WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after voting against a Joint Resolution of Disapproval offered by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) regarding arms sales to Israel:
“I have always been a staunch defender of Israel and its right to defend itself. I will continue to ensure it has the weapons that it needs to do so.
“Israel may not need 2,000-pound bombs to prosecute its war against Hamas, but it will need them in the event of war against Iran. President Trump’s continued provocations in the Middle East, including undermining his very own Abraham Accords and his threats this week to bomb Iran, make a regional war far more likely. His efforts to weaken relationships with our partners and allies across the world mean Israel cannot be certain a global coalition will help fend off strikes from Iran, as one did twice under the Biden administration. I understand the humanitarian concerns about supplying Israel with these weapons, but the unfortunate fact is that they are necessary to confront the more dangerous world that President Trump has created.”
Senator Coons is the Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.