US Senate rejects Sanders resolution to halt arms sales to 'Israel'
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Senate blocks effort to halt US arms sales to "Israel", as Bernie Sanders and 12 Democrats cite Gaza starvation campaign and rising civilian toll.
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US Senator Bernie Sanders, undated.. (AFP)
The US Senate on Wednesday voted down a resolution aimed at halting American arms sales to "Israel", exposing deepening divisions among Democrats and mounting frustration over "Israel’s" conduct in Gaza.
The resolution, led by progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, was defeated 27–70. It marked a renewed attempt to block weapons transfers to "Israel" in light of the worsening Gaza humanitarian crisis and ongoing military aggression. "This resolution is absolutely necessary because the United States will have no credibility in the international community if we don’t stand up against this," said Sanders, an Independent, during floor debate.
The vote reflects a growing rift within the Democratic Party. While the effort failed, it drew support from 12 senators who had not previously voted to limit US arms sales to "Israel", indicating shifting political sentiment.
This marks the third time Sanders has introduced a resolution targeting arms sales to "Israel" since late 2024. His efforts have consistently cited the toll on Palestinian civilians and violations of US legal standards for foreign military sales. The resolution would have blocked the $676 million transfer of 5,000 heavy-duty bombs and guidance kits, as well as the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles.
Sanders argued that continued arms sales would "clearly violate" US legal requirements, given that Washington-supplied weapons have been used in attacks that killed thousands of civilians in Gaza.
Democratic Party splits on 'Israel' grow
Among the new supporters were key figures previously aligned with pro-"Israel" policies. Senator Angus King, an Independent from Maine, said he could no longer support Netanyahu’s government.
"I had just had it," King stated. “I kept expecting that Israel would wake up and realize what an awful thing they were perpetuating... They just continued to not do it, and I just reached the point where enough was enough.”
Other senators who shifted positions since April included:
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
- Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
- Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
- Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)
- Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
- Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.)
- Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
- Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)
- Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
This group reflects a significant evolution in Senate sentiment, compared to previous Sanders-led votes. In April, only 15 senators supported a similar resolution; in November 2024, the number stood at 19.
International pressure builds over Gaza situation
The resolution came amid rising international pressure on "Israel". President Donald Trump broke ranks with Tel Aviv by publicly disputing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s denial of a hunger crisis in Gaza. Meanwhile, Britain, France, and other European states have signaled they may recognize Palestine as a state unless "Israel" improves humanitarian conditions and commits to a long-term peace initiative.
Senate Foreign Relations Chair Jim Risch (R-Idaho) opposed the resolution, defending the arms sales because Hamas, not "Israel", is prolonging the war. "These are misguided resolutions, and if adopted, would... abandon America’s closest ally in the Middle East," Risch said on the Senate floor.
Despite defeat, Sanders' push to reassess US foreign military sales to "Israel" has gained momentum, signaling that scrutiny over Washington’s role in the Gaza war is far from over.
On a related note, in a striking act of moral dissent, a coalition of Israeli figures, including artists, scientists, legal experts, and former political leaders, has issued a public call for the international community to impose crippling sanctions on "Israel". Published in The Guardian, the letter represents a rare and historic breach in the tightly enforced Israeli public consensus surrounding the war on Gaza.
Among the signatories are former Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg, ex-Attorney General Michael Ben-Yair, and known filmmaker Samuel Maoz. Their appeal accuses the Israeli entity of “starving the people of Gaza to death” and warns of a campaign contemplating the forced displacement of Palestinians.
“The international community must impose crippling sanctions on Israel until it ends this brutal campaign and implements a permanent ceasefire,” the signatories declared, urging concrete international action in response to what they describe as a systematic starvation policy.
The letter marks a profound rupture, not only for its explicit language but for openly endorsing punitive measures against "Israel", a stance that directly confronts harsh internal legislative efforts seeking to suppress such criticism.
Their statement comes amid mounting horror over graphic footage of starving Palestinian children and reports of Israeli occupation forces opening fire on starved Palestinians at food aid distribution sites. The appeal coincided with new figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which now puts the death toll at over 60,000 Palestinians in the 21-month genocide.
