Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made headlines last week when he called for the removal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The idea didn't go over well with Netanyahu, who was quick to crush any suggestion that he'll step down. 

"We're not a banana republic"

"I think Schumer's statements are wholly inappropriate," Netanyahu declared during a Sunday appearance on "Fox & Friends Weekend."

"I think we're not a banana republic. The people of Israel will choose when they'll have elections, who they elect, and it's not something that will be foisted upon us," he added.

"It's wrong to try to replace the elected leaders of a sister democracy and a staunch American ally at any time, but especially during the time of war," the Israeli prime minister continued.

Netanyahu asked Americans to "imagine that, after 9/11, and when you're in the midst of fighting Al Qaeda, and winning... some Israeli would say, ‘oh, the right thing to do is not to have new elections in America or have President Bush resign.’ It's inappropriate. Shouldn't have been said. It's wrong."

The Israeli leader concluded by asserting that "the only thing that we should be focused on is changing the regime in Gaza, bringing down the terrorist regime of Hamas, and not the duly elected government of Israel."

Netanyahu's allies in the United States also came to his defense, including former Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman.

According to The Hill, Lieberman slammed Schumer's remarks during a Sunday interview with WABC 770 AM radio host John Catsimatidis.

"For a U.S. Senator, let alone a majority leader, let alone the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in Washington, to tell Israelis that it’s time to get rid of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], that’s outrageous," Lieberman said.

Meanwhile, conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt argued in a social media post that Schumer's words were calculated to help President Joe Biden in November.

For whatever reason (and I suspect it is Cornell West line on many state ballots in Fall) Democrats have concluded that 100% of their Jewish American voters and friends of Israel who are not Jewish will stick w/them regardless if they just attack @netanyahu. That seems…unlikely. https://t.co/r7Th8WMd1j

— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) March 14, 2024

"For whatever reason (and I suspect it is Cornell West line on many state ballots in Fall) Democrats have concluded that 100% of their Jewish American voters and friends of Israel who are not Jewish will stick [with] them regardless if they just attack [Netanyahu]. That seems…unlikely," he wrote.