An effort by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to block certain U.S. arms sales to Israel was overwhelmingly defeated in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening.
Sanders' joint resolution of disapproval was supported by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) intended to block the White House's recent arms sales to the Israeli military. An effort to block the sale of tank ammunition to Israel was defeated 79-18, and a bill to block shipments of mortar shells was defeated 78-19.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders claimed that Israel's government is controlled “not only by right-wing extremists, but also by religious zealots.”
“Despite receiving $18 billion from American taxpayers last year, American taxpayers and American weapons cannot be used in violation of American and international law and moral values,” Sanders said. “The time has come to tell the Netanyahu government,” he said.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) walks on the Senate subway to a press conference on restricting arms sales to Israel at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“And the Netanyahu administration, the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in history, has completely ignored repeated requests from President Biden and the U.S. government.”
The 83-year-old politician also criticized living conditions in Gaza during his speech.
“Right now, there is raw sewage running through the streets of Gaza, making it extremely difficult for the people of Gaza to access clean drinking water,” Sanders said. “All 12 universities in Gaza were bombed…as were hundreds of schools. There was no electricity in Gaza for 13 months.”
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vt.) speaks at a press conference with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Peter Welch, Democrat of Vermont; Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, on an upcoming resolution aimed at blocking the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel, November 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Talked with Mr. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“As I have said many times, Israel, like any other country, had the absolute right to respond to that horrific Hamas attack,” Sanders concluded. “I don't think anyone here in the U.S. Senate agrees with this. But Prime Minister Netanyahu's extremist government hasn't just waged a war against Hamas. It has waged an all-out war against the Palestinian people. It is.”
Despite the vote, Sanders' effort was not entirely unpopular. Earlier this week, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren expressed support for the Vermont Independent's proposal.
“The Biden administration's failure to follow U.S. law and halt arms shipments is a grave mistake that undermines America's credibility globally,” Warren said in a statement to the Guardian.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., attends a press conference on an upcoming joint resolution of disapproval aimed at blocking the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel, Nov. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C. state). (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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“If this administration fails to act, Congress must step up to enforce U.S. laws and hold the Netanyahu government accountable through a joint resolution of disapproval.”
Fox News Digital's Jessica Sonkin and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
