Senator Bernie Sanders Calls for Rejection of Billions in Military Aid for Israel

The Biden administration has requested additional support for U.S. allies, including Israel, from Congress. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has spoken out against the request, calling for the rejection of billions in military aid for Israel.

In a statement, Sanders said, “Enough is enough. Congress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.” He went on to criticize the Israeli government’s military approach in Gaza, which has resulted in the death of over 22,300 people.

Sanders also noted the relationship between Israel’s fiercest critics and the far-right extremists who make up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. He said, “It’s occurred to me in recent days how many of Israel’s fiercest critics have a comparable relationship with the many far-right extremists who make up Netanyahu’s current and, one hopes, final government.”

He further highlighted the paradoxical relationship between Hamas and the Israeli right, particularly Netanyahu. He said, “Many have learned over the last three months how Hamas and the Israeli right, and especially Benjamin Netanyahu, have a paradoxically symbiotic relationship.”

The war in Gaza has caused immense destruction and Sanders believes that the U.S. should not be complicit in this destruction. He concluded his statement by saying, “From the start of Israel’s current campaign in Gaza, various members of the current coalition have opined or hoped that the carnage and destruction might be an opportunity to depopulate Gaza.”