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James J. Marlow

Schumer calls for Israeli election

Screen shot from US senate.gov site

There is huge anger in Israel after US senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer called for yet another election in Israel to oust Binyamin Netanyahu. Did he forget that Israel went through five general elections in less than 4 years not so long ago.

Schumer also hinted in very strong words and unprecedented terms that American aid should be “conditional” on what Israel does, and how it conducts itself in the region.

The Likud responded immediately with “Israel is not a banana republic, but a democracy proud of its choice in PM Netanyahu.”

However, many members of the opposition also expressed surprise that the United States would interfere with internal Israeli political debate, at a time when Israel is in the middle of a bloody war, fighting the genocidal Hamas-ISIS rapist regime in the Gaza Strip. Benny Gantz, a member of Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet, but also Netanyahu’s most prominent political rival, called Schumer’s speech, “a mistake.”

What Chuck Schumer has done inadvertently, in all likelihood, is simply increase support for Netanyahu and the Likud party.

Earlier this week, a channel 14 news released a poll that found if elections were held now, the Likud would win 25 seats while Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party would garner 22 seats. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid remained at 12 seats. And this poll was compiled and released before Schumer made his very carefully worded speech from the Senate floor on Thursday evening.

The implications of such a verbal attack by a leading high ranking Democrat on an elected government of Israel, and in particular Netanyahu, is the starter pistol that has now fired, creating political earthquakes in both Washington and Jerusalem.

This tension could spin out of control in the run up to the November 5 election, if another senior American name does not step up to the plate and calm down the dangerous rhetoric.

Only Hamas, the PLO, millions of haters of Israel and the eight Senate Democrats that called on President Biden to halt military aid to Israel earlier this week can benefit from such a speech.

Therefore, it beggars belief that Schumer, who is close to Biden, would criticise Netanyahu in the way he did, when it is fighting for the return of the remaining 132 hostages in Gaza and losing soldiers every day at the hands of Palestinian fighters.

Schumer should be extremely careful of what he wishes for. It was not that long ago the American Justice Department decided to go after Donald Trump with as many indictments against the former President as possible. This concluded in a huge increase in Trump’s popularity.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was only 4 or 5 points behind Donald Trump in almost every poll before the justice department decided to make an example of the former President.

But in doing so, Trump’s popularity jumped overnight by more than 20 points. The American people saw it for what it was – a witch hunt against Trump, and they sent a strong, clear message to America saying, “this is wrong” and “you can’t tell us what to think, who to support and which candidate to vote for at an election.”

Democrats in America are making the exact same mistake today. By calling for an immediate Israeli election in the middle of this bloody war to oust Netanyahu because they don’t like him, will rebound in their Democrat faces.

Israelis just like Americans, do not like to be told who they can and cannot support or vote for in an election.

And even if there was a general election in Israel in the coming six months and Netanyahu was able to put together another successful coalition, do you think that would satisfy Schumer and the Democrats? Of course not.

They would be calling for another election and then another, until they get the result they want.

There are elections across the western world this year. The United States should focus on their own November 5 election and stop playing politics when so many more lives in Israel are at stake.

Israel is not scheduled to hold another election until December 2026 and America needs to learn the meaning of the word “patience” and accept the will of the people.

If the Americans don’t like how Israelis vote, well that’s just too bad, because it is how democracy works.

About the Author
James J. Marlow is a broadcast journalist and public relations media consultant. He has previously worked for ITN, EuroNews, Reuters, Daily Mail, Daily Express, LBC Radio, Sky News and GB News. In addition he has trained and prepared hundreds of business and entertainment people, politicians and Rabbis, for the media, including television, radio and audiences.
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