Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday suggested that young people especially are now jaded by President Biden’s pro-Israel stance, and that the president should “change course” with his reelection in mind.
Host Jake Tapper asked Sanders on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday if Biden has “seriously damaged his standing” among young progressives by committing to stand by Israel as it fights to destroy Hamas, which brutally invaded the Jewish state in October. Sanders said he believes most Democrats will rally around Biden because of the extreme choice that is his opponent, Trump, who he called “one of the most dangerous political figures in modern American history.” Nonetheless, young people are increasingly wary of Biden’s pro-Israel position, he suggested.
“There is no question that it will be hard for young people, I think for most Americans, to be excited about what is going on right now,” Sanders responded. “The president has got to change course.”
Sanders said Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu is also to blame for pursing a military course of “indiscriminate bombing” despite Biden’s pleading against.
“He has been very clear,” Sanders said of Biden. “He has expressed his concern…You cannot give billions of dollars to a country that ignores your wishes, violates international law. So I would hope the president follows through on his concerns.”
Sanders has slowly moderated his defense of Israel, moving from rejecting progressives’ call for a cease-fire in November to now stating that Israel is inflicting a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. On Sunday, Sanders also advocated for a pause in fighting so supplies such as food and water can get to the territory.
“I don’t know how you can have a permanent cease-fire with an organization like Hamas, which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos and destroying the state of Israel,” Sanders, the independent Vermont senator who caucuses with Democrats and is one of the Senate’s most liberal members, said during a November CNN appearance. “I think what the Arab countries in the region understand is that Hamas has got to go.”
Since Israel has escalated the war against Hamas, Sanders has received pressure from progressives to stand firmer with the Palestinian cause. In November, over 50 protesters were arrested while calling for a cease-fire outside the offices of several prominent senators, all of whom were either Jewish or pro-Israel, including Sanders. U.S. Capitol Police detained and charged at least 52 protesters for illegally demonstrating in Senate buildings.