Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) called upon Congress to withhold funding for Israelâs military as Israel continues to fight against Hamas.
Sanders acknowledged that the actions of âHamasâ barbaric terrorist attackâ on Oct. 7 began this war, while also slamming Israelâs âmilitary response,â according to a statement released on Tuesday. The senator called for Congress to not consider a funding bill for Israel that would send $10.1 billion in âunconditional military aidâ to the country.
âThe issue we face with Israel-Gaza is not complicated,â Sanders said. âWhile we recognize that Hamasâ barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israelâs military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law.â
Sanders added that Americans should âunderstand that Israelâs war against the Palestinian peopleâ has been waged with a significant amount of âU.S. bombs, artillery shells, and other forms of weaponry.â
âSince October 7th, over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, two-thirds of these victims have been women and children â and 57,000 have been wounded,â Sanders said.
The Vermont senator noted that since Israel declared war against Hamas, roughly 1.9 million Palestinian men, women, and children, or roughly 85% of the population had been forced to leave their homes.
Sanders continued to reference an âanalysis of satellite radar dataâ that showed roughly 70% of homes and residential units in Gaza had been âdestroyed or damaged by Israeli bombardment.â
âA recent UN report indicates that half of the population of about 2.2 million are at risk of starvation and 90% say that they regularly go without food for a whole day,â Sanders said. âThe chief economist at the World Food Program said the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is among the worst he has ever seen. This cannot be allowed to continue.â
Congress, Sanders pointed out, is âworkingâ on passing a âsupplemental funding billâ that would include $10 billion in military aid for Israel.
âEnough is enough,â Sanders added. âCongress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.â
Sanders has previously expressed that he wants conditions to be placed on additional funding to be sent to Israel, slamming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling the continued war against Hamas as being âimmoral.â
