Support for Gaza War Must End, Says Sanders, But Biden-Trump Choice Is 'Day and Night'

Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday that the contrast between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump could not be more stark even as the Vermont senator offered a sharp criticism of the incumbent's support for Israel's devastating war on Gaza, which is now in its sixth month with no end in sight.

Asked about the backing that "uncommitted" campaigns have gained across multiple states—a sign of the broad unpopularity of Biden's approach to the war—Sanders told "Face the Nation" that "the fight continues to change Biden's policy in Gaza," where children are dying of starvation as the U.S.-armed Israeli military attacks and impedes aid deliveries.

"But the contrast between Biden and Trump is day and night," the Independent senator added, pointing to differences between the two candidates on climate, abortion rights, voting rights, and other issues. "The election of Trump would be a disaster for this country and, in my view, the world. We've got to come together, reelect Biden. But, at the same time, we have to demand that we have a progressive agenda, where we have an economy that works for all, not just a few."

Trump has said little about Gaza since the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel in October, but what he has said—and his record during his first White House term—indicates that he supports the Israeli military's large-scale killing of Palestinians.

CNN reported late last week that a group of Trump allies recently visited Israel to meet with top officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

"Some Trump allies say they see an opening with the growing discontent within Biden's coalition and the administration's response—particularly among voters who support Israel," according to CNN.

Sanders, for his part, is demanding that the Biden administration cut off arms sales to Israel, pointing to the Netanyahu government's obstruction of humanitarian aid and indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

"What we are seeing in Gaza today is literally an unprecedented crisis," Sanders said Sunday. "It's not just that 30,000 people, two-thirds of whom are women and children, have already been killed. We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of thousands of children starving to death. The United States of America cannot be complicit in this mass slaughter of children."

The senator criticized the Biden administration's current policy toward Israel—which has included more than 100 separate weapons sales since October—as incoherent.

"What you can't say to Netanyahu: 'Stop the slaughter, allow the massive amounts of humanitarian aid that we need to come in to feed the children, please, please, please. Oh, but by the way, if you don't do it, here's another $10 billion to continue the war,'" said Sanders.

"You can't beg Netanyahu. You got to tell him, 'If you want any money, you got to change your policy. Allow the trucks to come in to feed their children,'" Sanders continued. "And, by the way, in terms of politics—which is secondary, to my mind, in this issue—the truth is, whether you're a conservative Republican or a progressive, you do not want to see children in Palestine starve to death. So I think it's good politics, and it's the moral and right thing to do."

Sanders' remarks came as Netanyahu pledged to go ahead with a ground invasion of Rafah, the southern Gaza city that's currently home to more than half of the enclave's population. On Saturday, Biden called an invasion of Rafah "a red line"—but did not say whether there would be any consequences for Netanyahu's government if it launches the ground assault in the face of global opposition.

Noting that most of the people currently in Rafah fled to the city to escape Israeli bombing, Sanders told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that "to go in there and to displace them again and start a major military campaign would be an unmitigated disaster."

"So my view is, of course, we cannot support an attack of that kind on Rafah," Sanders added. "Bottom line is, though, Netanyahu has got to be told no more money for his war machine unless there is humanitarian aid coming in to feed the people."