Rahm Emanuel gets aid to Israel all wrong

Peloni:  What else might a Jew do to distinguish himself while running for president in an political party controlled and infiltrated by antisemites?  Of course a mensch would offer his party the distinction of leadership which failed to be demonstrated by Rep. Jeffries  and Sen. Schumer while they came to support the antisemites in their party.  Such a leadership distinctions, however, is not what marked Rahm Emanuel’s role in identifying and opposing such antisemites as the former US Pres. Obama, and instead, endorsed Obama and even joined his administration as his Chief of Staff.  Now, Emanuel is striking out on his own presidential bid, and one of his first acts in making such a bid is to cravenly endorse the antisemitic tropes which now fully characterize his party.

Shame on you, Rahm!  You once again rise to the moment to play the compliant Court Jew for those who would see you and your people destroyed so as to advance your own personal ambitions!

U.S. military assistance to Jerusalem is governed by agreements and legal frameworks that require much of that funding to be spent on American-made defense systems.

Moshe Phillips | April 20, 2026

Former Chicago Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaking with attendees at a 2026 Dialogues for Democracy event at Marston Exploration Theater at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Rahm Emanuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=189031481Former Chicago Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – Rahm Emanuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikipedia

“Obviously, he’ll influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to be mopping floors at the White House.” — Dr. Benjamin Emanuel, 2008.

The above remark made by the father of former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel was made to a reporter for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz just days after Barack Obama was first elected president.

Benjamin Emanuel, a pediatrician, was born in Jerusalem in 1927, more than two decades before Israel’s independence in May 1948, and his remark caused headlines. The subsequent embarrassment for the embryonic administration was so severe that Rahm called the president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee to apologize in an act that generated additional headlines.

Now Rahm Emanuel’s own remarks about Israel are generating headlines.

On “Real Time with Bill Maher” on April 17, they included: “Israel’s a very wealthy nation … ,” “There should be no more taxpayer support for what they want to do, and they get the same deal that any one of our allies does,” and “The United States should never spill any blood for the State of Israel’s security.”

The outright wrongheadedness inherent in each of these statements needs to be exposed. Not just for Israel’s well-being but for America’s.

We live in a time when synagogues and Jewish-sponsored events are under violent attack—Australia to England to Michigan. Emanuel’s decision to make comments about Israel and money at this point in time is horrifically irresponsible. His remarks echo one of the most enduring antisemitic tropes from some of the darkest periods in recent Jewish history. It must be called out as both hateful and dangerous.

You’ll often hear that American aid to Israel is a “blank check.” It isn’t. U.S. military assistance to Jerusalem is governed by agreements and legal frameworks that require much of that funding to be spent on American-made defense systems. In practice, that means a significant share of the aid flows back into the U.S. economy—supporting domestic manufacturing, defense jobs and technological development.

You can debate the policy. But calling it a blank check is simply inaccurate. Yet the phrase persists because it fits a far too often preferred anti-Israel narrative. And it’s very hard to believe that Rahm Emanuel—a 66-year-old politician and diplomat—doesn’t know this. There is a huge difference in the strategic relationship that America has with Israel from any of its other allies. Israel offers the United States military support, intelligence and experience that are simply unparalleled.

The Iron Dome and David’s Sling—the key components of Israel’s multi-layered missile-defense system—are battle-proven in Israel. America has reaped the benefit of this. No U.S. ally in any corner of the world has contributed to Washington’s defense in such an undeniable way.

It’s very hard to believe that Emanuel does not know this, too.

Consider that in “Operation Eagle Claw,” the failed April 1980 U.S. military mission to rescue 52 American hostages held in Tehran, eight U.S. servicemen were killed.

The United States invaded Grenada in 1983 (interestingly, named “Operation Urgent Fury”) in large part, as then-President Ronald Reagan stated at the time, due to “concerns over the 600 U.S. medical students on the island.” Reagan didn’t want another hostage crisis in Grenada like President Jimmy Carter had in Iran. Nineteen American service members were killed and more than 100 wounded.

In the December 1989 invasion of Panama ordered by then-President George H. W. Bush, 23 servicemen were killed and 325 wounded.

Estimates suggest that between 5,000 and 6,000 American college students attend study-abroad and gap-year programs in Israel every year. More than that, the number of American citizens living in the Jewish state has low-end estimates of 200,000; the actual figure could be more than twice as many.

Emanuel must know that an enormous number of American citizens live in Israel—possibly more than the entire population of Wyoming.

Many say he may be a Democratic presidential candidate. If that is the case, even more so, he knows that Israel’s security matters to America and is worth every dollar, no matter what he told Bill Maher’s audience.

April 21, 2026 | 10 Comments »

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  1. “Expected US Presidential Contender Rahm Emanuel Delivers Speech Warning Israel of Potential Isolation”

    “Emanuel — whose father was born in what would become Israel and who volunteered with the Israeli military as a civilian during the 1991 Gulf War — has long been regarded as one of his party’s strongest supporters of the Jewish state.”

    https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/07/08/expected-us-presidential-contender-rahm-emanuel-delivers-speech-criticizing-israel-warning-of-potential-isolation/

    • did bush ask israel to stay out of the 1991 gulf war?”

      “Yes, President George H.W. Bush urged and convinced Israel to stay out of the 1991 Gulf War.
      When Iraq began firing Scud missiles at Israel, Bush strongly pressured then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to refrain from retaliating. He did this because an Israeli military response could have alienated or broken apart the coalition of Arab nations that had allied with the United States to fight against Iraq. To ensure Israel’s compliance and security, the George H.W. Bush Administration provided assurances that U.S. forces would actively eliminate the threat of Iraqi Scud launches and deployed Patriot missile defense batteries to Israel. As a result, Israel stayed out of the active combat operations and maintained its strategic restraint.

      • how did rahm support israel?”

        “Rahm Emanuel, a longtime defender of Israel, historically supported the country by championing billions in U.S. aid for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system during the Obama administration. He also famously advocated for the historic U.S.-Israel alliance and engaged directly with Israeli leadership to secure regional stability.

        See how Rahm Emanuel navigated his historical support for Israel alongside his staunch defense of U.S. interests and strategic disagreements:

        Historical Defense and Aid
        During his time as White House Chief of Staff, Emanuel was instrumental in directing more than $1.3 billion in emergency funding to Israel’s Iron Dome to intercept missiles fired from Gaza and Lebanon. Over his political career as a congressman, mayor, and ambassador, he consistently supported Israel’s defense and right to exist.

        Diplomatic Friction and Policy Demands
        Emanuel frequently challenged Israeli policy decisions that he viewed as counterproductive to peace. He has been a vocal opponent of West Bank housing policies, and he has publicly criticized extremists who attack Palestinian civilians and farmlands.

        Learn more about Rahm Emanuel’s confrontation with Israeli leadership over housing policies and regional strategy:

        Modern Political Shift and End of Unconditional Support
        Emanuel’s position on Israeli-U.S. relations has evolved with changing political sentiments. He recently called for a dramatic reassessment of how Washington backs the country. In a major speech at Tel Aviv University, Emanuel warned that unconditional U.S. aid must end. He argued that Israel should pay for American arms under the same restrictions applied to other allies, proposing a new strategy to replace the traditional two-state solution. “

        • did kerry join in such a way as to rack up easy medals so he could gain credibility when he would later throw them on the White Gouse lawn?

          There is no credible evidence to support the claim that John Kerry joined the military and sought out medals specifically for an anti-war protest. His combat awards—including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts—were earned for specific, documented actions during his 1969 tour in Vietnam.
          The historical details regarding his service and protest are well-documented:
          * Military Service: Kerry voluntarily enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to command Swift Boats in Vietnam. His combat decorations were awarded through official military channels for actions under fire. Accusations that he engineered these commendations or that they were “easy” to get became a heavily debated point, particularly during his 2004 presidential campaign. Historians and military records generally confirm he engaged in combat.
          * The 1971 Protest: The event where veterans discarded awards took place during the Vietnam Veterans Against the War demonstration in April 1971, which was held outside the U.S. Capitol, not the White House lawn. [1, 2]
          * Medals vs. Ribbons: During the protest, Kerry publicly discarded his ribbons. Decades later, during his 2004 presidential run, he faced media scrutiny and varying ABC News reports over his memory of exactly which physical tokens were thrown. Kerry consistently maintained that he threw his ribbons, alongside the medals of other veterans who asked him to participate on their behalf.

          If you’d like to explore this historical period further, let me know if you want to:
          * Look into the specific combat citations Kerry received in Vietnam
          * Examine the background of the 2004 “Swift Boat” political controversies
          * Learn more about the scale and events of the 1971 VVAW protest

          *
          Uh huh.

          • was israel hit by scud.missiles in the 1991 Gulf war? How effective were the Patriot batteries the U.S. provided.? Casualties? How effective were Israeli measures?

            +19 Yes, Israel was hit by 39 Iraqi Scud missiles (modified Al-Hussein variants) launched into Israeli territory during the 1991 Gulf War. The primary targets were the civilian population centers of Tel Aviv and Haifa, designed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to provoke an Israeli retaliation that could fracture the U.S.-led Arab coalition.An overview of the campaign’s impact and the defense measures used includes:Effectiveness of U.S. Patriot BatteriesOperational Performance: The U.S.-provided Patriot missile batteries were the first anti-ballistic missile systems used in combat. While initial U.S. Army claims credited the system with a high success rate, subsequent post-war studies (including collaborative research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Israeli Defense Forces)

            indicated the system was highly ineffective.Low Intercept Rates: Analysts concluded that the Patriots successfully intercepted fewer than 40% to 44% of the incoming Scud warheads, andsome independent assessments placed the actual hit rate below 10%.Technical Limitations: The Patriot was originally designed to intercept aircraft, not high-speed ballistic missiles. Intercepts often only succeeded in destroying or deflecting the missile’s rear body while leaving the heavy warhead intact to cause damage on the ground.CasualtiesDirect Casualties: Considering the number of missiles fired into densely populated areas, the direct casualties were remarkably low. Throughout the six-week campaign, Scud attacks resulted in 2 direct deaths and roughly 230 direct injuries.Indirect Fatalities: Approximately 11 to 13 additional deaths occurred indirectly, primarily from heart attacks caused by stress or the improper use of gas masks during alarms.Property Damage: Thousands of apartments and structures were damaged or destroyed.Effectiveness of Israeli Measures

            Strategic Restraint: The most effective Israeli measure was its decision not to retaliate*.

            This high-level political forbearance prevented the war from widening into a regional conflict, preserving the allied coalition.Civilian Preparedness: Israel’s existing civilian defense infrastructure—including early warning systems, mandatory distribution of gas masks, and widespread public instruction on using sealed rooms and bomb shelters—was highly effective.Urban Architecture: The relatively low casualty rate is also attributed to Israel’s robust urban architecture. The prevalence of reinforced concrete apartment blocks and the restriction of most attacks to nighttime hours (when residents were sheltering at home) greatly limited casualties.If you’re interested, I can also provide details on:The U.S. diplomatic efforts used to secure Israeli restraintHow the Scud attacks influenced Israel’s development of advanced air defensesLet me know if you would like to narrow down the topic.

            * Uh huh.

            • “How effective were the Patriot batteries the U.S. provided.?”
              “the system was highly ineffective”…
              “Considering the number of missiles fired into densely populated areas, the direct casualties were remarkably low.”…
              “The most effective Israeli measure was…”

              Somebody Up There Likes* Me (1956) is a biographical sports drama directed by Robert Wise, starring Paul Newman as middleweight boxing champion Rocky Graziano, based on Graziano’s autobiography. The film chronicles Graziano’s tough upbringing in New York City, his time as a juvenile delinquent, and his rise to become a world champion, featuring supporting roles by Pier Angeli, Sal Mineo, and Robert Loggia (in his film debut). It won two Academy Awards for cinematography and art direction. ”

              * Israel