DALLAS, TEXAS — The state of U.S.-Israeli relations is rapidly deteriorating.
And senior American Democrats are to blame.
Let me explain.
First, some context.
I’m in Dallas this week as part of a six-week media and speaking tour across the United States.
At churches and conferences, in meetings with pastors and other Evangelical leaders, and during various radio and TV interviews, I’ve been explaining the Hamas invasion of Oct. 7 and the horrific and painful war that we Israelis find ourselves in, and answering a wide range of questions.
During the “Chris Krok Show” on Sunday night on WBAP—the powerhouse Dallas radio station that’s heard in 38 states—I was asked to comment on U.S. President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer openly and viciously attacking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the midst of a hot war.
I didn’t hold back.
Biden is attacking Netanyahu behind closed doors with vulgar and obscene language, and White House aides are leaking those diatribes to the mainstream media.
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Biden is also demanding that Netanyahu stop prosecuting the war against Hamas, telling the prime minister in a phone call that he will not support Israel invading the city of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip and the last stronghold of Hamas leaders and terrorists.
If this weren’t bad enough, Schumer is publicly attacking Netanyahu as the main “obstacle to peace” in Israel, saying that Netanyahu has “lost his way,” and calling for immediate elections in Israel to get rid of the prime minister.
HEADING FOR A TRAIN WRECK
All of this is shameful, I said, and setting U.S.-Israeli relations on a collision course.
“The good news is that Israel is absolutely winning this war in terms of the military conflict,” I told Chris.
“We have defeated about 20 of Hamas’ 24 brigades. We have taken out most, but not quite all, of their terrorist leaders, and we’ve rescued or persuaded Hamas to give up and give back almost half of our hostages.
“But we are losing the battle for public opinion. And part of the reason is because of President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Schumer, who keep attacking the prime minister of Israel as being dangerous and irresponsible when we’re fighting a bloodthirsty, genocidal enemy.
“That is not helpful,” I noted. “It is not helpful for an American president and Senate majority leader to throw a democratically elected leader under the bus during a war.”
Indeed, such attacks on Israel’s government could lead to a “train wreck” in relations between Jerusalem and Washington.
REPREHENSIBLE CALLS FOR REGIME CHANGE IN ISRAEL
I’m outraged by Biden’s effort to stop Israel from going into Rafah and finishing the job of defeating Hamas once and for all.
And I’m just as outraged by Schumer’s demand for regime change in Israel.
“Look, what the Senate Majority leader has done is absolutely reprehensible,” I told Chris Krok on the air.
“I mean, for the highest-ranking leader in the Senate — also the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in American history — to denounce the government of Israel and call for regime change in Israel, a democratically elected ally that’s in a fight for our lives against Iranian terror proxies, is crazy.
“Has Senator Chuck Schumer called for regime change in Russia? How about bringing Xi Jinping down in China? Is Schumer calling for regime change in Iran? No, he’s calling for regime change in Israel.
“He’s saying that the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, is dangerous, reckless, irresponsible, and needs to be removed immediately.
“This is just plain wrong.
“Okay, let’s say Schumer has honest policy disagreements [with Netanyahu],” I added. “Fine. Every Israeli has a policy disagreement with the prime minister of Israel. But a superpower does not condemn the democratically elected government of an ally during a hot war. A superpower doesn’t call for the government of an ally to resign and for regime change in the middle of a hot war.
“It’s just insane what Schumer is doing. And it shows the dangerous forces going on inside the Democratic Party that they can’t even stand with Israel 100% until victory.”
ISRAELI ELECTIONS WILL COME AT THE PROPER TIME
I noted that “there will be elections in Israel” at the proper time because “Netanyahu, honestly, has a lot to account for because he did preside over the worst massacre of Jews on one day since the Holocaust. And the Israeli people will have an election, and Netanyahu will have to defend his record. He’s done so many other good things that everything will get weighed together. And he may not last. I don’t know. But I know that it’s not the place of a Senate majority leader to attack an ally in wartime.”
Worse, I added, is that Schumer’s 47-minute attack on Netanyahu on the Senate floor was immediately praised by Biden.
“Biden is the one behind all this and has praised Schumer,” I said.
HOW ARE ISRAELIS REACTING TO BIDEN AND SCHUMER’S ATTACKS?
Chris asked me how Israelis are reacting.
“Well, overall, I think Israelis are shocked that an American president and the Senate majority leader, who is Jewish, would trash and so publicly denounce an Israeli prime minister, whatever his party, whatever his background, in the middle of a war.
“You know, Benny Gantz used to be the opposition leader in Israel. He’s a former defense minister in Israel. He’s a former chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces. So, a real national security expert. But shortly after Oct. 7, when Israel was invaded by 3,000 Hamas terrorists — within just, I think, 48 or maybe 72 hours — Netanyahu reached out to Benny Gantz and asked,: ‘Can we form an emergency unity government? We don’t agree on everything, but we agree we have to win. And I want you on my team.’ And Gantz, to his credit, said yes.
“So, what did Gantz say about Schumer and Biden? He criticized those Democratic leaders, saying their criticisms were inappropriate.
“Now, obviously, Gantz wants to be the prime minister at some point. And right now the polls show that he would be the prime minister if elections were held tomorrow. But he does not want American leaders to be interfering in Israel’s democratic process. What he wants is what every Israeli wants—we want 100% U.S. backing for us to win, and then we’ll have an election and figure out how to go forward.”
This article originally appeared on ALL ISRAEL NEWS, and is reposted with permission.
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Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
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