Turning point on Israel? Democrats’ Senate vote signals shift driven by Iran, Gaza wars
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims he wants to wean Israel off Washington's $3.8 billion in annual military funding within the decade. At least one Democratic contender for 2028 agrees.
WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move on April 15, a majority of Democrats in the US Senate voted to block a planned transfer of American-made military hardware to Israel.
Forty Democrats — all but seven in their caucus — voted against a proposed $295 million transfer of D9 Caterpillar bulldozers to the Israeli military. In a separate vote, 36 Democrats opposed a planned $151.8 million sale of 12,000 1,000-pound bombs to Israel.
Both measures failed, but the votes (40-59 and 36-63, respectively) underscore growing cracks in decades of bipartisan support for US military assistance to Israel.
Unlike three previous attempts led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) since 2024, the opposition was broadly united. More than a dozen lawmakers shifted left, including pro-Israel moderates and potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders such as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Arizona senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
