Schumer snubs Netanyahu’s request to address Senate Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer denied a request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to hold a video call with Senate Democrats about the crisis in the Middle East and Israel’s handling of the war with Hamas.

Mr. Schumer “made it clear that he does not think these discussions should happen in a partisan manner,” a spokesperson for the New York Democrat told media outlets.

The snub from Mr. Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S., came days after he surprised colleagues with a lengthy floor speech calling for new Israeli elections and the ouster of Mr. Netanyahu over his handling of the war against Hamas and the rising number of Palestinian civilian casualties in the fighting.

Mr. Netanyahu instead only spoke with Senate Republicans on Wednesday, during which GOP senators said he again assailed Mr. Schumer’s speech against him as “wholly inappropriate.”

Republicans and Israeli critics have accused Mr. Schumer of interfering in the democratic election of a longtime foreign ally, but President Biden has refused to rein in the majority leader. A team of top Israeli officials is heading to Washington for talks ahead of a promised campaign by Mr. Netanyahu against Palestinian Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, an offensive that many warn could result in huge new numbers of civilian casualties.

“I care deeply about Israel and its long-term future,” Mr. Schumer told reporters. “When you make the issue partisan, you hurt the cause of helping Israel.”