Chuck Schumer called for elections in Israel. What did he hope to achieve?

(JTA) — When Sen. Chuck Schumer called for new elections in Israel, all but telling Israelis that it was time to replace Benjamin Netanyahu, it was a rare instance of an American leader weighing in on how (and when) an ally should vote.

The call was all the more notable coming from Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in history and a man who is known for involving the Hebrew root of his name — “shomer,” meaning guardian — to illustrate his commitment to Israel.

Schumer stressed that devotion in his speech as he castigated Netanyahu, Israel’s…