In a significant political signal, 27 Democratic senators voted in favor of a resolution to block the sale of M16 rifles to Israel’s Ministry of National Security. The vote, held late Tuesday in the U.S. Senate, marks the largest number of Democratic senators to ever support halting a U.S. arms sale to Israel.
The resolution, spearheaded by Senator Bernie Sanders, ultimately failed, with 70 senators voting against it, most of them Republicans. However, the outcome revealed growing opposition within the Democratic caucus to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, particularly regarding Israel’s conduct in internal security and its operations in the West Bank and Gaza.
In a similar vote back in April 2025, only 15 Democratic senators backed a measure to stop weapons sales to Israel. The sharp rise to 27 in the latest vote underscores a shifting political dynamic in Washington regarding U.S. military aid to Israel and reflects increasing discomfort among progressive Democrats over human rights concerns.
While the resolution was defeated, the message from Capitol Hill is clear: a significant portion of the Democratic establishment is now willing to challenge traditional U.S.-Israel defense ties over disagreements with the current Israeli government’s domestic and military policies.
