Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt) address the 2019 J Street conference. (Screen grab You/Tube)
It marks the second time Sanders has tried to formally obstruct American support for Israel’s defense capabilities.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) just watched his latest attempt to block American weapons sales to Israel get crushed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the Senate.
On Thursday, Sanders forced votes on two resolutions designed to block the sale of 2,000-pound bombs worth $2 billion and a separate package of ammunition and precision guidance systems valued at $6.75 billion.
Both measures failed spectacularly, with the first resolution rejected 15-82 and the second falling 15-83.
Prior to the vote debate, Sanders once again decried Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
“As bad as the last year and a half has been, at least Israel let some — some, not enough, but some aid through. But what is happening right now is unthinkable. Today, it is 31 days and counting with absolutely no humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. Nothing. No food, no water, no medicine, no fuel, for over a month,” he said.
“All of this is unconscionable. We are talking about a mass atrocity. And what makes it even worse… is that we, as Americans, are deeply complicit in all that is happening in Gaza.”
Pro-Hamas lobbying organizations were quick to condemn the Senate’s decision.
“We’re witnessing a U.S.-funded genocide, paid for by the billions with our tax dollars,” says Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director for U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action.
“U.S. military funding for Israel’s war crimes is not in the interests of the American people and yet our representatives today voted to continue aiding and abetting human rights violations of the Palestinian people.”
It marks the second time Sanders has tried to formally obstruct American support for Israel’s defense capabilities.
His previous attempt in November 2024 to block a $20 billion weapons package similarly failed, though Thursday’s vote showed his support actually eroding, with four senators (King, Shaheen, Warnock, and Ossoff) voting against this time around.
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