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 @ISIDEWITHNewsDaily DiscussionJoe BidenPalestineBidenBernie SandersCourseIslamophobia•••2wks ago

Bernie Sanders Defends College Protesters Accused Of Being Pro-Hamas

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that many of the pro-Palestine demonstrating on college campuses are doing so “for the right reasons.”

The Vermont lawmaker joined CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour where the pair discussed President Joe Biden’s recent condemnation of the pro-Palestine protests over the use of pro-Hamas chants and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Sanders said the president was correct in calling out hate and violence at pro-Gaza protests, but said it is important to draw a distinction for those protesting against the Israeli government.

AMANPOUR: Do you believe President Biden got it just right? Or what would you say in his first comments about these protests?

SANDERS: Well, he’s exactly right is that we don’t want protests that are violent. And we absolutely will not tolerate anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia or any form of bigotry. Of course, he’s right on that. But I think, Christiane, it is important to understand, why these protesters are out there and they are out there not because they are pro Hamas. They are out there because they are outraged by what the Israeli government is now doing in Gaza, which is bringing unbelievable, not just to the terrorist organization of Hamas, but to the entire Palestinian people.

14 Replies

 @WrathfulRadicalGreen from California commented…2wks2W

Standing up for the oppressed is never easy; I spent the first three-quarters of my life standing watch against the possible rise of anti-semitism, because at that point in time it was the Jewish people who seemed vulnerable. Such is not the case at-present.

The Palestinian people are being subjected to a marginalization and dehumanization the likes of which we have not seen in decades- but the age of oppression is raising its ugly head once again, and Benjamin Netanyahu is the personification of iron-booted oppression and wanton heedless murder.

The work of freedom-loving people goes on, against the enemies of freedom, wherever and whomever they may be.

 @BrainyPe0plesPartyWorking Familyfrom New York commented…2wks2W

This is America, where speech is free and protesting is patriotic.

The corporate MSM and many politicians believe that Israel should be determining who has rights and who doesn't in the US.

 @EmptyWaspTranshumanistfrom Georgia commented…2wks2W

The last time a president's foreign policy was this unpopular with the American people his name was LBJ and he decided to not run for a second term.

 @DuckBradWomen’s Equality from Tennessee commented…2wks2W

The majority of college student protestors are not 'pro-Hamas,' they are 'pro-Palestinian.' As in stop the genocide. This conflation is just as offensive as claiming that anti-Israel and anti-Netanyahu stances in terms of genocide is 'antisemitic.'

 @CrummyBuckLibertarian from Wisconsin commented…2wks2W

Bernie absolutely right. The media and people are twisting it like everyone is pro Hamas. Majority are not. The agitators are getting the most camera time

 @BudgetBillEddieSocialistfrom Minnesota commented…2wks2W

On the one hand you have Israel, who has pledged since 1977 to own the entire place 'from the Sea to the River' who has kiIIed tens of thousands of innocent women and children and on the other side you have 'some' Jewish students who claim it's uncomfortable to see people protesting that massacre.

See? Both sides are exactly the same, amiright ??

  @9CJ6CB6 from Virginia commented…2wks2W

No, they’re truly not. Zionists at their very core were open and vocal about their intentions of COLONIZING the region. The Palestinians already lived there, the Arab Jews already lived there, and they had Jerusalem largely for themselves at the time. Zionists ruined any chance of lasting peace in the region due to a white ethno-nationalist uprising with the ideal that they somehow deserved to own the land, despite its supporters being European Jews with no genetic links to the land anymore. The Arabs and the Arab Jews were actually there for the long haul, and every strong Zionist move…  Read more

 @BetrayedDeficitGreenfrom Maine commented…2wks2W

Bullseye . The violence must end . No just society will tolerate it .

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2wks2W

What responsibility do public figures like Bernie Sanders have in shaping public perception of protest movements?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2wks2W

How can protesters ensure their message is heard as intended without being misconstrued or hijacked by others with different agendas?

  @9CJ6CB6 from Virginia answered…2wks2W

Clarity and unity of opinion. Protests must be organized and non-spontaneous. They require a long lasting organization, which is the only way to continue the message being spread.

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2wks2W

Is it appropriate to label all criticism of a government's policies as support for that government's enemies?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2wks2W

Should individuals be held accountable for the slogans or chants used in protests they participate in, even if their personal beliefs do not align with those messages?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2wks2W

Do you think it's possible to protest against a government's actions without supporting extremist groups associated with that region?

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