S2956-118

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Middle East Security Coordination Act of 2023.

2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: Peace, stability, and security in Israel and the West Bank are in the national security interest of the United States. Peace, stability, and security in Israel and the West Bank depend upon effective coordination and deconfliction between the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinian Authority Security Forces. The professionalism and capacity of Palestinian Authority Security Forces is an important factor for safety and stability in Israel and the West Bank and critical to counterterrorism efforts. Examples of security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority include intelligence sharing and operational coordination, deconfliction mechanisms and communication during Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activity in the West Bank, joint counterterrorism initiatives and training, facilitation of Palestinian Authority Security Forces movement through Areas B and C, and the Palestinian Authority Security Forces safely returning Israelis from Area A to the Israel Defense Forces. Israeli security experts have attested that professionally trained and equipped and effective Palestinian Authority Security Forces would reliably decrease Israel Defense Forces incursions and interventions into Area A and increase stability and security for Israelis and Palestinians. The core functions of the office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) are to execute transparent and successful coordination between Israeli security forces and Palestinian Authority Security Forces and to raise the effectiveness of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces. Senior Israeli officials, including former defense ministers and IDF chiefs of staff, have credited USSC-championed security coordination with the Palestinian Authority Security Forces as being responsible for eroding the ability of organized terror groups to carry out suicide attacks in Israeli cities and towns. The USSC maintains unique trust and confidence from both Israeli and Palestinian Authority security forces, agencies, and senior officials. The multinational coalition that contributes to the mission of the USSC, which includes Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, demonstrates the support of the international community for the mission, assists in sharing the personnel and resource burden, and enables the United States to demonstrate a leading role, which brings legitimacy to the mission and enables coordination to be successful.

3. Senses of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority— is in the national security interest of the United States; protects Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives and combats acts of terror from groups like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah; assists in reducing the need for Israeli military interventions in the West Bank; provides greater stability and safety for the Palestinian people in the West Bank; and supports regional peace and stability and improves the prospects for progress towards a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and the USSC is a crucial liaison for such effective coordination, professionalization, and communication. It is the sense of Congress that— the financial and personnel burden of the mission of the USSC should be shared by all partners to the mission; and the mission of the USSC should be expanded to include additional nations, and the Department of State, along with the USSC, should make it a priority to actively pursue contributions from additional states.

4. Reports Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the USSC, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the activities of the USSC during the preceding year, including descriptions of the security coordination activities the USSC has undertaken between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The reports required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form and may include a classified annex. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the USSC, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the USSC’s efforts to professionalize Palestinian security forces and to build, maintain, and sustain Palestinian security and justice sector institutions. The report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but include a classified annex. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the USSC, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the viability of the inclusion of contributions to the mission of the USSC from additional countries, particularly those countries party to the Abraham Accords and other Arab or Muslim-majority countries. The report required under paragraph (1) be submitted— in classified form; or in unclassified form and including a classified annex.

5. Notification It is the sense of Congress that— the mission of the USSC is most effective with— a general or flag officer as the head of mission; a head of mission rotation of at least 3 years duration; and senior uniformed personnel rotation of at least 2 years duration; and the personnel contributions of other nations to the mission of the USSC are most effective with equivalent rotations. Beginning 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit written notice and justification to appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives not later than 120 days before the date on which— the head of mission of the USSC is to be replaced with a non-general or flag officer; the head of mission of the USSC is to be rotated out of the head of mission's current assignment before 3 consecutive years of service in that position; or any senior uniform personnel rotation of the USSC is to be rotated out of their current assignment before 2 consecutive years of service in that position.

7. Definitions In this Act: The term appropriate congressional committees means— the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. The term senior uniformed personnel means the senior staff of the USSC, which includes any personnel performing equivalent duties of those with the following titles and responsibilities as of the date of the enactment of this Act: Chief of Staff. Director of Plans. Director for Operations. Legal Advisor. Budget Director.