Knesset on May 15, 2008, on the 60th anniver- sary of the founding of the State of Israel, ‘‘The alliance between our governments is un- breakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty.’’. (2) To help the Government of Israel pre- serve its qualitative military edge amid rapid and uncertain regional political trans- formation. (3) To veto any one-sided anti-Israel resolu- tions at the United Nations Security Council. (4) To support Israel’s inherent right to self- defense. (5) To pursue avenues to expand cooperation with the Government of Israel both in defense and across the spectrum of civilian sectors, in- cluding high technology, agriculture, medi- cine, health, pharmaceuticals, and energy. (6) To assist the Government of Israel with its ongoing efforts to forge a peaceful, nego- tiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states living side- by-side in peace and security, and to encour- age Israel’s neighbors to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. (7) To encourage further development of ad- vanced technology programs between the United States and Israel given current trends and instability in the region. (Pub. L. 112–150, § 3, July 27, 2012, 126 Stat. 1147.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries STATEMENT OF POLICY ENSURING ISRAEL’S DEFENSE Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XII, § 1211, Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2099, provided that: ‘‘It is the policy of the United States to work with Israel to ensure adequate stocks of interceptors and weapons system components to defend Israel against air and missile threats from Iran and Iranian military proxies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, if the transfer of such interceptors and weapons system components are in the national security inter- ests of the United States.’’ STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING UNITED STATES- ISRAEL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Pub. L. 113–296, § 3, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4075, pro- vided that: ‘‘It is the policy of the United States— ‘‘(1) to reaffirm the unwavering support of the peo- ple and the Government of the United States for the security of Israel as a Jewish state; ‘‘(2) to reaffirm the principles and objectives en- shrined in the United States-Israel Enhanced Secu- rity Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–150) [22 U.S.C. 8601 et seq.] and ensure its implementation to the fullest extent; ‘‘(3) to reaffirm the importance of the 2007 United States-Israel Memorandum of Understanding on United States assistance to Israel and the semi-an- nual Strategic Dialogue between the United States and Israel; ‘‘(4) to pursue every opportunity to deepen coopera- tion with Israel on a range of critical issues including defense, homeland security, energy, and cybersecurity; ‘‘(5) to continue to provide Israel with robust secu- rity assistance, including for the procurement of the Iron Dome Missile Defense System; and ‘‘(6) to support the Government of Israel in its on- going efforts to reach a negotiated political settle- ment with the Palestinian people that results in two states living side-by-side in peace and security.’’ STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAM Pub. L. 113–296, § 9, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4077, pro- vided that: ‘‘It shall be the policy of the United States to include Israel in the list of countries that partici- pate in the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187) when Israel satisfies, and as long as Israel continues to sat- isfy, the requirements for inclusion in such program specified in such section.’’ § 8603. United States actions to assist in the de- fense of Israel and protect United States in- terests It is the sense of Congress that the United States Government should take the following actions to assist in the defense of Israel: (1) Seek to enhance the capabilities of the Governments of the United States and Israel to address emerging common threats, increase security cooperation, and expand joint mili- tary exercises. (2) Provide the Government of Israel such support as may be necessary to increase devel- opment and production of joint missile defense systems, particularly such systems that de- fend against the urgent threat posed to Israel and United States forces in the region. (3) Provide the Government of Israel assist- ance specifically for the production and pro- curement of the Iron Dome defense system for purposes of intercepting short-range missiles, rockets, and projectiles launched against Israel. (4) Provide the Government of Israel defense articles and defense services through such mechanisms as appropriate, to include air re- fueling tankers, missile defense capabilities, and specialized munitions. (5) Provide the Government of Israel addi- tional excess defense articles, as appropriate, in the wake of the withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq. (6) Examine ways to strengthen existing and ongoing efforts, including the Gaza Counter Arms Smuggling Initiative, aimed at pre- venting weapons smuggling into Gaza pursu- ant to the 2009 agreement following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as measures to protect against weapons smuggling and ter- rorist threats from the Sinai Peninsula. (7) Offer the Air Force of Israel additional training and exercise opportunities in the United States to compensate for Israel’s lim- ited air space. (8) Work to encourage an expanded role for Israel with the North Atlantic Treaty Organi-