Schumer Confronts Antisemitism in Powerful Speech

The Senate Majority Leader warns of the dangers of extreme rhetoric, criticizes liberals' portrayal of Israelis, and highlights the rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attack.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish congressional leader in American history, delivered a powerful speech confronting antisemitism, particularly among his own party and the progressive movement.
Schumer warned that statements of solidarity with the Palestinian people can tumble into extreme rhetoric that “gives license to darker ideas that have always lurked below the surface of every question involving the Jewish people.”
Schumer took issue with liberals who have criticized Israelis as colonizers or oppressors, noting that liberal Jews marched alongside them in support of the Black Lives Matter movement or against anti-Asian prejudice.
Schumer cited the rise in antisemitic behavior since the Hamas attack, which was followed by a bombardment and invasion of Gaza by Israel Defense Forces in an effort to root out Hamas militants.
Schumer's speech was praised by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who stood up on the floor immediately after Schumer spoke, to associate himself with the Democratic leader’s remarks.