President Biden praised Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s speech that criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it “a good speech,” though he declined to elaborate.
Mr. Biden said Friday the White House was given advance notice of Schumer’s speech, in which the New York Democrat and highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S. called Netanyahu a “major obstacle to peace” and said he “lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel.”
“He has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows,” Schumer said Thursday in a speech on the Senate floor. “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.”
Schumer, who has long supported Israel, also called on its government to hold a new election, saying many Israelis have lost confidence in their government and it was “the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision making process about the future of Israel.
“I’m not going to elaborate on the speech,” Mr. Biden told reporters. “He made a good speech, and I think he expressed a serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans.”
Read more at CBSnews.com
What Are Your Thoughts?
