More than half of Senate Democrats, a record number, voted in favor of a pair of resolutions that would block U.S. military weapons sales to Israel on Wednesday night. While the resolutions were unsuccessful, it is the latest flashpoint in growing frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and the war drags on.
The resolutions voted on
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., sponsored the two resolutions that ultimately failed when all Republicans, as well as 20 Democrats, voted against the measure.
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One of Sanders’ resolutions would have blocked more than $675 million in weapons sales to Israel, but was defeated as senators voted 27-70 against it.
The second resolution saw 24 senators vote in favor of it and 73 against. That measure would have banned the sale of tens of thousands of automatic assault rifles.
What supporters said
“Whatever happens tonight, history will condemn those of us who failed to act in the face of these horrors,” Sanders said before the vote.
It is the third time that Sanders has made senators vote on military support for Israel. In April, Sanders’ efforts gained the support of 15 Democrats. In November 2024, he was able to get 18 Democratic senators to support his cause.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., voted in favor of Sanders’ Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on the sale of weapons to Israel for the first time. She serves as the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“This legislative tool is not perfect, but frankly, it is time to say enough to the suffering of innocent young children and families,” Murray said in a statement.
“As a longtime friend and supporter of Israel, I am voting yes to send a message: the Netanyahu government cannot continue with this strategy. Netanyahu has prolonged this war at every turn to stay in power,” she added.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also voted yes on the joint resolutions. She also voted in favor of Sanders’ November resolution, but voted against his April one.
“I will continue to stand up for the existence of Israel and the safety of its citizens,” she said in a statement. “I will also continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself, but I cannot in good conscience vote in support of weapons until the human anguish in Gaza comes to an end.”
What those opposed said
Meanwhile, Republicans and some Democrats who voted against the resolutions expressed concerns about the effort.
“These are misguided resolutions and if adopted would reinstate the failed policies of the Biden administration and would abandon America’s closest ally in the Middle East,” Sen. James E. Risch, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted against the joint resolutions. While he said he has concerns about the worsening humanitarian crisis, he said he has believed “that security assistance to Israel is not about any one government but our support for the Israeli people.”
Reflective of American sentiment
The Democratic backlash against Netanyahu aligns with recent polling of Americans and their feelings toward the Israeli Prime Minister. A Gallup poll conducted earlier this month showed that 52% of Americans disapprove of Netanyahu, marking his lowest rating since 1997.
The poll largely fell along party lines – 67% of Republicans viewed him favorably, compared to 19% of independents and just 9% of Democrats.
The survey also found that Americans’ support for Israel’s war in Gaza is also dipping. The findings are an all-time low, with just 32% of Americans in favor of Israel’s military action. Only 8% of Democrats support Israel’s war effort, while 71% of Republicans support Israel’s military action.
A worsening humanitarian situation
The vote comes as global frustration with Israel is growing as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to unfold. Humanitarian officials warn that famine has already set in and deaths from starvation are on the rise.
Israel has ended a months-long blockade on food and medical supplies entering Gaza, allowing more aid to flow in, but Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing the war with pictures of starving children, destruction and death in the backdrop, has led to waning support among Israel’s long-held allies.
Netanyahu losing support from allies
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged this week that the United Kingdom will follow France in recognizing a Palestinian state if Israel fails to end the war in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron said he’s set to recognize the independent Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly.
President Donald Trump has also dissented from Netanyahu as he recognized the starvation impacting Gazans earlier this week. He has not yet said whether or not he will use U.S. military support as a bargaining chip for a ceasefire.
Ongoing negotiations
The Trump administration continues to see Hamas as the biggest barrier to a ceasefire agreement. The White House is currently floating a ceasefire for Hamas to free up to 20 hostages that are still alive, and the bodies of 30 others. In exchange, Gaza would see an uptick in humanitarian aid flowing into the region.
Since the war sparked after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The Israeli military reports that it has killed roughly 20,000 fighters.
