WASHINGTON (TIP): American lawmakers cutting across party lines passed legislation on June 15 aimed in part at strengthening intelligence and security ties between India, Israel, and the US, ahead of PM Narendra Modi‘s visit to Israel a few weeks from now.

Seven Congressmen representing both Democrats and Republicans attached a bipartisan amendment to the FY2016 Intelligence Authorization Act calling for expansion of US-India-Israel national security. The amendment, which was passed by a voice vote, requires a twice-yearly report from the Director of National Intelligence on the possibilities for growing national security cooperation between the US, India, and Israel.

“While the US already has robust national security partnerships with both India and Israel, there are many areas where opportunities exist to develop and further grow these critical relationships,” said Joseph Crowley, a Democratic lawmaker from New York, who piloted the amendment. “This amendment demonstrates the commitment of Congress to ensuring that our national security strategies include expanding our cooperation with India and Israel, two of our most important friends in their respective regions.”

The move, an overt expression of what has largely been under the radar so far, was clearly linked to the Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel, something the lawmakers did not make a secret of.

“With PM Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel — a first for an Indian PM — we should seize on the opportunity to expand trilateral cooperation even further,” said Eliot Engel, another lawmaker from New York, which is home to large Jewish and Indian populations. “This measure would make sure our intelligence community is taking a hard look at areas of potential collaboration so that we can continue to build on this important partnership.”