Bernie Sanders: US weapon deal with Israel is 'obscene'

"We must end our complicity: No more bombs to Israel," US Senator Bernie Sanders wrote in response to the arms deal that will provide Israel with more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs.

MARCH 31, 2024 04:29

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) listens during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee hearing titled “Standing Up Against Corporate Greed: How Unions are Improving the Lives of Working Families” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 14, 2023. (photo credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz) — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) listens during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee hearing titled “Standing Up Against Corporate Greed: How Unions are Improving the Lives of Working Families” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 14, 2023.

(photo credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

United States senators have sharply criticized the Biden administration following its recent authorization to send billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel, as was revealed in a report released by The Washington Post on Friday.

The report mentioned that the highly controversial arms deal would provide Israel with more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, according to Pentagon and State Department officials who spoke with the newspaper. These highly destructive bombs have been linked in the past to mass-casualty events and have the capability to level city blocks, leaving craters in the earth.

US Senators condemn the deal calling it "obscene"

United States Senator Bernie Sanders viewed the deal to be "obscene" and posted his response on X. Sanders claimed that "The US cannot beg Netanyahu to stop bombing civilians one day and the next send him thousands more 2,000 lb. bombs that can level entire city blocks."

"We must end our complicity: No more bombs to Israel," he wrote.

The U.S. cannot beg Netanyahu to stop bombing civilians one day and the next send him thousands more 2,000 lb. bombs that can level entire city blocks.This is obscene.We must end our complicity: No more bombs to Israel.https://t.co/BqV0NkMtKa
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 29, 2024

U.S. Air Force members work on the preparation of a humanitarian aid drop for Gaza residents, in this picture released on March 5, 2024. (credit: US Central Command via X/Handout via REUTERS )

United States Senator Jeff Merkley also took to X to express his disapproval of the deal, highlighting that after continuously sending humanitarian aid to Gaza, the US decision to sign off on the deal is "Wrong on every level."

"The Biden administration can’t credibly push to increase humanitarian access to Gaza while simultaneously sending the same weapons that the Netanyahu government is using to indiscriminately kill innocent Palestinians."

The Biden administration can’t credibly push to increase humanitarian access to Gaza while simultaneously sending the same weapons that the Netanyahu government is using to indiscriminately kill innocent Palestinians. Wrong on every level.https://t.co/H4eIsXVzjL
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) March 29, 2024

Can the US help both sides?

Conversely, other United States Representatives voiced their support for aiding Israel. August Pfluger, Don Davis, and Executive Officer of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America Michael Makovsky wrote a column last week in the Washington Examiner in which they expressed the importance of continuing US aid to Israel and wrote that conditioning aid would be a mistake.

“The US can protect civilians, on both sides of the conflict, by continuing to ensure Israel receives as much US assistance as is needed, as expeditiously as possible, to keep its stockpiles full of lifesaving munitions,” they wrote

"Conditioning aid to Israel would be a gigantic mistake. Biden is right to give Israel everything it needs to win this war," they concluded.