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A friend on Facebook commented recently that Sanders will bomb Gaza just fine, in other words, as president he will be no different than the rest of them. This may well be true, and frankly we are not likely to ever find out.

Bernie Sanders made a serious crack in the damn that keeps criticism of Israel out of the political discourse in America but he prefaced his remarks by saying, “As someone who is 100% pro-Israel...” What does it mean to be 100% pro Israel and why is it important to mention this? It’s like saying the French committed terrible crimes in Algeria but I am 100% pro French. Or the United States committed terrible crimes in Iraq, GO USA! Sanders called Israel out for its disproportionate use of force in Gaza, so far so good. But Israel always uses disproportionate force against Palestinians, so why is Sanders pro Israel? Is it that “progressive except for Palestine” syndrome all over again?

Opposing Israel or being pro-Palestinian reduces the argument to a sporting match mentality, where in the end both sides are equally right and equally wrong. Are you pro this team or that team? No one really cares. The occupation of Palestine and the destruction of the Palestinian people by Israel over the past 68 years is not a game, it is not even a question of politics. It is a question of values, deep, personal values. Does one support racism or not, does one support people’s right to justice and freedom or not. As my friend Ed Sweed puts it, “I oppose racism, what’s your position?”

Sanders did more than enough to show he supports justice when it comes to the US. He calls for justice for low-wage earners, for the right to education, on racial issues, etc. But what about Palestine? Is Palestine an exception to these rules? Does Israel get an exemption because it is the self-proclaimed Jewish state? Because if so, then I demand that any Jews held in prison be set free immediately. Unless this exemption applies only to crimes committed by large groups of Jewish people.

If someone deliberately and knowingly pays a killer and supplies him with the weapons to commit murder, then pays him again, and replenishes the ammunition, they would be accused of pre-meditated murder even if they didn’t pull the trigger. This is precisely the relationship between the United States and Israel. The victims are countless Palestinians who are being murdered, injured and made homeless. Israeli pilots, sailors and soldiers pull the trigger, but the financer and weapons supplier is the United States government, and as of yet, Bernie Sanders hasn’t made it clear where he stands on this issue.

While many progressives would like to see Sanders become president of the United States, this is not likely to happen. Watching the mainstream news, as one is often forced to do while traveling and waiting at airports, it is clear that no one in the political establishment wants him to win, and that the corporate media decided to leave him out of the public eye. There is no coverage of Sanders unless there is a primary taking place during which they have no choice and must to talk about him. Bernie Sanders is a threat to American values and he goes against everything for which the United States stands: he opposes racism, he criticizes corporate greed, he opposes war and the large banks, and he talks about the unspeakable evil that was done, and continues to be done to Blacks and American Indians. Clearly Sanders wants to destroy all that the United States has worked to achieve and no one wants that to happen. At least no one in power wants that to happen.

The massive popular support that Sanders has achieved can still shake things up in America. The Sanders campaign needs to present a clear progressive position on the issue of Palestine, and declare unconditional support for the BDS movement. Since Sanders is the progressive candidate he must lead the way for others who call themselves progressive but are still wavering on this issue. Sanders should accept the call of Palestinian civil society to impose boycotts and sanctions and to divest from Israel until such time that justice for Palestinians, as defined by Palestinian civil society is achieved. Indeed, in the US Sanders should be the amplifier of this call for justice in Palestine. By distancing himself from the normalization promoting, so called pro-dialogue, pro-peace agenda that suggests symmetry between the oppressors and the oppressed, Sanders can set the stage for significant progress.

The hypocrisy of being progressive with an exemption for Israel is self-evident and so far it isn’t at all clear where Sanders really stands on this issue. While Sanders’ vision is clearly un-American and goes against everything America has ever done, if it becomes reality it will benefit more Americans than any other vision being presented. But it is not possible to have a moral vision and ignore the United States’ criminal support for Israel. No one can be 100% pro Israel, or even 1% pro-Israel and still present a moral vision. If Bernie Sanders is the progressive leader he claims to be, and indeed seems to be, then he needs to extend his vision to Palestine. Sanders ought to join the campaign to end the plight of Palestinians, recognize the injustice that Israel presents and add his name to the list of notable people who support BDS.