Rep. Eli Crane champions collaboration with Israel on national security

Rep. Eli Crane is championing a couple of Department of Homeland Security programs with Israel and calling for additional funding for the "critical national security projects."

Crane, R-Ariz., this week laid out his concerns in a bipartisan letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The letter, which was co-signed by Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., voices support for the BIRD-Homeland Security Program and the US-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Program.

“As foreign nations continue to develop high-quality digital and physical cybersecurity infrastructure, it is crucial that we maintain our competitive advantage in these areas,” the Congress members wrote, listing China and Iran as competitors.

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate funds two programs: BIRD Homeland Security (HLS), which was established in 2016 with the Israel Ministry of National Security, and BIRD Cyber, which was launched in 2022 with the Israel National Cyber Directorate.

BIRD HLS provides up to $1 million in conditional grants for approved collaborative efforts to advance both countries' homeland-security needs and up to 50% of the program’s combined research and development budget, while BIRD Cyber provides up to $1.5 million to collaborative projects relating to cybersecurity.

Arizona-based food and agriculture tech company Heliae collaborated on a project with the Israeli company TransBiodiesel Ltd. that was approved for a grant in 2013.

Crane and Menendez also criticized the fiscal year 2023 budget’s allocation of money for the projects.

“We understand the challenges that are presented by budget prioritization. … However, we urge you to commit to working with Congress to fulfill congressional intent and fully fund these programs in FY2024,” the representatives wrote.

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Crane’s support for collaboration with Israel is not new. In an op-ed essay published in April by Breitbart, Crane called the U.S.-Israel relationship a “blessing to the world.”

“Israeli military technology has been utilized by our own military to save countless lives. Medical technology developed in Israel has revolutionized medicine and given a second chance at life to people around the world,” he wrote.

Crane cited innovations in water technology and desalination as especially helpful for people in the Southwest.

Arizona also has trade relationships with Israel, with the Arizona Commerce Authority opening in 2019 its first trade and investment office in Tel Aviv.

The Arizona Commerce Authority, whose board is chaired by Gov. Katie Hobbs, exists to strengthen the economy by recruiting out-of-state and international companies to work with Arizona.

“‘Arizona and Israel are top trading partners and, with supportive programs as a platform for businesses in both countries to increase international trade, cross-border economic and commercial ties will continue to grow,” the authority's website says.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: US Rep. Eli Crane champions national security collab with Israel