Sen. Sanders: Israel Does Not Have the Right ‘to Violate International Law and Wage Indiscriminate Warfare Against Innocent Men, Women, and Children’

Sanders Madam President I ░░░░░░░░ to take a few ░░░░░░░░ to share my thoughts ░░░░░░░░ the horrific situation in ░░░░░░░░ and Gaza On October ░░░░░░░░ Hamas terrorists waged a ░░░░░░░░ attack against Israel killing ░░░░░░░░ 1 400 innocent men ░░░░░░░░ and children Young people ░░░░░░░░ a music festival were ░░░░░░░░ gunned down in cold ░░░░░░░░ Babies and older people ░░░░░░░░ brutally murdered And over ░░░░░░░░ Israeli and Americans are ░░░░░░░░ held as hostages Some ░░░░░░░░ described the October 7th ░░░░░░░░ on Israel as the ░░░░░░░░ to the 9 11 ░░░░░░░░ attack against the United ░░░░░░░░ That is wrong Israel ░░░░░░░░ a small country with ░░░░░░░░ 10 million people On ░░░░░░░░ per capita basis the ░░░░░░░░ 400 Israelis killed by ░░░░░░░░ would be the equivalent ░░░░░░░░ over 40 000 Americans ░░░░░░░░ if Israel had the ░░░░░░░░ size population as we ░░░░░░░░ 40 000 On 9 ░░░░░░░░ as everybody recalls we ░░░░░░░░ 3 000 people Madam ░░░░░░░░ let us be clear ░░░░░░░░ suffered a major attack ░░░░░░░░ has as do all ░░░░░░░░ countries under similar circumstances ░░░░░░░░ absolute right to defend ░░░░░░░░ But having the right ░░░░░░░░ defend your country against ░░░░░░░░ terrorist attack and a ░░░░░░░░ organization like Hamas does ░░░░░░░░ mean having the right ░░░░░░░░ violate international law and ░░░░░░░░ indiscriminate warfare against innocent ░░░░░░░░ women and children in ░░░░░░░░ The people of Israel ░░░░░░░░ gone through a horrific ░░░░░░░░ traumatic shock It is ░░░░░░░░ that they are furious ░░░░░░░░ want to strike back ░░░░░░░░ Revenge however is not ░░░░░░░░ useful policy Killing innocent ░░░░░░░░ women and children in ░░░░░░░░ will not bring back ░░░░░░░░ life the innocent Israeli ░░░░░░░░ and children who have ░░░░░░░░ killed It will only ░░░░░░░░ a terrible situation even ░░░░░░░░ and more intractable Let ░░░░░░░░ be clear the Palestinian ░░░░░░░░ today are experiencing nothing ░░░░░░░░ than a humanitarian disaster ░░░░░░░░ are already dead including ░░░░░░░░ children perhaps thousands of ░░░░░░░░ and far more have ░░░░░░░░ wounded Hundreds of thousands ░░░░░░░░ been forced out of ░░░░░░░░ homes These people deeply ░░░░░░░░ before this war began ░░░░░░░░ lack food water fuel ░░░░░░░░ and medicine and other ░░░░░░░░ necessities Unbelievably more than ░░░░░░░░ 000 Palestinians driven from ░░░░░░░░ homes are now sheltering ░░░░░░░░ densely crowded UN run ░░░░░░░░ 400 000 people in ░░░░░░░░ run schools Dozens of ░░░░░░░░ facilities have been damaged ░░░░░░░░ made inoperable and 35 ░░░░░░░░ Nations aid workers have ░░░░░░░░ killed The aid trickling ░░░░░░░░ Gaza is just a ░░░░░░░░ small amount of what ░░░░░░░░ needed In a few ░░░░░░░░ hospitals will run out ░░░░░░░░ fuel and ventilators and ░░░░░░░░ will shut off This ░░░░░░░░ a desperate desperate humanitarian ░░░░░░░░ I echo Secretary Blinken ░░░░░░░░ call for the immediate ░░░░░░░░ of all hostages and ░░░░░░░░ a humanitarian pause by ░░░░░░░░ parties A pause is ░░░░░░░░ for the protection of ░░░░░░░░ as required by the ░░░░░░░░ of war as well ░░░░░░░░ for the provision of ░░░░░░░░ supplies of food water ░░░░░░░░ medical aid to address ░░░░░░░░ growing humanitarian catastrophe I ░░░░░░░░ that Senator Merkley and ░░░░░░░░ are working hard to ░░░░░░░░ support here in the ░░░░░░░░ for that position and ░░░░░░░░ agree with it Israel ░░░░░░░░ a terrible attack but ░░░░░░░░ response must be carefully ░░░░░░░░ through and be carried ░░░░░░░░ in line with international ░░░░░░░░ When the United States ░░░░░░░░ attacked on 9 11 ░░░░░░░░ allowed anger and rage ░░░░░░░░ drive our response This ░░░░░░░░ in making grave mistakes ░░░░░░░░ terms of the wars ░░░░░░░░ Afghanistan and Iraq which ░░░░░░░░ us thousands of members ░░░░░░░░ the U S military ░░░░░░░░ in fact the lives ░░░░░░░░ hundreds of thousands of ░░░░░░░░ people in those countries ░░░░░░░░ has a right to ░░░░░░░░ itself and go after ░░░░░░░░ but innocent Palestinians also ░░░░░░░░ a right to life ░░░░░░░░ and peace Please remember ░░░░░░░░ the last election held ░░░░░░░░ Gaza was in 2006 ░░░░░░░░ a majority of people ░░░░░░░░ Gaza today were not ░░░░░░░░ born or could not ░░░░░░░░ Even then back in ░░░░░░░░ a minority voted for ░░░░░░░░ Hamas is an authoritarian ░░░░░░░░ that does not necessarily ░░░░░░░░ a broad swath of ░░░░░░░░ Palestinian people and we ░░░░░░░░ not conflate all Palestinians ░░░░░░░░ this terrorist organization.”