Chris Smith: “I thank my good friend for yielding. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my strong support for H.R.…”

“I thank my good friend for yielding. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my strong support for H.R. 1837, the U.S.-Israel Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act, supported and introduced by Mr. Deutch and Mr. Wilson. I thank them for their leadership, as well as Eliot Engel and Michael McCaul, our ranking member. Israel is by far our closest ally in the Middle East with which we share common values, including a commitment to democracy and to the rule of law. Sadly, Israel often comes under attack, at the United Nations and in the region, both by words and by bullets. Israel is judged by a double standard by which real or imagined flaws are magnified, while Israel's virtues as a robust democracy are ignored. Mr. Speaker, we must stand with Israel, and this bill is a means to achieve that. Among other things, it would authorize--and this is the core of the bill--it would authorize military financing for Israel at $3.3 billion per year, over 10 years, and enhanced cooperation with our key ally in a host of other areas from cybersecurity, to agriculture, to assisting veterans. It is mutually beneficial, allowing us to access Israel's knowledge and to benefit from its leadership in sectors such as desalinization technology, which has helped make the desert bloom, one of the most visually-evident ways Israel has positively impacted the land.…”