Senator Bernie Sanders announced Monday that he will force a Senate vote this week on a resolution to block the shipment of bombs and bulldozers to Israel.
Writing on X, the Vermont lawmaker stated his intention to bypass the Senate majority leader to bring the measure to the floor. The resolution aims to halt approximately $500 million in military equipment destined for the Israeli military.
"The extremist Netanyahu government that has committed genocide in Gaza does not need more military support from American taxpayers," Sanders wrote.
While the resolution faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate, the move serves as a litmus test for Democratic support for the US ally. Sanders previously introduced a similar bill in July 2023, which failed in a 27-70 vote.
Shifting political landscape
Recent polling suggests a decline in US public favorability toward Israel. A February Gallup poll found that only 46 percent of Americans hold favorable views of the nation, with only 17 percent of Democrats stating they sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians.
The legislative push follows the US provision of more than $21 billion in military aid to Israel during the first two years of the conflict in Gaza. Critics and rights advocates argue that successive US administrations have bypassed laws restricting security assistance to countries committing human rights abuses.
J Street, a prominent liberal Zionist group, also called for a phase-out of US military aid on Monday. The group stated that the war in Gaza and the US-Israel conflict with Iran necessitate a "fundamental reassessment of the US-Israel security relationship."
J Street further urged the US to consistently apply domestic laws that prohibit security assistance to foreign entities involved in rights violations. The group's stance marks a departure from its previous positions on unconditional military support.
