Bernie Sanders Statement on Israel-Gaza Conflict Corrects Distortion Of His Position

[imagine2015]

Press Release

Sanders Statement on Israel-Gaza Conflict
April 7, 2016

NEW YORK – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ spokesman on Thursday responded to a request from the Anti-Defamation League for clarification of a statement by Sanders on the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict.

“As many people know, Sen. Sanders, as a young man, spent months in Israel and, in fact, has family living there now. There is no candidate for president who will be a stronger supporter of Israel’s right to exist in freedom, peace and security,” said Sanders’ spokesman, Michael Briggs. “The path to peace in the Middle East is not an easy one,” Briggs added. “As we go forward in this campaign, distorting the truth is not useful. We hope there can be an honest discussion of this important issue.”

During a recent New York Daily News editorial board interview, Sanders was asked about the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. “Help me out here because I don’t remember the figures,” he said before saying his recollection was that 10,000 Palestinians were killed. He then immediately added, “Does that sound right?” The interviewer did a quick search and found that, in fact, more than 2,000 Palestinians were killed and 10,000 were wounded. The United Nations has estimated that 2,104 were killed, including 1,462 civilians. Understanding that his recollection was about the total number of casualties, not the death toll, the senator immediately accepted that correction and the discussion moved on to other topics.

“The idea that Sen. Sanders stated definitely that 10,000 Palestinians were killed is just not accurate and a distortion of that discussion,” Briggs said. “Bringing peace between Israel and the Palestinians will not be easy. It would help if candidates’ positions on this issue are not distorted.”

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-israel-gaza-conflict/




Press Release

ADL Welcomes Sen. Sanders’ Clarification on Gaza War Casualties

New York, NY, April 7, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the clarification by presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of his misstatement about Palestinian casualties during the 2014 conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.

After a phone conversation between the senator and ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt, Senator Sanders issued a statement clarifying that his recollection that there were 10,000 civilian Palestinian civilian deaths was inaccurate and that the interviewer corrected him in the course of the conversation – a correction that he accepted.

“The senator assured me that he did not mean his remarks to be a definitive statement and that he would make every effort to set the record straight, Mr. Greenblatt said. “We appreciate his responsiveness on this issue, especially at a time when there are many false and incendiary reports blaming Israel for applying disproportionate force in its struggle for self-defense.”

http://www.adl.org/press-center/press-releases/israel-middle-east/adl-welcomes-sen-sanders-clarification.html#.Vwckyl75OUk

[Vattel]

1. Israel should be blamed for using disproportionate force.

“We appreciate his responsiveness on this issue, especially at a time when there are many false and incendiary reports blaming Israel for applying disproportionate force in its struggle for self-defense.”

[Fozzledick]

4. "there are many false and incendiary reports blaming Israel for applying disproportionate force"

There's another one!

[Vattel]

5. no, my report was neither false nor incendiary

[beam me up scottie]

2. Those who accused him of lying, blood libel and being "self hating" are morans.

Of course he wasn't trying to slander Israel.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. So very true.

He wasn't trying to slander Israel, but others do, and those who are concerned with it should be addressing those people and not Sen. Sanders incorrect "recollection." But just like many other issues, "any port in the storm" seems to be the mantra.