The Democratic Party's Israel problem runs deeper than Rahm Emanuel says – opinion

Rahm Emanuel, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, visited Tel Aviv to warn that Israel is losing international legitimacy and that its current trajectory with Palestinians is unsustainable, necessitating changes to preserve the alliance with the US. While Emanuel is correct that Israel is losing support within the Democratic Party, the author argues he only tells half the story. The core issue, according to the article, is an ideological "virus" on the American Left, where the "Progressive" faction views Israel as a symbol of colonialism, Western civilization, nationalism, and inequality, leading to its frequent appearance in unrelated debates.

"The problem is what he did not: Israel would have trouble among Democrats no matter what it did, because of a virus that has infected the American Left."

This ideological fixation, amplified by social media, explains the widespread anti-Israel protests following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacres, despite numerous other global injustices receiving less attention. The article contends that while criticizing Israel is not antisemitic, the problem arises when Israel is singled out by standards applied to no other country and its suffering is dismissed. The author questions whether even significant Israeli policy changes would mollify the Progressive movement, suggesting their animating principle might be opposition to Jewish self-determination. The article concludes by asking if moderate Democrats are prepared to confront this growing anti-Israel sentiment within their own party.