WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Schumer, the first Jewish majority leader in the Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., strongly criticized Netanyahu in a 40-minute speech Thursday morning on the Senate floor. Schumer said the prime minister has put himself in a coalition of far-right extremists 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.”
“Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah,” Schumer said.
The high-level warning comes as an increasing number of Democrats have pushed back against Israel and as President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Netanyahu’s government, arguing that he needs to pay more attention to the civilian death toll in Gaza amid the Israeli bombardment. The U.S. this month began airdrops of badly needed humanitarian aid and announced it will establish a temporary pier to get more assistance into Gaza via sea.
Schumer has so far positioned himself as a strong ally of the Israeli government, visiting the country just days after the brutal Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and giving a lengthy speech on the Senate floor in December decrying ”brazen and widespread antisemitism the likes of which we haven’t seen in generations in this country, if ever.”
But he said on the Senate floor Thursday that the ”Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.”
Schumer says Netanyahu, who has long opposed Palestinian statehood, is one of several obstacles in the way of the two-state solution pushed by the United States. Netanyahu “has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel,” Schumer said.
The majority leader is also blaming right-wing Israelis, Hamas and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Until they are all removed from the equation, Schumer said, “there will never be peace in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank.”
The United States cannot dictate the outcome of an election in Israel, Schumer said, but “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 when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government.”
The speech drew a swift reprisal from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said on the Senate floor immediately after Schumer’s remarks that “Israel deserves an ally that acts like one” and that foreign observers “ought to refrain from weighing in.”
The Democratic Party has an anti-Israel problem, McConnell said. “Either we respect their decisions or we disrespect their democracy,” he said.
Netanyahu has long had a more cozy relationship with Republicans in the United States, most notably speaking at a joint session of Congress in 2015 at the invitation of GOP lawmakers to try to torpedo former President Barack Obama’s nuclear negotiations with Iran. The move infuriated Obama administration officials, who saw it as an insufferable end run around Obama’s presidential authority and unacceptably deep interference in U.S. politics and foreign policy.
Just this week, Netanyahu was invited to speak to Republican senators at a party retreat. But Israeli ambassador Michael Herzog took his place due to last minute scheduling issues, according to a person familiar with the closed-door meeting.
Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, who is also Jewish, praised Schumer’s remarks.
“This is a gutsy, historic speech from Leader Schumer,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I know he didn’t arrive at this conclusion casually or painlessly.”
It is unclear how Schumer’s unusually direct call will be received in Israel, where the next parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2026. Many Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible for failing to stop the Oct. 7 cross-border raid by Hamas, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and his popularity appears to have taken a hit as a result.
Protesters in Israel calling for early elections have charged that Netanyahu is making decisions based on keeping his right-wing coalition intact rather than Israel’s interests at a time of war. And they say he is endangering Israel’s strategic alliance with the United States by rejecting U.S. proposals for a post-war vision for Gaza in order to appease the far-right members of his government.
U.S. priorities in the region have increasingly been hampered by those far-right members of his Cabinet, who share Netanyahu’s opposition to Palestinian statehood and other aims that successive U.S. administrations have seen as essential to resolving Palestinian-Israeli conflicts long-term.
In a hot-mic moment while speaking to lawmakers after his State of the Union address, Biden promised a “come to Jesus” moment with Netanyahu.
And Vice President Kamala Harris, Schumer and other lawmakers met last week in Washington with Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet and a far more popular rival of Netanyahu — a visit that drew a rebuke from the Israeli prime minister.
Gantz joined Netanyahu’s government in the War Cabinet soon after the Hamas attacks. But Gantz is expected to leave the government once the heaviest fighting subsides, signaling the period of national unity has ended. A return to mass demonstrations could ramp up pressure on Netanyahu’s deeply unpopular coalition to hold early elections.
Schumer said that as the highest ranking Jewish elected official in the United States, he feels an obligation to speak out. He said his last name derives from the Hebrew word Shomer, or “guardian.”
“I also feel very keenly my responsibility as Shomer Yisroel — a guardian of the People of Israel,” he said.
Schumer said that if Israel tightens its control over Gaza and the West Bank and creates a “de facto single state,” then there should be no reasonable expectation that Hamas and their allies will lay down arms. It could mean constant war, he said.
“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.”
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Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has recently called for new elections in Israel, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a hindrance to peace efforts in the region. Schumer’s statement comes at a critical time as tensions continue to escalate between Israel and Palestine, with no end in sight to the ongoing conflict.
Schumer, a staunch supporter of Israel, has expressed concerns over Netanyahu’s leadership and his handling of the peace process. In a recent interview, Schumer stated, “It is clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not interested in pursuing a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Palestine. His actions and rhetoric have only served to further inflame tensions and hinder any progress towards a lasting peace agreement.”
The call for new elections in Israel is not without controversy, as Netanyahu has been in power for over a decade and has a strong base of support within the country. However, Schumer believes that a change in leadership is necessary in order to move towards a more peaceful and stable future for the region.
Many experts agree with Schumer’s assessment, pointing to Netanyahu’s hardline stance on issues such as settlements in the West Bank and his refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations with Palestinian leaders. These actions have only served to deepen the divide between Israelis and Palestinians, making it increasingly difficult to find a path towards peace.
Schumer’s advocacy for new elections in Israel has sparked a debate within the political community, with some questioning the wisdom of intervening in another country’s internal affairs. However, Schumer remains steadfast in his belief that a change in leadership is necessary in order to break the current stalemate and move towards a more peaceful resolution of the conflict.
As tensions continue to rise in the region, it is clear that bold and decisive action is needed in order to prevent further escalation of violence. Schumer’s call for new elections in Israel may be just the catalyst needed to jumpstart the peace process and bring an end to the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Only time will tell if his efforts will be successful, but one thing is certain – the status quo is no longer acceptable, and change is needed now more than ever.
