Rahm Emanuel Defends Support for Israel Ahead of Potential US Presidential Run

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel insisted on Monday that he can win the US Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 despite being Jewish and a vocal Zionist in a party whose base has sharply turned against the Jewish state.

During an interview with conservative journalist and podcast host Megyn Kelly, Emanuel was asked whether he believes Democrats would be willing to nominate a Jew amid growing party tensions over Israel.

“My faith and my Jewish education is what led me to public service, and I’m very proud of it,” Emanuel said on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show.” “Now, by the way, I am the only person who’s gone toe-to-toe with [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu]. He called me a ‘self-hating Jew’ publicly.”

Emanuel affirmed that he continues to “support the state of Israel” and believes it should continue as a “Jewish democratic state.” However, the former US ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration stated that he would be willing to publicly “disagree” with Israel’s policies if elected president. 

Though Emanuel has not formally announced his intentions to run for president, the high-profile Democratic operative has publicly said he’s considering a bid for the presidency and recently embarked on an extensive media tour. Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff for the Obama administration, has sought to establish himself as a moderate alternative within a party that has become increasingly progressive. 

However, polls indicate that Democratic Party voters have sharply turned away from Israel, posing a potential electoral problem for Emanuel. According to a June poll, only 12 percent of Democrats sympathize more with Israelis and 60 percent sympathize more with Palestinians. Comparatively, in November 2023, 34 percent of Democrats said they sympathized more with Israelis, and 41 percent said they sympathized more with the Palestinians. 

Moreover, Democratic lawmakers have become increasingly critical of Israel’s approach to the Gaza war, potentially reflecting shifting opinions of the Democratic electorate regarding the Jewish state. Although Democrats have repeatedly reiterated that Israel has a right to “defend itself,” many have raised concerns over the Jewish state’s conduct in the war in Gaza, reportedly exerting private pressure on former US President Joe Biden to adopt a more adversarial stance against Israel and display more public sympathy for the Palestinians.

In November, 17 Democratic senators voted to impose a partial arms embargo on Israel, sparking outrage among supporters of the Jewish state.

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