Senator Chuck Schumer, D-New York and the majority leader, delivered a sharp speech on Thursday in the Senate, blasting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel as a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East and calling for new leadership in Israel, five months into war.
Many Democratic lawmakers have condemned the leadership of Mr. Netanyahu and his right-wing governing coalition, and President Biden even criticized the Israeli military’s attack on Gaza as “over the top.” But Mr Schumer’s speech was the sharpest criticism yet from a senior US elected official — effectively urging Israelis to replace Mr Netanyahu.
“I believe in his heart, his highest priority is the security of Israel,” said Mr. Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States. “However, I also believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to trump Israel’s interests.”
He added: “He was very willing to tolerate the number of civilians in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows. Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.”
Mr. Schumer’s speech was the latest reflection of growing discontent among Democrats, particularly progressives, with Israel’s conduct of the war and its toll on Palestinian civilians, which has created a strategic and political dilemma for Mr. Biden. Republicans have sought to capitalize on that momentum, hugging Mr. Netanyahu closer as Democrats disown him.
The majority leader’s remarks came a day after Senate Republicans invited Mr. Netanyahu to speak as their special guest at a party in Washington. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican, invited Mr. Netanyahu to address Republicans virtually, but he was unable to appear because of a last-minute scheduling conflict. Ambassador Michael Herzog, Israel’s envoy to the United States, spoke in his place.
On Thursday, Mr. Schumer was careful to insist that he was not trying to dictate any election outcome in Israel. And he prefaced his scathing criticism of Mr. Netanyahu with a lengthy defense of the country, which he said American Jews “love in our bones.” He said there had been an “inaccurate perception” of the war that had overly blamed Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza without focusing enough on how Hamas had used Palestinian civilians as human shields. And he said he understood how difficult it was for traumatized Israelis to consider the possibility of a two-state solution at this time.
However, he said: “The Netanyahu coalition no longer suits Israel’s needs after October 7. The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are currently being suffocated by a government vision stuck in the past.”
Mr Schumer said the only solution to the decades-long conflict was a two-state solution: “a demilitarized Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in equal measure of peace, security, prosperity and dignity”. He said Mr Netanyahu, who has rejected the idea of a Palestinian state, was endangering Israel’s future.
“At this critical juncture, I believe that new elections are the only way to allow a healthy and open decision-making process for the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost confidence in its vision and direction. government,” Mr. Schumer said, noting that the majority of the Israeli public “will recognize the need for change.”
“As a democracy, Israel has the right to choose its leaders and we must let the chips fall where they may,” he said. “But the important thing is that Israelis are given a choice. There must be a new debate on the future of Israel after October 7.”
Mr. Schumer’s speech was the second time he had addressed the Israel-Hamas war from the Senate floor in a major speech. In November, Mr. Schumer delivered a deeply personal speech condemning the rise of anti-Semitism in America that has flared since Israel began retaliating against Hamas for its Oct. 7 terror attack on defenseless Israeli civilians.
This speech seemed to be addressed mainly to members of his party. warned that some liberals and young people are “unknowingly aiding and abetting” anti-Semitism in the name of social justice.
On Thursday, his speech was aimed squarely at Mr. Netanyahu and the far-right members of his governing coalition, who Mr. Schumer said fell short of Jewish values.
“He will not repudiate Secretaries Smotrich and Ben-Gvir and their calls for the Israelis to expel the Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank,” Mr. Schumer said. “He will not commit to a military operation in Rafah that prioritizes the protection of civilian life. He will not responsibly engage in discussions about a ‘day after’ plan for Gaza and a long-term path to peace.’
Mr. Schumer said that if Mr. Netanyahu and his current coalition remain in power, “then the United States will have no choice but to play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the current course”.
