America Is Eroding Its Own Global Legitimacy While Defending Israel

America Is Eroding Its Own Global Legitimacy While Defending Israel

Rahm Emanuel, a prominent Jewish Democratic politician who served as White House Chief of Staff under Barack Obama, Mayor of Chicago and US Ambassador to Japan, issued an unusually direct warning to Israel during a speech at Tel Aviv University:

«“There is no question that the alliance is at a crossroads. It cannot survive in its current form.”»

Emanuel argued that serious changes and a new direction are required if the US–Israel relationship is to be preserved. He said that the Netanyahu government’s policies—including settlement expansion, settler violence in the West Bank and restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza—have eroded American support for Israel, particularly among younger generations. According to Reuters/Ipsos data, the proportion of Democrats who viewed Israel favourably fell from 59 per cent in 2018 to 22 per cent in May 2026.

("Reuters" (

https://

reuters.com/world/middle-e

ast/democrat-rahm-emanuel-tells-israel-change-course-or-risk-us-alliance-2026-07-08/

…))

These are not the words of an anti-Israel politician. Emanuel is a centrist Democrat with strong personal ties to Israel who has long operated within the traditional pro-Israel consensus in American politics. His remarks should therefore be read as an acknowledgement of the rupture now taking place at the centre of US politics.

("Reuters" (

https://

reuters.com/world/middle-e

ast/democrat-rahm-emanuel-tells-israel-change-course-or-risk-us-alliance-2026-07-08/

…))

According to a March 2026 survey by the Pew Research Center, 60 per cent of Americans hold an unfavourable view of Israel. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, that figure rises to 80 per cent. The proportion of Republicans aged between 18 and 49 who view Israel unfavourably has also reached 57 per cent.

("Pew Research Center" (

https://

pewresearch.org/short-reads/20

26/04/07/negative-views-of-israel-netanyahu-continue-to-rise-among-americans-especially-young-people/

…))

In Gallup’s February 2026 survey, 53 per cent of Americans aged 18 to 34 said they sympathised more with the Palestinians, while only 23 per cent sympathised more with the Israelis. For the first time in Gallup’s polling, a majority within this age group sided with the Palestinians.

("Gallup" (

https://

news.gallup.com/poll/702440/is

raelis-no-longer-ahead-americans-middle-east-sympathies.aspx

…))

An Associated Press–NORC survey shows that this rupture has extended into the American Jewish community. Thirty-one per cent of Americans believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The figure rises to 52 per cent among Democrats, 30 per cent among Jewish Americans and 45 per cent among Jewish Democrats. In the same survey, 58 per cent of Democrats said that the United States was giving Israel too much support.

("AP–NORC" (

https://

apnorc.org/projects/democ

rats-are-increasingly-supportive-of-the-palestinians-while-support-for-israel-declines/

…))

Genocide in Gaza Is No Longer Merely a Political Characterisation

In September 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry established by the United Nations Human Rights Council concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. After assessing statements by Israeli officials alongside patterns of conduct on the ground, the Commission stated that genocidal intent had been established.

("United Nations Commission of Inquiry" (

https://

ohchr.org/en/press-relea

ses/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

…))

Amnesty International also concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza after examining evidence concerning killings, serious physical and psychological harm, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, forced displacement and the obstruction of life-saving aid. The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem likewise stated in July 2025 that Israel was implementing a coordinated policy aimed at the deliberate destruction of Palestinian society in Gaza.

("Amnesty International" (

https://

amnesty.org/en/latest/news

/2024/12/amnesty-international-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza/

…))

The International Court of Justice has not yet issued a final ruling on the merits of the genocide case. In the proceedings brought by South Africa against Israel, however, the Court ordered provisional measures to protect rights under the Genocide Convention, and the case remains ongoing.

("International Court of Justice" (

https://

icj-cij.org/case/192))

It is therefore important to state the matter precisely. Describing what is happening in Gaza as genocide is not merely a political or emotional slogan. It is the conclusion reached after extensive investigations by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, Amnesty International and B’Tselem. At the same time, the International Court of Justice has not yet delivered its final judgment on the merits of the case.

Why Did TikTok Become Central to the Debate?

Unlike previous wars, events in Gaza have reached global audiences almost instantaneously through mobile phones and digital platforms. Images of murdered children, destroyed hospitals, starving civilians and shattered families have moved beyond the filters of traditional news organisations and directly onto the screens of younger generations.

The TikTok debate emerged within this new environment of visibility.

In May 2024, Republican Senator Mitt Romney explicitly linked strong congressional support for shutting down TikTok to what he described as the “overwhelming” amount of Palestinian content on the platform. In the same discussion, Romney questioned why Israel and the United States had failed to communicate their account of the Gaza war successfully.

("Axios" (

https://

axios.com/local/salt-lak

e-city/2024/05/06/senator-romney-antony-blinken-tiktok-ban-israel-palestinian-content

…))

A Northeastern University study using data from TikTok’s Research Application Program examined more than 280,000 US-based posts published between October 2023 and January 2024. Researchers identified 170,430 pro-Palestinian posts, 8,843 pro-Israel posts and 101,706 neutral or general posts. Pro-Palestinian videos received 236 million views, while pro-Israel videos received 14 million.

("Northeastern University" (

https://

news.northeastern.edu/2024/05/10/isr

ael-hamas-tiktok-research/

…))

The study did not, however, find that TikTok’s algorithm systematically favoured pro-Palestinian content throughout the entire period. Researchers found that the platform amplified pro-Palestinian material more strongly during some periods and pro-Israel material during others. Across the full period, the level of amplification was broadly comparable. The main reason for the overall disparity was that users produced far more pro-Palestinian content.

("Northeastern University" (

https://

news.northeastern.edu/2024/05/10/isr

ael-hamas-tiktok-research/

…))

The scientifically defensible conclusion is therefore this:

TikTok did not single-handedly turn young people into supporters of Palestine. It did, however, become one of the principal platforms through which they could witness events in Gaza without the filters of traditional media.

America’s Decline Is Not Limited to the Question of Israel

Between February and May 2026, the Pew Research Center surveyed 42,151 people in 36 countries to compare the global images of the United States and China. When the raw percentages are compared, China is viewed more favourably than the United States in 27 of the 36 countries. When statistically significant differences are considered, China leads in 25 countries, while the United States leads in only six.

("Pew Research Center" (

https://

pewresearch.org/global/2026/07

/15/people-in-many-countries-now-view-china-more-positively-than-the-u-s/

…))

Across the 20 countries measured consistently since 2023, the median share of people with a favourable view of the United States fell from 58 per cent to 36 per cent. The median share with a favourable view of China rose from 32 per cent to 46 per cent. Over the same period, median confidence in the US president declined from 54 per cent to 21 per cent, while confidence in Xi Jinping rose from 19 per cent to 31 per cent.

("Pew Research Center — Full Report" (

https://

pewresearch.org/wp-content/upl

oads/sites/20/2026/07/pg_2026.06.15_china-balance-power_report.pdf

…))

Pew does not attribute this change solely to Gaza or US policy towards Israel. The foreign policy of the Trump administration, concerns about American democracy, trade policies and doubts about whether the United States remains a reliable partner are also contributing to the decline in America’s global standing. Yet Washington’s military, political and diplomatic support for the Netanyahu government, despite mounting genocide findings regarding Gaza, has become one of the most visible symbols of this wider crisis of legitimacy.

("Pew Research Center" (

https://

pewresearch.org/global/2026/06

/23/trump-gets-negative-reviews-internationally-as-fewer-say-u-s-is-a-reliable-partner/

…))

The emerging picture is clear:

Israel is losing the traditional support it once enjoyed within American society, particularly among younger generations and Democratic voters. By continuing to defend the Netanyahu government’s policies without meaningful conditions, the United States is further eroding its moral and political standing around the world.

China’s improving image does not result solely from China becoming more popular. It is also being strengthened by America’s rapid loss of its historic advantage in trust, partnership and global leadership.

Rahm Emanuel’s warning is therefore directed not only at Israel, but also at the United States:

An America that continues to defend the genocide in Gaza and the policies of the Netanyahu government unconditionally is not merely isolating Israel from the world. It is also exhausting, alongside Israel, the political and moral legitimacy on which its own global power depends.

Sources

Reuters:

https://

reuters.com/world/middle-e

ast/democrat-rahm-emanuel-tells-israel-change-course-or-risk-us-alliance-2026-07-08/

…

Pew Research Center — American Views of Israel:

https://

pewresearch.org/short-reads/20

26/04/07/negative-views-of-israel-netanyahu-continue-to-rise-among-americans-especially-young-people/

…

Gallup — American Sympathies Toward Israelis and Palestinians:

https://

news.gallup.com/poll/702440/is

raelis-no-longer-ahead-americans-middle-east-sympathies.aspx

…

AP–NORC:

https://

apnorc.org/projects/democ

rats-are-increasingly-supportive-of-the-palestinians-while-support-for-israel-declines/

…

Pew Research Center — Comparing the Global Images of the United States and China:

https://

pewresearch.org/global/2026/07

/15/people-in-many-countries-now-view-china-more-positively-than-the-u-s/

…

Northeastern University — TikTok Research:

https://

news.northeastern.edu/2024/05/10/isr

ael-hamas-tiktok-research/

…

Axios — Mitt Romney’s TikTok Remarks:

https://

axios.com/local/salt-lak

e-city/2024/05/06/senator-romney-antony-blinken-tiktok-ban-israel-palestinian-content

…

United Nations Commission of Inquiry:

https://

ohchr.org/en/press-relea

ses/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

…

Amnesty International:

https://

amnesty.org/en/latest/news

/2024/12/amnesty-international-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza/

…

B’Tselem:

https://

btselem.org/publications/2

02507_our_genocide

…

International Court of Justice:

https://

icj-cij.org/case/192