Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist who has received much criticism for his unwillingness to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, finally released a statement on December 13 calling for President Biden to “stop funding this war and to support UN efforts for a humanitarian ceasefire.”
While Sanders’ statement began with a denunciation of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation carried out on October 7, the bulk of his statement criticizes Israel’s disproportionate military response, mass human rights violations, and violations of international law. He also formally asked Biden to withdraw his support for a portion of an upcoming foreign aid package. “While it is appropriate to support defensive systems that will protect Israeli civilians against incoming missile and rockets attacks, it would be irresponsible to provide an additional $10.1 billion in military aid beyond these defensive systems as contained in the proposed supplemental foreign aid package,” Sanders states. “This money would allow for the continuation of the Netanyahu government’s widespread, indiscriminate bombardment. Therefore, I ask that you withdraw your support for that portion of the funding requested from Congress.”
Sanders also calls on Biden to support the UN General Assembly’s ceasefire resolution. However, the Washington Post reports that Sanders is only backing the UN’s resolution because he believes it is temporary. “Long-term, I don’t know how you can have a permanent cease-fire when Hamas has made it very clear that that’s not what they want or believe in,” Sanders said in a Post interview, also published on December 13.
This announcement comes the same day that reports emerged of Israel slaughtering “execution-style,” men, women, and babies that had been sheltering inside the Shadia Abu Ghazala School in the al-Faluja area in the Northern Gaza strip. “The Israeli soldiers came in and opened fire on them,” said a woman at the scene, according to an Al Jazeera report. “They took all men, then entered classrooms and opened fire on a woman and all the children with her.”
Sanders, who twice ran wildly popular presidential campaigns under a “socialist” platform, has been under pressure from many on the left to call for a ceasefire. Even former Sanders staffers have banded together to put pressure on the Senator.
