September 18, 2025 | 03:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, calling the conclusion “inescapable.” His statement, published on his Senate website under the title “This Is Genocide,” makes him the first US senator to use the term.
“Over the last two years, Israel has not simply defended itself against Hamas,” Sanders wrote. “Instead, it has waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people.”
The statement came a day after the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, led by Navi Pillay, concluded that Israel’s actions meet four of the five criteria set out in the Genocide Convention. Sanders responded: “I agree. It is Genocide. The Intent is Clear.”
Shifting Position
Sanders, 84, has long faced pressure from his supporters to use the word genocide but previously avoided it, saying the term made him feel “nauseous.”
Protesters had repeatedly challenged him during public appearances in Dublin last year. His latest remarks mark a significant shift.
He cited devastating casualty figures: at least 65,000 Palestinians killed and 164,000 injured in Gaza, with Israeli military data showing 83 percent of the dead were civilians.
He also pointed to incendiary comments by Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant calling Palestinians “human animals” and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowing Gaza would be “entirely destroyed.”
Although Sanders acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself after the October 7 Hamas attack that killed around 1,200 people, he argued that Israel’s response has indiscriminately targeted civilians.
“We, as Americans, must end our complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people,” he said, urging the US to demand an immediate ceasefire, a UN-led humanitarian surge, and steps toward Palestinian statehood.
"Having named it a genocide, we must use every ounce of our leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, a massive surge of humanitarian aid facilitated by the UN, and initial steps to provide Palestinians with a state of their own.”
Growing Congressional Dissent
Sanders’ declaration aligns him with a small but growing group of lawmakers who have described Israel’s campaign as genocide.
House members such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and even Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene have used the term, as has Vermont Representative Becca Balint, who invoked her family’s Holocaust history in explaining her stance.
Last week, Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley reported that their Middle East trip led them to conclude that ethnic cleansing is occurring in Gaza, arguing Israel’s actions constitute collective punishment.
Still, only around 20 of 535 members of Congress currently describe Israel’s actions as genocide. Yet bipartisan support for Israel on Capitol Hill has visibly weakened. In July, 27 senators, mostly Democrats, backed Sanders’ proposal to block arms sales to Israel, though it ultimately failed.
The debate comes as countries including Australia, France, Luxembourg, Malta, Canada, and the UK prepare to push for Palestinian statehood recognition at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York.
Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump has remained a staunch supporter of Israel. His administration has expanded efforts to silence pro-Palestinian voices and proposed controversial ideas such as US administration of Gaza to facilitate Palestinian displacement.
Sanders, who previously spearheaded attempts to halt offensive weapon sales to Israel, renewed his demand to end US military aid to what he called “[Benjamin] Netanyahu’s genocidal government.”
“The very term genocide is a reminder of what can happen if we fail,” Sanders wrote. “That word emerged from the Holocaust – the murder of six million Jews – one of the darkest chapters in human history. Make no mistake. If there is no accountability for Netanyahu and his fellow war criminals, other demagogues will do the same.”
Editor’s Choice: Indonesian Actress and Activist Wanda Hamidah Joins Gaza-Bound Flotilla
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