The U.S. Senate voted down three bills by independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont that would have stopped the U.S. from selling arms to Israel worth about $20 billion.
A year after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Sanders introduced three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) in late September. Officials from the United Nations have warned that famine is about to happen because more than 2 million Palestinians are suffering “extremely critical” levels of hunger.
During a passionate speech on the U.S. Senate floor, Sanders made a final plea to senators, urging them not to ignore the humanitarian crisis and the U.S.’s support for “mass starvation.”
Sanders’ S.J. Res. 111 bill was thrown out by a vote of 18 to 79 in the Senate on Wednesday night. Since Israel has a lot of support in the upper house, the motions were not expected to pass. However, they show that Democrats don’t agree with President Joe Biden’s view on the ongoing war.
The Jewish senator has spoken out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military actions and limits on sending aid. He says that Israel is breaking international law and going beyond its right to protect itself.
Sanders has also said many times that he doesn’t like how the Biden administration is handling the war and supporting it. He is also frustrated that the administration isn’t holding Israel responsible.
