Rahm Emanuel, a former senior Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate, delivered a pointed speech at Tel Aviv University warning that the US-Israel alliance "cannot stand or survive as it's been" without major changes. The intervention is significant because Emanuel is Jewish and a longtime defender of Israel, so his hardened stance signals a broader shift in Democratic attitudes amid falling American public support for Israel during its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

Emanuel argued that years of unconditional US backing had emboldened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ignore Washington's concerns without consequence, and said the relationship was now "at a crossroads". A former White House Chief of Staff under Barack Obama, Chicago mayor and US ambassador to Japan, he made the remarks during a trip to Israel this week. The article notes the conflict's toll: roughly 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, while more than 73,000 Palestinians have since been killed, according to health officials in the territory.