Bernie Sanders slams ‘hypocritical’ Biden over Netanyahu’s support
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Senator Bernie Sanders blasted President Joe Biden for his hypocrisy over his frequent expressions of anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his actions in Gaza while continuing to support military aid to Israel. ‘As you know, there have been many explanations. I mean, one day “I’m angry,” the president is angry with Netanyahu. The next day he is ‘very angry’ and the next day ‘very angry’. So?’ the Vermont senator said in a blistering criticism of the White House response.
‘At the same time there is support for military aid. We’re talking about a $10 billion supplemental bill that I voted against for that reason,” Sanders continued. The progressive independent senator pledged not to give Netanyahu another $10 billion in military aid to “continue killing women and children in Gaza.” Sanders made the comments during a recording of the Pod Save America podcast released Friday.
“You can’t keep talking about your concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and then give Netanyahu another $10 billion or more in bombs. You can not do that. That’s hypocritical.’ Sanders said the president is not stupid and that he knows Biden is a “very decent human being” who is “hurt” by what is going on, but he could not say why the White House has continued with the policy of supporting military aid.
The senator was responding to a question about whether he believes the Biden administration is shifting its position to support conditioning aid to Israel. The senator said he didn’t know. On Thursday, Biden had an hour-long phone call with Netanyahu after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed seven aid workers earlier this week, including a clash with a U.S. citizen. Biden “emphasized that the attacks on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
“He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the harm to civilians, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy toward Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps,” the lecture continued. Biden faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to do more to ensure the safety of civilians in Gaza. He has also faced mounting political pressure as more Americans reject U.S. military support for Israel.
According to the latest Gallup poll data, support for Israel’s military action in Gaza has fallen dramatically since November, with the majority of Americans now opposing it. 55 percent disapprove of Israel’s actions, while only 36 percent approve. Sanders was asked what his message is for those considering a third-party vote on Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza.
The senator said he is working “day and night” to turn around the Biden administration. “I tell that young person: your gut feeling is right,” Sanders said. “I have Palestinian friends who worry every day about what will happen if their relatives have not already been killed. It’s terrible. But all I’m asking is: let’s not make a terrible situation worse.”
Sanders said, “Trump will be worse in that area, let alone in every other area.” Earlier this week, more than 48,000 voters chose ‘uninstructed’ when casting their ballots during the Democratic primaries in Wisconsin. It happened under pressure from some groups on Democrats not to vote for Biden because of his response to the war in Gaza.
