Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont ripped leadership in the House and Senate after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to speak before both chambers of Congress.

Sanders equated Israel’s campaign against Islamic terror in Gaza to genocide and accused the country of starving civilians.

In a statement last Friday signed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the bipartisan group of leaders called on Netanyahu to visit Washington.

Citing the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of Israeli citizens, the leaders wrote, “For this reason, on behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, we would like to invite you to address a Joint Meeting of Congress.”

אני נרגש מהזכות לייצג את ישראל בפני שני בתי הקונגרס ולהציג את האמת על המלחמה הצודקת שלנו נגד מבקשי נפשנו בפני נציגי העם האמריקאי והעולם כולו. pic.twitter.com/biMO3bcOXo

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 1, 2024

The four leaders also noted that throughout the last seven decades, Israel had grown to become one of the country’s strongest allies.

“We join the State of Israel in your struggle against terror, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive and its leaders jeopardize regional stability,” the letter to Netanyahu also read.

The Israeli leader quickly accepted.

Sanders issued a Saturday statement criticizing Israel and ripping his fellow congressmen.

“It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited — by leaders from both parties — to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress,” Sanders stated.

The 82-year-old said he supports Israel’s right to defend itself, but added that the Israeli Defense Forces had committed atrocities while rooting out terrorists.

Without mentioning that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure and human shields, Sanders issued a lengthy screed.

“Israel does not have the right to kill more than 34,000 civilians and wound over 80,000 — 5% of the population of Gaza,” he wrote. “It does not have the right to orphan 19,000 children.”

Right now tens of thousands of children in Gaza are facing starvation, malnutrition, and famine.

And Congressional leadership thinks it’s okay to invite war criminal Netanyahu to address Congress?

No. Unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/sun43kAE4z

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 4, 2024

Sanders continued:

“It does not have the right to displace 75% of the people of Gaza from their homes. It does not have the right to damage or destroy over 60% of the housing in Gaza.

“It does not have the right to destroy the civilian infrastructure of Gaza, to obliterate water and sewage systems, and deny electricity to the people of Gaza. It does not have the right to annihilate Gaza’s health care system, knocking 26 hospitals out of service and killing more than 400 health care workers.”

Sanders went on to claim that Palestinians can also no longer receive an education because the IDF had bombed schools and universities.

The senator claimed that Israel had starved civilians and added, “This is a clear violation of American and international law.”

Sanders concluded he supports the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to weigh issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal,” Sanders declared. “He should not be invited to address a joint meeting of Congress. I certainly will not attend.”

Staff Writer