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AUSTIN — Former U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel is challenging the anti-Israel wing of his party, accusing Democrats of not having a broader policy on the Middle East besides cutting weapons funding.
“I’m interested in being as vigorous and strong about what a security peace agreement would bring to both the United States and to Israel and to the alliance and how you can build on that,” Emanuel told Digital in an interview during the Texas Tribune Festival.
“Now, people will criticize it. Fine. You got to tell me your plan. And your plan can’t just be we’re going to cut off funding for weapons. What’s your peace idea? What’s your security idea? What’s the economic package? I’ve laid out mine,” the Democrat continued. “I’m looking forward to anybody else wanting to run. Because guess what? The White House comes with more than just the Oval Office. It comes with a place called the Situation Room. And you better know your way around it.”
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Former U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel speaks at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2026. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/ Digital)
Emanuel, who is openly mulling a 2028 presidential run, gave a lengthy policy speech at Israel’s Tel Aviv University in July, saying the country’s alliance with the U.S. is “at a crossroads” due to the Jewish state’s increasing unpopularity with Americans and declaring Israel “has never been more strategically isolated.”
Democrats, in particular, have soured on Israel far more than Republicans. A Gallup study from February showed 65% of Democrats are sympathetic to Palestinians in the ongoing Middle East conflict, while just 17% are sympathetic to Israel, down from peak support in 2014 at 58%. Meanwhile, 70% of Republicans still side with Israel versus the 13% that are sympathetic to Palestinians, though support for the Jewish state among Republicans is still down from its peak of 87% in 2018.
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Rahm Emanuel, a potential Democratic presidential candidate and longtime defender of Israel, speaks at Tel Aviv University, Israel, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Ariel Schalit/AP Photos)
When asked whether Jewish Zionists were still welcomed in his party and whether he still calls himself one, Emanuel laughed.
“Look, as I said then, I believe in the alliance,” Emanuel responded. “I believe in the United States’ interest in the alliance. But the path we’re on is unsustainable. And I believe I’m being honest and bringing candor to it. And I think I bring a level of authenticity having worked on both the peace process and also the security of an ally, the state of Israel. But you can’t sustain something that doesn’t have the support of the American people.”
The former Chicago mayor also stressed he’s “not interested in fighting a third war” in the Middle East.
Emanuel also served three terms in Congress representing Illinois, chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee when Democrats retook Congress in 2006, and was President Barack Obama’s first White House chief of staff. After two terms as mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019, he served in the Biden administration as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
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American support for Israel under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached new lows, particularly with Democrats. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
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‘ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
