Bernie Sanders Hedges on ‘Horrendously-Complex’ War in Israel When Confronted About Rashida Tlaib’s Widely-Condemned Rhetoric
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) faced an intense round of questioning about whether he approves of Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-MI) controversial rhetoric throughout Israel’s war against Hamas.
The senator joined CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday for State of the Union in order to condemn Hamas’ actions against Israel, but also to criticize Israel’s endangerment of civilians with their counteroffensives in Gaza. Bash turned the conversation to Sanders’ fellow progressives by bringing up Tlaib’s new video accusing President Joe Biden of supporting “the genocide of the Palestinian people,” and demanding he call for a ceasefire in Israel.
Asked if he thinks Israel is conducting a “genocide” in Gaza, Sanders called the situation “a horror show.” He digressed from the question though by saying “we don’t have to quibble about words,” then by railing against Republicans for opposing humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
“So you think Rashida Tlaib should save her ire for Trump and the right-wing, and not her fellow democrat?” Bash asked. Sanders answered by calling Tlaib “a friend,” by saying “she has been shaken” over the region’s humanitarian crisis, and that the unfolding disaster matters “a lot more” than words being tossed around.
Tlaib was nearly censured in Congress last week as her rhetoric and misinformation have come under scrutiny even among her fellow Democrats. Bash noted Tlaib’s use of the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which has been condemned as anti-semitic by the Anti-Defamation League.
“Do you want her to stop using terms like that?” Bash asked.
Sanders answered by invoking former President Barack Obama’s recent comments about the complexity of the situation in Israel, and how the U.S. will have to reckon with it:
This is an enormously complex issue, and slogans like ‘The river to the sea.’ If that means the destruction of Israel, that’s not going to work. People who are saying, ‘Israel, right or wrong, we are for you all the way.’ That’s not going to work. This is a horrendously complex issue. You have got a right-wing government in Israel which is racist. The last poll I saw, only 18 percent of the people of Israel want Netanyahu to stay in office. I hope they get rid of him. I hope they put in a government which understands the severity of the crisis, and can help us move towards a two-tier state.
On the other hand, in terms of Hamas, you have a terrorist organization that cannot be trusted for a minute. This is, as President Obama said, a very complex issue.
Watch above via CNN.
