Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, the first Jewish candidate to win U.S. primaries and convention delegates, Sunday called for a more “balanced” approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the needs of the Palestinian people must be addressed.

Both the Vermont senator and rival former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended Israel’s right to exist without fear of terror attacks in separate interviews on CNN’s “State of the Union,” but Sanders said Israel’s response to Palestinian rocket attacks was disproportionate.

Sanders, who skipped the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention last month citing a scheduling conflict, described his position as more “balanced,” saying Palestinians need to be treated with “dignity and respect.”

“This is the way I see it, whether you’re Jewish or not Jewish. I would hope every person … wants to see the misery of conflict end in the Middle East. … All I’m saying is that as somebody pro-Israeli … who supports Israel’s right to exist in peace and in security, I think the only way we succeed is if the United States is if the United States plays a role. But you cannot ignore the needs of the Palestinian people. …

“You can’t just be concerned only about Israel’s needs. You have to be concerned about the needs of all the people in the region.”

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The last round of major conflict between Israel and the Palestinians resulted in 2,200 Palestinian deaths, including women and children, along with 71 Israelis and a Thai civilian.

“When you are being attacked with rockets raining down on your people and your soldiers are under attack, you have to respond,” Clinton said.

“Hamas provokes Israel. They often pretend to have people in civilian garb acting as though they are civilians who are Hamas fighters. It’s a very difficult undertaking for Israel to target those who are targeting them. … It did not go seeking this. This was promoted by Hamas, and I support Israel’s right of self-defense.”

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