In the halls of the United States Senate, a profound and increasingly divisive debate over American foreign policy and moral responsibility has taken center stage. Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, has spearheaded a persistent legislative campaign to halt the transfer of offensive military weaponry to Israel, a move that has forced his colleagues to confront the human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. While the Senate recently moved to block several of Sanders’ key resolutions, the resulting votes have revealed a significant and historic shift within the Democratic party—a growing willingness to challenge the long-standing, unconditional military support that has defined the U.S.-Israel relationship for decades.
The legislative battle centered on a series of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval, specifically targeting a massive $20 billion arms package. These measures sought to prevent the transfer of highly specific military equipment, including tank rounds, mortar shells, and JDAM guidance kits—the technology used to turn “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions. Introduced in late 2024 and debated into the early months of 2025, these resolutions were a direct response to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza following Israel’s military response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Sanders argued that by continuing to supply these specific offensive tools, the United States was effectively underwriting a campaign that has resulted in over 43,000 reported deaths and the near-total destruction of civilian infrastructure.
