A Bernie Sanders-introduced bill that would have made aid to Israel contingent on whether the Israeli government is infringing on international agreements and human rights during its catastrophic war in Gaza has been restricted by US senators.
On Tuesday night, many senators rejected the idea, with 72 voting against it and 11 in favor. Sanders’ initiative was decisively rebuffed, but it was a noteworthy exercise that indicated Democrats’ expanding discontent with US backing for Israel.
This was the first time that a decades-old provision had been used to force the US State Department to report on whether the Israeli war operation in Gaza is in violation of international agreements and human rights within 30 days. Should the government neglect to accomplish this, the unquestionably guaranteed US military assistance to Israel may be abruptly terminated.
It’s one of many that progressives have put up to express worry about Israel’s assaults on Gaza, where many of the 2.4 million people (about the population of Kansas) living there have been forced to flee due to Israel’s shelling since Hamas initiated offensive on the territory on October 7. Since then, more than 24,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza.
In a speech prior to the vote, Sanders urged support for the resolution and bemoaned the Senate’s apparent inability to discuss any legislation examining the impact of the conflict on civilians. He highlighted the need to ensure that US aid is being used in compliance with human rights and domestic laws.
The resolution was opposed by the White House, as stated. Israel receives $3.8 billion in security support from the US annually, including fighter jets and powerful bombs that have the capacity to demolish Hamas tunnels. Biden has requested that Congress grant an extra $14 billion.
Sanders’ Proposed Legislation
Sanders’ proposed legislation makes benefit of a Foreign support Act of 1961 provision that allows Congress to oversee US military support as long as it is employed in compliance with global human rights commitments.
The idea would not be easy to implement. Sanders has an uphill struggle since Joe Biden has steadfastly supported Israel throughout its operation in Gaza and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are opposed to any limits on funding to Israel.
However, senators Sanders and other lawmakers started a debate on the subject by making them vote on the evidence over whether or not they were willing to condition aid to Israel.
Most of the 11 senators from across the party spectrum who backed Sanders in the procedural vote were Democrats. With Israel facing criticism from throughout the world for its Gaza offensive, some politicians are pushing harder and harder to impose conditions on aid to the country.
Progressive lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar have called for a ceasefire amid anti-war demonstrations taking place around the US. Numerous congressmen emphasized in a letter to the US president that thousands of children had perished because of Israeli bombings.
Before the bill was submitted on Tuesday night, South Carolina senator Lindsay Graham, a Republican, stated that the Islamist organization Hamas has “militarized” the area’s hospitals and schools by operating inside of them.
Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals as a front for military operations, but it has not offered concrete evidence to support its allegations that Hamas maintained a command center beneath the main Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, which was attacked by the Israeli Defense Forces in November.
During what Biden has called “indiscriminate bombings,” two thirds of Gaza’s hospitals have been shuttered. This is happening at a critical moment, when the UN is warning of food and sickness while Israel besieges Gaza.
Organizations that had backed Sanders’ campaign considered it a partial success despite the setback.
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