US Senate overwhelmingly rejects anti-Israel resolutions to block military aid by Sen. Bernie Sanders

Anti-Israel Senate Democrats were trounced in two votes on Wednesday, as only 15 senators supported two resolutions aiming to block weapons sales to Israel totaling $8.8 billion.

The resolutions were sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who lost four anti-Israel allies compared to similar votes just several months ago, in November 2024.

Wednesday's resolutions were defeated 82-15 and 83-15, respectively.

Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME) voted against, after supporting Sanders’ previous resolutions to block sales to Israel.

Before the vote, Sanders had written on 𝕏: “I'm forcing votes in the Senate to block the sale of $8.8 billion in heavy bombs to Israel. We must not be complicit in the destruction of Gaza. History won't forgive us. Every Senator who supports the rule of law should vote for these resolutions.”

The only supporters of the far-left Jewish senator were Andy Kim (D-NJ), who voted for one of the two resolutions, as well as Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

The $8.8 billion weapons package includes bomb guidance kits, penetrators and 2,000-pound, 500-pound and small-diameter bombs, which Sanders alleged have been “linked to dozens of illegal airstrikes.”

While the vote was unlikely to pass in the Republican-dominated Senate, it was widely seen as a litmus test of anti-Israel sentiment in The Democrat party, where many are increasingly frustrated with the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ahead of the vote, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch  (R-ID) called on senators to vote against it, saying, “They would abandon Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, during a pivotal moment for global security.”

“No one in the world is coming to the support of Hamas. No one with the exception of some misguided people in this organization,” he said.

After the vote, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) praised the rejection of the resolutions.

“We applaud the Trump administration for approving these sales and helping ensure Israel has the resources it needs to win. The majority of Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans reaffirmed profound American support for our ally and rejected the repeated dangerous efforts by Senator Sanders and his allies to weaken Israel and undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship,” AIPAC stated.