Hundreds of Bernie Sanders DNC delegates urge him to support ceasefire in Gaza
Washington DC - Hundreds of former DNC delegates who represented Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) are urging the senator to support a ceasefire in the Israeli siege on Gaza.
The delegates called on Sanders to introduce a Senate companion bill to the Ceasefire Now resolution in the US House, introduced by Missouri Representative Cori Bush. The measure currently has 18 co-sponsors, while at least 31 members of Congress have spoken out in favor of a ceasefire.
The Sanders supporters also urged the senator to back an end to US military funding for Israel's occupation and war crimes.
Their demands come as all eyes are on Gaza and Israel's brutal assault upon the Palestinian people. The Gazan health ministry has been unable to update its death count since last Friday, when it reported 11,078 people killed since October 7.
"The Biden administration’s response has been to unconditionally support Israel, question the death toll, and liken peace protesters of all ethnicities and religious backgrounds to neo-Nazis, all while brushing off civilian casualties as a consequence of war," the 330 Sanders delegates lamented in their letter sent Wednesday.
With thousands more lives on the line, the former DNC delegates made clear the need for urgent action to put a stop to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
"We've progressed beyond the stage of seeking mere condemnations or symbolic gestures," they said.
Bernie Sanders has refused to back calls for Ceasefire Now
Biden and many members of Congress, including Sanders, have called for "humanitarian pauses" in the siege. The Israeli government had previously announced daily, four-hour breaks, but assaults have continued mostly unabated throughout Gaza.
On the 2016 and 2020 campaign trail, Sanders advocated an end to endless wars and peaceful solutions to global conflicts.
That message helped him generate a strong grassroots following and inspired many young people to engage in politics for the first time.
But now, with a majority of Americans backing a ceasefire, Sanders' presence is noticeably absent.
"We implore you to join the global chorus of voices, which includes the United Nations, numerous humanitarian organizations, activists gathered at Grand Central Terminal, those who have filled the Capitol, those who have protested across the globe, and a select few members of Congress, in calling for an immediate ceasefire," the DNC delegates wrote.
More than 400 former Sanders staffers and organizers issued a similar call last month as the pressure grows for lawmakers to act.
Cover photo: ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP