The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked legislation that would have halted the sale of some U.S. weapons to Israel. The measures had been introduced out of concern about the human rights catastrophe Palestinians face in Gaza.
Seventy-nine of the 100 senators opposed a resolution that would have blocked sales of tank rounds to Israel, while 18 approved it and one voted present. Seventy-eight opposed a second measure, which would have stopped the shipment of mortar rounds, while 19 supported it and one voted present.
The Senate was to vote later Wednesday on a third resolution that would stop shipments of a GPS guidance system for bombs.
All of the votes in favor of the measures came from the Democratic caucus. Those against came from both Democrats and Republicans. The “resolutions of disapproval” were filed by Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and co-sponsored by a handful of Democrats.
Strong bipartisan support for Israel in Congress meant the resolutions were never likely to pass, but backers hoped significant support in the Senate would encourage Israel’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.
The Biden administration opposed the resolutions.
Most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people has been displaced and the enclave is at risk of famine, more than a year into Israel’s war against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health officials say nearly 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive.
Sanders, accusing Israel of blocking aid shipments, said providing military aid to Israel violates U.S. law barring weapons sales to human rights abusers.
“It is time to tell the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government that they cannot use U.S. taxpayer dollars and American weapons in violation of U.S. and international law and our moral values,” Sanders said in a Senate speech before the vote.
Opponents said the resolutions were inappropriate as Israel faces threats from designated terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and from archenemy Iran.
“Israel is surrounded by enemies dedicated to its annihilation,” the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a Senate speech before the votes.
Israel says that it has been working to address humanitarian needs and that the main problem with aid deliveries is U.N. distribution challenges. Its embassy in Washington did not respond this week to a request for comment on Sanders’ resolutions.
U.S. law gives Congress the right to stop major foreign weapons sales by passing resolutions of disapproval. Although no such resolution has passed Congress and survived a presidential veto, the law requires the Senate to vote if a resolution is filed. Such resolutions have at times led to angry debates embarrassing to past presidents.
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