President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025. (Reuters File)
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Congress is advancing legislation that would significantly expand intelligence and defense cooperation between the United States and Israel, creating a relationship that critics say would surpass the longstanding Five Eyes intelligence alliance among the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, The Independent reported.
The proposed FY2027 Intelligence Authorization Act would require broader intelligence sharing between the two countries, including information on cybersecurity threats, terrorism, sanctions evasion, missile threats and adversarial technologies. Supporters describe the measure as strengthening regional security, while critics argue it could deepen U.S. integration with Israeli security institutions.
The legislation has bipartisan backing and is expected to pass Congress. Opponents, including a small bipartisan group of lawmakers and outside policy advocates, have called for greater public debate over the proposal.
The intelligence measure follows separate defense legislation that would expand bilateral defense research, development and industrial cooperation between the United States and Israel.
