US Senate leader Chuck Schumer calls for Israelis to replace Benjamin Netanyahu

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Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the US Senate, has called for new elections in Israel to replace Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the Israeli prime minister had “weakened Israel’s political and moral fabric” and had been “too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza . . . pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows”.

The Senate majority leader, a longtime supporter of Israel and the US’s most prominent Jewish politician, warned that Washington’s support for its ally after the war could also be at stake if Netanyahu remained in office.

“If prime minister Netanyahu’s current coalition remains in power after the war begins to wind down, and continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing US standards for assistance, then the United States will have no choice but to play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course,” Schumer said in a speech to the Senate on Thursday.

The speech marked a significant escalation in criticism of the Netanyahu government from Washington, and follows comments from President Joe Biden over the weekend that said the Israeli prime minister was “hurting Israel more than helping Israel”.

This is a developing story