Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) has voiced his support for pro-Palestine protests looming in US campuses, and blasted President Joe Biden over his backing of Israel.
Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) has voiced his support for pro-Palestine protests looming in US campuses, and blasted President Joe Biden over his backing of Israel.
Appearing in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Friday, Sanders compared Biden’s situation with former President Lyndon Johnson, who decided against seeking reelection in 1968 due to student protests against the Vietnam War.
“This may be Biden‘s Vietnam,” the Vermont Independent warned. “Lyndon Johnson in many respects was a very, very good president domestically he brought forth some major pieces of legislation. He chose not to run in ‘68 because of opposition to his views in Vietnam.”
He further expressed worry that Biden is at the risk of losing young people and a lot of Democratic support ahead of the November elections, in which the POTUS is most likely to rematch against ex-president Donald Trump.
“I worry very much that President Biden is putting himself in a position where he has alienated not just young people, but a lot of the Democratic base in terms of his views on Israel and this war.”
Bernie Sanders hails anti-Israel protestors
Meanwhile, he took to X, formerly Twitter to says that “without protests, we would still live in a segregated country.”
“Without protests, women would still be second class citizens. Without protests, the LGBTQ+ community would still be hiding their identities,” he added.
Recalling a protest held at University of Chicago in 1962, Sanders wrote in another post, “In 1962, we organized sit-ins to end racist policies at the University of Chicago. In ’63, I was arrested protesting segregated schools. But we were right.”
He went on to say that “I’m proud to see students protesting the war in Gaza.”
“Stay peaceful and focused. You’re on the right side of history,” he concluded.
The senator’s remarks coincide with growing pressure on Biden from the left wing of his party to stop providing military support to Israel and back an Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Israel declared war against Hamas following an unanticipated assault on Israel on October 7 that claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis.
While protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict have caused chaos on US college campuses, Biden upheld the right to peaceful protest, but insisted that “order must prevail.”
Addressing the protestors from the White House, Biden stated, “There is a right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos.”
The president declared that he has not changed his strategy for the war in response to the protests.
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