The Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, the overarching organization that represents the Jewish community in the United States, expressed its disapproval towards Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) following a conference call held on Tuesday. The purpose of the call was to address Schumer’s recent speech on the Senate floor, during which he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for early elections in Israel amidst ongoing conflict.
The leaders of the Conference of Presidents released a statement over Schumer’s remarks:
“We deeply appreciate Senate Majority Leader Schumer speaking to the membership of the Conference of Presidents this afternoon, as well as his longstanding support of Israel and the Jewish people. His decades of leadership are historic and without precedent.
“Even so, the pro-Israel community and our membership continue to have deep reservations about Senator Schumer’s speech on the Senate floor last week regarding impediments to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We believe that at a time when Israel is fighting an existential war, on the embers of the 1200 innocents massacred on October 7th, it is not a time for public criticisms that serve only to empower the detractors of Israel, and which foster greater divisiveness, when unity is so desperately needed.
“Our member organizations, representing the broad swath of American Jewry, remain distressed that an American official would tell a sovereign, democratic ally when to conduct its electoral process and assert that the U.S. should possibly “play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change present course.’’ In actuality, what is really needed is U.S. leverage to bolster and support the Jewish state in this time of need.
“We find it most unfortunate that Senator Schumer’s stated barriers to peace included the Hamas Terror Army and the democratically elected Prime Minister of Israel in the same breath. Hamas’ unwillingness to release the hostages, lay down its arms, and surrender are the actual barriers to peace.
“The U.S.-Israel relationship has weathered many disagreements through close and confidential discussion of its leadership, which continues to be the appropriate forum for such conversations.”
President Joe Biden commended Schumer’s speech endorsing the call to replace Netanyahu. However, recent reports suggest that Biden is attempting to backtrack privately, recognizing the impact on his administration’s credibility in Israel.
Schumer attempted to present himself as generous on Tuesday, stating to the New York Times that he refrained from immediately demanding Netanyahu’s resignation. “That is instructing Israel on what to do, and it’s amidst a conflict.” It remains unclear how Schumer aimed to differentiate advising Netanyahu to step down during a conflict from advising Israel to hold early elections during a conflict, or at least before the conflict with Hamas concluded.
