Schumer Blasted for Attacking Netanyahu and Interfering with Israel Elections
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Key Takeaways
- Chuck Schumer takes a support hit after his comments calling for new elections in Israel and criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Pro-Palestine voters approved of Schumer’s comment, but most other voters found it distasteful and shocking.
- Democrats continue to struggle with a division between progressives and more traditional Democrats over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Our Methodology
Demographics
Democrats
Sample Size
2,000
Geographical Breakdown
National
Time Period
7 Days
MIG Reports leverages EyesOver technology, employing Advanced AI for precise analysis. This ensures unparalleled precision, setting a new standard. Find out more about the unique data pull for this article.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer received vocal negative responses following his comments about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many voters did not approve of his call for new elections in Israel.
Schumer claimed that Netanyahu's government no longer fits the needs of Israel after the events of October 7 and has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza. He also compared Netanyahu to Putin and labeled him as an obstacle to peace.
Many people, including voters and other politicians, are criticizing Schumer for his remarks, saying he was unjustified in his rhetoric.
- Following his comments, discussion about Schumer online increased as his approval decreased.
- In the last two days, discussion about Schumer rose significantly from his average volume to nearly 2000 mentions.
- With the increase in discussion, Schumer’s overall approval also dropped, reaching 43% on the day of his Israel comments.
- Schumer’s support regarding Israel dropped slightly after his comments, while support regarding Palestine slightly increased.
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Top Issues Decreasing Schumer’s Support
MIG Reports analysis shows the top influencing factors pushing Schumer’s approval down are related to Israel:
- The first and most glaring issue causing support for Chuck Schumer to drop is his call for new elections in Israel. He has received considerable backlash for his interference in Israeli politics.
- Schumer's public criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu has also been a divisive issue. While some agree with Schumer that Netanyahu's government is "stuck in the past," others see this as an unjustified attack.
- Many critics accuse Schumer of siding with Hamas, a terrorist organization, over U.S. ally Israel.
- Schumer is losing support for the perception of prioritizing partisan politics over the welfare of American hostages held by Hamas. People argue he should focus on securing their release, rather than calling for new elections in Israel.
- Some accuse Schumer, who is Jewish, of betraying Israel and the Jewish community with his comments, saying his actions have shown him to be a poor "Guardian of Israel."
Overall, Schumer seems to be losing support among pro-Israel Democrats and much of the Jewish community. There are, however, some who support his comments.
Pro-Palestine Progressives Praise Schumer
A segment of progressive Democrats agreed with Schumer, stating that the Israeli government under Netanyahu has indeed lost its way and has become a pariah state. They also concurred with Schumer's suggestion that the war with Hamas has created a significant political issue for the Democrat Party, potentially costing them in the next election.
A few also applauded Schumer's call for a "fresh debate about the future of Israel" and his insistence on a future two-state solution. His remarks have been described as "remarkable," with praise for Schumer's assertion that Netanyahu's coalition "no longer fits the needs of Israel."
Progressive supporters argue that it's possible to support the Palestinians without supporting Hamas and to support Israel without supporting Netanyahu's government.
Israel Supporters Express Shock at Schumer’s Rhetoric
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Many on the right and some of Schumer’s more moderate Democrat constituents vehemently disagree with his remarks about Israel. They say it was inappropriate and out of place for an American leader to involve himself in Israeli politics. For instance, Speaker Johnson called Schumer's comments, "highly inappropriate" and "plain wrong."
Schumer is receiving blowback for what many perceive as interference in Israel's internal affairs. Many say American politicians should let Israel and its people decide their own leadership. Some also suggested that Schumer's comments were primarily aimed at securing support from constituents who are in favor of Palestine.
There are comments labeling Schumer a "fake Jew" and saying honest Jewish people would not make such objectionable and interfering comments. Some voters even suggested a special vote in New York to remove Schumer from his position.
Overall, Schumer’s support seemed to dip because of the comments, highlighting the Democrat split over Israel or Palestine support, which MIG Reports has previously analyzed. Other politicians like John Fetterman have been criticized by the progressive wing of the Democrat Party. Many who were outraged at Schumer’s language accuse him of pandering to the Hamas wing of the Democrat Party.
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