WATCH: Kristen Welker badgers Rahm Emanuel into mouthing an endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed WELKER: Welcome back. We are back with Ambassador Emanuel. I want to start this part of the conversation talking about one of the biggest discussions inside the Democratic Party as it relates to Israel. It’s a discussion that’s being fueled by a number of candidates, including Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who says he believes the Israeli government is committing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Do you see what is happening in Gaza as a genocide? EMANUEL: Yeah. So as you know, Kristen, back in 2009 when I was President Obama’s chief of staff, I confronted the prime minister directly. I didn’t need a war to realize that the policies by the Israeli government were going to lead to perpetual conflict and also perpetual isolation. And back in June I went to Israel to deliver a full speech about how to do peace, 23 state solution, how to integrate the country economically into the region, and then to make sure that the United States taxpayers weren’t funding the defense budget for the state of Israel, a comprehensive approach to that issue. And I believe both in the alliance — but the United States has fought two wars in that region. I don’t want to fight a third war. And I believe that we have to have a fundamental change in policy. The status quo is not sustainable. Now I have been, unlike others, going back 18 years ago, I didn’t need a war to know this was going to be a policy that led to a perpetual conflict. This has to change for the alliance. And if you’re going to keep the alliance, which I happen to think is important for our policies in the Middle East, it has to change the dynamics and the for — and the whole structure of it. Now, I happen to also know, to the core of your question, the question of genocide is a historic question going all the way back to Professor Lemkin in 1942, all the way back to the Nuremberg Trials. If you’re going to use that term, then we got to have a conversation about Sudan. We got to have a conversation about Ukraine. We got to have a conversation about the Armenians. We got to have a conversation about what happened in Cambodia. Having one conversation about one country means you are politicizing a term that has huge, imp — historic, moral complications. I have no problem having that conversation. But the fact that a questioner ignores Sudan that’s happening today, ignores Ukraine that is happening today tells me more about the question and the questioner than it does tells you — than the answer will reveal. WELKER: Well, let me ask you this. Because given El-Sayed’s position, given how you’re saying how complex this issue is, will you endorse Abdul El-Sayed – EMANUEL: Yeah, it’s a complex issue. WELKER: Will you endorse Abdul El-Sayed? EMANUEL: Look, I’ll be going – WELKER: Do you support him given that position? EMANUEL: We have massive disagreements. I support the Democratic Party. I support the Democratic candidate. I’ll be going to Michigan again. I’ve been there repeatedly to help the gubernatorial candidate. I support the Democratic Party position because it happens to come up, as Supreme Court Alito said, he’s thinking about retiring. And I’m not playing around anymore with what they did under President Obama on the Supreme Court or what this Supreme Court did giving President Trump a get-out-of-jail card as it relates to all the corruption, which is why you’re seeing this. WELKER: But just to be clear, do you – EMANUEL: So the Supreme Court-- I just said it. I will — My support – WELKER: Do you support Abdul El-Sayed? EMANUEL: I said yes. My support’s not important. It’s the Michigan voters’ support that’s important. WELKER: Okay, let me talk to you – EMANUEL: And he has to work on that and earn their vote.
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) October 4, 2026
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"Now, I happen to also know, to the core of your question, the question of genocide is a historic question going all the way back to Professor Lemkin in 1942, all the way back to the Nuremberg Trials. If you’re going to use that term, then we got to have a conversation about Sudan. We got to have a conversation about Ukraine. We got to have a conversation about the Armenians. We got to have a conversation about what happened in Cambodia. Having one conversation about one country means you are politicizing a term that has huge, imp — historic, moral complications"
Yes, we should be having the conversation about all those countries, Ukraine for one is dealing with Russia bombing in areas far from what they claim this war is about, they are wiping out Ukrainians again....the difference is they aren't killing them over one winter by starvation like in WWII. The difference between this and Gaza, in Gaza Israel is killing the terrorists who were killing them, that's not genocide....it's retribution!