Dem Rep. Bowman Criticizes Israel's Prime Minister, Calls for New Election

Representative Jamaal Bowman, a member of the progressive group known as the "Squad," criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, labeling him a "maniac" and attributing him as a hindrance to peace efforts in the Gaza Strip.

Bowman, a Democrat from New York, expressed his full support for Senator Chuck Schumer's call for a new election in Israel amid mounting Palestinian casualties.

Jamaal Bowman tears into ‘maniac’ Netanyahu, backs Schumer’s call for new Israel election: ‘He needs to be removed’ https://t.co/LDhBaN7IPR #Trump2024 #NahBabyNah

— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) March 31, 2024

Bowman, who has consistently advocated for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, voiced his stance during an interview with MSNBC, asserting, "There's a humanitarian crisis. The majority of Gaza has already been destroyed through acts of collective punishment by this maniac, Benjamin Netanyahu."

He echoed Schumer's sentiments, emphasizing the necessity of Netanyahu's removal to pave the way for peace.

Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S., previously asserted on the Senate floor that the "Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7" and identified Netanyahu as an impediment to peace in the region.

Bowman's remarks come amid growing progressive discontent over the conflict in Gaza, which was triggered by a deadly terror attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis.

Despite recent tensions between President Biden and Netanyahu, the Biden administration approved the shipment of additional military weaponry to Israel, including F-35 fighter jets, MK84 2,000-pound bombs, and MK82 500-pound bombs.

Efforts to garner additional support for Israel through Congress have faced challenges due to an impasse over aid to Ukraine. Democrats have insisted on pairing the two issues to ensure funding for Ukraine's war against Russia.

Bowman, 47, elected to the lower chamber in 2020, faces a competitive primary ahead of the November 5 election, similar to other "Squad" members.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America endorsed George Latimer in his race against Bowman for New York's 16th Congressional District. The Post reached out to Latimer's campaign for comment.

Over 100,000 left-wing voters in Michigan wrote in "uncommitted" during the Democratic presidential primary in protest of Biden's support for Israel, showing the fracture within the party over the response by Bowman, Biden and others on Israel.