Urging vote for Harris, Sanders warns 'Trump and his right-wing friends are worse' on Gaza

Jake Johnson
30 October 2024
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With the high-stakes 2024 election just days away, progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders released a video late Monday addressing voters who are wary of supporting Democratic nominee Kamala Harris given her role in an administration that is supporting Israel's catastrophic war on the Gaza Strip.

Sanders (I-Vt.), who has rallied for Harris in key battleground states during the final stretch of the race, said he has been asked the same question repeatedly on the campaign trail: "I disagree with Kamala's position on the war in Gaza. How can I vote for her?"

The senator begins his response by counting himself among the critics of Israel's U.S.-backed war on Gaza, which he noted has killed more than 42,000 people—roughly two-thirds of them women, children, and elderly—and decimated the enclave's civilian infrastructure, including its healthcare system.

"I am doing everything I can to block U.S. military aid and offensive weapons sales to the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government in Israel," said Sanders, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "And I know that many of you share those feelings and some of you are saying, 'How can I vote for Kamala Harris if she is supporting this terrible war?'"

"That is a very fair question," the senator continued. The answer, from Sanders' perspective, is that "Donald Trump and his right-wing friends are worse" on Gaza.

Sanders said congressional Republicans "have worked overtime" to obstruct humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza while the Biden administration has tried to increase the flow of lifesaving assistance—though rights groups and the United Nations have criticized the administration for not doing nearly enough.

Trump, the Republican nominee, "has said Netanyahu is doing a good job and has said Biden is holding him back," Sanders observed. "He has suggested that the Gaza Strip would make excellent beachfront property for development."

"And it is no wonder Netanyahu prefers to have Donald Trump in office," the senator added. "But even more importantly—and this I promise you—after Kamala wins, we will together do everything that we can to change U.S. policy toward Netanyahu: an immediate cease-fire, the return of all hostages, a surge of massive humanitarian aid, the stopping of settler attacks in the West Bank, and the rebuilding of Gaza for the Palestinian people."

"Let me be clear: We will have, in my view, a much better chance of changing U.S. policy with Kamala than with Trump, who is extremely close to Netanyahu and sees him as a like-minded, right-wing extremist ally," said Sanders.

Watch the full video:

Sanders went on to note that "as important as Gaza is, and as strongly as many of us feel about this issue, it is not the only issue at stake in this election."

"If Trump wins, women in this country will suffer an enormous setback and lose the ability to control their own bodies," said Sanders. "That is not acceptable. If Trump wins, to be honest with you, the struggle against climate change is over. 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."

"And if the United States, the largest economy in the world stops transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel, every other country—China, Europe, all over the world, they will do exactly the same thing, and God only knows the kind of planet we will leave to our kids and future generations," the senator added.

Sanders also pointed to Trump's plan to give another round of tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans "at a time of massive income and wealth inequality."

"This is the most consequential election in our lifetimes," the senator concluded. "Many of you have differences of opinion with Kamala Harris on Gaza—so do I. But we cannot sit this election out. Trump has got to be defeated. Let's do everything we can in the next week to make sure that Kamala Harris is our next president."

Sanders' case echoes arguments that other progressives have put forth in recent days amid concerns about voter apathy and discontent in critical swing states.

Last week, as Common Dreamsreported, a coalition of community leaders in Arizona—including Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab organizers—wrote in an open letter that "voting for Kamala Harris is the best option for the Palestinian cause and all of our communities" and warned that a Trump victory "would be the worst possible outcome for the Palestinian people."

Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-97), a Palestinian American lawmaker who was denied a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention earlier this year, wrote for Rolling Stone on Monday that she will be voting for Harris in the November 5 election—though the Georgia representative emphasized that "this vote isn't for her."

"It's for the people in my district and state who cannot survive another Trump presidency. And yes, it's for my community and our allies who refuse to sit by while our resources are used to commit a genocide in our names," Romman wrote. "Unlike President Joe Biden, Vice President Harris has a mixed record on the issue. She voted no on more weapons to Israel in 2019 and she consistently advocated to get aid into Gaza. I personally shared with her during a rally in Atlanta in July that our community is willing to give her a chance, but we need the bombs to stop and need her to enforce our laws. She agreed that the violence must end so that aid can get in, and we can de-escalate a rapidly expanding regional war."

"Is that enough? Of course not," Romman added. "The urgency of this moment requires moral clarity and real leadership. And that is what we must continue demanding."

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