Senate Rejects Halt to Arms Deal for Israel

SadaNews - The U.S. Senate blocked two resolutions yesterday, Wednesday, aimed at halting a $450 million deal to sell bombs and bulldozers to Israel.

In this context, the Republican Party, to which President Donald Trump belongs, expressed strong support for his pro-Israel stance, reaffirming its ongoing support for policies that back Israel.

However, the overwhelming support from the majority of the 47 members of the Democratic caucus in the Senate for these resolutions highlighted the growing frustration within that party regarding the impact of Israeli strikes in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran on civilians.

Given the strong bipartisan support for Israel in Congress that has persisted for decades, it is unlikely that any resolutions aimed at halting arms sales will be approved. However, advocates hope that raising such an issue will prompt the Israeli government and U.S. administrations to make greater efforts to protect civilians.

Supporters of the sales argue that Israel is an important ally to whom the United States should sell military equipment.

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who aligns with the Democratic caucus, called for a vote on the resolutions, stating that the sales violate standards of foreign aid outlined in the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act.

Eleven Democrats joined all Republicans in blocking the measure with a vote of 63 to 36. No Republican senator voted.

Sanders mentioned that Israel uses bombs in attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, and uses bulldozers to demolish homes in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank.

He said, "The United States must use the leverage we have—arms and military aid in the tens of billions—to demand that Israel cease these atrocities."

The vote on Wednesday showed an increase in support for efforts to limit arms sales to Israel.

In July, two resolutions in the Senate were blocked that would have banned arms sales in response to civilian casualties in Gaza.

Sanders was the one who introduced the resolutions. They were blocked by votes of 73 to 24 and 70 to 27 in the 100-member chamber.

Washington Considers Expanding Role of Automotive Companies in Arms Production to Support Defense Industries

According to sources, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration has held talks with American companies in the automotive and manufacturing sectors with the goal of more broadly involving them in the production of arms and military equipment.

According to the report, senior officials at the U.S. Department of Defense held meetings with executives from companies like General Motors and Ford Motor to discuss the possibility of these companies contributing to support defense supply chains.

The newspaper notes that these talks, which began before the escalation of tensions with Iran, reflect a trend to enhance the role of the civilian industrial sector in supporting military production, amid questions within the Pentagon about traditional companies' ability to meet rapidly increasing demand.

The discussions also included other companies such as General Electric and Oshkosh, as part of a broader examination of expanding the defense production base within the United States.