Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that he would force votes on Wednesday in the U.S. Senate on two resolutions (S.J.Res.34 and S.J.Res.41) to block the sale of certain offensive weapons to the Israeli military. The vote comes as more and more senators acknowledge the famine in Gaza. This includes Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who recently demanded answers about a private group connected to deadly attacks on people seeking food in Gaza and also spoke with a whistleblower who witnessed the attacks. Demand Progress has repeatedly called for the limiting of arms sales to Israel and other nations that inflict violence on others and violate human rights.
The following is a statement from Demand Progress Senior Policy Advisor Cavan Kharrazian:
“The world has acknowledged the horror that Israel is inflicting on Gaza and it’s time the U.S. Senate does as well. The Israeli military continues to kill civilians in Gaza, including people simply trying to access food. As famine spreads and Israel blocks life-saving aid, the scale of human suffering is undeniable—and it’s being fueled by U.S.-supplied weapons. We thank Sen. Sanders for forcing a vote to stop U.S. bombs from being sent to Israel, which would only further enable these atrocities. More and more people are waking up to the horror being carried out with our money and arms. Many senators have spoken out about the humanitarian catastrophe—now they must match their words with action. We urge every senator to support these resolutions.”