Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), as the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has expressed her concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the actions of the Israeli government by imposing a halt on the $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel. This action by Shaheen was taken in collaboration with Representative Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), her counterpart on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and reflects a deep distrust of the Trump administration and the Israeli government.
Humanitarian Concerns and Reactions
Senator Shaheen has expressed dissatisfaction that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken no action to address the concerns of Democratic representatives regarding civilian casualties in Gaza, Israeli bombings in Syria, and the rising violence against Palestinians by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank. This arms package includes 40,000 one-ton bombs, munitions that the previous Biden administration had refrained from sending to Israel due to indiscriminate destruction by Israel.
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Consequences and Political Dimensions
According to reports from Palestinian health officials, an estimated 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the three-year war between Israel and Hamas, but this figure does not differentiate between fighters and civilians. Shaheen, as the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has the power to halt arms sales of a specified value. This process is typically an informal consultative process in which the State Department seeks to address the representative's concerns and obtain permission before proceeding with the arms sale.
In response to Meeks' public announcement of the arms sale halt, Shaheen stated: "We are all concerned about the actions Israel is taking. They are bombing in Gaza, and what does this mean for any peaceful resolution in the Middle East?" She added: "Netanyahu needs to hear from America that we are not satisfied with his actions. We are unhappy with what is happening in the West Bank, where violence is killing Palestinian settlers and driving them from their homes."
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