Bernie Sanders, the progressive senator of Vermont, has urged Congress to block additional funding for Israel on Tuesday amid the escalating war in Gaza.
Sanders called Israel's military operations in Gaza a brutal war against the Palestinian people, where more than 22,000 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks after Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel on October 7.
Bernie Sanders Blocks Israel Funding
Sanders rejected the $10.1 billion in military aid to Israel that lawmakers were negotiating as part of a national security spending bill. He said in a press release on Tuesday, "While we recognize that Hamas' barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israel's military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law."
He urged Congress to reject the funding and said that the taxpayers of the US must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza. As the military operations in Gaza continued, Sanders became more critical of the right-wing government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sanders filed a resolution last month for the State Department to look into any possible human rights violations in Gaza. He also denounced the US veto of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. However, the US declined to vote on another UN resolution that demanded urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in the conflict.
His remarks came as Congress was debating Biden's request for $10 billion in aid to Israel as a part of a larger funding package intended to support border security and help US allies, including Ukraine. He objected to a Democratic-supported $111 billion funding proposal last month because he had concerns about the bill's allocation of funds for Israel.
Sanders claimed that Israel has the absolute right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists who attacked them on October 7. However, he added that they do not have the legal or moral right to kill thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.
Republicans in the Senate were able to block the funding bill from advancing, and bipartisan negotiations over a compromise measure have stretched for weeks. On Tuesday, it remained unclear whether an agreement could be achieved. Furthermore, the Biden administration has twice invoked its emergency authority to bypass Congress and approve two arms sales to Israel.
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Biden Supports Israel, Ukraine Funding
In October, Biden asked Congress for nearly $106 billion in funding for Israel and Ukraine to confront China and strengthen border security.
The funding package included some $14 billion for Israel and more than $61 billion for Ukraine, which the Biden administration has repeatedly warned was running out of funds to defend itself from Russia.
Following the unsuccessful vote on Wednesday, Biden accused Republicans of "playing chicken" with the package by requiring partisan border policies. However, he also noted that he would compromise to pass the bill.
