Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for the Israeli government to hold new elections, claiming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way,” as the country risks becoming an international “pariah” over the war in Gaza on Thursday.
“Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor Thursday.
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S. government, offered scathing criticism of Netanyahu and his right-wing Cabinet, claiming, “He has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows.
“The United States cannot dictate the outcome of an election, nor should we try,” he said during the speech. “That is for the Israeli public to decide — a public that I believe understands better than anybody that Israel cannot hope to succeed as a pariah opposed by the rest of the world.”
Following Schumer’s remarks, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the floor, saying it is “grotesque and hypocritical for Americans who hyperventilate about foreign interference in our own democracy to call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of Israel.”
McConnell continued, “Make no mistake: The Democratic Party doesn’t have an anti-[Netanyahu] problem. It has an anti-Israel problem.”
Schumer’s speech comes as the Biden administration continues to face growing calls from congressional Democrats to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Some Democrats are already attempting to find a way to stop military assistance if conditions do not improve for civilians. Biden has publicly expressed frustration with Netanyahu but has never gone as far as to suggest Israelis should replace him.
Schumer has been a strong supporter of Israel. He led a delegation to the country in the aftermath of the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and gave a speech on the Senate floor in late November, issuing an urgent warning about the rise of antisemitism in America in the wake of the massacre.
The New York Democrat laid out a vision for a two-state solution but conceded that Netanyahu has seemed to reject the idea of Palestinian sovereignty, implying the prime minister is not fit to lead the country toward a resolution.
“Nobody expects Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, preserve Israel’s credibility on the world stage, and work towards a two-state solution,” Schumer said.
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The next parliamentary elections in Israel are expected in 2026. Several polls since the war began show a majority of Israelis want early elections.
“As a democracy, Israel has the right to choose its own leaders, and we should let the chips fall where they may,” Schumer said. “But the important thing is that Israelis are given a choice.”
