What is Sanders advocating? That instead of acting to minimize the terrorist threat against its civilians, Israel should respond to every act of Palestinian terrorism with an equivalent act? That if three rockets are fired into Israeli towns, the Jewish state should fire three rockets back into Gazan civilian towns? That if a terrorist stabbing is carried out, Israel should go into a Palestinian town and stab a Palestinian? Or is Sanders arguing that Israel should not respond at all?
Sanders statement is preposterous, nonsensical, and negates Israel’s ability to defend itself and degrade terrorist military zones. Israel takes great care to minimize civilian casualties, a difficult task since Palestinian militants use civilians as human shields and house their terrorist infrastructures in densely populated civilian areas.
- Sanders argues that the international nuclear deal with Iran is in Israel’s best interests.
Not only did Sanders posit that the “deal will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he scandalously argued the nuclear accord is in Israel’s best interests.
“I do not accept the idea that the ‘pro-Israel’ position was to oppose the deal.
Preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon will strengthen not only the United States’ security, but Israel’s security as well.”
- Sanders treats Israel and the Palestinians as equally intransigent.
“The first step in that road ahead is to set the stage for resuming the peace process through direct negotiations.
“Progress is never made unless people are prepared to sit down and talk to each other. This is no small thing. It means building confidence on both sides, offering some signs of good faith, and then proceeding to talks when conditions permit them to be constructive. Again, this is not easy, but that is the direction we’ve got to go.”
Both sides? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made unprecedented “confidence building” gestures toward Abbas in a failed attempt to get the Palestinians to the bargaining table. These gestures have included the release of Palestinian terrorist murderers and the freezing of Jewish construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. Abbas didn’t budge.
Sanders seems to be ignoring the Palestinians’ long-standing history of rejecting Israeli peace offers, many times without even making counteroffers.