Sanders Moves to Block US Arms Sale to Israel, Citing Genocide Accusation

(MENAFN) US Senator Bernie Sanders said on Monday that he will push for a Senate vote aimed at stopping a large US arms package to Israel, escalating his long-running opposition to American military assistance to the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a post on social media platform X, Sanders said he intends to trigger a vote this week targeting a deal worth close to half a billion dollars involving bombs and bulldozers destined for the Israeli military.

"This week, I will be forcing a vote on legislation to block the sale of nearly half a billion dollars worth of bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military,"

Sanders, an independent who aligns with Democratic senators in the US Senate, argued that continued arms transfers should be halted, sharply criticizing the current Israeli leadership.

"The extremist Netanyahu government that has committed genocide in Gaza does not need more military support from American taxpayers,”

The initiative is part of a broader pattern of legislative efforts by Sanders to challenge US arms sales to Israel through resolutions of disapproval, which can compel formal Senate votes on proposed weapons deals.

Earlier this year, he also introduced a similar measure seeking to block hundreds of millions of dollars in bomb sales.

The move comes amid growing pressure from several US lawmakers who are calling for an end to American weapons shipments to Israel and urging a reassessment of US involvement in Israel’s military operations.

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