Senate Strikes Down Bernie Sanders’ Resolution to Block Arms Sale to Israel
The U.S. Senate rejected three proposals from independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont that aimed to halt a $20 billion arms sale to Israel.
Nearly a year after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Sanders put forward three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) in late September. Following that attack, Israel launched a military air and ground operation in Gaza, which, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, has resulted in over 43,000 deaths.
The destruction in Gaza has been severe. United Nations officials have cautioned that famine is imminent, as over 2 million Palestinians are enduring “extremely critical” levels of hunger.
Speaking with urgency on the U.S. Senate floor, Sanders made a last-minute appeal to his colleagues, urging them not to disregard the humanitarian crisis and America’s involvement in “mass starvation.”
Sanders’ S.J. Res. 111 was defeated by a 79-18 vote on Wednesday night. Given Israel’s strong backing in the Senate, the resolutions were widely expected to fail. However, the vote highlighted growing divisions among Democrats regarding President Joe Biden’s stance on the ongoing conflict.
A vocal critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military actions and restrictions on humanitarian aid, Sanders has argued that Israel is violating international law and exceeding its right to self-defense.
He has repeatedly expressed discontent with the Biden administration’s approach, particularly its continued support for Israel, and has voiced frustration over what he sees as a failure to hold Israel accountable.
The three resolutions sought to block the transfer of U.S. tank rounds, water rounds, and guidance kits used in the “bombs dropped in Gaza,” Sanders stated at a Tuesday press conference alongside Senators Peter Welch, Chris Van Hollen, and Jeff Merkley.
Sanders further asserted that the United States is “complicit” in the war, its associated crimes, and breaches of international law.
Had they passed, the measures would have prevented the U.S. from selling roughly $20 billion in arms to Israel. According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the U.S. has provided Israel with over $310 billion in economic and military assistance, with at least $228 billion allocated specifically for military aid. The two nations maintain a close alliance.
“The United States government is currently in violation of the law, and every member of the U.S. Senate who believes in the rule of law should vote for the resolutions,” Sanders declared on the eve of the vote.
The Vermont senator argued that the U.S. is breaching the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act by supplying weapons to nations that commit human rights violations or obstruct American humanitarian efforts.
Both the United Nations and various humanitarian organizations have condemned Israel’s actions, particularly its restrictions on aid deliveries. Israel, however, maintains that it is facilitating the delivery of food and humanitarian assistance.
In a recent opinion piece for The Washington Post, Sanders wrote, “The need is greater than at any other time in the conflict; the volume of aid getting into Gaza in recent weeks is lower than at any point since the war began.”
He continued, “All of this is unspeakable and immoral. But what makes it even more painful is that much of this death and destruction has been carried out with U.S. weaponry and paid for by American taxpayers. During the last year alone, the United States has provided $18 billion in military aid to Israel and delivered more than 50,000 tons of armaments and military equipment. Something has to be done and something must be done by the United States.”