What It Takes

Rahm Emanuel on Faith, Israel, and What’s Next (Pt. 2)

Episode Notes

Rahm Emanuel believes in Israel. He also thinks its government is making historic mistakes. In Part 2 of our conversation, he aims his critique in every direction.

Sarah McCammon spoke with Ambassador Emanuel in Chicago about the Jewish upbringing that still shapes him, why he confronted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his face in 2009, and why he says the party's divide on Israel is generational rather than partisan. 

Part 1 dropped last week.

IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 — Cold open

00:56 — A secular country still searching for meaning

02:52 — The Sadiq Khan synagogue story

05:20  — His grandmother’s red purse and family passports

09:09 — Navigating this moment as a Jewish Democrat

13:53 — Going face-to-face with Netanyahu in 2009

16:01 — Where the Palestinian leadership failed

16:42 — "A very aggressive moderate"

20:36 — Why Democrats flinch at power

26:32 — What’s Next