In a late Tuesday vote, the United States Senate overwhelmingly rejected a resolution that aimed to impose conditions on security assistance to Israel.
The motion, which demanded a freeze on security aid unless the Department of State produced a report within 30 days on potential human rights violations by Israel in its Gaza campaign, faced strong opposition.
President Biden’s fellow Democrats, particularly from the left, expressed concerns over the continued supply of US weapons to Israel amid the heavy toll on Palestinian civilians during the Gaza conflict.
Senator Bernie Sanders emphasized the need to ensure US aid aligns with human rights and domestic laws, criticizing the Senate for not considering measures addressing the war’s impact on civilians.
Despite opposition from the White House, which feared the resolution could lead to imposing conditions on Israel’s security assistance, senators opposing the measure argued that it conveyed the wrong message, especially as Israel signaled a shift toward a more targeted campaign.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham remarked, “Absolutely the wrong signal at the wrong time.” The US has annually provided Israel with $3.8 billion in military assistance, covering fighter jets to powerful bombs. Amid the Gaza conflict, President Biden has requested Congress to approve an additional $14 billion in aid.
‘Cannot turn away’
Sanders’s resolution was filed under the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows Congress to direct the state to provide a human rights report and other information on any country receiving US security assistance.
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“Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza, innocent children, are starving right before our eyes. We cannot turn away. We must act,” Sanders said.
“Tragically, despite the efforts of the UN and others, despite the growing humanitarian crisis we are seeing, the situation has gotten worse in terms of getting aid to the people in need, to these children.”
If the resolution had passed, it would have required the State Department to provide a report to Congress within 30 days. After receiving the report, Congress could have considered another resolution proposing changes to security assistance to Israel.
The White House has rejected the approach from Sanders as “unworkable” as the Biden administration seeks a transition from Israel and works to ensure support at home and abroad against a stirring backlash to the scenes of destruction from Gaza.
Biden’s administration says it has pushed Israel to reduce civilian casualties, but Israel says it will not rest until Hamas, the ruling entity in Gaza, is eradicated from the coastal enclave.
The war began when Hamas carried out a surprise offensive across the border fence on October 7, which led to the deaths of 1,139 people.
In Gaza, health authorities in the latest tally said at least 24,285 people have been killed in the besieged enclave amid attacks by Israeli forces. Thousands more bodies are feared lost in the rubble.
Israel’s bombardment has driven most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes, some of them several times, and caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, fuel, and medical supplies running low amid Israel’s siege of Gaza.
