In a speech Thursday, the US Senate leader urged the Israeli government to seek new elections, warning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu risked making the US partner a “pariah.”
“At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about Israel’s future, at a time when so many Israelis have lost faith in their government’s vision and direction,” Democrat Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish politician in the United States, said in a floor speech.
Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in US history, said Netanyau had surrounded himself with right-wing radicals and “has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows.”
“Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah,” Schumer stated.
The address came amid growing discontent among Democrats in Congress, as well as intensified pressure from President Joe Biden on the Netanyahu government over the rising death toll in Gaza.
The crisis began on October 7, when Hamas terrorists launched an offensive on Israel, killing around 1,160 people, the majority of them were civilians, according to an AFP count based on government numbers.
The extremists also took over 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, with scores of them released during a week-long truce in November.Israel claims that approximately 130 detainees remain in Gaza, with 32 dead.
Following the October 7 incident, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a relentless bombardment and ground operations in Gaza, killing at least 31,341 Palestinians, the majority of them were civilians, according to the health ministry.