Sanders during the debate in New York

When The Arab American News endorsed Bernie Sanders, we wrote, “Arab Americans need to stand for principles. In Sanders, we have a principled politician who is showing strength and courage in his campaign.”

On Thursday night, Sanders once again demonstrated a rare attribute in politicians — ethical convictions.

Sanders affirmed that Palestinians have rights and deserve freedom and sovereignty on a presidential debate stage for the first time in American history.

Throughout the history of the conflict, Washington has been a dishonest broker of the peace process. Presidents and serious presidential candidates have constantly treated Israel as the victim in the decades-long conflict. Although Palestinians are being murdered and oppressed, they are treated as the source of the problem.

Finally, Sanders has brought some balance to the conversation.

In the past, both Democrats and Republicans have competed on who is more blindly supportive of Israel. But the senator from Vermont broke the norms on Thursday night. His courage is a massive step toward shifting the spectrum of debate on this issue.

While Hillary Clinton placed the entire blame for the hostilities on Palestinians, refusing to acknowledge that Israeli violence is disproportionate, Sanders stuck by his principles.

He criticized Clinton for failing to mention Palestinians’ suffering in her AIPAC speech last month.

“If we are ever going to bring peace…we are going to have to treat the Palestinian people with respect and dignity,” Sanders said.

These words will not go unheard.

We hope that Americans misled by corporate media will now be encouraged to do their own research on the conflict, instead of relying on corporate media that continue to tell Washington politicians’ lies and one-sided story on the issue.

Even if he fails to secure the nomination, Sanders’ campaign has been historic. It has inspired and empowered disenfranchised people. It has expanded the conventional confines of political disagreements.