In what’s been called an "unprecedented" and "ridiculous" move by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, GOP political powerhouses are rallying against the New York senator’s suggestion Israel hold new elections and oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It comes at a time of growing U.S. pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza and as the Biden administration is preparing to build a temporary floating dock along the Gaza shoreline to allow for large-scale delivery of food and humanitarian aid to Gazans.
The Israeli-Hamas conflict has become an increasingly polarizing issue for many Americans, making it a flash point during an already hotly contested upcoming race for the presidency.
During his speech on the Senate floor Thursday, Schumer implored Israel to hold new elections and warned it of becoming a "pariah" if Netanyahu remained in power. He claimed Netanyahu had "lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel."
His comments sparked bitter reactions from Republican leaders in the House and Senate, many of whom criticized his apparent lack of understanding or appreciation of Israel’s role as the closest and friendliest ally to the U.S. in the Middle East.
"Ridiculous. An absolute dereliction of duty. Undermining the leadership of an ally in the middle of a war and interfering in elections is downright dangerous," Sen. Tim Scott, R–S.C., wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Chuck Schumer should be ashamed for turning his back on our greatest ally in the Middle East," wrote Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican running to become the Senate GOP Conference chair.
While he gives lip service to Israel, his statements today show he will follow in lockstep with terrorist sympathizers while American lives are on the line."
"The primary ‘obstacles to peace’ in Israel’s region are genocidal terrorists and corrupt PA (Palestinian Authority) leaders who repeatedly reject peace deals," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., wrote on X. "Foreign observers who cannot keep this straight ought to refrain from interfering in the democracy of a sovereign ally."
Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan, nonprofit national security think tank based in Washington, D.C., called Schumer's suggestion "unprecedented."
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