Pod Save America hosts on tour. Photo: Screenshot

The hosts of the influential progressive podcast Pod Save America called on the future Democratic presidential nominee to cut all funding and military ties with Israel, urging party leaders to adopt a “total mindset change” in their relationship with the Jewish state. 

The trio of hosts—Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Jon Favreau—said that the next Democratic presidential nominee should vow to no longer accept funding from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), should no longer send Israel military aid, and should no longer block anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations (UN). The hosts lambasted Israel for deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza strip and pursuing aggressive military action against Lebanon, Iran, and Syria. 

“The things I want to see Democrats at least calling for is cutting off military assistance to Israel,” said Vietor, a former Obama administration official. 

“I would like to see talk about sanctioning Israeli government officials that use genocidal rhetoric or talk about ethnic cleansing openly. We should support a ceasefire resolution at the UN,” Vietor continued. 

“When the war ends, we are not going back to the pre-October 7th status quo,” Vietor added. 

Vietor continued, saying that the Democratic party should not develop close ties to Israeli Prime Mininster Benjamin Netanyahu, decrying former President Joe Biden for maintaining a tight bond with the Israeli premier. He accused Netnayahu of continuing the war in Gaza for political purposes and said that he attacks Iran, Syria, and Lebanon “when he wants to.”

In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks, Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist organization, pummelled northern Israel almost daily with barrages of missiles. The Lebanese Islamist movement fired over 10,000 projectiles at Israel in 2024. About 70,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes in northern Israel and flee to other parts of the country as a result. Israel responded with a blistering campaign targeting key command centers, military leaders, and weapons depots crippling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.

“Especially if we are going to head into a primary, like, table stakes is going to be no more military aid for Israel,” Lovett added. 

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has divided the American political left. Polling suggests that commanding majorities of liberals now express greater empathy for Palestinians than Israelis, representing a massive shift from previous years. 

In response to a shifting sentiment among liberal voters, the Pod Save America hosts have adopted a more adversarial posture against Israel in recent months.