The American Jewish Committee issued a statement following Sen. Schumer's remarks earlier on Thursday in which he described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an obstruction to lasting peace in the Middle East and called for elections to oust him.
"American Jewish Committee (AJC) appreciates US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s continual and passionate defense of Israel and the Jewish people, but we do not believe it is appropriate for US officials to try to dictate the electoral future of any ally," according to the statement. "Israel is a sovereign democracy in the midst of a war of self-defense against a terrorist organization bent on massacring Jews and destroying Israel. The Israeli people will decide their own political path."
The AJC said it commends Schumer for putting Israel's security and the plight of the hostages front and center, "underscoring the need for new Palestinian leadership and emphasizing Hamas's horrific brutality and disregard for the Palestinian people."