Washington, 14 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) — The influential Democratic majority leader in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, has sharply criticized Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for new elections in the country.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel," Schumer said.

Schumer, who is Jewish, described himself as a staunch supporter of Israel on Thursday in the US Senate in Washington.

Netanyahu, he said in a speech to the Senate, had entered into a coalition with right-wing extremists and as a result was "too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows. Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah."

"I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government," Schumer continued.

He said that Netanyahu's coalition no longer fitted Israel's needs after October 7, and claimed that Netanyahu was standing in the way of peace - among other things by rejecting a two-state solution.

The Democrat also criticized that other obstacles to peace were the radical right in the Israeli government and society, Hamas militants in Gaza, and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.