Schumer, Dems split on response to Israeli attack on Iran

• "I have long said that Israel has a right to defend itself and that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Schumer said in a statement Friday. "Ensuring they never obtain one must remain a top national security priority."

The big picture: The Israeli attack killed much of Iran's military leadership, targeted its top nuclear scientists and ravaged its nuclear facilities.

Schumer is the top Jewish elected official in the U.S. government.

• "The preferred path to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and for supporting security and stability in the region has always been a strong, unrelenting diplomatic effort backed by meaningful leverage, and every effort must be made to move toward the path of a diplomatic solution," he added.

What they're saying: Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, struck a much more critical tone on the Israeli strikes.

• "Israel's alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence," Reed said in a statement Thursday.

• Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), also a member of the Armed Services panel, aligned with Schumer on Friday: "Israel acted in self-defense against an attack from Iran, and the U.S. must continue to stand with Israel, as it has for decades, at this dangerous moment."

Between the lines: The Israeli strikes will only deepen the divide among Democrats, particularly in the Senate, between those who steadfastly support Israel and those who are critical of the government's leadership.

Go deeper: Trump to Axios: Israel's attack could help me make deal with Iran