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<div class="entry-header"><h1 class="gmail-post-title entry-title"><span style="font-weight:normal"><font size="1"><a href="https://qudsnen.co/us-approves-1bn-funding-for-israels-iron-dome-defense-system/">https://qudsnen.co/us-approves-1bn-funding-for-israels-iron-dome-defense-system/</a></font></span></h1><h1 class="gmail-post-title entry-title">US approves $1bn funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system</h1>
<h2 class="entry-sub-title">The bill also includes separate section
that is intended to promote the US-Israel relationship and normalization
agreements between ‘Israel’ and four Arab countries</h2>
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<div class="gmail-featured-area"><div class="gmail-featured-area-inner"><img src="https://qudsnen.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/534C46B8-8E46-4F20-8467-D2EFC1710933.jpeg" class="gmail-attachment-full gmail-size-full gmail-wp-post-image gmail-lazyautosizes gmail-ls-is-cached gmail-lazyloaded" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="392" height="245">
<span class="gmail-tie-icon-camera" aria-hidden="true"></span> An Iron
Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor at a target during an
exercise in early 2021. ( Credit: Israeli War Ministry)
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<p>March 13, 2022</p><p>Washington (QNN)- The US Senate approved on Wednesday $1 billion in supplemental funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.</p>
<p>The Senate included the funding in a $1.5 trillion Omnibus Appropriations Agreement, scrambling to avert a government shutdown.</p>
<p>The 2,741-page agreement also gave ‘Israel’ $3.8bn in annual defence
assistance in keeping with a 10 year Memorandum of Understanding between
the two allies.</p>
<p>The legislation was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.</p>
<p>In addition, the bill includes a separate section that is intended to promote the US-Israel relationship.</p>
<p>It is also intended to back the normalization agreements between
‘Israel’ and four Arab countries, brokered by the Trump administration.</p>
<p>In total, US defence-related spending would increase by $42bn or 5.6 percent to $782bn, compared to last year.</p>
<p>Last September, a handful of progressive House Democrats objected to a
provision that would include the $1bn in Iron Dome funding in the
government funding bill.</p>
<p>Those Democrats accused ‘Israel’ of human rights abuses against Palestinians.</p>
<p>They <a href="https://qudsnen.co/?p=29564" rel="noopener" target="_blank">successfully</a> stopped the money from being included within the stopgap funding bill.</p>
<p>However, the House <a href="https://qudsnen.co/?p=29651&" rel="noopener" target="_blank">approved</a> a stand-alone bill to provide ‘Israel’ with $1bn for replenishing the anti-missile system.</p>
<p>The vote passed with an overwhelming majority, with 420 members voting in favour and only nine against.</p>
<p>At the time, several lawmakers and progressive groups criticised the <a href="https://qudsnen.co/?p=29645&" rel="noopener" target="_blank">stand-alone bill</a>.</p>
<p>‘Israel’ has been using the Iron Dome to intercept projectiles.</p>
<p>According to the Israeli occupation government, during the most
recent escalation with Hamas last May, it had a roughly 90 percent
interception rate.</p>
<p>Over 250 Palestinians in Gaza were killed in the Israeli air strikes
in that May, including 66 children, 39 women, and 17 elderly people.</p>
<p>More than 1,900 were also wounded, including 380 children, 540 women, and 91 elderly.</p>
<p>As of November 2020, the US had provided $1.6 billion to ‘Israel’ for
Iron Dome batteries, interceptors, co-production costs and general
maintenance, according to Congressional Research Service.</p>
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