SHUT UP, CHUCK!
Bibi rips Schumer speech as way out of line
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denounced Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s “totally inappropriate” speech in which the New York Democrat called for new elections in Israel after the war winds down.
During a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US, blasted Netanyahu and his Cabinet as an impediment to long-term peace in the region.
“I think what he said is totally inappropriate. It’s inappropriate for him to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there,” Netanyahu said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“That’s something that [the] Israeli public does on its own. We’re not a banana republic.”
Schumer, 73, had long been a stalwart defender of Israel, but he echoed the sentiments of a growing chorus of progressives who say the US ally hasn’t done enough to protect civilians in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it’s become clear to me that the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7,” Schumer declared.
He declined to endorse a specific successor and underscored that the “United States cannot dictate the outcome of an election, nor should we try.
“That is for the Israeli public to decide. A public that I believe understands better than anybody that Israel cannot hope to succeed as a pariah, opposed by the rest of the world.”
His remarks came against the backdrop of Democratic infighting over the Israel-Hamas war. Disgruntled progressives have cast protest votes against President Biden in Michigan and other primaries to show their anger.
Netanyahu told CNN he believes that the bulk of the Israeli public is on his side.
“It’s not a fringe government,” Netanyahu insisted. “If Senator Schumer opposes these policies, he’s not opposing me, he is opposing the people of Israel.”
Polling shows that support for Netanyahu in January was 15%, although a December Gallup poll said 40% approve of the job he’s doing.
A poll released last week suggested a coalition of anti-Netanyahu parties would gain a majority in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, if an election was held.
President Biden, 81, who has previously described Israel’s response to Hamas’ bloody surprise attack on Oct. 7 as “over the top,” praised Schumer’s remarks as a “good speech.”
Since the war erupted, well over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
About 1,160 people were killed in the attacks in southern Israel. More than 200 were taken hostage, some of whom are still being held by Hamas.
The Post reached out to Schumer’s office for comment.