Senator Bernie Sanders said the US should not provide additional military aid to Israel as long as Prime Minister Netanyahu continues blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Sanders argued the US cannot be complicit in the mass starvation of Palestinian children and that conditioning the $10 billion in military aid is necessary to pressure Netanyahu to change policies preventing life-saving food and supplies.
“You have long been a critic of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The other night, President Biden was heard on a hot mic after the State of the Union address saying he has to have a come to Jesus talk with Netanyahu about letting humanitarian aid into Gaza. Have you spoken to President Biden about whether he’s had this conversation? If he hasn’t, what is he waiting for? And if he already had it, has it made any difference?” Margaret Brennan asked.
While acknowledging concerns over the political impact, Sanders maintained it is both the morally right decision and good politics for any leader, whether conservative or progressive, to prevent children from starving.
Sanders and other Democratic senators believe Israel is violating laws requiring humanitarian access, and the president has authority to suspend aid if national security permits.
“Well, I’ve spoken to people very high up in his administration. Here’s the bottom line. Margaret, what we are seeing in Gaza today is literally an unprecedented crisis. It’s not just that 30,000 people, two thirds of them are women and children have already been killed. We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of thousands of children starving to death. The United States of America cannot be complicit in this mass slaughter of children,” Sanders said.
“So it is one thing to talk to Netanyahu to pressure Netanyahu. But here is the bottom line. Year after year, we have provided billions of dollars in military aid to the Government of Israel. Right now, you have a right wing extremist government under Netanyahu. There are plans to provide him with another $10 billion in unfettered military aid. What you can say to Netanyahu, stop the slaughter, allow the massive amounts of humanitarian aid that we need to come in to feed the children.”
“Please, please, please. Oh, but by the way, if you don’t do it, here’s another $10 billion to continue the war. Now we have written a letter to the president, it turns out that Israel is in violation of the law, stopping American humanitarian aid is in violation of the law. That should be clear, no more money to Netanyahu’s war machine to kill Palestinian children,” he said.
“You said Israel’s in violation of the Foreign Assistance Act as have a handful of other Democratic senators, they may also be in violation of the Leahy Act, the President himself has the national security powers to suspend. Do you really think though, in a presidential election year, that the President of the United States would halt or pause or condition aid to one of the closest allies in the Middle East?” Brennan asked.
“Well, I think it is the right thing to do. You can’t beg Netanyahu, you got to tell him if you want any money, you got to change your policy. Allow the trucks to come in to feed their children. And by the way, in terms of politics —” Sanders said.
“Yeah,” Brennan cut in.
“Which is secondary, to my mind in this issue. The truth is, whether you’re a conservative Republican or a progressive, you do not want to see children in Palestine starve to death. So I think it’s good politics, and it’s the moral and right thing to do,” Sanders said.
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