Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing the Israeli leader of “losing his way” and calling for new elections in the Jewish State.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel,” Schumer said in a 45 minute-long address on the Senate floor on Thursday, alleging that Netanyahu’s alliance with “bigots” and “far-right extremists” has pushed “support for Israel worldwide to historic lows” and turned it into an international “pariah.”
“Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah,” Schumer warned, urging Israelis to elect a new government and return to the negotiating table with regional nations on the establishment of an independent state of Palestine.
“Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations should continue to pursue normalization with Israel, and this should be the foundation of a grand bargain in the Middle East that will finally make meaningful Palestinian statehood a reality. For our part, the United States, the world’s superpower, must work together with our allies, to bring our immense diplomatic and financial power to bear on this situation,” Schumer said.
“On the Israeli side, the US government should demand that Israel conduct itself with a future two state solution in mind. We should not be forced into a position of unequivocally supporting the actions of an Israeli government that include bigots who reject the idea of a Palestinian state,” he added.
“Israel is a democracy. Five months into this conflict, it is clear that Israelis need to take stock and ask ‘must we change course?’ At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel. At a time of so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government. I also believe a majority of the Israeli public will recognize a need for change, and I believe that holding a new election, once the war starts to wind down, would give Israelis an opportunity to express their vision for the post-war future,” Schumer said.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Schumer’s comments, saying it was “highly inappropriate” and “just plain wrong for an American leader to play such a divisive role in Israeli politics while our closest ally in the region is in an existential battle for its very survival.”
“We need to be standing with Israel. We need to give our friends and allies our full support…But what you’re seeing from the White House and clearly from the Senate Democrats is really exactly the opposite,” Johnson said.
Schumer is the highest-ranking Democrat to speak out against continued American support for Netanyahu after half a dozen Dem senators and independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who has caucused with Democrats, sent a letter to Biden earlier this week demanding an immediate halt to military aid to Tel Aviv. “The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that interferes with US humanitarian assistance,” the letter said, referring to the Netanyahu government’s recent efforts to block American aid deliveries to Gaza.
“Federal law is clear, and, given the urgency of the crisis in Gaza, and the repeated refusal of Prime Minister Netanyahu to address US concerns on this issue, immediate action is necessary to secure a change in policy by his government,” the senators’ appeal said.
Why the Shift in Tone?
The Democrats’ shift in tone toward America’s top Middle East ally comes amid growing concerns among election strategists that the party’s support for Israel has become toxic among traditionally Democratic voters ahead of the 2024 election. Recent polling has shown both Biden and Senate and House Democrats losing traction among Muslim and liberal voters nationwide, and facing the prospect of losing tens of thousands of votes in key swing states including Michigan, which has the largest Arab-American population in the US.
Washington’s full-throated support for Israel has also weakened its alliances across the globe, with traditional partners in the Middle East in particular slowly shifting their economic and geostrategic alliances and partnerships amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which has put pressure on regional governments from their populations over the perceived lack of punishment for Tel Aviv for its actions.