Democrat socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has launched a scathing attack on AIPAC, urging members of his party to sever all ties with the influential pro-Israel lobbying group.
“No Democrat should accept money from AIPAC,” Sanders declared in a post on X/Twitter.
He further asserted, “Given the illegal and immoral war being waged against the Palestinian people by Netanyahu, NO Democrat should accept money from AIPAC — an organization that also helped deliver the presidency to Donald Trump.”
Sanders attached a video clip to his post that featured commentary from Ben Rhodes, who served as a senior advisor to Barack Obama. In the footage, Rhodes criticized the organization’s political influence, stating, “AIPAC is part of the constellation of forces that have delivered this country into the hands of Donald Trump.”
Rhodes continued by saying, “These are the wrong people to have under your tent.” He added, “The kind of people that they are supporting, Bibi Netanyahu and [US President] Donald Trump, I don’t want my leaders and my political party coasing up to these people.”
Sanders, known for being one of the most prominent figures on the hard-left flank of the Democratic Party, has frequently voiced criticism of both Israel and the U.S. administration, especially during the Gaza conflict.
Last year, in November 2024, Sanders introduced a resolution in Congress aimed at halting the sale of certain munitions to Israel, pointing to the ongoing humanitarian suffering in Gaza as justification.
The measure, which was co-sponsored by three other Democratic Senators, acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself following the October 7 attack, but claimed, “Israel has the right to self-defense after the October 7 massacre, but the US is complicit in the all-out war that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has waged on the Palestinian people.”
According to the resolution, the proposed arms sale included 32,739 rounds of 120-mm tank ammunition. This comprised both 120-mm M1147 High Explosive Multi-Purpose with Tracer (HEMP-T) shells and 120-mm M830A1 High Explosive Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank with Tracer (MPAT) rounds.
The resolution also targeted various related items, including canisters, transport expenses, printed materials, technical documentation, and a wide array of engineering, logistics, and support services provided by U.S. government and private contractors.
{Matzav.com}