Bernie’s Israel Arms Ban Will Lead to Even More Devastating Democratic Losses

Did the far left wing of the Democratic Party learn nothing from the elections?

This is the kind of talk that will drive many from the Democratic Party, and not only Jews. The elections over the past year-the primary defeats of Cori Bush and Jamal Bowman, the trifecta of the pro-Israel Republican Party, show the senselessness and political damage of these anti-Israel sentiments.

I find the arms-halters to be rather disingenuous in citing various European nations as cutting arms to Israel. In reality, none of those nations except Germany provide any meaningful arms to Israel. Israel receives 69% of its weapons from the US, and 30% from Germany.

Bernie and his allies are plain wrong about the claim that Germany has issued a ban on weapons; in fact, 2024 was the greatest year for German arms sales to Israel. What happened was that the German government placed a temporary hold on new shipments until frivolous legal challenges are resolved in court. (Like the US, the government sets foreign policy, people can file lawsuits, and they are easily dispose of in court.) The other nations play no role in Israeli defenses; France’s role is limited to providing replacement parts for the one ancient French helicopter in service. Them other provide virtually nothing, under one half percent of total arms sales to Israel, all easily replaceable parts.