Dear Friend, 

Many of my constituents have asked about U.S. support to Israel – especially as the Middle East faces a worsening civil war in Syria and the ongoing threat of a nuclear Iran. At a time when Congress agrees on very little, we have strong, bipartisan agreement that the U.S. must do all we can to support our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

As the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations, I have the unique opportunity to meet with leaders from the region to discuss their support of Israel. On Wednesday, I met with King Abdullah II of Jordan. Jordan is a committed and loyal ally to both the U.S. and Israel and has been a critical partner for peace and stability throughout the region. 

According to media reports from last week, Jordan opened a portion of their airspace to Israel, allowing Israeli drones to monitor the security situation in Syria which now poses an even more immediate threat than Iran. Additionally, Jordan was instrumental in getting the Palestinians to come to the negotiating table with Israel.

I was also encouraged that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited the region this week to announce a major arms sale to Israel and our Middle East allies. It is important to strengthen these countries who are allies of both the U.S. and Israel, especially at a time when Israel faces unrelenting security threats from Iran and Syria. The agreement would send Bell’s V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircrafts to Israel and Lockheed’s F-16 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.

As many of you know, the F-16 is manufactured in Fort Worth and the majority of the components to build the V-22 are manufactured in the Metroplex. I continue to be incredibly proud of the dedicated men and women who have built these vital national security assets.  Thank you for all that you do.

Once completed, this agreement, which will also send F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, would send a very clear signal to the Iranian government that the U.S. will stand beside Israel and our Middle East allies in opposing a nuclear Iran. 

With threats increasing throughout the Middle East, these are difficult times for Israel. I assure you that our support to Israel is unwavering and we will make sure that our friends and allies in the region have the ability to defend themselves.

I will be keeping a very close eye on developments and will send you updates on the situation whenever I can. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have any concerns or questions. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Kay Granger
Member of Congress