The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved $1 billion in funding for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system after months of delay due to internal political disputes.
This comes as part of a $1.5-trillion omnibus spending bill for the fiscal year 2022 to fund the federal government through the end of September. The Iron Dome funding will come in addition to the annual $3.8 billion defense assistance package for Israel.
The budget will now be submitted for the U.S. Senate's approval before stopgap funding for the government ends Friday.
The funding will help replenish Israel's stock of Iron Dome interceptor missiles which was heavily depleted in the country's latest round of fighting with Gaza Strip terror factions last May, during which more than 4,300 rockets were indiscriminately fired at civilian targets all across Israel.
The funding's approval faced some hiccups along the way amid stiff opposition from progressive House Democrats who had objected to the move, citing among other things the many Palestinian casualties as Israel responded to Hamas rocket attacks in May.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) welcomed the move to replenish the defense system, which it calls "a hallmark of the U.S.-Israel relationship and a byproduct of consistent American support for Israel’s safety."
"The House just passed the largest-ever funding package to Israel — including $4.8 billion in security assistance & missile defense funding — demonstrating overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for the U.S.-Israel relationship", the pro-Israeli lobbying group tweeted.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also took to Twitter to thank U.S. lawmakers.
"Thank you to the U.S. Congress for your overwhelming commitment to Israel’s security & for passing the critical security package — including the replenishment of the life-saving Iron Dome," he wrote.
"Thank you [U.S. President Joe Biden] for your leadership & friendship. Together, we are stronger."
The 2,741-page spending bill also includes increased funding for Jewish causes in the United States and the Jewish Diaspora worldwide such as nonprofit security and services for Holocaust survivors.