Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and urged Israel to hold elections to choose new leadership, marking the strongest rebuke of Israeli policies by a senior elected U.S. official and the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S.
“I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government,” Schumer said in a floor speech. “I also believe a majority of the Israeli public will recognize the need for change, and 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.”
The New York Democrat said Netanyahu and his “radical right-wing” allies in Israeli government and society are obstacles to peace, along with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
