US Senator proposes halting arms sales to Israel

US Senator Bernie Sanders yesterday said he will present a bill to the Senate to halt arms sales to Israel, in order to block a deal recently approved by the US worth $20 billion.

Sanders said in a statement sent to senators that he will submit the bill next week.

US-made weapons, he explained, have been widely used in Israeli attacks on Gaza, killing more than 41,000 Palestinians.

He noted that the US recently approved the sale of $20 billion worth of weapons to Israel and this included systems tied to tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza. He said exporting such weapons would violate human rights provisions in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and Arms Export Control Act.

“The US cannot be complicit in this humanitarian disaster.”

Sanders explained that “providing more offensive weapons to continue this disastrous war would violate US and international law.”

The majority in the US Congress supports sending military aid and arms to Israel, and it is unlikely that the bill will be approved.

In mid-August, the US administration, which has been criticised for providing unconditional support to Israel, approved the sale of $20.3 billion worth of weapons to Tel Aviv in five separate packages.

The deal includes the sale of 50 F-15IA fighters, 25 F-15I fighters, and related ammunition, for a total value of $18.9 billion.

This is inspite of a judgement by the world court –  the International Court of Judgement – that Israel may be committing genocide and Gaza.

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