WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – A new survey found that 71 percent of likely Democratic Party primary voters believe “the U.S. should restrict military aid to Israel until it stops attacks on civilians in Gaza, supports Palestinian rights, and commits to a long-term peace process”.
Twenty percent said the U.S. should continue providing military assistance to its ally while urging the Zionist regime to reduce civilian harm, according to the survey, which was conducted by Zeteo and Data for Progress.
The U.S. provides at least $3.8bn in military support to the Zionist regime annually – an amount that has grown by several folds since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza.
The U.S. faces criticism for providing military aid to the Zionist regime, as nearly 51,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
Successive U.S. administrations have worked to shield the occupying regime from criticism and accountability at international forums, including by vetoing UN Security Council resolutions against Israeli abuses.
Several human rights groups, former State Department officials and Democratic lawmakers have urged the U.S. government to halt weapons transfers to the regime, citing violations of U.S. laws, including the Leahy Law, as well as international laws and human rights.
The Leahy Law, named after former Sen. Patrick Leahy, requires the U.S. to withhold military assistance from foreign military or law enforcement units if there is credible evidence of human rights violations.
U.S.-made weapons have been documented in several Israeli air attacks on Gaza that resulted in civilian casualties, although American authorities have declined to confirm the fact.
A State Department report in May announced it is “reasonable to assess” that Israel used U.S.-made weapons in ways that are inconsistent with international humanitarian law. The report stopped short of reaching a definitive conclusion, saying it does not have “complete information”.