CNN host and panel can't understand why a majority of Americans OPPOSE U.S. support of Israel 9/8/26

HOST AUDIE CORNISH: So, California Governor Gavin Newsom taking a critical stance on Israel.

He was talking to PBS, and the governor says that condemnation of the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu is, quote, "almost universal" among Democrats.

GAVIN NEWSOME: "There's not controversy within the party on that.

From my perspective, the expansion of the settlers and what's happened in the settler movement and the violence in the West Bank, the opposition that he's advanced as it relates to a two-state solution—we want to secure Israel, we want a democratic and secure Israel, and we want a secure and democratic Palestinian state as well, right next door.

And I don't think that's a really divisive thing."

HOST CORNISH: All right. So there's evidence of, of course, that the party has shifted.

In July, 103 House Democrats voted to block billions of dollars in military aid to Israel.

The measure ultimately failed, but it's the first time the majority of the House Democrats voted to block the aid.

The group chat is back, and I want to say: we did not hear if the reporter was able to ask him, "What do you think about military aid to Israel?" The rest of the interview is dropping later today.

But what do you make of him basically trying to come in—it sounds a little bit like, "I'm the adult in the room."

Many fine people can disagree, but I think we—like, he's trying to describe for himself and set the parameters for the party about where the discourse is.

CNN Senior Reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere: Look, this has been going on for the better part of two years.

HOST CORNISH: With him or in general?

CNN Senior Reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere: No, Democrats overall—who've been trying to split Benjamin Netanyahu from support of Israel.

Netanyahu, going back many years, certainly to when he gave that speech during the Obama years about Iran, has fallen very much out of favor among Democrats.

And you see—and I walked around Capitol Hill last summer talking to people about this, and they said, "Oh, I don't like Benjamin Netanyahu, I still support Israel."

And that has gotten very hard as this has continued.

HOST CORNISH: Yes, as the voter has said on the far left, "Israel is an apartheid state, don't take money from AIPAC."

Like, they have a different standard by which saying support or don't support Israel."

CNN Senior Reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere: And the issue coming up here is that the elections in Israel on October 27, right before our elections and the midterms here, and it's not clear whether Netanyahu will be able to put together a governing coalition on the other side of it.

But part of the trickiness for Democrats and for Americans overall when it comes to Israel issue is that any of the options other than Netanyahu also are saying that they don't agree that there should be a Palestinian state, also are saying that they would—(interrupted)

HOST CORNISH: Right, which in this interview he also advocated for.

Netanyahu comes with a lot of baggage on a lot of issues for a lot of Americans, but any other options to be prime minister, if he's not, would take a different approach to the settlement.

HOST CORNISH: Yes, although I think the context of bringing the U.S. into this war in the last couple of months has identified something a little different for folks.

So I want to bring up this to Chuck, because I remember when the DNC did its autopsy of what went wrong in the Harris era, it didn't mention the politics around Gaza.

And people got mad about that.

They got mad about something that wasn't in there.

And then you've got someone like Rahm Emanuel on the other end of the spectrum, who physically goes to Israel, right, gives interviews, and he says this.

This is from a speech at the University of Tel Aviv:

RAHM EMANUEL: The historic alliance between two democracies. Without question, the alliance is at a crossroads. It cannot stand or survive as it has been. For too long, American policy towards Israel operated under the assumption that the best thing Washington can do for Jerusalem is to blindly, to silently stand behind your government."

HOST CORNISH: Are they finding their way to an answer?

I know Hassan Piker thinks he has an answer right on his Twitch stream, and then I don't know where Democrats are starting to land.

CHUCK ROCHA: What are Democrats—what you're seeing play out in front of you—are two folks that are hopeful to maybe want to run for president of the United States in a primary that may have 20 people.

And what you're witnessing before your very eyes is positioning test balloons of where I can be, because within a Democratic primary, this is a giant issue.

I will also tell all of you at home, in a general election, it is somewhat impactful, but not near as impactful as in a primary.

And as I've told lots of well-intentioned candidates and consultants, you have to win one race at a time.

I know you may be from a red state and you won as a Democrat. Great.

You got to win the primary first.

Take it from the Bernie guy. You got to win the primary.

So they're trying to figure out where's a good way in.

It was a masterclass by Gavin to be like, "I'm going to do a little bit of both. I'm going to throw this out here where I'm feeling sympathy for both sides."

And is the middle work?

And then you see Rahm Emanuel going, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're going to position here, they're our ally," but we don't know yet which one of those works politically.

HOST CORNISH: But to your point, the new table stakes—and I'm saying new—the new table stakes is: do not take money from AIPAC.

CHUCK ROCHA: Great point. Okay.

HOST CORNISH: That's like litmus tests where there's a group of primary voters who are going to make that a yes or no, then I move forward.

So can you be a national Democrat, meet that bar, and go on to the general?

CHUCK ROCHA: We don't know that yet.

REPUBLICAN ASHLEY DAVIS: And how many—how many Jewish Democrat candidates potentially could run in 2028?

I mean, you have to—

HOST CORNISH: Well, they'll have to find a lane to talk about this.

REPUBLICAN ASHLEY DAVIS: No, that's my point. So I actually think Newsom, Rahm Emanuel, you have to have—they have to figure this out, because—and also, Democrats vote for—Jewish Americans mainly vote for Democrats way more than Republicans.

So they have to figure out this lane.

I mean, Isaac, you know this better than anybody, the anti-Semitic rhetoric going on in this country has to stop, and there has to be a way to support Israel.

HOST CORNISH: Yeah. And it's hard to know where those voters can go, because then if they look to Republicans, you're looking at Tucker Carlson and a bunch of people that—

REPUBLICAN ASHLEY DAVIS: Right!

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: And there's a lot of anti-Semitism going around in this country.

HOST CORNISH: Exactly. But politically, the idea is it's going to penalty—right?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: Yeah. And the intermingling between what's anti-Israel and what's anti-Semitic, and it's gotten very muddied in a lot of places.

HOST CORNISH: So the first candidate to figure it out—

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: Well, I'm not sure that there is a figuring it out to do.

HOST CORNISH: Really?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: No.

HOST CORNISH: Well, then why is Shapiro out there, and why is Rahm going to Israel?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: Because nobody's going to satisfy everybody with the answer here.

But I do think that we're likely headed to a place where, like, maybe by the first presidential debate, the primary debate for the Democrats, which will be at some point next summer probably—

HOST CORNISH: Don't start a new countdown. I am exhausted already.

DOVERE: —that you could have when we get to those, like, raise-your-hand yes-or-no questions. It could be......

HOST CORNISH: Yes, that's what it's going to be.

DOVERE: —do you support continued military aid to Israel?

CHUCK ROCHA: Will you take AIPAC money?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: Well, I mean.....

DAVIS: I think that's gone.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: But really, where you stand on this issue.

And some of that will be bound up, inevitably, with who is the leader of Israel at that point.

From left to right: Edward-Isaac Dovere, Audie Cornish, Chuck Rocha, Ashley Davis

CNN's Audie Cornish and the Group Chat break down Governor Gavin Newsom's PBS interview, where he claims there's no "controversy" in his party over Benjamin Netanyahu.

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