Sen King Releases Statement "I am through supporting the actions of the current Israeli government"

[vanessa_ca]

July 28, 2025

King Releases Statement Amid Growing Nutrition Crisis in Gaza

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amid the growing nutrition and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement severing his support for the current Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

“I cannot defend the indefensible. Israel’s actions in the conduct of the war in Gaza, especially its failure to address the unimaginable humanitarian crisis now unfolding, is an affront to human decency. What appears to be a deliberately-induced famine among a civilian population—including tens of thousands of starving children—can never be an acceptable military strategy.

“While clearly justified in responding to the horrific attack by Hamas on innocent Israeli citizens, that tragic event cannot in turn justify the enormous toll on Palestinian civilians caused by Israel’s relentless bombing campaign and its indifference to the current plight of those trapped in what’s left of Gaza.

“I in no way accept or condone the actions of Hamas, but recent events have placed a moral burden on Israel to ameliorate the current crisis, a burden it has thus far totally failed to meet.

“For these reasons, I am through supporting the actions of the current Israeli government and will advocate—and vote—for an end to any United States support whatsoever until there is a demonstrable change in the direction of Israeli policy. My litmus test will be simple: no aid of any kind as long as there are starving children in Gaza due to the action or inaction of the Israeli government.”

###

https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-releases-statement-amid-growing-nutrition-crisis-in-gaza

Good. It's a start. Now get more of your fellow senators to do the same.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Who wants to go down in history for supporting a genocide?

Bueller? Bueller?

[Quanto Magnus]

19. All of the Republicans (eom)

[hlthe2b]

2. A year or more late, but better now than never. Netanyahu is and has been a monster--including to his own people.

[dalton99a]

3. Netanyahu belongs in prison.

[Mosby]

4. Angus King says his vote for anti-abortion judge 'a mistake'

July 24, 2025

U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine this week voted to confirm a controversial solicitor general in Missouri to a lifetime appointment as federal judge, a vote he now acknowledges was a mistake.

King is an independent who caucuses with Democrats and is known as a staunch defender of abortion rights. That's why his vote for Missouri solicitor general Josh Divine to a lifetime post in his home state baffled abortion rights groups.

Divine is considered a hardline conservative with a long record of litigation against abortion rights, including defending Missouri's near total ban on the procedure and its bid to restrict access to medication abortion.

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-07-24/angus-king-says-his-vote-for-anti-abortion-judge-a-mistake

He's an 81 year old independent.

[Rebl2]

14. Good

god why did he do that to the democrats in MO. I realize it probably would not have mattered in the end, but supposedly he supports abortion rights. Thanks a lot.

[bsiebs]

18. He claimed he did not know his record... trusted the advice of Josh Hawley (!) to support the guy...

...its not complicated...when voting for a federal judge for a lifetime term.. LOOK AT HIS RECORD!

[Rebl2]

20. Thanks

for nothing King. Since when does he trust anything Hawley says😡. I live in MO and didn’t trust him when was attorney general of MO. for a minute. Republicans were grooming him to be the next senator of MO from the minute he became attorney general of MO. Didn’t help that former senator Danforth backed him. Since then, Danforth has said he was very sorry he backed him. Danforth should be ashamed for not investigating his policies a lot more than he did before backing him.

[calimary]

17. Easy for Angus King to say, now. AFTER the damage is done.

[regnaD kciN]

5. I suppose we can expect Fetterman to condemn King by this evening...?

[mountain grammy]

7. Oh Jesus! I hope not!

[LoisB]

6. Better late than never but this is an excellent statement by Senator King.

[fujiyamasan]

8. Strong statement

Hopefully we’ll see this from more, but after that photo of senators from both parties crowding around Netanyahu like a bunch of pathetic groupies, I don’t have much hope.

[vanessa_ca]

9. I hope so too. Eventually, they'll have to listen to us.

My mom told me it was the same during the Vietnam war and that eventually they had to cave.

Link to tweet

"In a new low, only 8% of Democrats and one-quarter of independents say they now approve of Israel’s military campaign.
Young adults are also much more likely to disapprove of Israel’s actions. Only about 1 in 10 adults under age 35 say they approve of Israel’s military choices in Gaza, compared with about half of those who are 55 or older.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-military-gaza-netanyahu-trump-poll-dc79937460ed55e9a020acba652eba4b

And the Likudnik money isn't going nearly as far as it used to. Choices, choices. Even Ritchie Torres has started doing the math. Soon everyone will be wringing their hands pretending they've always been against this.

Link to tweet

/photo/1

[Joinfortmill]

10. I'm with him. Israelis need to dump Netanyahu.

[Prairie Gates]

11. He's been briefed on what will happen in the next six weeks: tens of thousands will starve to death

You're seeing numerous leaders now listening to their aides and believing reports. The red light is flashing. They want to be on the other side of the humanitarian catastrophe that is coming, and coming soon. Coming now. Even Trump is trying to get out from under it.

What will unfold in the next six weeks in Gaza is an unfathomable human-caused disaster, and yes, emaciated bodies in large piles being pushed into mass graves.

Absolute lifting to the blockade and all hands on deck emergency. Food aid to Gaza now.

[Donkees]

12. ''Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who did not support the resolutions Sanders tried to pass in April ... ''

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who did not support the resolutions Sanders tried to pass in April, said earlier this week that he would vote for "an end to any United States support whatsoever" for Israel "until there is a demonstrable change in the direction of Israeli policy."

Earlier this year, Sanders led an unsuccessful effort to block the Trump administration's sale of nearly $9 billion in weapons to the Israeli government. Just 14 senators, all Democrats, backed the resolutions.

But there are some indications that support for blocking arms sales could grow as the starvation crisis that Israel has imposed on Gaza intensifies.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/sanders-force-vote-israel-weapons-sales

Just 14 Democrats joined Sanders (I-Vt.) in voting for S. J. Res. 33 and S.J. Res. 26:

Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Tim Kaine (Va.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Tina Smith (Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Peter Welch (Vt.).

For both JRDs, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) voted present, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) did not vote. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) did not vote for the first one and opposed the second. The remaining Democrats and all Republicans opposed the measures. The final tallies are slightly lower than the numbers from the trio of resolutions late last year.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/bernie-sanders-israel-bill

[karynnj]

15. A very interesting list

I would posit that there would not be a political cost in Vermont and Hawaii. Dick Dubin is retiring so could vote his conscience.

Of all of these, Chris Murphy is the only one ever suggested as a potential nominee. Chris Van Hollen, not only voted for this but has made strong statements about Gaza for a long time. I'm impressed that Andy Kim voted for it as he is a first term Senator from NJ which has a very big Jewish population.

This is a list worth remembering because by April, there was no doubt that we should have stopped arming Israel. I would not go as far as saying this is a list that put their own conscience above fear of political retribution by AIPAC etc only because I think there were some who felt that given all the threats to Israel they couldn't make that decision. The problem is this resolution was about the only thing Senators could do not to give Netanyahu a blank check.

I was lucky enough back in 2017 (I think) to have heard Schatz, Durbin and King speak at J Street.

[Rob H.]

13. Calling it now: If he runs again, AIPAC will bury any primary challengers

in truckloads of cash.

[Hornedfrog2000]

16. So, how do we make repubs own gaza?

This is on trump. He said he would make peace. Why the fuck hasnt he made good on his promises, and why the fuck isnt the media asking him? Oh i know, because they are all in on it.