Sanders supported Israel’s right to exist, rejected the BDS campaign, and blasted the anti-Israel bias at the UN.
In an interview with Qatar-owned broadcaster, Al Jazeera, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I – Vt.), who ran last year for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, said that he supported Israel’s right to exist, rejected the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) campaign, and blasted the anti-Israel bias at the United Nations (UN), the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported on Friday.
Sanders, who is known for his robust criticism of Israel, was asked if he joined his 99 Senate colleagues in signing a bipartisan letter to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres calling for an end to anti-Israel bias at the UN as a means to “shield Israel from criticism.”
“No, no, no, no, no, I don’t accept that,” Sanders replied.
The Senator insisted that he would continue to criticize Israel, but that the point of the letter was to question “how come it’s only Israel when you have other countries where women are treated as third-class citizens, where in Egypt, I don’t know how many thousands of people are now lingering in jail.”
“Why only Israel?” Sanders asked, if “you want to talk about human rights, let’s talk about human rights,” and not just single out one country for criticism.
Later Sanders was asked if he respected the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign as a nonviolent protest movement. Sanders answered, “No, I don’t,” saying that he believed that the United States should “do everything humanly possible to bring Israel and the Palestinians and the entire Middle East to the degree that we can together, but no, I’m not a supporter of that.”
When asked whether he supported a one-state solution, Sanders, said that he didn’t because “I think if that happens, then that would be the end of the State of Israel and I support Israel’s right to exist.” He maintained that a two-state solution remains a possibility “if there is the political will to make it happen and if there is good faith on both sides.”
By: The Tower