Senator slams Israeli premier over remarks on US college campuses

WASHINGTON

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday slammed the Israeli premier's remarks that denounced pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled US college campuses.

"No, Mr. Netanyahu. It is not antisemitic or pro-Hamas to point out that in a little over six months your extremist government has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 77,000 – 70% of whom are women and children," Sanders said in a statement.

The remarks by Sanders came one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned "antisemitic mobs" on college campuses.

After pro-Palestine students from Harvard University began an encampment, joining other universities across the US to demand a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu released a video message Wednesday that said: "So what’s happening on America’s college campuses is horrific. Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities."

Sanders said it is "not antisemitic" to point out that Israeli bombing has completely destroyed more than 221,000 housing units in Gaza, leaving more than 1 million people homeless, and that the Israeli government has obliterated Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.

He said it is "not antisemitic" to realize that Israel has annihilated Gaza’s health care system and also "not antisemitic" to condemn the Netanyahu government’s destruction of all of Gaza’s 12 universities and 56 of its schools, leaving 625,000 students with no education.

It is "not antisemitic" to agree with virtually every humanitarian organization in saying that the Israeli government has "unreasonably" blocked humanitarian aid coming into Gaza, he added.

- 'Do not insult the intelligence of American the people'

"Mr. Netanyahu. Antisemitism is a vile and disgusting form of bigotry that has done unspeakable harm to many millions of people.

"But, please, do not insult the intelligence of the American people by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal war policies of your extremist and racist government. Do not use antisemitism to deflect attention from the criminal indictment you are facing in the Israeli courts. It is not antisemitic to hold you accountable for your actions," said Sanders.

Protests against Israel's onslaught against Gaza have spread across the US after more than 100 people were arrested at Columbia University last week in New York after police tried to clear an encampment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson faced boos and loud chants Wednesday from students as he delivered a speech during his visit to the school, where he called on the university President Minouche Shafik to resign.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 34,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 77,300 injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.