WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced the United States-Israel International Development Cooperation Act to expand and strengthen the development partnership between the United States and Israel. This legislation reauthorizes and expands a successful program that enables the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Israeli Agency for International Development and Cooperation (MASHAV) to co-develop and cooperate on international projects. The legislation will also study new opportunities for additional countries to participate in these joint projects.

“The United States and Israel’s unwavering, 75-year partnership will always be a bipartisan priority for Congress,” said Senator Coons. “Thanks to the harmony between our two nations, we’ve worked together to advance development projects that support peace and stability across the world. I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in passing this commonsense, bipartisan bill that demonstrates the United States’ commitment to international development efforts and reaffirms our nation’s unshakeable partnership with Israel.”

“Israel has long been one of America’s closest allies strategically located in the Middle East,” said Senator Moran. “Through partnerships with Israel, USAID has already had great success in providing humanitarian aid and education to impoverished countries around the globe. By increasing cooperative projects with Israel, this legislation will enable the U.S. and Israel to have an even greater impact around the world.”

USAID has a long history of partnering with MASHAV to leverage their resources and expertise in the areas of education, women empowerment, food security, humanitarian aid, and global health. In 2019, USAID and MASHAV signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on global development cooperation. This bill fulfills that MOU and enables the United States and Israel to continue working together while creating new partnerships with other countries throughout the world.

This bill has been endorsed by the American Jewish Committee, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Hadassah, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Jewish Federations of North America.

The text of the bill can be found here.

Senator Coons is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.