Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has had some pretty problematic takes on Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, especially and including when it comes to conditioning aid for our ally in the Middle East. He doesn't always get it wrong, though, as he showed during Sunday's edition of CBS News' "Face the Nation."
Many of Sanders' fellow leftists have taken it upon themselves to demand a ceasefire, including and especially members of the Squad. The senator isn't one of them, though, which host Margaret Brennan says he's "taken some flack" over.
"In terms of a permanent ceasefire, I don't know how you could have a permanent ceasefire with Hamas who has said before October 7, and after October 7, 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," Sanders accurately pointed out.
That response earned him praise from American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel PAC.
Thank you @SenSanders for your strong opposition to a permanent ceasefire with Hamas.@FaceTheNation pic.twitter.com/78PdsAKm1D
— AIPAC | Text ISRAEL to 24722 | #StandWithIsrael (@AIPAC) December 10, 2023
.@BernieSanders on why he has not called for a cease-fire in Gaza, as other progressives have done: "I don't know how you can have a permanent cease-fire with Hamas, who has said before October 7 and after October 7 that they want to destroy Israel, they want a permanent war." pic.twitter.com/nWsx7ft5Gi
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 10, 2023
A ceasefire would not only benefit Hamas and Hamas alone, but it was also Hamas that has continuously broken the ceasefire, including the one that was in place before they attacked on October 7, as well as the temporary ceasefires that have taken place to allow for the release hostages, with Hamas having taken around 240 captives. Not only did Hamas attack people in Jerusalem, but the terrorist group has refused to release all of the female hostages.
Nevertheless, Sanders still supports those pauses. Brennan also brought up how the United States vetoed a resolution from the United Nations for a ceasefire, though Sanders said "I strongly support and wish and hope that the United States will support the United Nations resolution," categorizing it as "a humanitarian pause, a humanitarian ceasefire."
When also asked if he's saying the war "against Hamas is justified in that way," Sanders offered "I think Israel has the right to defend itself and go after Hamas. Not the Palestinian people."
With regards to how Hamas has acted during this war, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as Spencer covered, reminded during his appearance on ABC News' "This Week," that "if Hamas were to put down its weapons tomorrow [and] surrender tomorrow, this would be over tomorrow." He also spoke out against that resolution from the UN, noting that a ceasefire "would simply perpetuate the problem." The secretary also noted that the United States has already "been a strong proponent of humanitarian pauses."
The days for the UN, which has not only been anti-Israel, but also complict with Hamas. There's not only been delayed statements from UN Women, but a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) worker had held captive and mistreated a hostage. Last week, as we covered in an exclusive, Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Mike Rogers (R-AL) as well as Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation to defund the organization.
It's worth reminding that Sanders even provided an assist for arguably the most notorious Squad member as of late, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Back in May, Sanders was responsible for allowing Tlaib to hold an event regarding Israel's founding as a "Nakba," or "catastrophe," around the time of its 75th anniversary. The event was held in the committee room for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which Sanders chairs. He did so without consulting or even informing Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who expressed outrage. Sanders made his move after then Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had blocked the event from being held at the Capitol.
He's not with her this time, though.
Then again, Sanders still remains critical of Israel, especially under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. "The United States has got to put all of the pressure that it can to tell Netanyahu to stop this disastrous military approach," the senator told Brennan.
"Israel is losing the war in terms of how the world is looking at this situation. And I think that it would be irresponsible for the United States to give Netanyahu another $10 billion to continue to wage this awful war," he also went on to say when discussing conditioning aid to Israel.
Congress has been locked in a battle of providing aid to Israel and Ukraine, and whether to tie them together when it comes to such packages. Republicans have also sought to tie providing aid to Ukraine with the crisis at the southern border. Even with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to senators on Tuesday, it doesn't look like that will make Republicans any more willing to budge, according to Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), who has been a leading voice on the negotiations.
While the House passed a standalone bill providing aid to Israel, paid for by rescinding the funding for the 87,000 new IRS agents, Senate Democrats have rejected such a bill multiple times now.
“We have a responsibility to the (USA),” Lankford said. "That would mean me going back to my state and saying I care about people in other countries, but I don’t care about what’s happening in my own country. It’s important that we actually do two things at once here.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 11, 2023
Lankford added that there's "no way to get it done this week," but said that the "big question" is if the Senate sticks around next week to continue negotiations -- or go home for Christmas.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 11, 2023