Record number of Democrats join failed bid to block weapons sales to Israel
Though unsuccessful, Wednesday's vote nonetheless highlighted building opposition to Israel's war within the Democratic Party.
Twenty-seven Democrats voted for a resolution to block the sale of 20,000 automatic assault rifles to Israel, while 24 voted to halt a $675m shipment of bombs.
All Republicans voting were opposed.
The resolutions introduced by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders are by far the closest the US Senate has come to limiting arms shipments to Israel.
A bid by Sanders to block weapons deliveries in April won the support of 15 Democrats, while a similar vote in November garnered 18 Democratic votes.
Ahead of the vote, Sanders, an independent, said Washington could not continue to supply Israel's 'racist government' with weapons that were being used to kill innocent people.
'Netanyahu is a disgusting liar. Children are starving to death,' Sanders said on X.
Among the lawmakers supporting Sanders' bid for the first time, Patty Murray, a senator for Washington state, said that while the resolutions were 'not perfect', she could not support the continued suffering of innocent children in Gaza.
'As a longtime friend and supporter of Israel, I am voting yes to send a message: the Netanyahu government cannot continue with this strategy,' Murray said in a statement.
'Netanyahu has prolonged this war at every turn to stay in power. We are witnessing a man-made famine in Gaza – children and families should not be dying from starvation or disease when literal tons of aid and supplies are just sitting across the border.'
The widening split over support for Israel among Democrats comes amid signs of growing opposition to Israel's war among the US public.
In a Gallup poll released on Tuesday, just 32 percent of Americans said they approved of Israel's military action in Gaza, a 10-point drop from September.
Just 8 percent of self-identified Democrats said they approved of Israel's actions, compared with 71 percent of Republicans, according to Gallup.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
4 minutes ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump envoy to visit Gaza aid sites as Israel accused of starvation policy
United States President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Gaza to inspect aid distribution as pressure mounts on Israel over its starvation policy in the war-torn Palestinian territory. Witkoff will travel to Gaza on Friday with US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to inspect aid distribution as condemnation of Israel grows over famine in Gaza and reports that more than 1,000 desperately hungry Palestinians have been killed since May at food distribution sites operated by the notorious US- and Israeli-backed GHF. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Witkoff would visit 'distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground'. 'The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region,' Leavitt said. The visit by the top US envoy comes a day after more than 50 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the territory and health officials reported the deaths of two more children from starvation, adding to the Gaza Health Ministry's confirmed death toll of 154 people who have died from 'famine and malnutrition' – including 89 children – in recent weeks. Witkoff met with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after his arrival in the country on Thursday, the Israeli leader's office said. Earlier this week, President Trump contradicted Netanyahu's insistence that reports of hunger in Gaza were untrue, with the US leader saying the enclave was experiencing 'real starvation'. The United Nations and independent experts had warned for months that starvation was taking hold in Gaza due to the Israeli military blockade on humanitarian relief, and this week, they said that 'famine is now unfolding'. Angered by Israel's denial of aid and ongoing attacks on Gaza's population, the United Kingdom, Canada and Portugal this week became the latest Western governments to announce plans to recognise a Palestinian state. Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, following Spain, Norway and Ireland's lead. Some 142 countries out of the 193 members of the UN currently recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state. Following a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said 'the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is beyond imagination'. 'Here, the Israeli government must act quickly, safely and effectively to provide humanitarian and medical aid to prevent mass starvation from becoming a reality,' he said. 'I have the impression that this has been understood today.' Once a vibrant centre of Palestinian life, much of Gaza has been pulverised by Israeli bombardments and more than 60,000 Palestinians killed, and almost 150,000 wounded, since October 2023, after the Hamas attacks on Israel, which killed an estimated 1,139 people.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
What has been the impact of Trump's tariffs so far?
United States President Donald Trump's tariffs are set to come into effect on August 1. They mark a significant escalation in US trade policy, leading to higher prices for consumers and bigger financial hits for companies. Trump had initially postponed 'reciprocal tariffs', which he had announced on April 2, giving countries time to reach trade deals with the US. On Sunday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the August 1 tariffs were a 'hard deadline'. What are the August 1 tariffs? Several countries are facing a slew of tariffs on August 1. While the situation remains dynamic, different levies are going to hit countries ranging from 15 percent on Japan and the European Union to 50 percent on Brazil. Who has struck last-minute deals? Trump has struck a series of bilateral trade deals in the last few days. With the EU, the US secured $750bn in energy purchases and reduced tariffs on steel via a quota system. In exchange, it lowered auto tariffs from 30 percent to 15 percent, applying the same rate to pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Japan committed $550bn in investments targeting US industries such as semiconductors, AI and energy, while increasing rice imports under a 100,000-tonne duty-free quota. It will also purchase US commodities like ethanol, aircraft and defence goods. Indonesia reportedly agreed to duty-free access for many US products and increased energy and agricultural imports, although Jakarta has only confirmed tariff cuts and key commodity purchases so far. The United Kingdom gained aerospace and auto export benefits, while granting the US duty-free beef quotas and a 1.4 billion litre ethanol quota. China saw its reciprocal tariffs slashed from 145 percent to the baseline 10 percent that was imposed on all countries. In addition, there's a 20 percent punitive tariff for fentanyl trafficking. A temporary pause for the final tariff rate has been extended until August 12 while the two hammer out a deal. China matched the cut and eased non-tariff measures, resuming rare earth exports and accepting Boeing deliveries. Deals with the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam also include tariff adjustments and market access, though not all terms have been confirmed by those governments. Which sectors are expected to be hit worst? According to a Reuters news agency tracker, which looks at how companies are responding to Trump's tariff threats, the first-quarter earnings season saw automakers, airlines and consumer goods importers take the worst hit by tariff threats. Levies on aluminium and electronics, such as semiconductors, led to increased costs. 'When you start to see tariffs at 20 or more, you reach a point where firms may stop importing altogether,' Joseph Foudy, an economics professor at the New York University Stern School of Business, told Al Jazeera. 'Firms simply postpone major decisions, delay hiring, and economic activity declines,' Foudy added. Economists widely agree that the impact of tariffs implemented so far has not been fully felt, as many businesses built up their stockpiles of inventories in advance to mitigate rising costs. In an analysis published last month, BBVA Research estimated that even the current level of US tariffs – including a baseline 10 percent duty on nearly all countries, and higher levies on cars and steel – could slow economic growth and reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.5 of a percentage point in the short term, and by more than 2 percentage points over the medium term. Have prices increased? According to HBS Pricing Lab reports, prices of US-made and imported goods saw modest seasonal declines through early March, with imports falling slightly more. The first 10 percent US tariff on Chinese goods (February 4) had little effect, but prices rose after broader tariffs were imposed on March 4, including a 25 percent tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports and another 10 percent tariff on China. Imported goods prices jumped by 1.2 points, while prices of domestic goods rose by half as much. After a 10 percent global tariff was announced on April 2, 'Liberation Day', and 145 percent on China on April 10, import prices rose more sharply. A brief price dip followed the May 12 tariff rollback on Chinese goods, but trends resumed by June. Overall, import prices rose about 3 percent since March – small compared to headline tariff rates. Have tariffs brought in money? Trump's tariffs have brought in revenue from higher duties paid by importers. Between January 2 to July 25, the US Treasury Department data shows that the US generated $124bn this year from tariffs. This is 131 percent more than the same time last year. In early July, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this could grow to $300bn by the end of 2025 as collections accelerate from Trump's trade campaign.
Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
The NGO holding Israeli soldiers to account
The NGO holding Israeli soldiers to account NewsFeed The Hind Rajab Foundation is using Israeli soldiers' own social media footage as evidence for war crimes investigations. Al Jazeera's Hind Touissate spoke to its founder to explain how dozens of complaints have been filed in more than 10 countries, targeting Israeli military personnel. Video Duration 01 minutes 30 seconds 01:30 Video Duration 01 minutes 26 seconds 01:26 Video Duration 01 minutes 13 seconds 01:13 Video Duration 00 minutes 47 seconds 00:47 Video Duration 02 minutes 33 seconds 02:33 Video Duration 02 minutes 46 seconds 02:46 Video Duration 00 minutes 44 seconds 00:44
