Joel Rubin on Israel’s Strategic Position, Washington’s Political Shift, and the Future of American Jewish Support

In this episode of the Tel Aviv Diary Podcast, Marc Schulman is joined by Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Obama administration, former congressional staffer, former executive director of the American Jewish Congress, founding political director of J Street, and a longtime figure in Democratic and Jewish public life in Washington. Speaking from the American capital while Marc records from Tel Aviv, Rubin brings a distinctly Washington-based perspective to a conversation centered on where Israel stands after more than two and a half years of continuous war, how the Middle East map has shifted, and why Israel may be in a stronger strategic position regionally than much of the American media is willing to acknowledge.The discussion then turns to the increasingly troubled state of American politics on Israel. Marc and Rubin examine the growing hostility toward Israel inside parts of the Democratic Party, the rise of anti-Israel and at times openly antisemitic rhetoric in both political camps, and the profound role social media algorithms are playing in shaping public opinion. Rubin argues that the old assumptions Israelis often make about unconditional Republican support and complicated but dependable Democratic backing no longer hold. They discuss Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, J Street, AIPAC, the 2028 political horizon, the tensions between Jewish and Arab Americans after October 7, and the broader question of whether the American Jewish community is entering a period of political and communal fragmentation.The episode also asks what Israel can actually do to improve its position in the United States, beyond slogans about hasbara. Marc presses Rubin on how a future Israeli government might reconnect with Democrats, younger Americans, and Jewish communities that no longer view Israel through the same lens as previous generations. Rubin argues that Israel must lean into its real strengths, democracy, diversity, technology, and openness, while also learning to engage critics rather than speaking only to supporters. The conversation closes with a sober but important look at the future of the American Jewish community and with Rubin discussing his forthcoming book, Saving Democratic Foreign Policy, which argues that Democrats must rebuild public trust if they hope to lead the United States on the world stage again. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe