On Wednesday, the Senate voted down Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposals to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel, which he introduced in response to the continuing civilian death toll in Gaza amid the ongoing war.
Senator Bernie Sanders, along with a small group of Democrats, attempted to introduce legislation in the Senate aimed at blocking the sale of specific military equipment to Israel, including tank and mortar rounds and smart-bomb kits.
Attempts to advance three resolutions were unsuccessful, with each receiving support from only about 20 of the Senate’s 100 members. The majority of Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing the measures.
These specific measures, known as joint resolutions of disapproval, would have required the approval of both houses of Congress and the ability to override a presidential veto to take effect; also, Congress has never successfully used such resolutions to block arms sales. However, the vote highlighted Democrats’ growing frustration with the war and President Joe Biden’s approach to U.S.-Israel relations.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas – it has waged war against Palestinians,” Sanders remarked during a press conference held on Tuesday ahead of the vote.
“Much of what’s been happening there has been done with US weapons and American taxpayer support,” Sanders added, emphasizing that the United States has provided Israel with over $18 billion in military aid and shipped more than 50,000 tons of armaments and military equipment.
“The United States is complicit in these atrocities,” he then concluded. “This complicity must come to an end.”
Bernie Sanders’ effort to halt the flow of weapons to Israel came in response to the country’s failure to meet the U.S.-imposed deadline of November 12 to increase humanitarian aid and ensure the entry of at least 350 trucks per day into Gaza. Despite Israel’s noncompliance, the United States took no action.
As a matter of fact, under U.S. law, military assistance is prohibited for foreign security forces implicated in human rights violations. However, the Biden administration has largely refrained from suspending arms transfers to Israel, even as human rights experts have repeatedly accused the country of committing war crimes.
Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed her backing for the resolutions and criticized the Biden administration for its inaction against Israel’s failure to meet the aid delivery deadline to Gaza.
“The failure by the Biden administration to follow US law and to suspend arms shipments is a grave mistake that undermines American credibility worldwide,” Warren stated. “If this administration will not act, Congress must step up to enforce US law and hold the Netanyahu government accountable through a joint resolution of disapproval.”
This was not Sanders’ first attempt to lead such an initiative, and the resolution was widely expected to fail. However, supporters aimed to garner enough backing in the Senate to pressure both Israel’s government and the Biden administration to take stronger measures to safeguard civilians in Gaza.
