Bernie Sanders Calls Netanyahu a War Criminal as “Israeli” Leader Visits White House

By Staff, Agencies

Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., openly condemned “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his high-profile visit to the White House on Tuesday, labeling him a “war criminal” and calling his presence in the US “unwelcome.”

The visit coincided with Netanyahu’s announcement that he had nominated former President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing Trump’s role in facilitating a ceasefire between “Israel” and Iran.

However, Sanders strongly rejected any celebration of Netanyahu’s visit, posting on X:

“As President Trump & Congress roll out the red carpet for ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, let’s remember that Netanyahu has been indicted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Court for overseeing the systematic killing and starvation of civilians in Gaza.”

In an accompanying video message, Sanders reiterated his condemnation, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza under Netanyahu’s leadership.

“These war crimes continue to this day,” he said, stating that Netanyahu’s “extremist government has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded almost 135,000, 60% of whom are women, children, or elderly people.”

Sanders further highlighted that “hundreds of thousands of people are starving” due to “Israel’s” blockade of Gaza, which blocked humanitarian aid for nearly three months. He described the result as “a catastrophe with near-daily massacres at the new aid distribution sites.”

Meanwhile, Trump dismissed Sanders’s statements and offered effusive praise for Netanyahu during a cabinet meeting, telling reporters: “You have the greatest man in the world to answer that age-old question,” referring to the prospects of a two-state solution in Gaza.

The stark contrast between Sanders’s condemnation and Trump’s praise underscores the deepening political divide in Washington over the US relationship with “Israel,” particularly amid the Gaza conflict and growing scrutiny of war crimes.