Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday he doesn’t know that a ceasefire is possible in the Israel-Hamas war with “an organization like Hamas” involved.
“I don’t know how you can have a ceasefire, (a) permanent ceasefire, with an organization like Hamas, which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos and destroying the state of Israel,” Sanders told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” Sunday.
You can’t continue to give Hamas more money and claim to support elections in Gaza. Giving them money is defacto support for a non-democratic Gaza Strip.
I don’t want to give Hamas money, because I don’t support Hamas. I want to give Palestinian people access to food, water, healthcare, safe shelter and education, ideally through NGOs, until an election can be held.
Then, if the government elected is Hamas or worse, you still support the populace through NGOs, because they’re still people, and lack of education and stability have never made a group less extremist. The cost of basic social services and life supports for a few million people is far smaller than the cost of the weapons to eradicate them
Israel has in the last month specifically targeted hospitals, schools, Red Cross/red crescent vehicles, and MSF operations. That’s why the ceasefire is a necessary first step.