Bernie Sanders breaks silence: Israel’s war on Gaza meets legal definition of genocide
By isabelle // 2025-09-19
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  • Senator Bernie Sanders has declared Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, citing UN reports and human rights groups.
  • More than 65,000 Palestinians have died, with 83% being civilians, including 18,000 children, under Israel’s military campaign.
  • Sanders condemns U.S. complicity in funding Israel’s war, demanding an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid.
  • He warns of global lawlessness if war crimes go unchecked, framing Gaza’s crisis as a moral failure of the international community.
  • His stance challenges Congress and the public to act, as silence risks normalizing atrocities like starvation and mass destruction.
For nearly two years, the world has watched in horror as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has left more than 65,000 Palestinians dead, cities reduced to rubble, and an entire population starving under blockade. Now, after months of hesitation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has become the first U.S. senator to openly declare that Israel is committing genocide, aligning with a damning UN report and the assessments of human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B’Tselem. His statement marks a turning point in the growing backlash against U.S. complicity in the slaughter. Sanders, a longtime progressive voice in Congress, had previously avoided the term "genocide," opting instead for phrases like "ethnic cleansing" and "war crimes." But after the UN’s Commission of Inquiry released findings that Israel has engaged in four of the five legally defined acts of genocide, including mass killings, starvation tactics, and the destruction of Palestinian life, Sanders wrote: "The intent is clear. The conclusion is inescapable: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza."

A legal question of intent

The UN Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group." Sanders pointed to statements from Israeli officials, including calls to "erase all of Gaza from the face of the earth" and references to Palestinians as "human animals" as proof of deliberate intent. The UN report further confirmed that Israel’s military has systematically targeted civilians, with 83% of the dead being non-combatants, including 18,000 children. Sanders acknowledged that Hamas’ October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis, justified Israel’s right to self-defense. But he argued that "over the last two years, Israel has not simply defended itself against Hamas. Instead, it has waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people." The result? A man-made famine, the destruction of 70% of Gaza’s structures, and the collapse of hospitals, schools, and water systems.

U.S. complicity under fire

Sanders has been a leading voice in Congress against U.S. military aid to Israel, forcing multiple votes to block $8 billion in weapons transfers. His latest statement escalates the demand: "The United States must not continue sending many billions of dollars and weapons to Netanyahu’s genocidal government." He called for an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, and steps toward Palestinian statehood—positions that clash sharply with the Trump administration’s continued support for Israel’s war. His stance places him alongside Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Becca Balint—the first Jewish member of Congress to use the term "genocide"—who have all condemned Israel’s actions. Yet Sanders’ voice carries particular weight as a former presidential candidate and a figure who has long balanced criticism of Israel with recognition of its security concerns.

A warning against global barbarism

Beyond Gaza, Sanders framed the crisis as part of a broader descent into global lawlessness, where "horrific crimes against humanity can take place with impunity." He warned that without accountability for Netanyahu and his "fellow war criminals," the world risks normalizing starvation as a weapon, the flattening of cities, and collective punishment. His closing message was haunting: "The very term genocide is a reminder of what can happen if we fail." The word itself emerged from the Holocaust, a crime against humanity that the world vowed never to repeat. Yet today, Sanders argued, "the starvation of children cannot be tolerated" and "the flattening of cities must not become the norm."

A rare moment of moral clarity

Sanders is no stranger to controversy, and his critics will accuse him of anti-Israel bias or oversimplifying a complex conflict. But his statement reflects a growing consensus among legal experts, human rights groups, and even some Israeli organizations that what is happening in Gaza fits the legal definition of genocide. The question now is whether Congress and the American public will heed his call to end U.S. complicity before it’s too late. For those who still believe in justice, human rights, and the rule of law, Sanders’ words serve as a chilling wake-up call. The images of starving children, bombed hospitals, and mass graves are not just wartime tragedies; they are evidence of a systematic campaign to erase a people. And if the U.S. continues to fund it, history will not judge us kindly. Will anyone else in power have the courage to stand with him?     Sources for this article include: MiddleEastEye.net AlJazeera.com Sanders.Senate.gov
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