US Jewish group slams Bernie Sanders for misstatements on 2014 Gaza war

"Accuracy and accountability are essential for the voting public, but also for US credibility in the international community," ADL says.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
Updated: APRIL 6, 2016 23:46
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks to a crowd of supporters at the Mayo Civic Center on February 27, 2016 in Rochester, MN (photo credit: STEPHEN MATUREN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks to a crowd of supporters at the Mayo Civic Center on February 27, 2016 in Rochester, MN
(photo credit: STEPHEN MATUREN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
NEW YORK - The Anti-Defamation League called on presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to correct "misstatements" he made regarding the 2014 conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In an interview with the New York Daily News published on Monday, Sanders said Israel’s actions during the 2014 war in Gaza were “disproportionate.”
“My recollection is over 10,000 innocent people were killed in Gaza," Sanders was quoted saying, which ADL said was an over-statement.
“Even the highest number of casualties claimed by Palestinian sources that include Hamas members engaged in attacking Israel is five times less than the number cited by Bernie Sanders,” ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said in a statement.
“As Mr. Sanders publicly discusses his approach to key US foreign policy priorities, including Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, accuracy and accountability are essential for the voting public, but also for US credibility in the international community. We urge Senator Sanders to correct his misstatements,” Greenblatt said.
Sanders also said on Monday that if Israel wanted to have a positive relationship with the United States, it would have to improve its relationship with the Palestinians.
When pushed by the Daily News to elaborate on his past calls for Israel to pull back from West Bank settlements, Sanders said that "long-term, we cannot ignore the reality that you have large numbers of Palestinians who are suffering now, poverty rate off the charts, unemployment off the charts, Gaza remaining a destroyed area."
The ADL pointed out that as a nonprofit organization, it takes no position on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for office.