WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia — House Republican leaders swiftly rebuked comments made Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calling for new leadership in Israel, accusing the Democratic leader of seeking to meddle in foreign elections.
“This is not only highly inappropriate, it’s just plain wrong for an American leader to play such a divisive role in Israeli politics while our closest ally in the region is an existential battle for its very survival,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters on Thursday.
Johnson’s comments came during an impromptu press conference during House Republicans’ annual issues conference on Thursday at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. The media availability was abruptly scheduled in response to Schumer’s comments, which Johnson said were “rather shocking” for lawmakers as they gathered for meetings.
“We need to be standing with Israel, and we need to give our friends and allies our full support we have to stand with and support them right now,” Johnson said. “But what you’re seeing from the White House and clearly from the Senate Democrats is really exactly the opposite. They seem to be standing with and supporting Iran and its proxies instead.”
Other Republicans accused Schumer of attacking the “democratically elected leadership of Israel,” which GOP leaders called dangerous. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) called on Schumer to move forward with a GOP-led stand-alone bill to provide aid to Israel, which passed the House last year but has since stalled in the Senate.
“We passed a bill to give Israel the aid that they need, and Sen. Schumer won’t bring that bill to the Senate floor,” Scalise said. “We’re going to continue to stand with Israel and their right to defend themselves against terrorists like Hamas.”
The comments also come as Republicans are scheduled to meet with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog during their retreat on Thursday afternoon. Herzog has already criticized Schumer for his comments on holding new elections, calling it “counterproductive to our common goals.”
“House Republicans are about to be joined by Israeli ambassador Herzog to address members for a conversation during today’s lunch because we understand as House Republicans that gravity of what our most precious ally Israel is facing,” House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said.
Schumer called for new elections in Israel to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a floor speech on Thursday, declaring that the Israeli leader had “lost his way.”
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S. government, offered scathing criticism of Netanyahu and his right-wing Cabinet, claiming, “He has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows.
“The United States cannot dictate the outcome of an election, nor should we try,” he said during the speech. “That is for the Israeli public to decide — a public that I believe understands better than anybody that Israel cannot hope to succeed as a pariah opposed by the rest of the world.”
The remarks have been met with swift backlash from top Republicans such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who called Schumer’s suggestion for new elections “grotesque.”
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“Make no mistake: The Democratic Party doesn’t have an anti-[Netanyahu] problem,” McConnell said. “It has an anti-Israel problem.”
The next parliamentary elections in Israel are expected in 2026. Several polls since the war began show a majority of Israelis want early elections.