US senators have rejected a resolution, introduced by Bernie Sanders, that would have made military aid to Israel conditional on whether the Tel Aviv government is violating human rights in its ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.
72 senators voted on Tuesday against the measure, and 11 supported it.
Although Sanders’ attempt was easily defeated, it was a significant test that reflected growing unease among Democrats over US support for Israel, reports The Guardian newspaper.
US Senate rejects a resolution — introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders — that would have forced State Department to produce a report within 30 days examining whether Israel committed human rights violations in its invasion of Gaza pic.twitter.com/V4LQXgyK24
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) January 17, 2024
“We must ensure that US aid is being used in accordance with human rights and our own laws,” Sanders said in a speech before the vote urging support for the resolution.
He lamented what he described as the Senate’s failure to consider any measure looking at the war’s effect on civilians, the report added.
The resolution was filed under the Foreign Assistance Act which governs foreign aid policy.
The measure was an attempt to tap into a law that would require the US State Department, to, within 30 days, produce a report on whether the Israeli attack on Gaza is violating human rights and international accords, the report stated.
The White House had said it opposed the resolution.
The US gives Israel $3.8bn in military assistance each year, ranging from powerful bombs to fighter jets.
Biden has asked Congress to approve an additional $14bn.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 24,448 Palestinians have been killed, and 61,504 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
US Senator Bernie Sanders. (Photo: AFGE, Via Wikimedia Commons)
Source: The Palestine Chronicle
