One of the largest unions in the U.S. has thrown its weight behind Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vermont) bid this week to block a huge tranche of weapons sales to Israel amid its genocide in Gaza.
The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, announced on Monday that it supports Sanders’s joint resolutions of disapproval to halt the deals, in compliance with U.S. humanitarian law. The union, which has 2 million members across the U.S., says that it supports the resolutions blocking the transfer of “certain offensive weapons” to Israel.
“SEIU members have made clear that they want an end to taxpayer dollars being used to fund military aid that enables attacks against innocent civilians in Gaza,” said April Verrett, president of SEIU International, in a statement. “It’s time for Senators to take action to help bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict.”
The union cited Israel’s blockade of food and medicine to Gaza, which is worsening the humanitarian crisis, while also criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for blocking a ceasefire deal and putting “the remaining hostages’ lives in danger.” The union also emphasized a resolution passed at its convention this spring calling for a ceasefire, release of all captives held by both sides, and an end to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund Israel’s attacks in Gaza.
The Senate is slated to vote on the resolutions on Wednesday, according to Sanders. There are six resolutions in total, each blocking a different part of the Biden administration’s massive $20 billion weapons sale. The vote will mark the first time either chamber of Congress will undergo a vote to block arms transfers to Israel.
In an op-ed promoting the legislation in The Washington Post, Sanders emphasized that Israel has been worsening the humanitarian crisis it has created in Gaza at every turn, meaning that sending further weapons to Israel would be in violation of the Foreign Assistance Act and Arms Export Control Act.
“I have met with doctors who have served in Gaza,........