Biden, Israel's Netanyahu to speak on Monday, source says

In a speech on Thursday, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, called for new elections in Israel and said Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace. Biden praised the speech the following day and said that Schumer had echoed the concerns of many Americans.

U.S. President Joe Biden will speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter, after relations were strained further by criticism from the top Senate Democrat. The call would be the first between the two leaders since Feb. 15 and comes amid sharp tensions between Israel and its most steadfast ally over Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza that followed Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack inside Israel.

The White House did not immediately comment on whether any call was planned. Axios first reported the expected call, citing two unidentified sources. In a speech on Thursday, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, called for new elections in Israel and said Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace.

Biden praised the speech the following day and said that Schumer had echoed the concerns of many Americans. Netanyahu responded harshly on Sunday, telling CNN in an interview that Schumer's speech was "totally inappropriate."