Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) once again voiced strong criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies on Sunday, arguing that recent decisions have pushed Israel toward becoming “almost a pariah state.”
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union”, Sanders addressed Israel’s recent actions, including Netanyahu’s controversial moves to tighten control over the Gaza Strip.
Sanders was asked whether he believed in Israel as a Jewish state. While he affirmed his recognition of Israel’s right to exist as such, he expressed concern over the country’s recent direction.
"Right now, what Netanyahu has done, what the Israeli government has done, is become almost a pariah state, and I fear very much that Israel now is looked in a very, very unfavorable light by people all over the world, all over the world, not just in the United States," the Jewish lawmaker stated.
However, Sanders also acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself, particularly in response to the horrific October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
“Look, Israel had a right, of course, to defend itself from the terrible terrorist attack from Hamas, but what they have done since then is gone to war against the entire Palestinian people,” Sanders claimed. He then claimed that the starvation among children in Gaza is a result of Israel's blockade on the region that restricts food and aid from entering.
When asked whether Hamas was also to blame for the suffering in Gaza, Sanders placed the blame squarely on the Israeli government. “It is not Hamas,” he said. “Hamas is a terrible terrorist organization … and I certainly hope they have no future in a new Gaza Palestine. But the fault right now is 100 percent on the Netanyahu government.”
Sanders has been an outspoken opponent of Israel's actions during the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Recently, he vehemently denounced the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with 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."
In late July, the Senate rejected a resolution, introduced by Sanders, that would have blocked American arms transfers to Israel.
The motion failed by a vote of 27-70. It marked Sanders’ third attempt to force a halt to US weapons deliveries to Israel since late 2024, all of which have failed.