Bernie Sanders vs. the Senate: The Fight Over US Arms Sales to Israel
In a move that has reignited debate in Washington, the US Senate once again rejected Senator Bernie Sanders’ attempt to halt multibillion-dollar weapons shipments to Israel. The repeated defeats, despite mounting humanitarian concerns and international condemnation, raise difficult questions:
Are political alliances shielding arms sales at the expense of human lives in Gaza? And could shifting sentiment inside the Democratic caucus signal cracks in long-standing bipartisan consensus?
A Lone Voice Against the Flow of Arms
For months, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has been one of the loudest voices in Congress urging limits on US military aid to Israel. His resolutions—three of which were introduced last September—sought to block roughly $20 billion in weapons sales, including tank rounds, bomb guidance kits, and other offensive equipment used in Gaza.
The Senate votes were decisive:
S.J. Res. 111: defeated 18–79
S.J. Res. 115: defeated 17–80
S.J. Res. 113: defeated 19–78
Each defeat reinforced just how uphill the battle is. Still, Sanders pressed forward, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of violating international law and pushing the US into complicity with war crimes. “Starving children is not self-defense,” Sanders has repeated in speeches and press conferences.
Rising Death Toll, Rising Pressure
The backdrop to these clashes is grim. Since Hamas’ October 2023 attack and Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza, more than 43,000 people have been reported dead. Aid deliveries remain restricted, despite temporary “humanitarian pauses” and air drops that critics call inadequate.
Sanders’ supporters argue that sending more US weapons only fuels the crisis, while Republicans insist that Hamas alone bears responsibility for civilian suffering.
A Shift Beneath the Surface
Though Sanders’ resolutions continue to fail, the July 31, 2025 vote revealed signs of change. That day, the Senate rejected another Sanders-led measure to block $675 million in bomb sales and the delivery of 20,000 automatic assault rifles to Israel.
The difference? A growing number of Democrats broke from leadership:
27 Democrats supported the resolution on rifles
24 Democrats backed the bomb-sale resolution
This marked a significant increase compared to just 18 Democrats siding with Sanders in his previous attempt. Sanders called the shift evidence of “a significant majority of the American people who are tired of spending billions on an Israeli government starving children to death.”
The Republican Wall
Despite flickers of dissent among Democrats, Republicans remain united in opposing Sanders’ efforts. Led by Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, GOP lawmakers continue to argue that blocking weapons would reward Hamas and weaken Israel’s security. Not a single Republican has crossed the aisle to support Sanders.
Conclusion: Cracks in a Longstanding Consensus
Bernie Sanders’ campaign against US arms sales to Israel has repeatedly failed in the Senate, but the growing support among Democrats suggests a slow erosion of unquestioned backing for Israel’s military campaign. The battle reflects a larger divide between political alliances, geopolitical interests, and the mounting ethical costs of US involvement.
The question now is whether Sanders’ persistence—and public unease over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis—will eventually reshape Washington’s approach, or whether entrenched bipartisan support for Israel will continue to outweigh moral concerns.