
Sen. Bernie Sanders: U.S. Must Threaten to Cut Off Funding for Israel
Clip: 4/10/2024 | 5m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
Senator Bernie Sanders discusses America's politics at home and abroad.
After October 7th, when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis, Senator Bernie Sanders spoke out in favor of Israel’s right to defend itself. Now he says Israel is violating international law, arguing that “the United States cannot continue to be complicit in the horror that is taking place now." Senator Sanders joins the program from Capitol Hill to discuss America’s politics at home and abroad.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders: U.S. Must Threaten to Cut Off Funding for Israel
Clip: 4/10/2024 | 5m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
After October 7th, when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis, Senator Bernie Sanders spoke out in favor of Israel’s right to defend itself. Now he says Israel is violating international law, arguing that “the United States cannot continue to be complicit in the horror that is taking place now." Senator Sanders joins the program from Capitol Hill to discuss America’s politics at home and abroad.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipAND SENATOR SANDERS IS JOINING THE PROGRAM FROM CAPITOL HILL.
WELCOME BACK TO OUR PROGRAM, SENATOR.
SO, WE'VE LAID OUT YOUR CRITICISMS, WE'VE HEARD PRESIDENT BIDEN'S CRITICISMS OF THE CURRENT MILITARY OPERATION.
WHAT IS HE DOING, THE PRESIDENT, THAT -- WHAT DO YOU WANT HIM TO DO THAT HE HASN'T DONE UP UNTIL NOW?
>> CHRISTIANE, WE ARE LOOKING RIGHT NOW IN GAZA AT ONE OF THE WORST HUMANITARIAN DISASTERS IN THE MODERN HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
AS YOU INDICATED, RIGHT NOW, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FACE STARVATION.
CHILDREN ARE DYING FROM MALNUTRITION.
80% OF THE POPULATION HAS BEEN DISPLACED.
OVER HALF THE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
AND ISRAEL CONTINUES TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO GET THE KIND OF HUMANITARIAN AID IN THAT DESPERATE PEOPLE NEED.
SO, TO MY MIND, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT CAN DO IS SAY TO MR. NETANYAHU, YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU CANNOT CONTINUE THIS DISASTROUS, HORRIFIC WAR, YOU CANNOT ALLOW CHILDREN BY THE THOUSANDS TO FACE STARVATION, OR YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANOTHER NICKEL.
NOW, I THINK ONE OF THE INCONGRUITIES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA SEE IS, EVERYBODY IS CRITICIZING NETANYAHU, AND THEN THEY'RE SAYING IN THE NEXT WORD, OH, HERE'S ANOTHER $14 BILLION ON TOP OF THE $3.5 BILLION YOU GOT.
YOU'RE A TERRIBLE GUY, BUT HERE'S YOUR MONEY.
I THINK OUR POLICY HAS GOT TO BE VERY CLEAR.
NOT ANOTHER NICKEL FOR NETANYAHU'S RIGHT WING EXTREMIST GOVERNMENT WHILE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN GAZA FACE STARVATION.
PERIOD.
>> SENATOR, CAN I ASK YOU, WHEN YOU SAY NOT ANOTHER NICKEL, DO YOU ACTUALLY MEAN ACTUAL AID MONEY OR DO YOU MEAN THE AMERICAN WEAPONS THAT ARE NOT NICKELS AND DIMES, THEY ARE ACTUAL BOMBS AND ARTILLERY AND AMMUNITION.
>> BOTH.
BOTH.
ABSOLUTELY.
THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE SUPPLIED, AND ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPLY 2,000-POUND BOMBS, WHICH CAN WIPE OUT AN ENTIRE BLOCK, AND OTHER MILITARY AID, IS UNACCEPTABLE.
LOOK, THERE IS A TERRIBLE WAR GOING ON, WHICH VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL LAW, IN FACT, IT IS VIOLATING AMERICAN LAW.
AND LET ME TELL YOU HOW.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT IS VERY, VERY CLEAR.
THAT IF A COUNTRY BLOCKS AMERICAN HUMANITARIAN AID, NO MORE FUNDS FOR THAT COUNTRY.
ISRAEL HAS BLOCKED AMERICAN HUMANITARIAN AID.
SO, WHAT I AM SAYING RIGHT NOW, TALK IS CHEAP.
BUT WE CANNOT BE CRITICAL OF NETANYAHU AND HIS RIGHT WING EXTREMISTS AND THE SAME TIME GIVE THEM MONEY AND WEAPONS TO CONTINUE THIS TERRIBLE WAR.
THAT'S WHERE THE LEVERAGE IS, I SUSPECT THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS BEGINNING TO USE THAT LEVERAGE IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH NETANYAHU.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST WEEK IS A -- WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE NUMBER OF TRUCKS, THE U.N. SAYS NOW THAT OVER 200 TRUCKS GOT IN YESTERDAY, THAT IS AN IMPROVEMENT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU NEED 500 TRUCKS, YOU NEED 1,000 TRUCKS, YOU NEED THOSE TRUCKS GETTING TO THE MOST DESPERATE PARTS OF GAZA, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY STARVING TO DEATH.
SO, WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF AN IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE HAVE GOT TO HOLD ISRAEL ACCOUNTABLE, AND MY VIEW, THE LEVERAGE WE HAVE IS MONEY, NOT ANOTHER NICKEL UNTIL NETANYAHU CHANGES HIS ENTIRE POLICY.
>> OKAY, SO, TELL ME HOW THAT WORKS, BECAUSE IN AMERICA, WE HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, YOU ARE PART OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS, I THINK, IS -- IS MANDATED BY CONGRESS, AND APPROVALS IN AID PACKAGES, AND AS YOU SAID, THE LAW STATES THAT THIS AMOUNT OF AID AND STUFF CANNOT GO IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS, BUT ON MARCH 25th, THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY FOUND NO VIOLATIONS MADE BY ISRAEL EITHER WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR OR THE PROVISION OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.
NOW, CLEARLY, YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
>> LOOK, THIS IS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM.
YOU CAN'T GO AROUND CRITICIZING NETANYAHU, WHO CLEARLY, CLEARLY, THE LANGUAGE IS CLEAR, IS IN VIOLATION OF AMERICAN LAW, AND THEN TO SAY, WE HAVE NOT FOUND ANY REASONS TO DENY AID.
THAT IS NONSENSE.
AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS GOT TO CHANGE ITS TUNE BIG-TIME.
>> WHAT'S THE PROCESS, THEN?
>> OKAY.
>> WHAT IS THE PROCESS, AND WHAT WILL BE THE STRAW THAT BREAKS THE CAMEL'S BACK?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STRAW WILL BE, BUT HERE'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SUPPLEMENTAL BILL THAT PASSED THE SENATE AGAINST MY VOTE, I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE SENATE TO VOTE AGAINST THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF $14 BILLION IN THERE GOING TO ISRAEL, INCLUDING $10 BILLION FOR UNFETTERED MILITARY AID.
ANOTHER AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WENT TO THE DEFENSE FOR THE IRON DOME, WHICH I CAN LIVE WITH.
BUT THE IDEA OF GIVING NETANYAHU ANOTHER $10 BILLION TO CONTINUE THIS WAR SEEMS TO ME TO BE TOTALLY ABSURD.
THAT BILL IS NOW IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
GOD KNOWS WHAT GOES ON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
BUT THAT IS WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES IN THE HOUSE WILL SAY, NO, ISRAEL DOES NOT DESERVE ANOTHER NICKEL AT THIS POINT.
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