Democrats Abandon Bernie Sanders's Attempt To Block Arms To Israel

Republicans need to worry about getting bullied by Elon Musk, and Democrats need to worry about AIPAC, Sanders said.

By Matt Sledge, The Intercept

As Israel continued its monthlong blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza and pounded the enclave with American bombs, in Washington the Senate on Thursday voted down two resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to block the sale of tens of thousands of 2,000-pound bombs and other offensive weapons to Israel.

The resolutions marked the second time since November that Sanders forced a vote on arms sales. Once again, they exposed a deep divide among Democrats and blanket Republican support for Israel.

The Senate voted 15-82 on the first resolution, concerning 2,000-pound bombs, with all Republicans present voting against it, along with most Democrats. Sanders was joined by 14 Democrats.

The second resolution, focusing on other weapons, fared even worse. It was defeated 15-83.

The Trump administration officially opposed the resolutions, along with the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Sanders, in a passionate floor speech, denounced AIPAC for its massive spending on last year’s elections.

“If you are a Republican, and you vote against the Trump–Musk administration in one way or the other, you’ve got to look over your shoulder and worry that you are going to get a call from Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world,” Sanders said. “If you are a Democrat, you have to worry about the billionaires who fund AIPAC.”

He cast his resolutions as a chance to stop exporting weapons that enable what he called “barbarism” in Gaza.

“History will not forgive us for this,” Sanders said. “The time is long overdue for us to tell the Netanyahu government that we will not provide more weapons of destruction for them.”