More Senators Vote Against U.S. Weapons For Israel Amid Gaza Starvation
HuffPost
“Everybody in the world knows there’s starvation in Gaza,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told HuffPost as he tried to rally opposition to arms sales for Israel.
WASHINGTON ― The Senate on Wednesday rejected bills that would have blocked the sale of nearly $700 million in American bombs and rifles to Israel, an effort by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to signal U.S. frustration over mass casualties and starvation caused by Israel’s war in Gaza.
Twenty-seven Democrats and independents voted for the Sanders motion, a significant increase over the 19 “yea” votes Sanders got for a similar motion in November.
The vote was the third time Sanders forced the chamber to consider halting weapons for Israel, amid its punishing U.S.-backed offensive in the strip over nearly two years, but it notably came amid a new level of international outrage as Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians endure unprecedented hunger because of Israeli aid restrictions. Military and diplomatic support from Washington is crucial for Tel Aviv, and U.S. pressure is widely understood as the most significant factor in potentially altering Israeli policy.
“Everybody in the world knows there’s starvation in Gaza,” Sanders told HuffPost on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, even President Donald Trump acknowledged Palestinians’ desperation, yet the White House issued a statement ahead of the vote rejecting Sanders’ bills.
