Schumer calls for new Israeli leadership, two-state Gaza solution

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday took to the Senate floor to call for a new election in Israel. He also called for a two-state solution in Gaza—echoing a call from U.S. President Joe Biden in his State of the Union Address last week.

Why did he call for a new election?  Schumer described himself as a “lifelong supporter of Israel.” Still, he called Israel’s current government—and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, specifically—an obstacle to peace. He accused the government of refusing to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and accused officials of arming Israeli settlers, enabling them to commit violent acts against Palestinians. Schumer said he had known Netanyahu for a long time, but that recently he “has lost his way,” and that his actions have not been in the best interest of Israel.

What did he say about Hamas?  Schumer acknowledged that the war began because the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas decided to cross the border into Israel on Oct. 7 and kill 1,200 people. Schumer also recognized that Hamas has used civilians as “human shields” and that the group’s fighters have hidden in hospitals. He reiterated that Israel has a responsibility to protect its citizens and conceded that Hamas is the largest obstacle to peace in Gaza.

What has Israel said about this?  Netanyahu on Sunday said that his actions in Gaza were “supported by the overwhelming majority of Israelis.”

What has Republican leadership said?  Schumer’s speech drew sharp criticism from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a statement that the “primary obstacles to peace” are “genocidal terrorists and corrupt [Palestinian Authority] leaders who repeatedly reject peace deals.” He added that “foreign observers who cannot keep this straight ought to refrain from interfering in the democracy of a sovereign ally.”

Dig deeper:  Listen to Cal Thomas on The World and Everything in It podcast frame the conflict in Gaza as a war for Israel’s survival.