Democrats Split as Senate Rejects Bills to Block Weapons Transfers to Israel

The Senate on Wednesday resoundingly rejected a series of three resolutions to block weapons transfers to Israel, but the move to curtail American support for the war in Gaza drew substantial support from Democrats, reflecting growing consternation in the party over the conflict.

Seventeen Senate Democrats and two independents backed at least one of the measures, a display of deepening divisions over Israel’s conduct after 13 months of war and the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The vote showed that support for restricting Israel’s military operations has grown beyond just the most progressive lawmakers, with notably more senators joining them than in previous efforts.

The measures were offered by Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s tactics in the war. He has also been a frequent critic of the Biden administration for continuing to support Israel militarily despite ample evidence of human rights violations in Gaza. In the days since the election, he has also argued that the administration’s Israel policy is partially to blame for the Democrats’ election losses.

“You cannot condemn” human rights violations around the world, Mr. Sanders said on the Senate floor on Wednesday, “and then turn a blind eye to what the United States is now funding in Israel — people will laugh in your face.”

He argued that the United States was breaking its own laws by continuing to send Israel weapons when it had used them to target civilians and while it was impeding the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The laws say that recipients of weapons made in the United States must use them in accordance with U.S. and international law and not impede the flow of humanitarian aid into war zones.

“If we do not demand that the countries we provide military assistance to obey international law, we will lose our credibility on the world stage,” Mr. Sanders said.