Jerusalem — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity has rebounded in opinion polls after posting his lowest approval ratings in recent months, with some seeing increased criticism of the Jewish state by the Biden administration and the Democratic Party. There is also.
This week, New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer’s speech calling for new elections sparked criticism across political lines.
“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me that the Netanyahu coalition no longer meets Israel’s needs after October 7,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Thursday. “The world has changed fundamentally since then, and the Israeli people are now oppressed by a vision of governance stuck in the past.”
Israel’s Channel 14 released a poll on Wednesday, the day before Mr. Schumer’s remarks against the Jewish state, showing that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s conservatives could win an additional six seats behind Minister of No Portfolio Gideon Saar. He pointed out that there is. ended his partnership National Unity Party led by Benny Gantz.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) poses for a photo with New York State Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at the Capitol in Washington on February 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Seneta, File)
According to opinion polls, Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to secure 56 seats in Israel’s parliament to form a new government. For the political bloc he needs 62 mandates.
Middle East expert Caroline Glick told Fox News Digital that this dynamic is playing out.
“Mr. Schumer has spoken about Mr. Netanyahu, but Mr. Netanyahu is simply acting on the demands of the people. As a result, calls for Mr. Schumer and Mr. Netanyahu’s removal from the White House have made Mr. Netanyahu a political It just makes it stronger,” Glick said.
The law of unintended consequences may also help Netanyahu. Mr. Schumer’s efforts to oust the incumbent head of state could strengthen support for the Israeli prime minister and win him new supporters.
The New York state senator is the highest-ranking Jewish politician in Congress.
Schumer’s anti-netanyahu speech It aims to eradicate the last vestiges of the terrorist organization Hamas in Rafah, Gaza Strip, as part of the ongoing war of self-defense, which has shocked the entire Jewish state.
President Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on September 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
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“Charles Schumer, like the Biden administration, fundamentally misunderstands the war and as a result cannot understand Israel’s actions,” said Glick, a former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “This is not a counterterrorism operation. This is a conventional war. Hamas did not carry out the terrorist attack on October 7th.
“Hamas invaded Israel with the force of a division. The division’s terrorist attacks came as Hamas carried out large-scale cyberattacks against Israel’s critical infrastructure and first response teams, and attacked Israel with thousands of rockets. Soldiers occupied villages, bases, and kibbutzim.
“This is not a tactical battle. This is a strategic competition for survival. Either Israel survives or Hamas survives. The overwhelming understanding of Israelis is this. Seventy-five percent of the population demands the conquest of Rafah and opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a gathering of Jewish leaders at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, February 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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Israelis have hit back at Schumer’s calls to oust Netanyahu.
Michael Oren, who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States during the Netanyahu administration, said: “Regardless of my opinion of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his suitability, Senator Schumer’s call for new Israeli elections undermines our democracy and sovereignty.” This is extremely disrespectful,” he wrote to X.
“Israel is an ally, not a client state. Along with the United States, we are one of the few countries that has never experienced a single non-democratic regime, and one that has never experienced a single moment of peace.” It is the only democratic country. It certainly deserves that respect.”
On the streets of Jerusalem, Israeli opinions were mixed. “I don’t think foreign politicians should be dictating how foreign countries vote,” Dov Fox told Fox News Digital while sitting outside with his family at Aroma cafe in the German Colony neighborhood. he said.
He acknowledged that Schumer “has done so much for Israel,” but said Schumer’s speech “overstepped the bounds.”
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“by [Israel] “In our special relationship with the United States, Chuck Schumer plays a very central role there,” Abi Kay told Fox News Digital. “We need to pay attention to what is being said. Whether you agree or disagree with Chuck Schumer, I believe he has Israel’s interests at heart. ”
“Bibi is interested in staying in power, and that is not an advantage,” said Kaye, who used the nickname Bibi, taken from Netanyahu’s full name Benjamin.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing the ultimate test of his leadership following Hamas’s October 7 massacre of 1,200 people. His legacy and political survival are at stake.
