Top Democrat, a Jew, calls for Israel polls: 'Bibi has lost way'

WASHINGTON: Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believes Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost his way" and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Schumer, the first Jewish majority leader in the Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish official in the US, strongly criticised Netanyahu in a 40-minute speech Thursday morning on the Senate floor. Schumer said the PM has put himself in a coalition of far-right extremists and "as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows."

The warning comes as an increasing number of Democrats have pushed back against Israel and as President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Netanyahu's govt, arguing that he needs to pay more attention to the civilian death toll in Gaza amid the Israeli bombardment.

US cannot dictate the outcome of an polls in Israel, he said, but "a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel".

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich rejected Schumer's call, saying "we expect the largest democracy in the world to respect Israeli democracy".