By Staff, Agencies Leading Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said at Tuesday’s party debate that, if elected president, he would consider moving the US embassy from al-Quds [Jerusalem] back to Tel Aviv. Rival Mike Bloomberg pushed back, saying that moving the embassy was not a realistic possibility, while Elizabeth Warren refused to say what her policy would be.

Sanders and Bloomberg were asked about their Israel policies as the two Jewish candidates onstage.

Moderator Major Garrett first asked Sanders about his recent criticism of AIPAC He asked, “What would you say to American Jews who might be concerned you’re not, from their perspective, supportive enough of Israel, and specifically, would you move the US embassy back to Tel Aviv?” “The answer is it’s something we would take into consideration,” Sanders said.

“I am very proud of being Jewish… but what I happen to believe is that right now, sadly, tragically, in Israel, through Bibi Netanyahu, you have a reactionary racist who is now running that country,” he said.

“Our foreign policy in the Mideast should be about absolutely protecting the independence and security of ‘Israel’, but you cannot ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people.

We have got to have a policy that reaches out to the Palestinians and the Americans.

That will come within the context of bringing nations together in the Mideast,” Sanders said.

On Sunday, Sanders said on Twitter that he would not attend the confab, emphasizing that he was “concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights”