Senator Sanders moves to block US arms sales to Israel, forcing Senate votes

US Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday that he is forcing votes in the upper chamber to block nearly $500 million in proposed US arms sales to Israel, slamming the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders said he is introducing two joint resolutions of disapproval aimed at halting the transfers, which include both bombs and armored bulldozers.

"I am offering today two joint resolutions of disapproval, the only formal mechanism Congress has to block an arms sale.

"The first resolution would block the sale of $151 million in 1,000-pound bombs. The second would block $295 million in bulldozers, the machines used to demolish homes in the West Bank and Gaza and make a Palestinian state physically impossible," Sanders said.

The American people do not want the US to continue spending billions of their taxpayer dollars in support of the "illegal, horrific and expansionist war policies" of the Netanyahu government, he said.

The US has provided over $21 billion in military aid to Israel since October 2023, according to Sanders.

"And today, we are saying loudly and clearly, enough is enough!"

Sanders also broadened his criticism to include regional developments beyond Gaza, accusing Netanyahu of expanding military operations into neighboring countries.

“It is not just Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “We now know that Netanyahu convinced President Donald Trump to start an unprovoked and unconstitutional war on Iran.”

Sanders said Israeli military actions have extended into Lebanon, describing the situation as a widening conflict with significant humanitarian consequences.

"Netanyahu is now waging a full-blown war of expansion against Lebanon. That war has not only killed more than 2,000 people but has resulted in Israel occupying 14% of Lebanese territory," he added.

The US has long been criticized for providing support to Israel in its war in the Gaza Strip, where more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. A ceasefire was reached in October 2025, but violations have been frequent.

Several American lawmakers have demanded the US government to stop supplying weapons to Israel and being complicit in Israel's war in Gaza.

Following the senator's remarks, the upper chamber started voting on two resolutions.

By a vote of 40-59, the Senate did not agree to the motion to discharge S.J. Res. 32 to prohibit the $295 million sale of armored bulldozers.

A second resolution -- S.J. Res. 138 to block the $151.8 million sale of 1,000-pound bombs -- was also rejected by a vote of 36-63.