Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) doubled down on Wednesday, again calling for Israel to hold new elections.
“When a leading member of Israel’s war cabinet calls for early elections and over 70% of the Israeli population agrees according to a major poll, you know it’s the right thing to do,” Schumer wrote on X.
In his social-media post, Schumer linked to news coverage about War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz calling for early Israeli elections in September.
“In order for us to maintain unity, the public must know that we will soon come and ask for their trust. Let us not ignore October 7. For this reason, we must agree on an election date around September. I discussed such a date with political leaders. Elections will prevent a split in the nation, because soon we will renew trust between the people and their leaders,” Gantz said.
This is not the first time that Schumer has called for new elections in Israel.
During an address on the Senate floor, he claimed Netanyahu had “lost his way” and should be replaced in special elections.
Schumer made the point that under Netanyahu’s watch, the “right-wing extremists” seem to have too much influence, which he believes doesn’t really match what most Israelis think. This situation, according to him, has led to Israel losing support around the world. He emphasized the necessity of new elections to refresh Israel’s governing vision, away from what he perceives as outdated policies and towards a more peace-oriented approach.
Following a strong backlash from peers and Israeli leadership, Schumer scaled back his comments, saying Israel has a “right to decide” its own elections.
