Middle East crisis Votes on Gaza

Record Support for Stopping Arms to Israel in Congress – Far from Majority

The US Senate has once again voted against a proposal to stop arms sales to Israel, The Hill reports.

However, during yesterday's vote, support for such a measure was greater than ever before.

27 senators voted for the proposal and 70 against.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says, according to the AP, that he has "dedicated his career in Congress" to supporting Israel, but that it is impossible for him to defend the country's current actions.

- Gaza is starving and dying because of Benjamin Netanyahu's policies, he says.

This is the third time that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has tried to stop arms shipments to Israel. All Republicans, who have a majority in the Senate, voted against the proposal. Even if the proposal passed the Senate, it would also need support from the House of Representatives and avoid a presidential veto to become a reality.

Previous Senate votes to stop arms deliveries have been supported by 15 and 18 senators respectively.

Pressure on Germany to act against Israel is increasing

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is being criticized for not acting harder against Israel by both political opponents in his home country and by allied countries in Europe, writes Politico.

As the death toll and starvation in Gaza increase, more and more Western countries have demanded tougher action against Israel. Within the EU, voices are being raised about breaking the trade agreement with Israel and this week the EU Commission presented a proposal to block Israel's access to the Horizon Europe research program. But it looks like it will be blocked by Germany, among others.

Merz says he wants to wait with any measures until next week, when Germany, among others, is to visit Israel.

Bushra Khalidi, policy director for the humanitarian organization Oxfam, criticizes both the EU and indirectly Germany's lack of action.

"The fact that the EU cannot even agree on the smallest step is a mockery of the widespread suffering. Some countries say they need more time, but that only means more time for more people to die in Gaza," she says.