Who is Rahm Emanuel (Barack Obama’s new Chief of Staff)?
For starters, he’s Jewish. He, his wife Amy, and their three children attend the Anshei Sholom B’nei Israel modern Orthodox Synagogue in Chicago. His father, Benjamin Emanuel, was born in Jerusalem and was active in the Irgun, a radical Zionist group. Rahm himself holds strong views on Israel.
Here’s an excerpt from Moment’s 2007 piece by Richard Dunham on Emanuel:
“He’s a profane bundle of contradictions: a former dancer with the political instincts of Tony Soprano, a political junkie who genuinely regrets time away from his wife (who converted to Judaism) and beloved children, and a devoutly religious street brawler who can trade expletives with the best of them, including his rabbi. University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato has dubbed Emanuel the Jewish LBJ.’”
Click here for the full story.
—Jeremy Gillick
Nice Facts, I’ve found some more on wikipedia like:
According to The Nation, Emanuel is “seen as a strong Israel partisan.” In June 2007, Emanuel condemned an outbreak of Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip and criticized Arab countries for not applying the same kind of pressure on the Palestinians as they have on Israel. At a 2003 pro-Israel rally in Chicago, Emanuel told the marchers Israel was ready for peace but would not get there until Palestinians “turn away from the path of terror”.