Democracy v Sharia Law
Is America Occupied? AIPAC
Who is AIPAC
AIPAC brings together Democrats and Republicans to advance our shared mission. Building bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship is an American val
AIPAC is a national organization with more than 6 million grassroots members who want to strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship. The I.S -Israeli relationship is mutually beneficial partnership that saves lives and advances Americans interest
AIPAC — America’s pro-Israel lobby — closely monitors a broad range of issues that affect the U.S.-Israel relationship. Over the past 60 years, AIPAC has built a reputation for providing reliable, credible and timely research and information for decision makers in Washington and across the country. Browse below to learn more about our key issues and AIPAC analysis.
Combact Terrorism
In Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza, Iranian forces and terrorist proxies are attempting to surround Israel with increasingly advanced weaponry, preparing for the next large-scale conflict against the Jewish state.
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Iranian militias in Syria have repeatedly launched attacks on the Jewish state and are constantly working to improve their capabilities.
A viable two-state agreement is only attainable if America’s support for Israel is ironclad, and the Jewish state knows it can take risks for peace because its ally and partner has its back.
In Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza, Iranian-backed forces and terrorist proxies are attempting to surround Israel with increasingly advanced weaponry, preparing for the next large-scale conflict against the Jewish state.
Stronger than most European armies, these terrorist groups have launched repeated attacks against Americans and Israelis, and are embedding terrorists and weapons among civilian populations as they prepare for war.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based, Iranian-backed terrorist organization with a highly capable military arsenal, dedicated to Israel’s destruction. Hezbollah has killed more Americans than any terrorist group other than al-Qaeda. Its terrorist and fundraising operations span the globe, bolstered in recent years by upwards of $800 million annually from Iran.
Larger Arsenal Than Most European Armies: Hezbollah’s rocket and missile arsenal has increased tenfold—from 15,000 to 150,000—since 2006. Hezbollah is now producing precision-guided missiles (PGMs) that can target Israeli strategic sites with pinpoint accuracy.
Political Dominance: With Iran’s help, Hezbollah has become the most important political player in Lebanon. The terror group and its allies control much of Lebanon’s government and further its corruption and dysfunction at the expense of the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah Uses Human Shields: Virtually all of southern Lebanon is a Hezbollah maze of underground bunkers, rocket-launch sites and interconnecting tunnels, with at least one out of every four houses in southern Lebanon reportedly hosting a Hezbollah base, post, weapons depot or hideout, in violation of international law.
Global Reach: Hezbollah operates on a global level—with a significant presence in Latin America, Africa, Europe and southern Asia. It uses this global reach to carry out terrorist attacks and to finance its operations through drug smuggling, money laundering and other illicit means.
Keeping American troops safe
Israel is on the front line in the war against terrorism—countering U.S. enemies in the region and the spread of weapons to terrorist groups.
Invaluable bilateral intelligence cooperation helps prevent attacks against Americans and our allies, and greatly limits the number of U.S. personnel needed in this dangerous region.
Moreover, Israel openly shares its battle technologies and experiences to ensure America is better equipped to address challenges we face.
This strategic relationship is a key pillar of America’s Middle East security framework, and this partnership is constantly growing and expanding into new areas.
More than a decade ago, Israel developed Iron Dome to protect its citizens from persistent and increasingly dangerous rockets fired by Iranian-backed terrorists. Since being deployed, Iron Dome has intercepted more than 95 percent of the rockets it has targeted—preventing war, saving countless lives, and reducing physical and psychological damage.
Leaders in Congress have recognized the importance of Israel’s missile defense technology and have allocated more than $2.6 billion for this lifesaving defense system. In March 2022 alone, Congress passed $1 billion in emergency funding to help replenish Iron Dome.
In 2019, the U.S. Army purchased Iron Dome to protect our own soldiers facing an increasing threat from short-range rocket and cruise missile attacks.
Additionally, joint U.S.-Israel collaboration on the David’s Sling and Arrow missile defense systems protect lives and provide invaluable insight to advance America’s missile defense capabilities.
Israel is an ally we can count on to help research, diagnose and treat PTSD. Local and state governments in the United States have worked closely with the Israel Trauma Coalition to train professionals in post-traumatic stress diagnosis and treatment.
In 2022, the National Defense Authorization Act encouraged expanding PTSD cooperation between American and Israeli institutions.
Israel’s military is a valuable partner of the U.S. armed forces. American military personnel participate in frequent training exercises with their Israeli counterparts to prepare for a host of shared threats—in the air, on land and at sea. Israel and America conduct exercises together and with other friendly nations to better prepare for future contingencies and to better address shared threats.
Countering drones
Since 2020, Congress has allocated more than $60 million to promote U.S.-Israel counter-drone cooperation. Israeli counter-drone systems are fielded by the FBI, Secret Service and U.S. military.
Israel, an expert in anti-tunnel technology, is committed to sharing its knowledge with the United States. Anti-tunneling technology can help the United States prevent cross-border smuggling at home and protect our troops abroad.
Since 2015, Congress has appropriated over $270 million for U.S.- Israel cooperation to better detect and destroy terror tunnels—enhancing Israel’s and America’s counter-tunnel capabilities.
U.S. Security Assistance to Israel
The United States has long defined Israel’s survival and security as important to its own national interests. Israel helps the United States meet its growing security challenges through close cooperation and a range of innovative technologies.
Through executive commitment and legislative action, America provides Israel with annual security assistance that helps the Middle East’s only democracy defend itself—by itself—against mounting security threats.
The United States has supported Israel politically since its reestablishment in 1948. But it was not until the late 1960s that it began to regularly provide security assistance to the Jewish state. Since then, America has consistently provided Israel with security assistance to help it stay strong and deter its enemies.
Security Assistance: By means of its annual foreign aid, U.S. security assistance to Israel is the most tangible manifestation of American support for the Jewish state. Assistance primarily takes the form of funding for Israel to purchase the arms needed to defend itself from its adversaries.
QME: A core element of U.S. policy is to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME)—the ability to counter and defeat any credible conventional military threat while sustaining minimal damages and casualties. In 2008, Congress wrote America’s longstanding commitment to Israel’s QME into law and required the president to continually assess whether it is being maintained.
Memoranda of Understanding: In 1998, the United States and Israel signed their first 10-year “Memorandum of Agreement on Security Cooperation” to increase security assistance to Israel while phasing out economic aid. Under the agreement, the United States committed to providing Israel $21.3 billion in security assistance. In 2016, America committed to provide $38 billion under a new 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Serving American Interests
Anchor of Stability: In an increasingly uncertain Middle East, Israel is the one stable democratic ally upon which America can consistently depend. Cooperation between the two countries in intelligence, homeland security, missile defense and counterterrorism has helped the United States meet its growing security challenges. U.S. support for Israel helps deter regional conflict by making clear to potential foes that they cannot defeat the Jewish state.
Supporting American Jobs: More than 75 percent of security assistance provided to Israel is spent in the United States. This spending boosts the U.S. economy and helps support thousands of high-quality American jobs across the country.
Israeli Innovation: As a result of the strong friendship between Israel and the United States, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the U.S. military share technologies and techniques that greatly benefit both nations. Israel has pioneered cutting-edge technologies in cyber defense, unmanned vehicles, sensors and electronic warfare systems, and advanced defenses for military vehicles. In addition, Israeli battlefield medical technologies have saved countless American lives. The innovative use of U.S. military equipment by the IDF, coupled with shared know-how, has helped the U.S. military improve its own equipment and tactics.
Stockpiles: Established in the 1980s, the War Reserves Stock Allies-Israel program consists of up to $3.4 billion of U.S.-owned and -managed weapons and equipment stored in Israel for use by the U.S. military. The IDF may access these reserves during emergencies, if authorized by the U.S. government.
Crucial to Israel’s Security
Mounting Threats: The ongoing instability gripping the region directly threatens the Jewish state. To its north, Israel faces Hezbollah in Lebanon and a growing Iranian presence in Syria; to its south, Israel faces Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza while ISIS-affiliated terrorists roam the Sinai Peninsula; to its west, militant terrorist groups are gaining strength in the West Bank. Israel’s greatest threat remains Iran, which is attempting to surround the Jewish state with terrorist proxies while developing the capability to produce nuclear weapons.
Increasing Costs: To deal with the region’s mounting threats, Israel—a tiny nation the geographic size of New Jersey—has been forced to spend more on defense as a percentage of its GDP than any other nation in the industrialized world. The rising costs of advanced weaponry only compound Israel’s challenges. For example, a single F-35I “Adir” Joint Strike Fighter will cost Israel more than twice that of an F-16I fighter jet purchased under the first U.S.-Israel aid agreement in 1998.
THE WAY FORWARD
As part of its strategic alliance with Israel, the United States has agreed to provide security assistance through 10-year MOUs. Beginning in 2019, the new MOU stipulates an annual sum of $3.3 billion in foreign military funding and $500 million for cooperative missile defense.
Congress must now fulfill this commitment by legislating full funding as called for in the MOU. Congress must also work to expand joint innovation, ensure Israel’s QME and consider upgrades to the value of U.S. stockpiles in Israel.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
Hamas and PIJ are Iranian-backed terrorist groups dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Hamas terrorist attacks have killed hundreds of civilians, including two dozen Americans. While based in the Gaza Strip, Hamas and PIJ maintain a robust and growing presence in the West Bank.
Targeting Israeli Civilians: Hamas and PIJ have used Gaza as a launching pad for tens of thousands of rockets, dozens of terror tunnels, and thousands of explosive balloons—killing or wounding hundreds of civilians, injuring and traumatizing thousands, and destroying more than 12,000 acres of Israeli property. Today, Hamas and PIJ maintain an arsenal of roughly 30,000 rockets, some capable of striking major population centers and critical infrastructure.
Using Civilians as Human Shields: Hamas uses its own people as human shields—hiding its fighters and weapons within apartment complexes and schools. Rather than improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Hamas steals international humanitarian aid to fund its terrorist endeavors while threatening civilian lives.
Expanding Its Control: Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, shortly after Israel’s unilateral withdrawal. Hamas continues to undermine the Palestinian Authority (PA) and is working to expand its presence in the West Bank by establishing terrorist cells there as another vantage point from which it can murder Israeli civilians and threaten further violence.
Iranian Militias in Syria
Iranian-backed forces work to ensure the survival of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime as a means to preserve Iran’s land corridor across Syria, in order to smuggle supplies to its proxy forces in Lebanon and position itself along another border with Israel.
Long-Term Buildup: Tens of thousands of Iranian-backed fighters have served alongside Syrian forces to prop up the Assad regime and spread pro-Iranian propaganda. Iran has fully entrenched itself in nearly all aspects of Syria’s infrastructure, including its military bases, airfields, surface-to-air missile systems and weapons-production facilities.
Escalating Attacks: Iran uses its strategic position in Syria to directly attack the Jewish state and American forces, including an August 2022 attack injuring U.S. troops. Iran has fired dozens of rockets toward the Golan Heights and launched explosive-laden “suicide drones” towards Israel.
A Third Front: Iran is working to cement a new front in southern Syria—in addition to its current positions in Gaza and Lebanon—from which it can attack Israeli civilians.
Iranian Proxies in Iraq
Iraqi militia forces—funded and controlled by Iran—continuously undermine the Iraqi government and directly attack U.S. forces, international embassies and local allies with rocket attacks and roadside bombs.
Infiltration of Iraq: Iran is investing over $100 million annually to create a state-within-a-state, similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon, as a steppingstone to undermine the Iraqi government’s sovereignty.
Attacks Against Americans: Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. servicemembers and have brazenly attacked U.S. military facilities, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the U.S. Consulate in Basra and U.S.-owned oil facilities.
Threatening Israel: Iran has deployed dozens of advanced short- and medium-range ballistic missiles that can reach anywhere in Israel when launched from western Iraq, and has trained local militia forces on how to produce and launch these missiles.
Iranian-backed terrorist armies present a direct threat to American and Israeli national security. The United States must continue to ensure the Jewish state has the means necessary to defend itself, by itself, against Iranian-backed terrorism, including by upholding America’s full security assistance commitment to Israel.
Additionally, the U.S. must continue to push back against Iran’s efforts to destabilize the region, by increasing economic pressure on the Iranian regime and its proxies to limit the resources available to them to promote regional aggression.
Iran is raising proliferation challenges across the Middle East.
The Middle East will remain an ever-changing and complicated region. As the lone stable, Western democracy in the region, Israel is America’s strong and reliable ally that shares our values and strategic outlook. Iran and its terrorist proxies remain ever determined to challenge America and our allies.
Tehran and its terrorist proxies will threaten American troops and Israeli citizens by building its conventional and unconventional weapons arsenal, fomenting terror, proliferating weapons, sponsoring destabilizing insurgencies, and attacking Americans and our allies. A strong U.S.-Israel relationship is essential to countering these threats and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Nuclear Arms Race: Iran’s nuclear ambitions would provide the world’s deadliest weapon to the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The regime’s nuclear pursuit could trigger a dangerous nuclear arms race with the Arab world.
Precision-Guided Missiles (PGM) Proliferation: PGMs enable Iran and other rogue actors the ability to strike key strategic sites, including military and civilian infrastructure. Iran is also helping its allies and surrogates like Hezbollah to construct their own advanced weapons factories.
Weaponized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Iranian-backed terrorist forces are already working to weaponize inexpensive drones—increasing the range, lethality, coordination and efficiency of their terrorist attacks across the region.
Cyberwarfare gives terrorists and rogue regimes new capabilities.
A Growing Threat: Cyberwarfare has emerged as an effective and deadly weapon to complement conventional capabilities, as armies of hackers launch assaults on critical infrastructure that is central to daily life.
America and Israel Are Being Targeted: Iran has repeatedly cyberattacked Israel’s civilian water supply, attempting to inject deadly levels of chlorine into the water, while Hamas has mounted cyberattacks against critical Israeli military infrastructure. Iran has also used cyber to attack American critical infrastructure, including hospitals, and influence our elections.
Hackers for Hire: Terrorists groups are now able to hire computer-hacking groups around the globe to carry out their destabilizing cyberattacks and mask the groups’ identities.
Terrorist states and groups are changing the nature of warfare with asymmetrical tactics.
New Forms of Warfare: Terrorist groups and rogue states are utilizing 21st-century technologies to their advantage—engaging in nontraditional tactics on the battlefield to overwhelm conventional armies.
Drone Swarms: Terrorist groups are equipping drones, including cheap, commercially available ones, with explosive materials and engaging in coordinated multi-drone attacks. Iran and ISIS have already demonstrated this capability.
Artificial Intelligence: The application of advanced artificial intelligence technology on the battlefield will increase precision and automate killing on a massive scale.
Cruise Missile Attacks: The proliferation of low-flying, remote-controlled cruise missiles throughout the Middle East can circumvent conventional radar and missile defense systems, as illustrated by the highly sophisticated combined Iranian cruise missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities in 2019.
The globalization of terrorism has allowed malign actors to expand their reach.
Terrorist Groups Enter Organized Crime: The convergence of terrorist groups and organized crime has created new opportunities for these groups to enhance their terror financing and shield themselves from international sanctions.
Hezbollah in Latin America: Hezbollah has increased ties with major drug cartels to help expand the group’s reach, political clout and financing opportunities. For example, drawing on its expertise digging attack tunnels across the Lebanon-Israel border, Hezbollah helped the Sinaloa cartel build drug-smuggling tunnels into America in exchange for cash.
Rogue Countries United: Financially and diplomatically isolated from the rest of the world, rogue nations like Iran, Russia, Syria, North Korea and Venezuela have strengthened their relationships to help each other resist international pressure.
The Middle East is an ever-changing environment plagued by instability.
Hezbollah Threatening Lebanon: With Hezbollah operating as a corrupt state-within-a-state, Lebanon’s government is facing serious threat of collapse, fueling its prospect as a haven for domestic and regional terrorist groups on Israel’s doorstep.
Syrian Civil War Continues: A decade into the civil war, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has regained some control of previously lost territory, but renewed conflict and terrorism could generate millions of new refugees and fighters, severely straining the resources of all its neighbors.
Militias in Iraq: Iranian-backed militias in Iraq continue to undermine the Iraqi government, using terrorism to threaten U.S. forces and our allies, thereby further entrenching Iran’s influence from Iraq through Syria to Lebanon.
The Way Forward
The United States must continue to support and work closely with Israel—our closest and most capable ally in the region.
Through ensuring America’s full security assistance commitment to Israel and enhancing bilateral cooperation, both countries will be better positioned to confront these and other threats.
The U.S.-Israel partnership has proven to be a critical American asset in the past, and it will remain an important strategic alliance into the future.
Israeli innovation improves virtually all facets of American life.
Cyberspace. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s investment in cybersecurity occurs in Israel (second only to the United States). America benefits greatly from Israel’s experience thwarting major cyberattacks on its civilian infrastructure. U.S.-Israel cooperation helps secure America’s critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
Healthcare. Israel is a leader in health-related technology, resulting in billions of dollars in investment and close collaboration with American counterparts. Greater U.S.-Israel cooperation with Israel’s robust ecosystem of healthcare companies can help provide critical health solutions to Americans in need.
Artificial Intelligence. Israel is home to a vibrant artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem that is rapidly expanding. Israel’s use of AI in diverse fields including healthcare, cybersecurity and autonomous driving can benefit Americans across a variety of sectors.
Water. Israel overcame its historic water crisis through breakthrough innovations in desalination, recycling, conservation, management and irrigation. Today, these technologies are helping the United States tackle our own immense water challenges. The largest and most advanced water desalination plant in the United States was designed in Israel and accounts for 10 percent of San Diego County’s water supply.
Food Security. Despite its desert climate and dearth of natural resources, Israel is a world leader in agricultural technology and food security. Israeli innovation in agricultural technology is being utilized by farmers and food suppliers across the United States to increase yields and feed the world.
