Bruce Pearl challenges Bernie Sanders: ‘Have you forgotten as a Jew that we vowed NEVER AGAIN?’

Auburn men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl has been an outspoken voice of his geopolitical opinions, especially those that relate to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), also outspoken — instead, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — released a statement saying that the United States “cannot continue to fund Netanyahu’s war against the Palestinian people,” to which Pearl responded with ferocious disagreement.

For the sake of the Palestinian people and our own standing in the world we must not provide another dollar for the Netanyahu war machine. pic.twitter.com/R24NIX89pC

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 4, 2024

Hypothetically if 1200 innocents in Vermont were killed raped and tortured Oct 7th,from terrorists in Canada and more than 200 were kidnapped and held in tunnels now, what would your reaction be Senator? Would we be calling this Sanders War? Would we be calling for a cease fire… https://t.co/2kAv4TN25H

— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) February 5, 2024

Pearl’s statement in full read as follows:

“Hypothetically if 1200 innocents in Vermont were killed raped and tortured Oct 7th, from terrorists in Canada and more than 200 were kidnapped and held in tunnels now, what would your reaction be Senator? Would we be calling this Sanders War? Would we be calling for a cease fire before those men, women, children, infants were returned safely home to Vermont? Again, hypothetically, would we be worried more about the Canadians who elected these terrorists and remained quiet as they built these war tunnels under their houses, schools and hospitals or would you be worried about those kidnapped and their families. Have you forgotten as a Jew that we vowed NEVER AGAIN? Israel must be allowed to defend itself and discourage its enemies from attacking her again. You are actually equating Israel’s response in Gaza to Putin’s attack on Ukraine? You think our standing in the world is at stake? How bout our standing as the greatest ally and friend any country could have? Or should we let China, Russia or Iran have that title? I challenge you Sir to a debate on Israel! I’m not a politician and I’m not an expert on the Middle East, but I know enough about my Bible and I know the truth. And I’m sick and tired of you politicians spinning everything! God Bless America Senator Sanders and Am Yisrael Chai.”

Pearl has repeatedly called the attacks on Israel from Hamas “a genocide” and the “world’s greatest genocide since the Holocaust.”

RELATED: Bruce Pearl: Biden’s policies ’emboldened and empowered’ Hamas

Sanders, who referred to Israel as the “Netanyahu war machine,” proposed a bill that was  overwhelmingly rejected by the Senate, which would have seen funds to Israel frozen completely until the Department of State produces a report on whether or not Israel has committed human rights violations in Gaza.