House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Jan. 17, 2024. Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images
By Jacob Kornbluh
March 17, 2024
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to endorse Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s recent call for Israeli elections to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I’m going to personally refrain from commenting on whatever may or may not take place in Israel in terms of the current government or the new government,” Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, said in an interview on FOX 11 Los Angeles on Friday. “I have got full faith and confidence in the Israeli people to make the right determination about what their future should look like. I think it’s going to be important for our two countries to continue to lean into the special relationships that we have — shared democratic values, shared strategic interests.”
Schumer, in a 45-minute Senate floor speech on Thursday, said that Netanyahu’s policies and approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict no longer serve the interests of Israel and its citizens. “At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel,” Schumer said. President Joe Biden called it a “good speech.”
Several American Jewish groups, including the American Jewish Committee and Democratic Majority for Israelpushed back on Schumer’s remarks, saying they disagree with his attempt to dictate the electoral future of any ally. Others questioned the timing as Israel is still engaged in the war against Hamas. NORPAC, a nonpartisan political action committee that supports pro-Israel candidates, urged its members to call and email Schumer’s office and request to “undo the damage” done by the remarks and “retract the call for new elections in Israel.”
In the Friday interview, Jeffries defended Schumer’s pro-Israel credentials. “He’s got the best interests of the U.S. and the best interests of our allies all across the world at heart,” he said. For his part, Jeffries said he’s going to “keep the focus on what needs to happen in the moment,” which he said is: defeating Hamas, securing the release of the remaining hostages and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Jeffries added that he backs the Biden administration’s proposal to discuss the establishment of a Palestinian state only on the day after the war.
The Democratic leader — who represents a predominantly Orthodox and Russian Jewish population in Brooklyn — has forged close relations with Jewish leaders and pro-Israel groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Jeffries often calls Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, New York City’s sixth borough.
Netanyahu pushed back against Schumer’s remarks in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” program,” calling it “inappropriate.”
“I think it’s ridiculous to talk about it,” Netanyahu said. “It’s like after 9/11 — you are in the midst of fighting the war against al Qaeda — and an Israeli would say, ‘You know what we need now is either new elections in the U.S. or if your system doesn’t allow, then President Bush should resign and we should have an alternative leader.’ You don’t do that to a sister democracy, to an ally.”
Editor’s note: This post was updated to include Netanyahu’s comments.
