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Israel did NOT get $500M from US Covid-19 bill, here's the truth about false social media claims

It includes a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill based on a 2019 spending deal, which consists of $740.5 billion in defense spending and $664.5 billion for domestic programs

On Monday, December 21, Congress unveiled a $2.3 trillion spending, which will provide funding to the government through the end of the fiscal year and provide relief to a coronavirus-affected economy. As reported by The Hill, it includes a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill based on a 2019 spending deal, which consists of $740.5B in defense spending and $664.5B for domestic programs. It also includes a $900B Covid-19 relief bill, which congressional leaders agreed to over the weekend.

As per The Hill report, the combined $2.3 trillion package is among the largest spending bills ever considered by Congress and follows the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in late March. While the Covid-19 relief bill aims at covering unemployment, providing stimulus checks and boosting small businesses, the omnibus includes a broader set of policy issues such as transportation, agriculture, health, homeland security and foreign operations.

"As I prepare to depart the House after 32 years of service, I could not be more pleased that we are concluding this Congress with a bipartisan agreement to provide the certainty of full-year funding for all of government and urgently-needed coronavirus relief to save lives and livelihoods,” said outgoing House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the first woman to lead the panel.

According to The Texan, Congress split the legislation into two measures. The first, largely covering defense and homeland security appropriations, passed 327 to 85. The second measure which included the $900B coronavirus relief package, passed 359 to 53. It was then moved to the Senate for consideration, which passed it 91 to 7. Now, it will be moved to President Trump’s desk.

The more than 5,000 page bill has a section which reads: “Of the amounts appropriated in this Act under the headings ‘Procurement, Defense-Wide’ and 'Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense5 Wide’, $500,000,000 shall be for the Israeli Cooperative Programs: Provided, That of this amount, $73,000,000 shall be for the Secretary of Defense to provide to the Government of Israel for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense system to counter short-range rocket threats, subject to the U.S.-Israel Iron Dome Procurement Agreement, as amended; $177,000,000 shall be for the Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense (SRBMD) program, including cruise missile defense research and development under the SRBMD program, of which $50,000,000 shall be for co-production activities of SRBMD systems in the United States and in Israel to meet Israel’s defense requirements consistent with each nation’s laws, regulations, and procedures, subject to the U.S.-Israeli co-production agreement for SRBMD, as amended; $77,000,000 shall be for an upper-tier component to the Israeli Missile Defense Architecture, of which $77,000,000 shall be for co-production activities of Arrow 3 Upper Tier systems in the United States and in Israel to meet Israel’s defense requirements consistent with each nation’s laws, regulations, and procedures, subject to the U.S.-Israeli co-production agreement for Arrow 3 Upper Tier, as amended; and $173,000,000 shall be for the Arrow System Improvement Program including development of a long range, ground and airborne, detection suite: Provided further, That the transfer authority provided under this provision 6 is in addition to any other transfer authority contained 7 in this Act.”

And there are several sections for other countries as well. While this is a separate bill from the Covid relief bill, many on Twitter seemed to have mixed it up. Journalist Walker Bragman tweeted, “The new COVID relief bill contains $500,000,000 for Israel.” But writer Yair Rosenberg quote tweeted it and wrote: “NARRATOR: The Covid relief bill did not, in fact, contain $500 million for Israel. Congress passed a suite of bills, including Covid relief *and* the bill funding the Defense Department for 2021, which includes foreign aid. This isn't hard unless you know nothing about Congress." Writer Alex Kane also wrote: "To explain this: The 'stimulus bill' is, in fact, a conglomeration of many massive spending bills, including a bill to fund foreign operations. Only one portion of the bill deals with COVID, the rest deals with funding other aspects of governance."

However, most seem to be miffed about the allocation of funds. Actress Alyssa Milano wrote: “Between 30 and 40 million families are at risk of eviction, but Congress can only afford $600 per person. I’m sure the $500 MILLION in arms and military aid to Israel and the $2 BILLION for Air Force missiles will help keep them warm when they are on the streets." Another wrote: "The point is that $500 million to Israel could have and should have gone to the American people. Israel is rich. They don't need handouts. They have universal healthcare. We don't." Another questioned, "Why the heck are they giving $500 million to Israel?"

These remarks were made by the internet and individual organizations, MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and nor does it support these claims being made on the Internet.