United States Senator Bernie Sanders has fiercely condemned the recent White House reception for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a “war criminal” and “one of the monsters of modern history” in a strongly worded video statement shared Tuesday on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Reacting to Netanyahu’s official visit and welcome by President Donald Trump, Sanders criticized the president and Republican lawmakers for what he described as “rolling out the red carpet” for a man who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
“Netanyahu has been indicted as a war criminal. His government is systematically killing and starving the people of Gaza,” Sanders said in the video. “He will be remembered as one of the monsters of modern history. And Trump welcomed him to the White House.”
The senator, who has long been a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, highlighted the devastating humanitarian toll of Israel’s actions in Gaza under Netanyahu’s leadership. He stated that more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 135,000 wounded, the majority of them women, children, or elderly individuals.
Sanders also slammed the Israeli government for blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza for nearly three months, noting that only a “trickle of aid” has been allowed through recently and only via a private foundation linked to security contractors. He said this aid system has proven deadly in itself.
“In just the first five weeks of this new aid mechanism, 640 people have been killed and almost 5,000 injured while trying to access food,” Sanders added. “This is a catastrophe—massacres are happening almost daily at these distribution sites.”
The senator’s remarks have reignited fierce debate in Washington, where partisan lines over U.S. support for Israel have deepened following months of violence in Gaza. While Republicans continue to voice strong support for Netanyahu and his government, progressive Democrats like Sanders are urging a total reassessment of America’s aid and diplomatic alignment with Israel.
The White House has yet to respond to Sanders’ comments. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s visit continues to spark global outcry, especially among human rights groups and international observers, who echo Sanders’ concerns over ongoing civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave.
Credit: @SenSanders via x.com.
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