Sen. Schumer calls for new elections in Israel, slamming Netanyahu
Schumer shreds Israeli prime minister in lengthy floor speech
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., faced online backlash on Thursday after he said Israel should change its leadership amid the country's war with Hamas.
In what was billed as a major speech on a two-state solution, Schumer said on the Senate floor that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu was one of four obstacles to this solution.
The Senate Majority Leader said he believed that "Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel."
Along with Netanyahu, Schumer listed: "Hamas and the Palestinians who support and tolerate their evil ways; the radical right-wing Israelis in government and society; [and] Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas" as the other obstacles.
Schumer is calling on Israel to hold new elections. Schumer says he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost his way" amid the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and a growing humanitarian crisis there. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
According to Schumer, who is Jewish, new Israeli elections are "the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel." He added that he believes a majority of Israelis also recognize a need for change in their government.
Schumer’s comments were seen by some as a form of "election interference" for calling on Israel to hold new elections to replace Netanyahu.
"This is one of the most disgusting speeches ever given in the Senate. 1) Senators don’t get to pick who foreign democracies elect. This is election interference. 2) Schumer doesn’t understand how Israel is united to destroy Hamas. It’s bigger than Bibi," Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer summarized.
Former CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller asked, "Would Schumer still feel that way if his relatives were still held by Hamas?"
"For whatever reason (and I suspect it is Cornell West line on many state ballots in Fall) Democrats have concluded that 100% of their Jewish American voters and friends of Israel who are not Jewish will stick w/them regardless if they just attack @netanyahu. That seems…unlikely," conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt wrote.
"This is outrageously inappropriate. Why on earth would any nation want to be an ally of the US today? We treat them far worse than our enemies," columnist and author David Marcus exclaimed.
National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin posted, "Funny how Schumer isn't calling for new elections to replace the leadership of China or Iran."
"When Schumer gives a generally pro-Israel speech but gives it mainly to attack Bibi (for domestic political reasons) and loses the Israeli Ambassador….It shows how incoherent the Dem party’s Israel messaging is," Fox News Radio political analyst Josh Kraushaar noted.
Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen remarked, "Imagine a foreign politician calling on the U.S. to dump Bush a few months after 9/11."
New York Post columnist John Podhoretz joked, "I call for new elections in New York state. Chuck Schumer is a creature of the past. He is an obstacle to peace. Oh wait, that's not how we do things? Sorry."
In this image from video provided by Senate TV, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks on the Senate floor at the Capitol in Washington, March 14, 2024. (Senate TV via AP)
In his reasoning for calling for elections to potentially replace Netanyahu, Schumer said, "He has put himself in coalition with far-right extremists like Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, and as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows."
Schumer emphasized that Israel will not be able to overcome such a poor public image. "Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah," he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for comment.
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Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.