Schumer denies Netanyahu request to address Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York rejected a request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the Senate Democratic Caucus in a virtual meeting, arguing against approaching the debate about Israel through a partisan lens.

Israeli right-wing leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Senate Republicans in a closed-door virtual meeting on Wednesday.Schumer’s spokesperson Said widely report The majority leader said in a statement that he rejected a similar request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Democratic Party.

“Sen. Mr. Schumer has made it clear that he does not think these discussions should be conducted in a partisan manner. That is not beneficial to Israel,” a spokesperson for Mr. Schumer said. Said.

The majority rejected Netanyahu’s proposal less than a week after Schumer’s scathing attack on Netanyahu’s leadership and calls for new elections caused ripples in Washington and beyond.

“At this critical juncture, when so many Israelis have lost confidence in their own vision and direction, new elections are the only way to enable a healthy and open decision-making process about Israel’s future. “I believe that the government,” he said. “Holding new elections once the war begins to wind down will give Israelis an opportunity to express their vision for their post-war future.”

“I also believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by putting his own political survival above the best interests of Israel,” Schumer said in a roughly 45-minute speech. He said that Prime Minister Netanyahu is currently forming a coalition government with “far-right extremists” and that support for Israel has fallen to historic lows around the world because of his “too strong stance of condoning civilian casualties in Gaza.” It’s being pushed up,” he said.

“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits Israel’s needs after October 7,” Schumer said at the time, referring to the Hamas attack. “The world has changed fundamentally since then, and the Israeli people are now oppressed by a vision of governance stuck in the past.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit back at Schumer in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, calling Schumer’s comments “totally inappropriate.”

“It’s inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there. That’s what the Israeli people are doing themselves,” he said. “We are not a banana republic.”

The Hill has reached out to Schumer’s publicist for comment.