Sen. Bernie Sanders: “No more money to Netanyahu’s war machine to kill Palestinian children”

Washington — Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, said Sunday that the Biden administration needs to make clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if his government wants to continue to receive support from the U.S., Israel must change its policy on humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“No more money to Netanyahu’s war machine to kill Palestinian children,” Sanders said on “Face the Nation” on Sunday. 

The long-time critic of Netanyahu is among a group of lawmakers who have argued that Israel is violating the Foreign Assistance Act by blocking American humanitarian aid to Gaza. He said on Sunday that suspending or conditioning aid to Israel would be the “right thing to do.”

Sanders called the situation in Gaza an “unprecedented crisis” with thousands of children under the threat of starvation, while to while noting that no matter where someone stands on the political spectrum, no one wants to see children in Gaza “starve to death.”  He said the immediate priority is feeding the children, calling for a ceasefire “tomorrow” so that humanitarian aid can get into Gaza. 

“I think at the end of the day, Hamas cannot be continuing to run Gaza and the Netanyahu government cannot continue to run Israel if we’re going to ever bring peace to that region,” Sanders said. 

The comments come as the holy month of Ramadan is set to begin. President Biden had expressed hope for a six-week ceasefire to correspond with the beginning of the month of dawn-to-dusk fasting. But the prospects appeared unlikely with the talks at a standstill. 

The White House’s tone toward Netanyahu has appeared to grow more stern in recent weeks, amid intense political pressure. Days ago, Mr. Biden was caught on a hot pic after the State of the Union saying he needs to have a “come to Jesus” moment with the Israeli prime minister about letting humanitarian aid into Gaza. 

Progressives have been critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, launching campaigns across the country to vote “uncommitted” to send a message to the president about their ailing support amid his reelection bid. But despite the loss of support among some progressives, who make up much of Sanders’ base, the Vermont independent presented a clear choice between Mr. Biden and the likely GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump.

“If you believe that climate change is real, you got to vote for President Biden. If you believe that women have a right to control their own bodies, you got to vote for President Biden,” Sanders said, while also mentioning tax breaks for the wealthy, prescription drug prices and the democratic process.

“The fight continues to change Biden’s policy in Gaza,” he said. “But the contrast between Biden and Trump is day and night.”