Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been a vocal critic of Israel’s ongoing military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A democratic socialist who regards himself as an independent, Sanders has criticized Israel’s tactics and has expressed concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. These critiques have been thoughtful. But his recent sponsorship of three resolutions to halt the transfer of U.S. offensive weapons to Israel has been misguided and dangerous.
A few days ago, Sanders and his colleagues in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party presented motions to block the shipment of tank shells, mortar rounds and guidance systems for bombs to Israel, the United States’ chief ally in the Middle East.
Eighteen senators, all Democrats, voted for Sanders’ measures, while 79 from the Democratic Party and the Republican Party rejected them overwhelmingly.
Two Democrats who rejected the motions, Jacky Rosen and Chuck Schumer, made persuasive arguments on behalf of their positions.
“Restricting much-needed arms to Israel because you don’t agree with everything the current (Israeli) government is doing will leave our ally vulnerable to future terror,” said Rosen.
“Many of the arms sales in question today will not reach Israel until years from now,” said Schumer. “We have no idea what kind of threats Israel will face by then.”
Senator John Thune, the incoming Republican majority leader, assured Israel’s supporters that his party is unequivocally on their side. As he put it, “To our allies in Israel and to the Jewish people around the world, my message to you is this: Reinforcements are on the way. We will make clear that the United States Congress stands squarely in Israel’s corner.”
Much to Israel’s relief, the Biden administration, which itself has delayed the shipment of weapons to Israel, lobbied vigorously against Sanders’ measures.
Its reasoning was sound.
The proposals did not address the humanitarian crisis and would change nothing on the ground. Israel’s enemies, notably Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, would be emboldened by a rift between the U.S. and Israel. Israel would be deprived of weapons to defend itself.
Sanders and his allies were not moved by these cogent arguments. Regretfully, he does not understand that Israel is fighting an existential war of self-defence against enemies whose primary goal is its destruction. They most definitely are not interested in a two-state solution, which Sanders promotes.
Hamas, aided and abetted by Iran, ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah, Iran’s main proxy in the region, initiated the war in Lebanon. It goes without saying that Israel has every right to defend itself and pursue its enemies until they are destroyed or degraded.
It would appear that Sanders and his friends in the Senate were unconcerned by these critical issues. Instead, they focused on issues that Hamas created following its murderous rampage in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. They accused Israel of resorting to tactics that have led to the needless deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians. And they claimed that Israel has been blocking the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Their arguments are specious.
Firstly, Hamas has deliberately and cynically used civilians as human shields, having built tunnels, command posts, firing ranges, arms factories and ammunition dumps in residential neighborhoods. Hamas adopted this policy in the secure knowledge that Israel would be condemned for conducting its campaign in congested urban landscapes.
Israel had no alternative but to eliminate Hamas sites in its determination to eradicate Hamas’ military capabilities and to ensure that Hamas never rules Gaza again. As a result, Palestinian civilians were tragically caught in the cross-fire, even after Israel strongly advised them to flee.
Secondly, Israel has generally allowed a sufficient number of trucks from Egypt to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gazans. In some cases, the United Nations has failed to pass on the aid. And far too often, Hamas and criminal gangs have hijacked the vehicles.
Obviously, these circumstances had no bearing on Sanders’ ill-advised decision to try to halt the flow of weapons to Israel. His legacy, such as it is, will surely be tarnished by this egregious lapse in judgment.