Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition, saying he has “lost his way.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel,” Schumer said in a floor speech. “He has put himself in coalition with far-right extremists like Ministers [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] 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. Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.”
Schumer, who has been a staunch ally of Israel and backed Netanyahu after Hamas’ October 7 attack on the country, also hammered him for his attempt to limit the independence and power of the courts:
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has also weakened Israel’s political and moral fabric through his attempts to co-opt the judiciary, and he has shown zero interest in doing the courageous and visionary work required to pave the way for peace even before this present conflict.”
Schumer in his speech also called for new elections in Israel “once the war starts to wind down.”
“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me that the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7,” Schumer continued. “The world has changed radically since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that has stuck in the past.”
