National Review Online
Friday,
March 15, 2024
We are
tempted to refer to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s call for the ouster
of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition as “election
interference” — but that would require the existence of an actual election.
Given that there are currently no elections scheduled in Israel, what Schumer
did on Thursday was nothing short of calling for the collapse of the
democratically elected government of a close American ally during a time of
war.
This
is stunning and outrageous. It is also an indication of just how hard it is to
actively support Israel in today’s Democratic Party.
Schumer,
in a speech on the Senate floor, argued that the only way for lasting peace and
security for Israel is a two-state solution, which Netanyahu opposes. As a
result, Schumer lumped together Netanyahu and Hamas as two of the four biggest
obstacles to peace in the region (the others being “radical right-wing
Israelis” and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas). He then argued
that “the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after
October 7” and said there should be a new election to replace him.
The
idea of two states living peacefully side by side, at this point in time, is a
fantasy. It’s something that politicians and diplomats from around the world
like to talk about so they have something solution-oriented to say that is
sympathetic to the desire for self-determination on both sides of the conflict.
But it is completely detached from reality on the ground.
Arabs
rejected the idea of a state at least five times when it was offered to them —
as long ago as 1937 and as recently as 2008 — because ultimately, they could
not accept the permanent existence of a Jewish state. Currently, nearly three-quarters of Palestinians oppose a
two-state solution.
Meanwhile,
the hardened stance of Palestinians has eroded Israeli support for a two-state
solution in the past decade. After October 7, support for the idea
cratered further, and now two-thirds of Israelis oppose the idea. This is
sensible. Giving Palestinians a state now would suggest that the horrific
attacks were rewarded, and it would give Palestinians the ability to launch
attacks that could be even worse. Polls show that about three in four Palestinians supported the
massacres.
To
sum up, if Netanyahu is ousted as Schumer has called for, no Israeli leader who
replaces him would be able to negotiate a two-state solution and remain in
power. And even if Israeli public opinion miraculously changed, there is no
partner on the other side for a two-state solution.
Beyond
being an egregious overstep, Schumer’s call for the collapse of the Israeli
government, ironically, only serves to help Netanyahu. Whatever their problems
with him, Netanyahu is strongest among Israelis when he can argue that he is
standing up to tremendous external pressure to achieve Israel’s war aims of
destroying Hamas and preventing a repeat of October 7. Whatever their
differences on Thursday, Israeli politicians from across the spectrum
criticized Schumer’s interference. Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s likely opponent in
the next election, said, “Israel is a robust democracy, and only its citizens
will decide its future and leadership. Any external interference on the matter
is counterproductive and unacceptable.”
Schumer
is likely savvy enough to have anticipated this. However, he is dealing
with the constraints of a modern Democratic Party that is increasingly hostile
toward Israel. To feel comfortable criticizing Hamas and claiming to support
Israel’s war aims (as he did in the speech), he is using attacks on Netanyahu
as a cover. Like President Biden, he is trying to have it both ways by
saying his problem is with Netanyahu rather than Israel.
Netanyahu
was facing his fair share of political problems domestically before
October 7. Then, despite having run as the candidate who would keep the
nation safe, he presided over the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history.
The event brought into question over a decade of his policies toward Hamas and
Gaza and exposed egregious intelligence failures. Whether his government
deserves to fall, however, is up to Israelis to decide. So is the timing of
that reckoning.
Instead
of butting into Israeli domestic politics, Schumer would do well to confront
the anti-Israel radicals within his own party.
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