Chuck Schumer Calls for New Election in Israel

Facts

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for a new election in Israel during an impassioned address on the Senate floor, breaking his silence on the Israel-Gaza conflict and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.¹
• While members of his party have vocally criticized Israel and its government for its response to Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, Schumer had remained quiet on the issue. In his formal remarks, he said that Netanyahu has 'lost his way' and 'no longer fits the needs of Israel.'²
• Schumer, who noted that he's the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US, reaffirmed his lifelong support for Israel while claiming that the 'world has changed, radically,' since Oct. 7 and suggesting that Israel 'change course.'³
• Israel has come under intense scrutiny for the Gaza death toll, and Schumer claims that the country has received too much blame for the humanitarian crisis. However, he said that Israel must maintain global support and avoid becoming a 'pariah.'⁴
• Schumer said the Israeli leader is allowing his 'political survival to take precedence' over the country’s interests. Schumer has called for a two-state solution and adds that Hamas and Palestinian Authority Pres. Mahmoud Abbas are also threats to peace.⁵
• Congressional Republicans were quick to criticize his remarks, saying that Democrats have an anti-Israel bias and should respect the Middle Eastern nation's democracy.⁶

Sources: ¹ABC News, ²NBC, ³CNN, ⁴NPR Online News, ⁵NBC New York and ⁶Associated Press.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic. A Jewish American and proud Zionist himself, Schumer is the furthest thing from an anti-Israel Democrat, but he recognizes that the Netanyahu government has done far more harm than good. Netanyahu’s political insecurity has caused him to completely disregard the will of the people and the best interests of Israel, and he shouldn't be allowed to stay in office without a vote. Everyone wants peace, and Netanyahu is an obstacle to achieving this.
• Republican narrative, as provided by National Review. Schumer has finally caved to the radical left wing of his party. While using his Jewish roots to legitimize his claims, he has tacitly blamed Israel for Hamas' brutal attack on Oct. 7 and undermined Israel's right to defend itself from terrorists. Schumer's claims imply that a new government would end the war against Hamas, but that's unlikely. Israeli security remains threatened, and a cease-fire cannot happen until Hamas is eliminated. Schumer and the Democrats cannot subvert Israeli democracy.

Predictions