Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Oct. 28 part of the military aid the United States provides to Israel should be diverted to the Gaza Strip, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reports.
Speaking during J Street’s annual conference, Sanders said he would tell Israel as president, “If you want military aid, you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza. I would say that some of that $3.8 billion should go right now to humanitarian aid in Gaza.” Sanders’ answer resulted in applause, according to JTA.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center criticized Sanders for his remark in a tweet.
“@BernieSanders demand that aid to Israel defending Jewish state from genocidal Iran + terrorists should be diverted to Hamas-run Gaza – beyond the pale,” they wrote. “What’s next? $$$ to [ISIS]?”
. @BernieSanders demand that aid to Israel defending Jewish state from genocidal Iran + terrorists should be diverted to Hamas-run Gaza – beyond the pale. What’s next? $$$ to Isis? https://t.co/5YVovwYAsS via @JNS_org
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) October 28, 2019
Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley similarly tweeted, “[Sanders] wants to take money we give to Israel to defend itself from terrorists, and give it to Gaza, which is run by terrorists?? Unreal. Why isn’t every other [Democratic presidential] candidate saying he’s wrong?”
Just when you thought Bernie Sanders couldn’t get any more radical, he outdid himself. He wants to take money we give to Israel to defend itself from terrorists, and give it to Gaza, which is run by terrorists?? Unreal. Why isn’t every other Dem pres candidate saying he’s wrong?
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 29, 2019
Sanders also said during his J Street speech that it is “a fact” to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration “racist,” but he did acknowledge that “there has been corruption in terms of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority,” according to Jewish News Syndicate.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) similarly said during an Oct. 19 campaign event that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to potentially freezing aid to Israel to stop the government from increasing the building of settlements.
