Bernie Sanders says US should review foreign aid to Israel, part of which funds Iron Dome defense system
As the fighting between Israel and Hamas militants entered its seventh day on Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Called for a “close examination” of the billions in military aid the United States is giving to Israel every year.
“The devastation in Gaza is unacceptable. We must urge an immediate ceasefire. The killing of Palestinians and Israelis must stop,” the self-proclaimed democratic socialist tweeted on Sunday. “We also need to take a close look at the nearly $ 4 billion a year in military aid to Israel. It is illegal to support human rights violations.”
An Israeli firefighter works at the site where a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck the central Israeli town of Holon, near Tel Aviv, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. A clash between Israel and Hamas sparked by weeks of tension In disputed Jerusalem intensified on Tuesday, as Israel launched new airstrikes on Gaza while militants shelled Israel with hundreds of rockets. (AP Photo / Heidi Levine)
United States military aid to Israel includes funding for its Iron Dome defense system, which intercepts short-range rockets and artillery shells.
Sanders, who twice ran for president as a Democratic candidate, has long criticized Israel. During the 2020 election campaign, Sanders offered to leverage military aid to Israel to push for a change in its policy toward Gaza.
People inspect the rubble of the Yazegi residential building that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City on Sunday, May 16, 2021.
(AP)
“My solution is to tell Israel, ‘You get $ 3.8 billion every year. If you want military aid, you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship with the people of Gaza, “” Sanders said in October 2019. “In fact, I think it’s fair to say that part of that amount is should be earmarked for humanitarian aid now â€.
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The latest outbreak of violence began in East Jerusalem last month, when Palestinians clashed with police in response to Israeli police tactics during Ramadan and the threat of eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by settlers Jews. One of the highlights of the clashes was the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a frequent flashpoint located on a hilltop hilltop revered by Muslims and Jews.
Hamas began firing rockets at Jerusalem on Monday, triggering the Israeli assault on Gaza.
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More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza, including 55 children and 33 women, with 1,230 injured. Eight people in Israel were killed in some of the 3,100 rocket attacks launched from Gaza, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.