How Mike Lee, Bernie Sanders agree on a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a committee hearing June 16, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said he agrees with Sanders when it comes to a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a committee hearing June 16, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said he agrees with Sanders when it comes to a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. (Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press)


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SALT LAKE CITY — It's not often that Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, see eye to eye, but the ideological opposites agree that a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas won't work.

Sanders said he doesn't think a permanent cease-fire is possible with "an organization like Hamas, which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos and destroying the state of Israel," when asked about the Israel-Hamas war by CNN on Sunday.

Lee shared a clip from the interview on his personal account on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "I agree with my friend Bernie Sanders: A cease-fire won't work with Hamas, and Hamas has to go. Now."

Lee said calls for a cease-fire should only be taken seriously if they come from people who meet three litmus tests:

  1. They "demanded the (pre-cease-fire) release of all hostages held by Hamas."
  2. They "denounced Hamas and all responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks."
  3. They "acknowledged Israel's right to exist."

"They don't," Lee said of many calling for a cease-fire.

He drew a distinction between the blame assigned to both Israel and Hamas, saying, "Israel sent flyers in Arabic on day three with a map telling people in Gaza where they could seek safety. Israel gave away Israel's game plan to save lives in Gaza."

"Hamas blocks roads, shoots people who try to move, and otherwise impedes the safe passage of those seeking safety," he continued. "The objective here is simple: Save lives, not slogans."

The senators don't agree on everything, though, even as it relates to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its counteroffensive.

In a Guardian op-ed last week, Sanders argued for a humanitarian pause in Israel's bombardment of the enclave to allow food, water, medicine and fuel to reach those trapped in Gaza.

"If not, thousands more will die needlessly. A stop to the bombing is critical to save innocent lives and secure the safe return of the hostages," Sanders wrote. "Let us never forget: The lives of all children are sacred, whether they are Palestinian children, Israeli children, or American children, and we must do everything we can to protect them."

Gaza's Health Ministry said more than 9,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the most recent war began, more than 4,000 of them children and minors.

Lee, on the other hand, called the idea of a humanitarian pause "similarly wrong and dangerous, giving Hamas time to regroup. It's akin to somebody walking into a surgery and demanding they stop the surgery or do it in phases (humanitarian pauses) the moment they see some blood."

"Israel is not engaged on an offensive operation or retaliation/vengeance operation," he added. "This is purely DEFENSIVE so Hamas terrorists, murderers, barbarians are eliminated once and for all and can no longer kill innocent men, women and children."

Lee has previously threatened to cut U.S. funding to the United Nations after an amended resolution condemning Hamas for the Oct. 7 attacks that killed some 1,400 Israelis failed to earn the necessary support from the U.N. General Assembly.

While visiting Tel Aviv, Israel last month, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said Hamas would be to blame for any civilians killed during Israel's bombardment and expected invasion of the territory it controls.

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Utah congressional delegationIsrael-HamasPoliticsUtah
Bridger Beal-Cvetko is a reporter for KSL.com. He covers politics, Salt Lake County communities and breaking news. Bridger has worked for the Deseret News and graduated from Utah Valley University.
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