Hopes for change in U.S. policy in Israel and Gaza, the fight against climate change, the battle for abortion rights — all of it, Senator Bernie Sanders said Monday night, would be dashed or defeated if Donald Trump Trump won re-election in November.
Vice President Kamala Harris, since becoming the Democratic nominee, has been challenged by pro-Palestinian and anti-war activists to publicly defend the conditioning of military aid to Israel or, at the very least, signal that she would break with the strong support of the President Joe Biden to the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Monday night, Sanders placed himself among those critics by passionately defending Kamala in a video posted to social media.
“I understand that there are millions of Americans who disagree with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the terrible war in Gaza. I am one of them,” said the Vermont independent, speaking directly to the camera, before declaring again that “Israel had the right to defend itself against a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.”
Sanders was one of the first federal lawmakers to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and although he acted more cautiously than many left-wing activists expected, he soon emerged as one of Netanyahu’s most vocal critics on Capitol Hill and an unrelenting advocate for change. in US politics.
In September, he announced plans to introduce a Senate resolution blocking the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.
“Some of you are saying, how can I vote for Kamala Harris if she is supporting this terrible war? And that is a very fair question”, declared the senator in the video, after reporting the bloody toll that the conflict had on the Palestinians in Gaza.
The vice president, who first called for a temporary ceasefire during a speech at the annual “Bloody Sunday” commemoration in Selma, Alabama, in March, and who supports a two-state solution in the region, has been under pressure from activists for months. begging her to break with Biden.
During a brief meeting three weeks ago in Flint, Michigan, a group of Arab American advocates and leaders pressed Kamala, as Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the American Muslim advocacy group Emgage Action, told CNN “to show the gap between how she would govern on this issue and the administration’s current policies, which we do not agree with.”
While frequently reiterating her desire for an end to the war, occasionally in response to protesters interrupting her campaign speeches, Kamala has stood firm with the Biden administration’s policy and talking points.
In defending her, Sanders argued — in short — that the vice president can be convinced.
“I promise you that after Kamala wins, together we will do everything we can to change U.S. policy toward Netanyahu,” Sanders implored viewers.
“An immediate ceasefire, the return of all hostages, a massive humanitarian aid wave, a halt to settler attacks in the West Bank, and the reconstruction of Gaza for the Palestinian people.”

Before talking about Kamala, however, Sanders asked voters to consider their options — starting with Trump. “Donald Trump and his right-wing friends are worse,” Sanders said.
“Trump said Netanyahu is doing a good job and said Biden is ‘holding him down.’ He suggested that the Gaza Strip would be excellent waterfront property for development. And it’s no wonder Netanyahu prefers to have Donald Trump in office.”
In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Trump reflected on the real estate prospects in Gaza, home to about 2 million Palestinians before the war began.
“You know, as a developer, it could be the most beautiful place — the weather, the water, the whole thing, the weather,” Trump said. “It could be so beautiful.”
Gaza dominated the message, but Sanders also pointed to Trump’s opposition to abortion rights, support for additional tax cuts for the rich and refusal to directly answer a question about whether he supports an increase in the minimum wage.
“If Trump wins, to be honest with you, the fight against climate change is over,” Sanders said. “While virtually every scientist who has studied the issue understands that climate change is real and an existential threat to our country and the world, Trump believes it is a hoax.”
Released about 24 hours after Trump’s controversial rally at Madison Square Garden ended, Sanders in the video talks about watching the event on television.
“We tried (for years) to fight bigotry, but that’s exactly what we saw on display at that unbelievable Trump rally,” Sanders said, recalling progressive struggles against institutional intolerance.
“It wasn’t a matter of speeches, of going there, of disagreeing with Kamala Harris on the issues. That wasn’t the point. They were attacking her simply because she was a woman and a woman of color. Extremely vulgar sexism and racism.”
“Is this?” Sanders asked, “really the kind of America we can enable?”
This content was originally published in Bernie Sanders defends Kamala Harris before pro-Palestinian critics on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil

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