Senator Bernie Sanders welcomed the failure of Israel’s Knesset to expel Arab-Israeli MK Ayman Odeh, framing the vote as a win for democracy. His comments reignite criticism over his vocal opposition to Israel’s leadership and military actions in Gaza.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Monday praised the failure of a Knesset motion to expel Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh, an Arab-Israeli lawmaker widely criticized for his anti-Israel rhetoric and inflammatory statements during wartime. The motion, which required a 90-member supermajority to pass, fell short with only 73 MKs voting in favor, while 15 voted against and several influential factions abstained or were absent—including United Torah Judaism, National Unity’s Benny Gantz, and members of Yesh Atid.
“Israel’s far right tried to expel Ayman Odeh, an Arab Israeli opposition leader, from the Knesset because of his opposition to Netanyahu’s war. Today, they failed,” Sanders declared on X.
The Democratic socialist senator, who is Jewish, has consistently criticized Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terrorist assault on southern Israel and has repeatedly opposed U.S. arms transfers to the Jewish state. In November 2023, Sanders attempted to block the sale of offensive weaponry to Israel in light of civilian casualties in Gaza—an effort that was decisively rejected by the Senate. He again tried to halt a $9 billion arms package in March 2024, which was also defeated the following month.
Last week, Sanders publicly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, D.C., labeling the event “a shameful day in America” in reference to the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes. Despite the fact that neither the U.S. nor Israel are parties to the ICC, Sanders maintained that Netanyahu should be treated as a war criminal.
“Today, a war criminal under indictment from the ICC will be welcomed to the White House,” he wrote.
Sanders’ defense of Ayman Odeh, who once urged young Arab citizens not to enlist in the Israeli military and has compared Israeli hostages to Hamas terrorists, has added to growing criticism of the senator’s stance on Israel. Though Odeh later claimed his comments were mistranslated, his history of anti-Israel declarations has led many to question his place in the Knesset altogether.
“If Israel is going to be considered a democracy, it cannot expel members of parliament for their political views,” Sanders asserted, echoing concerns about political overreach.
The failure to remove Odeh has deepened political divides within the Israeli government and opposition alike. For critics of both Sanders and Odeh, the episode symbolizes the increasing international defense of figures who, in their view, cross the line from dissent into dangerous delegitimization of the Israeli state.
