Chuck Schumer seeks Netanyahu's ouster, says Israeli hawk 'lost his way'

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for the removal of far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the latter has "lost his way" and is an "obstacle" to peace in the Middle East.

Schumer, the first Jewish majority leader in the Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish official in the US, strongly criticised Netanyahu in a 40-minute speech on Thursday morning in the Senate.

Schumer said Netanyahu has put himself in a coalition of far-right extremists and "as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows."

The top Democrat called on Israel to hold new elections, amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The high-level warning comes as an increasing number of Democrats have pushed back against Israel and as President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Netanyahu's regime, arguing that he needs to pay more attention to the civilian death toll in Gaza amid the Israeli invasion and carnage.

Schumer has so far positioned himself as a strong ally of the Israeli regime, visiting the country just days after the October 7 surprise raid by Hamas fighters on Israeli military posts and settlements.

But he said on the Senate floor that the "Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past."

Schumer stated that Netanyahu, who has long opposed Palestinian statehood, is one of several obstacles in the way of the two-state solution pushed by the United States.

Netanyahu "has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel," Schumer noted. "Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah."

Unusually direct call

The US cannot dictate the outcome of an election in Israel, Schumer said, but "a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government."

At the White House, national security spokesman John Kirby declined to weigh in on Schumer’s remarks, saying the White House is most focused on getting a 'temporary' cease-fire in place.

"We know Leader Schumer feels strongly about this and we'll certainly let him speak to it and to his comments," Kirby said. "We're going to stay focused on making sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself while doing everything that they can to avoid civilian casualties."

It is unclear how Schumer's unusually direct call will be received in Israel, where the next parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2026. Many Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible for failing to stop the October 7 cross-fence blitz by Hamas.

Meeting with Benny Gantz

Protesters in Israel calling for early elections have charged that Netanyahu is making decisions based on keeping his far-right coalition intact rather than Israel's interests at a time of war.

US priorities in the region have increasingly been hampered by those extremist members of Cabinet such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who share Netanyahu's opposition to Palestinian statehood and other aims that successive US administrations have seen as essential to resolving Palestine-Israel conflicts long-term.

Schumer and US Vice President Kamala Harris and other lawmakers met last week in Washington with Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's War Cabinet and a far more popular rival of Netanyahu — a visit that drew a rebuke from the Israeli prime minister.

Gantz joined Netanyahu's government in the War Cabinet soon after the Hamas raids. But he is expected to leave the government once the heaviest fighting subsides, signalling the period of national unity has ended.

A return to mass demonstrations could ramp up pressure on Netanyahu's deeply unpopular coalition to hold early elections.