Israel should not decide US policies

Earlier this month, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) introduced a bill with potentially far-reaching and unprecedented implications for Israel’s ability to nix US weapons sales to the Middle East. The bill has 18 co-sponsors so far.

Please take a minute to find out if your Representative supports this bill and then send them a message stating why you’re against it.

H.R.8494, the Guaranteeing Israel’s QME Act of 2020, would mandate the president “to consult with appropriate officials of the Government of Israel for information regarding Israel’s qualitative military edge” before the proposed sale or export of weapons to other Middle Eastern countries. 

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed a document on Israel's QME during their meeting at the Pentagon, Oct. 22, 2020. Photo credit: Marv Lynchard, DOD.

By law, the US already guarantees Israel’s qualitative military edge over any potential combination of adversaries. Until this point, this determination has been made solely by the United States; Schneider’s bill would essentially make it a joint US-Israeli determination.

Let me be clear - AMP does not support US weapon sales to any abusers of human rights in the Middle East (and there are lots of those) - but we also don’t think that Israel should be given a say in determining US policies. What’s next--giving Israel a cabinet position to approve our domestic policies?

Please send a message to your Representative today. We can’t let Israel decide US policies.

In solidarity,  

Raed Jarrar
Advocacy Director 

PS: If you haven’t already, please take a minute to read my colleague Josh Ruebner’s analysis of the bill in Mondoweiss.