White House urging Dems to reject blocking of arms to 'Israel'
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The Biden administration is urging Democratic senators to oppose legislation introduced by progressives to block over $20 billion in weapons sales to "Israel".
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US Senator Bernie Sanders, joined by Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Senator Peter Welch, listens to a question at a news conference on restricting arms sales to 'Israel' at the US Capitol on November 19, 2024. (AFP)
The Biden administration is urging Democratic senators to vote against legislation introduced by many of the party's most progressive members that would prohibit more than $20 billion in weapons sales to "Israel", two US sources told Israeli media.
Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley, and Brian Schatz have co-sponsored a series of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval, which are set to be voted on Wednesday. They aim to prevent six weapon transfers to "Israel", including guided missiles, tank rounds, mortars, tactical vehicles, and F-15 fighter jets.
Although the votes are expected to fail due to strong bipartisan support for "Israel", they mark a significant moment for the divided Democratic Party.
While moderates argue the party has leaned too much toward its progressive wing, including adopting anti-"Israel" positions, progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argue the party has been overly influenced by pro-"Israel" lobby groups, costing it support. In response, progressives are hoping for a strong showing in the Senate to push the party toward a tougher stance on "Israel" than under Biden.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been discreetly trying to oppose the Senate measure, with officials from the White House, State Department, and Pentagon contacting various members who are undecided about how they would vote, according to a US official.
These Democrats have voiced alarm about the growing number of civilian fatalities in Gaza, as well as the possibility that US-supplied weaponry is being used to murder women and children, according to a US official.
Some claim that "Israel" hasn't done enough to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza and hasn't met many of the requirements laid forth by the Biden administration in a letter last month that warned of a partial arms embargo if the Gaza humanitarian situation isn't resolved in 30 days.
As the deadline passed last week, the US claimed "Israel" met enough conditions to comply with US law, allowing weapons shipments to continue, angering progressives.
Concerns highlighted by Democrats about "Israel's" track record of ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians, according to the US source, are different from the problems raised in the resolutions.
Sanders, for his part, told reporters on Tuesday that "what is happening in Gaza today is unspeakable," citing the deaths of tens of thousands of people, as well as widespread devastation of buildings and infrastructure.
“What makes it even more painful is that much of what is happening there has been done with US weapons and with American taxpayer support,” he emphasized.
Highlighting how other nations have taken similar steps, Sanders declared that it was time to tell Netanyahu and his government "that they cannot use US taxpayer dollars and American weapons in violation of US and international law and our moral values."
US says 'Israel' not violating Gaza aid law despite looming famine
The United States graciously announced on Tuesday that "Israel" has, of course, not violated any US laws regarding the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza—because why would it? However, they did mention that a bit more effort is needed to improve the situation on the ground.
This revelation follows a letter from the outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, clearly concerned, expressed their deep concern over Gaza's humanitarian crisis. They even warned "Israel" about the potential consequences for military aid if they didn’t meet the aid flow targets by November 13—because that's been so effective so far.
However, when asked if "Israel" had met the outlined criteria, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel confirmed that no violation of US law had been determined.
"The overall humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be unsatisfactory," Patel said, but noted that recent actions by "Israel", though limited, are "steps in the right direction."
