I always looked at Sen. Bernie Sanders as the voice of reason and held him in high regards when it comes to the plight of the Palestinians. However, I was shocked and saddened that he had recently referred to Hamas as a terrorist organization. In March 2024 Sen. Sanders said that Hamas and Israel Crime Minister Netanyahu must go. (CBS News interview)

To Hamas or Jihad fighters, the people of Gaza are their parents, wives, sons, brothers and sisters. Those are freedom fighters and not a bunch of mercenaries like those serving in the Israeli Death Forces (IDF). If they were not present in Gaza, the IDF would have committed far worse crimes and killed more Palestinians than they already did.

Those courageous Palestinians fighters will not bow their heads or bend their knees except for Almighty God. Their logo is: “It’s jihad until either victory or martyrdom."

I do agree with you, Sen. Sanders, that it is long overdue for War Criminal Netanyahu to go. But Hamas? Give me a freaking break! Hamas is a freedom liberation organization who has been fighting for the last 20 months as brave as mongooses to defend 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza. That is without food or water and using homemade ammunition.

The good Senator from Maine was half-right. But he did not get to the heart of pressing issues. Sen. Bernie Sanders should stop the bleeding in Gaza, and the forced starvation and deliberate shooting of civilians, first by calling for:

* An immediate ceasefire.

* The withdrawal of all IDF out Gaza.

* “All for All” hostage deal. Meaning, free all remaining (few dozens) Israeli hostages, and ALL 12,000 Palestinian political prisoners.

* Rebuild Gaza.

I should note here that Hamas has agreed to endorse a state of Palestine along the 1967 borders- a move that would be a monumental shit from the group's long-held policy of reclaiming all historic Palestine- though it won't recognize Israel's legitimacy, as reported by the Times of Israel, March 8, 2017. So, our country. I was surprised that the good Senator has ignored this critical fact.

I would like to remind Senator Sanders, so he does not claim ignorance:

* Hamas is not the enemy of the US.

* Hamas has never attacked the US.

* Hamas never attacking any of our European allies.

* Hamas did not kill US sailors in cold blood.

* Hamas did kidnap a former US Marine.

* Hamas did not murder US journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

* Hamas did not crush US peace activist Rachel Corrie to death.

* Hamas never meddled in the US election or internal affairs.

* Hamas never stole US technology and sold it to our enemies.

* Hamas did not blackmail celebrities and politicians.

* U.S. taxpayers are not forced to pay Hamas $3.8 in aid annually.

* It was illegal Israeli settlers and not Hamas who have brutally beaten to death Saif al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat, a 20-year-old US citizen from Tampa, Florida on Friday July 11, 2025, north of Ramallah while visiting family for the summer. The settlers then   blocked an ambulance from reaching him for three hours.

* It is the IDF, not Hamas, who should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

You should remember Sen, that when former IDF soldier Edan Alexander was freed from Hamas, it was the result of direct negotiation between the Trump administration with Hamas. As a goodwill gesture, Hamas agreed to release the Jewish American young man for nothing in return. I am glad you did not attack President Trump to hold a direct talk with what you call a "terror group." You would definitely look odd and ungrateful.

Last but not least, if Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal- and it is- under international law, then by definition Palestinian resistance of that occupation is legitimate. To equate Palestinian resistance with terrorism means your approval of the Israeli brutal occupation. 

Mahmoud El-Youseph is a Palestinian freelancer and Ret. USAF veteran: He could be reached at elyousseph6@yahoo.com