WaPo op-ed backs Section 224, omits author’s direct Israeli stake

On Monday, the Washington Post ran an opinion article defending Section 224, the controversial proposal to integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries by expanding cooperation in co-production of weapons, joint ventures, and research. However, the Post did not mention that the author of that piece is heavily invested in Israeli military startups.

Aaron Kaplowitz, president of the United States-Israeli Business Alliance, which organizes visits by U.S. governors to Israel, argued that while the proposed legislation is unpopular, policymakers should still pass Section 224.

“A serious security strategy cannot shut out the world’s most field-tested sources of defensive innovation or punish the capital that funds the technology keeping free societies safe,” he wrote in the Washington Post. “Public opinion matters — but public safety comes first.”

Kaplowitz did not disclose in the article that he is also the Founder of 1948 Ventures, a venture capital firm that is invested in Israeli military technology. The Washington Post did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

According to Pitchbook data, 1948 Ventures invests in SenAI, an Israeli startup that turns social media videos into intelligence for law enforcement agencies. SenAI released a report in April about the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran showcasing its product. Citing Tik Tok videos from inside Iran, SenAI said that a strike in Tabriz — which was either on a university or an industrial-complex — “had a good effect on the target” based on the analyzed video content.

Kolawale Samuel Adebayo, a Forbes contributor who authored a piece about SenAI, writes that in the wrong hands, SenAI’s tool could be used to monitor protests or suppress speech.

1948 Ventures is also invested in Argu, an Israeli AI company that says it can turn “any surveillance or operational camera network into an interactive intelligence system.” The company is also backed by Andreessen Horowitz. Kaplowitz’ firm is invested in at least two other Israeli startups, according to Pitchbook data. Kaplowitz, who launched 1948 Ventures days after October 7, told the Times of Israel at the time that he is investing between $100,000 and $1 million in early-stage Israeli startups that have civilian and military applications, including drone and cybersecurity technology.

Section 224, which seeks to integrate Israeli technologies into United States systems and programs of record, could create a windfall for Israeli companies like the ones 1948 Ventures is invested in. This conflict of interest is not disclosed anywhere within the Washington Post article.

Once Israeli defense companies are embedded in the U.S. system, disentangling them may prove difficult. Josh Paul, Co-founder and Director of A New Policy, writes that “Section 224 would not only allow the exceptionally close military relationship to continue, but also would shelter it from the vagaries of regular congressional votes on military aid and make it almost impossible to uproot.”

Kaplowitz, in his Washington Post piece, admits that the U.S.-Israeli integration would be difficult to uproot, pointing to Spain’s attempt to ban Israeli defense technology. After passing an embargo on Israeli defense and dual-use technology over Israel’s war in Gaza, Spain carved out an exemption to allow Airbus’ plants in Spain to use Israeli technology to produce aircraft and drones. For Kaplowitz, this proves the strength and indispensability of Israeli technology.

“The conclusion was clear: You can shun Israeli technology in a press release, but you cannot remove it from a modern defense platform,” Kapowitz argued.

It is now in the hands of the Congress . Last week, an effort by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to strip the annual defense bill of the controversial measure in the House Armed Services Committee failed. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has said he will offer an amendment to strip the section on the House floor.