In the U.S. Congress, a call was made to not approve the military spending budget without discussing steps that would further strengthen ties with Israel. A group of senators led by Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen demanded that the negotiations on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) be blocked until this issue is addressed.
In the letter seen by Reuters, it said: "As Senate Democrats, we should not provide votes that would force President Donald Trump to deepen relations with Netanyahu's extremist government." This initiative comes at a time when support for Israel is being questioned within the Democratic Party.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, Israel's favorable image among Democrats fell from 59 percent in 2018 to 22 percent in May. The same poll found that one in four Americans think the war with Iran is worth the cost.
Along with Van Hollen, the letter was signed by Jeff Merkley from Oregon, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Peter Welch from Vermont, and independent Senator Bernie Sanders.
Congress is currently preparing this year's version of the NDAA, which authorizes most of the $1.5 trillion military budget proposed by Trump. The texts approved in the House and Senate committees contain new provisions that will deepen U.S.-Israel defense cooperation. According to the letter, the initial draft of the fiscal year 2027 Intelligence Authorization Act, which is usually attached to the NDAA, would also tighten intelligence ties with Israel.