Posted on 03/14/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday sought to clarify his remarks against the Israeli government which caused a firestorm.
“The US cannot dictate the outcome of an election. That is for the Israeli public to decide,” he wrote in a post on social media.
“As a democracy, Israel has the right to choose its own leaders. But the important thing is that Israelis are given a choice. There needs to be a fresh debate about the future,” he added.
Earlier, Schumer gave a speech in which he called for new elections to be held in Israel, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "has lost his way." He further called the Prime Minister an "obstacle to peace."
“The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel," he said. "The Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.”
The Likud Party strongly condemned Schumer's speech, saying, "Israel is not a banana republic but an independent and proud democracy that elected Prime Minister Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu leads a determined policy that is supported by a huge majority of the people."
"Contrary to Schumer's remarks, the Israeli public supports a complete victory over Hamas, rejects any international dictate to establish a Palestinian terrorist state, and opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza. We expect Senator Schumer to respect the elected government of Israel and not undermine it. This is always true, all the more so in times of war," the Likud stated.
National Unity Party chairman Minister Benny Gantz joined the chorus of criticism of Schumer’s speech.
"The US and Israel share common values and interests, and the citizens of Israel and its leadership are very grateful for the US standing by the State of Israel in its difficult and complicated moments," Gantz said.
"The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, is a friend of Israel, who helps us a lot even during these days, but he made a mistake in his statement. Israel is a strong democracy, and only its citizens will determine its leadership and future. Any external intervention in the matter is incorrect and unacceptable."
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “Regardless of our political positions, we strongly oppose external political interference in Israel's internal affairs. We are an independent nation, not a banana republic. The danger of terrorism is on the way to the West and it would be good if they would help Israel in its justified war. In the long run, they are defending themselves as well."
Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Mike Herzog, also condemned Schumer’s remarks and said, "Israel is a sovereign democracy. It is counterproductive, even more so in a situation where Israel is at war with Hamas, a terrorist organization, to address the internal politics of a democracy. This goes against our common goals."
Not all Israeli leaders condemned Schumer's speech, however. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said, “Senator Schumer’s speech is proof that Netanyahu is losing our best supporters in the US. Even worse is that he is doing it on purpose. Netanyahu is causing serious damage to the national effort to win the war and preserving Israel's security.”