JTA — Pete Buttigieg mentioned he would assist halting US arms gross sales to Israel and US recognition of a Palestinian state, in a dramatic about-face following backlash over a podcast interview the place he expressed cautious assist for Israel.
The dramatic shift for the 43-year-old former transportation secretary, who’s seen as a doable contender for US president in 2028, marks the most recent proof of how previous norms on Israel are evaporating throughout the Democratic Get together.
The backlash adopted Buttigieg’s dialog earlier this week with Jon Favreau, the host of the favored liberal “Pod Save America” podcast. There, the previous mayor of South Bend, Indiana, echoed his stance from his 2019 presidential bid: He sees Israel as a “pal” in want of assist throughout a troublesome time.
“I believe that we, as Israel’s strongest ally and pal, you set your arm round your pal when there’s one thing like this occurring, and discuss what we’re ready to do collectively,” Buttigieg instructed Favreau when requested how the following administration ought to deal with its relationship with Israel.
Buttigieg additionally shied from giving Favreau a definitive reply on the way forward for US recognition of Palestinian statehood, telling the host that it was a “profound query.”
The solutions gave the impression to be poorly calibrated for a possible celebration chief within the present second. In latest weeks, Israel’s ongoing and widening offensive in Gaza has reworked right into a political litmus take a look at for Democrats, with approval from throughout the celebration for Israel’s actions in Gaza at simply 8% based on a latest Gallup ballot and document numbers of Democratic senators supporting resolutions to dam US navy gross sales to Israel.
PETE BUTTIGIEG: “I believe that we as Israel’s strongest ally and pal, you set your arm round your pal when there’s one thing like this occurring and discuss what we’re ready to do collectively.” pic.twitter.com/TUlFClFuh4
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) August 11, 2025
Within the wake of the podcast look, Buttigieg drew backlash from a number of high Democrats, together with California Consultant Ro Khanna, who wrote, “We’d like ethical readability, not established order,” in a publish on X.
“Pete is a great man and I like a number of what he’s completed, however I’ve completely no concept what he thinks primarily based on these solutions,” wrote Ben Rhodes, the previous deputy nationwide safety advisor through the Obama administration, in a publish on X. “Simply inform us what you consider.”
Buttigieg revised his feedback in a subsequent interview with Politico, telling the outlet that he understood the criticism he had confronted.
“I get it,” Buttigieg mentioned of the unfavorable reactions to that interview. “It’s vital to be clear about one thing this monumental and this painful. It’s simply that it’s so monumental and it’s so painful that typically phrases can fail.”
In a pointy reversal of his earlier feedback, Buttigieg instructed Politico he would have signed on to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposed arms embargo in opposition to Israel, which acquired document assist from Democrats.
Pete Buttigieg shakes arms with Bernie Sanders, as Joe Biden appears on through the eighth Democratic main debate of the 2020 US presidential marketing campaign season co-hosted by ABC Information, WMUR-TV and Apple Information at St. Anselm School in Manchester, New Hampshire, on February 7, 2020. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP)
Buttigieg additionally mentioned he would acknowledge a Palestinian state as a part of a two-state answer, and thought that america mustn’t essentially negotiate one other 10-year memorandum of understanding between the US and Israel on weapons gross sales.
“Democrats — like all People, however actually Democrats — are sickened by what’s occurring and making an attempt to carry a number of issues in thoughts on the similar time, all of which will be true: that what has to occur subsequent is the killing has to finish,” Buttigieg instructed Playbook. “The hostages have to come back residence. And the individuals of Gaza want assist unimpeded, and all of that needs to be occurring instantly.”
