Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the most well-known Democratic Socialists, has strayed from his progressive allies and rejected a call for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, Sanders declared "Israel has the right to defend itself."
Host Margaret Brennan asked Sanders why he supports Israel's rejection of a permanent ceasefire with Hamas — something that his closest allies, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, both support.
Sanders explained that he supported the United Nations resolution brought by the United Arab Emirates, which has been vetoed, that would have called for a ceasefire to allow the release of more hostages and allow continued aid into war-torn Gaza.
The United States was the only vote against the resolution.
So far, 61 members of Congress, all Democrats, have called for such a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities, according to a tracker being updated by Jewish Voice for Peace Action and the Working Families Party.
However, a permanent ceasefire is not realistic, Sanders said, because Hamas “wants to destroy Israel.” Bernie Sanders on Face The Nation:
“I don’t know how you can have a permanent ceasefire with Hamas who has said before October 7 and after October 7 that they want to destroy Israel and they want a permanent war. I don’t know how you have a permanent ceasefire with an attitude… pic.twitter.com/t51mGmUn0g
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 10, 2023
"Well, first of all, I strongly support and wish and hope that the United States will support the United Nations resolution that was vetoed, that we vetoed the other day," Sanders began. "That was a humanitarian course, united period fire that would advise we call for the release of all of the hostages held by Hamas and would allow the U.N. and other agencies to begin to supply the enormous amount of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people."
Sanders continued, "In terms of a permanent ceasefire, I don’t know how you can have a permanent ceasefire, when Hamas who has said before October 7th and after September 7th, that they want to destroy Israel. They want a permanent war. I don’t know how you have a permanent ceasefire with an attitude like that."
"Okay. So the war you’re saying against Hamas is justified in that way?" Brennan asked.
"I think Israel has the right to defend itself and to go after Hamas, but not the Palestinian people," Sanders replied. AIPAC thanks the arms industry-funded socialist Bernie Sanders for greenlighting Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. https://t.co/IwdiDXccNR
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) December 10, 2023
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a well-funded pro-Israel lobbying organization, thanked Sanders for his stance — but fellow Socialists were less appreciative. Sanders acknowledges that more than 16,000 Gazans have been killed by Israel, but he doesn't know how a ceasefire is possible. There's an easy answer: stop funding and arming Israel's genocide. The problem isn't Hamas' "attitude." It's Israel's brutal oppression of Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/yEeCL3eMug
— David North (@DavidNorthWSWS) December 11, 2023
"Sanders acknowledges that more than 16,000 Gazans have been killed by Israel, but he doesn't know how a ceasefire is possible. There's an easy answer: stop funding and arming Israel's genocide. The problem isn't Hamas' 'attitude.' It's Israel's brutal oppression of Palestinians," WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman & Socialist Equality Party Chairman David North wrote in a post on X.
