As Israel’s military continues its aggressive campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), joined by Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), has introduced a series of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block the sale of over $20 billion in American arms to Israel. This marks a significant challenge to the Biden administration’s policy of supporting Israel despite increasing international pressure to halt its military operations.
The six resolutions aim to prevent the sale of various advanced weaponry, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), tank ammunition, F-15 fighter jets, and other military equipment. The Biden administration authorized these massive arms sales last month as Israel escalated its military operations across Gaza and Lebanon, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
“There is a mountain of documentary evidence demonstrating that these weapons are being used in violation of U.S. and international law,” Sanders said in a statement introducing the resolutions. His remarks underscore a growing sense of urgency among lawmakers and activists to reevaluate U.S. arms sales to Israel amid reports of widespread human rights abuses in the ongoing conflict.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to defy calls for a cease-fire, the humanitarian toll in Gaza and Lebanon has become catastrophic. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,000 others have been injured since the conflict began, with 60 percent of the victims being women, children, and the elderly. The situation in Lebanon is equally alarming, with Israeli airstrikes targeting civilian areas, killing dozens of people in recent days.
Israel has also reportedly blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, creating a devastating shortage of food, medicine, and other essential supplies. Earlier this month, international organizations raised alarms about the blockade, which has left the people of Gaza on the brink of famine. Aid agencies reported that only 69 truckloads of aid per day were making it into Gaza, far below what is necessary to meet the needs of the nearly 2 million displaced civilians.
As Sanders emphasized, “Sending more weapons to Netanyahu’s extremist government is unacceptable.” He pointed out that while Israel claims to be targeting militants, the scale of the destruction and the number of civilian casualties indicate a much broader assault that violates international law.
Sanders’ resolutions are rooted in both legal and moral arguments. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act make it illegal to send U.S. weapons to nations that use them to commit human rights violations or obstruct humanitarian aid. According to multiple reports from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations, Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon meet these criteria, yet the Biden administration has continued its military support for the Israeli government.
Furthermore, Sanders pointed out that American-made weapons have been used indiscriminately, contributing to the high civilian death toll. “There is a mountain of documentary evidence demonstrating that these weapons are being used in violation of U.S. and international law,” he said. Many of the systems included in the recent arms sales have been linked to civilian casualties, further heightening the legal and ethical concerns surrounding these transactions.
Sanders also highlighted Netanyahu’s continued rejection of cease-fire efforts as a cynical political move. “It is clear that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to cling to power and avoid prosecution for corruption,” he said, referencing the Israeli leader’s domestic political struggles. Netanyahu has faced corruption charges at home, and critics argue that his government’s military actions are partly aimed at diverting attention from these scandals.
Despite Sanders’ efforts, the resolutions face an uphill battle in a U.S. Congress that has traditionally offered strong bipartisan support for Israel. Over the past decade, Congress has approved billions in military aid to Israel, often with little debate or scrutiny.
However, Sanders and his allies believe that growing public outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Lebanon could shift the political landscape. A recent poll revealed that a significant portion of the American public opposes further U.S. arms sales to Israel, particularly as reports of war crimes and human rights abuses continue to surface. Advocacy groups, such as the Institute for Middle East Understanding, have praised the resolutions, noting that they mark the first time in U.S. history that Congress will vote on blocking arms sales to Israel.
Dylan Williams, vice president of the Center for International Policy, called the resolutions “an appropriate, measured, and sadly necessary response to a security partner’s repeated violations of U.S. and international law.” He added that continued U.S. complicity in Israel’s military actions is damaging American credibility on the global stage.
The ongoing debate over arms sales to Israel has far-reaching implications for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. President Biden has called for de-escalation in the region and has publicly supported a cease-fire to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. However, critics argue that the administration’s continued military support for Israel contradicts these calls for peace.
“President Biden has emphatically called for de-escalation,” Sanders noted. “And yet, his administration continues to send weapons to Israel, undermining its own policy goals.”
Sanders concluded, “Congress must now act to uphold U.S. and international law and use our leverage to advance U.S. policy goals.”
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