The Senate on Tuesday rejected a resolution proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that could have frozen U.S. aid to Israel.
Sanders pushed for a vote on the bill, which would require the State Department to complete a report within 30 days on whether Israel used weapons provided by the United States to commit human rights violations in Gaza. Otherwise, further aid to Israel would have been halted amid the war with Hamas.
However, the Senate rejected the Sanders bill, which had been opposed by the Biden administration, by an overwhelming majority of 72-11. The majority of Democrats sided with Republicans in opposing the effort, but a small number of progressives, increasingly critical of President Biden's policies toward Israel, supported Sanders.
“While there is no question that Israel has the right to defend itself and wage war against Hamas, which has caused this terrible situation, There is no right to war against the children of Gaza,'' Sanders said in remarks on the Senate floor. “Sadly, that's what we're seeing.”
Bernie Sanders to force Senate vote on resolution that could freeze aid to Israel
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced a resolution calling on the State Department to complete a report on whether Israel committed human rights abuses with U.S. military aid. The resolution was rejected by a vote of 72-11. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the terrorist group's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has caused unprecedented destruction in the small coastal enclave and displaced much of Gaza's 2.3 million population. , causing a humanitarian catastrophe that displaced more than a quarter of the population.starvation according to the united nations
Sanders cited death toll figures released by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which estimated that more than 24,000 Palestinians had been killed and more than 60,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes. The data cannot be independently verified, and Hamas does not distinguish between civilian and military casualties.
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President Biden (left) asked Congress for an additional $60 billion in aid to Israel. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor)
Israel says its fighters use civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas, and blames Hamas for the high death toll.
After Hamas attacked Israel, 1,200 people died and about 250 were taken hostage. As of this month, Israel believes it still holds more than 130 hostages in the Gaza Strip.
President Biden has firmly supported Israel's right to self-defense, but the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has led to increasing calls from the international community for a ceasefire. Biden has publicly called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and earlier this month said he was “covertly working” to pressure Israel to reduce its troop presence in Gaza.
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Meanwhile, Biden called on Congress to pass an additional $60 billion in aid to Israel, on top of the $3.8 billion in annual military defense aid approved under the Obama administration.
Although the president's position has been harshly criticized by the far left, several Democratic senators have voiced opposition to threatening U.S. aid to Israel.
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“While we continue to support our allies, and I believe the U.S. Congress should be fully informed of the nature of Israel's war in Gaza, this resolution cuts off all aid to Israel and “We are concerned that this could send a message encouraging adversaries in the region to cooperate in escalating the current conflict,” said Sen. Patty Murray, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Washington State Democratic Party) said in a statement.
The Republican Party remains united in support of Israel. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in remarks on the Senate floor, called the Sanders resolution “tying the hands of our closest allies locked in a necessary fight against barbaric terrorists.” It was abandoned as an attempt.
FOX News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
