‘It’s dangerous’; US Senate rejects Bernie Sanders' resolution to force rights violation report on Israel amid war
A majority of senators struck down the resolution proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday evening, with 72 voting against the proposal, and 11 backing it.
The continuous split between various blocs within the Democratic Party was exposed when Senator Bernie Sanders' resolution was pushed back in the Senate. It demanded the State Department to produce a report within 30 days on whether Israel has violated human rights amid its ongoing war with Hamas.
The resolution, pushed by progressive Senator Sanders, attempted to freeze all US security assistance to Israel until this report was produced, invoking a decades-old legislation that requires all military aid and weapons be used in compliance with international human rights agreements.
A majority of senators struck down the resolution on Tuesday evening, with 72 voting against the proposal, and 11 backing it. Those who voted in favor of the resolution include Republican Rand Paul, along with Democrats Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Martin Heinrich, Laphonza Butler, Ed Markey, Ben Ray Lujan, Mazie Hirono, and Peter Welch.
Bernie Sander says Israel has ‘no right’ to wage war against all Palestinians
In an interview ahead of the vote, Sanders told Associated Press, "To my mind, Israel has the absolute right to defend itself from Hamas’s barbaric terrorist attack on October 7, no question about that."
“But what Israel does not have a right to do – using military assistance from the United States – does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people,” said Sanders, stressing that “And in my view, that’s what has been happening.”
He further said that the United States must ensure its “aid is being used in accordance with human rights and our own laws”.
As per officials, the Palestinian death toll has reached over 24,000 since Hamas launched attacks on Israel on 7 October, 2023 and Israel’s attack has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, the Guardian reported.
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‘Unworkable’: White House opposes resolution as Biden calls for more aid
The White House had said it opposed Sanders' resolution and US President Joe Biden has requested Congress to authorise an additional $14bn for Israel. The United States provides Israel with security aid worth $3.8 billion annually, which includes fighter jets and munitions capable of destroying Hamas tunnels.
The head of the Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, pushed to veto the bill, claiming it is "counterproductive" and will make it more challenging for the US to stop the escalation of the expanding war.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had termed the resolution as “unworkable.”
“We do not believe that this resolution is the right vehicle to address these issues. And we don’t think now is the right time. It’s unworkable, quite frankly,” Kirby said in a statement.
“The Israelis have indicated they are preparing to transition their operations to a much lower intensity. And we believe that transition will be helpful both in terms of reducing civilian casualties, as well as increasing humanitarian assistance,” he added.
Meanwhile, Senators, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who opposed the measure, stated that it sent the wrong message at a time when Israel had said its focus has shifted to a more targeted campaign.
“This resolution is not only off-base, it’s dangerous. It sends absolutely the wrong signal at the wrong time,” said Graham.
Progressive lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar have called for a ceasefire amid anti-war demonstrations taking place all across the United States. Numerous congressmen emphasised in a letter to Biden that thousands of children had perished as a result of Israeli bombings.
