{"id":29285,"date":"2023-10-22T12:04:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-22T19:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=29285"},"modified":"2023-10-22T12:04:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T19:04:02","slug":"sanders-blocks-gop-push-to-make-us-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-impossible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/10\/22\/sanders-blocks-gop-push-to-make-us-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-impossible\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanders Blocks GOP Push to Make US Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Impossible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Sen.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks to the media outside of the White House on July 17, 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photo: Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“While we do our best to support Israel and destroy Hamas, please, let us not turn our back on the suffering people in Gaza.”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

JESSICA CORBETT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct 18, 2023 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a> on Wednesday blocked passage of Republican legislation that he warned would worsen the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has been bombarded by Israeli forces for the past 12 days in retaliation for a major Hamas attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanders (I-Vt.) objected to an attempt by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to pass by unanimous consent his Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act<\/a>, which would prohibit aid to Gaza until the president certifies to congressional committees that the funds won’t benefit members of Hamas or any other organization the U.S. government has designated as a terrorist group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Scott’s office highlighted<\/a> in a statement when he introduced the bill earlier this year, it would also ensure that “U.S. funds are not authorized for expenditure in the territory of Gaza through any United Nations entity or office that the president cannot certify is not encouraging or teaching anti-Israel and antisemitic ideas and propaganda.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on the Senate floor for six-and-half minutes on Wednesday, Sanders condemned “the barbarous attack” by Hamas that left over 1,400 Israelis dead and affirmed that “the state of Israel has the absolute right to defend itself against Hamas and terrorism in general.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent Israeli airstrikes have kill<\/a>ed<\/a> at least 3,478 Palestinians and devastated civilian infrastructure in Gaza\u2014of which Hamas seized control in 2007. Israel has imposed a blockade of the occupied Palestinian territory since then and announced a “complete siege” following Hamas’ October 7 attack, cutting off 2.3 million people from basic necessities. The Israeli operation has sparked<\/a> claims of genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanders urged fellow senators to recognize that “right now there are hundreds and hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza who have lost their homes… They have no food. They have the water. They have no fuel… Half of those people are children.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m LIVE on the Senate floor to block Republicans from passing legislation that would deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and dramatically undermine Israel\u2019s security. https:\/\/t.co\/MjMhs2qR5c<\/a><\/p>— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 18, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>