Biden Embraces Schumer’s "Good Speech" Which Blasted Netanyahu
President Biden has endorsed Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer's blistering Thursday speech that targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wherein he said Israel under Netanyahu could become a "pariah".
Biden said Friday that Schumer had made a "good speech". The president was asked about the Senate floor remarks during an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. It was the first time Biden weighed in: "He expressed serious concerns, shared not only by him but by many Americans," Biden continued.
Biden also noted that his staff had been notified ahead of time of the content of the speech, meaning the White House had time to pressure Schumer out of it if it wanted to, or at least get him to tone down the criticisms.
As the AP noted, "The Democratic president did not repeat Schumer’s appeal for Israel to hold elections, a step that would likely end Netanyahu’s tenure because of mounting discontent with his leadership."
But at the same time Secretary of State Antony Blinken while in Europe tried to calm fears that the US-Israeli relationship is collapsing. "That’s actually the strength of the relationship, to be able to speak clearly, candidly and directly," he told reporters in reaction to Schumer's address.
The full Schumer speech, a transcript of which can be viewed here, included the below fierce condemnations aimed directly at Netanyahu:
"However, I also believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.
He has put himself in coalition with far-right extremists like Ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir, and as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows. Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has also weakened Israel’s political and moral fabric through his attempts to co-opt the judiciary. And he has shown zero interest in doing the courageous and visionary work required to pave the way for peace, even before this present conflict.
As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me:
The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past."
Again, this was a key part of the very speech which Biden on Friday hailed as "good". It also comes a week after Biden was caught on a hot mic saying he would have a "come to Jesus" meeting with Netanyahu.
Kirby was later asked to elaborate on Biden calling Schumer's speech "good" - but the NSC spokesman didn't say much...
Q: What did Biden find "good" about Schumer's anti-Netanyahu speech?
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 15, 2024
JOHN KIRBY: "The passion!" pic.twitter.com/rZsWwNCb0O
According to Axios, Schumer's words were felt as a political earthquake inside Israel. The speech "landed like an earthquake Thursday, delivering a huge shock to the already tense U.S.-Israel relationship" as well as created "more political space for other Democratic members of Congress to publicly voice their criticism of the Israeli government amid the ongoing war in Gaza," Axios wrote.