Story highlights Sanders also was critical of Israel during the interview

The comments came during an interview that was largely a do-over for Sanders on a New York Daily News sit-down published this week

Washington (CNN) Bernie Sanders has a comeback when he's being accused of landing low blows on Hillary Clinton: I am holding back.

The Vermont senator was defending himself for a third day in a row Friday morning for calling Clinton not "qualified" to be president amid escalating rhetoric in the Democratic primary.

"I am trying to stay away from personal attacks on Hillary," Sanders told MSNBC.

But he also stood by his criticism of her in recent days and blamed the Clinton campaign for leaking a new strategy after her loss to Sanders in Wisconsin that included discrediting Sanders.

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