Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, stated on Monday that a portion of the U.S. military assistance to Israel should go towards humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip.
“I would use the leverage of $3.8 billion,” Sanders said, referring to the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Israel negotiated by former President Barack Obama. “It is a lot of money, and we cannot give it carte blanche to the Israeli government or for that matter to any government at all. We have a right to demand respect for human rights and democracy.”
The senator, who received a thunderous crowd ovation from start to finish, remarked that some of the $3.8 billion the United States annually gives to Israel in assistance should “go right now to humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
The Gaza Strip has been under control by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas since 2007, when it overthrew the Palestinian Authority. Israel has permitted international humanitarian aid transfers to the Gaza Strip, including from Arab countries such as Qatar.
“My proposal in terms of Israeli-Palestinian efforts is not a radical proposal,” Sanders said. “All it says is that we need an even-hand proposal for both people. What is going on in Gaza right now, for example, is absolutely inhumane. It is unacceptable. It is unsustainable.”
Sanders also attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that it’s not anti-Semitic to say that the government of Netanyahu has been “racist.”
“It is not anti-Semitism to say that the Netanyahu government has been racist,” Sanders told the annual J Street conference in Washington, D.C. “That’s a fact.”
However, cautioned Sanders, “It is not only Netanyahu’s government that has been a problem; let’s recognize there has been corruption in terms of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.”
In response to getting endorsements from those on the record for their anti-Semitic vitriol, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and comedian and law professor Amer Zahr, Sanders said, “Being Jewish may be helpful in that regard. It would be very hard for anybody to call me whose father’s family was wiped out by Hitler and who spent time in Israel anti-Semitic.”
Along with Sanders, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) addressed the J Street conference.
They were all interviewed by the hosts of the weekly podcast “Pod Save the World,” former National Security Council spokesperson Tommy Vietor and former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes to “discuss the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship, their visions for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, their plans to combat the growing threat of white supremacy and more,” according to an email from J Street ahead of the conference.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) are scheduled to address the conference on Monday night.
The conference concludes on Tuesday, when participants will lobby J Street’s agenda on Capitol Hill.
(JNS)
{Matzav.com}
Sanders should go right now to Gaza and stay there.
“Al Hamalshinim” was written for Jews just like him.
J Street(Stretorovit) is jewish from Minsk.
א אלטער משוגענער
The money comes from Congress (remember the Ileana Ros-Lehtinen U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018) and Trump has been lambasted plenty whenever there is even a hint that Trump is ogling any Congress apportioned money. Now this guy is openly calling to break US law?
“It is a lot of money, and we cannot give it carte blanche to the Israeli government or for that matter to any government at all. We have a right to demand respect for human rights and democracy.”
But of course if it is given as humanitarian aid to Gaza it will be given with no strings attached
“It would be very hard for anybody to call me whose father’s family was wiped out by Hitler and who spent time in Israel anti-Semitic.”
So give me credit. Despite the difficulty in calling Bernie Sanders and (the rest of the J Street crowd Jewish)antisemites I have no difficulty doing so.
Or if they aren’t personally anti Semites they certainly are useful idiots for the anti-Semites.
On another note as someone who actually watched the J Street conference, of course the frum community was accused of having “white nationalists and white nationalist attitudes” during their panel on “Antisemitism”.
And don’t forget our white privilege.
Unfortunately the J Street people are on the way out of the tribe. In a generation two at the most, they will not be halachically Jewish.
It is very sad. It is also very sad that on the way out they are and will continue to cause a lot of damage to the Jewish People.
I think Sanders should take a trip to Gaza
“It would be very hard for anybody to call me whose father’s family was wiped out by Hitler and who spent time in Israel anti-Semitic.”
Fair point. Would he prefer “Traitor”? “Fool”? “Quisling”?
I know who im voting for
Is this hot-headed self-hating bitter Jew still running for president?
If he feels it’s inhumane in Gaza, get rid of hamas and the murderous Arabs
“Being Jewish may be helpful in that regard. It would be very hard for anybody to call me whose father’s family was wiped out by Hitler and who spent time in Israel anti-Semitic.”
This makes Sanders the worst and most dangerous sort of anti-Semite there is. He’s a self-hating Jew, who is Jewish by accidental birth to a Jewish mother. His soul is so deeply buried in his perverted liberal agenda, that his father’s family, Hashem Yinkom Domom, are likely reeling in their graves at the sight of what their progeny pushing and professes.
He should be ashamed of abandoning his own people. He should be frighted of what the World to Come will have to offer him for his perversion and hatred of his own people.
ABSOLUTELY …!!!!!!!
As a good Communist Bernie doesn’t believe in the next world or indeed Hashem.
What a waste of a good heart attack.
Why is this garlic breath guy always pointing his finger at us? Does it make this drooling bum feel better about himself? Also, can’t this frowning old fart ever comb his hair? Why must Popeye always look disheveled?
TOUCHE’ ..!
“…It would be very hard for anybody to call me whose father’s family was wiped out by Hitler and who spent time in Israel anti-Semitic.”
Really????
I, and many others like me, have NO PROBLEM calling YOU, Bernie, are an ANTI-SEMITE!
ABSOLUTELY ..!!!
You’re enjoying yourself?
And don’t forget who else is scheduled to speak at this same conference. Chuck Schumer. Yes he joins sanders. We are fools fo voting democratic. If every Orthodox Jew and Moised voted out the liberal Jew haters we would be a better society. Trump 2020
Senile fool
alta kaka bernie sanders is a disgrace maybe he should visit gaza before he opens his mouth to knock Netanyahu