Bernie Sanders speaks truth to Netanyahu
JVL Introduction
Bernie Sanders may have been slow in condemning the war on Gaza but in this new brief video intervention he is impassioned in his condemnation of Benjamin Netanyahu for weaponising antisemitism to deflect attention from his actions.
“No Mr Netanyahu, it is not antisemitic or pro-Hamas to point out that, in a little over six months, your extremist government has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 78,000, 70% of whom are women and children.
“It is not antisemitic to point out that your bombing has completely destroyed more than 221,000 housing units in Gaza, leaving mor than a million people homeless, almost half the population.
…
“Mr Netanyahu, antisemitism is a vile and disgusting form of bigotry that has done unspeakable harm to many millions of people. But please, do not insult the intelligence of the American people, by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal policies of your extremist and racist government…
RK
Well fair enough.
But this speech seeks to separate Netanyahu’s government as uniquely oppressive in comparison to the overall Zionist colonialist project.
The reality is that if Netanyahu dropped dead countless others would step forward to continue the institutionalised genocidal racism of Israeli colonialism.
You wouldn’t similarly blame the horrors of white supremacist Rhodesia or Apartheid South Africa merely on individual leaders.
I agree with Gavin. Grateful for Bernie, but he is taking the stance of so many defenders of Israel; the so-called ‘bad apple’ analysis: if it wasn’t for Netanyahu all would be ok. Whereas what we are seeing is a more extreme version of the way Israel, and before 1948, Jewish terror groups and other Jews in Palestine treated the Palestinian people. Oppression of Palestinian people is baked into Zionism.
I agree with the above comments but I think it is still a fair point that Sanders is addressing Netanyahu as ultimately responsible for the current horrors because it is Netanyahu who is the leader and therefore is in the most powerful position to immediately halt the bombing. But of course that would not be the end of the matter. There are others in the wings as bad as or worse than Netanyahu. And a whole system of ethnno-colonialism to dismantle.
Fingers crossed for ICC Arrest warrants against Netanyahu and others, the USA and Germany would no longer have a leg to stand on when it comes to Arms sales for Israel
Sanders will still turn round and tell Americans to vote democrat, so this is all empty posturing. He backed Hillary when he lost to her, and then Biden. Its similar to how someone like Corbyn will go to pro-Palestine marches and appear to be advocating for them, while at the same time always remaining totally loyal to the imperialist and anti-working class Labour Party.