WASHINGTON, July 22 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming address to a joint meeting of Congress:
“As I stated last month, I will not be attending the address of Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress on Wednesday.
I concur with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations independent commission that both Benjamin Netanyahu and Yahya Sinwar are war criminals. Under Sinwar’s leadership, Hamas initiated this conflict with a horrific attack against Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 innocent men, women, and children, and the taking of over 240 captives.
Creating a government and a nation that works for all is not utopian.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 23, 2024
We are the richest country in the history of the world – and it belongs to all of us. We can and must create a world that works for everyone, not just the billionaires. pic.twitter.com/bJIxi7usGL
In retaliation, Netanyahu and his right-wing, extremist government have launched a total war against the Palestinian people, causing the deaths of at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring 89,000 more – sixty percent of whom are women, children, or elderly. The Israeli military’s actions have rendered life in Gaza unbearable, demolishing housing, infrastructure, and healthcare systems. Every university has been bombed, and 88 percent of all school buildings have been damaged. Due to ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid, around 495,000 people now face catastrophic levels of food insecurity – they are starving.
Prime Minister Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress. His policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be unequivocally condemned. In my view, his right-wing, extremist government should not receive another nickel of U.S. taxpayer support to perpetuate the inhumane destruction of Gaza.”
