On Thursday, the Senate killed an effort by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to block $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions shipments to Israel, a vote that came on the same day Israel killed more than 100 Palestinians, including many children, in the Gaza Strip.
Sanders introduced two resolutions: one to block a $2.04 billion deal for 35,329 MK 84 2,000-pound bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads and one to block the $6.75 billion shipment of 2,800 500-pound bombs, 2,166 Small Diameter Bombs, and tens of thousands of JDAM guidance kits.
The measures failed in a vote of 15-83 and 15-82. Only 14 Democrats joined Sanders in supporting the legislation, and no Republicans supported the effort.
“Israel has bombed indiscriminately, killing civilians, journalists, paramedics, children, and humanitarian workers in record numbers,” Sanders said in remarks on the Senate floor before the vote.
“They have used massive 2,000-pound bombs in densely-populated Gaza, despite the fact studies show that 90 percent of victims of explosive weapons used in a populated area are civilians,” the senator added.
Sanders pointed out that US military aid to Israel is illegal under US foreign assistance laws that ban providing weapons to countries violating international law and blocking humanitarian aid.
“The Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, what we’re talking about today, are very clear: the United States cannot provide weaponry to countries that violate internationally recognized human rights or block US humanitarian aid,” Sanders said.
The Vermont senator also detailed some of the atrocities Israel has committed in Gaza with US support and the heavy toll it has taken on children. “These children are hungry. They are thirsty. It is hard to get clean water. They have been denied healthcare, and have witnessed the death of their parents, their family members, their homes, and virtually everything around them,” he said.
Who were the 14?
Found it, on truthdig, surprised by Murphy:
Those who backed Sanders’s resolutions were: Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont).
Bernie still can’t utter the words “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”.
Kabuki. They get massive amounts of contact saying stop the killing, so they check in that the vote won't mean anything so they can pretend when convenient to say they did their best, but, yknow, they're only a United States Senator. Also, re-elect me.
Chris, I don’t remember if it was an article or an insider “in the know”, but I recall the story about the House, and Pelosi, allowing a certain amount of “protest votes” for street cred, when the Democrats knew what they wanted had the votes for it already.
I recall that story as well.
There was another article, written by Sirota, about how 3 Democrats voted for negotiations on drug prices (I think this was the issue) while Trump was in office the first time. As soon as Biden got into office, the same three Democrats voted no.
So much of it is theater.
And this isn’t to give Republicans a pass. They routinely complained about budgets while Democrats held the reins, but then voted for huge budgets under Republican administrations.
That’s a pretty typical tactic by both parties. If a bill is at all controversial, they count heads and if your vote is not needed to get a majority, a few will get a pass to “vote their conscience.”
Bernie still can’t utter the words “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”. Sadly but wisely, otherwise those 14 little sparks would never have been lit. I'm desperate and grateful for the infitesimal bit of hope they offer admist the overwhelming volume of Randy Fines.
Nice propaganda! Ethic cleansing? 2019 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) had reported ahead of the 71st anniversary of the 1948 war that the number of Palestinians has increased by nine times since 1948. Wow, some ethnic cleansing! –sarcasm intended
You’re floundering in the waters of international law without a life raft – no pun intended. Do your research, you’ll sound less the idiot.
I would venture to guess there is no research involved but a parroting on nonsense talking points.
The UN/Genocide convention definition does not require numbers but intent, actions toward that intent/goal, which has been clearly and abundantly stated, as well as acted upon, by Israeli leadership.
Oh, they added sarcasm.*
"Oh, they added sarcasm."
Only to the "Wow, some ethnic cleansing!" part.
That person might be a Holocaust denier, too. Their population-increase argument is suspiciously like that of HDers.
Palestinian population increase is the standard hasbarah response to the charge of "ethnic cleansing.”
I suppose one could write them off as a victim of Bernays after all dumb is how the duolopy wants them.
Also unreliable death toll numbers which are much higher in reality.
Give an example if you have one. I am more than happy to address it. Otherwise, keep attempting to be cute.
Your argument the percent increase of population over time is proof ethnic cleansing does not exist is flawed; population rates naturally increase over time and vary in percentage one population to another with natural and manmade events, political, social and cultural differences.
We know ethnic cleansing*, euphemistically called 'transfer,' was the intent and practice of organized jewish migration before and after the state’s founding from founder records, meetings, diaries, etc. As well the intent of topical official statements of the need, and specific number objectives, to decrease the Palestinian population in order to achieve a permanent jewish majority.
Finally the report you cite specifically quantifies ethnic cleansing.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240513-number-of-palestinians-has-increased-10-fold-since-1948-nakba/
*the term 'ethnic cleansing' did not exist until the 80s Albanian-Kosovo conflict
Figures don't lie but liars use figures.
The Palestinians being aware of the ongoing genocide since 1948 simply started producing more in order not to get wiped out totally.
So yes, it has been ethnic cleansing adn genocide since 1948.
In 1947, the UN offered two stateless people an opportunity to build two independent nations. One group chose to build a nation, and five Arab Countries chose war and they lost.
Israel declared statehood in 1948, and in 1949 because a member State at the United Nations. Palestinian Arabs were then occupied by Egypt in Gaza and Jordan in the West Bank
For twenty years there were not Israeli settlements in the West Bank or Gaza, and yet Israel was a constant target. So it was never really about settlements. They just did not want a non-Muslim country in the Middle East.
That sort of statistics and math are also a cornerstone of Holocaust deniers, who falsely claim more Jewish people in Germany in 1945 than in 1938.
Is that where you got the idea, reading those sorts of idjits ?
No its not, the German government has released 50 million documents on the fate of 17 million people that were in concentration camps, forced labor camps, and executed in the field.
There are bank records, real estate records, dental records, medical records, military records all supporting evidence which was used to come to the conclusion.
I disagree with “wisely” and will go
With “cowardice”.
Thank you for the smile and laugh you gave me. Yes, Bernie's proven to have feet of clay at a time when we're in dire need of heros.
Look at all of the people in lower level government or institutions who resigned publicly and called out the genocide for what it is.
Those people were brave and suffered personal loss for it.
Thank you, I was much in need of that reminder:)
Bernie can retire with millions of dollars and live comfortably for the rest of his life without an issue…! He also hesitated to fight back for his D-nomination over Hillary Clinton and disappointed all of his fans…!
Two million Palestinian Arabs live in Israel proper as citizens on land that hypocritical activists say is ethnically cleansed. That is more than all the Jews living in Muslim Countries put together.
They live there because it's their land. This isn't complicated.
That is true, and all the Jewwish people and even Christians that have lived in the Middle East for thousands of years.
Christian Arabs cannot even gain citizenship in Saudi Arabia because it is the birthplace of Muhammad. They cannot even enter Mecca. Could you imagine if Israel played that game with their holiest city.
—
Two million Palestinian Arabs live in Israel proper as citizens on land that hypocritical activists say is ethnically cleansed. That is more than all the Jewish people living in Muslim Countries put together.
Those 83 that voted against belong to HELL…!
Clearly the MIC is charge of the Congress.
03/04/2025 Israel’s Genocide Has Killed More Journalists Than WWI and WWII Combined in Palestine
As of late March, at least 232 journalists have been killed in the Gaza genocide, with the vast majority being Palestinians, according to a new paper by the Costs of War project in Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Nearly 380 journalists have been wounded in the violence as of January, per the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
https://countercurrents.org/2025/04/israels-genocide-has-killed-more-journalists-than-wwi-and-wwii-combined/
https://cdn.countercurrents.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Gaza-Journalist.jpg
Charlie represents the young MAGA voters who put Trump back in the White House:
https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1907955653597081730
Israels possession of nuclear weapons also makes these arms shipments illegal, if we're counting the ways.
Israel has had this nuclear technology for over 50 years and never once threatened to wipe or clean another member state off the map or pages of history. So they have been an excellent steward of this technology.
They slowly wiped them out with continuing genocide. Israel is a terrorist State, created by European adn USA colonizers.
The Israeli people are the only ethnic and religious minority in the Middle East and North Africa with the full right of self determination.
And Arabs in Israel don't have that right.
For those who want to compare Israel with South African Apartheid, please answer theses questions:
Which Israeli hospitals refuse to admit Israeli Arabs?
Which Israeli restaurants refuse to serve Israeli Arabs?
Which Israeli universities refuse to admit Israeli Arabs?
Which Israeli buses refuse to board Israeli Arabs?
In what elections are Israeli Arabs not allowed to vote?
In what area of public life are Arab women not allowed to serve?
There are Arab Judges serving in Israel
There are thousands of Arab Israeli police officers protecting Israeli citizens
Arabs on the Israeli national sports teams
Dr. Marian Khatib has been appointed the director of the Breast Surgery Center at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Dr. Khatib said that being an Arab has never been a barrier for her.
Samer Haj-Yehia is not just an Arab Chairman of the Board in the biggest bank of Israel, he also studied at Hebrew University.
Major Ella Waweya, an Arab woman has the rank of Major in the Israel Defense Forces.
—–
Which Israeli hospitals refuse to admit Israeli Arabs?
Which Israeli restaurants refuse to serve Israeli Arabs?
Which Israeli universities refuse to admit Israeli Arabs?
Which Israeli buses refuse to board Israeli Arabs?
In what elections are Israeli Arabs not allowed to vote?
—-
All of them — to “Israeli Arabs” who live on land occupied by Israel but denied the rights of Israeli citizenship a la the South African-style apartheid scheme.
I wasn't comparing Israel to anyone. Arabs don't have the right to self determination in Israel. That's the LAW.
Since the invention of Islam, Arabs have a historical track record. Egyptians were not Arabs, nor did they speak Arabic. Syrians (Assyrians) were not Arabs, nor did they speak Arabic, Moroccans, Libyans, and Tunisia (Berbers) were not Arabs, nor did they speak Arabic, Iraqis (Kurds, Assyrians, Armenians, Azides, etc) were not Arabs nor did they speak Arabic, Libya was not Arab, nor did they speak Arabic, the Sudan (tribal Africa) was not Arab, nor did they speak Arabic, Tunisia was not Arab, nor did they speak Arabic. Why are they all called "Arab" Countries, “Arab” States, belong to the League of “Arab” Nations, and have to live under some form of Islamic Sharia?
good reminder….of what Infida and Jihad mean…and the goal…AND THE TACTICS!
Read the Qaran/Hadiths…
The BIPARTISAN Imperialism and bowing down to the MIC and PROMOTING and Bankrolling the Civilian bombing are both medals on all 4 of the States involved in this horror…
Mental illness is a problem.
Disqus doesn't discriminate, and neither should we…!
Your doing OK, try again!
Which should be all the more reason to come clean.
Why? How will that benefit you or me or anyone else?
The UN Security Council was unanimous on Iran coming clean. No such demand on Israel. So please answer my ab0ve question.
You said they were an "excellent steward of this technology". Shouldn't they do that legally, so it would be something other states would emulate? And seriously, you couldn't figure that out?
And don't even bring up the US Security Council. NOTHING will be done about ANYTHING regarding Israel without the US using their veto. Don't try to pretend you don't know that.
"…never once threatened to wipe or clean another member state off the map or pages of history."
Interesting and VERY telling that you make a direct reference to a (mis-)quote from Ahmadinejad and the decidedly non-nuclear Islamic Republic of Iran, while fumbling your bush-league foray into Apartheid State of Israel Apologetics.
And trying to whitewash Tel Aviv's theft & illegal development of nuclear weapons technology. And overlooking that the ASI actively hides its nuclear arsenal from the world, while everyone else in possession of the weapons (even those who abandoned development and deployment like Libya and the Republic of South Africa) is open about it.
Exceedingly queer that an ASI of such "excellent steward(ship)" as you claim, would hide such a point of pride of restraint, no ?
Exceedingly queer that an ASI of such "excellent steward(ship)" as you claim, would hide such a point of pride of restraint, no ?
I thought that was worth repeating when I made my comment to him.
Arabs are not complaining about Israel's nuclear technology because they know what Islamic Republic of Iran is all about, and their ambition to destroy the State, of Israel and bring their brand of Islam to the rest of the Middle East.
Israeli officials have threatened to use nuclear weapons, actually.
You can cut the headline down to the first 2 words. And I can guarantee that all 14 senators checked in first to make sure that the vote would meaningless and lose, so they could go back to their constituents who are contacting them 10:1 to request not sending Israel more bomb money to say "I twied! I twied so hard but my wittle alligator arms can't weach anything! We-elect me!" It's the Democrat Way. If the vote were close, they'd be sure to arrange the vote to keep the bombs dropping.
That's why elections mean little or nothing any more. by the time we get to vote the elites already know who will win. The rest is just for the media to make a big deal out of it and give the rest the illusion of "freedom".
And yes, someone wanted Trump in other than MAGA. It was obvious that Biden could no longer be useful for the forever wars. When he was in his right mind from time to time he spilled the truth and they had to come out like speed demons to correct him. So the oligarchs started migrating from D party to R party in the summer of 2024, raising up the "peace president" knowing full well that he was no peace president.
March 20, 2025
Dear Mr. Hall,
Thank you for contacting me about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest of Mahmoud Khalil on March 8, 2025, outside of his Columbia University residence in New York City, NY. I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your concerns on this important matter.
Mr. Khalil arrived in the United States on a student visa in 2022 and obtained lawful permanent residency, commonly referred to as a green card, last year. The Trump administration claims that Mr. Khalil participated in protests following the war in Israel and Gaza at Columbia University and invoked a seldom-used clause from the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act which permits the deportation of lawful permanent residents if the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe their presence could harm U.S. foreign policy. Despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio allegations that he is a supporter of Hamas, Mr. Khalil's legal representatives maintain their client has no connections to Hamas and acted as a mediator and negotiator during the protests.
To date, the Trump administration has failed to provide evidence demonstrating that Mr. Khalil provided support to Hamas or any other foreign terrorist organization (FTO), despite furnishing photographic evidence and transcripts in other judicial proceedings involving allegations of FTO support. Mr. Khalil had been placed in removal proceedings following Secretary Rubio’s determination that there is a significant foreign policy interest in deporting him due to his “beliefs, statements and associations.” Notably, the Federal Government did not allege that Mr. Khalil violated any law, such as vandalism or destruction of property, in announcing its determination to deport a legal permanent resident who is married to a U.S. citizen. Mr. Khalil challenged the constitutionality of his removal and a Federal Judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Mr. Khalil while his case is litigated in Federal Court.
Deporting a legal permanent resident over political speech or beliefs would establish a dangerous precedent. Whether one supports or abhors Mr. Khalil’s political views or speech, freedom of expression is a cornerstone of our Nation. The Founding Fathers saw it fit to guarantee that every individual in this country has the right to voice their opinions without fear of retaliation from the United States Government. The Trump administration’s decision to revoke the green card of a lawful permanent resident is alarming and contrary to the core values of this great Nation, as well as the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.
I went to war to defend every American’s First Amendment right to peacefully protest, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The vast majority of student activism on campuses nationwide was peaceful and those protesting peacefully deserve—and are entitled—to be protected by law enforcement, rather than being arrested, and potentially deported, solely for participating in a non-violent protest. Students also deserve to feel safe when they go to school, so when a protester crosses the line by advocating for violence, making fellow students feel unsafe, or begins destroying private property, such violent demonstrations are no longer protected First Amendment speech. Respecting freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government does not require normalizing antisemitic and Islamophobic hate speech that calls for acts of violence against fellow students.
As your Senator, I will always denounce antisemitism, racism, islamophobia and other forms of bigotry, while working to foster a sense of community grounded in our shared humanity. I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and fulfilling that duty demands defending the First Amendment rights of Americans to free speech, to peacefully assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances. We must never take for granted that we live in a country that guarantees the right to engage in civil discourse and encourages disagreements be resolved at the ballot box. Please be assured that I will continue to uphold and defend vital Constitutional protections, including freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest.
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. If you would like more information on my work in the Senate, please visit my website at http://www.duckworth.senate.gov . You can access my voting record and see what I am doing to address today’s most important issues. I hope that you will continue to share your views and opinions with me and let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator
This is an excerpt of a response February 27 from [my] senator of illinois who voted against bernie yesterday :
[[[[[["Rather than focusing on readiness to ensure our military is the most lethal fighting force in the world,]]]]]]]] this administration has chosen to require our Armed Forces to divert time and resources away from training and executing their core mission. This move will burn military readiness to score cheap political points at the expense of our national security."
AAAARRRRRRGGGHHH!!!
What is the point in creating laws ( Leahy Law) to address grievances when said law is never invoked or applied when violations occur. Israel is clearly breaching the Leahy Law through its indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians using American made weapons.
The bought off weasels in congress don’t have the courage to abide by the law
This has been the case even before John Marshall took over the chief-justice-ship. Laws are meant to benefit the elite, denying arms to Cuba, Venezuela, China, N. Korea, ….
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.". —-Edmund Burke, Irish Statesman. https://x.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/1907856431593771235
Bernie rocks the truth for peace!…
”It’s the end of the world and we know it and we feel fine!”…
Not!
house at pooh corner youtube
best songs about spring
Does Bernie ever go against the Democrats when they’re in power? I don’t recall him giving a shit when his boss Biden was mass murdering Palestinians.
Indeed, it's a uniquely american exemplar of courage.
Courtesy of Axios:
Fifteen Senate Democrats backed a pair of resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to withhold billions of dollars in offensive weapons sales and other military aid to Israel.
Why it matters: The votes split the party, revealing continued internal divisions over Democrats' views on the war in Gaza and support for the Israeli government. The measures failed 15-82 and 15-83.
Sanders wants to cancel the Trump administration's proposed sales of $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Israel.
In addition to Sanders, Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin (Ill.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Tim Kaine (Va.), and Andy Kim (N.J.) voted in favor.
So did Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Tina Smith (Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Peter Welch (Vt.).
No Republicans supported the measures.
The big picture: Sanders forced similar votes under the Biden administration to call out U.S. support for Israel's war efforts in Gaza.
"The United States must end our complicity in these atrocities, we cannot be part of this any longer," Sanders said in a video he released on Wednesday.
The vote comes as Israel resumed its war in Gaza last month, despite a ceasefire deal between the two sides that was signed earlier this year.
"No Republicans supported the measures."
I think the Republicans want to go on record as supporting small businesses in America by letting this sale go through.
How else will Jim Raytheon, Louise Boeing, retired veteran General Dave Atomics, Martin Lockheed, Lance Northrop and his partner/partner Bruce Grumman, manage to keep their modest brick-and-mortar Main Street USA shops open after four years of domestic economic recovery under Biden and after a Panickdemic that stole the job of killing foreigners away from their entrepreneureal best efforts ??
“Quote de jour: Arms are meant for hugging!”
Again: “Arms are meant for hugging!”
From all of us to all of you!!!
"Capitol Hill is Israeli occupied territory."
–Pat Buchanan, McLaughlin Group, June 15, 1990
"That the United States would sit still for anything was brought home to the Israelis, long ago, on the third day of the Six-Day War, when Lyndon Johnson ordered a coverup of an Israeli rocket-and-machine gun attack on the U.S. intelligence ship Liberty off the Sinai, an attack costing the lives of 37 brave American soldiers.
When it suits them, our Israeli allies launch air strikes on Tunis, Baghdad or Beirut; they invade Lebanon; they even enlist U.S. traitors, like the Pollards, to loot the secrets of a nation that has manifested toward them an extraordinary indulgence."
–Pat Buchanan, January 1990
Pat Buchanan was far more America First than Trump.
On the bright side?….?….?…. Ah hum… At least they did not kill the good Senator Sanders….
That’s politics folks!….
End of the empire, and it can't happen soon enough. The only institution that stinks higher than the executive branch on the rubbish heap of history is the congressional branch – a rotting clot of cowardice.
The judicial branch is now the only tentacle remaining of the grand experiment in self-rule and freedom of speech and assembly that stands between ourselves and the abyss.
It is i demonic hope somebody bas a better explanation.
Governments love war. They get to murder people in the name of war and get to pretend they matter. They like to pretend that there are rules of engagement and then go on to commit the most horrendous crimes and murders. War is murder, no other definition is possible or excuse can be accepted by rational humans.
At. Least…. They did not kill the messenger!…
😉
https://youtu.be/gWH2yV7u5N4?si=pry9mV8Cy15vocUS
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5f20ecc4f46e07725b2084fb066266b7650c2e67a8e62bd4a1b8d629eae02072.jpg
You should change your handle to Peace's DJ 🙂 Thanks for the music, times are it can be a much needed uplift.
Israel has to defend itself right? These war criminals masquerading as our representatives need to be marched to The Hague.