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Congress may re-examine special arms deals with Israel

The US policy of giving Israel a Qualitative Military Edge policy over its neighbors has been called into question now that they are fighting on the same side against the Islamic State.
A US-made Apache Longbow helicopter flies in front of a control tower at Ramon Air Base in southern Israel.  A U.S.-made Apache Longbow helicopter flies in front of a control tower during a presentation to the media at the Israeli Ramon Air Base in southern Israel April 10, 2005. REUTERS/Pawel Wolberg/Pool - RTR7PVR

WASHINGTON — Key lawmakers say they're open to re-examining a decades-old arms policy that guarantees Israel a technological advantage over its neighbors now that they're all facing the same threat.

The concept, known as Qualitative Military Edge (QME), dates back to the 1960s when Arab states were ganging up against the tiny nation. Today some of those same states are Israel's first line of defense against the Islamic State (IS), prompting concerns that the policy could undermine both US strategic interests and Israel's safety.

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