Schumer draws fire for casual tone after Sydney terror attack as Fetterman, Cruz demand tougher stance
A lighter tone struck by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the wake of a terrorist attack at a Jewish celebration in Australia clashed sharply with calls for a harder...
By Fox News · Fox News
A lighter tone struck by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the wake of a terrorist attack at a Jewish celebration in Australia clashed sharply with calls for a harder line on rising antisemitism on Sunday, prompting debate on the role of rhetoric in countering violence. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., the highest-ranking lawmaker of Jewish descent in American history, sparked criticism online for offering his condolences, while in the same breath celebrating a football victory for New York. "I’m going to say a few words about the terrible shooting in Sydney, Australia. And first, of course, as I always say — go Bills. They beat the Patriots today. It’s a big deal," Schumer said, referring to a Sunday NFL game. ISRAELI KNESSET MEMBER SAYS AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS 'DID NOTHING' AMID RISE OF ANTISEMITISM BEFORE SYDNEY ATTACK Fellow New York lawmaker Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., reposted a clip calling Schumer's comments tone-deaf. "Retire. Immediately," Lawler said in a post on X. On the other side of the aisle, lawmakers like Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., called on viewers to take a graver stance on rising antisemitism, arguing that a failure to do so would only reward and encourage further acts of violence. "It’s an absolute betrayal, for Israel and for the worldwide Jewish community — like whether it's France or Australia or any of these nations, our Western allies — now calling for a two-state solution when Hamas refuses to disarm and are actively trying to kill Jews. I can't imagine why anybody would do that at this point," Fetterman said on Sunday. The divide between Fetterman and Schumer’s responses illustrates a stark contrast in how lawmakers talk about Israel in the Democratic Party, even as they universally expressed horror at Sunday’s attack. A father-son duo opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration attended by more than 1,000 people at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday afternoon. According to New South Wales authorities, the father, 50, was killed in a…