Majority of Democrats vote to block arms sales to Israel

Bernie Sanders’ resolutions banning the sale of bombs and bulldozers to Israel drew support from up to 85% of Democratic senators.

By World Israel News Staff

A majority of Democratic senators in Congress voted in favor of measures aimed at blocking U.S. weapons sales to Israel, marking a significant shift in what had long been considered solid bipartisan support for the Jewish state.

The resolutions, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), sought to halt arms transfers to Israel amid growing criticism within the Democratic Party over Jerusalem’s ongoing military operations.

One measure aimed to block the sale of $295 million worth of bulldozers to the Israeli army. Although the resolution ultimately failed — largely due to Republican opposition — it received support from 40 of 47 Democratic senators, or roughly 85% of the caucus.

A second resolution, also introduced by Sanders, sought to prevent the transfer of $152 million in 1,000-pound bombs to the Israeli military. That measure garnered the support of 36 Democratic senators, representing approximately 76% of Democrats in the chamber.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders, who is Jewish, sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming him for the growing conflict in the region.

“For Netanyahu, Gaza was not enough. Attacking Iran was not enough. Netanyahu is now waging a full-blown war of expansion against Lebanon,” Sanders said.

Sanders did not address Israel’s stated objective of countering threats from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group that has launched repeated rocket, missile, and drone attacks on Israeli communities along the northern border.

The votes underscore a broader shift within the Democratic Party, where support for Israel — once a largely bipartisan consensus — appears to be eroding among lawmakers.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen voiced support for the resolutions ahead of the vote, drawing a comparison between U.S. and Israeli military actions.

“If we want to rein in a Trump administration that launched an illegal war against Iran, we should also rein in the Netanyahu administration that’s doing exactly the same thing with American taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Republicans, however, strongly opposed the measures. Sen. Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that blocking arms sales would have serious geopolitical consequences.

“It would send the message that the United States is prepared to leave our ally Israel vulnerable to further Iranian attacks and put the tens of thousands of Americans living there at risk,” Risch said in a statement.