S.J.Res 70: Joint resolutions providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to Israel of certain defense articles and services.
S.J.Res 70 was introduced on 29 July 2025 by SEN Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and is currently pending before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has 1 cosponsor on a partyline basis.
Related legislation: Arms Export Control Act of 1976, as amended. See also previous Senate Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) introduced during this session.
Bill Summary: S.J.Res 70 is a JRD that would prevent the issuance of an export license for thousands of fully automatic assault rifles from the U.S. to the Israeli National Police.
Context: On 15 July 2025, the Trump Administration notified Congress of a proposed license under the Direct Commercial Sales program for Israel. This sale includes thousands of fully automatic assault rifles to the Israeli National Police (and any of its subcomponent forces and units, including the Border Guard), which is overseen by extremist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has long advocated for the forcible expulsion of Palestinians from the region, has been convicted by an Israeli court of racist incitement and supporting the Kahanist terror organization, and has enabled the distribution of firearms to violent settlers in the West Bank.
The underlying sale being blocked by this JRD is dates back to 2023, and is one of those the Biden Administration sought to advance in October 2023, and to which the State Department's Human Rights Bureau raised objections due to concerns that the units receiving these firearms have a clear track record of human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings - i.e., murder. The flow of firearms into the West Bank should be of particular concern for Members of Congress given the killing of 7 American Citizens since 2022 involving firearms in the West Bank, most notably that of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli security forces in 2022, and most recently that of Saifullah Kamel Musallet in July, 2025.
American Values Analysis: U.S. opposition to gross violations of human rights reflects longstanding principles of justice and accountability, and the continuing provision of firearms not only to units that have committed such violations, but which report directly to a man whose explicit policy program is built on bigotry, is anathema to our values.
American Interest Analysis: S.J.Res 70 directly aligns with American values by opposing the provision of weapons to a police force whose units are credibly alleged to have been involved in gross violations of human rights, and whose chain of command reports to Minister Ben-Gvir who has explicitly encouraged violence against Palestinians while taking no appropriate steps to investigate the killings of American citizens..
A New Policy’s Recommendation: SUPPORT
A New Policy supports S.J.Res 70 because it would prevent the further provision of lethal weaponry to security forces that have used American weapons to violate human rights, and which lack accountability, even when it comes to the killings of U.S. citizens.
A New Policy notes that JRDs require, in practice, support of veto-proof (i.e. ⅔) majorities in the House and Senate, and must sit in Committee for a period before being eligible to be called up on the Senate floor. As such, once Congress returns in September, A New Policy will support the calling up S.J.Res 70 at a time that is most conducive to advancing the Congressional and public debate on the broader question of U.S. policy towards Palestine and Israel.
For more information please contact: Josh Paul, (202) 770-0055, info@anewpolicy.org
