House Republican leaders swiftly rebuked comments made Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer(D-NY) calling for new leadership in Israel, accusing the Democratic leader of seeking to meddle in foreign elections.
“This is not only highly inappropriate, it’s just plain wrong for an American leader to play such a divisive role in Israeli politics while our closest ally in the region is an existential battle for its very survival,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters on Thursday.
Johnson’s comments came during an impromptu press conference during House Republicans’ annual issues conference on Thursday at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. The media availability was abruptly scheduled in response to Schumer’s comments, which Johnson said were “rather shocking” for lawmakers as they gathered for meetings.
“We need to be standing with Israel, and we need to give our friends and allies our full support we have to stand with and support them right now,” Johnson said. “But what you’re seeing from the White House and clearly from the Senate Democrats is really exactly the opposite. They seem to be standing with and supporting Iran and its proxies instead.”
Other Republicans accused Schumer of attacking the “democratically elected leadership of Israel,” which GOP leaders called dangerous. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) called on Schumer to move forward with a GOP-led stand-alone bill to provide aid to Israel, which passed the House last year but has since stalled in the Senate.
Click here to read the full story in The Washington Examiner.
