Rahm Emanuel, a prominent Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate, is set to deliver a sharp rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, declaring that the U.S.-Israel relationship is “at a crossroads.”
In a speech Wednesday at Tel Aviv University, Emanuel will argue that the alliance “cannot stand or survive as it has been.”
“To maintain the strength of our ties, we need significant changes and a new direction,” he plans to say, according to remarks obtained by The Associated Press.
In an interview before the speech, Emanuel criticized Israel’s military response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, calling it “reckless and careless in the treatment of Palestinian life” and condemning the use of food and medicine “as an instrument of your military goals.”
Asked whether Israel had committed genocide — an allegation made by some human rights organizations but rejected by both Israeli and U.S. governments — Emanuel declined to answer directly, saying such discussions should also include conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan. “I’m ready to have that discussion, but I don’t think it should be politicized, and then dilute the power of what genocide means,” he said.
The remarks reflect a growing shift among Democrats over Israel nearly three years into the Gaza war. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 58% of Democrats now believe the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, up from 45% in January 2024. About half also believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians.
Emanuel is proposing sanctions against Israelis who attack Palestinian civilians or property, as well as companies and banks supporting settlements widely considered illegal under international law. He also wants to end U.S. subsidies for Israel’s defense budget, arguing Israel should purchase American weapons under the same financial terms as other allies.
He directly blames Netanyahu for leading Israel into a “dead end,” while faulting successive U.S. administrations for offering unconditional backing.
“For too long, American policy toward Israel operated under the assumption that the best thing Washington could do for Jerusalem was to blindly and silently stand behind your government,” Emanuel will say. “That has been our mistake.”
Such a speech, delivered in Israel by a centrist Democrat with presidential ambitions, is highly unusual. Unlike many progressives, Emanuel has long been viewed as a staunch supporter of Israel.
Netanyahu, who faces re-election in October, has previously referred to Emanuel — who is Jewish and whose father was born in Jerusalem — as a “self-hating Jew.” Emanuel said he is avoiding meetings with Israeli elected officials during his visit to avoid influencing the election. Instead, he plans to visit a hospital serving Israelis and Palestinians and meet with the family of an Oct. 7 hostage.
The speech also signals how potential Democratic White House hopefuls are navigating one of the party’s most divisive foreign policy issues. Israel’s war in Gaza has split Democrats, with younger voters increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct and pushing leaders toward a tougher stance. The issue has already influenced congressional primaries and is expected to remain a major topic ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Emanuel will argue that Israel’s international standing has deteriorated sharply.
“You’ve lost Europe. Your scientists face exclusion from international research networks. Your artists and academics are shut out of exhibits and conferences,” he plans to say.
While Netanyahu has strengthened ties with President Donald Trump and Republicans, support for Israel among Democrats has weakened. Emanuel’s warnings about Israel’s growing isolation also echo recent comments from Vice President JD Vance, who said Trump was “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”
Despite his criticism, Emanuel acknowledges the trauma of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants killed nearly 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, as well as the failures of past peace efforts.
“But even while acknowledging that history, the path forward cannot be held hostage to a past defined exclusively by recriminations,” he will say.
Emanuel dismisses the traditional two-state solution as “discredited,” instead proposing a “23-state solution” involving Israel, the Palestinians and the 21 other members of the Arab League in a broader regional peace agreement.
Although no major Democrat has formally entered the 2028 presidential race, Emanuel — the former White House chief of staff, congressman, Chicago mayor and U.S. ambassador — has openly raised his national profile through policy speeches, New Hampshire visits, podcast appearances and a growing social media presence.