Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who is known for his anti-Israel statements, on Monday welcomed the failure of the motion in the Knesset to oust Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh.
“Israel’s far right tried to expel Ayman Odeh, an Arab Israeli opposition leader, from the Knesset because of his opposition to Netanyahu’s war. Today, they failed,” charged Sanders in a post on X.
“If Israel is going to be considered a democracy, it cannot expel members of parliament for their political views,” he added.
Monday’s motion needed the support of at least 90 MKs, but garnered only 73 votes in favor. 15 MKs voted against the motion and several key factions and lawmakers were absent from the vote, including the entire United Torah Judaism faction, National Unity leader Benny Gantz, and members of the Yesh Atid party.
Odeh, despite being an elected member of the Knesset, has made countless anti-Israel statements, including comparisons between Israeli hostages and Hamas terrorists.
In another incident, Odeh called on young Arabs not to enlist in the "occupation army". Following backlash, he claimed his remarks were mistranslated.
Sanders has been an outspoken opponent of Israel's actions during the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which began after the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in southern Israel.
Last November, the US Senate voted against an effort by Sanders to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel amid concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza.
In March, Sanders again initiated legislative efforts to halt $9 billion in arms sales to Israel. In this case as well, both resolutions were defeated in a Senate vote in April.
Last week, the Jewish lawmaker vehemently denounced the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Sanders characterized the day as "a shameful day in America," citing the International Criminal Court's (ICC) issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged "war crimes."
While neither Israel nor the US are state parties of the ICC, Senator Sanders wrote, "Today, a war criminal under indictment from the ICC will be welcomed to the White House."
