After a Senate vote on the subject, Palestinian rights activists are applauding the growing number of American lawmakers who are willing to restrict access to Israel’s weapons in response to the atrocities committed in Gaza.
In a move that rights advocates have hailed as a significant blow to the bipartisan support that Israel has traditionally enjoyed in Congress, the majority of Democrats in the Senate voted late on Wednesday in favor of a resolution to stop the sale of weapons to Israel.
In a 27-70 vote, Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposed legislation was ultimately rejected, but a record number of lawmakers voted in favor of it in comparison to earlier bills that have been introduced.
It had a tremendous impact. The Democratic Party’s position on Israel is fundamentally changing, according to Yasmine Taeb, the organization’s legislative and political director.
The measure was overwhelmingly opposed by Republican Senators. However, the Democratic caucus had a tally of 27-17. The bill sought to stop Israel from acquiring assault rifles.
In a 24-73 vote, three senators who supported the first bill defected, making it the second bill’s target of bomb shipments.
Leading rights groups have accused the Israeli military of killing Palestinians in a genocide there, prompting both domestic and international outcry.
We simply need to keep fighting, they say.
Only 15 Senators supported Sanders’ plan to stop Israeli weapons entering Israel in April, according to Taeb, adding that Palestinian rights activists are making progress on the issue.
We just need to keep fighting, she told Al Jazeera, “but it’s frustrating.”
“We must continue to exert every effort possible to persuade our leaders in the Senate and House to end the funding of these atrocities.” These bills demonstrate that there is a shift right now. So, it demonstrates how well the pressure is exerting itself.
Israel relies a lot on US weapons to wage its wars on Palestinians and neighbors, which receives billions of dollars annually from the US military.
On Capitol Hill, Israel’s support remained unshakeable for a long time. However, Democrats are increasingly supportive of restricting the flow of US weapons.
The senators who supported the bills were commended by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), who described the outcome as a “historical sign of progress.”
The majority of Senate Democrats’ votes yes, according to CAIR government affairs director Robert McCaw, indicate that sentiments in Congress are gradually catching up with the American people, even though last night’s vote should have been 100 to 0 in favor of these resolutions.
Beyond the select few progressive lawmakers who have long been vocal supporters of Palestinian rights, some important Democrats have backed Sanders’ bill.
They included Amy Klobuchar, a well-known centrist, Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Enough is enough, simply put.
Senator Tammy Duckworth also cast a ballot in favor of the measure, saying she has supported Israel for the majority of her career.
In a statement, Duckworth said, “Enough is enough.”
More than 150 people have been starved by Israeli forces in Gaza as a result of the humanitarian crisis there.
“Innocent civilians, including young children, are now starving to death because of Israel’s unacceptable choice to restrict humanitarian and food aid from entering Gaza for months,” Duckworth said.
The end of this famine is “not only a moral imperative, but it also serves the long-term national security of both Israel and our own country.”
The generational shift in the subject has been highlighted by the four new Democratic senators’ votes to block arms from Israel, which were elected last year. The vote was not held for the other two freshman senators.
According to popular opinion polls, young Americans, particularly Democrats, are increasingly opposed to Israel’s abuses of Palestinians.
In a recent Gallup poll, only 9% of respondents under the age of 35 said they approve of Israeli military action in Gaza, and only 6% said they were satisfied with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Following Wednesday’s vote, Sanders claimed that the “tide is turning” as a result of the Democratic lawmakers’ increased support for limiting access to weapons by Israel.
The senator stated in a statement that the American people do not want to spend billions on Gaza’s children’s hunger.
“I look forward to Republican support in the near future because the Democrats are moving forward with this issue.”
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The vote was also hailed as a “historical moment,” according to IfNotNow, a progressive Jewish youth organization.
We must use every tool at our disposal to end the blockade and push for a ceasefire and hostage exchange, according to the organization’s executive director, Morriah Kaplan, in a statement.
“It is blatant that a shrinking minority of the Democratic caucus, consisting of 17 senators, support Republicans in continuing the flow of deadly weapons to the Israeli military,” the senators said.
Chuck Schumer, the party’s top senator, and other senior Democrats, cast ballots against the resolutions.
Taeb claimed that Schumer’s vote shows that he is “simply out of touch with the majority of Democratic voters and, incredibly, his own caucus.”
As Americans continue to turn their backs on Israel, Republicans will soon start paying a price for their unwavering support, she added.
The defeat of Sanders’ bills was welcomed with the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has spent millions of dollars to combat Israel’s critics in Congress. However, it claimed that the vote “highlights the growing attempts to advance anti-Israel policies in Congress.”
In an email to supporters, the organization stated that “we know our detractors are working to elect more candidates who want to undermine the US-Israel alliance.”
