Tom Cotton Introduces Bill Expanding U.S.-Israel Intelligence Sharing

Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, introduced Section 622 of the FY2027 Intelligence Authorization Act to mandate the expansion of sensitive intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel. The measure, titled United States-Israel Intelligence Sharing Enhancement, requires the president to provide data on cybersecurity threats, terrorism, missile defense, and the intentions of state and non-state actors across nearly all Middle East security topics.

The legislation limits the executive branch's ability to suspend or reduce this sharing. The president may only restrict intelligence flow upon identifying a specific national security concern, which then triggers a requirement to report the decision to Congress within 15 days. This effort aligns with Section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act, which seeks to further integrate the defense industries of both nations.

This legislative push occurs as the Defense Intelligence Agency has reportedly raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to critical, citing espionage efforts against U.S. officials. While the measure has received bipartisan support in the Senate, critics and human rights organizations argue the law restricts the flexibility of intelligence agencies to protect secrets and sources, and may compromise the Five Eyes alliance or ignore Israeli war crimes.