On Wednesday, 19 senators cast a historic vote against sending additional military equipment to Israel, marking the first-ever rebuke of its kind in Congress. This vote reflects growing frustration in Washington over Israeli actions in Gaza, which President Biden has largely supported. The group, composed of Democrats and independents, opposed the shipment of $61 million worth of high explosive mortar rounds to Israel. Additionally, all but one senator in the group, Sen. George Helmy (D-N.J.), rejected sending Israel $774 million in tank rounds, which have been used in attacks that harmed civilians, including children and aid groups.
The rest of the Senate, including all Republicans, overwhelmingly supported these arms deals, part of a broader package announced by President Biden in August. However, the 19 dissenting votes signify a significant challenge to the long-standing notion of unwavering support for Israel. Even some centrist lawmakers, such as Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who have been relatively quiet on Israel’s actions, voted against the proposal.
Previous efforts to rally senators against Biden’s policy — including bills calling for greater scrutiny of U.S. weapons sales and a State Department report on Israel’s human rights practices — garnered limited support, with only 18 and 12 senators endorsing these measures, respectively.
The vote also included a motion to block $262 million in Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) — bomb kits that have been used in civilian casualties during airstrikes. While some defend these kits, claiming they increase precision, 17 senators voted to block them.
Although critics knew they wouldn’t secure a majority, the vote highlighted significant opposition to continued U.S. involvement in the Israeli conflict. Scott Paul of Oxfam America, an organization that opposed the arms deals, viewed the vote as a sign of progress, reflecting growing discomfort with U.S. complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Some senators, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), framed their votes as a moral stance, acknowledging Israel’s right to self-defense but condemning Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s refusal to allow more aid into Gaza. They pointed to Israel’s defiance of U.S. and humanitarian calls to change its conduct in the region.
The Biden administration, alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), worked to sway votes in favor of the arms deals. The administration even warned lawmakers that opposing the deals could help Hamas, while Secretary of State Tony Blinken briefed senators before the vote.
Pro-Israel lobbying groups, including AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel, also mounted significant pressure, urging senators to reject the bills. Despite this, a diverse coalition of lawmakers, including those from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voted in favor of the bills.
Advocates for the legislation argued that the symbolic victory was important, signaling that even strong allies of Israel could disapprove of Netanyahu’s actions and the Biden administration’s handling of the Gaza conflict. While the vote did not change the trajectory of U.S. policy, it highlighted growing dissent and frustration within Congress, which could influence future debates on U.S. foreign policy in the region.
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