Emanuel calls for end to unconditional U.S. support for Israel

Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor and a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028, used a speech at Tel Aviv University to demand an end to unconditional U.S. support for Israel. He said the relationship between Israel and the United States was "at a crossroads" and "cannot stand or survive as it has been."

Emanuel, a longtime defender of Israel and a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, also pressed for sanctions on Israelis who attack Palestinian civilians and property, along with companies and banks that back settlements most of the international community considers illegal. He said the United States should end subsidies to Israel's defense budget and instead require Israel to buy American arms under the same financial terms, restrictions and requirements that apply to other trusted allies.

The comments placed Emanuel among a growing number of Democratic figures willing to challenge Israel's leaders more directly, not just Benjamin Netanyahu. Emanuel said Netanyahu had driven Israel to a "dead end," turning his criticism into a broader argument that U.S. policy needs a reset, not a minor adjustment.

That shift is visible in Democratic opinion as well. In an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey, 58% of Democrats said the United States is "too supportive" of Israel, up from 45% in January 2024. Roughly half of Democrats in the survey said they believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war with Hamas.

Emanuel framed his message as a test of loyalty, saying "the most important thing a true friend can do is to tell the truth even when it’s painful." For a party where support for Israel has long been treated as a default position, his remarks marked a sharper and more public break with the old consensus.