On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an “obstacle to peace” and called for new elections in Israel.
“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. 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 in a speech on the Senate floor.
Schumer said he believes “a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government.”
Schumer’s comments drew a sharp rebuke from Netanyahu’s Likud party. “Israel is an independent and proud democracy that elected Prime Minister Netanyahu, not a banana republic,” the party said in a statement. “It is expected of Senator Schumer to respect Israel’s elected government and not undermine it. This is always true, but even more so during wartime.”
Politicians in the US were also unhappy with the Senate leader’s remarks. “Israel is not a colony of America whose leaders serve at the pleasure of the party in power in Washington. Only Israel’s citizens should have a say in who runs their government,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Polling has shown that the majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign or for there to be new elections once Israeli operations in Gaza come to an end, giving Netanyahu an incentive to keep the genocidal war going. Schumer said Netanyahu was prioritizing his “political survival” over Israel.
While providing unconditional military support for the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, President Biden has tried to distance himself from the Netanyahu government. His intelligence agencies released a “threat assessment” this month that said Netanyahu’s hold on power could be in jeopardy, prompting an Israeli official to accuse the US of seeking to overthrow the government.
In his speech, Schumer also expressed opposition to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza despite the huge number of civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation. He claimed a permanent ceasefire would “only allow Hamas to regroup and launch further attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Israel’s economy is being floated by US tax dollars. Chuckie voted for it. The US government stands in the way of peace by not letting Israel fall.
$3.8 billion per year. That would fund a lot of things in the U.S.
Yes, but I was talking about the extra billions. The war has done damage to their economy and we are propping it up. Meanwhile, our economy….
And it is money that only adds to our national debt each year, a national debt that we have to borrow the money to pay the interest on.
More theater. What if there were an election tomorrow? Who would replace Netanyahu? Almost certainly it would be someone at least as right-wing and bloodthirsty as he is, because that’s the element that holds power in Israel and that’s what most Israelis want.
This is more bullshit, like the “humanitarian port” show, designed to blunt the outrage over Biden’s unlimited support for genocide. It’s campaign strategy. It will fail.
Gantz, the suspected replacement, is every bit as bloodthirsty as yahoo.
This is just election posturing. Where have USA “leaders” been the past 70 plus years with regard to Palestinians rights? NOWHERE!
Settle down everyone. Bibi already made a phone call to AIPAC. Schumer’s attitude will be adjusted in few days.
What makes you think AIPAC didn’t pre-approve his statement?
Good reasoning.
So we shall see, whether Bibi will stay or go soon enough.
No need. They know Chuckie is on board.
The tag Bibi will put on him is “self hating Jew”.
Yeah, that’s official Zionist defamation of any Jew who dares to oppose, even slightly, anything Israel does or wants. That it is being used against Chuck, one of the most dedicated of the Senators for Tel Aviv©, the majority leader of a legislative chamber that could literally determine Israel’s fate, is an example of how recklessly vicious, and stupid, the uber-Zionists can be.
Like sending, basically, an attack force to “debate” Norman Fnkelstein.
Hey, Finkelstein is big-time dangerous! (He knows too much.)
Schumer would have coordinated this with AIPAC. Called them up and just said, listen guys, as you might know we hit this little voter snag in Minnesota and we like to be careful to not let it attract too much following so we talked to the guys here and came up with this thing that we think we gotta throw them a bone or something, try to fizzle the fuzz, before it catches on, ya know. We don’t want you to be upset so we let you know beforehand that we might let the rethoric be a little playful for a few days. Please don’t mind any of that, we stay on course as promised.
Not to worry. Hollywood and media will come to the rescue. https://scheerpost.com/2024/03/15/the-israel-files-wikileaks-docs-show-top-hollywood-producers-working-with-israel-to-defend-its-war-crimes/
this theater is a fig leaf defense against the forthcoming genocide trials
Oops! Did the stopped clock strike 12?
That’s it? Just an “obstacle to peace”? Well Sherlock Blinken, he is much more than an “obstacle to peace”. The man is a crazy man.
Schumer has been a primary obstacle to achieving peace. He has been quite open about his priority as a US senator, and it’s not the US.
Chuckie has finally got the trick of saying both things at once. After all, it’s what bibi was never able to learn, for a polscum it’s all about style.
The U.S. of Amnesia will forget the important part of the statement, the one objecting to a long term cessation of attacks.
Calling Netanyahu an “Obstacle to Peace,” is like telling a mother you can’t have the baby because there is an obstacle keeping you from delivering it, but the good news is you were never pregnant.
😉 !
What counts is not what our politicians say publicly but what they say behind closed doors.
In his speech, Schumer also expressed opposition to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza despite the huge number of civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation. He claimed a permanent ceasefire would “only allow Hamas to regroup and launch further attacks on Israeli civilians”.
In other words, Schumer (D-Israel) wants someone else to continue the genocide. Same bullsh*t rhetoric as Biden. And what’s he going to say when the next PM follows the wishes of the people just like the present PM? They don’t want Bibi gone because he’s being too brutal on the Palestinians, they have a solid majority that either agrees or wants more. So, f*ck off Chuckie.
They want to win the election and nothing else, after Biden gets reelected they will continue the genocide. Trump will do the same, no change.
Exactly. Fuck off, indeed. It’s all Bunraku shadow puppetry with the donor class getting nervous about the prospects for a Biden v. Trump rematch. They are starting to flail about trying to distance themselves from the unfolding disaster in Gaza. Expect a ton of these types of statements and the attending thinking man’s editorials in the establishment press in the lead up to the election. Yet their support for the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians is still “unconditional.”
“Schumer (D-Israel)” That’s a good descriptor. I’m going to use that for everyone on the traitor list from now on https://candidates.aipacpac.org/page/featured/
It gets worse. This from Scheerpost: https://scheerpost.com/2024/03/15/the-israel-files-wikileaks-docs-show-top-hollywood-producers-working-with-israel-to-defend-its-war-crimes/
US politicians cannot live without hypocrisy…!
Agreed. It’s their oxygen.
What a waste of oxygen…?!
After the election he wants to continue where he left off. He is a Zionist and he knows Israel comes first, Tel Aviv is in charge, in DC no one is in charge, they will do as told.
US politicians are servant bums.
As if we would not reload the IDF.
Finally, some of the truth is coming out. Of course, Netanyahu is a mass murderer.
However, Biden and Schumer have also been obstacles to peace in Gaza because they have not ceased sending American armements to Netanyahu and his killers.
With the first bombing and Israeli leaders say that the bombing was not precise, only to cause maximum damage, Biden should have turned off the money and weapons spigot.
Another Color Revolution in the wings?
this theater is a fig leaf defense against the forthcoming genocide trials
The world would have to become a very different place than it is before American leaders face any real risk of facing genocide trials that could result in serious consequences. Don’t count on them.
The constellation of forces has already changed. The War Party hasn‘t got the memo yet.
War Crimes have no statute of limitations – decades hence their will still be unindicted war criminals paying low
Regime change is underway. They need a genocider that is more friendly to Democrats than to Trump.
It’s not a regime change… Rather a damage control statement to attract voters for Biden…!
Shumer forgot to mention Nutandyahoo’s partner in war crime who is enabling the entire situation; that being Genocide Joe who is also stuck in the past and prioritizing his own political survival. Genocide Joe needs to ousted in this coming election here in the U.S.A. Hopefully, Genocide Joe can come to his senses, and resign before November comes around.
BS Joe is not big enough to resign, he is no LBJ.
Maybe voters come to their senses and stay home or do write in and refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils.
The political/corporate establishment is showing the contempt they have for the voters, if Trump and Biden is the best they have for the presidency.
They have contempt for everyone.
Folks may also find this commondreams piece on the same topic of interest:
“As Schumer Slams Netanyahu, Palestine Defenders Want ‘Action From Democrats, Not Words'” (CD, 3/14/24)
What took him so long? It is nothing new, but closer to the election, after the election it will be business as usual. Tel Aviv knows and will play the game too. They are used carsalesmen/women.
“Israel is not a colony of America whose leaders serve at the pleasure of the party in power in Washington. Only Israel’s citizens should have a say in who runs their government,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).”
The USA is a Zionist Israeli colony. The Zionists in Tel Aviv are in charge in DC, they get their orders from Tel Aviv.
Posting a few pieces from the NYT’s comments on Schumer speech. The NYT censors a lot, but here’s something decent and straightforward that got through:
horace, oregon, March 14
How many articles have we read about Biden “fueding” with Netenyahu and feining concern over all of the Palestinian deaths and suffering, only to have the US keep arming Israel and vetoing UN ceasefires? So now the “feud” is extending to Schumer and other Democrats beyond Biden, but of course there will be no let-up to the excessive support of Israel from the US president, or congress or media.
These types of articles are meant to make us think that the breaking point for the US in aiding Israel is near, but of course no such thing is really happening. The Democrats want better PR for their policies of mass killings and starvation. As they say, they’re working on their “messaging.”
As much as I despise the Israeli government right now, isn’t it so typical of the bastards in the US to decide what is or is not permissible for the citizens of another nation to do. Schumer is a grade A Ahole if ever there was one.
It could be a conspiracy…!
That would require a level of intelligence I cannot in good conscience grant the SOB’s.
“In his speech, Schumer also expressed opposition to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza despite the huge number of civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation. He claimed a permanent ceasefire would ‘only allow Hamas to regroup and launch further attacks on Israeli civilians.'”
It sounds like Schumer is also an “obstacle to peace.” This was obviously for domestic political theatre consumption. The fact of the matter is, that until Washington makes it explicit that its support is not “unconditional,” Israel will continue to do what it pleases and the USA will have no leverage with which to shape events in Israel and Palestine. Domestically, the Democrats have gotten themselves into quite the pickle, and under Biden’s bellicose administration the neocons have gotten us into an even bigger geopolitical pickle.
The neocons are Zionists first.
In the United States of Amnesia, his words are forgotten, garbled, “misunderstood”.
“Israel is not a colony of America whose leaders serve at the pleasure of the party in power in Washington.” Evidence suggests he’s right. The US is a vassal of Israel. Or at least it’s federal representatives are.
The US is like the goons of the Mafia. They provide the muscle.
Schumer’s words, like everything else about him, are a cheap stunt. The Democrats still haven’t understood the reality of their support for genocide. They think that a few “harsh” words aimed at Israel will bring the pro-Palestinian voters to their side. As in the Ukraine war, so in Gaza, DC is just too far from the people to ever understand the consequences of their murderous actions. The Swamp doesn’t get it, and they never will.
Hypocrite and liar.
All he wants to do is — damage control. Now that Netanyahu has accomplished 80% of Israeli goals, now find a “good” Israeli to ralley around and sweep the genocide under the rug.
It is much too late. Palestinians are the sacrificial lambs, slaughtered so we can open eyes, and recognize demons amongst us.
There will be no new and improved Israel leader. As there will be no new and improved citizens. The only remedy available will be taking away Israel’s occupational authority and supplanting it with UN Protectorate. Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem are occupied territories. Israel has converted what was supposed to be a short term occupation into a perpetual occupation. Israel has violated all obligations of occupier. It should withdraw forces and let UN force take over the lands as a Protectorate. We will see what action will be taken by UN Assembly after Court oppinion on occupation is rendered.