Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has proposed a resolution to potentially freeze U.S. military aid to Israel and mandate the Biden administration to investigate war crimes in the Gaza Strip – a measure that was unfortunately set aside.
Under the resolution, all U.S. security aid would be frozen unless the U.S. Department of State produces a report examining whether Israel had committed human rights violations in its wartime conduct. The resolution gave the State Department 30 days to produce this report.
Earlier this month, Sanders – who is Jewish himself – decried the Gaza offensive as an "illegal and immoral war against the Palestinian people." In turn, pro-Israel lobbyists campaigned aggressively against Sanders' resolution, calling it poorly timed and unnecessary.
In October, President Joe Biden requested $14 billion in security aid for Israel – but the request has been stuck in Congress. The president and top legislative leaders met at the White House to discuss a package that would encompass Israel, Ukraine and border security. Much of the holdup has been around the much larger $61 billion supplemental request for Ukraine, which hardline Republicans oppose.
Following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, U.S. lawmakers were in lockstep with support for the Jewish state's aggressive response in Gaza. But as the months wore on and the Palestinian civilian death toll lurched upward, liberal Democrats have begun to sour on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military campaign and the push for more U.S. aid to fund the bloody offensive.
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The mounting death toll in Gaza – 24,000 according to the Gaza Health Ministry – coupled with Israel's roadblocks to aid trapped civilians have sparked wide near-constant protests across the U.S., with 130 people arrested on Capitol Hill in a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
It's also prompted genocide charges at the International Court of Justice and a subtle urging from the Biden administration to wind down the bombing campaign. Earlier this month, Israel said it would soon shift to more targeted military operations in Gaza.
Sanders' resolution junked by Senate majority vote
Several other senators joined their colleague from the Green Mountain State in advancing the resolution on the Senate floor. Unfortunately, the Senate voted 72-11 to table the matter. According to the Daily Mail, critics believe that Sanders' resolution is expected to fail as the GOP still supports Israel unconditionally.
Despite this, the number of Democrats who supported the measure reflects rising dissatisfaction among progressives over the civilian casualties in Gaza.
Sanders, the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history and one of three in the Senate, has a close relationship with the Democratic Party. He previously caucused with Democrats in both chambers of Congress, and was even a presidential candidate in the 2020 elections.
"It's unworkable, quite frankly," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said of Sanders' resolution. "The Israelis have indicated they are preparing to transition their operations to a much lower intensity. We believe that transition will be helpful both in terms of reducing civilian casualties, as well as increasing humanitarian assistance."
Sanders responded by saying he "strongly disagrees" with Kirby. He noted that two-thirds of those killed in Gaza have been women and children; 70 percent of housing units in the region have been razed; and most of the 2.3 million people who live there have been displaced.
The senator described Israel's bombing in Gaza as "worse than what took place in Dresden over a two-year period," referencing the American and British bombing the Germany city during World War II. "You do not have the right to go to war against an entire people," Sanders concluded.
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