New bipartisan legislation seeks to guarantee Israel's QME
The bill would also seek to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region while “reaffirming the US military's credibility to deter Iran.”
By OMRI NAHMIASU.S. House of Representatives votes on Trump impeachment on Capitol Hill in Washington on December 19, 2019.(photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)
WASHINGTON – Bipartisan legislation presented this week in the US House of Representatives seeks to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME) in the Middle East.Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey) and Brian Mast (R-Florida) introduced the new bill on Tuesday, and Gottheimer addressed the legislation during a webinar about terrorism on social media with Elan Carr, the Trump administration’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.“This bill will help shore up Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region and secure both of our countries from the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, by ensuring the United States will continue to support Israel’s security as Iran increases its nuclear enrichment,” said Gottheimer.He added that the new bill would require the US Department of Defense to consult with Israel and report to Congress on Israel’s capability to deter a full range of threats, “including whether the transfer to Israel of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator or “bunker buster” bomb capable of taking out Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure would advance the both countries’ security.”The bill would also seek to ensure Israel’s QME in the region while “reaffirming the US military’s credibility to deter Iran.”“I’m proud to be introducing this new bipartisan bill to defend Israel from Iran and Hezbollah and reinforce our historic allies’ qualitative military edge,” Gottheimer said.“Iran and its terrorist proxies throughout the region must never be able to threaten the use of any kind of weapons or terror to threaten the relationship between the US and Israel with a nuclear weapon. There should be nothing partisan about our national security, nor with the relationship with our ally Israel,” he added.
