Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersReuters

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) slammed Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders for threatening to use US foreign aid to Israel as leverage to pressure the Israeli government to act differently.

Sanders issued his warning about cutting aid to Israel during a recent interview, in which he also maintained that “our policy cannot just be pro-Israel, pro-Israel, pro-Israel,” and referred to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government as an “extreme right-wing government with many racist tendencies.”

Sanders’ threat to slash aid to Israel comes despite the fact that President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016, in which the U.S. pledged to provide Israel with $3.8 billion in security assistance annually for a term of ten years. The aid is primarily spent in the U.S. for military equipment, and the funds being spent are in the United States’ national security interest.

“In addition to openly bullying a stalwart ally of the United States in a shameless attempt to coerce Israel to accede to his political will, Senator Sanders is effectively threatening to rip up a written commitment that was made by President Obama to the people of Israel,” said NCYI President Farley Weiss. “Unlike the Palestinian Authority, which squanders its foreign aid on glorifying terrorism and inciting violence, Israel uses its foreign aid to sustain its qualitative military edge and defend itself against the existential threats that it faces on a daily basis.”

“By flippantly suggesting that he would cut US aid to Israel, Senator Sanders is completely disregarding the safety and security of every single Israeli citizen,” Weiss added. “Making political threats intended to score political points without taking the time to comprehend the potentially catastrophic effects of your actions is risky and reckless. We hope that Senator Sanders will reconsider his position and reaffirm the United States’ critical financial pledge to Israel.”