Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

A coalition of eight Jewish and pro-Israel organizations on Tuesday urged Senate leadership to pass funding to replenish Israel’s defensive Iron Dome missile system, arguing that the widely popular bipartisan initiative should not be derailed by a single member.

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a $1 billion bill in September to fund the Iron Dome, which has played a key role in intercepting rockets fired at Israel by terrorist groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Yet the bill, which requires unanimous backing in the Senate, has been held up several times by opposition from US Senator Rand Paul. The Kentucky Republican has argued that funding for the air defense system should come from aid already appropriated for Afghanistan.

In a letter to Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the eight groups pointed out that while the “critical” funding has bipartisan support in the Senate, its passage has been “stymied.”

“One person’s objection should not undermine the overwhelming bipartisan will of the Senate nor stand in the way of ensuring Israel has the tools necessary to keep its people safe,” wrote the signatories, which include the Jewish Federations of North America, the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Christians United for Israel, Hadassah: the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the Anti-Defamation League.

“While we understand the supplemental Iron Dome funding would likely be included in a final omnibus spending package, the delay and even the prospects of a second continuing resolution undermine Israel’s security when the need to replenish this defensive system is urgent,” they added.

The $1 billion in funding is meant to replace missile interceptors used this summer to defend against a barrage of rockets fired at Israeli communities by Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, and to sponsor its expansion amid continued threats. “Some estimates put Hamas’s arsenal of rockets at nearly 30,000, while Hezbollah’s stockpile of 150,000 missiles threatens Israel’s north,” the letter’s signatories noted.

“We saw how crucial Iron Dome was when it intercepted 90 percent of the 4,000 rockets Hamas fired at Israel in May, saving lives and keeping the conflict from escalating further,” said Elana Broitman, head of public affairs at the Jewish Federations. “The supplemental funding should not be delayed any further.”

Failing to pass the funding not only endangers Israel’s security, the signatories argued, but also undermines the strategic partnership between the US and Israel, as 60 to 70 percent of components for Iron Dome interceptors are manufactured in America.

“Withholding funding for our closest ally while terrorists continue to threaten their people puts Israel in grave danger, increases the likelihood of innocent Palestinian and Israelis being harmed in another round of conflict and hurts American standing and national security interests,” the letter read.