Human rights groups urge U.S. Congress to cut military tech ties with Israel

A coalition of 56 human rights and civil liberties organizations, including Amnesty International USA and the National Lawyers Guild, has urged the U.S. Congress to strike a specific provision from the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The provision, known as ‘Article 219’, seeks to deepen military technological cooperation between the United States and Israel by accelerating the development of joint military technologies and establishing co-production partnerships.

The organizations warned that deepening integration with the Israeli defense sector would be ‘extremely dangerous’ at a time when American interests are diverging from Israeli interests and public opinion is shifting against unconditional support for Israel. They argue that creating new points of influence for Israel within the U.S. defense technology system poses significant risks.

The provision aims to create frameworks for joint projects, licensing agreements, and co-production partnerships within the U.S. alongside the Israeli defense industry. While supporters argue such measures accelerate military innovation, the legislation currently awaits a Senate vote after being passed by the House of Representatives in July.