WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� More than three dozen Democrats supported an effort by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to block arms sales to Israel, signaling a growing discontent in the party with Prime Minister and the wars in and .
The two resolutions to block U.S. sales of bulldozers and bombs to Israel were opposed by all Republicans and rejected 40-59 and 36-63. But Sanders has repeatedly forced votes on the issue to put pressure on his colleagues 鈥� both Democrats and Republicans 鈥� to oppose Netanyahu鈥檚 regime.
Similar resolutions forced by Sanders in and were also rejected, but the number of Democrats voting with the Vermont Independent has more than doubled in less than two years amid Israeli campaigns in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon and a stepped-up campaign by party activists who have increasingly seen support for Israel as a litmus test for support.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that Democrats are beginning to listen to the average American who is sick and tired of spending billions of dollars to support Netanyahu鈥檚 horrific wars when people in this country can鈥檛 afford housing or health care,鈥� Sanders said after the vote.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., voted in support of the two resolutions after opposing some of Sanders鈥� previous efforts. In a speech just before the vote, Kelly said that 鈥渢he reckless decisions being made by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump鈥� led him to his decision, which he said he did not take lightly.
鈥淯nder Prime Minister Netanyahu鈥檚 government, we鈥檝e seen an expanded war in Lebanon that is putting innocent Lebanese civilians at risk, and ongoing violence against Palestinians and their homes being demolished in the West Bank,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淎ll of this has undermined the path forward for peace.鈥�
Among the Democrats voting against the resolutions were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Nearly 100 protesters calling on the two New York senators to vote in favor of Sanders’ two measures.
Led by the antiwar group Jewish Voice for Peace, the crowd of hundreds initially attempted to stage a sit-in inside the senators’ offices as they said they were abetting and the . But they were blocked and many of the protesters were arrested.
鈥淭he majority of Americans and New Yorkers want a resolution to what the Israeli government is doing,鈥� said the group鈥檚 communications director, Sonya Meyerson-Knox.
Democrats supported a resolution earlier on Wednesday , though that was also rejected, 47-52. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat who voted against Sanders’ Israel resolutions, said he voted to end the Iran war but did not want to abandon Israel.
鈥淢y votes should be taken neither as an endorsement of the actions of the Netanyahu government nor as an abandonment of the state of Israel, the Jewish people, or the US-Israel relationship,鈥� Coons said in a statement after the vote.
Republicans said the vote could hurt U.S. efforts in the Iran war.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said the resolutions could embolden Iran and 鈥渟end the message that the U.S. is prepared to leave our ally Israel vulnerable.鈥�
鈥淭hey will not help the United States of America,鈥� Risch said ahead of the vote.
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