Washington D.C. — The Senate overwhelmingly defeated two resolutions designed to stop exports of offensive weapons to Israel amid rising concern within the Democratic Party over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and an ever worsening humanitarian crisis.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont led two privileged joint resolutions–S.J. Res 34 and 41–to stop an estimated $675.7 million shipment of bombs, guidance systems and assault rifles bound for Israel. Both resolutions failed with votes of 73-24 and 70-27 respectively (Jupiter Post/Anadolu Ajansi/welch.senate.gov/uploads/325271).
While both resolutions were defeated, their Democratic support showed significant signs of improvement from April when only 15 Democrats supported similar measures (The Guardian +2; AP News +2 and Times of Israel all supported similar resolutions). A record 27 Senate Democrats supported an assault rifle resolution while 24 supported bomb shipment block legislation; these numbers marked significant increases from when only about 15 supported similar legislation
These votes represent the largest ever opposition by Democrats to offensive weapons sales to Israel.
Senator Bernie Sanders declared after the vote, “The tide is turning – Americans don’t want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza.” This shows increased public discomfort with ongoing military aid to Israel in light of images from Gaza showing starvation and civilian deaths; images that have since surfaced from Wikipedia, Anadolu Ajansi and The Washington Post all contain similar themes of public unease with continued military aid being given there as well as images depicting scenes of hunger and civilian casualties emerging there.
Key Voices and Political Divisions
A number of prominent Democrats broke with party leadership this time. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), longtime Israel supporters, cast votes in support of ceasefire conditions citing humanitarian losses in Gaza as their reasoning. Durbin also commented, stating it “is impossible to justify what is going on today” according to AP News.
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) cast an opposing vote, asserting that U.S. military aid bolsters Israeli civilians and reinforcing policy support for Israel while calling for urgent increases in humanitarian aid to Gaza (welch.senate.gov//AP News+10 and The Washington Post+10)
No Republican senator backed these resolutions, with critics noting they would abandon an important ally during wartime. According to Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), the resolutions would disregard Israel’s right to defend against Hamas – and blamed Hamas extremists for both conflict and humanitarian suffering by using civilians as shields and barring aid, according to The Washington Post.
Humanitarian Crisis and Public Opinion
Supporters of these resolutions–many from the progressive wing of their party–cited harsh humanitarian conditions in Gaza, such as starvation, displacement and an increasing death toll. Furthermore, they demanded military aid be contingent on reforms and compliance with humanitarian regulations (AP News/The Guardian).
Public sentiment has changed dramatically in recent polls, with just 8% of Democrats supporting Israel’s military action in Gaza–a dramatic reduction from prior years. Meanwhile, most electorates now oppose arms shipments to Israel in this context, as reported in The Wall Street Journal +3
The Washington Post +3
Al Jazeera +3.
What These Votes Signify
Joint Resolutions of Disapproval carry symbolic weight but are unlikely to override presidential vetoes or gain passage through a Republican-dominated House. No attempt has ever succeeded using this mechanism for blocking Israeli arms sales (Reuters/AP News/20/15; welch.senate.gov/2015)
Still, this result indicates a shifting dynamic within the Democratic Party. An increasing number of senators are aligning arms policy with moral considerations and humanitarian obligations; analysts speculate this growing faction could push for stricter conditions on future aid legislation or link arms transfers with human rights compliance requirements.
At a time when Western allies–such as Britain, France and Canada–are signalling their possible recognition of a Palestinian state, these Senate votes represent a broader reevaluation of U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza amid an intensifying humanitarian crisis.