White House hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters Republicans not immune to the malady that hobbled Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (I-Vt.) indicated Monday that if elected president he would leverage billions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Israel to push Jerusalem to change its policies toward the Palestinians.

“At a time when we spend $3.8 billion on military aid to Israel, we have the right to say to the Israeli government that the United States of America and our taxpayers and our people believe in human rights, we believe in democracy, we will not accept authoritarianism or racism and we demand that the Israeli government sit down with the Palestinian people and negotiate an agreement that works for all parties,” Sanders said at a Washington conference hosted by J Street, a liberal advocacy group whose stated mission is to help end the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.

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“I would use the leverage, $3.8 billion is a lot of money, and we cannot give it carte blanche to the Israeli government or to any government at all," he added. "We have the right to demand respect for human rights and democracy."

The U.S. and Israel reached an agreement in 2016 that would send a record $38 billion in military aid to Jerusalem over a 10-year period. Critics have long decried the agreement, saying American taxpayer dollars should not help fund Israel’s occupation of the West Bank or its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Sanders has floated the idea of leveraging aid to Israel in the past, saying in July that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE leads “an extreme right-wing government with many racist tendencies” in reference to Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Sanders told advocates on Monday that some of the military assistance to Israel should instead be allocated to the Gaza Strip in the form of humanitarian aid.

“If you want military aid, you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship with the people of Gaza," he said. "In fact, I think it is fair to think that some of that $3.8 billion should go to humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Sanders went further in his willingness to place conditions on aid than four other 2020 Democratic contenders who spoke at the J Street conference over the past two days.

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro expressed openness to conditioning aid so that U.S. assets would not be used for building or annexing West Bank settlements, while Sens. Amy Klobuchar Amy Klobuchar3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Social media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight MORE (D-Minn.) and Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.) refrained from saying they would place any conditions on military aid to Israel.