The US Senate decisively rejected three resolutions Wednesday night that sought to block specific weapons sales to Israel, according to NBC News. The measures, spearheaded by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, faced strong bipartisan opposition.

The resolutions, which targeted sales of tank rounds, mortar rounds, and bomb guidance kits for use in Gaza, were defeated by significant margins, with 78, 79, and 80 senators voting against the respective measures, NBC News reported.

Prior to the vote at 8 p.m., Sanders took to X to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating he "has violated international & US law, violating human rights and blocking humanitarian aid."

In his Senate floor speech, Sanders emphasized that the resolutions "would not affect any of the systems Israel uses to defend itself from incoming attacks," focusing instead on offensive weapons.

This evening, I voted to reaffirm the United States' commitment to the people of Israel and to ensure they have the resources to defend themselves from Iran and their terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah.

I will always stand proudly to support our strongest ally.

— Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) November 21, 2024

"As I have said many, many times: Israel had the absolute right to respond to that horrific Hamas attack, as any other country would. I don't think anybody here in the United States Senate disagrees with that," Sanders said. "But Prime Minister Netanyahu's extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas. It has waged an all-out war against the Palestinian people."

Several Democrats openly opposed the resolutions. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada declared on X that she "will always stand proudly to support our strongest ally." Her colleague, Senator Jacky Rosen, echoed this sentiment, stating that "Israel is our ally in the Middle East & we must do everything we can to help it defend itself."

While Israel is being attacked on all fronts, it should not be under attack in the halls of Congress.

Israel's enemies are our enemies.

Instead of blocking key weapons, we must provide Israel with the tools to demolish Iran-backed Hamas and send a clear message to Tehran.

— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) November 21, 2024

Republicans unanimously opposed the resolutions. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa wrote on X, "While Israel is being attacked on all fronts, it should not be under attack in the halls of Congress." Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana added on the platform that "Limiting Israel's ability to defend itself helps its enemies."

Israel maintains that destroying the Hamas terror organization is essential to prevent attacks similar to the Oct. 7 massacre, where terrorists killed 1,2000 Israelis and kidnapped over 250. As of Nov. 21, 101 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, 36 of whom have been declared dead.

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Speaking at the virtual national conference of liberal advocacy group J Street on Monday, former Democratic presidential candidates and senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren indicated that they were willing to place conditions on the aid Congress has promised Israel.

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"I strongly believe that we must also be willing to bring real pressure to bear, including restricting US aid, in response to moves by either side that undermine the chances for peace," Sanders said in his virtual speech.

"The truth is that the United States gives an enormous amount of military aid to Israel. It also provides some humanitarian and economic aid to the Palestinians. It is totally appropriate for the United States to say what that aid may and may not be used for," he said.

Warren called for restricting military aid to Israel if the aid is being used in a way that prevents the parties from moving towards a two-state solution, which she said included being used in the West Bank.

"If we're serious about arresting settlement expansion and helping move the parties towards a two-state solution, then it would be irresponsible not to consider all of the tools we have at our disposal," she said.

"By continuing to provide military aid without restriction, we provide no incentive for Israel to adjust course," she said. "The United States cannot stand for security, human rights, and dignity, and at the same moment turn a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli occupation."

Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, drew a distinction between the opinions of Sanders and Warren with the rest of the Democratic Party, including others who spoke at the conference.

"The Democratic Party Platform, adopted unanimously in 2020, made clear that Democrats strongly support the 10-year, $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel finalized by [former] President [Barack] Obama and then-Vice President [Joe] Biden in 2016," Soifer wrote in an email. "That is JDCA's position, and it's the position of the Biden White House."

She added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke at J Street's two-day conference. Soifer said they "expressed support for the ironclad partnership between the two countries which epitomizes how Democrats view the US-Israel relationship."

US Senator Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told JNS in an emailed statement that he rejects conditioning assistance to Israel.

"The US government maintains robust and wide-ranging engagement with the government of Israel, and any and all concerns are shared frankly and honestly and frequently. There is no need or justification for conditioning our assistance."

Similarly, US Representative Elaine Luria, vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said in an emailed statement that putting conditions on aid to Israel would threaten security and US interests in the region.

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"Israel is America's most vital ally in the Middle East. The aid we provide, roughly $3.8 billion each year, is an investment in the national security of both our countries and serves as a strong deterrent in the region," wrote Luria.

"Israel's continued stability and economic strength were critical in securing the historic Abraham Accords, which normalized relations with Israel and several Middle Eastern countries. Conditioning aid to Israel would be a grave mistake and would threaten security and US interests in this volatile region."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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The Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) spent a reported 681,000 dollars on the ad that features Iowan voters expressing concern over whether Sanders has what it takes to be president.

Despite critics accusing the ad of hitting below the belt, DMFI president Mark Mellman said, "I think for many months now, the consensus has been that he really didn't have much of a chance at winning the nomination."

"We looked at the situation a couple of weeks ago and decided that assumption was no longer valid – that he really does have a chance to win the nomination. And we thought that would be bad for Democrats, in terms of our ability to defeat Donald Trump, and bad for the issues that we care about," he added.

Even though the ad does not focus on Israel or Sanders' foreign policy beliefs, Mellman admits that the candidate's remarks about the Jewish state prompted the super PAC to launch the ad. 

"He's voted right on a lot of legislation, but at the same time, he uses hyperbolic and vituperative language designed to stigmatize Israel," Mellman said. 

Meanwhile, strategists in Sanders' camp are attempting to exert damage control as the fateful Iowa primary is only a week away.

In an email to supporters, Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shaki wrote, "This morning we learned that an outside spending group placed 700,000 dollars' worth of negative ads in Iowa attacking Bernie Sanders. We have a small lead in Iowa heading into Monday's caucuses. But outside groups are on the attack and hoping to stop us. Bernie needs us all if we're going to fight back and win."

Similarly, campaign co-chair Rep. Ro Kahana (D-CA) took to Twitter and slammed the ad. 

"For a Democratic Super PAC to attack Bernie Sanders' health is beyond the pale of decency," Kahana said. "Imagine the outrage if a Dem group had run attack ads about FDR's polio. Every presidential candidate must denounce this and call for the ad to be taken down."

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The senator tweeted an excerpt from a speech by the controversial pro-Palestinian activist Sarsour in which Sarsour expressed her hope Sanders would be the first Jewish president.

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Sarsour, who made the remarks at a recent presidential campaign rally for the Vermont senator, also said Sanders would lead "a transformative foreign policy, one that is centered on peace and diplomacy. A foreign policy that sees Palestinians as human beings deserving of human rights and self-determination."

"I would be so proud to win, but also to make history and elect the first Jewish American president this country has ever seen and for his name to be Bernard Sanders." –@lsarsour pic.twitter.com/INPRlvmMur

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 6, 2019

Both Sanders and Sarsour have been highly critical of Israeli policies in Judea and Samaria. Sarsour has been particularly vocal against Israel and has called on the world to punish it for its treatment of Palestinians through various forms of boycotts.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Speaking with Jon Favreau on his Pod Save America podcast, Sanders, according to most polls the second-place Democratic candidate, agreed that the $3.8 billion US military aid package could be used as "leverage" against the Jewish state.

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"Our policy cannot just be pro-Israel, pro-Israel, pro-Israel," Sanders said. "It has got to be pro-region, working with all of the people, all of the countries in that area."

He emphasized, however, that he believed in Israel's "absolute" right to peace and security.

"I have family in Israel. I am Jewish. I am not anti-Israel," he said. "Okay, I believe that the people of Israel have, absolutely, the right to live in peace, independence and security. End of discussion – that is what I fervently believe."

At the same time, he blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he said was the rise of "an extreme right-wing government with many racist tendencies."

Sanders is largely considered to be among the strongest critics of Israel running for the US presidency. He appeared in June with activists for pro-BDS organization IfNotNow while holding a sign reading "Jews Against Occupation."

In 2017, Sanders recorded a five-minute video for a Meretz Party conference marking the end of the Six-Day War in 1967 and "50 Years of Occupation," in which he called the party "Israel's most prominent political organization" and lamented that "we are now in the 50th year of Israel's occupation."

"I know so many of you agree with me when I say: this occupation must end. Peace, real peace, means security not only for every Israeli, but for every Palestinian. It means supporting self-determination, civil rights and economic well-being for both peoples," he said.

In April 2016, Sanders was one of 17 senators who did not sign a letter to then-President Barack Obama urging him to increase aid to Israel.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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