A new defense bill provision would tie the US and Israeli militaries closely together, and critics say lawmakers are downplaying how far it goes.

• Section 219 sets up a Pentagon official to run joint US-Israel work on weapons research, testing, and production.
• Congressman Adam Smith says it only covers a handful of co-development programs, but the plan actually spans missile defense, drones, AI, quantum tech, cybersecurity, and more.
• The lawmakers pushing it have taken large sums from pro-Israel groups, and Netanyahu himself has called the shift from aid to joint development "my plan."
• Critics argue it would legalize the kind of secret-sharing that sent spy Jonathan Pollard to prison, raising fears US technology could leak to rivals.

Outlook: The fight over whether Section 219 stays in the defense bill will likely grow louder as more of its scope becomes public.