Huckabee fires back as Senate Democrats target US-Israel intelligence ties: 'Shocking!'

A growing group of Senate Democrats is seeking to restrict expanded military and intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel, raising concerns that closer ties with the Jewish state could threaten American national security.

The effort is being led by Maryland Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen. He is targeting three provisions in the annual defense authorization bill designed to strengthen military technology development and intelligence sharing between the two longtime allies. Van Hollen wants the provisions gone.

But U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is firing back, telling ALL ISRAEL NEWS that Van Hollen fundamentally misunderstands the critical intelligence relationship between Washington and Jerusalem.

“It’s shocking that a US Senator would be oblivious to the fact that the intel we share with Israel and that they share with us protects Americans every day not only against cyber attacks, but kinetic attacks against public officials,” Huckabee said. “Spending more time in classified briefings and less time jumping in front of the cameras hopefully would change his mind.”

Huckabee’s forceful response highlights an increasingly contentious debate in Washington over whether Israel remains an indispensable American security partner or whether deeper cooperation could compromise U.S. interests.

Van Hollen and 11 other senators sent a letter to congressional leaders this week urging them to remove three provisions from the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Sections 1217 and 219 would establish a United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative, expanding collaboration in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, biotechnology and advanced weapons systems.

A third provision, Section 618 of the Senate Intelligence Authorization Act, would require expanded intelligence sharing with Israel while limiting the executive branch’s ability to suspend or reduce that cooperation. The senators argue that such requirements could undermine America’s ability to make independent national security decisions.

But their concerns go beyond traditional military assistance. They believe that this expanding defense integration could give Israel excessive influence over American military technology and create long-term dependencies within the U.S. defense industrial base. The lawmakers also question whether Congress should mandate additional intelligence sharing with Israel given what they describe as potential counterintelligence risks.

Perhaps the most controversial element of the letter is its reference to reports about a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment concerning Israel. The senators cite public allegations that the agency elevated its assessment of the counterintelligence threat posed by Israel to the highest level. That assessment hasn't been independently verified, but nonetheless, the senators argue that Congress should preserve the president’s ability to restrict intelligence sharing when national security considerations warrant such action.

The proposal does not call for an immediate end to intelligence cooperation. Rather, it seeks to prevent legislation from mandating expanded intelligence sharing and restricting presidential discretion.

For critics of Van Hollen, however, the argument overlooks decades of intelligence cooperation involving Iranian military capabilities, terrorist networks, cybersecurity threats and other dangers affecting both countries.

Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, delivered an especially forceful condemnation of the Maryland senator’s proposal in comments to ALL ISRAEL NEWS. “Chris Van Hollen is a bigot and Jew hater. His proposal is nonsense. Not only is Israel America’s most reliable ally; they provide America more critical intelligence than all of NATO combined,” Klein said.

“General George Keegan, retired top official of the Air Force, said America would need five CIA’s to receive the same critical intelligence the US receives from Israel. This outrageous legislation by Van Hollen would hurt American security, not help it.” Klein's criticism underscores the intensity of the backlash from pro-Israel advocates who believe the proposed restrictions will weaken U.S. security rather than strengthen it.

Van Hollen is not acting alone. The letter includes prominent progressive senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch, all outspoken critics of Israeli government policies. Their involvement demonstrates that opposition to expanding U.S.-Israel defense cooperation is not confined to the Senate’s most vocal progressive lawmakers.

It also comes amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party about America’s relationship with Israel, particularly following the Gaza war and the recent conflict involving Iran.

California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna has been organizing a similar effort in the House. The progressive advocacy organization J Street has also endorsed efforts to restrict expanded military cooperation, linking its position to concerns about Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank.

Come January, Democrats will have major legislative power in Congress to set the agenda. They'll have a significant margin in the House to pass moves outlined in Van Hollen's letter. It may be a bit trickier in the Senate. The question for the Trump White House is whether it will yield to Democrats on these provisions or ultimately get out its veto pen.