Israeli Official Says US Trying To Overthrow Netanyahu As Sen. Schumer Calls For New PM

After a US intelligence assessment concluded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule is vulnerable, a senior Israeli official suggested Washington was attempting to overthrow the war government in Tel Aviv. President Joe Biden has grown increasingly critical of his long-time friend Netanyahu. While the White House has sought to distinguish between support for Israel and its leader, the administration says it will not reduce support for Tel Aviv. 

A senior Israeli official slammed the Biden administration in remarks to the Jerusalem Post, saying, "We expect our friends to act to overthrow the terror regime of Hamas and not the elected government in Israel."

They added that "Israeli citizens, and not anyone else, elect the prime minister. Israel is not a protectorate of the US but an independent and democratic country whose citizens are the ones who choose the government."

The statement followed the annual "threat assessment" compiled by US intelligence agencies, which was released on Monday and questioned Netanyahu’s hold on power. Below is what it said:

"Netanyahu’s viability as leader as well as his governing coalition of far-right and ultraorthodox parties that pursued hardline policies on Palestinian and security issues may be in jeopardy."

It continues, "Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections. A different, more moderate government is a possibility."

While Netanyahu may not be personally popular among Israelis, his policies are. "Israelis repeatedly show a historically low level of confidence in the prime minister, while support for his Likud party keeps dwindling," Ksenia Svetlova wrote for the Atlantic Council. "At the same time, it’s also clear that the general public in Israel supports Netanyahu’s policies… about two-thirds (63 percent) of the Jewish public do not support Israel agreeing in principle to an independent and demilitarized Palestinian state."

Meanwhile on Thursday US Senate majority leader Charles Schumer has called for a 'new PM' in Israel:

SCHUMER SAYS ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU IS 'MAJOR OBSTACLE TO PEACE' WHO HAS 'ALL TOO FREQUENTLY BOWED TO THE DEMANDS OF EXTREMISTS'

According to his words as cited in The Washington Post:

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) will call for the Israeli government to hold new elections in a speech warning that Israel risked becoming an international "pariah" under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing cabinet.

As Biden has faced increased criticisms from Democrats over his unconditional support for Israel, the White House has attempted to distinguish support for Israel and Netanyahu. In the past week, Biden has criticized Netanyahu on several occasions, saying he wanted to have a "come to Jesus" meeting with the leader of the Jewish state.

In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, Biden accused Netanyahu of "hurting Israel," while Axios reported the White House was becoming "frustrated" with the PM’s "ungratefulness."

However, even if Netanyahu remains prime minister and violates Biden’s red lines, the administration says it will not halt weapons transfers to Tel Aviv.