Kamal Ghorui
More than three dozen Democrats supported a resolution introduced in the US Senate by Bernie Sanders to block arms sales to Israel.The move signals growing unease within the party over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing war with Iran. The Senate voted on two separate resolutions seeking to halt the sale of bulldozers and bombs to Israel.Both measures were opposed by all Republicans and ultimately rejected, with votes of 40-59 and 36-63, the Associated Press reported. Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, has repeatedly forced votes on the issue to pressure lawmakers from both parties.After the vote, he said, “It’s clear that Democrats are beginning to listen to the average American who is sick and tired of spending billions of dollars to support Netanyahu’s horrific wars when people in this country can’t afford housing or health care.”Among those backing the resolutions was Mark Kelly, who had earlier opposed some of Sanders’ previous attempts.Explaining his decision, Kelly said the “reckless decisions” of Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump influenced his vote. He cited the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon and continued violence against Palestinians as factors that have “undermined the path forward for peace.”“Under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, we’ve seen an expanded war in Lebanon that is putting innocent Lebanese civilians at risk, and ongoing violence against Palestinians and their homes being demolished in the West Bank. All of this has undermined the path forward for peace, Kelly said.” However, several prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, voted against the resolutions. On the same day, Democrats also supported a separate resolution to halt US involvement in the Iran conflict, though that measure was narrowly rejected 47-52. Senator Chris Coons, who voted against Sanders’ Israel resolutions but backed ending the Iran war, said his decisions should not be seen as either endorsing Netanyahu’s actions or abandoning Israel.Republicans strongly opposed the measures, warning of broader geopolitical consequences. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch argued that blocking arms sales could embolden Iran and signalled that the United States is willing to leave Israel vulnerable. “They will not help the United States of America,” Risch said ahead of the vote.
