🔗 Share this article

Lawmaker Bernie Sanders declared on that day that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza, describing the assessment as “inescapable” and establishing himself as the pioneering US senator to use the term.

Shift in Position

“Over the last two years, Israel has not simply defended itself against Hamas,” Sanders wrote. “Rather, it has conducted an comprehensive offensive against the entire Palestinian people.”

The independent senator had earlier faced criticism from advocates and demonstrators for avoiding the term, which he once said made him “uncomfortable” when shouted during a speech in Ireland.

UN Report and Response

On the previous day, an independent UN panel of specialists concluded that Israel’s measures “meet the standards set forth in the Genocide convention”.

“I agree,” Sanders stated in a declaration. “The purpose is evident.”

Sanders referenced casualty figures: at least 65,000 Palestinians dead and 164,000 wounded out of a population of 2.2 million, with information from an Israeli military database indicating that 83% of those deceased were non-combatants.

He also pointed to statements by Israeli officials as proof of intent, quoting security chief Yoav Gallant calling Palestinians “human animals” and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich vowing “Gaza will be entirely destroyed”.

Right to Defend vs Appropriateness

While Sanders said Israel had a right to protect its citizens after the October 7 attack that took the lives of about 1,200 people, he contended the response has affected all Palestinians in Gaza.

“The United States, must halt our complicity in the killing of the Palestinian people,” he wrote. “Having named it as a mass atrocity, we must use all available of our influence to demand an immediate ceasefire, a massive surge of relief supplies facilitated by the UN, and initial steps to provide Palestinians with a nation of their own.”

Expanding Group of Supporters

He now joins a limited yet increasing number of congressional representatives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as Vermont lawmaker Becca Balint, who also called it a genocide earlier in the day.

“Now, I believe the Israeli government is committing a systematic extermination against the Palestinian people,” Balint stated. “Being a descendant of a man murdered in the Shoah, it is not simple for me to say that.”

Previous Documents and Accusations

Last week, Democratic senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley released a report following their visit to the region, where they say they’ve come to the “inescapable conclusion” that ethnic cleansing is being committed in Gaza and that the United States is involved.

International Context

The statement also comes as several countries including Australia, France, Luxembourg, Malta, Canada and the UK plan to acknowledge Palestinian sovereignty at next week’s UN meeting in New York.

However, the US leadership has backed Israeli actions since coming into office. In March, the White House said Trump “completely endorses” Israel’s operations in Gaza, while Trump has proposed the US take control over the territory to help enable Palestinian exodus.

In the US, the administration has simultaneously increased efforts to suppress dissent from pro-Palestine voices, with the state department issuing broad orders to diplomatic offices in March to vet student visas over “extremism”, which encompass social media posts.

Previous Attempts and Appeals

The senator has before led Senate efforts to block offensive weapons sales to Israel through bipartisan measures of disapproval, and while securing half of Democratic party members in the chamber to support it, the efforts have not been successful in stopping arms transfers.

Now, the senator called again for ending US military aid to “the Israeli prime minister’s genocidal government” and demanded an urgent cessation of violence.

“The word genocide is a reminder of what can happen if we fail,” Sanders emphasized. “That word emerged from the Holocaust – the murder of 6 million Jews – one of the most tragic chapters in human history. Be certain. If there is no responsibility for Netanyahu and his associated war criminals, other demagogues will do the same.”