The leader of the Democrats in the US Senate on Thursday called for elections in Israel, calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an “obstacle to peace” — a new illustration of Washington’s change in tone on the management of the war in Gaza.
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The government coalition “led by Netanyahu no longer corresponds to Israel’s needs after October 7,” the start date of the war with the Palestinian movement Hamas, Chuck Schumer said during a speech.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way, letting his political survival come before the best interests of Israel,” added this influential American elected official from the Senate chamber.
This new mark of American distrust towards the head of the Israeli government comes a few days after comments from President Joe Biden assuring that Benjamin Netanyahu was “doing more harm than good to Israel”.
Asked by AFP, Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment. His party, the Likud, however castigated Mr. Schumer’s comments, ensuring that the Prime Minister’s policy was “supported by the vast majority of the Israeli population”.
“Israel is not a banana republic,” he said in a statement.
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Critical point
Leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate and highest-ranking elected Jew in the United States, Chuck Schumer has until now been very cautious in his criticism of the Israeli ally and the way in which it is carrying out its offensive in Gaza.
But Israel is at a “critical point” after five months of conflict, he said, judging that “new elections were the only way to allow a healthy decision-making process” on the future of the country.
According to Mr. Schumer, who also called for the resignation of the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, in office since 2005, Benjamin Netanyahu is “too willing to tolerate the human toll among civilians in Gaza, which drives international support for Israel near historic lows.
However, he believes, Israel “cannot survive if it becomes a pariah”.
These comments did not fail to quickly provoke a reaction from the Republicans, whose solid support for Israel has not changed.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called them “grotesque and hypocritical.” Israel “deserves an ally who acts like one,” he said.
“Counterproductive”
The Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog, considered Chuck Schumer’s statements “counterproductive.”
Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet and Netanyahu’s great rival, said it was “solely up to the citizens (of Israel) to decide the political future” of the country.
Asked about the Democratic leader’s comments, a White House spokesperson kicked in.
“We know (Chuck) Schumer feels strongly about this issue,” John Kirby said. “We will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, while doing everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties.”
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After months of almost unconditional support for Israel, Joe Biden is also adopting an increasingly critical tone in the face of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The American president, candidate for re-election in November, is in fact under pressure from part of his electorate.
In Michigan, a state that promises to be decisive in November, many Democrats, including a large proportion of members of the large Arab-American community, are threatening not to vote for him in his duel against Republican Donald Trump, even though without nuance in his support for Israel.
The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has left 31,341 dead, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, in this territory where famine threatens and where humanitarian aid is difficult to deliver.
The war began after the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,160 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official sources. Israelis.
