Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told CNN in an interview on Sunday that he supports protests against Israel’s war in Gaza while stressing the need to “condemn, in every form, antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry.”
“What Netanyahu’s right-wing, extremist and racist government is doing is unprecedented in the modern history of warfare,” Sanders said.
“Right now, we are looking at the possibility of mass starvation and famine in Gaza. When you make those charges, that is not antisemitic. That is a reality,” he added.
Anti-Israel protests on campuses across the US have surged in recent weeks, with police having had to get involved at times to forcefully remove protesters.
The campus protests have also seen a rise in acts of antisemitism, which Sanders denounced in Sunday’s interview.
“I’m Jewish, all right? My father’s family was wiped out by Hitler. Antisemitism is a disgusting and vile form of bigotry which has killed millions of people. I would hope that every American condemns antisemitism. We condemn Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry,” he told CNN.
Sanders has been critical of Israel’s government in the past, referring to it as “racist” and has long advocated for the US to condition its aid to Israel.
Sanders previously called on Congress to reject the $10.1 billion in unconditional military aid being considered for Israel, saying the funds would be used by the Israeli government “to continue its brutal war against the Palestinian people.”
Sunday’s comments came several days after the Vermont Senator released a statement in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that criticism of the Israeli government’s policies is antisemitic.
Sanders said, among other things, that antisemitism “is a vile and disgusting form of bigotry that has done unspeakable harm to many millions of people” but added, “Please, do not insult the intelligence of the American people by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal war policies of your extremist and racist government. Do not use antisemitism to deflect attention from the criminal indictment you are facing in the Israeli courts. It is not antisemitic to hold you accountable for your actions.”
Despite the fact that Sanders has become steadily more critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, he continues to resist calling for a permanent ceasefire, which he says would open the door to further Hamas attacks.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of the Seventh Day of Passover in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)