Bernie Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont, issued a statement urging Congress to block additional funding to Israel amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Sanders cited the over 22,000 Palestinian casualties in Israeli strikes, triggered by a Hamas attack on October 7 that claimed 1,200 lives in Israel.
Sanders, who is Jewish, condemned what he deemed a “grossly disproportionate, immoral, and internationally unlawful” military response by Israel. He called on Congress to reject further funding, asserting that U.S. taxpayers should not be complicit in the destruction of innocent lives in Gaza.
Sanders’ criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has intensified as the Gaza conflict persists. In the past month, he introduced a resolution urging the State Department to investigate potential human rights violations in Gaza. Sanders also denounced the U.S. veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and later, the U.S. abstention from a vote on another UN resolution seeking “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in the conflict.
As Congress deliberates on Joe Biden’s $10 billion aid request to Israel within a broader funding package, Sanders stands opposed, having previously rejected a $111 billion funding proposal backed by Democrats due to concerns about the allocated funds for Israel. Sanders emphasized that while Israel has the right to defend itself against the October 7 Hamas attack, it lacks the legal or moral right to cause the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians.
Senate Republicans successfully blocked the funding bill, leading to ongoing bipartisan negotiations over a compromise measure. It remains uncertain whether an agreement will be reached. Amidst this deadlock, the Biden administration has twice used emergency authority to approve arms sales to Israel, bypassing the need for Congressional approval.
