Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for new elections in Israel, describing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as an "obstacle to peace" amid his country's ongoing war in Gaza.
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history, urged Israel to "do better," citing the estimated tens of thousands of Palestinian civilian casualties caused by the Netanyahu government's military offensive aimed at neutralizing the terrorist group Hamas.
The New York Democrat said Israel "must make some significant course corrections" as the conflict nears the half-year mark.
"The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after Oct. 7," Schumer said in floor remarks. "The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past."
Schumer said if the Netanyahu government remains in power the U.S. would need to play "a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course" and that President Joe Biden's administration should ensure U.S. assistance to Israel is "aligned with our broader goal of achieving long-term peace and stability in the region."