Board members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are seeking to oust from their ranks Senator Bernie Sanders, citing nearly two decades of absenteeism and rhetoric they say undermines the institution’s mission.

The council was established by Congress in 1980 and is tasked with overseeing the museum’s operations. Its members are mostly composed of presidential appointees who serve five-year terms, though the board also contains a handful of members from the Senate and the House of Representatives who are chosen by congressional leadership. Those appointees often sit on the board until they leave office or are replaced by a successor.

Mr. Sanders, a democratic socialist from Vermont, has been a member of the council since 2007. However, his stances on Israel and the war in Gaza, combined with his poor attendance, has prompted some of his fellow council members to reconsider his position.

Among the members advocating for Mr. Sanders’ removal is a New York-based financial advisor, Jonathan Burkan, who was appointed to the council twice by President Trump. Mr. Burkan claims that he has never seen Mr. Sanders at any of the council’s meetings — unlike his fellow lawmaker appointees, Republican or Democrat. 

“Everything that’s happened after Oct. 7, everything that has been going on with antisemitism, with the Holocaust — I do feel that if someone is a Jewish elected official, they should at least attend one meeting in over a 20-year period of time,” Mr. Burkan told Jewish Insider. “They should find someone else besides Bernie just to be on the council.”

The council meets twice a year, according to the museum’s website. A subgroup of the board, the executive committee, meets four times a year.

Mr. Burkan also takes issue with Mr. Sanders’ accusation that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. He says that the claim “downplays the Holocaust, which actually hurts the museum which he serves.”

Another Trump appointee, Daniel Huff, who was brought on to the board during Trump’s first administration, emphasized that it’s “important that the museum be a bipartisan effort,” noting that other Democratic Senators and Representatives have been active and consistent participants in the council’s meetings.

“That’s the type of representation that we want,” Mr. Huff told Jewish Insider. “My observation, simply, is that Sanders has not shown up to any meeting, as far as I can tell.”

Mr. Huff added that, given the global rise in antisemitism, it’s vital that the museum’s leaders are “focused on the importance of the moment, the urgency of the moment.” He added: “We’re living in a dangerous moment and everyone ought to be paying attention. We need people who understand the fierce urgency of the moment we’re in, and the need to act wisely and decisively.”

Mr. Huff described the effort to replace Mr. Sanders as “not a political statement” — but just a reflection of their desire to “find someone who’s aligned and involved — that’s it, very simple,” he said.

Mr. Sanders’ lack of engagement was also reported by first-time board appointee Rob Garson, who told Jewish Insider that he was surprised to find out that the Vermont senator was even part of the council. “It’s not as if they have that many [meetings] in any given year, and it’s not as if it’s in an inconvenient place for him to come to,” Mr. Garson said. “He clearly just either doesn’t care or doesn’t want to care.”

Mr. Garson, who is the current president of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, also argued that Mr. Sanders’ public comments are “diametrically opposed to the message of the Holocaust Memorial Council.” He suggested that the board should consist of “people that actually are aligned with what the Holocaust Museum stands for, and Sanders just isn’t that.”

Another board member, Tila Falic, also shared her view that if Mr. Sanders is unable to attend meetings and is not aligned with the museum’s mission, “he should be removed and give that seat to somebody who wants to take an active role and make a difference.”

Mr. Sanders, who is Jewish, became the first American senator to accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza — a position at odds with the prevailing view of the American government and with the Israeli government. He has also supported New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who does not believe in Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

Mr. Sanders has not responded to the complaints of his fellow board members nor has he responded to the Sun’s request for comment.