Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday slammed the United States calls for new elections in Israel amid its ongoing war against terrorist organisation Hamas, which killed at least 1,200 Israelis in an unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023.
This comes after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, while speaking on the Senate floor on Thursday, called Netanyahu an “obstacle to peace”.
“At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel,” Schumer, a staunch Israel supporter and the highest-ranking Jewish US elected official, stated.
Appearing in an interview with CNN on Sunday, Netanyahu called Schumer’s request “ridiculous” and said that it is inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and attempt to “replace the elected leadership there”.
On being asked if Israel would hold elections when the war winds down, Netanyahu said: “That’s something for the Israeli people to decide. I think it’s ridiculous to talk about it.”
“It’s like after 9/11— you’re in the midst of fighting the war against Al-Qaeda and an Israeli would say, you know what we need now is either new elections in the U.S. or if your system doesn’t allow then President Bush should resign, and we should have an alternative leader. You don’t do that. You don’t do that to a sister democracy, to an ally,” he stated.
Also Read: ‘Come to Jesus’: Biden concerned over Gaza deaths, avers Netanyahu doing ‘more harm than good to Israel’
Joe Biden, other US leaders react to Schumer’s speech
Speaking to reporters on Friday, US President Joe Biden hailed Schumer for a “good speech”, stating that his remarks aligned with the concerns of many Americans.
“I’m not going to elaborate on the speech. He made a good speech, and I think he expressed a serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans,” the POTUS stated.
Chastising Schumer, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said that it is “grotesque and hypocritical” for the Americans to call for the removal of Netanyahu.
“It is grotesque and hypocritical for Americans who hyperventilate about foreign interference in our own democracy to call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of Israel,” he said.
Also Read: Joe Biden ‘wrong’ in critique of war policy: Israel’s Netanyahu
Former House Speaker and Representative Nancy Pelosi backed Schumer, asking that “what is wrong with advocating for elections in a democracy?”
“What does that say if [Netanyahu] won’t even say that as the war winds down, the people of Israel should speak—That’s all Chuck was saying,” she said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
Earlier this month, Biden informed that White House and other foreign leaders have been working on a second temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to free the remaining hostages in Gaza and send additional humanitarian aid.
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
