In a significant move, a group of Senate Democrats voted on Tuesday to advance a resolution that could potentially freeze US military aid to Israel. The resolution, sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders, sends a clear message to President Joe Biden that the ongoing conflict in Gaza is becoming a major concern within the Democratic Party.
While the resolution was ultimately rejected by a Senate vote of 72 to 11, the fact that nine Democrats, along with Republican Senator Rand Paul, supported it reflects a growing dissatisfaction within a segment of the party. The rising civilian casualties in Gaza, now exceeding 24,000, have fueled concerns among lawmakers.
Senator Sanders, a prominent critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the situation, condemned the “immoral” actions in Gaza. He highlighted the alarming death toll and criticized the use of American-supplied bombs and artillery shells in densely populated civilian areas, stating that the United States is complicit in the Palestinian crisis.
Among the Democrats supporting the resolution were Senators Laphonza Butler, Martin Heinrich, Mazie Hirono, Ben Ray Lujan, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, and Peter Welch. This development comes amid increasing tensions between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu over the management of the conflict, with no communication between the two leaders since a tense December 23 call.
The Biden administration has pressured Netanyahu to minimize civilian casualties and expedite the resolution of the conflict. However, Netanyahu has largely ignored these calls and asserted Israel’s determination to eliminate Hamas, despite skepticism from foreign policy experts about the feasibility of such a mission.
Public opinion on Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza is becoming a political challenge for his administration. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll indicated that 57 percent of registered voters disapprove of Biden’s response, including 37 percent of Democrats. Notably, 72 percent of registered voters aged 18 to 29, a demographic that strongly supported Biden in 2020, also expressed disapproval of his performance on the Gaza issue.
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