Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and a group of Senate Democrats forced a vote to block the sale of “offensive arms” to Israel.

“I am holding a vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate to block the sale of offensive arms to Israel. The extremist Netanyahu government is breaking U.S. and international law. Every Senator who believes in the rule of law should vote for these resolutions,” Sanders said.

According to The Times of Israel, the Biden administration urged Democratic senators to vote against the legislation.

“The death and destruction in Gaza is funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, which has provided over $18 billion in military aid to Israel. In other words, we are complicit. That is why I am forcing a vote on the floor of the Senate this Wednesday to block additional offensive arms sales,” Sanders said.

From The Times of Israel:

The Biden administration is lobbying Democratic senators to vote against legislation being advanced by several of the party’s most progressive members that would block more than $20 billion in weapon shipments to Israel, two US officials told The Times of Israel on Tuesday.

The series of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval co-sponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley and Brian Schatz are slated to come to a vote on Wednesday and aim to block six weapon transfers to Israel, which include guided missiles, tank rounds, mortars, tactical vehicles and F-15 fighter jets.

While the votes are all but certain to fail, given the strong support for Israel in both parties — particularly the GOP — they are likely to mark a watershed moment in a more divided Democratic Party that is still working to understand the lessons of this month’s election, which saw Republicans win the White House and Senate and keep their majority in the House.

As expected, the Senate overwhelmingly voted against the legislation.

“18-79-1: Senate voted against considering Senator Sanders’ first resolution to block the proposed sale of U.S. 120mm tank rounds to Israel. Baldwin (D-WI) voted Present. Republicans Braun (IN) and VP-Elect Vance (OH) did not vote,” C-SPAN Capitol Hill producer Craig Caplan said.

From the Associated Press:

Known as joint resolutions of disapproval, the measure would have to pass both houses of Congress and withstand any presidential veto to become binding. Congress has never succeeded in blocking any arms sales with the joint resolutions. But the vote served as a test of broader frustration among Democrats at the war and President Joe Biden’s handling of relations with Israel.

Lawmakers’ move comes after a 30-day Biden administration deadline came and went earlier this month for Netanyahu to meet specific U.S. targets to improve its treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza trapped in the war. U.S. demands included that Israel lift a near-total ban on delivery of aid to hard-hit north Gaza for starving civilians there.

Leading global aid organizations say Israel — which is heavily dependent on U.S. arms and military aid — fell far short of meeting the U.S. demand to allow in an adequate number of aid trucks, and in some other ways worsened conditions for civilians.

 

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