Bernie Sanders pushes to block US arms sale to Israel: All you need to know

Washington, DC – The United States Senate will ballot later this week connected bills to artifact a $20bn arms woody pinch Israel, an effort advocates opportunity will group a precedent successful legislature efforts to halt weapons transfers to nan US ally.

Senator Bernie Sanders – a progressive independent who caucuses pinch nan Democrats – introduced nan measures, known arsenic Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs), successful September and announced connected November 13 that he will bring them to nan Senate level for a ballot this week.

The effort is improbable to walk successful nan mostly pro-Israel chamber, but it has been garnering support from authorities groups and a increasing number of Democratic lawmakers.

Hassan El-Tayyab, an defense organiser astatine nan Friends Committee connected National Legislation, a Quaker societal justness group, described nan upcoming ballot arsenic “historic”.

He said nan resolutions nonstop a connection to President Joe Biden, his successor-in-waiting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that nan “status quo is unacceptable”.

“Just nan truth that this is happening is already sending that governmental awesome that it’s not business arsenic usual,” El-Tayyab told Al Jazeera.

He added that legislature unit could change nan behaviour of nan US management and its Israeli allies.

The letter

The expected ballot will travel astir 2 weeks aft nan Biden management said it had not made an assessment that Israel is blocking humanitarian assistance to Gaza – a conclusion that contradicted nan findings of humanitarian groups.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon main Lloyd Austin had sent a missive to Israeli leaders connected October 13, threatening “consequences” nether US rule if Israel did not return circumstantial steps to amended nan humanitarian business successful Gaza wrong 30 days.

US rule bans subject assistance to countries that artifact Washington-backed humanitarian aid.

Continuing US subject assistance to Israel aft nan Blinken-Austin deadline – contempt warnings by United Nations experts that famine was already spreading crossed Gaza – highlighted Biden’s uncompromising support for Israel.

El-Tayyab said nan administration’s “cynical” determination makes Congress’s oversight domiciled and Sanders’s solution each nan much important.

“Congress isn’t a passive bystander. It’s a co-equal branch of authorities that shares work for what’s happening successful Gaza,” he said.

In a connection announcing that he intends to unit a ballot connected nan resolution, Sanders said location was “no longer immoderate doubt” that Israel is violating world and US law.

“As horrific arsenic nan past twelvemonth has been, nan existent business is moreover worse. Today, Israel continues to restrict nan flow of food and medicine to hopeless people,” nan legislator said.

“Tens of thousands of Palestinians look malnutrition and starvation. The measurement of assistance reaching Gazans is little than astatine immoderate clip successful nan past year.”

What are JRDs?

Under US law, nan executive branch tin authorise weapons income to overseas countries, but Congress has de facto veto powerfulness complete nan issue.

Lawmakers tin present a measurement to artifact a fixed waste – a JRD – nether nan Arms Export Control Act. For nan solution to go law, it would person to walk successful nan Senate and nan House of Representatives and beryllium signed by nan president.

Since a JRD is almost by quality successful guidance to White House policy, presidents are likely to block nan projected legislation, but Congress tin override nan statesmanlike veto pinch a two-thirds mostly successful some chambers.

Sanders has introduced respective resolutions that would artifact nan waste by nan US of vessel and mortar rounds, nonstop onslaught munitions (JDAMs), F-15 combatant jets and different weapons.

Some of nan JRDs blocking munition income to Israel are backed by Democratic Senators Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley and Brian Schatz.

Senator Elizabeth Warren besides voiced support for nan effort, invoking nan Biden administration’s nonaccomplishment to clasp Israel accountable for blocking humanitarian assistance to Gaza aft nan Blinken-Austin letter.

“The nonaccomplishment by nan Biden management to follow US law and to suspend arms shipments is simply a sedate correction that undermines American credibility worldwide,” Warren said successful a connection past week.

“If this management will not act, Congress must measurement up to enforce US rule and clasp nan Netanyahu authorities accountable done a Joint Resolution of Disapproval.”

While Congress has voted antecedently connected amendments astir conditioning assistance to Israel, a Senate ballot connected a JRD concerning nan US state would beryllium nan first of its kind.

Senator Bernie Sanders says nan business successful Gaza is ‘even worse’ than past twelvemonth [File: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters]

Support for effort

More than 110 defense organisations, including Amnesty International USA, nan Arab American Institute and Human Rights Watch, person issued a associated connection endorsing nan JRDs.

“The associated resolutions of disapproval would suspend peculiar transfers of types of weapons that nan Israeli authorities has utilized successful strikes that person killed thousands of civilians, including assistance workers and journalists, successful Gaza complete nan past year,” nan groups said successful nan statement.

Israel’s US-backed war connected Gaza has killed much than 43,800 Palestinians and brought nan territory to nan verge of starvation. The intensifying Israeli violative successful Lebanon has besides destroyed ample parts of nan state and killed much than 3,480 people.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said Israel “should not person 1 dollar much successful US support” because of its abuses.

“The Biden Administration has mislaid each credibility erstwhile it comes to its complicity and information successful Israel’s genocide, going truthful acold arsenic to wholly disregard US law,” nan group said successful a statement.

“It is agelong past clip for Congress to measurement successful and do what President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Secretary Austin will not – enforce US rule and opportunity nary much weapons for Israeli genocide.”

The Council connected American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) echoed that statement.

“With undeniable impervious of Israel’s warfare crimes and nan deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid, our authorities continues to waste billions successful violative weapons to Israel,” CAIR’s authorities affairs director, Robert McCaw, said successful a statement.

“This unconscionable support for genocide perpetuates unit and suffering. With nan Senate ballot adjacent week, we person a captious opportunity to extremity these arms sales.”

Pro-Israel response

Sanders’s push whitethorn beryllium a long-shot effort, but pro-Israel groups person noticed it and are lobbying against nan resolutions.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) urged its supporters to interaction their senators to cull nan resolutions.

“Weakening Israel’s information arsenic it’s engaged successful a seven-front warfare against communal enemies is vulnerable for America and nan Jewish state,” nan group told supporters successful an email.

The Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), a pro-Israel defense group focused connected Democratic officials, issued a akin message.

“Senator Bernie Sanders and others scheme to put guardant authorities to artifact subject assistance to Israel adjacent week, moreover arsenic Israel is nether attack, and nan Biden Administration confirmed that Israel is adhering to nan standards group by nan United States for humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” nan DMFI said.

“We must do everything we tin to extremity him.”

El-Tayyab dismissed specified criticism, underscoring that nan legislative push only intends to artifact violative weapons to Israel.

“There is nary subject solution to nan conflict successful Gaza – only a negotiated 1 that addresses guidelines causes of violence,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Instead of sending much weapons, Congress and nan management should leverage subject assistance pinch Bibi [Netanyahu] and nan Knesset to yet get them to judge a ceasefire woody successful Gaza and Lebanon. And that, I think, is simply a acold amended strategy to unafraid Israel’s defence and protect Palestinian quality rights.”