Bernie Sanders' New Effort to Halt Aid to Israel Is Wrong for the U.S.
NewsweekMAR 19
Senate Rejects Sanders' Bid to Block $8.8B Israel Arms Sale
Above: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) walks to the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol on April 23, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Sen. Bernie Sanders's resolutions represent a dangerous abandonment of a key ally fighting for survival. As Biden warned, such actions "put wind in the sails" of Hamas and Iran while emboldening hostage-takers. With American Edan Alexander still captive after 520 days, cutting military support wouldn't protect Palestinian civilians but would signal weakness to Israel's adversaries and fracture bipartisan U.S.-Israel consensus.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sen. Bernie Sanders's measures represent a moral imperative as Gaza faces catastrophic humanitarian conditions. With over 50,000 Palestinians killed and critical infrastructure decimated, these weapons—including 35,000 massive 2,000-pound bombs—would further violate U.S. law prohibiting military aid to countries blocking humanitarian assistance and committing human rights abuses.