Biden embraces Schumer’s ‘good speech’ in which he criticizes Netanyahu
President Biden on Friday praised Senator Chuck Schumer’s call for Israel to hold new elections to replace the prime minister, calling it “a good speech” without endorsing specific details therein.
Mr. Biden said that Mr. Schumer, a New York Democrat and Senate majority leader, had briefed his White House staff ahead of the speech in which he castigated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged Israelis to hold elections to write to replace it.
“I’m not going to comment on the speech,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question as he hosted the visiting Irish prime minister at the White House. “He gave a good speech and I think he expressed a serious concern that was shared not only by him but by many Americans.”
In his speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Mr. Schumer went further than any senior American official has done in castigating Mr. Netanyahu for waging the war against Hamas. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 civilians and Hamas members since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people.
Mr. Schumer said Mr. Netanyahu had “lost his way in putting his political survival ahead of Israel’s best interests” and “has been too willing to tolerate the toll on civilians in Gaza who have undermined support for Israel.” increases worldwide. historic lows.” He went on to say that he believed that “new elections are the only way to enable a healthy and open decision-making process about Israel’s future.”
The senator’s speech caused a furor in Israel, especially from Mr. Schumer, a long-standing Jewish supporter of the Jewish state.
While the president has not repeated any of the senator’s specific claims or recommendations, his general embrace of them will inevitably be seen by many as a further rebuke of Mr. Netanyahu and could worsen the friction that has already grown between the two. leaders.
Critics in the United States and Israel have complained that Mr. Schumer’s comments were an inappropriate foreign intervention in the internal democratic politics of an ally, an intervention that was particularly egregious at a time of war when Israel is fighting an enemy that is out to destruction.
Mr Biden offered his thoughts during a meeting in the Oval Office with Prime Minister Leo Varadkar of Ireland, himself an outspoken critic of Israel’s handling of the war. Mr Varadkar made good on his promise to raise the issue with Mr Biden at the annual meeting at the White House to mark St Patrick’s Day.
“I also want to continue talking about the situation in Gaza,” Mr Varadkar told Mr Biden. “You know my opinion that we need a ceasefire as soon as possible to get food and medicine in and to get hostages out. And we need to talk about how we can make that happen and move toward a two-state solution, which I believe is the only way we can achieve lasting peace and security.”
Biden nodded. “I agree,” he said softly.