Both Washington Senators FINALLY Vote To Block Bombs And Bulldozers To Israel

Both of Washington Senators voted “yes” on two joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) that would block the sale of $446.8 million worth of weapons and equipment to Israel. Sen. Patty Murray already did her big one flipping on Israel when a similar measure came up last summer, but Sen. Maria Cantwell surprised progressives when she finally voted in what will one day soon be seen as the only defensible position. While the measures ultimately failed thanks largely to the Republican majority, more lawmakers supported this measure than any of the three previous attempts to block weapons to Israel since November 2024. The tides are turning. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced three JRDs and on Wednesday two of them went up for a vote. The first would block a $150 million sale of 1,000-pound bombs and the other would block a $300 million sale of bulldozers. Both measures failed 36-63 and 40-59 respectively. 

This marks Sanders’s fourth attempt since November 2024 to pass JRDs to block weapons to Israel. And it happens to be his most successful. Last time the Senate heard the issue in July 2025, he scored the majority of the Democrats for the first time. In April 2025, only 15 Senators supported a similar bill and in November 2024 only 18. 

Ahead of the vote, advocates launched a phone-banking and email campaign to pressure both of the Washington Senators to vote “yes.” Murray already conceded in July, though she was careful to publish a statement affirming she believes “Israel has a right to defend itself and Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that should be eliminated.” 

Cantwell felt like a longshot. Like Murray, she’s received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the pro-Israel lobby throughout her career. Not only that, she infamously posed for a photo with Israeli Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu while he was actively committing genocide in Gaza. It really cast her as a next level bootlicker. 

At least Murray, a self-described “longtime friend and supporter of Israel,” could see the apparent need to rein in the seemingly endless aggression of Netanyahu. 

But to the shock and delight of many, Cantwell voted “yes” on both measures. While this is certainly a victory for the anti-war movement, no one should mistake this as Cantwell a sudden ally to said movement. 

“The United States should avoid a larger conflict in the Middle East and work to bring about lasting security for the region through alliance building and the use of multinational forces to stop terrorism,” Cantwell said. “The President needs to come before Congress. Until then, I do not support further resources for this conflict.”

This is classic Democrat slop. Her issue is not necessarily with war, but with President Donald Trump following the proper protocol before doing war. 

Cantwell’s statement also did not impugn (or even directly mention) Israel or Netanyahu. But strangely she closed on a total non sequitur. 

“Senate Democrats and Republicans must come together to fight antisemitism in the United States and condemn it wherever it’s found, online and around the world,” Cantwell wrote. 

The comment seems to imply Cantwell believes she will be taken as an antisemite for blocking bombs and bulldozers to Israel. This is, of course, not true, and perhaps antisemitic to imply that to be an ally to Jewish people is to support violence and destruction. 

More broadly, the historic support of the JRDs reflects a real change in temperature around Israel among Democrat lawmakers. And they are wise to adapt. According to Pew Research, most Americans had a positive view of Israel in 2022, but now only about 37% of American adults have a favorable view of Israel. If Democrats want to win the midterms, they may finally have to concede on this one.