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How would incoming Senate Democrats have voted on Sanders’ anti-Israel resolutions?

The group of six Democrats could impact the level of support for measures against Israel

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), joined by fellow Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) (L) and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (R), speaks at a news conference on restricting arms sales to Israel at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC.

A new group of six Democrats will soon enter the Senate — a shift that could impact the level of support for measures like those Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) led last month to halt certain U.S. weapons shipments to Israel.

Jewish Insider reached out to each of the new Senate Democrats multiple times to ask how they would have voted on Sanders’ legislation. Just two responded. Nineteen senators — all Democrats — voted for at least one of Sanders’ resolutions.

A spokesperson for Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-NJ) said that Kim couldn’t say how he would have voted.

“Without having all the information available to senators through security briefings or being able to participate in the Senate floor debate, Congressman Kim won’t conjecture on the vote,” Kim spokesperson Anna Connole said.

Kim sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, members of which have access to certain classified briefings and material.

He’ll be replacing appointed Sen. George Helmy (D-NJ), who voted for one of the three Sanders resolutions. All other outgoing Senate Democrats opposed the Sanders-led resolutions.

A spokesperson for Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA) said unequivocally that he would have opposed the resolutions.

“Sen.-elect Schiff does not support steps that would weaken Israel’s bargaining position during ceasefire negotiations, such as blocking aid amid ongoing attacks from Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian proxies. He will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Schiff spokesperson Marisol Samoya said in a statement to JI.

Schiff also recently told the Jewish Telegraph Agency that the U.S. should “keep pressing” Israel to formulate a postwar plan and path to a two-state solution, as well as work with Israel to increase humanitarian aid and decrease casualties, but said “I don’t think cutting off support for Israel right now is the right course.”

The other incoming Senate Democrats — Sens.-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) — didn’t respond to requests for comment on the subject.

Prior to Oct. 7, Blunt Rochester had supported a measure to place restrictions on Israel’s use of U.S.-provided aid. In March, she became the first member of Delaware’s congressional delegation to call for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, though she has not joined calls to cut off or suspend U.S. aid post-Oct. 7, and voted for supplemental aid.

Alsobrooks has distanced herself from her soon-to-be colleague Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who supported all three Sanders resolutions, on Israel policy, but also sidestepped a question at an October debate about whether she’d be closer on the issue to Van Hollen or outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), who argued vigorously against the resolutions. She said she supports Israel, its right to defend itself and the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Slotkin, who worked to appeal to both Jewish and Arab and Muslim communities in her race and has commented frequently on the situation in the Middle East, has criticized Israeli operations and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but also positioned herself on the campaign trail as a committed Iran hawk and described U.S. aid to Israel as critical to the fight against Iran.

Gallego largely took pro-Israel positions during his campaign for the Senate in Arizona.

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