The Shift: Israeli-American Council summit was the latest reflection of Israel’s failing brand

The Israeli-American Council (IAC) recently held its 10th annual summit in Florida.

Growing antipathy toward Israel was predictably identified as a crisis in need of action, particularly among young people and Jewish people.

“We have a problem generationally,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) told the audience. “The next generation of Americans…does not understand the importance of a strong Israel.”

“We as Jews need to realize we have a commitment to Eretz Yisrael,” declared Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “We need to reaffirm our relationship to the state of Israel … You cannot take the Zionism out of Judaism.”

Israeli-American Council co-founder Adam Milstein said that Israel supporters needed to gather “intelligence” on “antisemites” so that “we can attack.” He also singled out the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), of which NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a prominent member.

“When we talk about the radical left, we need to focus on the Democratic Socialists of America, which are not Democrats; they’re just socialist Marxists that are using Democratic means to take over the Democratic party,” claimed Milstein.

In her speech at the event, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Trump administration was seeking the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, who killed two Israeli Embassy employees, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in May 2025.

She also vowed to continue cracking down on Palestine activism at universities.

“The days when it was acceptable to bully Jewish students on campuses simply because they are Jewish are over,” said Bondi. “That will not happen under President Trump’s leadership. We will no longer allow antisemitism in America to go unpunished.”

Perhaps the most interesting moment of the event occurred during an interview with Israeli-American billionaires Haim Saban and GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson.

When asked how the duo was able to gain access and influence politicians, Saban pointed out that pro-Israel groups did not create campaign finance rules in the United States.

“It’s a system that’s in place,” he explained. “It’s a legal system, and we just play within the system. That’s it.”

Adelson punted on the question.

“I want to be truthful, and there are so many things that I don’t want to talk about.”

The crowd applauded in response.

Gavin Newsom buckles on ‘genocide’

California Governor and presidential hopeful Gavin Newsom recently appeared on conservative Ben Shapiro’s podcast and declared that Israel is not committing a genocide in Gaza.

During the interview, Shapiro said that accusing Israel of genocide had become a “de rigueur requirement” for Democrats running for office and rejected the idea that it was true.

“I don’t know the definition or the legal threshold, that’s not my opinion,” responded Newsom, “I don’t agree with that notion.”

“I’m just saying the devastation in Gaza at the human level…. I think it’s important to absorb that a bit more, just as it was sick and we were clear in our condemnation… of what Hamas did in that act of barbarism and terrorism,” he added.

“I have a lot of issues with how Bibi ultimately conducted the war, I personally do. And I have a lot of issues that are also painted on the basis of the conversation I had with him a few weeks after October 7, and the way he talked about Palestinians,” he said later. “I kept talking about Hamas, he kept talking about Palestinians. I kept coming back to Hamas and then ultimately how the war was conducted. Not saying it was a genocide, but I have issues.”

It’s very difficult to see how these comments might help Newsom if he officially decides to run for the Democratic nomination.

Gaza was obviously not the only reason that Harris lost to Trump, but the Biden administration’s support for Israel through the genocide, and her failure to separate herself on the issue, certainly factored in.

Furthermore, the numbers indicate that the average Democratic voter has completely flipped on this issue in recent years, and, perhaps even more importantly, the same can be said for Independents.

A good symbol of this shift is the popular “I’ve Had It” podcast, hosted by liberal commentators Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan since 2022, but have seemingly become more radicalized on the issue of Israel since October 7.

Welch was recently interviewed by David Remnick at the New Yorker. Here is some of that exchange.

When asked about Newsom, Welch said that, “I think he’s going to have a very hard time if he doesn’t really get in the trenches with where the base has moved. I think that’s going to be what’s most shocking for the Democratic establishment candidates, is how much the base has moved away from corporate Dems.”

David Remnick: Who does that leave you with?

Jennifer Welch: I’ll tell you, I love Ro Khanna. I don’t think he’s going to run for office. Somebody who I think can be interesting is JB Pritzker. He’s a billionaire.

David Remnick: And a real one.

Jennifer Welch: A real billionaire. He is Jewish. He has an opportunity to speak to what a lot of people in the Democratic base have issues with, with Palestine. If he can call what is happening a genocide, if he can call Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal, he would be a credible messenger.

David Remnick: Those are litmus tests for you.

Jennifer Welch: I hate the word litmus test, but I’m realistic in the sense that I believe that we have to call what we’re seeing realistically. You cannot gaslight people about it.