Entire Rahm Emanuel speech at Tel Aviv University here

Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and Barack Obama’s first White House chief of staff, was hosted this morning at Tel Aviv University in Israel.

Rahm Emanuel speaks at Tel Aviv University on July 8, 2026. (Photo by

Emanuel, who also served as Joe Biden’s ambassador to Japan from 2022 to 2025, has been sharply critical of Israel in recent years, suggesting that Israel should no longer enjoy favored status with the United States.

Emanuel has family ties to Israel. He is the son of a pediatrician born in Mandatory Palestine, and a native of Chicago. A stalwart of the Democratic Party, the family name of Emanuel was changed from Auerbach to honor the memory of his paternal uncle Emanuel Auerbach, who died in 1933 as a result of an infection from a stray bullet during Arab protests.

Rahm Emanuel is the guest of the Center for the Study of the U.S. at the university. Following his talk, he was interviewed by faculty members of Tel Aviv University. Those converssations were not broadcast. See his entire address via this link: