© Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
Syndication: USA TODAY
(Washington, D.C.) — The highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker in the U.S. is calling on Israel to hold elections to get rid of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. New York Senator Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor on Thursday, issuing some of the harshest criticism any Senator has made of the Prime Minister and his handling of the war with Hamas. Schumer defended Israel’s right to eliminate Hamas, but he accused Netanyahu of being too willing to tolerate the civilian death toll in Gaza. He called for the Israeli government to hold new elections when the war begins to wind down, to give Israelis an “opportunity to express their vision for the postwar future.” The next scheduled parliamentary elections in Israel are not until October 2026.
Republicans were quick to attack Schumer for his comments. House Speaker Mike Johnson called Schumer’s floor speech highly inappropriate and just plain wrong. He says the timing of the statements comes as Israel is in a battle for its very survival right now.
