Rahm Emanuel's brother, Ari, is a successful businessman in Los Angeles. He is the CEO of Endeavor, an entertainment and media agency that owns the UFC and WWE. Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and member of the Obama administration is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. 

Ari Emanuel accepted the Simon Wiesenthal Center's humanitarian award on Wednesday night. He used his acceptance speech to rally his audience against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. He said this is no time for Jews to be silent. Netanyahu has to go "for the good of Israel." 

Interestingly, Emanuel was met with both boos and cheers from the audience. Some people walked out as Ari spoke. "This is a painful and crucial moment for all of us who are Jews. It is not a time to stay silent." 

Emanuel's remarks began by thanking the Wiesenthal Center and affirming his lifelong connection to Israel. He also expressed support for Israel's moral rightness in the war against Hamas, condemned "the outrageous decision by the I.C.C. to equate the murderous attacks by Hamas with Israel's right to defend itself."

He also called out the brutal violence committed by Hamas, as well as Gaza war opponents who have used slogans and rhetoric that have been called antisemitic.

"One lesson of our history is that we must defend ourselves. All wars are brutal. Women, children and civilians suffer. It's terrible. Yet some wars are justified. Israel didn't start the war in Gaza; Hamas did. We all know in this room what '[From] the river to the sea means,' it means a promise to eliminate Israel and all Jews from the river to the sea. That is the definition of genocide. People who chant the slogan calling for the end of the Jewish state and students who say 'Zionists don't deserve to live' are not 'misguided kids,' they're antisemitic thugs," Emanuel said.

All of that is well and good but why call for Netanyahu to go while he is trying to destroy Hamas and get the hostages home? 

Emanuel appeared to use the numbers from Hamas when he spoke about those who have been killed in Gaza. That is a mistake because those numbers have never been verified. It plays into the propaganda Hamas promotes. 

When Emanuel spoke about the need for Israel to end a war that Hamas began, his words rang true. He spoke about the brutality of war and that it is unrealistic to demand that Israel accept attacks in the north and south of the country. He said that Israel must win the war more than once. But then he turned to politics.

Emanuel insists there must be a political solution between Israel and Gaza. He supports a two-state solution. And then he turned on Netanyahu. He called Netanyahu "an agent of chaos, hatred, division and destruction" who "doesn't want a peaceful solution. He only wants to secure his own power and political survival."

"It is now time to recognize that Netanyahu is ruining our reputation and doing incredible and lasting damage both to Israel and to the Jewish people around the world," Emanuel said.

"For the good of Israel, he should go. So should the extremists in his cabinet, who are inciting violence in the West Bank and have been undermining democracy in Israel," he continued.

It's all about politics. Emanuel sounds like he's a Democrat talking about Donald Trump. What hyperbole. This kind of talk is dangerous. A war is going on and this provides aid and comfort to Hamas. 

It is incredibly naive to call for Netanyahu to go while the war continues. This is a liberal Jew going up against a conservative-leaning Jew. It's like we're back in the Obama administration when Obama bros went to Israel to help run the campaign of Netanyahu's opponent. Liberal Jews despise Netanyahu. They still do but most Israelis are united in supporting him in how he is handling the war. 

Emanuel sounds as stupid as Biden and his administration. They are trying to micromanage the Israel-Hamas war but they have no experience and they are not competent to do so. This is Israel's war. Netanyahu has the spine to finish Hamas if those who claim to support Israel would let him do the job. 

American Jews should give it a rest about Israel's domestic politics until the war is finished. Israel is a democracy and America's loyal ally. Hamas has to be destroyed. Israel is fighting for its survival.