Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, on display during a visit by US President Joe Biden. Photo: Ariel Hermoni / Ministry of Defense

The House of Representatives on Friday passed the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024, which includes $500 million in missile defense for Israel and a slew of other pro-Israel provisions.

That $500 million is divided among Israel’s four-tiered missile defense systems: the Israeli-produced Iron Dome, as well as the Arrow II, Arrow III, and David’s Sling systems, which are jointly funded, developed, and produced with the United States. Iron Dome is designed to stop smaller, shorter range rockets frequently fired from Gaza and Lebanon while the other systems defend against larger and longer-range rockets and cruise and ballistic missiles potentially fired from Iran or elsewhere. The Israeli government announced that David’s Sling was first used operationally in an interception during Operation Shield and Arrow against Palestinian Islamic Jihad in May.

Passed 219-210 on a nearly party line vote, the NDAA included several contentious amendments that made it unpalatable to most Democrats, including provisions ending reimbursements for abortion and cutting off diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Ultimately only four Democrats voted for the bill, while four Republicans voted against it. 

Among the provisions of the NDAA related to Israel are a requirement that the US and Israel hold joint military exercises at least twice a year, $50 million above President Biden’s budget request to research and develop advanced technology with Israel, $47.5 million for US-Israel counter-tunnel cooperation through 2026, and the creation of a US-funded grant program for joint US-Israeli research into post-traumatic stress disorder.

The bill also includes several measures to improve Israel’s security against Iran. It expands annual Department of Defense reporting requirements on Iran’s military power, including Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and its support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. It also calls for the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan for Israel to gain observer status in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, which produces combat pilots for NATO.

Non-Israel provisions include $300 million in security assistance for Ukraine and extensive measures intended to deter China. Those include 15 bipartisan recommendations from the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party. 

Amendments introduced Thursday by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to cut off aid to Ukraine failed by large margins. Both are members of the Republican party’s more isolationist right flank.

The Senate will now take up consideration of its own version of the NDAA, with an initial procedural vote scheduled for Tuesday. The House and Senate will then try to reconcile the two versions.