SCHNEIDER STATEMENT ON AMB. EMANUEL SPEECH AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL - Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10), Co-Chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on Ambassador Rahm Emanuel's speech at Tel Aviv University yesterday:

"I am grateful to Ambassador Emanuel for going to Israel to tell its people directly what has been in the heart of so many in the American pro-Israel community, including my own: 'The historic alliance between two democracies… is at a crossroads. It cannot stand or survive as it has been. To maintain the strength of our ties, this alliance needs significant changes and a new direction.'

"As a proud Zionist, I care for Israel deeply and have stood in Congress in support of our relationship, even when the politics were hard. I believe in the fundamental right of the Jewish people to their historic homeland, just like I believe in the Palestinians' right to theirs. These two people belong to the same land, and they have suffered for too long because of those who prefer self-righteousness and violence to negotiation and peace.

"Like Ambassador Emanuel, I have long called out settler violence, both publicly and in countless private meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. In June of 2020, and again in September of 2025, I helped draft and lead letters to Netanyahu and other Israeli officials opposing unilateral annexation of the West Bank or Gaza. And throughout the war in Gaza, I led the bipartisan Gaza Working Group to get humanitarian aid into and throughout the territory, while also seeking to give relief and succor to the civilians trapped in the war between Israel and Hamas.

"Israel will not have real security and peace without addressing Palestinian aspirations for self-determination and sovereignty and creating a framework for regional stability. It also must find a path to peace with Lebanon and Syria. We must support and incentivize this path and work to integrate what will be 22 Arab states and one Jewish state into an interconnected economic and technological powerhouse built on the vision of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Working with Israel as a partner, rather than an aid recipient, will strengthen our alliance and enhance Israel's security and standing in the region and around the world.

"Ambassador Emanuel showed that one can fully support Israel and be committed to its long-term security and stability as a Jewish, democratic state, and at the same time, be profoundly critical of Israel's, and specifically the Netanyahu government's, strategic and moral failures.

"Emanuel laid down hard truths noting that true friends, 'tell the truth even when it's painful.' He also observed that his 'commitments are neither radical nor new-they simply reflect how America applies its national security tools to achieve its goals.' He was right to call out Prime Minister Netanyahu for his too-often indefensible tactics and refusal to plan for Gaza's future after the war.

"The Israeli government's policies have left Israel isolated while pushing peace, farther away. Israel can return from being a new Sparta to being Startup Nation. I know that it can find its way out of war and towards peace, and we must help.

"I join Ambassador Emanuel in saying that, 'We are prepared to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel on the long and difficult journey towards peace, should you choose that path.' This path will be difficult, but it is the only one. Israel has already made peace with two of its four Arab neighbors and can eventually make peace with the rest. Standing with Israel now means offering strength, understanding its suffering, and always speaking truth."