Bernie Sanders. Photo: AFP
"It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited – by leaders from both parties – to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress," Sanders said in a statement.
"Netanyahu is a war criminal. He should not be invited to address a joint meeting of Congress. I certainly will not attend," Sanders said, stressing he will boycott the session.
He also accused Israel of being in "clear violation of American and international law."
Netanyahu was officially invited to speak to US Congress on Friday in a letter signed by the Republican and Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate.
Sanders, an independent Senator but who caucuses with Senate Democrats, said Israel had the right to defend itself against Palestinian resistance movement Hamas but it "does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people."
"Israel does not have the right to kill more than 34,000 civilians. It does not have the right to orphan 19,000 children. It does not have the right to to annihilate Gaza’s health care system, knocking 26 hospitals out of service and killing more than 400 health care workers," he added.
"It most certainly does not have the right to block humanitarian aid from coming in to the desperate people of Gaza, creating the conditions for starvation and famine."
Short link: