Courtesy of JTA. Photo credit: Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
U.S. politician Bernie Sanders at the launch of his book “It’s Okay to Be Angry at Capitalism” at the House of World Cultures in Berlin, Oct. 12, 2023
(JTA) — Nineteen Senate Democrats backed a failed attempt to block weapons shipments to Israel on Wednesday, a sign of growing criticism of — and division over — Israel in the party.
The three resolutions that came before the Senate, each aiming to block different offensive U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, were put forward by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders, who is Jewish, is seen as the unofficial leader of progressives in Congress and has been calling to stop military aid to Israel for months.
The resolutions were opposed by all Republicans as well as most Democrats in the Senate, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a pro-Israel stalwart who is Jewish. The Biden administration, which has sent billions in military aid to Israel, also came out against the measures.
Those who supported the resolutions said their votes were a way to register symbolic opposition to Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of people. Those who opposed the measures said they supported Israel and did not want to block aid to an ally.
A resolution to block tank munitions was voted down 79-18; another aimed at mortar ammunition 78-19; and a resolution aimed at blocking guidance systems for bombs fell 80-17. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin voted present on all three. The votes represented around one-third of the Democratic conference in the Senate. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s number-two Democrat, voted in favor of all three.
The 19 senators who voted for at least one of the three resolutions included two Jews alongside Sanders: Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Jon Ossoff of Georgia. Ossoff’s support of two of the three measures was particularly notable because he represents a swing state with a sizable Jewish community that he is close to.
Ahead of the vote, the resolutions divided Jewish groups. The liberal Israel-focused lobby J Street encouraged senators to vote for the resolution, marking a shift to the left for the organization. The dovish rabbinic human rights group T’ruah and Americans for Peace Now also backed the resolutions.
A range of centrist and conservative Jewish groups lobbied against the legislation, including the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition, the Jewish Democratic Council of America, the Orthodox Union and the Jewish Federations of North America.
Both sides said the vote advanced their goals. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said on social media that to support the resolutions would have been a vote “to prolong the war, not shorten it.”
“We applaud the majority of the Senate for rejecting these anti-Israel resolutions and sending a clear message that America stands with Israel against our common enemies,” the group said.
After the votes, J Street CEO Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement, “This vote marks a milestone in the ongoing evolution of the US-Israel relationship.”
He added, “This debate and vote signify another step toward a relationship in which the US can hold Israel accountable for its actions and its use of the weapons we provide.”
Sanders introduced the resolutions in September. He supported Israel’s war against Hamas after the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, but has called for a halt to military aid for Israel for nearly a year. In January, he said, “The U.S. should not provide another nickel to the Netanyahu government unless there is a fundamental change in military policy and their response to the humanitarian crisis.” He has repeated variations on that demand in the months since.
In a Tuesday press briefing, Sanders argued that the weapons sales were illegal according to U.S. law because, he said, Israel was in violation of international humanitarian law due to its conduct in Gaza. He said that should preclude the arms sales, which are worth about $20 billion and include several categories of offensive weapons and aircraft.
In October, the United States threatened to cut military assistance if Israel did not meet certain benchmarks in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. But the government took no action when the deadline passed last week, saying Israel had made progress in delivering more aid despite not achieving all of the benchmarks.
But those opposed to the resolution said Israel continues to face myriad threats in its multi-front war.
“Israel is surrounded by enemies dedicated to its annihilation from Hamas to Hezbollah to the Houthis to most threateningly of all, Iran,” Schumer said, according to The Hill. “These threats have been for a long time and will persist for many years into the future.”
Also Wednesday, in a show of support for Israel from Washington, the U.S. mission to the United Nations vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. The United States voted against because the ceasefire was not conditioned on the release of Israeli hostages.
