United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 (S. 462; 113th Congress)

by Barbara Boxer

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 462

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 5, 2013

Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cardin, and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To enhance the strategic partnership between the United States and Israel.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013”.

Sec. 2. Findings

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The people and the Governments of the United States and Israel share a deep and unbreakable bond, forged by over 60 years of shared interests and shared values.

(2) Today, the people and Governments of the United States and Israel are facing a dynamic and rapidly changing security environment in the Middle East and North Africa, necessitating deeper cooperation on a range of defense, security, and intelligence matters.

(3) From Gaza, Hamas continues to deny Israel’s right to exist and persists in firing rockets indiscriminately at population centers in Israel.

(4) Hezbollah—with support from Iran—continues to stockpile rockets and may be seeking to exploit the tragic and volatile security situation within Syria.

(5) The Government of Iran continues to pose a grave threat to the region and the world at large with its reckless uranium enrichment program and defiance of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

(6) The civil war in Syria is threatening the security of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, which could be deployed against its own people or fall into the hands of terrorists.

(7) Given these challenges, it is imperative that the United States continue to deepen cooperation with allies like Israel in pursuit of shared policy objectives.

Sec. 3. Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States—

(1) to reaffirm the unwavering support of the United States for the security of Israel as a Jewish state;

(2) to reaffirm the principals and objectives enshrined in the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–150) 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-annual Strategic Dialogue between the United States and Israel;

(4) to pursue every opportunity to deepen cooperation with Israel on a range of critical issues including defense, homeland, energy, and cyber security;

(5) to continue to provide Israel with robust security assistance, including for the development, procurement, and maintenance of the Iron Dome Missile Defense System; and

(6) to support the Government of Israel in its ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated political settlement with the Palestinian people that results in two states living side-by-side in peace and security.

Sec. 4. Sense of Congress on Israel as a major strategic partner

It is the sense of Congress that Israel is a Major Strategic Partner.

Sec. 5. Extension of war reserves stockpile authority

(a) Department of defense appropriations Act, 2005–

Section 12001(d) of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public Law 108–287; 118 Stat. 1011) is amended by striking “more than 10 years after” and inserting “more than 11 years after”.

(b) Foreign assistance Act of 1961–

Section 514(b)(2)(A) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321h(b)(2)(A)) is amended by striking “and 2014” and inserting “, 2014, and 2015”.

Sec. 6. Eligibility of Israel for the strategic trade authorization exception to certain export control licensing requirements

(a) Finding–

Congress finds that Israel—

(1) has declared its unilateral adherence to the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies;

(2) is a party to—

(A) the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, signed at Geneva October 10, 1980;

(B) the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed at Geneva June 17, 1925; and

(C) the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, adopted at Vienna on October 26, 1979; and

(3) is a country with a low risk of diversion of items subject to export controls.

(b) Eligibility for strategic trade authorization exception–

The Secretary of Commerce shall take steps to include Israel in the list of countries eligible for the strategic trade authorization exception under section 740.20(c)(1) of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, to the requirement for a license for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of an item subject to controls under the Export Administration Regulations, consistent with the obligations of the United States pursuant to international agreements.

Sec. 7. Energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies

(a) In general–

The President is authorized to carry out United States-Israel cooperative activities and to provide assistance promoting cooperation in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies.

(b) Requirements–

In carrying out subsection (a), the President is authorized to share and exchange with Israel research, technology, intelligence, information, equipment, and personnel that the President determines will advance the national security interests of the United States and is consistent with the Strategic Dialogue and pertinent provisions of law—

(1) by enhancing scientific cooperation between Israel and the United States; or

(2) by the sale, lease, exchange in kind, or other techniques the President determines to be suitable.

Sec. 8. Report on Establishment of United States-Israel Center of Excellence on Cyber Security

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a report on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a joint United States-Israel Cyber Security Center for the purposes of sharing and advancing technologies related to the prevention of cybercrimes.

Sec. 9. Designation of Israel as Visa Waiver Program Country

Section 217(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(c)(2)) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “ subparagraph (G) and” after “Except as provided in”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

(G) Israel–

The State of Israel shall be designated as a program country on the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the Secretary of State, certifies that the Government of Israel—

(i) has complied with all of the requirements set forth in subparagraphs (B) through (F); and

(ii) has made every reasonable effort, without jeopardizing the security of the State of Israel, to ensure that reciprocal travel privileges are extended to all United States citizens..

Sec. 10. Report on implementation of section 4 of the United States-Israel enhanced security cooperation Act of 2012

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a comprehensive report on current and future efforts undertaken by the President to fulfill the objectives of section 4 of the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act (22 U.S.C. 8603).