Sanders Proposes Legislation to Block US Weapons Sales to Israel

US Senator Bernie Sanders Plans Vote on Resolution Regarding Military Aid to Israel

Senator Bernie Sanders has announced plans to bring a resolution to the Senate floor later this week, which would block the sale of nearly half a billion dollars worth of bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military. The measure is expected to be met with opposition from Republicans in the Senate.

The resolution was first proposed by Senator Sanders in July last year, but it failed to pass with a vote of 27-70. However, the proposal has gained renewed attention amid growing tensions between Israel and Iran, as well as concerns over human rights abuses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

According to recent polls, public support for Israel has declined significantly, particularly among young people and Democrats. A Gallup poll conducted in February found that only 46% of Americans have a favorable view of Israel, while only 17% of Democratic respondents sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians.

The US has provided Israel with over $21 billion in military aid since the start of its conflict in Gaza. The Biden administration’s decision to join forces with Israel on Iran without congressional authorization has further eroded support for unconditional backing of Israel in the US.

J Street, a prominent liberal Zionist group, has called for a reevaluation of the US-Israel security relationship and urged applying US laws that restrict security assistance to foreign countries over human rights abuses. The group’s statement suggests that successive US administrations have breached these laws by providing continued military aid to Israel despite its alleged violations.

Source: Al Jazeera