The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today encouraged Americans to contact their Senators and oppose “Israel First” provisions from the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA), including provisions that would target constitutionally protected boycotts of the Israeli government and provide billions in taxpayer dollars to sustain Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
TAKE ACTION NOW. Urge the Senate not to include “Israel First” provisions from the House-passed NDAA in the Senate version.
The House and Senate have begun the informal conference process, with the final conferenced NDAA expected before the Thanksgiving recess on November 22 and full passage anticipated by the end of the year.
While the NDAA funds a wide range of national security and defense programs, the House version, which passed on September 10th, includes deeply troubling sections that must be rejected if this bill is to align with American constitutional principles and human rights commitments:
- Section 870A: Prohibition on Entering into Contracts with a Person Engaged in a Boycott of the State of Israel.
This provision would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from contracting with any individual or entity that engages in a boycott of Israel or companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements. This amounts to government punishment of Americans for exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech and political expression. - Section 1214: Sense of Congress on International Defense Exhibitions.
This section conditions U.S. participation in defense exhibitions on whether Israeli companies are allowed full participation, prioritizing Israel’s arms industry over American interests, freedom of association, and global human rights.
“These unconstitutional provisions are designed to strip Americans of their First Amendment rights in order to shield Israel from accountability,” said Robert S. McCaw, CAIR’s Government Affairs Department Director. “At a time when Israel is using American weapons to kill tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, Congress is attempting to silence Americans who call for peace and justice. Senators must strike these amendments and stop enabling Israel’s genocide.”
Since October 2023, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, the overwhelming majority women and children. More than 70% of homes and civilian infrastructure have been destroyed, including hospitals, schools, and refugee camps. Israel has bombed medical facilities, flattened entire neighborhoods, and deliberately blocked food, medicine, fuel, and clean water from reaching millions. The United Nations and leading human rights organizations warn that Gaza is facing famine, with entire families starved to death under Israel’s blockade.
Rather than addressing this crisis, the NDAA continues to funnel taxpayer dollars into Israel’s war machine. The House-passed NDAA allocates over $650 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars for direct defense cooperation with Israel. This total allocation is broken down into the following programs:
- Missile defense: $500 million for cooperative missile defense programs, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems.
- Emerging technologies: $35 million for joint programs in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.
- Anti-tunneling efforts: $50 million for anti-tunneling programs.
- Counter-drone efforts: $70 million for counter-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
- Reserve stockpile: Extension of the War Reserve Stockpile Authority–Israel to 2029, enabling undisclosed quantities of U.S. weapons to be stored in Israel.
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com