First look: Jeffries defends Schumer over speech blasting Netanyahu
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Photo courtesy of CBS
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is now defending Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for harshly criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March.
Why it matters: The staunchly pro-Israel House Democratic leader initially declined to weigh in on his Senate counterpart's speech, but told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview set to air on Sunday that it's "ridiculous" to suggest Schumer is "somehow undermining the U.S.-Israel relationship."
Flashback: Schumer, a longtime defender of Israel, called for elections in Israel in a provocative speech from the Senate floor in mid-March. He also said Netanyahu was one of the major barriers to peace in the region.
Zoom in: Schumer's speech came under heavy fire from Republicans, some pro-Israel Democrats and Israeli officials.
- The speech came at a particularly fraught moment in U.S.-Israeli relationship, and particularly the relationship between Netanyahu and both the White House and congressional Democrats.
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in a floor speech responding to Schumer, said Israel "deserves an ally that acts like one."
Jeffries distanced himself from Schumer's call for new elections in Israel in the days after the speech.
- "I'm going to personally refrain from commenting on whatever may or may not take place in Israel," Jeffries said in a Fox 11 Los Angeles interview.
- "I've got full faith and confidence in the Israeli people to make the right determination about what their future should look like."
Asked by CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell whether Schumer's speech was a "turning point" in U.S.-Israeli relations Jeffries was more ambivalent.
- "Anything that Chuck Schumer has to say on the subject is gonna be incredibly important," Jeffries said, adding that all Senate leaders' statements carry "some importance ... inside the Beltway."
- But, he added, "every single member of Congress has the responsibility of answering to their constituency. That's the beauty of American democracy. "
The "60 Minutes" profile of Jeffries will air at 7 pm ET Sunday on CBS.
- The interview touches on the decision of House Democrats to save Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from being booted from the position.
- Jeffries also speaks on the migrant crisis at the southern border.
