NEWSLINE PAPER,- As cracks appear in the formerly strong and cordial friendship between the two countries, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has boldly called for Israel to conduct elections to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The top-ranking Jewish official in the U.S. government, Mr. Schumer, publicly chastised Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday, saying the Israeli prime minister had gone astray in a major shift from his past positions.
Although Washington officials have generally refrained from openly denouncing Mr. Netanyahu's strategy in the Gaza conflict, Mr. Schumer's comments signify a dramatic uptick in American criticism of Israel's leadership.
Speaking to the Senate, Mr. Schumer, an ardent advocate of Israel, spared no details in his criticism of Mr. Netanyahu. His accusation was that the Israeli leader put his political survival ahead of the needs of Israel, and he called for "course corrections" to improve the safety of Gaza's civilian population.
With Mr. Netanyahu's Likud party claiming that Israel is not a "banana republic" and defending the prime minister's actions as having widespread support, Israel's officials promptly chastised Mr. Schumer for his remarks.
Michael Herzog, Israel's ambassador in Washington, too took issue with Schumer's remarks, calling them "counterproductive" and "unhelpful" when discussing Israel's internal political climate.
Mr. Schumer's remarks come after the White House made a number of sharp criticisms of Israel's handling of the Gaza crisis. Although the United States continues to be Israel's strongest supporter and main source of military assistance, worries over Israel's actions throughout the conflict have grown within the Biden administration and among certain Democratic Party members.
Under political pressure in an election year, President Biden has been loud in his demand that Israel provide Gaza with more humanitarian aid and make "no excuses." The White House, meanwhile, made an effort to disassociate itself from Mr. Schumer's remarks by highlighting its commitment to cooperating with Israel on defense issues.
The gap between the two administrations has widened in recent weeks, as evidenced by President Biden's warning to Israel not to carry out its incursion into Gaza and his assessment of Israel's response as "over the top" in his State of the Union speech.
The United States announced penalties against three more settlers and, for the first time, two Israeli settlement outposts that were allegedly compromising stability in the occupied West Bank, despite the escalating tensions.
Although Israel and the United States contest this view, the majority of the international community believes that settlements and outposts in the West Bank are unlawful under international law.