House Resolution 4133 – the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 is making its way through congress. It was introduced into the House of Representatives on March 5th “To express the sense of Congress regarding the United States-Israel strategic relationship, to direct the President to submit to Congress reports on United States actions to enhance this relationship and to assist in the defense of Israel, and for other purposes.” The sponsors include Eric Cantor, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Howard Berman and also Steny Hoyer of Maryland. The bill basically provides Israel with a blank check drawn on the US taxpayer to maintain its “qualitative military superiority” over all of its neighbors combined. It is scheduled for passage on a “suspension of the rules,” which means it will not actually be formally voted on and will be approved by consent of congress.

Congressman Ron Paul appears to be the only one speaking out against it, calling it “one-sided and counter-productive foreign policy legislation. This bill’s real intent seems to be more saber-rattling against Iran and Syria.” Paul also observes that “This bill states that it is the policy of the United States to ‘reaffirm the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of the State of Israel as a Jewish state.’ However, according to our Constitution the policy of the United States government should be to protect the security of the United States, not to guarantee the religious, ethnic, or cultural composition of a foreign country.”

The scariest bit of the bill is its call for “an expanded role for Israel within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including an enhanced presence at NATO headquarters and exercises.” Israel as part of NATO, clearly the intent of Congress, would mean that the US and Europeans would be obligated to come to the aid of a country that has no defined borders and which has initiated a series of wars against its neighbors.

The bill appears to be unrelated to a Republican proposal earlier this week to give Israel $1 billion dollars more aid in 2013 to enhance its missile defense system. Or possibly it is related.