Record number of US Democrats vote to block offensive weapons transfers to Israel

Middle East Eye

2 days ago

Two resolutions brought to the Senate floor late on Wednesday evening in Washington to block the transfer of "offensive" weapons from the US to Israel failed to advance, after more than three-quarters of the chamber shot them down.
But for the very first time, a majority of the Democrats and two Independent allies supported the resolutions to block the sale of $675m in bombs and guidance kits, as well as the shipment of 20,000 assault rifles. There are a total of 45 Democrats in the Senate - plus two Independents aligned with them.
The tally came to 73 to 24 on the first vote, and 70 to 27 on the second.
There are 100 members in the Senate. All Republicans voted against the resolutions.
Both were brought forward by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who also pushed for a similar vote back in April. At the time, he only managed to get 15 Democrats on board.
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'The United States has provided more than $22b for Israel's military operations since this war began," Sanders told the chamber ahead of the vote, citing the figure calculated by the Costs of War project at Brown University.
"If you want to obey the law, vote for these resolutions," he said, pointing to the US Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, which stipulate that parties involved in human rights abuses cannot receive US weapons.
"Enough is enough. Americans want this to end. They do not want to be complicit in an unfolding famine and deadly civilian massacres."
Washington, he indicated, is far behind its allies in moving toward a resolution in the region.
'France and Canada have said that they will recognise a Palestinian state. The United Kingdom has said it will do so as well if Israel does not immediately end this war and surge humanitarian aid," Sanders said on the Senate floor. "And at the UN last month, 149 countries voted for a ceasefire resolution condemning the use of starvation as a weapon of war and demanding an end to Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid.'
Unlikely allies
Each US state is represented by two senators. In the cases of Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Vermont, all of their senators voted to back at least one resolution: to prohibit the sale of automatic assault rifles.
"These weapons would likely have been allocated to police forces under the control of Itamar Ben-Gvir," Georgia's youngest and first-ever Jewish senator, Jon Ossoff, said in a statement, referring to Israel's far-right national security minister who was condemned by the Biden administration.
Former Gaza contractor says Israeli soldiers were ready to shoot starving children Read More »
Ossoff did not, however, vote to block the sale of taxpayer-funded 1,000-pound bombs to Israel.
"Despite my opposition to Prime Minister Netanyahu's conduct of the war in Gaza, I believe the United States must continue to support the Israeli people who face the persistent threat of rocket and missile attack and have been subjected to intense aerial bombardment from Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen," he said.
"Israel's capacity to strike those who would launch missiles and rockets at Israeli civilians depends upon the deterrence provided by the Israeli Air Force."
The most notable vote of support for both resolutions came from Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who has not previously backed any such actions, and has been a longtime pro-Israel voice.
Her decision appeared to have made way for other less-inclined Democrats to join in.
"It is clear that the Government of Israel has not conducted its military operations in Gaza with the necessary care required by international humanitarian law," Shaheen said in a statement. "It is also clear that the Government of Israel has failed to allow adequate humanitarian assistance into Gaza, resulting in unbelievable suffering."
On Thursday, the official account for Senate Republicans on X issued only this: "President Trump is correct. The only thing standing in the way of peace is Hamas, which started this war and still refuses to surrender or release the remaining hostages."
Hamas has said there can be no ceasefire without the entry of sustained, adequate aid via international and trusted entities like the United Nations, and it has also said it would commit to a deal that includes a permanent end to the war, not a temporary truce.
Last week, both the US and Israel abruptly withdrew their negotiating teams from Doha, Qatar, with President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff suggesting the consideration of "alternative options" for Gaza. It was unclear if he meant a pivot away from diplomacy.
Israel has killed over 60,000 Palestinians since 7 October 2023. Most are women and children.
Shifting view of Israel
A shift in attitudes in the US is palpable, given that the largest turnout for a Democratic mayoral primary in New York City history last month was largely due to a first-time candidate who was vocal in his support for Palestinian rights.
"The tide is turning. The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza," Sanders said after the votes were tallied on Wednesday. "The Democrats are moving forward on this issue, and I look forward to Republican support in the near future."
Nationwide polling has also captured this shift.
In a dramatic 10 percentage point drop since a poll from September 2024, only 32 percent of Americans said they support Israel's war on Gaza, Gallup polling results released earlier this week showed.
As of July 2025, 60 percent of Americans said they disapprove of Israel's military actions, and 52 percent said they see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a negative light.
The numbers were mainly driven by Democrats and Independents, Gallup said.
Among Democrats distinctly, only eight percent of respondents said they approved of Israel's military action. Among Independents, that figure rose to 25 percent.
Most Americans do not support Israel's war on Gaza, polling shows Read More »
Among Republicans, 71 percent of respondents said they approved of what Israel was doing in Gaza.
But that's not the full story.
Among Trump's most loyal, outspoken, and influential supporters inside and outside of Congress, there has been a rise in aggressive questioning of why the US bankrolls a foreign country to the tune of billions of dollars each year, when that amount could be used for initiatives at home.
Earlier this month, hardline America First Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene voted alongside progressive Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to strip Israel of $500m in US funding, hours after it bombed the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza.
The amendment they voted for failed to pass.
"Here in America, we're $37 trillion in debt. My amendment will ensure an America First department of defence, and that is exactly what we need," Greene said.
On Thursday, she took that position further in a remarkable statement for its deviation from standard Republican policy.
"Yesterday, I spoke to a Christian pastor from Gaza. There are children starving," Greene wrote on X.
"Are innocent Israeli lives more valuable than innocent Palestinian and Christian lives? And why should America continue funding this?" she added. "None of this is antisemitic and I, along with millions of Americans, refuse that manipulative label."
She is not alone.
Last month, ahead of US air strikes on Iran, Greene's former colleague in the House of Representatives, Matt Gaetz, questioned the Trump administration's motives vis-a-vis Israel.
"This war isn't about Iran's nuclear weapons for Israel, it is about one thing: regime change... Does America really want to be Israel's dance partner to this siren song?" he asked on his new TV programme on the One America Network.
Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News pundit who voted for Trump, has featured a string of guests on his independent online show questioning the US-Israel relationship and why pro-Israel lobbying groups are allowed to have so much influence on US elections.