The leader of the US Senate has called for the Israeli government to hold new elections in a speech suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu risked making the US ally a “pariah,” AFP reports.

“At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government,” Democrat Chuck Schumer — the highest-ranking Jewish politician in the United States — said in a floor speech.