Mark Mellman, President and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, issued the following statement after the Senate voted to reject legislation put forward by Senator Bernie Sanders that would block security aid to Israel:
“These dangerous and counterproductive resolutions are a betrayal of our ally, Israel, as it fights a defensive war. That’s why the clear and decisive majority of Democratic senators voted to defeat them.
“Today, Democrats reaffirmed, once again, that the majority of our party stands firmly with the Israeli people and supports Israel’s security, especially in this critical time. While a few vocal anti-Israel voices in our party often get outsized attention, the majority of Senate Democrats remain steadfast in support of Israel’s sovereignty and right to self-defense.
“The civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon are tragic — and the responsibility for those deaths lies squarely with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Had they not deliberately provoked a war on October 7th last year, almost all those civilians would be alive today.
“The Biden-Harris Administration originally requested this aid and opposed Sanders’ resolutions, reinforcing their commitment to Israel’s security.
“Over the past few months, DMFI has worked aggressively to counter these resolutions by activating our grassroots networks to send thousands of letters to their Democratic senators, engaging directly on the resolutions with senators and their staffs, providing talking points and essential news articles to senate offices, amplifying our messages on social media to our thousands of followers and driving awareness on our website.”
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