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.
Palestinian casualties are casualties, and there’s millions of Palestinians whose lives are currently in danger. If not a ceasefire, what do you think is the ideal first step for preventing as many casualties as possible?
In the long run or the short run? If I only care about the casualties in the next 1-3 months; of course I want a ceasefire. I’d be a fool not to. However; if I widen my view to 12 months, 24, 5 years Hamas is going to kill thousands of Gazans a year if left in power. It’s going to kill them by starting more wars, by impoverishing them, by keeping them from accessing the aid that’s being provisioned from them.
Like it’s not like people are heartless. What’s happening in Gaza is horrible and I wish it wouldn’t. But it feels like taking out Hamas’ ability to govern and rule is like taking off a bandaid. It’s best done quickly.
Again, there are millions of Palestinians currently in danger. Thousands have been killed by Israel in a month. I don’t see how hamas is a larger threat than Israel.
I’m not a fan of Hamas. They’re there because someone hasn’t allowed Palestine to have an election in over a decade. Taking out Hamas’ ability to govern and rule could be done quickly by allowing an election.
If Hamas retains it’s military might, how many more wars causing thousands of casualties a month will happen in the next 5 years?
If Israel agrees to a ceasefire, then allows aid to flow in and new elections to be freely held, Hamas will cause zero wars in the next five years, because they won’t have any power.
What makes you think Hamas wouldn’t win the election?
Hamas ran on an entirely different platform (of moderation) to a different group of voters. Why not see what happens?
Convince the EU to support sanctions until an election. That’s what’s keeping Hamas going.
Netanyahu has been seen sending covert money to Hamas and has been alleged on multiple times to have said that Hamas is good for the Israeli government (which might have been true before October).
Sanctions would simply be an expansion of the siege. Collective punishment is against the Geneva conventions. What grounds are there to sanction a people for having a government they themselves dislike but which they are forbidden from voting out of power? Further, how is that better than organizing a vote? Palestinians will starve to death between then and now, if they’re sanctioned.