TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States Senate rejected two resolutions aimed at halting arms sales to Israel on Wednesday night, July 30, 2025. The resolutions were proposed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the vote revealed that 70 people were against the first resolution, which aimed to prevent the sale of weapons worth over US$675 million, and 27 people were in support of it. The second resolution was rejected with 73 votes against and 24 in favor, which sought to block the shipment of 20,000 automatic assault rifles to Israel.
Despite the failure, the level of support increased compared to previous efforts. Sanders' resolution in April was only supported by 15 senators. In November 2024, the number rose to 18. This time, more than half of the Democratic members supported the resolution.
Criticism of Netanyahu
According to The Hill, some Democratic senators emphasized that their support for Sanders' resolution was not a rejection of Israel's existence, but a protest against the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington, Vice Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, stated, "This legislative tool is not perfect, but frankly, it is time to say enough to the suffering of innocent young children and families."
Murray added that as a long-time friend of Israel, she voted in favor to send a message that the Netanyahu government cannot continue its current strategy.
"Netanyahu has prolonged this war at every turn to stay in power," she said.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who previously rejected Sanders' resolution in April, has now reversed her support. She detailed that the Israeli government was not conducting its military operations in Gaza with the necessary caution according to international humanitarian law.
She said it is also clear that Israel have failed to provide adequate access to humanitarian aid, resulting in tremendous suffering.
Divided Support for Israel
Sanders expressed satisfaction that the majority of Democrats supported this resolution. "The tide is turning. The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza," he said. He detailed that the Democratic Party is making progress on this issue.
Surprising support for Gaza also came from a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Republican Party, Marjorie Taylor Greene. The right-wing politician known as a supporter of Trump and MAGA became the first Republican figure to assert that Israel's crimes in Gaza were genocide, a few days before this resolution was decided in the U.S. Senate.
Greene's statement came in a social media post following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that contradicted the claim of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there is no hunger in Gaza.
Greene responded to comments by U.S. Representative Randy Fine, a Jew and one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the U.S. Congress, as reported by Arab News.
Fine had written, "Release the hostages. Until then, starve away. (This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.)"
Greene replied to Fine's tweet, "I can only imagine how Florida’s sixth district feels now that their representative, that they were told to vote for, openly calls for starving innocent people and children."
"It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct. 7 in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis and starvation happening in Gaza."
"But a Jewish U.S. representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful."
However, a unanimous Republican Party Senator rejected Sanders' resolution. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from the Republican Party, called the Hamas group the main cause of the crisis in Gaza.
"It is in the interest of America and the world to see this terrorist group destroyed, " he said.
Israel has repeatedly claimed that its attacks in Gaza are acts of self-defense. They also accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields, although these allegations are denied by Hamas.
International Pressure Increases
The Senate vote took place amidst increasing international condemnation of the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Although Israel has begun to open access to aid after months of blockade, reports indicate that many children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Israel's intense bombing in Gaza continues, killing at least 91 Palestinians in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, including 77 aid workers.
In one attack, Israeli forces killed at least 51 aid workers and injured 648 others as they approached the Zikim crossing for aid trucks entering northern Gaza.
As reported by Al Jazeera, 92 Democratic members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an investigation into GHF operations in Gaza. This comes after more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed at the aid distribution site run by the controversial group over the past few months.
The latest, Britain, France, Malta, and Canada have stated that they will recognize the state of Palestine if the war is not halted before the upcoming UN General Assembly in September. French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to make an official statement at the session.
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