Bernie Sanders Calls for Immediate Halt to US Military Aid to Israel
In a powerful and urgent address, US Senator Bernie Sanders has declared that the time has come for Congress to cease all military assistance to Israel, citing what he describes as the "horrific and illegal behavior" of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over the past three years. Sanders, a proud Jewish American whose family suffered under Nazi persecution, emphasized that criticizing Israel's actions is not antisemitic but a moral imperative.
The Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza
Following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds hostage, Israel launched a military response that Sanders argues has violated international law. The senator detailed the devastating toll: more than 72,000 Palestinians killed and over 170,000 wounded in Gaza, with the majority being women, children, and the elderly. Infrastructure has been decimated, including water and sewer systems, electricity supplies, and nearly all housing units, leaving most residents homeless.
The destruction extends to education and healthcare: all 12 universities in Gaza have been demolished, along with hundreds of schools, while 94% of hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, resulting in the deaths of 1,700 healthcare workers. A blockade has prevented essential aid, leading to widespread malnutrition and starvation.
Violence and Settlement Expansion in the West Bank
Sanders highlighted that the crisis is not confined to Gaza. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed 1,071 Palestinians, including 233 children, since October 2023. Over 6,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished, and more than 200 new illegal settlements have been established. Netanyahu's government has approved sweeping changes to the West Bank's legal status, removing constraints on settlement expansion, with officials openly stating their aim to prevent a Palestinian state.
Regional Escalation and Global Impact
The senator accused Netanyahu of provoking conflicts beyond Palestine, including an unprovoked war on Iran that has killed thousands of civilians and 13 American soldiers, and a new war of expansion against Lebanon, resulting in over 2,000 deaths and Israeli occupation of 14% of Lebanese territory. Israeli officials have threatened to replicate the destruction seen in Gaza in Lebanese areas, promising further devastation.
American Public Opinion and Congressional Action
Public support for Israel in the United States has plummeted, with 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans holding unfavorable views, according to recent polls. A Quinnipiac poll found that 60% of Americans, including majorities of Democrats and independents, oppose sending arms to Israel. In response, Sanders is forcing Senate votes on two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block arms sales: one targeting $151.8 million in 1,000-pound bombs and another against $295 million in bulldozers used in demolitions.
Sanders concluded by urging his colleagues to join him in ending military aid to what he calls the "extremist Netanyahu government," asserting that these weapons enable ethnic cleansing and must be stopped to align US policy with the will of the American people.
