Janice R. Andrews
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) hinted that he had “serious disagreements” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which prevented him from shaking his hand. Lawmakers’ reactions to Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress last week were not all the same. Before the speech, Schumer and Netanyahu shook heads but did not shake hands.
“Well, look, you know, I wanted to demonstrate that the relationship between America and Israel is unbreakable, which is why I attended this speech.” When asked about the lack of a handshake, Schumer responded, “But at the same time, as everyone knows, I have serious disagreements with the way Benjamin Netanyahu has conducted these policies,” on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Declaring that Netanyahu had “lost his way,” Schumer demanded fresh elections in Israel earlier this year. Schumer said in March that after October 7, “as a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel.” “Since then, the world has changed dramatically, and an outdated political ideology is currently stifling the Israeli people.”
In response, Netanyahu called Schumer’s remarks “totally inappropriate” at the time. After a little pause, Schumer finally accepted Netanyahu’s offer to address Congress in spite of these difficulties.
The persistent complexity in U.S.-Israel relations is highlighted by Schumer’s public admission of his disagreements with Netanyahu, despite both countries’ efforts to preserve their historically robust partnership. The episode highlights the fine line that American politicians must walk when discussing foreign leaders and policies while defending their own country’s political beliefs.
