US Senate overwhelmingly rejects Bernie Sanders's bid to halt arms sales to Israel

The US Senate overwhelmingly rejected last night two resolutions proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) to stop arms sales worth $8.8 billion to Israel. The 82-15 and 83-15 margins demonstrated the enduring bipartisan support for Israel in the US Congress, despite growing concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

These resolutions, targeting the sale of massive bombs and offensive military equipment, however, also highlighted a deepening divide within the Democratic Party over US policy towards Israel’s actions in the region.

The votes came as Israel continues to bombard Gaza and has imposed a suspension of humanitarian aid, leaving civilians, particularly children, vulnerable to malnutrition and starvation. Sanders, in an impassioned plea, condemned the blockade, noting, “No food, no water, no medicine, no fuel” has reached Gaza for over a month.

Israel justifies this suspension as leverage in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, yet it has triggered one of the war’s largest mass displacements, with hundreds of thousands fleeing Rafah as Israeli forces advance to establish a new “security zones”.

Despite the resolutions’ predictable failure—given the Republican Senate majority and limited Democratic dissent—they served as a barometer of shifting sentiment. Fifteen Democratic Senators, including Richard Durbin (Illinois), Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Tim Kaine (Virginia), supported Sanders, but that number was down from 19 who backed a similar measure in November 2024.

Notable vote-switchers included Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both of Georgia, possibly eyeing tough 2026 re-elections, alongside Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Angus King (Maine). Senator Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin) opted for “present,” avoiding a firm stance.

Those in opposition, led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch, framed the resolutions as a betrayal of Israel, a key ally, at a critical juncture. No Republicans backed Sanders, and several Democrats up for re-election in 2026, such as Cory Booker (New Jersey) and Mark Warner (Virginia), voted “no,” wary of backlash from peo-Israel groups. Meanwhile, President Trump, in his second term, has reversed Biden-era limits on arms to Israel, expediting sales worth billions in February 2025.

Though US law allows Congress to halt weapons sales via resolutions of disapproval, none has ever overcome a presidential veto. Sanders’s efforts, while symbolic, aim to pressure both Israel and the US to prioritise civilian protection. The vote reveals a Congress that is still instinctively pro-Israel, even as Gaza’s plight intensifies internal Democratic division.

Middle East