Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday called for new elections in Israel in the future, ramping up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he faces increasing criticisms for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“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 in a speech on the Senate floor.
While Schumer also decried Hamas, and called Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a “terrible” leader for Palestinians in the West Bank, he gave his sharpest criticism yet of Netanyahu’s leadership — specifically his right-wing cabinet, which he condemned for not seeking a two-state solution with Palestine. Schumer warned that Israel was risking becoming an international “pariah” amid its bombings and campaign in Gaza that have killed more than 30,000 Palestinian civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The break from Schumer is notable given that he has traditionally been a staunch ally of Israel, is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in United States history, and visited Israel after Hamas’ October 7 attack to show support for the Jewish state.
