NEW YORK, NY – Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) National President Rhoda Smolow and CEO Naomi Adler released the following joint statement today following President Joe Biden signing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill contained funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system and established a new grant program within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to facilitate greater US-Israel collaboration in the field of cybersecurity.
“We applaud the bipartisan commitment on Capitol Hill to ensuring that provisions to strengthen Israel’s safety and security were included in this bill, and President Biden for signing it into law. Ensuring that Israel can defend her people against terrorist rocket fire with the defensive Iron Dome missile defense system and enhancing bilateral cooperation to thwart cyberattacks bolsters US national security. We are grateful that elected leaders on both sides of the aisle saw the wisdom in these measures that will help us build a safer and more peaceful world.
“Hadassah members have been unequivocal in their insistence upon continued US support for Iron Dome, which has saved countless lives. Israel, however, remains in need of an emergency resupply of the stockpile of interceptors that were depleted earlier this year. We urge Congress to continue to work on delivering against that need and to continue exploring other avenues of supporting military personnel, including the establishment of a US-Israel medical partnership agreement to study and treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”