Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been calling for conditions on the billions of dollars the Biden administration has requested for Israel in their war against Hamas. Now, he’s signaling to his colleagues that he will oppose any aid for Israel if such guardrails are not put in place.

In a letter to his colleagues sent Tuesday evening, Sanders argues that the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is waging an “immoral” war and pleaded for the United States to “not be complicit.”

“We have to end our complicity,” Sanders said in an interview. “I think the military strategy of the Netanyahu government has not been to go to war against Hamas, but to go to war against the Palestinian people. What we are seeing is a horrific, it is devastating. We should not be part of it.”

More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, and more than 41,000 have been injured.

Sanders, who is Jewish, said he’ll oppose a test vote expected to take place on Wednesday on a $110 billion national security supplemental spending bill that includes $14 billion in military aid for Israel. He’s the first Democrat to come out against the measure which all Republicans are expected to oppose over the separate issue of U.S. border security.

Sanders was the first but part of a growing number of Democratic lawmakers who are calling for conditions on aid to Israel. No other Democrat, however, has said they’d oppose a broad funding package that also includes money for Ukraine.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said it’s “important” that any aid package “reiterate” compliance with U.S. and international law but there is not such language in the current aid package.

Sanders supports $4 billion in aid to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, but he is opposed to what he calls a $10 billion “blank check” for their military operations.

“Israel’s indiscriminate approach is deeply offensive to most Americans, is in violation of U.S. and international law, and undermines the prospects for lasting peace and security,” Sanders wrote in his letter to his colleagues.

Sanders said President Biden’s attempt to backchannel the message of restraint to Netanyahu and the Israeli government isn’t working and that Congress must include conditions for the use of the money into law.

“Netanyahu and his very right-wing, extremist colleagues in the cabinet, are not paying attention to the president of the United States,” Sanders said.

Sanders wants guarantees that displaced Palestinians will have the “absolute right” to return to Gaza, a commitment there will be “no long-term occupation or blockade” of Gaza and a freeze on settlement expansions in the West Bank. He also wants Israel to commit to talks toward a two-state solution once the war ends.

Sanders cautioned that Democrats and the president “will be hurt politically” if it is not clear that the U.S. does not support Netanyahu’s handling of the war.

Темы и теги

Израиль Экономика и Бизнес

безответственный Берни Сандерс безусловный помощь сенатор Байден призыв миллиард ХАМАС