WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Republican senators on Wednesday that Israel will continue its efforts to defeat Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, senators told reporters after he addressed a party lunch.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to do what he said he鈥檚 going to do. He鈥檚 going to finish it,鈥� Senator Jim Risch said.
The conservative Israeli leader spoke to Republicans via videolink nearly a week after the Senate鈥檚 Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, gave a speech in the Senate harshly criticizing Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace and urging new elections in Israel.
Wednesday鈥檚 meeting underscored the politicization of Washington鈥檚 Israel policy. Netanyahu has long been aligned with Republicans, who accused Schumer of seeking to 鈥渙verthrow鈥� the Israeli leader.
鈥淲e asked... him for an update and we got it on the war, on the release of the hostages and in the efforts to defeat Hamas. We told him Israel has every right to defend themselves and he said that鈥檚 exactly what they continue to do,鈥� Senator John Barrasso said.
Democratic leaders have been grappling with divisions in their party over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza five months into a war that began with attacks on Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7.
A spokesperson for Schumer said that Netanyahu had offered to speak to the Democrats as well, but Schumer declined, saying that the conversations should not be partisan.
鈥淚 care deeply about Israel and its long term future. When you make the issue partisan, you hurt the cause of helping Israel,鈥� Schumer told reporters.
Progressives have called on Democratic President Joe Biden to put more pressure on Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid groups warn of famine and US officials say more than 30,000 civilians have been killed.
Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Netanyahu had addressed civilian casualties and the need to get more aid into Gaza. He said Netanyahu was 鈥渧ery supportive鈥� of plans to build a temporary pier and bring in aid by sea.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very sensitive to the fact that every civilian casualty is a very unfortunate event,鈥� Risch said.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Netanyahu had made a presentation and then taken questions from senators.
鈥淚 made it clear to him, that it鈥檚 not the business of the United States to be giving a democratic ally advice about when to have an election or what kind of military campaign they may be conducting,鈥� McConnell told reporters.