emphasized on Sunday that the United States should leverage its aid to Israel to bring about a change in the government’s approach.
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sanders (I-Vt.) stated, “If you want this money, you got to change your military strategy,” when questioned about a possible aid package for Israel awaiting Senate consideration.
Interestingly, the senators who appeared after Sanders seemed more preoccupied with Iran’s actions rather than focusing on Israel’s behavior.
Sanders criticized both Hamas, labeling them as “an awful terrorist organization,” and the Israeli government led by Prime Minister , expressing his hopes for Netanyahu’s replacement. He advocated for a two-state solution to address the long-standing crisis but did not offer a specific plan to move forward without Hamas, Netanyahu, or war.
Sanders insisted that Israel should “go after Hamas but do not kill innocent men, women, and children,” emphasizing the need to halt bombing immediately.
When pressed by host Dana Bash about the possibility of achieving this goal without causing civilian casualties, Sanders deferred to military experts for further explanation.
In alignment with former President , Sanders concurred that the Middle East situation demanded introspection and nuanced analysis. In a recent interview, Obama commented, “If you want to solve the problem, then you have to take in the whole truth. And you then have to admit nobody’s hands are clean, that all of us are complicit to some degree.”
Sanders agreed with Obama, considering the situation as “a very complex issue.”
While denouncing simplistic slogans from both sides of the conflict, Sanders refrained from either endorsing or condemning Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-Mich.) criticism of President Joe Biden’s alleged support for “genocide.” However, he did draw attention to the rhetoric of Republicans, referring to former .
Sanders stated, “If anyone thinks that Trump is going to be better than Biden on this issue or any other issue, for that matter, I think they are sorely mistaken.”
The subsequent senators on “State of the Union” expressed stronger support for Israel and highlighted a different legislative objective: a resolution intended to deter Hezbollah attacks on Israel from Lebanon and place pressure on Iran, Hezbollah’s main supporter.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) described the resolution, stating, “It basically says if the war expands, if Hezbollah opens up a second front against Israel in a substantial way to overwhelm the Iron Dome, then we should hit the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is no Hamas without the Ayatollah’s support. There’s no Hezbollah without the Ayatollah’s support.”
Sen. (D-Conn.) described the resolution as “aggressive” but deemed it necessary.
Graham defended Israel’s conduct during the conflict, drawing a parallel to how the United States operated during World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan.
Graham stated emphatically, “One thing I want to say for sure is Israel is not engaged in genocide.”
Blumenthal advocated for a humanitarian pause in the fighting, emphasizing the need to assist both the residents of Gaza and the release of over 200 Israeli captives.
Furthermore, he recounted the harrowing experiences witnessed during his visit to Israel following Hamas’ attacks on civilians in southern Israel on October 7, which sparked the ongoing conflict.
“What we heard and saw was harrowing to us,” said Blumenthal.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) condemned Hamas but stressed the potential benefits of direct engagement with the Palestinian people.
Reed remarked, “What we have to do is not speak to Hamas, they are intolerant. We have to speak to the Palestinian people. We have to give them hope. We have to give them an aspiration so that they will break with Hamas.”
