Bernie Sanders Breaks Silence on Aaron Bushnell Self-Immolation

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders broke his silence on the self-immolation death of an active-duty airman during an interview with Newsweek on Monday.

Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoon to protest Israel's war in Gaza, according to reports and video posted on social media.

Bushnell, 25, of San Antonio, Texas, was transported to a local hospital but died from his injuries on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department told Newsweek on Monday.

The airman shouted "free Palestine" as he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy. In the video, posted on social media, the airman says: "My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide."

He adds: "I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it's not extreme at all."

The jarring death toll of Palestinian civilians and the distressing images of children dead in the rubble of bombed buildings have resulted in mounting international calls for a ceasefire and increased pressure on U.S. President Joe Biden and Congress to take a tougher line on Israel.

Sanders, a progressive independent from Vermont who ran two campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination, previously urged Biden and his colleagues in Congress to "make it clear" to Israel that any aid it receives from the U.S. must not be used to kill civilians in Gaza. The senator, who is Jewish, also stressed that Israel had the right to "destroy Hamas terrorism."

The conflict in the Middle East has seen the Israeli military launch its largest-ever airstrike campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which was home to about 2.3 million Palestinians at the start of the war. The bloodshed erupted on October 7, when Hamas led a surprise attack in southern Israel that killed roughly 1,200 people. The militant group also seized more than 250 hostages in the border raid, according to Reuters. In total, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians in the territory, according to the outlet, citing Gaza's Health Ministry.

Despite the increasing condemnation over civilian deaths and demands for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the army will continue its offensive to destroy Hamas, to bring home the remaining hostages and to stop Gaza from posing a threat.

When asked by a Newsweek reporter on Capitol Hill on Monday what his reaction was to the death of Bushnell, Sanders said it was a tragedy and denounced the number of women and children killed in the war.

"It's obviously a terrible tragedy, but I think it speaks to the depths of despair that so many people are feeling now about the horrific humanitarian disaster taking place in Gaza, and I share those deep concerns," the senator said. "Children are starving. People are dying—29,000 Palestinians have died, two-thirds of them women and children. The United States has got to stand up to Netanyahu and make sure this does not continue."

In response to Newsweek's question on how the international community sees the U.S. after such a harrowing incident, Sanders said supporting Israel is a "terrible mistake."

"We are increasingly isolated," he said. "The international community understands that what Netanyahu is doing is a humanitarian disaster. It is a horror, and we continue to be one of the very few countries in the world that stand by Israel, and I think that is a terrible, terrible mistake. And as you may know, I'm doing everything I can to make sure that the United States government does not send another nickel to Netanyahu to continue this terrible war."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.