A recent Senate vote on restricting weapons to Israel has sparked hope among Palestinian rights advocates that there may be a shift in US policy towards Israel. The vote, which ultimately failed, saw a record number of lawmakers backing the measure, with 27 senators voting in favor of blocking a weapons sale to Israel.
Palestinian rights advocates are hailing the growing number of lawmakers showing willingness to restrict weapons to Israel over the atrocities in Gaza. Yasmine Taeb, legislative and political director for the advocacy group MPower Change Action Fund, said the vote was “incredibly significant” and showed a “fundamental shift in the Democratic Party on Israel”. “It’s frustrating, but we just need to continue to fight,” Taeb told Newsmen. “We need to continue to do everything we possibly can to pressure our leaders in the House and Senate to stop funding these atrocities. We’re absolutely seeing a shift, and these bills show that. So, it shows that the pressure is working.”
Some key Democrats supported the measure, including Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee; Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee; and Amy Klobuchar, a prominent centrist. Senator Tammy Duckworth, who has been a strong Israel supporter throughout most of her career, also voted in favor of the measure. “Enough is enough,” Duckworth said in a statement, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israeli-imposed starvation has killed more than 150 people.
Public opinion polls show that young Americans, especially Democrats, are increasingly opposing Israel’s abuses against Palestinians. Only 9% of respondents under the age of 35 in a recent Gallup survey said they approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, and 6% said they had a favorable opinion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) welcomed the defeat of the bills but acknowledged the growing attempts to advance anti-Israel policies in Congress. “We know our detractors are working to take the battle from the floor of the Senate and the House to the ballot box next year, seeking to elect more candidates who want to undermine the US-Israel alliance,” the group said in an email to supporters.
Senator Bernie Sanders, who introduced the measure, said the increased support from Democratic lawmakers for restricting arms to Israel shows that the “tide is turning”. “The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza,” Sanders said in a statement. “The Democrats are moving forward on this issue, and I look forward to Republican support in the near future.”
Advocacy groups, including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and IfNotNow, a youth-led progressive Jewish group, lauded the vote as a “historic moment”. CAIR government affairs director Robert McCaw said the vote was a “historic sign of progress” and showed that sentiments in Congress are gradually catching up to the American people. Morriah Kaplan, executive director of IfNotNow, said, “As Israel’s blockade forces virtually all Palestinians in Gaza to the brink of starvation, we must use every tool at our disposal to end the blockade and push for a ceasefire and hostage exchange”.