WASHINGTON — Illinois Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, both Democrats, voted Tuesday to reject a resolution by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, to condition U.S. military assistance to Israel based on that country’s record on Palestinian human rights.
Democrats in Congress are split on tactics to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rein in Israel’s military response in Gaza.
This comes as Israel seeks to neutralize Hamas as a threat after its Oct. 7 attack in Israel, triggering the Israel-Hamas war. More than 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.
The Senate voted 72-11 to table the Sanders resolution, a move that in effect killed it.
Ten Democratic senators and one Republican opposed tabling the resolution.
“To those crying out for an end to this war, I want you to know that I hear you and share your goals,” Duckworth said in a statement.
“I remain committed to doing everything I can to provide relief and safety for innocent civilians suffering in Gaza,” Duckworth continued. “I will continue to advocate for the safe return of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and all hostages, and I will always advocate for a de-escalation of tensions in the region that ultimately brings about a two-state future that strengthens the safety of Israel, eliminates the threat posed by Hamas and ends the prolonged and continuing suffering of Palestinians.”
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, who live in Israel, were raised in Chicago. Members of the Goldberg and Polin families, including his grandmothers, live in the city or suburbs. The Chicago area is also home to the largest Palestinian American population in the nation.
Democrats divided on tactics to rein in Israel
The vote on Sanders’ resolution further exposed the schism that has developed among Democrats over the Israel-Hamas war and the debate over the best way for the Biden administration and Congress to pressure Netanyahu to scale back the attacks as civilian deaths in Gaza caused by Israel’s bombs soar.
Israel has a right to defend itself in its fight to neutralize Hamas, which has vowed to destroy the state of Israel.
Sanders’ resolution acknowledges that “the current round of conflict began October 7, 2023, when Hamas, a terrorist organization, unleashed a brutal attack against Israel, killing some 1,200 innocent men, women, and children, and taking more than 200 hostages.”
Still, Sanders’ measure states, “all available credible information” points to alleged Israeli human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank “caused by indiscriminate or disproportionate operations.”
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry puts the death toll so far in Gaza at more than 24,000.
Sanders, in a floor speech on Tuesday said his resolution seeking to invoke a section of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is “not radical,” and laws on the books would allow the State Department to “collect information on the human rights record of any country receiving U.S. military assistance.”
Besides Sanders, the other Democratic senators backing his measure were Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico; Jeff Merkley, Oregon; Chris Van Hollen, Maryland; Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; Laphonza Butler, California; Mazie Hirono, Hawaii; and Peter Welch, Vermont. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to oppose tabling the Sanders resolution.
For the Biden administration and other Democrats such as Durbin, the goal is to find effective ways to persuade Netanyahu to curb Israel’s military response, which has decimated much of Gaza.
Earlier this month, Durbin, the first senator to call for a cease-fire in the war, joined with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in filing an amendment to a proposed funding bill to strip Israel of its congressional oversight waiver when it comes to arms transfers and U.S.-related foreign military financing.
“Durbin agrees that there needs to be regular accountability of the use of U.S. weapons provided to allies such as Israel,” said his spokesperson, Emily Hampsten, on Wednesday. “However, he ultimately feels that an amendment to the national security supplemental is a more constructive and viable approach to ensure that type of oversight.”
Hampsten noted that Durbin joined with Van Hollen “on an amendment to require that the weapons received by any country under the proposed national security supplemental are used in accordance with U.S. and international law.”
A Sun-Times analysis of House votes by Illinois Democrats on legislation dealing with the Israel-Hamas war and the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia reveals splits within the state’s congressional delegation as the conflict continues.
Duckworth added in her statement that conditioning military aid to Israel could lead to the U.S. ending “even defensive support, such as replenishing interceptors for Iron Dome — to Israel.
“At a time when Israel regularly faces barrages of rocket attacks, I feel strongly that the U.S. be able to provide reinforcements to Iron Dome without delay if required.”
Said Duckworth, her vote “must not be confused for condoning specific policies of the Netanyahu government, many of which I’ve long and vocally opposed.”
