- Pelosi gave an interview in which she called Netanyahu’s response “terrible.”
- She joined Senator Schumer, who last month called for new leadership in Israel
- The House passed the relief bill with bipartisan support, despite criticism of Netanyahu
- The foreign aid package is moving forward in the Senate
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an obstacle to a two-state solution and said he should resign.
She joins a growing list of prominent Democrats who have issued blistering criticism of the Israeli leader or called for him to resign over his handling of the Gaza war.
“We recognize Israel’s right to protect itself. We reject Netanyahu’s policies and practices,” Pelosi said during an interview with Ireland’s RTE News. “What could be worse than what he did in response to this?”
Pelosi called it “terrible.” She said his intelligence official resigned, but “he should resign” as Netanyahu is “ultimately responsible.”
The longtime California lawmaker was asked during the interview whether Netanyahu is a “block” to peace.
“Well, he has been for years,” Pelosi said. “I don’t know if he’s afraid of peace, incapable of peace or just doesn’t want peace.”
“He has been an obstacle to the two-state solution,” she added. ‘I emphasize the word solution.’
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said in an interview with RTE News that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign
Pelosi called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an ‘obstacle to the two-state solution’
Protesters in Tel Aviv demonstrate in favor of a hostage deal with Hamas and against the Israeli Prime Minister on April 20, 2024
On Tuesday, the Senate voted in favor of a foreign aid package that includes $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.
Last weekend, the House of Representatives approved the bill, ending months of stalemate.
But despite supporting aid to Israel in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack, some Democratic leaders have sharply criticized Netanyahu’s leadership.
Since Israel declared war on Gaza, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 injured.
Last month, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the top Jewish official in the United States and a close ally of Israel, said he believes Israel should hold new elections once the war in Gaza is over.
He issued a scathing critique of Netanyahu, saying he had placed himself in a coalition with “far-right extremists” and warning “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.”
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer on March 14 called for elections and new leadership in Israel because Benjamin Netanyahu is an “obstacle to peace” in some of the most scathing US criticism since the October 7 Hamas attack
Rubble of destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip on April 23, 2024
President Biden has also criticized Netanyahu’s response in Gaza, calling his approach to the conflict a “mistake.”
But the Biden administration remains committed to supporting aid to the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East.
Democrats’ criticism of the Israeli leader comes as protests have spread across the country over Israel’s response.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are camping on college campuses and tensions continue to escalate.
At Columbia University, in-person classes are moving online through the end of the spring semester.
Republican Chairman Mike Johnson is expected to go to Columbia on Wednesday to meet with Jewish students as some have expressed fear and feel unsafe over the escalating vitriol reported on campuses.