The Republican Jewish Coalition slammed Sen. Chuck Schumer following his remarks on the Senate floor in which he called for elections in Israel to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office in order to achieve lasting peace in the region.
"As Israel continues to righteously fight to defend itself from barbaric terrorists, the most powerful Democrat in Congress knifed the Jewish state in the back," RJC CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement. "This morning, taking a page from the 2015 Obama playbook, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, delivered a speech in which he demanded that Israel’s democratically-elected government be evicted from power and replaced by one more to his liking. Senator Schumer crossed a real red line, according to Brooks.
Brooks said it's "outrageous and unacceptable to meddle in Israel’s domestic politics by demanding that a democratic ally hold elections on our timetable, particularly when the Jewish state is fighting for its very survival." Brooks called Schumer's remarks on Thursday a “Shanda,” a disgrace.
Brooks accuses while Soifer praises
"Today’s events serve as a clarion call to take back the White House and US Senate from this radical Democrat leadership, which is waging political warfare on our key ally Israel and rewarding terrorists," Brooks said. Meanwhile, Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer praised Schumer's remarks.
"Jewish Dems commend Senator Schumer’s leadership as demonstrated by his speech today on the Senate floor. His vision for Israelis and Palestinians is one focused on peace, security, and progress," Soifer said in a statement. "These values are shared by the majority of Jewish Americans as we consider an end to this conflict, which has taken far too many innocent lives."
In a post on X, Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick said Schumer expressed the complexity most Americans hold.
"Deep love for Israel & its people. Unceasing anguish over 10/7 — & the antisemites who celebrate or deny it. AND disagreement with the Israeli gov’t. Horror over the Gaza humanitarian crisis," Spitalnick's post said. "The only path forward is one that recognizes this complexity — rejecting the false binaries of the conflict and embracing the fundamental humanity and dignity of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Kol Hakavod to my Senator for doing just that," Spitalnick added.
The JCPA did not release a formal statement on Schumer's remarks.
AIPAC's reaction to Schumer's statements
AIPAC sharply criticized Schumer's remarks. Notably, according to Open Secrets, an organization that tracks campaign spending and funding, Schumer is one of AIPAC's top recipients of campaign funding. Schumer has received $1,725,324 from AIPAC since 1990.
"Israel is an independent democracy that decides for itself when elections are held and chooses its own leaders," AIPAC said in a statement on X. "America must continue to stand with our ally Israel and ensure it has the time and resources it needs to win this war. Hamas bears sole responsibility for this conflict. The hope for a brighter future for the Middle East begins with Israel’s decisive defeat of Hamas."