Vocal Democrats supporters of the Jewish state fiercely opposed Bernie Sanders’ call on Congress to require Israel to change its policies before it can receive US military aid, highlighting a growing divide on the left over the Joe Biden administration’s approach to the war.
Leading progressive advocate Bernie Sanders suggested using US security aid to pressure Israel to alter its military methods during its bombardment and blockade of Gaza, which has caused a catastrophic increase in death, displacement, and damage throughout the region, in a statement released on Saturday.
Sanders stated in the statement that although Israel has the right to pursue Hamas, his right-wing extremist government, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, does not have the right to wage nearly total warfare against the Palestinian people. That is against international law and morally repugnant.
A humanitarian crisis has arisen in Gaza as a result of Israel’s reaction to Hamas’s homicidal strike on October 7, which killed 1,200 lives and captured some 240 persons, the great majority of whom were civilians, according to Israeli officials. Palestinian medical organizations report that over 13,000 Palestinians have died, most of them women and children.
Sanders’ appeal came as Democratic Party voters were putting increasing pressure on the party to back a cease-fire in the conflict that has been raging for weeks. Sanders’ unwillingness to back their call for a ceasefire has drawn criticism from his progressive base.
Democrats’ support for Joe Biden, who has steadfastly supported Israel, has sharply declined because of public dissatisfaction with his handling of both the Israel-Hamas conflict and foreign policy in general.
Democrats Thoughts On Israel Reaction
According to a Famous News Channel poll conducted over the weekend, 51% of Democrats think Israel’s military reaction in Gaza has gone “too a while,” while 27% think its actions are “justified.” Younger people were particularly unhappy, with nearly seven out of ten saying they disapproved of how the US president handled the war. These voters ranged in age from 18 to 34.
It coincides with rumors that certain Democratic members of the House and Senate have held talks over how to put restrictions on future military assistance. The discussions among progressives were described as “preliminary” by Politico, but the White House knew that administration allies may publicly press for conditions soon.
Sanders has requested that Israel promise not to reoccupy the enclave or keep up its siege, as well as to pursue extensive negotiations for a two-state solution after the war and to guarantee that displaced Gazans can return to their homes.
The Democratic congresswoman from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, referred to Sanders’ plan as a “responsible course of action”.
She stated on a social media platform, “The United States has a moral and legal obligation to make sure that public resources do not enable flagrant abuses of international law and human rights.
Ocasio-Cortez is among the increasing number of Democrats in the House who have openly asked Biden to back a cease-fire. More than thirty members have signed on to the call, which started with just twelve progressive House Democrats—among them, numerous Jewish Democrats.
Josh Paul, who just resigned as the former director of the State Department’s Political-Military Affairs Bureau in protest of the US decision to keep supplying weaponry into the Gaza conflict, also brought up the concept of conditioning aid in a New York Times op-ed.
He wrote on Friday that the United States must drastically alter its strategy if it is to continue using military and security support as a tool of its engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and there are strong reasons why it shouldn’t).
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