Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) argued that “the United States, time and time again, has looked aside when Israel has done some bad things” and “if we are going to go forward, it cannot be that the United States just takes the side of Israel” on Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Final 5 Candidates.”
Sanders said that while the US should ensure Israel’s security and independence remains intact, “[W]e have also got to work with the Palestinians. And what that means, we have got to recognize that, for in Gaza — for example, in Gaza, you’ve got an unemployment rate of 44%. You have people living in horrific poverty. You have a community that was destroyed. So if we are going to go forward, it cannot be that the United States just takes the side of Israel. We’ve got to work with both communities to try to do what is very, very difficult, and that is create a lasting peace in the region.”
He added, “I think that overwhelmingly, the United States, time and time again, has looked aside when Israel has done some bad things. I think, for example, that the growth of settlements in Palestinian territory is not acceptable to me, and not conducive to the peace process. I think that the kind of destruction that was racked on Gaza during that war was way above what needed to be done for military purposes. A lot of civilians were killed. A lot of hospitals and schools and apartments were destroyed, above and beyond what had to be done. So look, I think there is no question that there’s enough blame to go around on both sides. Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, against Hezbollah, against Hamas. But I think the United States is stronger when we work with both sides.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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