Ed Markey: “I rise tonight in support of Senator Sanders' joint resolutions of disapproval for select arms sales to Israel. The…”

“I rise tonight in support of Senator Sanders' joint resolutions of disapproval for select arms sales to Israel. The Senate has voted on similar resolutions in the past, all of which I have supported. The last time this Chamber voted on prior resolutions, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was bombarding Gaza. A cease-fire had collapsed, hostage release negotiations had stalled, and innocent children and families in Gaza were starving and suffering. That was because the Netanyahu government, fueled by extremist Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich and supported by the Trump administration, was blocking humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians in Gaza. The large-scale bombs covered by those resolutions went far beyond what Israel needed for its defense. Their use would cause indiscriminate damage and only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Now, the need for restrictions on military aid to Netanyahu has only taken on renewed urgency. The Trump administration is proposing to sell to Netanyahu 1,000-pound bombs and armored bulldozers that Netanyahu could use not only in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon but also in Trump's illegal and unnecessary war in Iran.”