US Senator calls for end to Israeli killing, not ceasefire in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
6 Nov 2023 09:38
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Bernie Sanders states his intention to make up his mind on any military aid package when it reaches the Senate for decision but insists that it would be contingent on ending civilian deaths.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, Independent-Vermont, arrives to speak to supporters at a primary night election rally in New Hampshire, February 11, 2020. (AP)

Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders demanded an end to the killing of thousands of “innocent men, women and children."

“What Israel does not, in my view, have a right to do is to kill thousands of thousands of innocent men, women and children who had nothing to do with that attack,” he said, adding, “There’s not enough food, there’s not enough water, medicine, fuel. You’ve got a humanitarian disaster, it has to be dealt with right now.”

However, he did call for an end to Hamas as well, which he believes has a "sinister goal".

While he called for an end to the killing of thousands of “innocent men, women and children," Sanders reiterated his stance against a ceasefire in the Strip, saying, “I don’t know how you could have a permanent ceasefire with an organization like Hamas which is dedicated to destroying the state of Israel … and has got to go."

'Money in return for so-called change'

Meanwhile, this comes as Sanders declined CNN’s invitation to denounce Palestinian American member of Congress Rashida Tlaib, saying, “We don’t have to quibble about words … Rashida is a friend of mine, her family comes from Palestine, I think she’s been shaken, as all of us are, about what is going on right now.”

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was the individual who introduced the resolution on October 26, accusing Tlaib of "antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the US Capitol Complex."

As for military aid being sent to "Israel", Sanders stated his intention to make up his mind on any package when it reaches the Senate for a decision but claimed the condition would be contingent on ending civilian deaths.

“It’s terribly important that, as we debate that, to say to Israel, ‘You want this money, you got to change your military strategy’.” This comes as Congress is considering a funding request, including over $14.3 billion for "Israel", as part of a national security supplemental package.

Blatant and blind

On Sunday, Gilad Erdan, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, refused any possibility of a humanitarian pause and said during his interview on CNN’s State of the Union that a ceasefire in the airstrikes and ground invasion would let Hamas “rearm and regroup and prevent us from achieving our goal to destroy Hamas’s terrorist capabilities."

He did not stop there. Erdan blatantly and blindly claimed that “there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza” and insisted that the occupation “never intentionally targets civilians. We do everything that is possible to minimize and mitigate civilian casualties.”

Numbers in Gaza show otherwise as the number of martyrs in Gaza has now surpassed 9,500 with 70% of the deaths being women and children. So much for "minimizing and mitigating civilian casualties" as Israeli doctors call for the bombing of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza and as Israeli "Heritage" Minister Amihai Eliyahu says nuking the Gaza Strip is on the table in light of the ongoing aggression on the Palestinian people.

A bipartisan resolution will be presented in the US Senate on Monday in an attempt to warn Iran not to continue fighting on the Lebanese-Palestinian northern border through the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah.

The Republican Senator who co-authored the resolution, Lindsey Graham, told CNN that the resolution is a threat to Iran that a US military response will take place if it decides to open another front.

“The resolution puts Iran on notice that all this military force in the region will be coming after you if you expand this way by activating Hezbollah or killing Americans through your proxies in Syria and Iraq,” he said.