Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Congress Tuesday to reject the $10.1 billion in unconditional military aid to Israel, citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu’s illegal and immoral war against the Palestinian People.”
In a statement, Sanders said the supplemental funding bill gives aid “for the right-wing Netanyahu government to continue its brutal war against the Palestinian people.”
“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.”
Sanders said the issue is complicated, adding that “while we recognize that Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israel’s military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law.”
Bernie Sanders arrives for a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on unions on November 14, 2023 in Washington D.C. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“And, most importantly for Americans, we must understand that Israel’s war against the Palestinian people has been significantly waged with U.S. bombs, artillery shells, and other forms of weaponry. And the results have been catastrophic.”
Sanders, one of the first members of Congress to call for a humanitarian pause, is now one of the first to call for the end to unconditional aid to Israel.
His comments come just hours after Israel carried out a drone strike in neighboring country Lebanon, striking the capital city of Beirut and taking out Deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri.
His comments also come as the United Nations warns that half of Gazans are at risk of starving as the war continues through this year.