In an interview with All Things Considered, the independent lawmaker said he felt the need to respond because Netanyahu, in his mind, has tried "to deflect attention from that horrendous reality [of the Israel-Hamas war] to talk about antisemitism, to deflect away from what he is doing," in Gaza. "In my view, and I think the view of most Americans now, Israel's response has been grossly disproportionate," Sanders told NPR's Scott Detrow. "Gaza has 2.2 million people, mostly very poor Palestinians. And over the last six months, 33,000 people have been killed, 77,000 have been wounded, two thirds of whom are women and children."