On Thursday, the Senate rejected Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vermont) resolutions to dam the sale of $8.8 billion in weapons to Israel by an excellent wider margin than in related votes final yr — regardless of Israel having since violated the Gaza ceasefire settlement.
The Senate’s opposition to the resolutions comes as Israel has maintained a complete humanitarian assist blockade on Gaza for over a month.
Sanders pressured votes on two resolutions on Thursday, the first to dam the sale of 35,000 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, value $2 billion, and the second on the sale of tens of 1000’s of different bombs and JDAMs, value $6.75 billion.
Each resolutions failed with overwhelming bipartisan opposition, by a vote of 15 in favor and 82 in opposition to for the first vote and 83 in opposition to for the second. Related votes on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval introduced by Sanders in November, to dam $1 billion of tank rounds, mortar rounds, and JDAMs, failed however with smaller margins; a number of Democrats flipped their votes, regardless of the gross sales being pushed by the Trump administration this time round.
Those that backed Sanders’s resolutions had been: Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont).
All Republicans voted in opposition to the resolutions. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) voted “current” on each resolutions.
Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) and Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) voted “no” on Thursday regardless of voting for all or a few of Sanders’s Joint Resolutions of Disapproval in November.
Forward of the vote, Sanders stated in a speech that the vast Senate support for the arms gross sales is largely as a result of pro-Israel foyer. He additionally condemned the gross sales, saying that it’s in opposition to each worldwide and home regulation to proceed sending Israel weapons — particularly after Israel unilaterally ended the ceasefire settlement final month whereas blocking all assist, meals, medication, and in any other case from coming into Gaza.
“As dangerous because the final yr and a half has been, not less than Israel let some — some, not sufficient, however some assist by way of. However what is going on proper now could be unthinkable,” Sanders said. “At present, it’s 31 days and counting with completely no humanitarian assist moving into Gaza. Nothing. No meals, no water, no medication, no gas, for over a month. That may be a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, the International Help Act, and fundamental human decency. It’s a warfare crime. You don’t starve youngsters.”
“All of that is unconscionable. We’re speaking a couple of mass atrocity. And what makes it even worse … is that we, as Individuals, are deeply complicit in all that’s occurring in Gaza,” he stated, including that the entire weapons the resolutions would block “have been linked to illegal airstrikes, together with on designated humanitarian websites, leading to 1000’s of civilian casualties.”
Human rights specialists and advocates for Palestinian rights have strongly condemned the vote, which comes simply days after the official dying toll of Israel’s genocide exceeded 50,000 — although the true dying toll, specialists say, is likely far higher.
“We’re witnessing a U.S.-funded genocide, paid for by the billions with our tax {dollars},” stated Ahmad Abuznaid, government director for U.S. Marketing campaign for Palestinian Rights Motion. “U.S. navy funding for Israel’s warfare crimes just isn’t within the pursuits of the American folks and but our representatives as we speak voted to proceed aiding and abetting human rights violations of the Palestinian folks.”
Josh Paul, who formerly oversaw arms coverage for the State Division’s Bureau of Political-Navy Affairs, stated that the failure to advance Sanders’s resolutions would solely give Israel extra gas to shirk ceasefire talks.
“If another nation on this planet was utilizing American bombs to kill 1000’s of harmless folks — together with the best lack of life amongst journalists in historical past, and the best lack of life amongst U.N. staff for the reason that group was established — U.S. Senators can be lining as much as block such weapons transfers,” Paul stated in an announcement. “Continued unfettered arms gross sales to Israel permits gross human rights violations and can hold Israel from coming again to the negotiating desk after a damaged ceasefire.”
Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) have additionally introduced companion resolutions to dam proposed gross sales of arms to Israel, nevertheless it’s unclear in the event that they plan to pressure a vote on the laws within the Home.
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