Gaza needs a humanitarian pause. Then we need a vision of where we go from here | Bernie Sanders
Gaza needs a humanitarian pause. Then we need a vision of where we go from here | Bernie Sanders
One thing is clear: there cannot be a return to the status quo that existed in Gaza before the war
This is a fantastic opinion piece by Sanders that lays it out the situation before the Hamas attack, the current situation, and what should be done. He lays out several requirements for peace that aid to Israel should be contingent on. He also notes that Hamas is hurting the Palestinians, which is a detail very few mention.
He's also one of the first people I've seen try to take a stab at what a lasting solution needs to be -- two states, Netanyahu ousted, Hamas destroyed, foundations of Palestinian civil government created.
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From Sen. Sanders statement:
An immediate humanitarian response is vitally important, but it is equally important for Israel to have a political strategy. It cannot bomb its way to a long-term solution. Such a strategy must include, as minimum first steps: a clear promise that Palestinians displaced in the fighting will have the absolute right to safely return to their homes; a commitment to broader peace talks to advance a two-state solution in the wake of this war; an abandonment of Israeli efforts to carve up and annex the West Bank; and a commitment to work with the international community to build genuine Palestinian governing capacity.
What is happening now is butchery, not the steps to a lasting peace. Every single person and nation can walk back from the brink of madness if they realize they are wrong and start the process to peace. Peace doesn't come at the end of a sword. It comes from an outstretched hand. Show these poor trapped people your humanity. Show them mercy in the face of crushing death and sow the seeds of a future both your children can live in.
This piece was published 4 days ago. Israel still has time to save 350,000 people dying in the rubble around them. There is always time to be human. There is always time for mercy when you were shown none.