US President Joe Biden expressed support on Friday for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after the senator called for new elections in Israel, the latest sign that the US relationship with its closest Middle East ally could fracture over the war in Gaza.
Mr Schumer, a Jewish Democrat from New York, sent tremors through both countries this week when he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and warned that “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah” as Palestinian casualties continue to grow.
“He made a good speech,” Mr Biden said in the Oval Office during a meeting with Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. “I think he expressed serious concerns shared not only by him but by many Americans.”
The Democratic president’s backing for Mr Schumer could further frustrate Mr Netanyahu, whose political party has already sharply criticised the US senator.
“One would expect Senator Schumer to respect Israel’s elected government and not undermine it,” Mr Netanyahu’s political party Likud said in a statement. “This is always true, and even more so in wartime.”
Mr Biden’s comments reflect the evolution of his views on the war, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis. Since then, Israel’s counterattack has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
After his State of the Union speech earlier this month, Mr Biden said that he needed to have a “come to Jesus” conversation with Mr Netanyahu.
He also accused Mr Netanyahu of “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” with his leadership of the war.
The latest challenge to the US-Israeli relationship is Israel’s plan to pursue Hamas into Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where displaced Palestinians have gathered to avoid fighting in the north.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking from Vienna, said “we have to see a clear and implementable plan” to safeguard civilians from an Israeli incursion.
“We have not seen such a plan,” he said.
But Mr Blinken said tough conversations between allies do not mean the alliance is fracturing.
“That’s actually the strength of the relationship, to be able to speak clearly, candidly and directly,” he said.
