The United States Senate has rejected a bill that aimed to block a US weapons sale to Israel amid the country’s war on Gaza.
The resolution to block the sale of tank rounds failed by a resounding 79 to 18 vote.
Two additional resolutions aimed at halting the sale of other weapons suffered a similar fate, receiving less than 20 votes each.
The overwhelming rejection of these measures highlights the deep-seated support for Israel within the Senate.
Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the so-called Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) in September to oppose a $20bn weapons deal approved by the administration of President Joe Biden.
It was the first time ever that a weapons sale to Israel was subjected to such a vote.
Ongoing US backing of Israel has been vital for funding the war on Gaza and Lebanon.
A recent Brown University study found that the Biden administration spent $17.9bn on security assistance to Israel over the past year, despite warnings of United Nations experts that the US ally is committing genocide in Gaza.
That assistance has persisted despite widespread destruction in Lebanon and the suffocating siege in Gaza that has been starving the territory.
In addition to Sanders, Senators Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine and Brian Schatz backed the resolution to block offensive munitions to Israel.
While Sanders is a progressive independent who caucuses with Democrats, some of the lawmakers who backed the effort come from the mainstream wing of the party.
In a speech on the Senate floor before the vote, Sanders said that the resolutions are “simple, straightforward and not complicated.”
He argued that the measures aim to apply US laws that prohibit military assistance to countries that block humanitarian aid and commit abuses.
“A lot of folks come to the floor to talk about human rights and what’s going on around the world, but what I want to say to all those folks: Nobody is going to take anything you say with a grain of seriousness.
“You cannot condemn human rights [violations] around the world and then turn a blind eye to what the United States government is now funding in Israel. People will laugh in your face. They will say to you, ‘You’re concerned about China; you’re concerned about Russia; you’re concerned about Iran. Well, why are you funding the starvation of children in Gaza right now?”
Bernie Sanders
However, Senator Jacky Rosen, a staunchly pro-Israel Democrat, spoke out against the resolutions, arguing that restrictions on aid to Israel would empower Iran and its allies in the region. “Israel has an absolute right to defend itself, and the aid provided by America is critical,” Rosen said.
If the resolution had passed, it would have needed to be approved in the House of Representatives as well before reaching the President’s desk, and Joe Biden would have likely blocked them.
This vote raises a crucial question: when will the U.S. government truly reconsider its role in the Middle East, particularly in relation to Israel’s ongoing military campaigns?
Critics warn that by enabling such military actions, the U.S. is not only prolonging the suffering of the people of Gaza and Lebanon but also undermining its moral standing on the global stage. With the humanitarian crisis in Gaza growing direr by the day, the Senate’s vote could have profound consequences.
While proponents of the weapons deal argue that it is essential for the security of Israel, detractors point out that the price of such support is the continued devastation of civilian lives.
CAIR Decries U.S Foreign Policy In The Middle East
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of dozens of advocacy and rights groups that backed the resolution, denounced the White House’s lobbying efforts.
“We strongly condemn the White House’s dishonest campaign to pressure Senate Democrats into avoiding even a symbolic vote against the delivery of more American taxpayer-funded weapons to the out-of-control Netanyahu government.
“The Biden administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East has been a disastrous failure.”
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Also, Beth Miller, Political Director at the US-based advocacy group, Jewish Voice for Peace, said that lawmakers had ethical, legal and political obligations to vote in favour of the resolution.
“There is a moral obligation for them to stop arming a genocide. There is a legal obligation for them to follow US law and stop sending weapons to a government that is using our equipment in violation of our own law. And there is a political obligation for them to do what their constituents are telling them to do.”
Beth Miller
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