https://jewishinsider.com/topics/daily-kickoff/ All the latest news from the Jewish political & business worlds Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:36:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://image.jewishinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/18185448/cropped-ji-initials-large-white-32x32.png https://jewishinsider.com/topics/daily-kickoff/ 32 32 237874332 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-trump-gets-cold-feet-on-iran-strike/ Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:30:05 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=99554 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the continued embrace of Hasan Piker by elements of the progressive movement, despite the far-left commentator’s recent rhetoric defending Hamas, and interview former Marine Ryan Crosswell about his effort to flip the GOP-held congressional seat represented by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania. We have the scoop on Andrew Hale’s departure from the Heritage Foundation to join Advancing American Freedom, and talk to Lishay Miran Lavi, the wife of freed Israeli hostage Omri Miran, about the book she wrote to help children deal with loss. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sen. Ron Wyden, Jacob Helberg and Rob Satloff.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching We are continuing to monitor the situation in Iran, after tensions hit a fever pitch last night, with Iran closing its airspace for several hours and the U.S. withdrawal of some military personnel and aircraft from its Al-Udeid base in Qatar. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he had been “told on good authority” that “the killing in Iran is stopping.” Iranian airspace reopened in the middle of the night. Despite Washington’s walk-back from the brink of potential military action, the U.S. and U.K. issued warnings this morning cautioning against travel to Israel; the U.S. advisory, issued by the embassy in Jerusalem, said the alert was due to “ongoing regional tensions.” Trump is slated to meet today with Nobel Prize Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House. The meeting comes a day after Trump spoke by phone with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez. The first meeting of the new Palestinian technocratic committee that will administer Gaza is being held today in Cairo. The Israeli American Council’s annual summit kicks off today in Hollywood, Fla. Speakers at the three-day confab include Dr. Miriam Adelson, Haim Saban, Safra Catz, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Yehuda Kaploun, the Justice Department’s Harmeet Dhillon, former CENTCOM head Gen. (Ret.) Michael Erik Kurilla, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Rich McCormick (R-GA), writer Micah Goodman, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan, former IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari and Meta’s Jordana Cutler. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Matthew kassel Hasan Piker, a popular far-left influencer, has long withstood scrutiny for his antisemitic commentary and justification of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, continuing to boast millions of loyal followers while hosting prominent Democratic elected officials on his Twitch show.

But his recent remarks unequivocally siding with Hamas provide particularly clarifying insight into Piker’s extreme worldview, raising questions about the permission structure in the broader progressive movement that tolerates such views with little to no pushback.

In a social media post last week, Piker came to the defense of anti-Israel protesters who had explicitly expressed support for Hamas while demonstrating outside a synagogue in Queens that was hosting an event promoting Israeli real estate investment.

“Hamas is a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state and the real harm happening here is that another illegal stolen land sale is taking place at another synagogue!” he said on X, describing himself as “a lesser evil voter” who was simply repeating a “harm reductionist credo.”

While the protest drew belated criticism from progressive Israel critics such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), both of whom have appeared on Piker’s show, the streamer made clear he was not backing down.

In contrast with Ocasio-Cortez, who had accused the protesters of using “disgusting and antisemitic” language while targeting a “predominantly Jewish neighborhood,” Piker issued a defiant retort to his 1.6 million X followers. “‘Hamas is resisting against Israel because they’re antisemitic’ is the funniest lie people tell themselves,” he argued. “If Israel was a Christian nation managing the apartheid and ethnic cleansing they’d still fight. You’re just mad people are fighting back at all.”

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



TEHRAN TALK Middle East experts offer options for U.S. intervention in Iran Iran International event, Jan 14th. 2025 (Matthew Shea) Middle East policy experts argued on Wednesday that the United States should actively intervene in Iran’s unrest — including through cyber measures, economic pressure and potentially military strikes — amid the regime’s crackdown on nationwide protests. The comments were made during a program hosted by Iran International, one of the largest independent Persian-language news outlets in the world, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Step by step: “The first thing I would recommend is that we use our very impressive capabilities to shut down the communication system for the government,” said Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, speaking of a potential retaliation for the regime’s decision to cut internet access to the public. “This will be a huge step.” Satloff said if that did not work, he would then support subsequent U.S. strikes on Iranian military infrastructure.

Read the full story here.

Trump’s tone change: President Donald Trump indicated that his threats to Iran over its use of violence on protesters have had their desired effect, saying on Wednesday afternoon that “the killing in Iran is stopping,” JI’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports. NBC News reports that Trump told advisors that he would want any strike on Iran to deal a significant blow to Tehran and avoid a sustained war in the region, and that his team could not guarantee that a U.S. strike would prompt regime change in the Islamic Republic.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CONSIDERED CANDIDACY Activist who championed anti-Israel encampments eyes primary challenge to Rob Menendez Jersey City mayoral candidate Mussab Ali speaks during a rally. (Derek French/SOPA Images/Sipa via AP Images) Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), who faced a heated primary battle in 2024, is facing the prospect of  another primary challenger in 2026, from an outspoken anti-Israel activist, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Former Jersey City school board President Mussab Ali, also a former mayoral candidate, is reportedly considering a run against the incumbent Democrat.

History: As early as Oct. 17, 2023 — before Israel’s full ground invasion of Gaza began — Ali accused Israel of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and demanded that American Jews denounce Israel’s actions. He posted on X demanding a ceasefire two days later. He has also called for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, recognition of Palestinian statehood and a one-state solution. But Menendez scored a major victory in his efforts to pick up progressive votes on Wednesday, landing an endorsement from Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), whose Senate candidacy helped catalyze the anti-Democratic machine movement in the state. 

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SEEING PURPLE Marine vet Ryan Crosswell aims to flip GOP-held Pennsylvania congressional seat Ryan Crosswell, former federal prosecutor who quit the Department of Justice in protest, speaks at a campaign event for his run for Congress, Dec. 4, 2025, in Allentown, Pa. (Marc Levy/AP) Ryan Crosswell is hoping his background as a former federal prosecutor and Marine veteran — as well as a former Republican — will provide a road map to flipping a critical swing district in Pennsylvania, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The 7th Congressional District, centered around Allentown and Easton and rated by the Cook Political Report as a toss-up, is held by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), who himself flipped the seat in 2024. It was previously held by former Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA). 

Meet the candidate: Crosswell, in an interview with JI, characterized himself as a lifelong public servant and patriot, both as a Marine and as a federal prosecutor, who “always put my country first, even when it came at personal costs, as when I resigned from the Department of Justice because I felt I was being asked to do something that was inconsistent with my oath.” Crosswell also said that he’s “uncomfortable with cutting off aid” to Israel, as some in the Democratic Party are advocating, “because Israel is surrounded by historical enemies, and I don’t want to put the Israeli people in danger by cutting off aid.”

Read the full interview here.





SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google JUMPING SHIP Senior Heritage staffer quits, joins Pence’s Advancing American Freedom An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) A senior Heritage Foundation staffer has been hired by Advancing American Freedom, joining more than 20 other former Heritage employees who have departed the conservative think tank for AAF over criticism of President Kevin Roberts’ refusal to disavow Tucker Carlson for platforming neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes and Roberts’ handling of the broader fallout. Andrew Hale, who joined Heritage in 2023, served as the Jay Van Andel senior policy analyst in trade policy at the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies. He began at AAF, former Vice President Mike Pence’s policy shop, on Tuesday as a fellow specializing in economics, trade policy and international relations, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Reason for leaving: “I can roll with policy changes, but what I can’t roll with is a tolerance or an overlooking of antisemitism or any form of bigotry,” Hale told JI in an interview. “I’ve worked for Democrats, Republicans, Labour and Conservative in the U.K., on both sides of the Atlantic. I can roll with policy changes. This is not about that. For me, I feel obligated because I have the freedom to do so and the means to do so. I’m calling out a problem that exists at Heritage and exists in the conservative movement, and we need to exorcize it in a way that the left has not done well.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE HILL Ron Wyden introduces legislation that could sanction Israeli officials over withholding Gaza aid Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) speaks to reporters following a Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation on Wednesday to condemn the Israeli government for allegedly withholding aid in Gaza and to potentially impose sanctions on Israeli government officials, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What it does: Under the legislation, any government officials or those acting on their behalf “found to be restricting, diminishing, undermining, or preventing the delivery and distribution of sufficient humanitarian assistance” would be subject to U.S. financial and visa-blocking sanctions. The legislation includes a presidential waiver, though that, or the removal of sanctions, can be overridden by a joint resolution of disapproval by Congress. Senior lawmakers would also be allowed to request an assessment of whether a foreign official meets the criteria for sanctions.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOOKSHELF Ex-hostage’s wife writes book to help children deal with loss post-Oct. 7 Book cover/Lishay Miran Lavi (Amazon/Maya Alleruzzo/AP) The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel left children living near the Gaza border with significant emotional baggage — whether they themselves were kidnapped, had a loved one taken hostage or killed, or had to evacuate their home — and their parents and caregivers tasked with helping them regain hope and resilience. Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband, Omri Miran, was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 738 days, sought to help children deal with loss and uncertainty related to Oct. 7 and beyond, with her new book, Mojo’s Return: A Story of Resilience and Hope, which was published in Hebrew and English in November, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Book’s purpose: “It’s a tool to reflect what happened for the girls and help them deal with the fact that their dad [was] not there,” Miran Lavi told JI last week. “It’s for my girls and for everyone’s children who experienced Oct. 7 with a great loss, like a father or uncle who is not coming back because he was murdered, or fell in the war.” 

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Pumping Up the Protesters: The New York Times’ editorial board throws its support behind protesters in Iran, arguing that the regime in Tehran is “irredeemable” over its years of domestic human rights abuses and efforts to sow terror around the world. “The recent brutality of that government underscores what has been clear for decades: It is among the world’s most nefarious regimes, and the people who bear the biggest cost are the citizens of Iran. … The appropriate response from the rest of the world starts with a unified expression of solidarity with the protesters. The Khamenei regime is too depraved to be reformed. It has had plenty of chances to choose a different path. The Obama administration invited Iran to become a regional power so long as it gave up on having a nuclear weapon and followed basic international norms. The ayatollahs chose extremism and subjugation instead. They have shown themselves to be beyond rehabilitation. The protest movement represents the best hope for an Iran that does less damage in the world and better serves its own people.” [NYTimes]

Thanks, Israel: In The Wall Street Journal, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi praised the “bold step” Israel had taken in recognizing the African nation last month, citing the long history between Jerusalem and Hargeisa. “This recognition didn’t arise from diplomatic calculation alone; it is rooted in a bond forged during Somaliland’s darkest chapter. In the late 1980s, the people of Somaliland endured a systematic campaign of extermination. The Somali dictator, Siad Barre, gave orders that spread through the ranks in the now notorious words ‘kill all but the crows.’ More than 200,000 civilians were killed, and 90% of Hargeisa was destroyed, earning it the name ‘the Dresden of Africa.’ Starting in 1988, some 800,000 people fled into Ethiopia. While much of the world remained silent, Israel raised the alarm at the United Nations in May 1990, drawing attention to the systematic persecution and killing of Somaliland’s population, later referred to as the ‘Hargeisa Holocaust.’” [WSJ]





Word on the Street White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, saying the U.S. “expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return” of the body of Ran Gvili, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023…

President Donald Trump told Reuters that exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi “seemed very nice” but questioned the level of support that Pahlavi has inside Iran; Pahlavi secretly met over the weekend with Witkoff to discuss the situation in Iran…

The Wall Street Journal looks at how the Trump administration’s military buildup in the Caribbean as part of its effort to apprehend ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has limited the U.S.’ naval capabilities in the Middle East…

Israel and Iran quietly exchanged messages through Russia just prior to the onset of protests in Iran that neither country would launch a preemptive attack on the other…

The House voted to pass the finalized 2026 State Department appropriations bill, which includes new restrictions on U.S. funding for the United Nations as well as funding for Israel…

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) raised $8.8 million in the last quarter of 2025 as he mounts a comeback bid for the Senate… 

Dozens of elected officials and community leaders in California’s Bay Area called on Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez to resign if he refuses to meet with Jewish leaders and publicly apologize for recent comments sharing conspiracy theories about the antisemitic terror attack in Sydney, Australia, last month…

Following an inquiry into the decision of the West Midlands, U.K., police force to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a recent match against Aston Villa, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called on the department’s head to resign; Chief Constable Craig Guildford acknowledged having used an AI-generated search that pointed the department to false information about the Israeli team… 

The French book publisher Hachette is recalling three high school textbooks that refer to victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks as “Jewish settlers”… 

The board of Australia’s Adelaide Festival apologized to a Palestinian-Australian academic who had been uninvited from the literary event over her past statements about Zionists; the removal of Randa Abdel-Fattah had prompted dozens of speakers to drop out of the annual event, which was ultimately canceled…

Police in Iraq said they arrested a man who is a suspect in a series of arson attacks in Australia, including the December 2024 firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne…

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed met on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan…

Chinese officials, citing national security concerns, issued guidance against using software from approximately a dozen U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity companies…

NPR’s Michele Keleman spotlights Akko, Israel, for the broadcaster’s weekly “Far-Flung Postcards” series…

Bloomberg reports on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf‘s $5 billion struggle to gain a foothold in the sport, as the league is plagued by low attendance rates and TV viewership, as well as the decision by former No. 1 player Brooks Koepka to leave LIV and return to the PGA Tour…

Former Jerusalem Post Managing Editor David Brinn retired from a full-time role at the end of December 2025 after 31 years at the publication; he will continue on a part-time basis doing, among other things, video interviews with Israeli and Jewish musicians and pop culture figures…

Former Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin was named the interim head of the American Jewish Committee’s Los Angeles office…

Pic of the Day (STATE DEPARTMENT) Jacob Helberg, the U.S. under secretary of state for economic affairs, and United Arab Emirates Minister of State Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri signed the U.S.-UAE Pax Silica Declaration on Wednesday during Helberg’s trip to the UAE, two days after a similar signing ceremony with Qatar.

Birthdays MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 15: Head Coach Doug Gottlieb of the Green Bay Phoenix looks on during the first half at Williams Arena on November 15, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Steven Garcia/Getty Images) Basketball analyst for Fox Sports, he is also the men’s basketball head coach at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, Doug Gottlieb turns 50…

Senior counsel at Covington Burling, he was previously the domestic policy advisor to President Jimmy Carter, U.S. ambassador to the EU and deputy secretary of the treasury, Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat turns 83… Partner in BECO Management LLC and vice chair of the Jewish Policy Center, Michael David Epstein turns 81… University professor at Columbia University, he won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Martin Chalfie turns 79… President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev for 16 years, then a member of the Knesset for nine years, Avishay Braverman turns 78… Longtime member of Congregation B’nai B’rith in Santa Barbara, Calif., Madelyn Silver Palley… Founder of Prospect Global, Toni G. Verstandig… Chairman and CEO of Stagwell Global, Mark Penn… Football head coach and general manager, he has worked in both the NFL and CFL, Marc Trestman turns 70… President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David M. Zaslav turns 66… Rabbi at Bar-Ilan University’s Institute of Advanced Torah Studies, he holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, Michael Avraham turns 66… Rabbi of Rumson (N.J.) Jewish Center at Congregation B’nai Israel, Douglas Sagal… Cryptographer, computer security specialist, blogger, writer, author of 13 books, he is a fellow and lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School, Bruce Schneier… Partner in the NYC office of Gibson Dunn, Barry H. Berke turns 62… White House deputy press secretary in the Bush 43 administration, now a podcast host, Adam L. Levine turns 57… Filmmaker and educator, her films are aimed at Haredi female audiences, Tali Avrahami turns 57… Israeli journalist for Maariv, based in Poland, Nissan Tzur turns 53… Former deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Belgium, she was elected as a member of the European Parliament in 2024, Sophie Wilmès turns 51… Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge Steven Menashi turns 47… Israeli-Italian model, television personality and actor, Jonathan Kashanian turns 45… Editor emeritus of The Daily Wire and conservative political commentator, Ben Shapiro turns 42… Investigative reporter at The New York Times focused on health care, Sarah Kliff… Real estate investor, Hershy Tannenbaum… Actress, singer and writer based in NYC, she starred as Hodel in Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” Samantha Massell turns 36… CNN’s Jerusalem correspondent, Jeremy Diamond turns 36…



]]> 99554 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-mamdanis-antisemitism-paradox/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=99448 ]]> Good Wednesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look at New York City MayorZohran Mamdani’s approach to antisemitism, following multiple antisemitic incidents in his first weeks in office, and talk to experts about howSaudi Arabia’s efforts to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 jetscould complicate its pursuit of U.S. F-35s. We report on theTrump administration’s designation of three branches ofMuslim Brotherhoodas terror organizations, and profile incoming University of Michigan PresidentKent Syverud. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Sydney Sweeney,Bob Harvieand Sens.James LankfordandJacky Rosen.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching The Trump administration’s Board of Peace to oversee Gaza is expected to be announced as soon as today. The Times of Israel reports that roughly a dozen invitations to join the technocratic committee to administer Gaza went out this week to Palestinian officials. We’re continuing to monitor events in Iran, a day after President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. “will take very strong action” if Iranian officials begin executing arrested protesters, while telling protesters that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” Death tolls have varied, with international phone and internet access largely cut off inside Iran, but vary from U.S. estimates around 600 to Iranian government estimates of approximately 2,000. Elon Musk’s Starlink provided internet access to some users on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Omar and Qatar are reportedly discouraging the Trump administration from taking military action in Iran.  The Tribe of Nova Foundation is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Netanya, Israel, today for UJA New York Beit Nova, a new facility for survivors of the Nova music festival attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and bereaved family members. Read more in eJewishPhilanthropy on UJA-Federation of New York’s effort to build the center. Elsewhere in Israel, the family of Joshua Boone, a U.S.-born IDF reservist who died last week, arrives in the country today. Their arrival comes amid calls for Boone, who was not on active duty when he died after serving more than 700 days of reserve duty, to be given a military funeral, and a broader debate in Israel over the military’s treatment of off-duty soldiers whose deaths may be linked to their service.  What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar The unlikely but plausible path for the Democrats to win back the Senateopened up Monday with former Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-AK) announcement that she’s running against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), giving Democrats an outside shot at flipping the red-state seat in the midterms.

Peltola isn’t your typical Democratic candidate.She won two separate statewide elections in Alaska in 2022 for the state’s at-large House seat, defeating the state’s former governor and onetime GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Despite compiling a moderate (and pro-Israel) voting record in the House, she narrowly lost her reelection bid to Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK), losing the 2024 general election by just two points.

Inher launch video,she touted her campaign theme as “fish, family and freedom.”

Sullivan is a traditional conservative politician with a hawkish voting record, and will be favored to win a third term. But Alaska has become somewhat more competitive in the Trump era, with the president winning 55% of the state’s vote in 2024 and Sullivan tallying 54% in his successful 2020 reelection.

One point in Sullivan’s favor: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK),the independent-minded occasional Trump criticwho endorsed Peltolain both of the Democrat’s previous statewide campaigns,quickly got behind the senator’s re-election campaign— before Peltola’s announcement.

Peltola’s candidacy mattersbecause it gives Democrats four capable recruits to contest four GOP-held Senate seats — two in purple states, and two on more conservative turf. The path to a Democratic Senate majority — which remains a long-shot — increasingly is looking like it runs through North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Alaska.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



MAYORS M.O. Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy: Reluctant to confront extremist threats while pledging to protect Jews Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference during moving day at Gracie Mansion on January 12, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked an uproar among Jewish community leaders when, on his first day in office, he revoked an executive order that adopted a definition of antisemitism equating some criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish prejudice. But the mayor has yet to articulate which, if any, definition of antisemitism he will abide by, raising questions about his views toward escalating anti-Jewish hate in the city as he continues to weigh in on high-profile issues affecting the Jewish community. His recent comments responding to pro-Hamas protesters in Queens last week and an arson attack on a synagogue in Jackson, Miss., over the weekend illustrate what Mamdani’s critics interpret as a core tension animating his assessment of antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Breaking it down:While Mamdani released a statement on Sunday calling the arson a “violent act of antisemitism,” his comment on the demonstration outside a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills where protesters openly voiced support for Hamas was delayed and came only after hefaced growing pressurefrom media outlets and Jewish community leaders to denounce the demonstration. The statements on two separate issues in different states helped distill how Mamdani has traditionally reacted to individual instances of antisemitism. He has unequivocally condemned as antisemitic recent incidents where Jews have facedviolentattacksand have beentargeted by vandalism, among other acts. But the mayor has been slower to react decisively on protests near Jewish institutions involving anti-Israel activism.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FIGHTER FAULT LINES Saudi Arabia’s talks to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 jets could complicate its pursuit of U.S. F-35s Pakistans Air Force fighter JF-17 fighter jets fly past during the multinational naval exercise AMAN-25 in the Arabian Sea near Pakistans port city of Karachi on February 10, 2025, as more than 50 countries participating with ships and observers. (ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images) Reports that Saudi Arabia may strike a deal with Pakistan to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder fighter jets are raising concerns in Washington, as Riyadh’s potential acquisition of the aircraft signals a continuation of its recent shift in alliances and could complicate its efforts to secure the U.S.’ F-35 jet. The discussions between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, first reported by regional outlets, would deepen defense ties between the two longtime partners while easing Karachi’s financial strain by wiping out its $2 billion in loans from the kingdom,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Risk assessment:“The fact that [the JF-17] has a Russian engine and Chinese avionics means it will very likely be viewed as a security risk if it’s co-located near U.S. forces,” said Grant Rumley, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who warned this arrangement could pose a danger to the protection of U.S. intel. “The F-35 is one of the crown jewels of American military equipment. Protecting that proprietary information and capabilities is a top priority across party lines in the U.S. national security apparatus.” Such a deal could create “undue turbulence” for Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of the F-35, potentially “complicating the discussion” around the deal and even putting it “into jeopardy,” Rumley said.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TERROR TITLE Trump admin designates three branches of Muslim Brotherhood as terror organizations Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarter after the announcement of banning the society in the country on April 23, 2025 in Amman, Jordan. (Salah Malkawi/Getty Images) The Trump administration labeled three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations, including chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. The move follows an executive order President Donald Trump signed in November, which tasked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with identifying whether branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt should be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and which should be deemed Specially Designated Global Terrorists,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Distinctions:Those determinations were released on Tuesday: Jordanian and Egyptian branches were placed under the category of Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), with the State Department citing their provision of “material support to Hamas.” Meanwhile, the organization’s branch in Lebanon received the more stringent label of Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a stronger categorization that makes it a criminal offense to provide material support to the group. The organization’s leader in Lebanon, Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh, was named an SDGT.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google WARM RECEPTION Jewish leaders hail Kent Syverud’s appointment as University of Michigan president Kent Syverud speaks on stage at Hollywood Bridging The Military Civilian Divide at Paramount Pictures on February 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Marc Flores/Getty Images for Syracuse University) While several prominent university presidents famously refused to say that advocating for the genocide of Jews violates school policy when pressed by Congress two months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, Kent Syverud, the president and chancellor of Syracuse University, wrote a campus-wide email explaining that such rhetoric would not be tolerated on campus. On Monday, Syverud was tapped as the University of Michigan’s 16th president following a six-month search to replace President Santa Ono,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Welcoming the news:Syverud’s appointment was met with optimism from several Jewish leaders who said his strong ties to the Jewish community could benefit the Ann Arbor school, which experienced some of the most disruptive anti-Israel andantisemitic activityin the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza. “Syverud’s appointment is very good news for the University of Michigan, which has faced numerous incidents of antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility in recent years,” Miriam Elman, who was a tenured associate professor at Syracuse before joining the Academic Engagement Network as its executive director in 2019, told JI.

Read the full story here.

Meanwhile at CCNY:City College of New York’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter remains a registered campus group following its participation in last week’s pro-Hamas protest in Queens that caused nearby schools and a synagogue to close early,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Pennsylvania pitch In PA swing district, Democrat Bob Harvie pitches affordability — and unconditional support for Israel Bob Harvie, commissioner of Bucks County, sits for a photograph in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images) In suburban Philadelphia, in one of the most hotly contested swing districts in the country, Democratic congressional candidate Bob Harvie is pitching a message of affordability. But not because of a certain big-city mayor 90 minutes north on I-95. The former high school history teacher and vice chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners who is hoping to unseat Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is not trying to mimic the campaign tactics of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who ran a populist campaign pledging to make the city affordable again. Instead, he said he’s looking for inspiration from two moderate Democratic governors elected last year:New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill and Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Affordability and allyship:“There have been others who have been talking about affordability. Its not a Democratic hoax, as the president has said it is. It has a real impact on people, and were seeing it here at the county,” Harvie told JIin an interview last week. While Harvie may be leaning in on the affordability message that Mamdani popularized last year, he is taking a more traditional approach to foreign policy and to the U.S.-Israel relationship than the mayor. Harvie, who taught high school history for two decades, attributes the recent rise in antisemitism to a lack of education about Judaism and Israel. “I think what were seeing among younger people is just a lack of understanding about the history of Jewish people, especially in the 20th century, the history of Israel,” said Harvie.

Read the full interview here.

Garden State regrets:Two Democratic candidates running in the packed special election to replace New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), including the state’s current secretary of state and lieutenant governor, criticized the state Assembly for failing to pass legislation codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE HILL Lankford, Rosen call on Senate leaders to move quickly to protect faith communities Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) (U.S. Senate) Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) are urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to move quickly to advance a legislative package that would address rising antisemitism and religious hate generally —something Congress has repeatedly struggled and failed to do since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

New tack:In aletter to the Senate leaders on Tuesday, Lankford and Rosen, who co-chair the chamber’s antisemitism task force, called for a bipartisan legislative package including funding increases for security assistance to religious institutions and improved training, prevention and prosecution efforts. The letter does not mention high-profile bills addressing antisemitism specifically — such as the Antisemitism Awareness Act — which have previously proven difficult to pass amid growing objections from both sides of the aisle. The letter takes a broader approach, focusing on faith communities generally and the attacks that both Jewish and non-Jewish religious institutions have faced.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Deserving of Recognition:InThe Washington Post, the Hudson Institute’s Joshua Meservey argues that the U.S. should follow Israel’s lead in recognizing Somaliland. “Yet recognizing Somaliland is recognizing reality, which is a necessary foundation on which to build effective policy. Mogadishu’s protest that recognizing Somaliland destroys Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty relies on a mythical conception of Somalia. The country hasn’t been functionally unified since the 1980s. The government controls little of its territory and survives largely because foreign armies protect it and foreign governments fund it. While it is understandable that Mogadishu imagines a unified and sovereign country given Somalia’s long suffering, it demands that the rest of the world participate in the fiction.”[WashPost]

The Ayatollah’s Obsession:The New York Times’ Bret Stephens posits that the Iranian regime’s “singular obsession” with Jews, and, by association, with Israel, will be the root of its demise. “Iranian foreign policy freely mixes anti-Israel furies with anti-Jewish ones. … Earlier this month, the regime tried to mollify protesters by offering most of its citizens a pathetic $7 monthly stipend amid skyrocketing inflation and a collapsing currency. Yet the same regime managed to send an estimated $1 billion to help Hezbollah rebuild its military capabilities while refusing to make meaningful concessions over its nuclear portfolio, leading to European sanctions that have further crippled the economy. What ordinary Iranians are revolting against isn’t just economic mismanagement and corruption. It’s also a regime that would rather pursue a perpetual jihad against the Zionist enemy than feed its own people.”[NYTimes]

Iran on the Brink:The New Yorker’s Robin Wright suggests that the fall of the Iranian regime will likely be contingent on the sentiment within the country’s security forces. “In June of last year, Israel and the U.S. destroyed military installations and nuclear sites in Iran and killed key leaders and scientists, leaving the Iranian military feeling vulnerable. In addition, the rank and file share the same (increasingly existential) economic challenges faced by most Iranians. While the security forces are often lumped into an ideological monolith, there is a wide diversity among their members, as nearly all men are required to serve. Some opt to join the Revolutionary Guard because they get off earlier in the day than conventional soldiers, and thus can earn money at a second job. For others, having the I.R.G.C. on their résumés helps them later when applying for jobs in government or at government-funded universities.”[NewYorker]



Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trumphas reportedlycomplainedto aides about Attorney GeneralPam Bondi, saying that she is not effectively pursuing his agenda, including the prosecution of former federal investigators…

Israel’sBar-Ilan UniversitywillawardWhite House Special EnvoySteve Witkoffwith an honorary doctorate, citing Witkoff’s involvement in efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and secure the release last year of nearly all the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza…

Axiosreports thatWitkoffquietly metover the weekend withReza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based exiled former crown prince ofIranwho is leading one of theopposition factions against the regimein Tehran…

Rep.Jason Smith(R-MO), the chair of theHouse Ways and Means Committee,senta letter to Treasury SecretaryScott Bessenturging the IRS to investigate theCalifornia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relationsover its backing of anti-Israel encampments on college campuses in the state…

Congressional candidateCameron Kasky, who made criticism of Israel a cornerstone of his campaign, isdropping outof the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 12th District, saying the decision came after his trip last month to the West Bank and that he is “not a politician” but “an activist”…

Former North Carolina Gov.Roy Cooper, a Democrat mounting a Senate bid in the Tar Heel State,announceda haul of more than $9.5 million, outpacing top GOP candidateMichael Whatley, who is believed to have raised just over $5 million…

A cryptocurrency tokenannounced by former New York City MayorEric Adamscrashedless than a day after its launch; in his announcement of the coin on Monday, Adams had said that the token would be used to fight antisemitism and anti-American sentiment…

New York Attorney GeneralLetitia Jamesannounceda settlement withBetar U.S.over what she described as a campaign of “fear, violence, and intimidation” targeting the group’s ideological opponents;Betar U.S. said it would discontinue its New York operations, though the move was unrelated to the settlement…

The New York Timesspotlightsthe shaky launch of the revamped“CBS Evening News”program, amid broader media scrutiny ofBari Weiss’ oversight of the network and its flagship show

TheExecutive Council of Australian Jewryiswarningagainst the creation ofa loophole in new hate-speech laws in the countrythat exempt those who read from or cite religious texts…

The Washington Postlooks atshifting political winds inGermany, where the far-rightAlternative for Germany party, already on the ascendance, is looking to win control in at least one of the five German states that are holding elections this year…

ThePaulson Family Foundationannounced a $19 million donation toHebrew Universityto go toward expanding the school’s STEM-based research and teaching complex on theEdmond J. Safra Campus in Jerusalem; the gift comes three years after a $27 million donation from the foundation to the school for STEM education,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports…

CrowdStrikewillacquirebrowser security companySeraphic Security, in a deal that is expected to net the Israeli startup $400 million…

Officials inVenezuelareleaseda72-year-old Israeli-Argentine manwho had been imprisoned in the South American country for more than a year; Yaakov Harari was among 125 people, most of whom are Americans, who were released after being accused of being mercenaries operating on behalf of the United States…

ActorSydney Sweeneymet with freed Israeli hostagesNoa ArgamaniandAvinatan Or, posing for a photo with the pair that began circulating on social media on Tuesday,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…

U.N. Secretary-GeneralAntonio GuterrestoldIsraelthat he could refer the country to theInternational Court of Justiceif it doesn’t reverse “without delay” laws cracking down on theU.N. Relief and Works Agencythat works with Palestinians; meanwhile, at the Vatican,Pope Leo XIVmetprivately with UNRWA headPhilippe Lazzarini…

The Wall Street Journalreports onChina’s reluctance to mount a strong defense of Iran, its top trading partner, as Tehran becomes increasingly isolated on the global stage as a result of continued protests in the country and economic pressure…

Adam Grimes, previously a legislative assistant in Rep.Josh Gottheimer’s (D-NJ) office, has been named the New Jersey Democrat’s national security advisor…

Philanthropist and real estate developerNathan Landow, who served as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party from 1988-1992,diedat 93…

Pic of the Day (Sophie Bates/AP) Zach Shemper, the president of Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., visited the damaged building on Tuesday, days after an arsonist targeted the synagogue over what he told investigators were the synagogue’s “Jewish ties.”

Birthdays WASHINGTON, DC OCTOBER 08: Jamie Patricof attends the Roofman Washington D.C. Motion Picture Association Screening QA at the Motion Picture Association on October 08, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) Movie and television producer and co-founder of Electric City Entertainment,Jamie Patricofturns 50…

Chairman emeritus of the publicly traded Empire State Realty Trust, he is the father-in-law of Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT),Peter L. Malkinturns 92… Retired travel counselor,Barbara Singer-Meis… Washington Nationals baseball fan known as Rubber Chicken Man, he waves a rubber chicken over the Nationals dugout and is one of the few fans for whom Topps has issued a baseball card,Hugh Kaufmanturns 83… Award-winning legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio since 1975, focusing primarily on the U.S. Supreme Court,Nina Totenbergturns 82… Screenwriter, director and producer, best known as co-writer of the films The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi,Lawrence Kasdanturns 77… Orthopedic surgeon, inventor and philanthropist,Gary K. Michelson, M.D. turns 77… Painter, editor, writer and book artist,Susan Beeturns 74… Co-founder and chairman of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, which he manages with his wife Penny Pritzker,Bryan Traubertturns 71…Shaul Saulisbury… Former president of the Sprint Foundation and Sprints 1Million Project Foundation,Doug Michelman… Former member of the Knesset for the Likud party, she holds a Ph.D. in criminology,Anat Berkoturns 66… AIPAC board chair, he is a founding member of LA-based law firm, Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff Stern,Michael L. Tuchin… Actress best known for her movie roles in the late 1980s in The Goonies and Lucas, she later became a film producer,Kerri Lee Greenturns 59… Staff writer atThe New Yorker,Susan B. Glasserturns 57… Venture capitalist,Adam R. Dellturns 56… Director of behavioral health at Mid-Atlantic Pediatric Partners and educational consultant,Ari Yares… Sales associate in the Montclair, N.J., office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage,David Frey… Attorney at Toronto-based Sokoloff Lawyers,Aryeh Samuel



]]> 99448 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-nice-lounge-you-have-there-pay-up-or-else/ Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:20:44 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=99354 ]]> Good Tuesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on thediffering positions of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuover scaling back U.S. military aid to Israel, and cover Kennedy Center PresidentRic Grenell’s suggestion to Jewish donors that they “act quickly” to sponsor and renovate the center’sIsraeli Loungebefore another entity steps in. We report on Jewish communal concerns regarding California state Sen.Scott Wiener’s about-face on Israel’s actions in Gaza, and report on an upcoming fundraiser being held by the“Pod Save America” hostsfor an anti-Israel Senate candidate in Michigan. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: former Rep.Mary Peltola,Dina Powell McCormickandDavid Cunio.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching President Donald Trump will meet today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine to discuss options for dealing with Iran. Today’s meeting comes as the president weighs potential military action in Iran in response to the deadly crackdowns on protesters around the country. Iran had over the weekend communicated to the White House that it was willing to engage in talks over its nuclear program, for which Trump said “a meeting is being set up,” but potential U.S. strikes could come regardless of that meeting. Meanwhile, Iran is continuing to jam Elon Musk’s Starlink, which was activated to restore internet service following a decision by Tehran to cut off internet as well as international phone services. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver her annual State of the State address at 1:30 p.m. ET. Among the issues she plans to cover, Hochul is expected to announce a proposal to create a 25-foot buffer zone around houses of worship and health care facilities. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS LAHAV HARKOV The mass protests across Iran erupted just over two weeks ago— the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Palm Beach, Fla., to meet with President Donald Trump.

The big question as Netanyahu and Trump metwas whether the president would give Israel a green light to strike Iran as it reconstituted its ballistic missile program at a pace that raised major concerns in Jerusalem. Trump’s response was a resounding yes, adding that if Iran would start rebuilding its nuclear program, the answer would be yes and “fast.”

But as the demonstrations in Iran grew and the regime’s response grew more and more violent–Iran Internationalreported12,000 protesters have been killed as of Tuesday morning, while an Iranian officialput the death tollat 2,000 – international talk about Israeli airstrikes subsided to near-silence.

Asked how Israel’s calculation about striking Iranian missile or nuclear sites may have changed in the last two weeks,former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren toldJewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov on the “Misgav Mideast Horizons Podcast”: “With the United States threatening to intervene, what would we have to gain from this? Other than providing a pretext for the Iranians to strike back at us. I think were operating responsibly, prudently.”

Still, Israelis remain jittery about a second round of war with Iran,to the extent that the IDF’s spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin,released a statementon Monday evening warning that in recent days, many rumors have circulated in light of the situation in Iran. The IDF is prepared defensively and remains on alert for surprise scenarios if required. The protests in Iran are a domestic matter. We will provide updates if there are any changes. I emphasize: Do not lend a hand to rumors.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



SCOOP Trump, Netanyahu at odds over Israeli plans to end reliance on U.S. military aid President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed winding down U.S. military aid late last year, President Donald Trump was bewildered and did not immediately support the move, two sources familiar with the matter told Jewish Insider. Since then, Netanyahu has announced his intentions to move ahead with the plan anyway. Netanyahu pitched the president on his proposal while visiting Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., in late December, the Israeli prime minister told The Economist in an interview released on Friday, JI’s Emily Jacobs, Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Lahav Harkov report.

Difference in perspective: The idea was spearheaded by Ron Dermer, Israel’s former minister of strategic affairs and a top Netanyahu advisor, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Dermer has defended the idea to U.S. lawmakers and other officials, arguing that such a move would improve the Jewish state’s embattled reputation in the United States, a claim that Netanyahu repeated to Trump. Since Dermer left government late last year, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter has become the point person on the matter, a source close to the prime minister told JI. Trump could not understand why Netanyahu would propose ending American military aid to Israel and disagrees that the move would improve U.S. public opinion on the Jewish state, one source familiar with the president’s perspective told JI. He is skeptical that the plan would benefit either country, but is also not dismissing it out of hand, they said. 

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FUND IT OR LOSE IT Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell to Jewish donors: ‘Act quickly’ to fund theater’s Israeli Lounge or risk losing it Ambassador Richard Grenell, Kennedy Center president, speaks at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors Medallion Reception at the U.S. Department of State on December 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images) When the Kennedy Center unveiled the Israeli Lounge in 1971, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) offered soaring remarks about the importance of the small reception room, which had been designed and constructed at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir as a gift to the United States. But for months now, the Kennedy Center has been warning that the lounge, which is open to all patrons of the Kennedy Center, is at risk of ceasing to exist in its current form, unless donors step forward to sponsor it and pay for all renovation costs, two sources confirmed to Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch. Staff of the Kennedy Center are actively soliciting donations from Jewish philanthropists to update the lounge, which has been unchanged for more than five decades.

President’s plea: “Im here to spread the word that if we want to keep it the Israel Lounge, we’ve got to act quickly, and were on the hunt. So please spread the word,” Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said in October in previously unreported remarks at a reception in the lounge, which at the time was the venue for an Oct. 7-themed exhibit by Israeli artist Marc Provisor. “It certainly would be a shame if we lost this room to a corporation or an individual and it was no longer the lounge.”

Read the full story here.

On the stage: “​​October 7: In Their Own Words,” a play offering an unvarnished look at the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas in Israel in 2023, told through the testimonies of Oct. 7 survivors, will be performed at the Kennedy Center for one night this month, on Jan. 28. Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch spoke to Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney, the Irish husband-and-wife playwright team behind the show.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ABOUT-FACE Scott Wiener’s rapid turn against Israel is ‘incorrect and lacks moral clarity,’ Jewish groups say California State Senator Scott Wiener addresses the SF Chronicle Editorial Board on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 in San Francisco, Calif. (Russell Yip/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) California state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat running in a crowded primary to replace retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has spent the last week navigating the political fallout of a Gaza-related exchange at a candidate forum that lasted no more than 30 seconds but has since gone viral in progressive Bay Area political circles. After declining to answer at the forum whether he believed Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Wiener released a video four days later, on Sunday, explaining that he has changed his position and now does believe Israel’s actions amount to genocide, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

U-turn: It was a shocking about-face for one of the most prominent Jewish lawmakers in the state, a progressive who has sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza but who has reiterated his support for the U.S.-Israel relationship as the co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. Hetook a delegation of lawmakers to visit Israel in 2024. Several California Jewish organizations, including the Bay Area JCRC and JPAC, a lobbying organization that represents Jewish communities across the state, released a joint statement slamming Wiener’s rhetorical shift. “Senator Wiener’s newly stated position is both incorrect and lacks moral clarity,” the organizations said. “The diminishment and weaponization of the term ‘genocide’ in this context has been deeply painful for our community, given our own historical experiences with the Holocaust.” 

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SUSPECT STATEMENT Suspect in Mississippi arson confesses to targeting synagogue because of ‘Jewish ties’ Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., targeted in an arson attack on Jan. 10, 2026. (Beth Israel Congregation) The suspect in an arson attack that destroyed Mississippi’s largest synagogue early Saturday morning confessed to targeting the building because of its “Jewish ties,” the FBI announced on Monday, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

What he said: In an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Mississippi more than 48 hours after the attack, the FBI said the suspect, Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, admitted to starting the blaze at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., due to “the building’s Jewish ties.” In an interview with the Jackson Fire Department, he referred to the institution as the “synagogue of Satan,” a historically antisemitic phrase that has been re-popularized by far-right commentator Candace Owens. 

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE TRAIL ‘Pod Save America’ hosts to hold fundraiser for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, in a 2018 campaign appearance with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a rally on the campus of Wayne State University July 28, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) Former Obama administration officials and Crooked Media hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Ben Rhodes are hosting a fundraiser in Hollywood, Calif., on Thursday for Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left, anti-Israel candidate running in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The latest: El-Sayed, a physician and former director of the Wayne County Department of Health, has made his criticisms of Israel a centerpiece of his campaign, criticizing other candidates in the race as being insufficiently hostile to the Jewish state. Favreau, Lovett and Rhodes, on their “Pod Save America” and “Pod Save the World” podcasts, have also emerged as a vocal force against Israel and AIPAC in the Democratic Party, and have boosted prominent anti-Israel candidates in other hot-button primaries, including Maine’s Graham Platner.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google U.S. OVERSIGHT 2026 State Dept. funding bill leverages U.S. funding to combat antisemitism, anti-Israel bias in U.N. Ambassadors and representatives to the United Nations meet at the U.N. Security Council to vote on a U.S. resolution on the Gaza peace plan at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City, Nov. 17, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) The finalized 2026 funding package for the State Department, released Sunday, leverages a portion of the U.S.’ contributions to the United Nations and its agencies to push for changes in what the U.S. has said is the institution’s anti-Israel bias and antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What it does: The bill withholds 10% of the U.S. contribution for the U.N. or any U.N. agency until the State Department confirms to Congress that the agency is “taking credible steps to combat anti-Israel bias,” putting measures in place to inform donors of when funds have been diverted or destroyed, “effectively vet[ting]” staff for ties to terrorism and taking steps to address antisemitism, among a variety of other anti-corruption and accountability measures. The legislation also includes cuts to several Middle East programs including the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, but provides a significant funding boost for the office of the State Department antisemitism envoy.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Saudi Reversal, Explained: In an essay titled “The Saudi Pivot,” Hussein Aboubakr Mansour details Saudi Arabia’s shifting alliances. “After a decade of costly and inconclusive ventures, Saudi policymakers appear to have reached a different conclusion about what is the best path they have to accumulate regional power in current conditions. A consolidating relationship with Turkey, renewed investment in Islamist and anti-Zionist legitimation, a deliberate freeze of normalization with Israel, and public confrontation with the UAE across multiple theaters are all clear signs of such a major strategic pivot. And behind it all, a strategic wager: the American-led conditions that made Gulf alignment rational are thinning, and Saudi Arabia intends to lead the region in whatever post-liberal world comes next.” [TheAbrahamicMetacritique]

A Passage to India: In Ynet, Jonathan Adiri argues that Israels strategic anchor should not be in Saudi Arabia but in New Delhi. “The [Saudi] crown prince is once again confronting reality and recognizing the magnitude of the challenge. Along the way, he will need to recalculate again and again in order to survive the revolution he himself unleashed… [Israel’s] thinking must shift eastward, toward a partner where interests are more stable and the economy is not subject to the whims of a prince trying to rewrite history in real time.” [Ynet]

Influence Peddling: The Wall Street Journal’s Maggie Severns, Natalie Andrews, Josh Dawsey and Eliza Collins do a deep dive into how foreign governments, including Israel and Qatar, are increasingly funding initiatives to reach out to social media influencers in addition to traditional lobbying efforts. “Israel made plans over the past year to spend $900,000 on an influencer campaign with a U.S. audience, according to disclosure documents, as Israel fights negative sentiment on the right. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with conservative social-media stars on at least two of his visits. … One of the largest historic spenders on Washington lobbying, Qatar, is pursuing an influencer strategy that appears to be paying dividends. In November, it sponsored trips to Doha for several pro-Trump social-media personalities, promising interactions with members of Congress who were also there and celebrities — and VIP Formula One tickets with paddock access that regularly go for more than $10,000 apiece.” [WSJ]

Bondi and Beyond: In The Washington Times, Sheina Gutnick, whose father, Reuven Morrison, was killed in the Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney, Australia, reflects on Jewish safety and security down under. “Since Oct. 7, 2023, I — like many other Jews in Australia and around the world — have watched with growing fear as antisemitism moved from the margins into the open. Fear almost feels too small a word for what unfolded. I watched protesters stand on the steps of the Sydney Opera House chanting, ‘F—- the Jews’ and ‘Where’s the Jews?’ What shocked me most was not only the hatred but also the absence of consequence. I watched news of Jews being murdered outside Jewish events overseas. I watched protesters in my own city calling to ‘Globalize the intifada.’ I felt the slow, sickening recognition that governments, including my own, were once again choosing to react too late. My father taught me that antisemitism is never an isolated incident. It’s never just words. History shows us the pattern clearly. Words become chants, chants become threats, and threats become violence. Eventually, Jews are murdered.” [WashTimes]

Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trumpannouncedan immediate 25% tariff on countries that continue “doing business” withIran; the tariff’s impact will likely have serious ramifications on trade between the U.S.andChina, a major trading partner of Iran…

TheState Departmentannouncedit had revoked 100,000 visas since its immigration crackdown began last year; of those, some 8,000 were student visas…

Former Rep.Mary Peltola(D-AK) announced Monday that she’s entering the Senate race against Sen.Dan Sullivan(R-AK) in Alaska, giving Democrats an outside chance of picking up the red-state Senate seat,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Reps.Mike Lawler(R-NY) andJared Moskowitz(D-FL)introduced legislationto blockU.S. funding for any U.N. agency that expels Israel; similar language was included in aState Department reform packagethe House Foreign Affairs Committee passed last year…

Former Deputy National Security AdvisorDina Powell McCormickisjoiningMetaas president and vice chairman; Powell McCormick, who served on Meta’s board from April-December 2025, was most recently at BDT MSD Partners…

Rep.Sara Jacobs(D-CA) isjoiningHouse Democratic leadership as parliamentarian of the steering and policy committee…

Police in Los Angeles areinvestigatingan incident of anti-Israel vandalism at the site of thePasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed in last years wildfires

The executive council of theAmerican Historical Associationvetoedtwo anti-Israel resolutions, including one that accused the Jewish state of scholasticide in Gaza, saying that the resolutions “fall outside the scope” of the association and approving them “would present institutional risk and have long-term implications for the discipline and the organization”

German ChancellorFriedrich Merztoldreporters that Iran’s government is in its “last days and weeks”

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, former hostageDavid Cunioshareddetails about his time in captivity, including a visit in the tunnels by former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar…

Jay GreeneisjoiningtheDefense of Freedom Instituteas a senior fellow with a focus on antisemitism in education…

Jay Habermanwastappedat theAmerican Jewish Committee’s vice president for strategic philanthropy and major gifts; he was previously the chief development officer at ELNET-US…

Israeli archeologist and educatorGabriel Barkay, the co-founder and director of the Temple Mount Sifting Project,diedat 81…

Pic of the Day (AIPAC) AIPAC CEO Elliot Brandt (right) met with Honduran President-elect Nasry Asfura earlier this week during Asfura’s first trip to the U.S. following his election last month. Asfura, who is of Palestinian descent, also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, and plans to travel to Israel in the coming days.

Birthdays LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA OCTOBER 18: Julia Louis-Dreyfus attends the 2025 Academy Museum Gala at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) Actress and producer, winner of 11 Emmy Awards, she is best known for “Saturday Night Live,” “Seinfeld” and “Veep,”Julia Louis-Dreyfusturns 65

Argentine writer, he has authored 14 novels, 17 essay collections, four short story collections and two biographies,Marcos Aguinisturns 91… Marriage and family therapist in Bakersfield, Calif.,Kathleen Arnold-Chambers… Las Vegas resident,Cathy Nierenberg… Retired teacher,Lucia Meyerson… NYC pediatrician at Carnegie Hill Pediatrics,Barry B. Stein, MD… Lifelong resident of Greenwich Village, a two-time Emmy Award winner as a television producer, she worked for NBC Nightly News,Susanna Beth Aaron… President of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation,Cindy S. Moelisturns 65…Kaileh Lynn Pistol… Founder of the Freelancers Union, she was a MacArthur genius fellow in 1999,Sara Horowitzturns 63… Retired member of the Senate of Canada for 12 years, she is a past chair of the UJA of Greater Toronto,Linda Frumturns 63… Partner at Baker McKenzie, he served as deputy attorney general of the U.S. following 12 years as U.S. attorney for Maryland,Rod J. Rosensteinturns 61… Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel from 2013 until July 2024, RabbiDavid Baruch Lauturns 60… Executive assistant to the president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits after 15 years at JFNA,Bruce Maclver… Vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute,Kenneth M. Pollackturns 60… President and CEO of Amazon,Andrew R. Jassyturns 58… Longtime activist for Israel,Heidi Krizer Daroff… French screenwriter and director,Alice Winocourturns 50… Statistician and writer who analyzes sports and elections, he was the editor-in-chief ofFiveThirtyEightuntil 2023,Nate Silverturns 48… Former VP of donor relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, now a marriage and family therapist,Shira Berenson Feinstein… Israeli singer and rapper, known by his stage name Nechi Nech,Ravid Plotnikturns 38… Communications consultant based in Denver,Carly Freedman Schlafer… Rebecca Seider… Sandra Shapiro



]]> 99354 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-calls-grow-to-sunset-u-s-aid-to-israel-from-bibi-graham/ Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:13:53 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=99268 ]]> Good Monday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we bring you the latest on theanti-government protests in Iranand theU.S.’ new threats to the Islamic Republicif it continues killing protesters, and report on Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu’s comments published on Friday thatIsrael wants to phase out U.S. aidin the next decade. We cover Saturday’s arson attack targetingMississippi’s oldest synagogue, and report on New York City MayorZohran Mamdani’s stalled and muted response to pro-Hamas demonstratorswho rallied outside a synagogue last week. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Jerome Powell,Larry PageandMiriam Zivin.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What Were Watching Mahmoud Abbas, the 90-year-old longtime president of the Palestinian Authority, is in a hospital in Ramallah this morning. According to the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency Wafa, he is undergoing routine medical checkups.  We’re monitoring the situation in Iran where the death toll has risen in recent days as the regime ramps up its crackdown on the nationwide protests. President Donald Trump is set to be briefed tomorrow on options to respond to the escalation. More below. Trump is expected to announce the global leaders of the U.S.-backed Gaza Board of Peace this week. The first meeting of the board is set to take place later this month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The board’s launch comes as Israel prepares plans for a potential ground operation in Gaza in response to Hamas’ refusal to disarm. Qatar is signing the U.S.-led Pax Silica declaration today, joining the effort to strengthen AI and semiconductor supply chains. The United Arab Emirates is set to sign onto the declaration later this week. Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Britain and Australia are already part of the coalition. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS GABBY DEUTCH As another election year gets underway,two liberal Jewish politicians offered a window last week into just how fraught the issue of Israel has become in some Democratic primaries — and how even pushing back against claims that Israel is committing genocide is inviting intraparty political backlash, at least in the deepest-blue parts of the country.

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) faces a primary challenge from the leftin Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. When Goldman formally launched his reelection campaign last week, he was asked by a reporter if he believes Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Goldman equivocated—a notable shift for a lawmaker who in February 2024signed ontoa letter calling claims of genocide in Gaza “false.”

“I think there needs to be a serious investigationinto what went on in Gaza during the war,” Goldman said. “What you call it is I think more of a legal matter, in my view, but what we all can agree on is that the destruction [in Gaza] was unconscionable and devastating and I am really grateful that it is over and the hostages are out and we can move forward.” (Lander, in contrast, has accused Israel of genocide.)

Across the country, in San Francisco, California state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat running to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), was asked the same question at a candidate forum. His two primary opponents — Connie Chan, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — both raised placards that said “yes.” Wiener did not raise either the “yes” or “no” placard.

Wiener followed up with a post on Xclaiming that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “demands more discussion and certainly more time,” which, after receiving blowback on social media, he subsequently deleted. He then backtracked completely: On Sunday afternoon, Wienerposted a videoto social media stating that he’s “stopped short of calling [Israel’s actions in Gaza] a genocide, but I can’t anymore.”

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



FIREBOMBING PROBE Jackson’s only synagogue targeted in arson attack Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., targeted in an arson attack on Jan. 10, 2026. (Beth Israel Congregation) A suspect is under arrest for an arson attack that significantly damaged Mississippi’s largest synagogue early Saturday morning, authorities reported. Local law enforcement arrested a suspect whom they believe purposefully set fire to Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Jackson Mayor John Horhn confirmed. The suspect’s name and motive have not been disclosed,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. According to internal security camera footage, a person was filmed splashing liquid along a wall and onto a couch inside the synagogue’s lobby shortly before the fire was ignited,Mississippi Todayreported.

Storied past:Beth Israel Congregation is the only synagogue in Jackson, the state’s capital and most populous city. The historic building also houses the offices of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which supports Jewish life in the region. Located in a major hub of the Civil Rights Movement, Beth Israel wasbombedin 1967 by the Ku Klux Klan over the rabbi’s support for racial justice — including providing chaplain services to activists incarcerated for challenging segregated busing in the state.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TOUGH TALK Tehran threatens to attack U.S. bases as Trump considers military options against Iran Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaks with the media in a media conference at a conference hall in the Iranian Parliament building in Tehran, Iran, on December 2, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated on Sunday as President Donald Trump weighed options for striking Iran amid the regime’s crackdown on protesters, and Tehran threatened to strike U.S. bases in response,Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports. Trump was briefed in recent days on options for sites to strike in Iran,The New York Timesreported, after he issued several threats warning that the U.S. could get involved if the Iranian regime attempted to violently suppress the nationwide demonstrations that have racked the country for several weeks.

Returning the threat:In response, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament,saidon Sunday that the country would attack American military bases in the region if the U.S. follows through, and even raised the possibility of a preemptive strike. Ghalibaf also threatened to attack regional shipping lanes and Israel.

Read the full story here.

Further messaging:Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchitolda conference of foreign ambassadors today that Tehran “is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war,” and is “also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair.” Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump, asked whether the regime has crossed his red line,said, “They’re starting to,” … “We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination.”



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google AID EXIT Netanyahu: Israel seeking to end U.S. aid within 10 years President Donald J. Trump holds a joint news conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4, 2025. (Joshua Sukoff/Medill News Service) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is seeking to end the military assistance it receives from the U.S. in the next 10 years, a move that he said is “in the works,”Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch and Danielle Cohen-Kanik report.

What he said:In an interview withThe Economistreleased Friday, Netanyahu said that during his December visit to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., he told Trump that Israel “very deeply appreciate[s] the military aid that America has given us over the years.” But, he said, “we’ve come of age and we’ve developed incredible capacity. And our economy, which will reach, certainly within a decade, will reach about a trillion dollars — it’s not a huge economy, but it’s not a small economy. So I want to taper off military aid within the next 10 years.”

Read the full story here.

Exclusive:Following Netanyahu’s announcement, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told JI that he will push forward an effort to end U.S. aid more quickly — a major shift from one of Israel’s closest allies on Capitol Hill,JI’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google LEADERSHIP TEST Mamdani’s slow, muted response condemning pro-Hamas protest alarming NYC Dems New York City Mayoral Zohran Mamdani (L) and former Mayor Eric Adams attend the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from Democratic leaders over his delayed and muted response to last week’s pro-Hamas protest in Queens that caused nearby schools and a synagogue to close early in anticipation of the demonstration, where dozens of masked protesters chanted “We support Hamas” near the synagogue,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Delayed response:The newly inaugurated mayor remained silent Thursday night and much of the following day regarding the demonstration, which marked hisfirst major testin protecting the city’s Jewish community. His spokesperson did not respond to multiple inquiries from JI on Thursday. Mamdani broke his silence late in the afternoon on Friday when he wasaskedabout the protesters’ pro-Hamas chant byPoliticoreporter Jason Beeferman while leaving a campaigneventin Brooklyn for an ally. “That language is wrong,” Mamdani replied. “I think that language has no place in New York City.”

Read the full story here.

Sign of the times:The Wall Street Journal’s editorial boardarguesthat Mamdani’s response to the protest coupled with efforts by Breads Bakery employees for the company to cut its ties with Israel reflect the political climate in New York City under the new mayor.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google WALKING BACK Mallory McMorrow says Gaza genocide accusations, which she backed, have become ‘political purity test’ Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow speaks on stage with a copy of the Heritage Foundations Mandate for Leadership, a major component of the Project 2025 political initiative, on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic candidate for Senate, said in a recent radio interview that accusations of genocide against Israel —with which she has previously agreed — have become a “political purity test,” arguing that there has been too much emphasis on that specific word,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Notable quotable:Asked on local radio station WDET last weekwhether her stance has changed since October, when she affirmed that she believed the war in Gaza met the definition of a genocide, McMorrow did not offer a direct yes or no answer. “I am somebody who looks at the videos, the photos, the amount of pain that has been caused in the Middle East, and you can’t not be heartbroken,” McMorrow said. “But I also feel like we are getting lost in this conversation, and it feels like a political purity test on a word — a word that, by the way, to people who lost family members in the Holocaust, does mean something very different and very visceral.” McMorrow went on to criticize an unnamed opponent for campaigning on the issue of the war in Gaza, presumably referring to Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left Democrat who has made his opposition to Israel a centerpiece of his campaign.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON ALERT Hezbollah’s continued presence in south Lebanon alarms Israel, despite disarmament Lebanese soldiers take security measures as the Israeli army extended the deadline for its withdrawal from the southern region in Lebanon on January 26, 2025. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images) The Lebanese Armed Forces announced Thursday that it had taken operational control of the south of the country and successfully completed the first phase of its operation to disarm Hezbollah — a claim that experts say is unlikely to satisfy Israel and could risk further escalation. Under the November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese government was tasked with removing the terror group south of the Litani River, near Israel’s border, with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2025, before moving to the second phase of disarmament north of the Litani. ExpertstoldJewish Insider’s Matthew Sheathat the Lebanese army’s claim has done little to quell Israeli concerns.

Opposing information:“Despite the statements published today in Lebanon, the facts remain that extensive Hezbollah military infrastructure still exists south of the Litani River,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated in apost on Xon Thursday. Hanin Ghaddar, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the situation has become increasingly tense because there is “no indication” that Lebanon will move forward with the next phases of disarmament and that it is “more likely” the country is “not going to move north of Litani” in order to avoid confrontation with Hezbollah.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Iran on the Brink:InThe Atlantic, Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Jack A. Goldstone, the author ofRevolutions: A Very Short Introduction,weigh the likelihood that the Iranian regime will collapse imminently. “One of us, Jack, has written at length about the five specific conditions necessary for a revolution to succeed: a fiscal crisis, divided elites, a diverse oppositional coalition, a convincing narrative of resistance, and a favorable international environment. This winter, for the first time since 1979, Iran checks nearly all five boxes… The final and decisive catalyst for revolution is an international environment that helps sink the regime rather than bolster it. After North Korea, Iran may be the most strategically isolated country in the world. Over the past two years — since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which Ayatollah Khamenei alone among major world leaders openly endorsed — Iran’s regional proxies and global allies have been decimated or deposed.”[Atlantic]

Crackdown Crisis:The Washington Post’s David Ignatius posits that the Iranian regime’s protest crackdowns, which have occurred a number of times in recent years, have only served to delay an eventual effective uprising. “The Iranian regime is on a one-way street to disaster. A senior European diplomat in Tehran shared that assessment with me several years ago, and it remains true. Iran has powerful security tools, but they’re getting rusty. The regime couldn’t protect its proxies Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. And most important, Iran couldn’t shield itself from Israel’s systematic assault in June. … The wild card this year is whether the regime’s hard-liners have lost their edge. Like the Soviet Union during its last years, the security agencies may have lost their ideological commitment and discipline. They’ve watched helplessly as their proxy forces were crushed in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. And they’ve suffered the same scourge of inflation and economic stagnation as the rest of the nation. They’re not broken, but they appear more fragile than in the past.”[WashPost]

Read His Lips:InSemafor, Jason Greenblatt, who served as the White House Middle East envoy during the first Trump administration, posits that Iran should take seriously President Donald Trump’s warnings that the U.S. could back the protesters demonstrating against the regime if Tehran continues to use violence against them. “Trump has established a record of acting when he draws lines. He views the June conflict with Iran — short, focused, and devastating to its strategic military assets — as proof that decisive and limited force can restore balance rather than prolong instability. In his view, hesitation invites escalation. Clear consequences reduce it. Diplomacy is preferable, but diplomacy without credibility is meaningless. … What separates Trump from many of his predecessors is not an appetite for war, but a refusal to tolerate endless gray zones. His worldview is not anti-Iranian or anti-Venezuelan. It is anti-destabilization. That applies equally to nuclear brinkmanship in the Middle East and narco-state behavior in the Western Hemisphere that corrodes security at home and abroad.”[Semafor]

The Torture Chronicles:InThe Atlantic, Russia-Israeli academic Elizabeth Tsurkov recounts her 902-day captivity in Iraq. “The interrogators kept threatening me with torture, but in those opening weeks, they refrained from acting on the threats — I assume on orders from higher up. Instead, because they were clearly untrained in conducting interrogations that did not involve torture, they fell back on interrogation methods they had probably seen in movies. To intimidate me, Maher would blow smoke in my face, but because he was using an e-cigarette, all I got was a gust of strawberry-smelling vape. It wasn’t quite the tough-guy routine he was after. Later, he tried the good cop, bad cop routine on me but undermined the effect by playing both characters himself, on alternate days, which just made him seem deranged.”[Atlantic]



Word on the Street PresidentDonald TrumptoldThe New York Timesthat neither theRepublican Party nor the MAGA movementhave space for antisemitism, saying that the GOP doesn’t “need” or “like” people who espouse antisemitism; the president also called himself “the least antisemitic person probably there is anywhere in the world”…

Far-right commentatorTucker Carlsonjoineda lunch withTrumpand Vice PresidentJD Vanceon Friday, laterattendinga meeting between the president andoil and gas executivesregarding Venezuela…

Federal prosecutorsopeneda criminal investigation into theFederal Reserveand its chair,Jerome Powell, over renovations made to the agency’s Washington headquarters; Powell released a video alleging that the investigation came as a result of his clashes with the Trump administration over interest rates…

Former Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene(R-GA)deniedthe White House’s allegation that she had tippedCode Pinkoff to a lunch the president was having at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak Stone Crab in September, where the far-left activist group confronted the president in a now-viral incident…

Steve Bannonis reportedlylayingthe groundwork for a2028 presidential bidin an effort to push an America First agenda during the primary season. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who has appeared on Bannons War Room podcast, toldAxios, The Bannon campaign will merge the foreign policy of Rand Paul with the tax policy of Elizabeth Warren…

Police in New Jerseyarrestedaman suspected of throwing a rock at a yeshiva school buson the New Jersey Turnpike, injuring an 8-year-old girl; the man, Hernando Garciamorales, had been linked to a series of prior rock-throwing incidents…

Google co-founderLarry Pageboughttwo Miami properties for $173.4 million,amid an influx of Silicon Valley execs to South Floridaas California gears up for a referendum on a tax on billionaires…

AU.K. medical tribunalclearedtherector of the University of Glasgowof misconduct allegations for social media posts and an op-ed in which he praised members of Hamas and the People’s Front for the Liberation of Palestine…

Israelstruckat leastseven Hezbollah sitesin southern Lebanon on Sunday, days after the Lebanese Armed Forcesclaimedthat the Iran-backed terror group had fully disarmed…

Israeli policedetainedTzachi Braverman, the chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for questioning over allegations that he attempted to hinder an investigation into the leaking of a classified military document in 2024…

TheAssociated Pressreports onan ethics debate inside Israel overSara Netanyahu’s retouching of official government photos…

TheU.S.conductedstrikes againstISIS targets in Syria, weeks after an attack by an ISIS-aligned member of Syria’s security forces killed two U.S. servicemembers and a civilian interpreter…

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani,Qatar’s prime ministerand foreign minister,metwithBen Black, CEO of theU.S. International Development Finance Corporation, in Doha on Monday…

The Qatari prime minister alsometwith U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic AffairsJacob Helbergand discussed “the close strategic relations” between the two countries, according to the Qatari Foreign Ministry…

ABahraini courtsentencedpolitical activistEbrahim Sharifto six months in prison and a fine over a recent interview in Lebanon in which Sharif criticized Arab states and said more support should be given to the Palestinians…

InThe New York Times’ “Modern Love” column, Taiwanese-American economistDavid Wooreflectson his marriage to Israeli architectMargalit Shinar, who is 40 years his senior…

Jewish actorsTimothée ChalametandSeth Rogentook homeawards at the Golden Globes— Chalamet for his role in the movie “Marty Supreme” and Rogen for his satire show “The Studio”…

Richard Hirschhautis joiningJewish National Fund-USAas its national campaign director for the West Coast and Mountain states after six years as the director of the American Jewish Committee’s Los Angeles office…

Mothers Against Campus AntisemitismtappedMiriam Zivinas the advocacy group’s new board president, following a weekslong dispute between the organization’s founder and board,eJewishPhilanthropy’sJay Deitcher reports…

Sen. Lindsey Graham(R-SC)deliveredthe opening remarks at aTzedek Association fundraising eventin Deal, N.J….

Chabad of Westporthostedformer hostageEliya Cohenand survivor of the Nova music festival massacreZiv Aboud, who recently got engaged and have been touring the U.S. in recent weeks, sharing their stories and working to fight misinformation…

Hessy Levinsons Taft, whose baby photo was used on the cover of theSonne ins Hauspro-Nazi magazine as a depiction of the ideal Aryan infant by editors who did not know she was Jewish,diedat 91…

Dr.Jerome Lowenstein, a physician who later became publisher of the Bellevue Literary Press, which published the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winner for fiction,diedat 92…

Pic of the Day  (OZ SHECHTER/GPO) Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (right) met with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, in Jerusalem on Sunday, as part of a nine-day trip by the Japanese foreign minister that will also include visits to the West Bank, Qatar, the Philippines and India. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Motegi explained during the meeting Japans position on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and “stated that Japan will play a proactive role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, in improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza and in engaging in the early-recovery and reconstruction efforts.”

Birthdays Walter Mosley attends the premiere of The Man in My Basement during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Lightbox on September 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Jeremy Chan/Getty Images) Author of over 40 books, most widely recognized for his crime fiction,Walter Ellis Mosleyturns 74…

Real estate and casino magnate, he is a minority owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox,Neil Gary Bluhmturns 88… U.S.-born biochemist, he moved to Israel in 1973, winner of the Israel Prize (1999) and professor emeritus at Hebrew U,Howard Chaim Cedarturns 83…Stephen Moses… Israel-born jewelry designer, editor and businesswoman, she was the first lady of Iceland from 2003 until 2016,Dorrit Moussaieffturns 76… NYC-based psychiatrist and president of the Child Mind Institute,Harold S. Koplewicz, MD turns 73… Radio personality on Sirius XM,Howard Sternturns 72… British novelist and grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (one of the latters two Jewish grandchildren),Simon Mario Reuel Tolkienturns 67… Senior director of philanthropic engagement at Jewish Funders Network, she was a consultant for DreamWorks on the film The Prince of Egypt,Tzivia Schwartz Getzug… Midday news anchor at Washingtons WTOP Radio,Debra Feinsteinturns 64… Board member and former chair of Hillel International, she is also a board chair of Mem Global (f/k/a Moishe House),Tina Price… Member of the Maryland House of Delegates,Jon S. Cardinturns 56… Identical twin comedians and actors,Randy Sklar and Jason Sklarturn 54… Filmmaker known for parody films,Aaron Seltzerturns 52… First-ever woman to be an MLB coach, in 2024 she was a co-founder of a womens pro baseball league,Justine SiegalPh.D. turns 51… Rabbinical advisor of Shabtai,Shmully Hechtturns 51… Recording artist and musical entertainer,Yaakov Shwekeyturns 49… Professional golfer,Rob Oppenheimturns 46… Two-time Olympian (2012 and 2016) in beach volleyball, now a chiropractor and performance coach,Josh Binstockturns 45… Founder of The Jewish Majority,Jonathan Schulman… Director of major gifts in the mid-Atlantic region for American Friends of Magen David Adom,Ira Gewanter… Executive director of the Hillel at Virginia Tech,Amanda Herring… VP of finance and operations at NYC-based Hornig Capital Partners,Daniel Silvermintz… Israeli tennis player,Lina Glushkoturns 26



]]> 99268 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-persia-in-protest/ Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:08:09 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=99120 ]]> Good Friday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look at thegrowing pressure facing the Iranian regimeas the protests sweeping the Islamic Republic expand into all of the country’s 31 provinces, and talk to legislators aboutPresident Donald Trump’s threats to Tehranover its crackdown on the demonstrations. We report on New JerseyGov. Phil Murphy’s successful effort to kill a resolution that would have adopted theInternational Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, and talk toVenezuelan Jews living in South Floridaabout the Trump administration’s arrest ofNicolás Maduro. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: Rep.Steny Hoyer,Steven SpielbergandMassad Boulos.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.

For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: U.S. lawmakers weigh in on fears of Saudi Arabia accommodating Islamists; New York Jewish leaders hope Menin will serve as check against Mamdani; and Why Israel recognized Somaliland — and what the rest of the world might do next. Print the latest edition here.

What Were Watching President Donald Trump is meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning, followed by a lunch between the president and Vice President JD Vance. Trump will meet in the afternoon with oil and gas executives to discuss the situation in Venezuela. Jacob Helberg, the undersecretary of state for economic affairs, is traveling to the Middle East through next weekend. He’s slated to meet with senior officials in Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In the UAE, he’ll lead the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-UAE Economic Policy Dialogue. We’re continuing to monitor the situation in Iran, where protests escalated last night as the regime cut off internet and international phone calls, limiting the amount of information that could leave the Islamic Republic. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a video address that Trump’s hands were “stained with the blood of Iranians” for having voiced support for the protesters. Ongoing current events coincide with the long-delayed release of the third season of the Israeli series “Tehran,” which drops today on Apple TV in the U.S. Tomorrow, Rabbi David Wolpe will sit in conversation with the Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt at Los Angeles’ Sinai Temple, where Wolpe is the Max Webb Rabbi Emeritus. Awards season kicks off on Sunday night with the Golden Globes. Up for Best Motion Picture and Best Screenplay is “Marty Supreme,” based on the life of table tennis player Martin Reisman (with star Timothée Chalamet nominated for Best Actor). “It Was Just An Accident,” a thriller by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi (who also received nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay), and “The Voice Of Hind Rajab,” about a young Palestinian girl who died during the Israel-Hamas war, are both nominated for Best Film in a non-English language. Adam Brody was nominated for Best Actor for his starring role in the TV show “Nobody Wants This,” and Jason Isaacs was nominated for his “White Lotus” performance in the Best Supporting Actor category. Comics Sarah Silverman and Brett Goldstein are both nominated for their stand-up specials. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MATTHEW SHEA The United States, Israel and their regional allies are watching closely as sustained unrest in Iranputs renewed pressure on the regime at a moment of economic strain, international isolation and lingering fallout from the 12-day war with Israel last June.

Recent demonstrations have spread across all 31 of Iran’s provinces,fueled by public anger over a collapsing economy, inflation exceeding 40% and aggressive crackdowns by security forces. Economic pressure — intensified by costly proxy wars and United Nations sanctions — have sent Iran’s currency into a sharp decline.

Jonathan Ruhe, a fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America,said the regimes “unwillingness to be responsive to its peoples basic demands and rights,” is also a factor. Adding that Tehran has a “clear preference to spend the countrys resources on military projects like its proxies, missiles and nuclear program instead of its citizens well-being.”

More than 400 demonstrations took place this week alone,with at least 743 recorded over the past month, according to atrackerfrom the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The death toll has reached at least 38, with more than 2,200 arrestsreported. The demonstrations are the largest since April 2025 and among the most sustained since late 2022 as videos continue tocirculateonline of Iraniansflooding the streets, burning regime flags andlightingfire to statues of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ruhe said that uprisings by the Iranian people against the regime are not uncommon.“In 2009 it was political corruption, when the regime clearly stole the presidential election to get [former President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad reelected,” he said. “In 2017-18 it was economic and foreign policy issues, for instance Iranians being killed in the Syrian civil war and the regimes lavish spending on its proxies instead of at home. In 2022 it was social and cultural issues, namely hijab enforcement.”

But experts say what is unfolding now could be more significant than protests of the past,expressing toJewish Insiderthat recent developments could pose an unprecedented challenge to a regime already under strain.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



PROTEST PRESSURE GOP senators back Trump’s threat to Iranian regime over protest crackdown Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8, 2026. (Kamran / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images) Multiple Senate Republicans voiced support for President Donald Trump’s threat that the U.S. would intervene directly should the Iranian regime crack down on the escalating protests across Iran — crackdowns that appear to have already begun,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.

What they’re saying:President Trump has been very clear: If the ayatollah harms the protesters, the consequences would be catastrophically painful,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told JI. “The regime should understand that the president is deadly serious and will enjoy strong support in Congress. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) told JI that “what the president said … [is] one of the things that we can do to help protect the Iranians who are protesting.” Other senators spoke more broadly about offering U.S. support for the protesters without addressing direct intervention, with one noting that lawmakers haven’t discussed in detail at this point potential measures to respond.

Read the full story herewith additional comments from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Fetterman (D-PA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), James Lankford (R-OK), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

Strike support:Fetterman said on Thursday that he would support the U.S. striking Iran’s nuclear facilities again to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear program — if the regime is found to be making strides toward restoring sites damaged by U.S. and Israeli strikes last year,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google VENEZUELAN VIEWS After years in exile, Venezuelan Jews celebrate the fall of Maduro Mural artist from Venezuela, Pedro Martin, pictured. A mural depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro portrayed as captured is seen in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami, Florida. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Sipa USA/Sipa via AP Images) When Valerie Stramwasser woke up on Saturday, Jan. 3, she glanced at her phone and saw hundreds of WhatsApp messages. “Im like, ‘Oh my god, something happened.’ I first thought that it was something in the family, and then I opened up and I hear, ‘Were free.’ Were free. It happened,” StramwassertoldJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutchon Thursday. “Literally tears of joy.” Stramwasser, 37, lives in Hollywood, Fla., with her husband and two children, but she grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. She was forced to flee the country as a teenager after a failed kidnapping attempt against her.

Miami move:Stramwasser is one of hundreds of thousands of those Venezuelans who now call Florida home, including several thousand Venezuelan Jews who have developed outposts of their once-strong Caracas community centers in Miami. “Growing up there, it was a community of about 28,000 Jews that were living there. It was a vibrant community, a very successful and respected community,” said Paul Kruss, a city commissioner in Aventura, Fla., who also owns a popular local bagel shop. His mother, who was from Warsaw, Poland, moved to Caracas after surviving the Holocaust. “Now theres maybe 4,500 that live there, which should tell you all you need to know about the kind of brain drain that they had. It wasnt only the Jewish community that fled.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BILL BLOCK Gov. Phil Murphy killed New Jersey antisemitism legislation, sources say New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy speaks during a press conference to announce that George Helmy will take the U.S. Senate seat that will soon be vacated by Senator Bob Menendez, in Newark, New Jersey, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) A high-profile New Jersey bill adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism is not expected to pass in the current New Jersey Assembly session,four sources familiar with the situation toldJewish Insider’s Marc Rod.Two sources said that Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, opposed the legislation and was a key obstacle to its passage.

Behind the scenes:The two sources blamed Murphy, the outgoing governor, for its failure, alleging that he did not want to be forced to make a decision whether to sign it. One source familiar with the situation emphasized that the legislation had the support to pass, but that Democratic leaders were reluctant to move the bill forward to a full vote — concerned that support for the bill would place some Democratic members in danger of progressive primary challenges in the future. Another source said that there had been significant finger-pointing between Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, with each blaming the others for the legislation’s failure to pass.

Read the full story here.

Meanwhile in Missouri:The Missouri state House isset to consider legislationadopting the IHRA definition in educational settings on Monday.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google STORIED LEGACY Rep. Hoyer’s retirement deprives Dems of leading pro-Israel stalwart Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) speaks at a press conference in Washington, DC on February 24, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) Democratic colleagues and leaders are lauding Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the longtime former No. 2 Democratic House leader, as a champion for Israel, and say that his retirement, announced Thursday, will deprive Democrats of one of the leading congressional advocates of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Time in Congress:Hoyer, 86, has served in Congress since 1981, and was the second-most senior House Democrat from 2007-2023. A prominent voice respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Hoyer has for years led AIPAC-linked American Israel Education Foundation’s trip to Israel for first-term Democrats. His retirement comes at a time of a sea change on Israel policy among Democratic lawmakers and the Democratic base.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google NO COMMENT Mamdani silent as pro-Hamas group protests near synagogue NYC Zohran Mamdani briefly speaks with reporters as he leaves the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was silent regarding an anti-Israel protest in Queens on Thursday that caused nearby schools and a synagogue to close early in anticipation of the demonstration where protesters chanted “We support Hamas.” The radical group behind the protest, called Palestinian Assembly for Liberation [PAL]-Awda, wrote on social media Thursday afternoon that it would gather in the evening outside of an event held by CapitIL, a Jerusalem-based real estate agency, at the Modern Orthodox synagogue Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. The post called it an “illegal event” promoting “blatant land theft and dispossession,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

What happened: Dozens of masked, keffiyeh-clad demonstrators gathered across the street from the synagogue and chanted, “We support Hamas here,” “There is only one solution, intifada revolution,” “Globalize the intifada” and “Death to the IDF” for more than two hours while banging on drums in the residential area in Queens’ heavily Jewish neighborhood of Kew Gardens Hills. One protester held a ripped Israeli flag that was painted red to resemble blood. The protest was also promoted by Columbia University Apartheid Divest. 

Read the full story here.

Bonus:Mamdani met earlier this week with Steven Spielberg in the film director’s Manhattan home, in whatThe New York Timesreportedwas a “friendly get-to-know-you conversation” between the new mayor and Spielberg, who became a New York resident the day of the inauguration.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google HARGEISA HOPES Somaliland’s top diplomat in Washington hopes for Jewish support in bid for additional recognition Somaliland diplomat Bashir Goth with Rabbi Abraham Cooper. associate dean and director of Global Social Action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center (X/Rev. Johnnie Moore) Since Israel became the first state to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent nation last month, Bashir Goth, Somalilands top diplomat in Washington, was granted the opening he has been seeking since he began his posting in 2018: a chance to try to convince the United States to follow suit and recognize the independence of Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia that has governed itself for 35 years. “Our friends will be more active now, more vigorous, more encouraged by the Israeli recognition,”Goth toldJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch in an interview on Wednesday.

Seizing the moment:Goth is hoping to capitalize on the rare occurrence of Somaliland being in the news, in part by attempting to rally American Jews to his cause. “We always built very strong relations and engagements with Jewish organizations in Washington, D.C., and they are more active now, more than any time before,” said Goth. “I think they will also be very, very helpful in pushing this forward.”

Read the full interview here.

Bonus:Speaking toThe National, Massad Boulos, the Trump administration’s senior advisor on Arab and Africa affairssaid, “Somaliland is not a new issue. … [Israel is] free to have peace relationships and these partnerships. The United States so far has not changed its position on Somalia. For now, our policy is ‘one Somalia.’ Things may evolve in the future, I cant speculate. We’re continuously looking into these things and assessing these things. But as of now our policy has not changed.”

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Softer Touch on Protesters: In The Wall Street Journal, Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh posit that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are taking a less hard-line approach to the protests sweeping the country. “The government hopes a softer touch will cause the marchers to be satisfied with making their point. If not, the emollients favored by [Parliament Speaker Mohammad] Qalibaf and Pezeshkian will likely give way to the severity favored by the supreme leader and encouraged by Mr. Trump’s provocative challenge. For at least a century, the Iranian public has sought meaningful political participation while central governments resisted. With the exception of the 1979 revolution, the regimes prevailed. But Iranians have never remained satisfied with national bargains in which they forfeit political rights for economic dividends or social emancipation.” [WSJ]

Clash in the Gulf: In Foreign Policy, Marc Lynch looks at the dynamics between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as the countries clash in a number of theaters, including Yemen and Somalia. “[After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks,] the UAE maintained its relations with Israel, positioning itself as the key Arab interlocutor for a post-Hamas Gaza and hoping to claim vindication for its strategy of tight alignment with Israel and Washington. Saudi Arabia, with a much more challenging domestic environment and its own ambitions for regional leadership, reverted to its traditional position of conditioning normalization with Israel on a credible path toward a Palestinian state. Unstated, but well understood, was that Riyadh never had any intention of joining an Abu Dhabi-led initiative. The crystallization of a divide between Saudi Arabia and the Emirati-Israeli alliance would force everyone in the region to take sides — something smaller states usually prefer to avoid. Most of the other Gulf states, such as Egypt, seem to be falling in line with Saudi Arabia. The competition could inflame civil wars, just as it did a decade earlier.” [FP]

Word on the Street Five Senate Republicans — Sens.Lisa Murkowski(R-AK),Josh Hawley(R-MO),Susan Collins(R-ME),Todd Young(R-IN) andRand Paul(R-KY) —voted withDemocrats in favor of awar powers resolutionlimiting further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval…

Bloombergreports onthe White House’s exclusion of Director of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbardfrom the planning of the arrest of Venezuelan leaderNicolás Maduroearlier this month due to Gabbard’s past opposition to U.S. military action in Venezuela…

Massad Boulos, the Trump administration’s senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs,saidthat the U.S. will make an announcement about theMuslim Brotherhoodin the coming days…

Politicolooks atthe wave offar-left Democrats critical of Israelwho arewho are mounting congressional bids, deepening divisions within the party and raising concerns that far-left candidates focused on Israel will drain campaign resources and damage eventual candidates’ efforts to win in the general election…

TheCooper Unionsettleda lawsuit brought forth by10 Jewish studentsat the school who had been trapped in the New York university’s library for 20 minutes while anti-Israel students protested outside in an October 2023 incident …

Four former University of Rochester studentspleadedguilty to intentionally damaging university property for their roles inposting“Wanted” posters accusing faculty and staff members of committing war crimes in Gaza; the students were expelled weeks after they were arrested…

New Jersey State Policeareinvestigatingan incident that took place on the New Jersey Turnpike on Wednesday in which a rock was thrown through a school bus window, fracturing the skull of an 8-year-old girl…

Approximately 30% of the workforce across the six locations of New York City eateryBreads Bakeryis unionizing andmaking demandsof the shop’s Israeli owners —including “a redistribution of profits, safer working conditions, more respect and an end to this company’s support of the genocide happening in Palestine”

Australian Prime MinisterAnthony Albaneseannounceda royal commission investigating antisemitism, following the terror attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach last month…

The board of theAdelaide Writers’ Week festival in Australiadisinvitedanti-Israel activist and writerRanda Abdel-Fattah, saying her participation in the event would “not be culturally sensitive” during what the board described as an “unprecedented time so soon after Bondi”; Abdel-Fattah’s disinvitation prompted the withdrawal of several participants who had been slated to speak at the festival…

Politicobreaks downthe significance of theU.S.-brokered meeting between senior Israeli and Syrian officials in Paristhis week, during which the parties agreed to create communications channels to more effectively coordinate on security, diplomatic and commercial issues…

TheUnited Arab Emiratesceasedfunding scholarships for citizens who plan to study in the U.K.; the cut comes amid frustration from Emirati officials overLondon’s refusal to designate the Muslim Brotherhoodas a terrorist organization…

A new report from TRM LabsfoundthatIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsused two U.K.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to move approximately $1 billion over the last three years…

The Wall Street Journaldoes a deep diveintoa shadow fleet with ties to Russia, Iran, China and Venezuelathat moves oil around the world in violation of international sanctions…

Pic of the Day (COURTESY) Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Syrian-born man who tackled and disarmed one of the two gunmen in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in Sydney that killed 15 people, visited Capitol Hill on Thursday, his arm still in a sling after being shot twice.

What I want to say for the whole world around everywhere, in America, Australia, England, everywhere in the world, we must stand by each other and stay united, and peace for everyone. Thats my message, al-Ahmed toldJewish Insiderin between meetings with officials including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Al-Ahmed was accompanied by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman (second from left), a Chabad leader in Sydney whose son-in-law was killed in the attack, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov (far left), the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch. Al-Ahmed and Ulman alsometjointly with Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA).

Birthdays (GILBERT FLORES/PENSKE MEDIA VIA GETTY IMAGES) Actor with a recurring role in Sex and the City and author of two books on his recovery from acute myeloid leukemia,Evan Handlerturns 65 on Saturday…

FRIDAY:Law professor at Georgetown University,Peter Edelmanturns 88… Former member of the Swiss Federal Council and president of the Swiss Confederation in 1999, she is the first woman to ever hold this position,Ruth Dreifussturns 86… Rabbi emeritus of Kehilath Israel Synagogue in Overland Park, Kan.,Herbert Jay Mandlturns 81… Vice chairman of Gilbert Global Equity Partners,Steven Kotler… Pulitzer Prize-winning Supreme Court reporter forThe New York Timesfor 40 years, she is now a lecturer and senior research scholar at Yale Law SchoolLinda Greenhouseturns 79… Retired MLB umpire, he worked in 3,392 major league games in his 26-year career, his family name was Sklarz,Al Clarkturns 78… Presidential historian, spokesman for the 9/11 Commission, and university lecturer,Alvin S. Felzenbergturns 77… Composer, singer, radio show host, and author, he has released seven albums under the name Country Yossi,Yossi Toivturns 77… Actress, singer and songwriter, she is the half-sister of Barbra Streisand,Roslyn Kindturns 75… Australian author of more than 40 books of childrens and young adult fiction, including a five-book series about a 10-year-old Jewish boy in Nazi-occupied Poland,Morris Gleitzmanturns 73… Former governor of the Bank of Israel from 2013 to 2018,Karnit Flugturns 71… International president of the Rabbinical Assembly, he is the rabbi of Beth El Synagogue in East Windsor, N.J., Rabbi Jay M. Kornsgold turns 61… Dean of the Bar-Ilan University law school,Michal Albersteinturns 57… Investment banker,Joel Darren Plascoturns 55… Justice of the High Court of Australia,James Joshua Edelmanturns 52… Russian-born American novelist, journalist and literary translator,Keith A. Gessenturns 51… Filmmaker, she is the second lady of New York State,Lacey Schwartz Delgadoturns 49… NFL insider and reporter for the NFL Network,Ian Rapoportturns 46… Chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance and founder of Skydance Media,David Ellisonturns 43… Israeli actress and model, best known for her role as Nurit in “Fauda,”Rona-Lee Shimonturns 43… Director of development and community relations at Manhattan Day School,Allison Liebman Rubin… Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer atThe New Yorker,Ben Taubturns 35… Enterprise account executive at Built,Madeline Peterson… Television and film actress,Nicola Anne Peltz Beckhamturns 31

SATURDAY:Physician and medical researcher,Bernard Salomon Lewinskyturns 83… Editor and publisher of Denvers IntermountainJewish News, historian and teacher of the Mussar movement, RabbiHillel Goldbergturns 80… President of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston for 30 years, now a professor at Brandeis,Barry Shrageturns 79… Former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, BaronDavid Edmond Neubergerturns 78… Musician, singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Rock Roll Hall of Fame band Steely Dan,Donald Fagenturns 78… World-renowned Israeli cellist, he has over 50 recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label with many top orchestras,Mischa Maiskyturns 78… U.S. senator (R-MO) from 2011-2023,Roy Bluntturns 76… Long-time editor at Bantam Books, Simon Schuster and Crown Publishers,Sydny Weinberg Miner… Retired executive director at Beta Alpha Psi, the international honor society for accounting students,Hadassah (Dassie) Baum… Founder and CEO at Los Angeles-based Quantifiable Media and Tel Aviv-based Accords Consulting,Rose Kemps… Fellow for Religious Freedom at the Forum,Richard Thomas Foltin… Professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University, he taught his last class in December 2024,Jonathan D. Sarnaturns 71… President and CEO of the Nellis Management Company and past president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington,Mark A. Levittturns 70… Majority owner of the NBAs Golden State Warriors,Joe Lacobturns 70… Member of the Knesset for the United Torah Judaism party,Uri Maklevturns 69… U.S. senator (D-MD),Chris Van Hollenturns 67… Member of the U.K.s House of Lords and advisor to the government on antisemitism,Baron John Mannturns 66… Theatrical producer, playwright and director,Ari Rothturns 65… Vice chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples,Beth Ellen Wolff… Author and journalist best known for his novelsGangster Nation,GangsterlandandLiving Dead Girl,Tod Goldbergturns 55… Member of the Knesset for Likud,Galit Distel-Atbaryanturns 55… Film director and screenwriter,Joe Nussbaumturns 53… Caryn Beth Lazaroff Gold… Private equity executive and unofficial troubleshooter for the Trump administration,Jared Kushnerturns 45… Communications manager for Ford Motor Company,Adam David Weissmann… Former spokesperson on terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury,Morgan Aubrey Finkelstein… Israeli rapper, singer and songwriter,Michael Swissaturns 30… Andrew Tobin…Debbie Seiden

SUNDAY:Psychologist and the author of 27 books, he lectures at NYU,Michael Eigenturns 90 Retired judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago, author of 40 books on jurisprudence and economics,Richard Posnerturns 87… Violinist and music teacher,Shmuel Ashkenasiturns 85… Film, television and theater director, best known for his TV series Full House and Family Matters and his films My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Fat Albert,Joel Zwickturns 84… Las Vegas resident,Stephen Norman Needleman… Economist and professor of banking at Columbia University, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,Frederic Stanley Rick Mishkinturns 75… Noted gardener and florist,Lynn Blitzer… Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of experimental medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he is the author of five books, Dr.Jerome E. Groopmanturns 74… Former member of the Canadian House of Commons,Susan Kadisturns 73… Former director general of Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Avi Gilturns 71… CEO of Sense Education, an AI company,Seth Habermanturns 66… Attorney, author, speaker and activist,Brian Cubanturns 65… Partner at Magnolia Marketing LLC,Alan Franco… Rabbi at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT), RabbiDaniel Korobkinturns 62… Former National Hockey League player for 12 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks,Ronald Ronnie Sternturns 59… Actress, socialite and reality television personality,Kyle Richards Umanskyturns 57… Defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League for 12 seasons, he is a co-owner at Veras Burger Shack based in Vancouver, B.C.,Noah Cantorturns 55… Film, stage and television actress,Amanda Peetturns 54… Hockey coach, he is a former goaltender with the NHLs Phoenix Coyotes, he also played in six other leagues,Josh Tordjmanturns 41… Member of the Knesset for the Democrats party,Naama Lazimiturns 40… Executive chef and restaurateur,Yehuda Sichel… VP and head of strategic partnerships at Penzer Family Office,Michal (Mickey) Penzer… French-American actress,Flora Crossturns 33… Director of football strategy and assistant quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens,Daniel Sternturns 32… Founder when she was just 12 years old of Nannies by Noa,Noa Mintzturns 25



]]> 99120 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-how-mamdani-is-managing-jewish-outreach/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:37:58 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=99020 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we talk to Jewish leaders in New York City aboutJulie Menin’s election to be city council speaker and look at how New York MayorZohran Mamdani’s staffing decisions signal how he’ll work with the city’s Jewish community. We talk to legislators about thepossibility of the U.S. recognizing Somaliland, and have the scoop on Senate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer’s meeting today withsurvivors of the Bondi Beach terror attackin Sydney, Australia. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: MKDan Illouz,Tony DokoupilandMarc Molinaro.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What Were Watching It’s the first day of New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin’s term after yesterday’s unanimous council vote. Menin, a centrist Democrat representing the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, is expected to serve as an ideological counterweight to elements of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda. More below. The Senate will vote today on a war powers resolution that would limit U.S. military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will meet today with survivors of the Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney, Australia. More below. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will officially announce his plan to retire from Congress in a floor speech today. The 86-year-old Hoyer, who served as House majority leader from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023, told The Washington Post that he “did not want to be one of those members who clearly stayed, outstayed his or her ability to do the job.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — who kicked off his 2026 reelection bid this morning — and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis are slated to speak today in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in New York City is hosting a screening this evening of “The Road Between Us,” a documentary about the efforts of Maj. Gen. (res.) Noam Tibon to rescue his son, journalist Amir Tibon, and Amir’s family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. Read our interview with Noam Tibon and director Barry Avrich, who will speak at the screening, here. In Beirut, Lebanese Armed Forces commander Rudolph Haikal is scheduled to brief Lebanese legislators on efforts to disarm Hezbollah in the southern region of the country, along Israel’s border. Lebanon’s army announced that it had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, with the exception of small areas under Israeli control. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office called the efforts an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollahs efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MATTHEW KASSEL As New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani draws increased scrutiny for picking some top appointeeswhose past incendiary social media comments haveprovoked controversyand raised questions over his vetting process, Jewish community leaders are now watching closely for signs of how the administration will make staffing decisions on key issues connected to Israel and antisemitism.

One person to keep an eye on is Josh Binderman,who served as Mamdani’s Jewish outreach director during the campaign and transition. He has largely maintained a low profile in his time working for the candidate and now mayor, garnering just a small handful of mentions in the press, despite his critical position leading engagement with a community that in many ways remainsdeeply skepticalof Mamdani’s hostile stances on Israel and commitment to implementing a clear strategy to counter rising antisemitism.

Binderman, most recently a communications manager for New Deal Strategies,an influential progressive consulting firm,serveduntil 2024 as a PAC manager and a senior associate for J Street, the progressive Israel advocacy group, according to his LinkedIn profile.

While Mamdaninotably refusedto work with the organization when he led a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestineas an undergraduate student at Bowdoin College, the mayor has since developed a friendlier rapport with J Street, which hasdefendedhimamidchargesthat he tapped transition advisors who engaged in anti-Zionist activism that crossed a line into antisemitism.

Mamdani’s decision to employ a former top J Street staffer during the electionsuggests he could follow a similar approach to key Jewish community posts for his developing administration. If so, it could help to at least dampen some concerns from Jewish leaders who fear the mayor will end up hiring even harder-left members in his coalition such as activists associated with Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Israel advocacy group that aggressively promotes boycotts targeting the Jewish state.

It is still an open question,however, how Mamdani will move forward on such issues. His decision last week to revoke two executive orders linked to Israel and antisemitism was widely seen as a discouraging maneuver that eroded goodwill among mainstream Jewish leaders — even as Binderman hadreportedlygiven some advance warning to leaders about the effort before the inauguration.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



MENINS MOMENT New York Jewish leaders hope Menin will serve as check against Mamdani New York City Councilmember Julie Menin is unanimously elected Council speaker on January 7, 2026. (Julie Menin/X) Julie Menin’s election on Wednesday as speaker of the New York City Council was a reassuring sign to Jewish leaders who have long seen the 58-year-old centrist Democrat as a key ally and believe that she will act as a check on Mayor Zohran Mamdani with regard to issues involving Israel and antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Track record:Yeruchim Silber, director of New York government relations at Agudath Israel of America, an Orthodox advocacy group, said that Menin “has a long history of working with the Jewish community,” calling her “an important part of the [former New York Mayor Bill] de Blasio administration,” when she led efforts to promote Jewish participation in the 2020 census. He told JI he was “confident she will be able to work collaboratively with” Mamdani’s administration “on all issues important to the community.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FLASHPOINT AHEAD Mamdani tested by planned protests targeting Jewish communities Anti-Israel demonstrators gather at No Settlers on Stolen Land protest against a Nefesh bNefesh event at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan in November 2025. (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images) A radical anti-Israel activist group responsible for the disruptive November protest outside of a historic synagogue in Manhattan announced it will hold a similar demonstration on Thursday, marking the first major test Mayor Zohran Mamdani will face in protecting the city’s Jewish community since he was inaugurated last week,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Details: The group, Palestinian Assembly for Liberation [PAL]-Awda, initially announced two demonstrations against Israeli immigration events in New York City this week. “Nefesh B’Nfesh settler recruitment fair on Wednesday at 7 pm in Manhattan and illegal Stolen Palestinian Land sale on Thursday at 6:30 in Queens,” the group wrote Tuesday on social media, adding that it would disclose event locations on Wednesday. The group, which never posted the location of the Nefesh B’ Nefesh event, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday evening, less than an hour before the event started, that “our planned action tonight to protest the settler recruitment event is being cancelled.” Thursday’s demonstration, which PAL-Awda said it is still planning to hold, is protesting an event held by CapitIL, a Jerusalem-based real estate agency. 

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SAUDI SPOTLIGHT U.S. lawmakers weigh in on fears of Saudi Arabia accommodating Islamists Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud walks to his seat after speaking during the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center November 19, 2025, in Washington, DC. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Lawmakers in Washington are largely downplaying recent developments suggesting that Saudi Arabia is pivoting away from moderation and entertaining more hard-line Islamism,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, who came away from the meeting indicating that potential disputes or shifts in the kingdom had been overstated.

In the room:Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) — who has been critical of Saudi Arabia in the past — told JI that Prince Faisal, in the meeting, sought to directly rebut claims that Saudi Arabia was pivoting away from a position of moderation. The overall message from Prince Faisal, Sherman said, was “the Saudis claim that they are anti-[Muslim] Brotherhood and that the disputes with the UAE are tactical, not ideological.”

Read the full story herewith additional comments from Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Warner (D-VA), John Kennedy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL).



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SOMALILAND STRATEGY Fetterman joins call for Somaliland independence, but many lawmakers remain wary Senator John Fetterman speaks during the grand opening of The Altneu synagogue. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Some Republicans and at least one Democrat on Capitol Hill are voicing their support for the U.S. to follow Israel’s lead in recognizing Somaliland — but many lawmakers, even some who have supported expanded U.S.-Somaliland ties in the past, say such a step would be premature, if not misguided, at this point,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod, Emily Jacobs and Matthew Shea report.

The latest:Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one of the most vocal pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, said in a statement to JI that he’s in favor of U.S. recognition of Somaliland, making him the first member of his party to do so publicly. As an unapologetic friend of Israel, I fully support their decision on Somaliland. I support the U.S. doing the same,” Fetterman told JI. But others on both sides of the aisle — even some who have pushed for expanded U.S.-Somaliland ties in the past — are more reluctant, calling recognition either premature or a mistake entirely.

Read the full story herewith additional comments from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google RED TAPE Jewish House Democrats urge Noem to rescind new conditions on security grants Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a TV interview with Fox News outside of the White House on March 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus — every Jewish House Democrat — wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Wednesday urging her to rescind new conditions — presumably related to immigration enforcement and diversity programs — instituted earlier this year on recipients of Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Notable quotable:“[W]e reject any efforts to force Jewish and other houses of worship and institutions to choose between vital security funding and expression of their core religious freedoms, as well as their faith teachings and values,” the lawmakers wrote. “In this time of increased hate crimes against minorities, and in particular rising antisemitism, we believe it is crucial that NSGP remains a critical resource accessible to all communities in need and free from partisan politicization.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP Schumer to meet with survivors of Bondi Beach terror attack Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference following recent elections as the government shutdown continues in Washington, DC on November 5, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will meet at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning with two survivors of the deadly terrorist attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia,Jewish Insiderhas learned. The two survivors are Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi, and Ahmed al Ahmed, the civilian who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen during the attack. Ulman hosted the Hanukkah event where 15 people were killed, including his son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, JI’sEmily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.

On the agenda:Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd, the country’s former two-term prime minister, will also be in attendance. A source familiar with the matter told JI that the Senate minority leader will “listen to their stories and discuss the work that he and the Australian government are doing respectively to combat antisemitism.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus: Al Ahmed was honored last night at Colel Chabad annual dinner in New York City, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads From Foggy Bottom to the Hill: Politico’s Jordain Carney spotlights Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s positioning on Capitol Hill, where he served as a senator for 14 years, as the point person for the Trump administration’s recent foreign policy moves. “Secretary of State Marco Rubio worked the phones in the wee hours of the morning and, in the days since, has played an outsize role in not only formulating the administration’s strategy in Venezuela but explaining it to skeptical lawmakers wary of a protracted military commitment. That outreach has been to his former Republican colleagues as well as Democrats, including those who see him as a rare Trump official with whom they can maintain a trusted and respectful relationship amid profound policy disputes. ‘Although I may disagree with him on a day-to-day or hour-to-hour basis … he has shown extraordinary competence,’ Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democratic leader, said in an interview. ‘I voted for him in this position; I still have confidence in his abilities.’” [Politico]

Silenced on Venezuela: The Atlantic’s David Graham considers the reticence of Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, both of whom come from the isolationist camp, to give vocal backing to the White House’s arrest of Venezuelas Nicolás Maduro. “What all of these figures understand is the importance of staying on Trump’s good side. [Steve] Bannon was exiled from the first Trump White House; he has since mastered the art of diverging just enough from the president that he sometimes takes flak but never gets banished from the fold entirely. Gabbard already saw the dangers of getting crosswise with the president when she implicitly warned against the bombing of Iran this past summer, before quickly falling back in line. One more break might get her sacked. No one has as much to lose as Vance, though. … Vance may not like what’s going on in Venezuela, though unless he says so, no one knows. Until then, his willingness to keep his mouth shut speaks loudly. For Vance, deeply held principles are fine, but staying in power is even more alluring.” [TheAtlantic]

States’ Rights: In The Wall Street Journal, Guy Goldstein and Daniel Arbess argue that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is in line with the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States that lays out the parameters for statehood — which the Palestinian Authority falls short of meeting. “[Somaliland] has a permanent population, a defined territory, effective government and the capacity to conduct foreign relations — the four tests of the 1933 Montevideo Convention. … Israel’s recognition of Somaliland affirms something deeply offensive to the professional virtue-signaling ‘peace’ industry. The entire regional narrative collapses once the Montevideo criteria are taken seriously. Somaliland passes. Kurdistan passes. South Yemen is close. Puntland isn’t far behind. The one project that dominates every United Nations agenda, every campus protest, every moral lecture, does not. Israel’s move isn’t a rejection of the two-state idea; it is a return of that idea to reality. It is what happens when you stop rewarding dysfunction and start recognizing good behavior.” [WSJ]



Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trumpisexpected to announcethe members of the newly createdBoard of Peacenext week amid efforts to move into the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas;Nikolay Mladenov, a former U.N. envoy to the Middle East, will serve as the board’s representative on the ground…

TheWhite Houseannouncedits withdrawal from dozens of international organizations, including the Global Counterterrorism Forum, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise and more than 30 U.N.-affiliated groups…

TheSenatepassed, by unanimous consent, a resolution condemning the rise in ideologically motivated attacks against American Jews andcondemning antisemitism…

FTA AdministratorMarc Molinaro, who represented upstate New York in the House from 2023-2025, ismullinga run for the state’s 21st Congressional District, a seat being vacated by Rep.Elise Stefanik(R-NY) at the end of this year…

Qataris the top country donating foreign funds to American universities, andCornell Universityis its leading recipient, according to a new dashboard from theDepartment of Educationthat displays foreign gifts and contracts provided to U.S. educational institutions,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Theboard of Warner Bros. Discoveryrecommendedthat shareholders reject a hostile bid byDavid Ellison’s Skydance Paramount, which had amended a previous bid in an effort to sway Warner Bros. from moving forward with a deal with Netflix…

PeopleinterviewsTony Dokoupilabout his new role anchoring “CBS Evening News”

TheRichmond, Calif., City Councilrefusedto take up an emergency resolution censuring the city’s mayor,Eduardo Martinez, for sharing conspiracies about the terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, on social media…

The foreign desk chief of Spanish dailyEl Paísapologizedfor the newspaper’scharacterizationof JudgeAlvin Hellerstein, who is presiding over the trial of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro; the paper described Hellerstein as having “made efforts to maintain an impartial stance despite being a well-known member of the Jewish community,” a clause that was later deleted from the online version…

Reform U.K. leaderNigel Faragecalledallegations from numerous former classmates that he engaged in antisemitic and racist bullying as a teenager “complete made-up fantasies”

Iranian army chief Maj. Gen.Amir Hatamithreatenedpreemptive military action, days after Trump cautioned that the U.S. could act in Iran if protesters in the country were killed…

Iransaidit executed a man convicted of spying on behalf of theMossad, as the Islamic Republic continues its crackdown on alleged spies following the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025…

Deqa Qasim, the director of the political department in Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry,toldIsrael’s N12 that Jerusalem and Hargeisa are discussing setting up an Israeli military base in the African territory,contradictinga previous denial that such an agreement was on the table…

Likud lawmakerDan Illouz, in a speech to the Knesset on Monday, warned the American right about the dangers of rising antisemitism within its ranks,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports…

The New York Solidarity Networkannounced thatSara Forman, the group’s inaugural executive director since 2022, will step down at the end of the month…

Josh Hammerisjoiningthe David Horowitz Freedom Center as a Shillman Fellow…

Jay Stein, whose development of Universal Studios’ tram tour turned the company into an empire that competed with Disney,diedat 88…

Swiss film producerArthur Cohn, who won six Oscars for his films, including Best Documentary Feature for “One Day in September,” about the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre,diedat 98…

RabbiUri Lupolianski, the first Haredi mayor of Jerusalem and founder of Yad Sarah,diedat 74…

Pic of the Day (THOMAS SAMSON/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES) Guillaume Cardy, the chief of the French National Police’s elite unit RAID (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence), paid his respects on Monday at Paris’ Hypercacher supermarket during a ceremony commemorating the 11th anniversary of the deadly Islamist attacks on the kosher market as well as the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.

Birthdays Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Robby Krieger, original member of The Doors, performs onstage at Whisky a Go Go on June 28, 2025 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images) Member of the Rock Roll Hall of Fame as a guitarist and founding member of the Doors, Robby Krieger turns 80…

Sociologist at the American Enterprise Institute, Charles Murray turns 83… Senior U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Florida, now on inactive status, Alan Stephen Gold turns 82 Moscow-born classical pianist, living in the U.S. since 1987, Vladimir Feltsman turns 74… Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer, he is a professor of music composition at Yale, David Lang turns 69… Founder and chief investment officer of Pzena Investment Management, Richard Rich Pzena turns 67… Israel’s ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Rafael Harpaz turns 64… Co-founder of Pizza Shuttle in Milwaukee, Mark Gold… Violinist and composer best known for her klezmer music, Alicia Svigals turns 63… VP of wealth services at the Alera Group, he was an NFL tight end for the Bears and Vikings, Brent Novoselsky turns 60… Founder and president of DC-based Professionals in the City, Michael Karlan turns 58… Lobbyist, attorney, patron of contemporary art and philanthropist, Heather Miller Podesta turns 56… Anthropologist and epidemiologist, she is a professor of pediatrics at UCSF, Janet Wojcicki turns 56… Former state senator in Maine (2008-2016), Justin Loring Alfond turns 51… Singer-songwriter, musician, and actress, she was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis turns 50… Former director of U.S. public policy programs for Meta / Facebook, now a partner in Lev Collective, Avra Siegel… Editor, investigative reporter and screenwriter, Ross M. Schneiderman… Actor, screenwriter and director, he is a son of film director Barry Levinson, Sam Levinson turns 41… Retired professional soccer player, he is now a partner in Columbus, Ohio-based Main + High Investments, Ross Benjamin Friedman turns 34… Principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, Skylar Paley Brandt turns 33



]]> 99020 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-will-the-u-s-recognize-somaliland/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:14:31 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98907 ]]> Good Wednesday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we do a deep dive into Israel’s strategic interests in and diplomatic overtures to Somaliland following Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar‘s trip the country, and look at early signals from interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez that she will maintain Caracas’ critical approach to Israel and relations with American adversaries. We talk to Rep. Josh Gottheimer about his recent trip to the Middle East and challenges in building Gaza’s International Stabilization Force, and report on an article in the Spanish daily El Pais that disparaged the Jewish background of the judge overseeing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s case. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Dan Goldman, George Conway and Joyce Karam.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding House and Senate briefings this morning before meeting this afternoon with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud. The New York City Council will elect its next speaker today. Councilmember Julie Menin, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, announced last month she’d garnered support from a supermajority of councilmembers. Read our report on Menin — and the counterweight she is expected to be to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda — here. Mamdani’s first major test with the Jewish community could come as soon as this evening, when PAL-Awda, the group behind the November protest outside a synagogue that was hosting a Nefesh B’Nefesh event about immigrating to Israel, is slated to protest another event hosted by NBN tonight in Manhattan. Elsewhere in Manhattan, the annual Colel Chabad International Awards Gala is taking place tonight. Russian-Israeli entrepreneur Yitzchak Mirilashvili, Heather and Joe Sarachek, Sara and Harry Krakowski and Lauren and Martin Tabaksblat are set to be honored at the event. Also slated to be honored is Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Syrian immigrant to Australia who helped disarm one of the Bondi Beach terrorists during last month’s terror attack in Sydney. The Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center is holding a panel discussion this morning at its Washington headquarters on the future of humanitarian assistance. Speakers include IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer, Zipline Africa’s Caitlin Burton, DAI’s Tine Knott and UNICEF USA’s Patrick Quirk What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Tamara ziEVE AND MATTHEW SHEA At the conclusion of the 12-day war in June of last year, both Israel and Iran suspected that the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. would be a pause, not a final cessation of hostilities. That truce has lasted for more than six months, with both sides wary of entering another military conflict — one likely to be more deadly and destructive than the first. 

But now, amid destabilizing world events from Venezuela to the Middle East — compounded by growing domestic pressure on the Islamic Republic amid nationwide protests — that ceasefire is even more tenuous, with officials in Tehran and Jerusalem closely watching the other’s every move, careful not to make a potentially disastrous miscalculation — even as both sides make overtures at de-escalation.

Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “President [Donald] Trump and I have expressed a firm stance — we won’t allow Iran to rebuild its ballistic missile industry or to renew the nuclear program, which we damaged severely in Operation Rising Lion.”

In response, Iran’s newly formed Defense Council warned on Tuesday that the country could act preemptively if it detects clear signs of a threat. “The long-standing enemies of this land … are pursuing a targeted approach by repeating and intensifying threatening language and interventionist statements in clear conflict with the accepted principles of international law, which is aimed at dismembering our beloved Iran and harming the country’s identity,” the council said.

Recent reports suggest that Israel, in an attempt to de-escalate tensions, has used Moscow as an intermediary, communicating through Russian President Vladimir Putin that it has no intention of launching a preemptive strike on Iranian soil. Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are unconvinced. 

In a post on X, Khamenei accused Israel of deception: “What makes the enemy first request a ceasefire during [12-day] war with the Iranian nation, then send messages saying he doesn’t want to fight us?” 

“Now if he doesn’t believe the messaging and thinks that Israel is about to attack then you can understand why Israel is worried Iran is about to miscalculate and attack. Very tense days/weeks ahead of us,” Nadav Pollak, a lecturer on the Middle East at Reichman University, commented on Khamenei’s post.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.

REASONING AND RAMIFICATIONS Why Israel recognized Somaliland — and what the rest of the world might do next Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Jan 6, 2026. (Shlomi Amsalem, GPO) When Israel announced the day after Christmas that it would formally recognize Somaliland, making it the first country in the world to announce formal diplomatic relations with the secessionist region in the Horn of Africa, even some of Washington’s foremost foreign policy experts were sheepishly asking the same question: What, exactly, is Somaliland? There was no single event that led to Israel’s choice to recognize the sovereignty of Somaliland, which announced its independence from Somalia in 1991. The territory has functioned independently for 35 years; nothing in its governance changed last year. What changed was Israel — and its geopolitical calculus regarding regional security threats, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Security strategy: “The Houthis didn’t used to fire missiles at Israel. That’s new, and Israel’s now trying to respond to a new situation,” said David Makovsky, the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “I have no doubt that this was driven by how to try to neutralize a threat from the Houthis that Israel takes very seriously.” Somaliland sits just across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, from which the Iran-backed Houthis have fired drones and ballistic missiles at Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in 2023. 

Read the full story here.

Sa’ar in Somaliland: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made a historic diplomatic visit to Somaliland on Tuesday, marking the first official trip by an Israeli Cabinet minister to the territory and the latest move to strengthen bilateral ties following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland’s independence last month, JI’s Matthew Shea reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SAME AS THE OLD BOSS New Venezuelan president signals similar anti-American foreign policy as Maduro At the opening session of the National Assembly, Delcy Rodriguez (2nd L) is sworn in as acting president of Venezuela on January 5, 2026. (Venezuelan National Assembly/Anadolu via Getty Images) In the aftermath of U.S. strikes in Venezuela and the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro, uncertainty remains over whether the South American country’s ties to key U.S. adversaries and hostile posture toward Israel will change under interim President Delcy Rodríguez. Despite Maduro’s capture and vows from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado to return to the country and reject the authority of the interim president, the U.S. appears to be backing Rodríguez, who is closely aligned with Maduro and has shown a similar posture when it comes to Israel and U.S. adversaries, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. 

Similar direction: Brad Bowman, a senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JI that the Trump administration’s apparent backing of Rodríguez is a “mistake” and that he doesn’t see “any reason to believe” she would depart from Maduro’s approach to U.S. adversaries. “I have concern that we still have most of the problematic elements of the regime in Venezuela remaining in place,” said Bowman. “[Rodríguez] has been part of a regime that has been hostile to the United States and cozy with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terror proxies. If one were a betting person, you would say at a minimum that [Rodríguez] is going to continue to harbor those problematic views toward China, Russia and Iran, if not manifest them in policy.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google REGIONAL RELUCTANCE Gulf states yet to commit personnel to Gaza security force, Gottheimer says Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) visits with service members in Qatar during a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Middle East. (Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who visited Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia over the weekend, said that the Gulf countries have yet to commit personnel to be directly involved in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, without which the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas cannot proceed, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report. Gottheimer visited Qatar and Bahrain alongside Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Jason Smith (R-MO) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX). Members of the delegation were photographed meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who also serves as the kingdom’s foreign affairs minister. 

Takeaway: “All the countries in the region who I’ve met with seem very eager to get to Phase 2. I think the question remains of which countries are willing to put boots on the ground and take the necessary steps to disarm Hamas,” Gottheimer told JI on Tuesday. “We’re all waiting for announcements on who that will be — that’s still the outstanding question … and what level of commitment.” Building and staffing the ISF, he emphasized, is a “very important piece of the puzzle right now.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PAPER PROBLEM Leading Spanish newspaper disparages Jewish background of Maduro trial judge A woman sits on a street bench and reads a copy of El Pais newspaper in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday, April 17, 2012. (Angel Navarrete/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Spain’s leading newspaper, El País, came under fire Tuesday for publishing an antisemitic comment about the Jewish background of the judge overseeing the case against deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In a since-edited story, the left-leaning newspaper reported on Monday that federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein is a highly regarded jurist “despite being a recognized member of the Jewish community,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. 

Printed words: “Hellerstein, who studied law at Columbia University (New York), began his career as a clerk in the court he now presides over. Throughout his career, he has issued well-reasoned rulings and strived to maintain impartiality, despite being a prominent member of the Jewish community,” the article stated in Spanish. The end of the last sentence was removed on Tuesday. Before it was edited, the story was reproduced by the Uruguayan El País, which also removed the line on Tuesday evening, following an inquiry from JI.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google DILUTING THE MESSAGE Asked about antisemitism, VP Vance says ‘all forms of ethnic hatred’ should be rejected Vice President J.D. Vance speaks during a campaign rally at the Elite Jet at Contact Aviation facility on October 24, 2024 in Waterford, Michigan. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Vice President JD Vance, asked about the rise of antisemitism in the conservative movement, said “all forms of ethnic hatred” must be rejected and emphasized that the U.S. is rooted in “Christian principles,” Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports. In an interview released Tuesday, CNN commentator Scott Jennings, on his eponymous podcast, asked the vice president about “certain kinds of views that have been espoused by certain kinds of people” in the conservative movement who “try to drag you into this conversation all the time.”

What he said: “Just for the record, does the conservative movement need to warehouse anybody out there espousing antisemitism in any way?” Jennings asked. “No it doesn’t, Scott,” Vance answered. “I think that we need to reject all forms of ethnic hatred, whether it’s antisemitism, anti-Black hatred, anti-white hatred. I think that’s one of the great things about the conservative coalition, is that we are, I think, fundamentally rooted in the Christian principles that founded the United States of America and one of those very important principles is that we judge people as individuals.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CANDIDATE CONCERNS George Conway, running for Congress, hits Mamdani on Israel views George Conway attends the 139th Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 17, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) George Conway, a former Republican lawyer and prominent critic of President Donald Trump who announced his bid in a Democratic House primary in Manhattan on Tuesday, is raising concerns about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s approach to Israel and antisemitism,  Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Conway’s criticism: Conway, who recently relocated to Manhattan in order to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), said in an interview with The New York Times published Tuesday that he was “disturbed” by Mamdani’s sharp criticisms of Israel, even as he called the mayor “a great politician” and voiced admiration for his “focus on affordability.” The first-time candidate, 62, added in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday that he was “concerned about some of the language” Mamdani has “used in the past about Israel,” as well as the mayor’s recent decision to revoke a pair of executive orders related to Israel and antisemitism on his first day in office. 

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Man of the Moment: In The Free Press, Eli Lake posits that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who began the second Trump administration as “the odd man out,” now “might be the second most powerful man” in DC. “So what’s the secret to Rubio’s success? Administration officials and Trump intimates tell me that he clawed ahead through a combination of competence, loyalty, and realism. Rubio has not embarrassed the White House with episodes like Signalgate, when former national security adviser Mike Waltz accidentally included Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat to discuss plans for bombing Houthi targets in Yemen. Rubio has not publicly accused subordinates of leaking classified information with little evidence, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has done. ‘Marco puts his head down and does his job, and the president appreciates that,’ one administration official told me.” [FreePress]

Thank You For the Music: Rolling Stone’s Marisa Fox looks at how former Israeli hostages leaned on music for strength while in captivity in Gaza. “‘Music has been my lifeline until today,’ says [Alon] Ohel, who also attended Nova, and was snatched from a shelter along with Hersh Golberg-Polin. ‘Music helped me get through the nightmare … and rise above.’ Held in an apartment for his first 52 days, he would hum Bill Withers’ ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ to himself, a track that took on new meaning in the pitch-black of the tunnels, where he was eventually relocated. Sometimes, he’d imagine the Police’s ‘Roxanne’ to rev himself up. But his most constant companion was ‘Shir LeLo Shem,’ or ‘A Song With No Name,’ by Israeli artist Yehudit Ravitz, and in particular the verse ‘For my song is a leaf in the wind/Faded out, forgotten/It’s the soft light opening in my nights/It is you who walks towards me.’” [RollingStone]



Word on the Street Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) formally launched his reelection bid in New York’s 10th Congressional district, where he is facing a primary challenge from the left from former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, on Tuesday…

In a New York Times interview, Goldman said that his support for Israel could cost him votes against Lander, acknowledging that some Democrats have been quick to turn on Israel; referring to a censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) over her comments early in the Israel-Hamas war that he had backed, Goldman said he would “most likely vote differently” if the vote were held again…  

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) announced the death of 65-year-old Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA); the California Republican’s death shrunk the House GOP’s majority to 218-213…

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who is retiring at the end of this year, is expected to endorse Evanston, Ill., Mayor Daniel Biss in the Democratic primary to succeed her in the state’s 9th Congressional District… 

Former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) is passing on a challenge to Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) for his old Hudson Valley seat…

Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) is moving closer to launching a Senate bid challenging Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) after narrowly losing her House reelection bid in 2024…

The Board of Deputies of British Jews called on the chief constable of West Midlands, U.K., to step down over his force’s recommendation to ban Maccabee Tel Aviv fans from a November match against Aston Villa and false statements given in a subsequent investigation…

A significant majority of Jewish Israelis feel that it is safer for them to live in Israel than abroad, according to a new survey by the Israeli Voice Index, reflecting heightened concerns about antisemitism overseas, Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve reports…

A teenager was killed and several others injured by a bus during a Jerusalem riot protesting Haredi draft efforts; the driver of the bus told investigators he had been attacked by Haredi protesters and lost control of the vehicle…

Senior Israeli and Syrian officials agreed at a U.S.-brokered meeting in Paris to speed up the pace of talks between the countries on reaching a security agreement…

Israel ordered Doctors Without Borders to cease operations in the Gaza Strip, citing the organization’s refusal to provide identification numbers of Palestinian employees as well its failure to comply with a policy cracking down on criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza…

Israel passed the final approval for the controversial E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, with a government tender now open for developers to submit bids, paving the way for construction that would effectively divide the West Bank…

At least 35 people have been killed and more than 1,200 arrested in anti-government protests sweeping across Iran…

Emily Bromberg is joining the Jewish Federations of North America as vice president of community security operations…

Joyce Karam was named the editor-in-chief of Al-Monitor…

Tennis table champion Josef Veselsky, who survived the Holocaust by joining the resistance in the mountains of Czechoslovakia before migrating to Ireland in 1949, where he eventually became the country’s oldest man, died at 107… 

Pic of the Day (CHABAD-LUBAVITCH) Ahmed al-Ahmed (third from left), who disarmed one of the terrorists during the terror attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, last month, joined Rabbi Yehoram Ulman (second from left), director of Chabad of Bondi, whose congregants and son-in-law were murdered in the attack, and Rabbi Sholom Duchman (fourth from left), director of Colel Chabad, at the Ohel, the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, in Queens, N.Y. 

Birthdays NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Jann Wenner speaks in conversation with Bruce Springsteen at 92NY on September 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images) Co-founder and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine and co-founder of the Rock Roll Hall of Fame, Jann Wenner turns 80…

Former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Michael H. Moskow turns  88… U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Michigan since 1994, he assumed senior status in 2023, Judge Paul D. Borman turns 87… Pulitzer Prize-winning sports reporter, columnist and writer, he wrote for The New York Times from 1981 to 2007, Ira Berkow turns 86… Scottsdale, Ariz., resident, Bruce Robert Dorfman… Retired president of the University of South Florida system, Judy Genshaft turns 78… Senior U.S. District Court judge in Miami, Joan A. Lenard turns 74… Former brigadier general and chief rabbi of the IDF until 2016, then minister of Jerusalem affairs, Rafael “Rafi” Peretz turns 70… Former CEO of Glencore, one of the world’s largest commodity trading and mining companies, Ivan Glasenberg turns 69… Dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills, starting in 2011 he assumed control of his family’s nationwide real estate operations, Dr. Ezra Kest… Documentary filmmaker with a focus on social justice and Jewish history, Roberta Grossman turns 67… One of the heirs to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, Anthony Pritzker turns 65… U.S. senator (R-SD), he has served as Senate majority leader since January 2025, John Thune turns 65… U.S. senator (R-KY), Rand Paul turns 63… Managing director and senior relationship manager at Bank of America, she serves as the chair of the Jewish Funders Network, Zoya Raynes… Television and film actress, Lauren Cohan turns 44… Executive director of Keep Our Republic and author of Paths of the Righteous, Ari Mittleman… Concord, N. H.-based public affairs consultant, Holly Shulman… Executive director of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos, Calif., Jeremy Ragent… Music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, he will become the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic at the start of the 2026-2027 season, Lahav Shani turns 37… Drummer and founding member of The Groggers, a pop punk band from Queens, Nechemia “Chemy” Soibelman turns 35… Reporter on Haredi and Knesset affairs for Walla News, Yaki Adamker… Author of five books and host of the history podcast “Noble Blood,” Dana Schwartz turns 33… National chair of Israel Policy Forum Atid, Jonathan Kamel… Pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, the first Israeli player ever drafted by an MLB team, his great-uncle is Haim Saban, Dean Kremer turns 30…



]]> 98907 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-mamdanis-shaky-antisemitism-strategy/ Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:19:14 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98802 ]]> Good Tuesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s leftward shift during last year’s presidential campaign contributed to his decision, announced yesterday, not to seek a third term, and talk to Jewish leaders in New York concerned about Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first moves in office. We profile Judge Alvin Hellerstein, the 92-year-old Orthodox Jewish judge presiding over the trial of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, and report on the Department of Justice’s 2026 funding package that will allocate $5 million to protect religious institutions. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Blake Blakeman, Jason Miyares and Sally Goldenberg.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What Were Watching House Republicans are holding their annual retreat today at the Kennedy Center. President Donald Trump is slated to address the gathering at 10 a.m. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting with European officials in Paris today for continued talks on the Russia-Ukraine war. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is in Hargeisa today for meetings with senior officials, after Israel last month became the first country to recognize Somaliland. CES 2026 kicks off today in Las Vegas. In Florida, former Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and “Call Me Back” host Dan Senor will speak in conversation this evening at an event hosted by Palm Beach Synagogue. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar The political fall of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who just months ago was near the apex of political prominence as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, is an object lesson in the consequences of pandering to the far left of the Democratic Party.

Last year, Walz looked like he was on the fast track in national politics. Now he looks to be ending his career as a disgraced two-term governor.

Walz announced Monday that he’s not running for a third term in office, amid a growing scandal over massive welfare fraud, where dozens of individuals from the state’s Somali diaspora were convicted in schemes involving over a billion dollars stolen from the state’s social services programs.

The scandal offers a snapshot of some of the Democratic Party’s most glaring vulnerabilities. Walz, along with others in the state’s Democratic leadership, oversaw the allocation of generous welfare payments without ample accountability, while turning a blind eye to corruption in a Somali community that’s become a reliable Democratic voting bloc.

A nimbler, and more moderate, politician would have aggressively led the charge against the criminals instead of coming across as a passive bystander. After all, a scandal like this threatens the sustainability of generous social welfare programs that have defined the ethos of the Minnesota Democratic Party. Instead, in his announcement Monday, he decried “political gamesmanship” by Republicans for drawing outsized attention to the issue.

A more pragmatic Walz would also have been comfortable speaking out against scandalous elements within the Somali community (without painting the entire community with a broad brush). Instead, his belated comments speaking out against the fraud typically avoided reference to the perpetrators of the scandal, and he frequently blamed Republicans as racist for invoking their backgrounds. That only dug him into a deeper political hole.

Walz’s sensitivity about not alienating the state’s Somali community also came up in other areas that underscored his progressive instincts. When a leading Somali mayoral candidate (state Sen. Omar Fateh) came under fire for employing virulently antisemitic staffers at the top levels of his campaign, Walz remained silent, even as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke up.

Walz also has been supportive of far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) even when she’s faced controversies over using antisemitic tropes and embracing anti-Israel views that have placed her out of the Democratic Party’s mainstream. His selection as Harris’ running mate over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was cheered on by the anti-Israel wing of the party. 

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



MAMDANI MOMENT Jewish leaders question Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy Mayor Zohran Mamdani at his inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, United States on January 1, 2026. (SELCUK ACAR/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Days into Zohran Mamdani’s first week as mayor of New York City, some Jewish leaders are privately raising questions about whether his fledgling administration is prepared to implement a clear strategy to counter rising antisemitism, one of the key pledges of his campaign. Even as he swiftly moved to revoke two executive orders tied to Israel and antisemitism on his first day in office, Mamdani has yet to disclose how he and his team plan to substantively address what he has repeatedly called “the scourge of antisemitism” in remarks vowing to protect Jewish New Yorkers, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Wait and see: The mayor, a democratic socialist and outspoken critic of Israel, faced backlash from leading Jewish groups last week after he repealed executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams, including ones that adopted a working definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and banned city agencies from engaging in boycotts targeting Israel. “He went from giving a speech about unity and collectivism to signing executive orders against the Jewish community,” one Jewish community leader said of Mamdani’s repeals. Rabbi Joe Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis who served on Mamdani’s transition committee for emergency response, said he was taking a wait-and-see approach to the first few weeks of the administration. “No further details have been released so there is nothing more to add at this time,” he told JI. “Let’s wait and see if there are changes.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus: Mamdani tapped Anna Bahr, the communications director for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to serve in the same role in the Mamdani administration.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Torah and bench The judge overseeing the Maduro trial blazed a trail for Jewish lawyers Judge Alvin Hellerstein (Screenshot/ Blavatnik Archive, Oral History Project) Judge Alvin Hellerstein is 92 years old, and with 27 years on the federal bench in Manhattan, he has presided over some of the most prominent trials in recent memory — including thousands of lawsuits brought in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a suit against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and, now, the criminal case against deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. It’s a remarkable final chapter in a legal career that was once nearly derailed by antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

The way things were: Hellerstein has described his judicial style as being influenced by New York Federal Judge Edmund Palmieri, for whom Hellerstein served as a law clerk in the 1950s. (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, later a Supreme Court justice, clerked for Palmieri a few years later.) But that chapter almost didn’t happen. Hellerstein wanted to work at a law firm, but he ended up applying to clerkships because he said the non-Jewish law firms in New York would not hire him. “As a Jewish boy coming to interview at law firms, you met up with very strong discrimination, some of it overt, most of it implied,” Hellerstein said in an interview in 2020 on the podcast “Behind the Bima.” He ended up working at a Jewish firm — one of the first Orthodox lawyers to be employed at any New York City firm. Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TEHRAN TALK More U.S. strikes on Iran are possible, lawmakers say Maxar satellite image reveals multiple buildings damaged or destroyed at the Isfahan nuclear technology center after the airstrikes. Charring and roof collapses are visible across the compound. (Satellite image (c) 2025 Maxar Technologies.) Senators said on Monday that an additional round of U.S. strikes on Iran remains on the table if the regime makes strides in rebuilding its nuclear program or other malign activities, echoing recent warnings from President Donald Trump. Trump also threatened last week that the U.S. would intervene to protect Iranian protesters if the regime cracked down on nationwide demonstrations, as U.S. officials are watching closely while Tehran reportedly accelerates efforts to restore its ballistic missile capabilities — developments that could spark renewed conflict with Israel and potentially the United States, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.

Military mindset: Republican senators expressed confidence that the president would strike Iranian nuclear facilities a second time if the U.S. determined that Tehran was working to restore its nuclear program. “I think there’s a chance” Trump will strike Iran’s nuclear sites again, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) told JI. “If they go forward again and start building up nuclear facilities, yeah, I think Trump’s going to bomb the hell out of them.” Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) told JI, “President Trump is demonstrating that we have the most outstanding military in the world. And if he believes we have to hit Iran again, I believe he will do that.”

Read the full story here with additional comments from Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MONEY MATTERS Department of Justice funding deal allocates $5 million to protect religious institutions A law enforcement vehicle sits near the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on January 16, 2022 in Colleyville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) The House and Senate’s negotiated 2026 funding package for the Department of Justice includes funding for state and local law enforcement specifically allocated for protecting religious institutions, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What it does: The explanatory report accompanying the bill, released Monday, instructs the Department of Justice to allocate at least $5 million in DOJ law enforcement grant funding to agencies “seeking to enhance security measures for at-risk religious institutions and to address the precipitous increases in hate crimes targeting individuals on the basis of religion.” Such funding, aimed at providing law enforcement with additional resources to step up their security presence at synagogues and other houses of worship, has been pursued by Jewish community groups particularly amid rising antisemitic attacks in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google WALTZING OUT Walz’s national ambitions foreshadowed his political fall Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announces that he would not be seeking reelection Monday January 5, 2026 at a press conference at the State Capitol in St.Paul, Minn. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to drop out of the 2026 gubernatorial race in a state heavily favored for Democrats marks a significant political fall for the party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee. Walz, 61, said while announcing on Monday that he would no longer seek a historic third term as governor that he had “every confidence” that he could have won his reelection bid — despite facing intense scrutiny for a state welfare fraud scandal that has gained national attention and become a political flashpoint in Minnesota. Still, Walz acknowledged that the fraud allegations, which have mostly been leveled at members of the state’s Somali community, and the broader scandal played a role in him ending his campaign, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.

Walz’s path: The decision to end his campaign means Walz will cap off two decades in elected office next January, less than two years after former Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate and thrust him onto the national stage. While holding a moderate voting record as a member of Congress, Walz largely governed as a progressive, and was the preferred choice of progressive Democrats critical of Israel in the 2024 veepstakes over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. On the campaign trail, Walz praised anti-Israel protesters and urged the U.S. to exert more leverage on Israel. He also drew scrutiny for appearing at events with an antisemitic and pro-Hamas Muslim cleric. He said last year after the election that war in Gaza was “rightfully” a “central focus” of the 2024 campaign.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google DRAWING LINES Bruce Blakeman outlines his approach to antisemitism if elected NY governor Bruce Blakeman announces his run for New York governor on Fox Friends at Fox News Channel Studios on December 09, 2025 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images) Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman suddenly emerged as the presumptive Republican nominee for governor of New York in December, with Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) unexpected exit from the race against Gov. Kathy Hochul. Now, with the formal endorsement of President Donald Trump, Blakeman, 70, is preparing for an uphill battle in a reliably Democratic state. In an interview with Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod, Blakeman, who is Jewish, vowed to protect the Jewish community statewide against antisemitism, pledging that under his leadership, the state would step in if New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani fails to do so.

Taking aim: Asked about voices like Tucker Carlson and neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes who are working to mainstream antisemitic ideas in the Republican Party, Blakeman did not mince words in his condemnation, but described them as a small minority of the party and said he sees most antisemitism coming from the left. “Nick Fuentes is, in my opinion, a nut, but a dangerous one, and he has no place in the Republican Party,” Blakeman said. “Tucker Carlson is a big blowhard who has an issue with Jewish people, and it probably emanates from his chameleon-like personality. … He’s very unprincipled and I think he has biases that probably emanated from his youth.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Hawks are Back: Puck’s Julia Ioffe looks at how the Trump administration’s recent operation in Venezuela has shifted political and policy dynamics among conservatives split between neoconservatism and MAGA-style isolationism. “The affinity for using American military force has, weirdly, thrown Trump into alignment with the same neoconservative camp that he trampled during his ascent to the White House. This cohort, which has praised Trump’s moves in both Venezuela and Iran, has long insisted that Democrats are constitutionally uncomfortable with American power and that they are too scared to use it. In their view, liberals overlearned the lessons of Iraq and, as a result, grew too prone to overthinking and overanalyzing — imagining consequences to military action that are far worse than reality merits.”[Puck]

Digital Detox: In The Wall Street Journal, Vivek Ramaswamy, who is mounting a bid for governor of Ohio, explains why he is ending his personal use of a number of social media platforms. “There’s a fine line between using the internet to distribute your message and inadvertently allowing constant internet feedback to alter your message. That isn’t using social media; it’s letting social media use you. As someone who ran a digitally centered campaign for president, I’ve seen this effect firsthand — on myself and my competitors. Politicians want to respond to voters, and rightly so. But polls are expensive and infrequent. Social media offers a tempting alternative: free, abundant real-time feedback. It creates the impression that you’re hearing directly from ‘the people’ and responding in kind. Modern social media is increasingly disconnected from the electorate.” [WSJ]







Word on the Street U.S. officials reportedly told acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez that Caracas must boot operatives from countries — including Iran and Cuba — that are hostile to the U.S.

In one of his final acts in office, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sent a letter on Monday reminding all K-12 superintendents and school boards in the state of their obligation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into their codes of conduct and discrimination policies, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner raised $4.7 million in the last quarter of 2025, despite numerous scandals related to past controversial social media posts and a tattoo that resembled Nazi imagery…

Attorney George Conway launched his bid in the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 12th Congressional District to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)

Harvard President Alan Garber said in a recent episode of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s “Identity/Crisis” podcast that the Ivy League school had erred in allowing faculty members to share their personal views on politically charged issues, explaining that faculty activism had a chilling effect on campus climate…

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison sold his Pacific Heights, Calif., home for $45 million, more than 10 times what he paid for the property in 1988…

Authorities in Germany are investigating a suspected arson attack targeting the home of the antisemitism commissioner of the state of Brandenburg…

Israel asked the country’s Supreme Court to allow for the continuation of a blanket ban on media access to the Gaza Strip, citing “security reasons” and suggesting that lifting the ban would endanger efforts to locate the body of hostage Ran Gvili; the court is set to rule on the petition, filed in 2024 by the Foreign Press Association as it sought access to Gaza…

The Israeli Communications Ministry approved a deal between Israeli and Palestinian telecom companies that will bring 4G access to the West Bank; the finalization of the agreement, which had been reached in 2022, had been delayed due to the Israel-Hamas war…

TheBank of Israel cut interest rates to 4%, the second straight time the bank has cut rates since Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire in October 2025…

Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah and Hamas sites in southern Lebanon, days before the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces is slated to brief officials in Beirut on the army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah…

The Wall Street Journal looks at how Israel’s early recognition of Somaliland plays into Jerusalem’s broader strategy to establish diplomatic ties in a postwar era…

In an effort to curb ongoing protests around Iran over the country’s economic troubles, government officials announced a program to give approximately $7 per month to every Iranian citizen…

Politico’s Sally Goldenberg is joining The New York Times’ Metro section, covering New York City politics and the Mamdani administration…

David Rosen, the co-founder of Sega, died at 95…

Pic of the Day (AMOS BEN-GERSHOM/GPO) Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) met on Monday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.


Birthdays (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) English food writer and television cook, Nigella Lucy Lawson turns 66…

Retired EVP and senior counsel of the Trump Organization, George H. Ross turns 98… International businessman and philanthropist, Nathan Natie Kirsh turns 94… Canadian businessman, investor and author, seven Canadian universities have a school named for him, Seymour Schulich turns 86… Co-founder of private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Henry R. Kravis turns 82… Chairman, president and CEO of Phibro Animal Health Corporation, he is a past chair of the Israel Policy Forum, Jack C. Bendheim turns 79… Yiddish-language author, journalist, playwright and lyricist, Boris Sandler turns 76… Attorney general of Oregon from 2012 until 2024, Ellen Rosenblum turns 75… Film, theater, and television director, her debut novel was published in 2020, Jan Pringle Eliasberg turns 72… Academic official at Tennessee State University for 10 years, he now serves as a consultant to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Michael Harris turns 70… Retired television executive and political commentator, Mark E. Hyman turns 68… Founder and executive director of Healthcare Across Borders, Jodi Lynn Jacobson… Israeli celebrity chef, Eyal Shani turns 67… Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and president of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, Oleksandr Feldman turns 66… Daniel G. Slatopolsky… Founder of Pure California Beverages, Sarah Beth Rena Conner… Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionist Party, she chairs the Knessets Labor and Welfare Committee, Michal Miriam Waldiger turns 57… Actor, painter and fashion designer, Greg Lauren turns 56… Author of 13 spy fiction novels and four nonfiction books, Alex Berenson turns 53… President and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, he is the majority owner of the Phoenix Suns of the NBA and Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, Mat Ishbia turns 46… Israeli news anchor and host of the “Jewish Crossroads: Jewish Identity in Times of Crisis” podcast, Tamar Ish-Shalom turns 45… Israeli actress, best known for her role in “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” Efrat Dor turns 43… Award-winning investigative reporter at WCCO/CBS in Minneapolis, Jonah P. Kaplan… Social media program director at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), Aviva Slomich Rosenschein… Philanthropic advisor at the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, Sarah Arenstein Levy… Rabbinic fellow at NYCs Park Avenue Synagogue, Aiden Pink… One of the youngest to ever sign a Major League Soccer contract at age 15, he is now a VP at Acacia Research, Zachary Zach Pfeffer turns 31… Rock climber for Team USA, he competed at the Paris Olympics in 2024, Jesse Grupper turns 29… Value accelerator lead at Goldman Sachs Growth, Anna Phillips



]]> 98802 https://jewishinsider.com/2026/01/daily-kickoff-maduros-arrest-adds-to-irans-unrest/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:27:39 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98728 ]]> Good Monday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look at what the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Madurocould mean forIran’s influence in South America, and report on New York City MayorZohran Mamdani’s first days in office, which included the revocation of executive orders on supporting Israel and combating antisemitism. We have the exclusive onAIPAC’s appointment of Deryn Sousaas the organization’s new spokesperson, succeeding Marshall Wittmann, and report onJewish communal priorities on Capitol Hillin the new year. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Julie Menin, RabbiZvi HershcovichandEste Haim.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching As Congress returns this week, wellbe keeping an eye on the Hill’s response to the ongoingwave of protests across Iran, the ripple effects of the Trump administration’s arrest of Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduroand the emerging rift among the U.S.’Gulf allies. Following the winter break,lawmakers’ top priority now will befinalizing a deal on government fundingbefore the end-of-month deadline. It’slooking less likelythat we’ll see a repeat of last year’s extended government shutdown. There are still plenty of areas to be negotiated between the two chambers, includingsecurity grant funding,United Nations fundingandfunding levels for U.S.-Israel cooperative programs. Were keeping an eye on theongoing protests in Iran. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One last night, PresidentDonald Trumpreiterated hisrecent commentsthat the U.S. would intervene if Iranian officials were to kill protesters, having said on his Truth Social site on Friday that “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.” Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Madurois scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. federal court at 12 p.m. ET today, where he will appear before JudgeAlvin Hellerstein, a 92-year-old Orthodox Jewish federal judge. Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz, who had been planning a 2026 reelection bid,is set tomake an announcementregarding his political future this morning, a day after meeting with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The impromptu press conference comes as Walz’s administration faces criticism and an investigation into widespread fraud centered around the state’s Somali diaspora population. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoyTom Barrack ismediatingtalks in Paris today between senior Israeli and Syrian officials, aimed at reaching a security agreement between the countries. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MELISSA WEISS As protests continue to spread throughout Iranand the geopolitical repercussions of the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ripple across world capitals,the sentiment around the Middle East and in Washington is that renewed conflict with the Islamic Republic may well be on the horizon.

While smaller than previous nationwide protests in 2019 and 2022,the newest demonstrations come as Iran is facing economic instability, crushing international sanctions and record droughts. The protests that have spread across the country in recent days are the first major demonstrations since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, with an assist from the U.S., last June that damaged the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and further destabilized Iran.

The protests in Iran were already gaining steamat the time a Delta Force team apprehended Maduro and his wife on Saturday and brought them to the U.S. to stand trial on drug trafficking charges. But the Trump administration’s decision to send elite forces into Caracas and forcibly remove Maduro signals to Tehran — as well as Moscow and Beijing — that Washington is taking a tougher approach to regimes it sees as destabilizing and threatening to U.S. interests.

The world is watching this geopolitical high-wire act with wariness.In Israel, officials are closely monitoring the instability in Iran, concerned that the regime in Tehran could move to strike Israel in an effort to consolidate domestic support and quell the protests; Israel could also see a window of opportunity to strike Iran at a weak moment, either of which could reignite warfare between Jerusalem and Tehran.

It was less than a week ago that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Donald Trumpat his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and discussed the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile program.

In his weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday,Netanyahu addressed Iran in the context of his Palm Beach meeting last week, saying that Israel “reiterated our joint position of zero enrichment on one hand, and the need to remove the 400 kilograms of enriched material from Iran and oversee the sites with tight and genuine supervision.”

Noting that his sit-down with Trump was taking place as anti-government protests broke out in Iran,Netanyahu added, “The Government of Israel, the State of Israel, and my policy, we identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their aspirations for freedom, liberty, and justice. It is very possible that we are standing at the moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



DOMINO EFFECT Toppling Maduro may weaken Iran’s hold in Latin America A woman carrying an Iranian flag and a Venezuelan flag participates in a march in Caracas on June 25, 2025. (PEDRO MATTEY/AFP via Getty Images) The U.S.’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday is expected to weaken Iran’s terrorism efforts, weapons production and economic activity in Latin America, experts say. With Vice President Delcy Rodriguez taking power — and the Trump administration expressing willingness to work with her — it remains unclear whether Maduro’s regime will largely remain intact with American supervision or if the government will ultimately be replaced by the democratic opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado, or someone else,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Expected impact:Emanuele Ottolenghi, senior research fellow at the Center for Research on Terror Financing, told JI that “if the regime remains in place [under Washington’s supervision], there will have to be adjustments in its regional posture and foreign policy. That means, of course, the role that nefarious foreign actors such as China, Russia, Cuba and Iran played in Venezuela will change.” Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, told JI that “the Iranians turned Venezuela into a strategic hub, and now that has disappeared.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus:Politicotalks toVandenberg Coalition head Carrie Filipetti, who served as principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Cuba and Venezuela during the first Trump administration, about the apprehension of Maduro and potential next steps for the U.S. vis-à-vis its Venezuela policy.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google shifting alliances Saudi Arabia pivots from moderation Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud walks to his seat after speaking during the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center November 19, 2025, in Washington, DC. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its regional posture in ways that are challenging long-held assumptions about Riyadh’s role as a moderating force in the Middle East, as recent moves across Yemen, Sudan and the Horn of Africa expose the country’s widening rift with the United Arab Emirates and a growing alignment with Qatar and Turkey — two countries with openly hostile positions toward Israel,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs, Lahav Harkov and Matthew Shea report.

Series of events:The realignment has been most stark on the issue of Yemen, where Saudi Arabia led an airstrike on an Emirati shipment of vehicles last week that Riyadh claimed was intended for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which has consolidated power in the country’s south as Saudi-backed efforts to stabilize the war-torn nation have stalled. Hours after the strike, the Emirati government announced it would withdraw its remaining troops from the country. The Saudis’ decision to embrace Islamist-aligned factions in Sudan, where the UAE is aligned with rival forces, has caused additional fissures with the Emiratis, putting the two U.S. allies and Gulf power players at odds. The Gulf states have also taken opposite sides on Somalia, with the UAE quietly supportive of Somaliland, while Saudi Arabia condemned Israel for recognizing its independence.

Read the full story here.

Qatari condolences:Qatari Education Minister Lolwah Al-Khater publicly mourned the death of Huthayfa Samir Abdullah Al-Kahlout, a senior Hamas military spokesman who served as the public face of the group’s media strategy during the war in Gaza, drawing renewed scrutiny of Qatar’s ties to the militant group,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google DAY ONE DOOZY Mamdani slammed for repealing antisemitism executive orders Mayor Zohran Mamdani at his inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, United States on January 1, 2026. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images) Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism for repealing executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams aimed at tackling antisemitism, including implementing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and an anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions order. The revocation of those orders came as part of a blanket repeal of all of Adams’ executive orders following his September 2024 indictment on federal corruption charges,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Community reaction:In a joint statement, the UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, American Jewish Committee of New York, Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey, Agudath Israel of America, the New York Board of Rabbis and the Orthodox Union said that the Jewish community “will be looking for clear and sustained leadership that demonstrates a serious commitment to confronting antisemitism and ensures that the powers of the mayor’s office are used to promote safety and unity, not to advance divisive efforts such as BDS.” The statement continued, “Singling Israel out for sanction is not the way to make Jewish New Yorkers feel included and safe, and will undermine any words to that effect.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus:The New York Timesreportsthat Mamdani’s decision to issue a blanket revocation of Adams’ executive orders was made in an effort to alleviate anger by Jewish groups over the rescinding of the two orders related to Israel and antisemitism.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EXCLUSIVE AIPAC appoints Deryn Sousa as spokesperson (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The American Israel Public Affairs Committee appointed Deryn Sousa as spokesperson, replacing Marshall Wittmann, who retired at the end of 2025 after 13 years in the role. Sousa steps into the public-facing position during a time when AIPAC is regularly in the spotlight —and as the powerful pro-Israel organization faces outsized criticism from the far left and far right over its influence in the American political system,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Background:Sousa reflects a different career trajectory than that taken by Wittmann, who came to AIPAC toward the end of his career after decades working in politics in Washington, including as communications director for Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John McCain (R-AZ). Sousa has worked for AIPAC for a decade, having joined the organization soon after she graduated from the University of Georgia, where she studied Arabic and international affairs. She moved to Washington for the spokesperson role from Houston, where she served until recently as AIPAC’s Southwest regional political director.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MONEY IN THE BANK Massie challenger raises $1.2 million in final quarter of 2025 Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to reporters at the US Capitol on Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. (DANIEL HEUER/AFP via Getty Images) Ed Gallrein, the Republican primary challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) backed by President Donald Trump, said Friday that he had raised $1.2 million in the final quarter of 2025, a sizable sum that puts him in strong financial shape in preparation for a grueling race against Massie. Gallrein’s fundraising haul signals that he’s a more viable candidate than Massie’s previous challengers, and highlights the power of Trump’s endorsement,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Moving against Massie:Trump and his allies havealso committed significant resourcesto the effort to defeat Massie, an isolationist Republican who has frequently opposed legislation to combat antisemitism and has broken with Trump on many key elements of his agenda, including on issues related to Israel and Iran. “This fundraising number reflects the overwhelming support Eds campaign has received right out of the gate,” Gallrein spokesperson Lance Trover said in a statement. “President Trump endorsed Ed because he knows Ed is fighting to put America First and will partner with him to unleash our economy, lower taxes, and stop the woke agenda.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE AGENDA Security remains Jewish community’s top lobbying priority for 2026 Going into 2026, Jewish community groups said their advocacy priorities for Congress and the federal government remain largely consistent, with a focus across many of the major advocacy organizations on bolstering community security through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and tackling antisemitism online,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The hurdles:While Congress has increased its attention to Jewish communal issues in the years since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, including a string of high-profile hearings on antisemitism and several bills passed to support Israel and combat Iran, many key legislative priorities for the Jewish community — including bills on antisemitism and substantial increases to annual security funding for nonprofits — have remained stubbornly intractable.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads American Muscle:Politico’s Sophia Cai, Felicia Schwartz, Dasha Burns and Eric Bazail-Eimil posit that the Trump administration is taking a more hawkish approach to foreign policy in its second term. “The Saturday morning raid is a brazen escalation of U.S. involvement in a foreign country that landed the same weekend Trump publicly threatened to defend Iranian demonstrators against their own government. It serves as a fitting coda to Trump’s first year back in power, one marked by dramatically more involvement in foreign conflicts than candidate Trump or first-term Trump predicted. … Still, the move against [Nicolás] Maduro would have been almost unimaginable during Trump’s first term and during the heat of the 2024 campaign, when Trump adopted the views of restrainers who were skeptical of unconditional aid to Ukraine and spoke of the need to stop engaging in ‘forever wars.’”[Politico]

The Ties That Bind:InThe Wall Street Journal, Armin Rosen observes the relationship between Somaliland and Israel, the latter of which was the first country torecognizeHargeisa’s independence last month. “Across 1,600 miles of distance, there is a surprisingly deep kinship between Hargeisa and Jerusalem. … Both countries see themselves as global outsiders waging a long campaign for legitimacy and respect. Israeli citizens and products are still banned in dozens of Muslim countries. As an unrecognized state, Somaliland lacks access to the Swift system for clearing international financial transactions, and its government is effectively blocked from borrowing meaningful amounts of money. Like Israel, a poor, war-ravaged and diplomatically isolated desert outpost during its first decades of existence, Somaliland has to find its way without much help.”[WSJ]



Word on the Street The New York PostinterviewsNew York City CouncilmemberJulie Meninabout New York City MayorZohran Mamdanias Menin, who is Jewish, is expected to become city council speaker; Menin said she called Mamdani shortly after his revocation of Israel- and antisemitism-related executive orders to express her concern over the moves…

Florida GOP gubernatorial candidateJames Fishbackisfacingresurgent allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor who worked at his nonprofit organization in 2022;Fishbackcalled the allegations “completely false”…

Jewish Insider’s Gabby DeutchinterviewsZvi Hershcovich, the Philadelphia-based Chabad rabbi running a digital clubhouse for Jewish hockey fanatics…

The Chabad house in Kathmandu, Nepal, is temporarily closed following a dispute with the building’s landlord; Rabbi Chezki Lifshitz and Rebbetzin Chani Lifshitz are looking for a new site for the Chabad house, which is a popular site for Israeli and Jewish trekkers and gained fame for hosting the largest Passover Seder in the world…

The New York Timesreportson efforts to repatriate items that had belonged toHolocaust victimsto their descendants…

A new report from theIsrael Advanced Technology Industries Associationfoundthat more than half of the companies surveyed sawan increase in requests from employees to relocate outside of Israel…

Einav Zangauker, who gained prominence in Israel for her advocacy on behalf of her son,Matan, who was a hostage in Gaza,announcedMatan’s engagement toIlana Gritzewsky; Zangauker was released from Hamas captivity in October 2025, while Gritzewsky, who was also taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, was freed in November 2023…

Former Israeli hostageRomi Gonenrecountedmultiple incidents of sexual assault during the 471 days she spent in Hamas captivity in Gaza, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12…

TheBBCreacheda five-figure settlement withan Israeli family from the Gaza envelopewhose home a BBC reporting team filmed from without permission in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…

Egypt and Qatarinkedan agreement that will seeDoha sending gas to Cairoas Egypt works to diversify its national gas imports…

Swiss officialsidentifiedthe bodies of Israeli teenagerCharlotte Needhamand Jewish sistersAlicia and Diana Gunst, who died in a fire at a Swiss ski resort on New Year’s Eve…

SingerEste Haimmarriedtech entrepreneurJonathan Levinin a New Year’s Eve wedding in Los Angeles…

eJewishPhilanthropytalks tofriends and colleagues of philanthropistMorris Kahn, who died last week at 95…

Former Orthodox Union head RabbiJulius Berman, who previously served as chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and chair of the board at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary,diedat 80… Holocaust survivorEva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank,diedat 96… Holocaust survivorEdward Gastfriend, who was instrumental in the creation of Philadelphia’s Holocaust Memorial Plaza,diedat 100… Record executive and political activistHowie Kleindiedat 77 (read Phil Klein’s obituary for his father in theNational Reviewhere)… JournalistTatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Amb. Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg,diedat 35… Former Rep.Dick Zimmer(R-NJ)diedat 81…Richard Pollak, the founder and editor ofMoremagazine,diedat 91… Piano virtuosoGary Graffmandiedat 87… Longtime Upper East Side veterinarianLewis Berman, whose clientele included the pets of numerous celebrities and high-profile figures,diedat 90…

Pic of the Day Israels Noa Szollos reacts after competing in the second run of the Womens Slalom, as part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, on January 4, 2026. (Jure Makovec/AFP via Getty Images) Israel’s Noa Szollosfinished28th in the Women’s Slalom race in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026, earning Israel’s first-ever World Cup points in alpine skiing.

Birthdays (Yagiz Gurtug/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Tennis player ranked No. 1 in Israel for most of 2022,Yshai Olielturns 26..

Author of 10 books includingMitzvah Manand collections of short fiction includingMinyan: Ten Interwoven Stories,John Jacob Claytonturns 91… Sports journalist, author and former ombudsman for ESPN,Robert Lipsyteturns 88… NBA superfan who attends over 100 basketball games nationally each season,James F. Goldsteinturns 86… Former member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party,Eliyahu Gabaiturns 83… Former Philadelphia mayor for eight years, and then another eight years as Pennsylvanias governor, currently a special counsel at Ballard Spahr,Ed Rendellturns 82… Retired attorney from Latham Watkins,Paul Israel Meyer… San Diego-based attorney, she served as a member of Congress and as chief of staff for former California Gov. Gray Davis,Lynn Alice Schenkturns 81… Former attorney general of the U.K, now London co-managing partner and chair of the European and Asian litigation practice at Debevoise Plimpton,Lord Peter Goldsmithturns 76… CEO of Legacy Interactive / Legacy Games,Ariella Lehrer, Ph.D. Founder and principal of DC-based Mager Associates, a boutique public policy and advocacy consulting firm,Mimi Mager… Retired chairman of the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet LeYisrael),Daniel Danny Atarturns 68… JournalistJohn F. Solomonturns 59… Actress and television personality, she is best known for her nine seasons on “The Real Housewives of Orange County,”Heather Paige Kent Dubrowturns 57… Partner of both the law firm Galper Goldberg PLLC and the PR firm Trident GMG,Joshua P. Galper… Professional poker player with more than $29 million of winnings, including $10 million at the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship,Michael Mizrachiturns 45… NYC-based saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator,Oded Tzurturns 42… Founder and creative director of Alsall Studio, a social media and web design firm,Alexandra Lauren Sall…



]]> 98728 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-bibis-mar-a-lago-merry-go-round/ Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:01:30 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98460 ]]> Good Tuesday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview next week’s White House meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, and profile Israeli Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, who was recently announced as the next head of the Mossad. We look at efforts by former Vice President Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom organization to hire former Heritage Foundation staffers as the think tank faces mass departures over its support for Tucker Carlson, and report on moves by members of the Holocaust Memorial Council to remove Sen. Bernie Sanders over his failure to attend board meetings and repeated claims about Gaza that run counter to the museum’s mission. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Larry Ellison, George Conway and Sen. Ted Cruz.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.

Ed. note: This is the last Daily Kickoff of 2025. The next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Monday, Jan. 5. Sign up for our email alerts to continue to read our breaking news reporting through the new year.

What We’re Watching We’ll be reporting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, slated for next week. More below. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in on Jan. 1. New York Attorney General Tish James will conduct the official swearing-in at midnight, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will perform the ceremonial swearing-in during the day. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S LAHAV’S HARKOV When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump next week, the Iranian threat will be at the top of the agenda. That’s a sentence that could have been written countless times in the past – but this time, after the degradation of Iran’s nuclear program, was supposed to be different.

We’re six months out from Operation Midnight Hammer, when the U.S. and Israel worked together to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, and the 11 days of Israeli airstrikes on Iran that preceded it.

But much of the public conversation following that 12-day war focused on the damage done to Iran’s nuclear program – which is likely significant, but still hard to measure precisely – and less on the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missiles and air defenses.

Israel destroyed hundreds of missiles, launchers and production sites, and boasted about its control of the airspace over Tehran a day into the war as testament to its military prowess. But Jerusalem is now deeply concerned that Tehran has managed to recoup, with help from China, much of its losses.

In that vein, Netanyahu and his team are preparing to brief Trump on Israel’s concerns that Iran is expanding its ballistic missile program.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



WAITING FOR GOFMAN Netanyahu’s nominee to lead Mossad is his close advisor and an IDF general who fought the system Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman (Prime Minister’s Spokesperson’s Office) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement earlier this month that his military secretary, Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, would become head of the Mossad, came as a surprise to the public, as journalists and experts had been confident that current Mossad chief David Barnea’s deputy, known only as “A,” had the job in all but name. However, for those who know Gofman, his time in the IDF and his working relationship with Netanyahu, as well as the prime minister’s post-Oct. 7 predilection for bringing in outside candidates to take over defense institutions, Gofman was a natural choice, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Background: Gofman has a limited public profile as Netanyahu’s senior military advisor. But in Israel, his face is fairly familiar, as he can be seen walking behind Netanyahu into the Oval Office and other high-level meetings, even as military secretaries don’t make public statements. Gofman, 49, was born in Belarus, then part of the Soviet Union, and immigrated to Israel with his family at the age of 14. He was bullied in school and took up boxing to fight back, becoming the second-ranked young boxer in Israel in his weight category. He enlisted in the IDF Armored Corps in 1995 and has been in the military ever since, rising to the rank of Aluf, or major general. 

Read the full profile here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CONSERVATIVE REALIGNMENT Mike Pence’s think tank absorbs wave of Heritage departures Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence participates in a television interview outside of the funeral service of former Vice President Dick Cheney at the National Cathedral on November 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Tim Chapman, the president of former Vice President Mike Pence’s think tank, said on Monday that he expects his Advancing American Freedom organization to poach more staffers from the Heritage Foundation after announcing the hiring of 15 individuals from the embattled conservative organization, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

New recruits: Advancing American Freedom, founded by Pence in 2021 to advocate for classical conservative principles as President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement cemented its hold on parts of the Republican Party, announced on Monday that 15 Heritage staffers, including three senior officials from the think tank’s legal, economic and data teams, would be moving to AAF at the start of the new year. Chapman, who has been leading the recruitment effort, predicted more Heritage staffers would resign amid continuing frustration over Heritage President Kevin Roberts’ refusal to disavow Tucker Carlson for his platforming of neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SANDERS SCRUTINY Trump-appointed Holocaust Museum board members pushing to oust Bernie Sanders Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), joined by fellow senator Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (R), speaks at a news conference on restricting arms sales to Israel at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Several Trump appointees to the board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are pushing for the ouster of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), alleging that he has rarely attended meetings and that his accusations of genocide against Israel run directly counter to the museum’s mission, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What they’re saying: Jonathan Burkan, who was appointed to the council twice by President Donald Trump, said he’s never seen Sanders at any meetings of the council — which he said has not been the case for other lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans. “Everything that’s happened after Oct. 7, everything that has been going on with antisemitism, with the Holocaust — I do feel that if someone is a Jewish elected official, they should at least attend one meeting in over a 20 year period of time,” Burkan said. “They should find someone else besides Bernie just to be on the council.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MILITARY MATTERS Pentagon plan to reorganize military could undermine U.S.-Israel security, experts warn (Tom Brenner/Getty Images) Senior Pentagon officials are reportedly weighing a sweeping proposal to reorganize the U.S. military that would shift authorities and resources away from the Middle East, a move experts warn could undermine U.S.-Israel security cooperation and destabilize the region. The plan, driven by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, would reduce the number of U.S. combatant commands from 11 to eight, cut the number of four-star generals and consolidate regional commands into broader organizations. Most notably, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) — which oversees the Middle East and parts of South Asia — would be placed under a newly created U.S. International Command, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Regional ramifications: “If the reorganization happens, it will have detrimental effects on Israel and the wider region,” said Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum. “The Middle East presents unique challenges stemming from Iranian efforts to upend the regional order and the importance of protecting sea lanes and trade routes. Treating the region as one component of a larger command risks harming U.S. goals.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google DAMASCUS DEALINGS Trump’s Syria strategy tested amid resurgence of ISIS in Damascus United States President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa at the White House in Washington DC , November 10, 2025. (Syrian Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images) Following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, President Donald Trump has taken an unusually open approach toward Damascus, seeking to usher in a new era of stability and regional integration. But that strategy is beginning to face significant tests from jihadist elements embedded within Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s own military ranks, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Flagging concerns: “What my colleagues and I have been warning this entire year is that al-Sharaa was putting his jihadist allies into the new Syrian military without apparent measures to prevent bad things from happening,” said David Adesnik, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who added that those with jihadist beliefs were integrated in “large groups.” Those concerns were underscored earlier this month, when two U.S. soldiers and one civilian contractor were killed in Syria in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) — the first U.S. casualties in the country since Assad’s fall in December 2024.

Read the full story here.

Bonus: The New York Times reports on the Assad family’s “life of luxury and impunity” in Moscow, a year after Bashar al-Assad, his wife and children left Damascus for Russia. 

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CAMPUS BEAT Professor who backed encampment selected for role on Northwestern presidential search committee Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. on Saturday, October 5, 2024. (Vincent Alban for The Washington Post via Getty Images) A Northwestern University professor who supported the anti-Israel encampment on the Evanston, Ill., campus and is married to the founder of the university’s chapter of Educators for Justice in Palestine was tapped to join a new presidential search committee, the school announced last week. Ian Hurd, a professor of political science and president of the faculty senate at Northwestern University, is listed on Northwestern’s website as an “expert on the Middle East.” As Faculty Senate president, Hurd has played an influential role in shaping faculty responses to campus protests, academic freedom disputes and university governance questions, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Raising eyebrows: Hurd’s appointment to the search committee drew criticism from some of the school’s Jewish alumni. “The antisemitic encampment at Northwestern occurred in April 2024, immediately before Ian Hurd was elevated into senior faculty leadership. At the time, Hurd was a leading figure in the Faculty Senate and publicly defended the administration’s response,” Michael Teplitsky, president of the Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern and an alum of the school, told JI. 

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Banning the Brotherhood: In The Spectator, Ed Husain calls on the United Kingdom to follow the lead of the U.S. and other countries and ban the Muslim Brotherhood. “What does the Brotherhood’s growing influence mean for Britain’s Muslims? It results in women facing sharia court trials for divorce proceedings. Mosques must send coaches to marches in London or risk becoming outcasts. For the rest of the country it has meant greater communal separatism and multiple terror attacks. Britain’s Jews are afraid to walk the streets of their country, and MPs have been attacked by Islamist extremists. The resulting terror threat has been classed by the government as ‘substantial’, with 43,000 individuals on an MI5 watch list just five years ago. The Jenkins report warned a decade ago about the threat from the Brotherhood to Britain’s national security. That menace has now metastasised.” [TheSpectator]

What the Far Right Gets Wrong: In Compact, David Azerrad examines the rise of the “JQers” — far-right influencers who push the idea of the “Jewish Question” as a means of explaining societal ills. “The problems we face are so daunting, the odds so overwhelming, that it is easier to rail against the Jews than to undertake the Herculean task of revitalizing the dying nations of the West. The JQers simply don’t have the stomach to consider that, in fact, it may well be our fault. We Americans and Westerners are the ones who squandered our inheritance, defiled our countries, and replaced our populations. We elected — and re-elected — the leaders who launched reckless wars and embraced foolish policies. They were not hoodwinked by the Israel lobby, and they would not suddenly become prudent statesmen if all Jewish influence were expunged from our politics.” [Compact]

Bank Notes: Bloomberg’s Paul Davies looks at Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan’s efforts to redefine private credit through the creation of what Davies calls a “narrow” bank. “Apollo has ridden the boom in private markets over the past decade to command $908 billion in assets and become an increasingly significant lender to the US economy, along with a string of rivals and copycats. Banks, investors, regulators and politicians are — or ought to be — watching closely for emerging risks and benefits from the model Rowan has built. He needs to get his message about Athene’s version of private credit to all of these observers and to a media he has called confused and hysterical, but most of all to the armies of mom-and-pop annuity holders whose trust his business relies on.” [Bloomberg]

Word on the Street A new report by the Anti-Defamation League highlights several members of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team who have used antisemitic tropes and justified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, among other issues the group flags as “deeply troubling” and that raise further questions about his vetting process, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports…

The Trump administration is recalling senior career diplomats from 29 countries, all of whom were appointed during the Biden administration; the majority of those whose tenure is being ended are posted in Africa or the Pacific Islands…

Former Blackrock executive Mark Wiseman was named Canada’s next ambassador to the U.S….

Axios spotlights Steve Witkoff’s South Florida Shell Bay club, where the White House special envoy and Jared Kushner, and occasionally Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have hosted high-level diplomatic delegations to discuss issues ranging from the Israel-Gaza war to Ukraine…

NBC News reports on Witkoff and Rubio’s clashing approaches to the Trump administration’s Russia-Ukraine policy… 

The Washington Post looks at Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) efforts to position himself as a traditional Republican on foreign policy issues ahead of the 2028 presidential election, as the Texas Republicans mulls another White House bid…

Attorney George Conway filed to run in the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 12th Congressional District, where Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) is not seeking reelection…

Larry Ellison is personally guaranteeing the $40.4 billion that Paramount, led by his son David Ellison, is putting forward in its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery…

A New York Times analysis of donors to Trump administration projects and priorities found that Dr. Miriam Adelson’s foundation pledged $25 million to the construction of a new White House ballroom; additional donors include Palantir and ​​Lockheed Martin, which are both donating $10 million to the reconstruction effort…

Authorities in New York levied a hate crime charge against a man in connection with an attack in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood last week in which a Jewish man was stabbed; the assault was captured on camera and took place blocks from the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters… 

The Washington Post looks at efforts by volunteers, aided by Jewish communal security organizations, to identify threats to Jewish groups and institutions…

Israel’s Cabinet approved the closure of Galei Tzahal, the army radio station, after 75 years of operation, as part of a broader government effort to exert control over Israeli media; Israeli press organizations plan to challenge the decision, which was also opposed by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara…

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told leaders of the country’s settlement movement that “when the time comes,” Israel will reestablish settlements in the Gaza Strip, contradicting previous assertions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

The Wall Street Journal spotlights security lapses that have allowed Iranian hackers to exploit vulnerabilities in an effort to breach Israeli institutions and obtain and leak information…

Longtime Jewish public relations professional H. Glenn Rosenkrantz died at 64…

Swedish-born actress May Britt, who converted to Judaism before marrying Sammy Davis Jr., died at 91…Record producer Jerry Kasenetz, who with his business partner Jeffry Katz produced such songs as “Yummy Yummy Yummy” and “Little Bit O’ Soul,” died at 82…

Pic of the Day (MA’AYAN TOAF/GPO) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday in Jerusalem with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis.


Birthdays (Photo by Kadir Kemal Behar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Israeli-Spanish singer-songwriter of Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) music, Yasmin Levy turns 50… 

Television producer, best known for his work on the 1980’s television series “Cagney Lacey,” Barney Rosenzweig turns 88… Electrical engineer, who with Vint Cerf, invented the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), the fundamental protocols at the heart of the Internet, Robert Elliot “Bob” Kahn turns 87… Emmy Award-winning actor, writer, director and producer, best known for his work on “The Simpsons”, he is still an active podcast host, Harry Shearer turns 82… Russian-born mathematician, living in France, Mikhail Leonidovich Gromov turns 82… U.S. district judge in the Southern District of New York, he has been on senior status since 2011, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan turns 81… Documentary filmmaker, she is best known for her films on businessman Julius Rosenwald and baseball players Hank Greenberg and Moe Berg, Aviva Kempner turns 79… Retired Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada, Michael Moldaver turns 78… One of two Grand Rebbes of Satmar, Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum turns 74… Editor-at-large of The Bulwark, William “Bill” Kristol turns 73… Retired Israeli basketball player and coach, until 2006 she was in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most points (108) ever scored in a women’s professional game, Orna Ostfeld turns 73… Dean at Indiana University’s School of Global and International Studies, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Poland in the Obama administration, Lee A. Feinstein turns 66… Software engineer at Goldman Sachs, Bill Pinsky… CEO of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis, Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal turns 59… USAID acting mission director for the West Bank and Gaza until 2021, then mission director for Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2024, Courtney Chubb turns 56… Political technology entrepreneur and campaign finance attorney, Jonathan Eric Zucker turns 54… Israeli investor in natural resources including diamond and copper mining interests in Africa, Dan Gertler turns 52… Beverly Hills-based attorney and real estate agent, he is a supporter of pro-democracy groups in his native Iran, Pooya Dayanim… Attorney in Austin, she clerked for Justice Alito on the U.S. Supreme Court, Zina Linda Gelman Bash… VP of strategy and mergers at the Heritage Group, an Indiana-based multi-generational family portfolio of companies, Adam Milakofsky… Israeli singer, songwriter, musician and composer of the genre known as Mizrahi music, Dudu Aharon turns 41… COO at Israel Policy Forum, Snezhana Valdman Orlando turns 41… Liberal rabbi in the city of Dresden and founder of the Besht Yeshiva, Akiva Weingarten turns 41… Partner and chief investment officer at Gelt Venture Partners, he was an MLB infielder and played for Team Israel in 2012 and 2017, Joshua Blake Satin turns 41… Chief of staff for the U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco Charles Kushner, Gabriel Scheinmann… Founder and CEO at Stealth AI, he is also a lecturer and research scholar at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Emil Pitkin… Brand marketing manager at Metagenics, Lauren Kahn… Israeli fashion model, Shlomit Malka turns 32… Senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, Ilan Berman… Former account executive at Edelman, India Goodman… Tom Epstein…



]]> 98460 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-gen-zs-conservative-crack-up/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:49:41 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98322 ]]> Good Monday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to Jewish leaders in Texas concerned about Democrat James Talarico’s rhetoric on Israel as he mounts a Senate bid in the Lone Star State, and spotlight Providence, R.I., Mayor Brett Smiley‘s efforts to lean on his Jewish faith as the city reels from the shooting at Brown University. We interview Rabbi Levi Shemtov as the rabbi concludes a week of criss-crossing the District to celebrate Hanukkah, and talk to AJC CEO Ted Deutch about the need for Jewish communal unity on security issues in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Josh Blackman, Seymour Hersh and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching We’re continuing to monitor developments in Australia. At a Sunday vigil in Sydney for the victims of last week’s Bondi Beach attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was jeered and booed over what the country’s Jewish leaders have derided as inadequate efforts to address antisemitism before and since the attacks.  Earlier today, an Australian court released police charging documents for the alleged shooter who was not killed during the attacks. The documents noted that Naveed Akram and his father had also hurled explosive devices into the crowd that had failed to detonate, and prior to the attacks had recorded a video explaining their motivations while standing in front of an ISIS flag.  In Israel, Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, in collaboration with the Ruderman Family Foundation, is hosting a conference this afternoon examining the U.S.-Israel relationship, including the connection between Israel and American Jewry. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Josh Kraushaar The kids aren’t alright.

That’s the unmistakable takeaway from a weekend filled with shocking developments surrounding the views of young conservatives, punctuated by a Turning Point USA conference that turned into a proxy war between mainstream voices led by Ben Shapiro, looking to create guardrails against antisemites and conspiracy theorists within the MAGA movement, against a growing cadre of bad-faith right-wing influencers leading the charge to embrace extremist voices into the conservative coalition.

The conference concluded with Vice President JD Vance all but taking the side of the extremists, while offering fulsome praise to his friend, Tucker Carlson, as an essential part of the Republican Party coalition.

The last several days also featured news of an eye-opening Manhattan Institute focus group of Gen Z Nashville-area conservatives reluctant to offer any negative reaction toward Adolf Hitler and sharing numerous antisemitic stereotypes about Jews. (One 29-year-old woman offered this representative reaction about Hitler: “I think he was a great leader, to be honest. I think what he was going for was terrible, but I think he showed very strong leadership values.”)

The weekend ended with a Jewish Insider scoop that a Trump administration nominee for a senior position at the State Department has a long track record of making derogatory comments about the Jewish community, characterizing Jews as religiously incorrect and in need of conversion.

This moment was further underscored by the hideously antisemitic tirade that Candace Owens went on over the last few days, barely eliciting any serious pushback from conservative movement leaders. Meanwhile, former journalist Megyn Kelly, during her own speech Friday at the TPUSA conference, chose to go after Shapiro and CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss even as Kelly has publicly steered clear of criticizing Owens, citing the fact that she’s a young mother and a personal friend. (Shapiro, she said, is no longer a friend after he criticized her in his speech Thursday night.)

Shapiro, long one of the leading voices on the right, opened the conference with a warning that the conservative movement is in danger from “charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty, who offer nothing but bile and despair.”  

He called out Tucker Carlson, Owens and Kelly by name. “We must not let fear of audience anger deter us from telling the truth; we must not let fear of other hosts deter us from telling the truth,” Shapiro warned. “The fact that Candace has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years on end while others fly cover for her is … cowardly.”

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



TALARICO TALK Texas Jewish voters, leaders alarmed by James Talarico’s Israel rhetoric Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally on September 09, 2025 in Round Rock, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Jewish leaders in Texas are growing increasingly concerned about Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s comments on Israel, with four members of the community telling Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod that without concerted outreach from Talarico, they’re likely to back Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) in the Democratic primary. Their frustrations came to a head after Talarico accused Israel of war crimes in response to a general question on foreign policy at an event last week. “I will use every bit of financial and diplomatic leverage that this country has to end the atrocities in Palestine,” Talarico vowed to do if elected. “I will not use your tax dollars to fund these war crimes. I will vote to ban offensive weapons to Israel.” He also said he’d refuse to accept support from AIPAC.

Calling him out: Art Pronin, who leads the Meyerland Area Democrats Club, a largely Jewish Democratic group in the Houston area, told JI he’s known Talarico for years and the candidate has spoken to the Meyerland Democrats group. Pronin has repeatedly expressed concerns to Talarico directly and to the campaign about his Israel rhetoric, to little effect. “I told him … ‘You’ve got to stop singling out one group,’” Pronin said, referring to AIPAC. He said that Talarico had apologized and said he would modify his rhetoric, but offered similar comments, unprompted, at the Houston town hall last week.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BUOYED BY BELIEF Finding faith in office: Providence mayor leans on his Judaism in hard times Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, right, is hugged by former U.S. Rep. David Cicilline of Providence, at Lippitt Memorial Park during a gathering to honor the victims a day after a shooting occurred on Brown University campus, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/PA Images via Getty Images) As the Rhode Island capital has found itself a fixture in the national news following the recent mass shooting at Brown University, where a gunman killed two students and injured nine more, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has also found himself in the spotlight. “I think my job in the days to come is to help our community heal, to process the trauma that they’ve been through,” Smiley said at a vigil last Sunday. A long-planned communal holiday gathering, meant to be a Hanukkah celebration and a Christmas tree lighting, had turned into a place for people to grieve together, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Healing together: On Friday, Smiley sat in his dark City Hall office before dawn, describing the surreal saga following the end of the dayslong manhunt, in an interview with a local NBC affiliate. “Everything about this situation is tragic, but at least we now know there is a definitive end to it,” Smiley said, sitting in front of a Hanukkah menorah. “Now we can start the healing process as a community.” The mayor leaned on his own faith in the days afterward. Aside from taking part in the menorah lighting, he stopped by his synagogue, Temple Beth-El, and spoke several times last week to Rabbi Sarah Mack.  “He’s a lovely, wonderful person with deeply rooted morals and values, and he has found his Jewish faith to be incredibly meaningful to him,” Mack told JI on Thursday.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MENORAHS ON THE MALL Lighting up Washington: Rabbi Levi Shemtov brings Hanukkah to the halls of power One of Washington’s few remaining bipartisan traditions is the annual clamoring for a ticket to the White House Hanukkah party — an affair that was smaller than usual this year after the Trump administration tore down the East Wing, prompting disappointment even from some Republican allies who did not score an invite. If you’re a member of the opposing political party, forget about it. But even as power changes hands in Washington, one person is a fixture at Republican and Democratic White House Hanukkah parties, as well as Hanukkah gatherings all across the Beltway. That’s Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), the Washington arm of the global Chabad movement, and Washington’s unofficial menorah-lighter-in-chief, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Expression of pride: “I was raised during the Bicentennial, and I got a very patriotic education in our day school. I felt very American, and I thought this was a strong public expression of a deep Jewish pride that I was able to enjoy,” Shemtov said during Hanukkah last week. “I come from grandfathers on both sides of my family who were arrested and imprisoned, tortured and exiled for being Jews and for practicing Judaism and for leading Jewish communities. So I wasn’t going to let the freedom we are so fortunate to have here just pass without my active participation in it.”

Read the full interview here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE HILL Senate Appropriations Committee proposes $330 million for nonprofit security grants Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) questions U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during a Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on December 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Appropriations Committee Republicans, in a long-delayed Homeland Security funding bill released on Friday, proposed a modest increase in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $330 million, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

State of play: The program was funded at $274.5 million in 2025 — not counting supplemental funds included in the 2024 national security supplemental bill. The Senate’s proposed increase comes in far below the $500 million to $1 billion that Jewish community advocates and supporters of the program on Capitol Hill have called for. The proposal is also slightly below the $335 million approved by the House in its version of the bill earlier this year. The Senate proposal sets off a sprint to finalize 2026 government funding when Congress returns in January, ahead of an end-of-month deadline.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CALL TO ACTION AJC CEO calls for Jewish organizations to unify over communal security (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images) Following the shooting at a Sydney, Australia, Hanukkah event in which 15 people were killed, American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch said that it’s critical for Jewish communal organizations to join together around a campaign to protect the Jewish community worldwide and win over allies in that fight, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Coming together: “The community organizations need to come together around an immediate effort to respond to Bondi Beach. This is urgent for us,” Deutch said. Even if various groups have different approaches to their work, “we’ve got to show the Jewish world” and the philanthropists who back them “that we can actually work together, all of us, in ways that will protect the Jewish community in response to what happened at Bondi Beach.” And he said that the Jewish community needs to stand its ground and be clear that it has the right and expectation to have its concerns and security “treated as seriously as other communities” and the “expectation that when we’re at risk, there will be action, rather than asking that everyone please consider our plight.”Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SIGHTS ON SYRIA Over half of House Republicans call for accountability on Syria sanctions repeal The U.S. Capitol Building is seen at sunset on May 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images) A group of 136 House Republicans released a joint statement on Friday calling for increased oversight of and accountability from Syria, days after voting to repeal the last major sanctions package on the country as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What they said: The lawmakers said that the “the mass murder of the Syrian Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and other religious and ethnic minorities must be a thing of the past” and that they are “committed to keeping a watchful eye on the new al-Sharaa Administration to ensure protections for religious and ethnic minorities.” They said they had received assurances from the administration and House leadership that sanctions would be re-imposed if the Syrian government breaches the non-binding conditions laid out in the bill, that the House would hold a hearing on the treatment of religious minorities in Syria and that they would like to visit Syria to personally observe the situation on the ground.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Sounding the Alarm: In The Times, Deborah Lipstadt, the Biden administration’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, argues that efforts by governments and leaders to “engage in pieties but not action” that see officials ignore antisemitic elements in their coalitions will lead to more attacks on Jewish targets. “However, unlike the neo-Nazis of previous generations, the extreme right-wing of today looks quite respectable. Think of the influencer Nick Fuentes or the YouTube host Candace Owens. No sieg heil salutes. No Nazi-like uniforms. But the hate they spew is as dangerous as that we heard in years gone by. It may even be more dangerous than its predecessors, because it sounds rational. There is, of course, also a very real problem on the left, which we have seen playing out at universities in recent years. … Islamists have made common cause with the left. This alliance persists even though both groups’ views on democracy, LGBTQ identities, gender equality and much more are at opposite ends of the spectrum.” [TheTimes]

Parental Guidance: In The Wall Street Journal, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who served as chief of staff in the Obama administration, reflects on the parenting choices he and his wife, Amy, made as they raised their three children. “Our first principle, perhaps the most important, is a tribute to my Jewish mother: Meals matter. If you want to raise successful children, families have to eat together. No matter my job, Amy and I made it a practice to carve out at least four evenings a week for dinner. Knowing that Shabbat dinners often run long, President [Barack] Obama would sometimes text me late on Friday nights: ‘Is it safe to call yet?’ I wasn’t only insisting on time alone with Amy and the kids; Amy and I were signaling to the kids how important they were to us and how important the Shabbat meal was to our family.” [WSJ]

Primary Problems: CNN’s Sarah Ferris and Manu Raju report on concerns among Capitol Hill Democrats over far-left primary challenges to sitting party members as the 2026 midterms gear up. “Democrats in Washington say primaries are simply part of life in a big-tent party. But privately, many see the surge in far-left challengers as an expensive headache that distracts from the party’s goal of seizing control of Congress next November. And it has infuriated some Democrats — including among the most vulnerable members — who fear the party will have to divert money away from the bigger fight against the GOP to protect incumbents in safe seats. ‘I think we’ve got individuals who might be caught up in the moment, caught up in the internet,’ said Rep. Greg Meeks, a fellow New York Democrat who has watched liberal challengers line up against many in his home state delegation.” [CNN]

‘Free Pass’ for Antisemitism: In the Deseret News, Nathan Diament, the executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, calls for the protection of religious gatherings and places of worship in the wake of protests at synagogues in Los Angeles and New York and the recent attack in Bondi Beach. “It is crucial that society be honest about who and what we are dealing with. The ‘protestors’ are not genuine proponents of free speech. Their vile and violent chants are clear: They seek to dismantle, disrupt and deny Jewish religious life. They want to use their absolutist claim on free speech to annihilate the equally important right to freedom of religion. We are witnessing the natural consequence of two years of refusing to hold bad actors accountable. The vast majority of campus protestors and rioters were given a free pass by local politicians and prosecutors even though they assaulted students, destroyed private property and clearly violated Jews’ civil rights. They were essentially told society doesn’t care enough about those rights.” [DeseretNews]





Word on the Street Israel is cautioning the U.S. that a recent missile drill conducted by Iran could be part of an effort to prepare for another military conflict with Israel, six months after the 12-day war between the countries…

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, assisted by senior White House aide Josh Gruenbaum and other administration officials, are promoting their “Project Sunrise” plan to develop Gaza into a coastal metropolis; under the terms of the plan, the U.S. would contribute about 20% of the reconstruction costs over the next 10 years…

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), visiting Israel on Sunday, said that Hamas is “absolutely not” prepared to disarm, despite the move being a key stipulation of the Trump administration’s 20-point peace plan; Graham added that the terror group is “rearming” and “consolidating power” in the Gaza Strip…

The U.S. launched airstrikes on dozens of ISIS targets in Syria on Friday in response to an attack last week in which two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter were killed by a member of the Syrian security forces whom Syrian and American officials said had ISIS sympathies…

The Wall Street Journal interviewed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee about the Republican Party’s divide over Israel…

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) announced on Friday that she was ending her campaign for governor of New York, an abrupt and unexpected move that comes just over a month after the Republican congresswoman launched her bid to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was fined $25,000 by the NFL for comments made on a livestream last week in which the football player criticized the league’s officiating; Nacua was not fined for having made an antisemitic gesture on the same livestream…

The New York Times reviews “Cover-Up,” a documentary by Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus about the work of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh…

Josh Blackman announced his resignation as senior editor of the Heritage Foundation’s Heritage Guide to the Constitution, amid a wave of departures as the think tank’s leadership, staff and board clash over CEO Kevin Roberts’ embrace of Tucker Carlson…

The Financial Times spotlights Israeli-Arab MK Mansour Abbas as the Ra’am party leader works to again position himself as a kingmaker in next year’s elections…

An estimated 20,000 Saudi forces are amassing near the Gulf country’s border with Yemen amid efforts to force the Southern Transitional Council separatist group to relinquish its recent territorial gains…

Rabbi Emily Korzenik, who, as one of the first female ordained rabbis, presided over the first bar mitzvah in Krakow, Poland, since the Holocaust in 1985, died at 96…

Art historian and photographer Allan Ludwig, whose book Graven Images: New England Stonecarving and Its Symbols, 1650-1815 brought new interest to the field of Puritan funerary art, died at 92…

Stock trader and art dealer Robert Mnuchin, the father of former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, died at 92…

Pic of the Day (SHLOMI AMSELEM) William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, lit Hanukkah candles in Jerusalem with freed hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel at the J50 gathering of Jewish leaders, representing the 50 largest Jewish communities in the world.

Birthdays (Photo by Jerod Harris/Variety via Getty Images) Filmmaker, novelist, video game writer and comic book writer, David Samuel Goyer turns 60… 

Retired New York Supreme Court judge, Arthur J. Cooperman turns 92… Former president of the World Bank, U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, U.S. deputy secretary of defense and dean of JHU’s Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Paul Wolfowitz turns 82… NYC-based political consultant, ordained as a Rabbi by Chabad in 2011, his early career included stints as a policeman, taxi driver and bounty hunter, Henry “Hank” Sheinkopf turns 76… Retired assistant principal from the Philadelphia school district, Elissa Siegel… Associate at Mersky, Jaffe Associates, he was previously executive director of Big Tent Judaism and VP of the Wexner Heritage Foundation, Rabbi Kerry Olitzky turns 71… Rosh yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Michael Rosensweig turns 69… Cardiologist and professor of medical engineering at MIT, Elazer R. Edelman turns 69… Retired Israeli brigadier general who then served as the national CEO of the Friends of the IDF, Yehiel Gozal turns 68… Senior managing director in the D.C. office of Newmark where she is responsible for investment sales and commercial leasing transactions, Lisa Benjamin… Former CFO of Enron Corporation, Andrew Fastow turns 64… Rabbi at Temple Sinai of Palm Desert, Calif., David Novak turns 63… NPR correspondent covering the State Department and Washington’s diplomatic corps, Michele Kelemen turns 58… Film and television actress, Dina Meyer turns 57… CEO of Next Titan Capital until four months ago, Michael Huttner… U.S. senator (R-TX), Ted Cruz turns 55… CEO of American Council of Young Political Leaders, Libby Rosenbaum… Columnist and best-selling author, James Kirchick turns 42… Writer and editor from New York City, Sofia Ergas Groopman… Business development representative at HiBob, Carly Korman Schlakman… Head of philanthropy and impact investment for EJF Philanthropies, Simone Friedman… Liberty Consultants’ Lisa Brazie…



]]> 98322 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/shapiro-carlson-spar-at-americafest/ Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:35:40 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98204 ]]> Good Friday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we interview former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov ahead of his address today at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, and report on barbs exchanged between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson at the confab’s opening night plenary. We have the scoop on an effort by Sen. Bill Cassidy to press the National Education Association on an alleged “deeply troubling” pattern of antisemitism, and report on the resignation of a senior official in the incoming administration of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani over past antisemitic posts. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Amy Latzer, Dana Rubinstein and Kinney Zalesne.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.

For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: Norman Podhoretz remembered as visionary of neoconservative thought; Serving faith and nation: The rabbis bringing light to U.S. troops on Europe’s front lines; and The new book urging young Jews to take inspiration from Soviet Jewish dissidents. Print the latest edition here.

What We’re Watching White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting in Miami today with senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to discuss the continued implementation of the Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty are slated to attend the meeting, the first convening at such a senior level since the ceasefire went into effect in October. The meeting comes as The Wall Street Journal reports on the challenges — namely Hamas’ refusal to disarm — facing the Trump administration as it attempts to implement the second phase of the agreement.
Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest continues today in Phoenix, Ariz. Former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov will take the main stage today (more below), as well as Heritage Foundation CEO Kevin Roberts, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Erika Kirk, Steve Bannon, Vivek Ramaswamy, Megyn Kelly and James O’Keefe. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MATTHEW KASSEL In recent weeks, James Fishback, a 30-year-old Republican investor who last month launched a long-shot campaign for governor of Florida, has drawn online attention for a series of incendiary social media posts attacking Israel and invoking antisemitic tropes.

In addition to praising followers of the neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes, comments for which he has refused to apologize, Fishback has promoted a range of extreme anti-Israel positions, including in a recent campaign ad vowing to defend those who accuse the Jewish state of genocide. He has taken repeated aim at the pro-Israel organization AIPAC, which he calls a “foreign lobbying group,” saying its supporters are “slaves” and that his own “allegiance is to America.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that I fell for the ‘Israel is our greatest ally’ scam and the lie that criticizing Israel is ‘antisemitic,’” he wrote in a social media post this week. “It wasn’t until I was offered a paid trip to Israel this summer (which I never took) that I realized how cringe and pathetic the propaganda was.”

In using such inflammatory rhetoric, Fishback, a political newcomer, is likely seeking to channel the views among a younger audience of far-right voters increasingly fueling anti-Israel as well as antisemitic sentiment in the GOP, which has recently forced the party to confront a growing schism within its ranks over its ideological direction.

But while Fishback has sought to cast next year’s Republican primary as “very clearly a two-person race” between him and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) — the pro-Israel GOP front-runner now dominating the polls while reporting a $40 million fundraising advantage — political operatives in both parties are skeptical his insurgent bid will ultimately amount to any sort of meaningful on-the-ground traction even as he continues to provoke controversy from behind the screen.

“Social media is the only reason anyone has heard of Fishback, and 20 years ago no one would even be talking about him,” Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist in Florida, told Jewish Insider. “Unless he stumbles into a pile of cash, it’s hard for me to see this being more than just an effort to get clicks.”

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.

center stage Freed Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov to address Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest Omer Shem Tov speaks onstage at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on October 30, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest kicked off on Thursday with prominent names on its four-day agenda, including Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Some speakers, such as Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon, have spread anti-Israel and even antisemitic messages through their platforms, while others, including Ben Shapiro and Glenn Beck, have been strong advocates for Israel. Joining them on the program on Friday is Omer Shem Tov, who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 505 days, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Courting the crowd: Shem Tov plans to tell the audience at AmericaFest the story of his captivity, in addition to paying tribute to Kirk and discussing the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Shem Tov told JI that he’s speaking to TPUSA because “we can see on social media that something is changing on the American right. You can see more and more people coming out with all kinds of antisemitic statements and anti-Israel statements,” adding, “It’s very concerning, because these are people who vote for Trump, people who are supposed to be good for us.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google scene last night At AmericaFest, Shapiro, Carlson clash over the future of the conservative movement Attendees listen to conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro during Turning Point’s annual AmericaFest conference in remembrance of late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona on December 18, 2025. The ongoing dispute between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson took center stage on Thursday during the opening night of Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, the organization’s annual gathering and its first since the killing of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk in September, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Shapiro’s slam: Shapiro began his remarks by warning that conservative commentators including Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon are “frauds and grifters” who are threatening the future of the Republican Party. “Today, the conservative movement is in serious danger, not just from the left that all too frequently excuses everything up to and including murder,” Shapiro said. “The conservative movement is also in danger from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty, who offer nothing but bile and despair, who seek to undermine fundamental principles of conservatism by championing aggravation and grievance.”

Tucker’s rebuttal: Carlson took the stage later on in the program, and began his remarks by revealing he had “laughed” while watching Shapiro take digs at him. He later criticized Shapiro’s push to purge fringe figures such as Fuentes and Owens from the conservative ecosystem. “To hear calls for, like, deplatforming and denouncing people at a Charlie Kirk event, I’m like, what? That’s hilarious.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google appointee unmasked Mamdani appointee resigns after complaining about ‘money hungry Jews’ on social media Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Director of Appointments, speaks during a press conference with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (L) and Jahmila Edwards (C), Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, on December 17, 2025 in New York. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s newly tapped director of appointments, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, resigned on Thursday afternoon after her history of antisemitic online posts — including complaining about “money hungry Jews” — was exposed. “Catherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and [Mamdani] accepted,” Dora Pekec, the mayor-elect’s transition team spokesperson, told Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen. The recently unearthed posts come as several of Mamdani’s transition appointees have drawn scrutiny from Jewish leaders, who remain skeptical of the mayor-elect as he takes office on Jan. 1, and his commitment to fighting antisemitism. 

Digital history: Da Costa, who previously served as executive assistant to former Mayor Bill DeBlasio and was appointed by Mamdani on Wednesday, posted a series of antisemitic comments in 2011 and 2012, which were shared by the Anti-Defamation League. Da Costa’s account — and the posts, which had remained online — was deleted once the antisemitism watchdog published her posts on Thursday. “Money hungry Jews smh,” Da Costa posted on X in January 2011, according to screenshots. “Woo! Promoted to the upstairs office today! Working alongside these rich Jewish peeps,” she posted in June 2011. In June 2012, Da Costa wrote that the “Far Rockaway train is the Jew train,” a reference to the neighborhood’s sizable Jewish population.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google closing of the horseshoe Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, eyeing NYC school chancellor post, praised Nick Fuentes online Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks at the National Action Network’s (NAN) three-day annual national convention on April 07, 2022 in New York City. Jamaal Bowman, the far-left former House member who is pursuing an appointment as New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s public schools chancellor, recently posted a comment on Instagram supporting remarks from neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. The unearthed comment comes weeks after Bowman said that he has been “pushing hard” for Mamdani to name him as schools chancellor so he could lead a “revolution in our public schools.”

Show of support: Bowman made the comment on an Instagram reel of Fuentes posted in September, which featured the antisemitic commentator making the case that Republicans weren’t a “better” choice than Democrats for working people, but were instead “better” for Israel, the oil and gas industry, Silicon Valley and Wall Street. The caption on the video, posted by an unnamed user, which has 2.6 million views and more than 239 thousand likes, reads: “The type of Racist ifw [I f*** with].” In a comment, Bowman wrote, “Finally getting it Nick. Now go a step further. This is the same playbook they use to divide and conquer us based on race to maintain their oligarchy. It’s us, against the oligarchy. Now no more racist bullshit from you.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google scoop Senate education committee chair presses NEA over antisemitism complaints Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) speaks to reporters following the weekly Republican Senate policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent a letter this week to the National Education Association accusing the largest teachers’ union in the country of a “deeply troubling” pattern of antisemitism within its ranks, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.

Laying out the evidence: “The Jewish people have suffered assaults on their identity, religion, culture, and lives for millennia. Disturbingly, we are witnessing a rise in antisemitic sentiment across the Western world, including in the United States,” Cassidy wrote. He said that the NEA has “lost sight” of its congressionally chartered purpose, adopting a “misplaced” focus on “political activism, foreign policy, and environmental and social justice causes” and becoming “hostile” to Jewish NEA members. The letter lists out a litany of incidents, including a map sent in a mass email to three million NEA members describing the entire land of Israel as “indigenous” Palestinian territory and linking to resources from Hamas-supporting organizations, an attempted boycott of the Anti-Defamation League and reported harassment of Jewish delegates at the NEA’s national conference.

Read the full story here.

Elsewhere on the Hill: A new bill introduced by several prominent House progressives — Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Becca Balint (D-VT) and Maxwell Frost (D-FL) — blasts the Trump administration’s agenda and actions on combating antisemitism, while also implementing new posts and requirements across a series of federal departments to fight Jewish hate, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google on the trail Longtime Jewish activist mounts bid for D.C. congressional delegate seat Kinney Zalasne Kinney Zalesne, a longtime Jewish community activist, is one of a slew of Democratic candidates mounting a bid to unseat the District of Columbia’s longtime non-voting representative to Congress, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Background: Zalesne grew up in a Conservative synagogue in Philadelphia, learning to read Torah at age 16 and lead services at 25. She said she’s been doing both ever since, including leading Mincha services on Yom Kippur annually for 32 years — a fact she said would distinguish her from any other Jewish member of Congress. She also served as a board member and board chair of D.C.’s Jewish day school, serves on the American Board of the National Library of Israel and advised two hostage family groups, as well as worked with a group of Israelis trying to convene a constitutional convention prior to the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. “My run for office is really motivated by my Jewish sensibility,” she told JI. “My whole career has been about expanding opportunity for people, and that, to me, has always felt like that’s always been a huge part of my Jewish identity, and so this run for Congress is really an extension of that.” 

Read the full story here.District politics: D.C. City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George, a self-identified democratic socialist, who spoke on a panel at a Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington breakfast on Thursday, committed to standing up for the Jewish community and taking proactive steps to ensure its security, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Women of Iran: In The Free Press, Roya Hakakian spotlights the Iranian women “quietly rebelling” against the regime in Tehran. “​​If the long struggle of Iranian women against mandatory dress codes is now succeeding, it is because it is the continuation of a historic effort toward secularization that began in Iran more than a century and a half ago. …  In truth, the Iranian struggle for freedom is one of the country’s most enduring traditions. The women refusing the hijab, the workers on strike, the students demanding accountability are not importing foreign ideas. They are voicing old ones — from Tahireh, from the constitutionalists of 1906, from a native movement for secularism and civil rights that long predates the Islamic Republic.” [FreePress]

Survivor’s Story: In The Wall Street Journal, Arsen Ostrovsky, the head of the Sydney office of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, reflects on the terror attack earlier this week in Sydney, Australia, in which he was injured. “I’ve spent years telling stories of terror and resilience as a lawyer. I have advocated for victims, documented atrocities and fought for survivors. I never imagined I would become one. Doctors later told me it was millimeters between life and death, ‘a miracle’ I survived. Trolls, spreading AI-generated images, said I was faking it, something I first learned about as I was about to be wheeled into the operating room. God willing, I will make a full recovery. What I saw on Bondi was pure evil. The terror, screams and lifeless bodies. It felt like the Nova Music Festival all over again, except this time it was on the beach I’d grown up on — an Australian sanctuary. I’d moved my family here to escape war and was taking up a new job to help combat antisemitism.” [WSJ]

Bridging the Gulf: In Mishpacha Magazine, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg reflects on his recent trip to the United Arab Emirates. “In the UAE, we discovered a modern echo of that golden age, made possible by a people who do not merely tolerate us, but who admire and respect us. They share many of our values, ethics, priorities, and even practices. They are deeply committed to their faith, yet they do not seek to impose it on others. The proof is in their actions. The UAE was the first Arab country to condemn Hamas after October 7. While airlines around the world stopped flying to Israel, Emirates Airlines never stopped once and, during that time, even increased their service. What moved me most were the stories we heard so often. Despite the message from the leaders, prior to the Abraham Accords and a meaningful Jewish presence in the UAE, many of those we met grew up with stereotypes about Jews, just as too many of us grew up with stereotypes about them. They were taught to feel hate until real encounters rewrote their hearts.” [Mishpacha]

Forging Ties: In Newsweek, former White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt calls for renewed ties between Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as Israel and Muslim-majority nations, in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack. “ISIS and its ideological offshoots are not Islam. They are a violent, nihilistic cult that hijacks religious language to sanctify the murder of innocents. What they practice is not faith — it is desecration. They strip Islam of its humanity, weaponize grievance and turn God into a justification for cruelty. … Grief does not require us to abandon clarity. Anger does not require us to abandon truth. And solidarity does not require silence about antisemitism. We can, we must, hold all of these realities at once. As a Jew, I say this plainly: The answer to terror cannot be retreat into tribal isolation. It must be a redoubling — a tripling — of efforts to build bridges between Jews and Muslims, between Muslim-majority nations and Israel, between communities extremists are determined to tear apart.” [Newsweek]



Word on the Street The Senate voted to confirm Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as the Trump administration’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism on Thursday, as part of a package of nearly 100 nominees for various federal posts; the package was passed along party lines…

President Donald Trump nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank to be the next deputy commander of CENTCOM; USMC Maj. Gen. Sean Salene, who had been filling the role on an interim basis, was nominated to be the U.S. security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian territories…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on two International Criminal Court judges, saying that the legal officials from Mongolia and Georgia “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent”… 

TheTreasury Department levied sanctions against 29 vessels alleged to be a part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” that helps the Islamic Republic transport oil and petroleum products in violation of international sanctions…

After pressure from Capitol Hill — including a blockade by Democratic senators of the confirmation of the Coast Guard commandant — the Coast Guard struck from its disciplinary policies language describing swastikas and nooses as “potentially divisive,” rather than as explicitly banned hate symbols, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is urging the Senate to include the long-gestating Pray Safe Act in upcoming government funding legislation in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia…

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ashley Moody (R-FL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced legislation to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides websites with broad immunity from liability for the content their users post…

Rep.  Claudia Tenney (R-NY) led a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling on the department to conduct a formal review of Spain’s recently enacted Israel boycott law; Tenney was joined by Reps. Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Brian Jack (R-GA), Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Barry Moore (R-AL), Andy Ogles (R-TN), John Rose (R-TN), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), Keith Self (R-TX), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Rudy Yakym (R-IN)…

TikTok CEO Shou Chew said that the company had reached an agreement to divest its U.S. branch from its Chinese parent company ByteDance; under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. entity will be jointly controlled by Oracle, Silver Lake and the Abu Dhabi-based MGX, which will own 45% of the company, while another third will be held by affiliates of current ByteDance investors and the remaining 20% will stay with ByteDance…

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua apologized for performing an antisemitic dance on social media after Robert Kraft’s Blue Square Alliance and other leading figures and groups spoke out, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Jewish leaders in California are calling for the resignation of Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, who shared multiple social media posts suggesting that the Sydney terror attack was a “false flag” operation and suggesting that “the root cause of antisemitism is the behavior of Israel and Israelis”; Martinez had previously compared himself to Hamas while speaking at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit over the summer…

In The Washington Post, presidential historian Tevi Troy reflects on the legacy of longtime Commentaryeditor Norman Podhoretz, who died earlier this week…

The Free Press talks to Jewish parents in New York City — and their children — who are split over the results of the New York City mayoral race and the election of Zohran Mamdani…

A French court sentenced an Algerian nanny to two-and-a-half years in prison for poisoning a Jewish family for whom she worked; the court dropped additional charges that ascribed an antisemitic motive to the acts, saying that the woman’s confession that she poisoned the family because they were Jewish was not made in the presence of an attorney…

eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross interviews Australian Jewish philanthropy leaders about their efforts to meet the needs of the country’s Jewish community following the terror attack on Sunday at Sydney’s Bondi Beach… 

A hotel in Davao City, Philippines, confirmed that the two men accused of committing the Bondi Beach attack had stayed at the hotel for weeks last month, as investigators look into whether the father-and-son pair traveled to the region, known for its ties to ISIS, to prepare for the attack…

TheIranian rial hit a new record low against the U.S. dollar this week, dropping to just under 1.3 million rials to the dollar…

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is the subject of an alleged Iranian hacking plot; hundreds of Telegram messages and contacts from Bennett’s phone have been posted online by the hackers in recent days…

Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner told The Wall Street Journal that he is seeking to invest in new digital media but has not yet found businesses in the field that he wants to acquire…

Nvidia announced plans to build a 160,000-square-meter tech campus in the northern Israeli town of Kiryah Tivon, with construction expected to begin in 2027 and continue through 2031…

Ken Griffin’s Citadel will open an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as an increasing number of hedge funds establish offices in the Gulf nation…

Turkey is mulling returning the S-400 air-defense systems it purchased from Russia in an effort to deepen ties with the U.S. as Ankara seeks to purchase F-35 fighter jets from Washington and lift American sanctions on Turkish entities…

The New York Times’ Dana Rubinstein was named the paper’s City Hall bureau chief… Amy Latzer is joining the American Jewish University as chief operating officer…

Aviva Jacobs, the director for U.S. Jewish grantmaking at Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, will join Leading Edge next month to serve as its next chief impact officer…

Pic of the Day CTEEN The Brooklyn Nets, who hosted the Miami Heat last night, paid tribute to the 15 people killed in the Sunday terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia. From left to right: Rabbi Moshe Hecht of Chabad Windsor Terrace, Inspector Igor Pinkhasov of NYPD Brooklyn South, Rabbi Mendy Hecht of Chabad Prospect Heights, Eli Drizin, Director of CTeen International Rabbi Shimon Rivkin, Yair Elias and Rabbi Zevy Geisinsky.

Birthdays Jake Gyllenhaal participates during a QA panel on day two at the Ace Comic-Con at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in Rosemont, Ill. Acclaimed actor, Jake Gyllenhaal turns 45…

FRIDAY: Chair emeritus of the Democratic Majority for Israel, Ann Frank Lewis turns 88… Journalist and playwright, he worked as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times based in Saigon, London, Nairobi and New Delhi, Bernard Weinraub turns 88… NYC-based real estate investor, Douglas Durst turns 81… Ardsley, N.Y., resident, Ruth Wolff… Israeli computer scientist and high-tech entrepreneur, she is a director of technology at Google Cloud, Orna Berry turns 76… Former town justice in Ulster, N.Y. and a past president of Congregation Ahavath Israel, Marsha Solomon Weiss… Host of RealTalk MS Podcast, he was previously the publisher of Long Beach (California) Jewish Life, Jon Strum… SVP at the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, Eli Schaap… CFO at wine importer and distributor, New York Wine Warehouse, Jane Hausman-Troy… Former U.S. Senator (R-OH) Rob Portman turns 70… British cellist, distinguished for his diverse repertoire and distinctive sound, Steven Isserlis turns 67… Author of 25 best-selling thriller and espionage novels, Daniel Silva turns 65… Member of the Knesset for the Meretz party until 2022, Moshe “Mossi” Raz turns 60… Israeli high-tech entrepreneur, he is the founder and CEO of MyHeritage, Gilad Japhet turns 56… President and chief creative officer of Rachel G Events, Rachel L. Glazer… EVP of global government affairs at American Express, Amy Best Weiss… Film and television actress, Marla Sokoloff turns 45… Deputy Washington bureau chief for The Boston Globe, Tal Kopan turns 39… Head of premium content and community strategy at LinkedIn, Callie Schweitzer… Co-founder and CIO of Aption, Aaron Rosenson… Actress, known for her role in Amazon Prime’s “Sneaky Pete,” Libe Alexandra Barer turns 34… Member of the Minnesota Senate, Julia Coleman turns 34… Consultant at Boston Consulting Group, Haim Engelman… Reporter for The New York Times, Theodore Schleifer… Sarah Wagman turns 21… and her brother, Daniel Wagman, turns 19… David Ginsberg…

SATURDAY: Founder of an online children’s bookstore, Yona Eckstein… Former chair of the executive committee of the Jewish Federations of North America, Michael Gelman turns 81… Illusionist, magician, television personality and self-proclaimed psychic, Uri Geller turns 79… Television producer, he is the creator of the “Law Order,” Chicago and FBI franchises, Richard Anthony “Dick” Wolf turns 79… Southern California resident, Carol Gene Berk… Owner of the Beverly Hilton Hotel and the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, Binyamin “Beny” Alagem turns 73… President of the University of Miami from 2015 until 2024, now chancellor of UCLA, Julio Frenk turns 72… Flushing, N.Y., resident, Bob Lindenbaum… Educational advocate and strategist at the Melmed Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., until 2024, Ricki Light… Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale since 2014, she is a professor of both philosophy and psychology, Tamar Szabó Gendler turns 60… Author of the 2019 book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, she writes the “Dear Therapist” column for The Atlantic, Lori Gottlieb turns 59… Retired IDF general and commander of the Israeli Air Force until 2022, Amikam Norkin turns 59… CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Jeremy Burton… Swiss-born British philosopher and author, Alain de Botton turns 56… Former tight end for the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, now a senior sales rep for Medtronic, Scott Lawrence Slutzker turns 53… Israeli-American television and film writer and producer, Ron Leshem turns 49… Actor, producer, screenwriter and comedian, known by his first and middle names, Jonah Hill Feldstein turns 42… Director of development for Hadassah Metro (N.Y., N.J., CT), Adam Wolfthal… Program and special initiatives director at Kirsh Philanthropies, Megan Nathan… Humor and fashion writer best known as “Man Repeller,” Leandra Medine Cohen turns 37… Israeli singer who performs Hebrew, English, Arabic and Spanish songs and covers, Ofir Ben Shitrit turns 30… Pitcher in the Houston Astros organization, he pitched for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Colton Gordon turns 27…SUNDAY: Former chair of the N.Y. Fed and a partner at Goldman Sachs, Stephen Friedman turns 88… Philanthropist, she has held many leadership roles at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Helaine Lender… Producer of over 90 plays on and off Broadway for which she has won seven Pulitzer Prizes and 10 Tony Awards, Daryl Roth turns 81… Born in Auschwitz five weeks before liberation, she is one of only two babies born there known to have survived, Angela Orosz-Richt turns 81… Artistic director laureate of the New World Symphony, conductor, pianist and composer, Michael Tilson Thomas (family name was Thomashefsky) turns 81… Member of Knesset since 1999 for the Likud party, now serving as minister of tourism, Haim Katz turns 78… Director of the LA Initiative at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, he was a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors for 20 years following 20 years on the LA City Council, Zev Yaroslavsky turns 77… Film, television and voice actor, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild for seven years, Barry Gordon turns 77… Managing partner of WndrCo, he is the former CEO of DreamWorks Animation and chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg turns 75… Former member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, where she became the first female Jewish minister in Australia, Marsha Rose Thomson turns 70… Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney, he is a behind-the-scenes fixture in the world of rap musicians, Drew O. Findling… Retired four-star general who served as chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, David L. Goldfein turns 66… Former U.S. secretary of the Treasury in the Trump 45 administration, Steven Mnuchin turns 63… Senior NFL insider for ESPN, Adam Schefter turns 59… Owner of Liberty Consultants, Cherie Velez… Former member of the Knesset for the Kulanu party, Rachel Azaria turns 48… President of France since 2017, Emmanuel Macron turns 48… Principal of Kona Media and Message, he is also the founder of Scriber, Brian Goldsmith… State scheduler for Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Laura Benbow turns 40… Israeli actor and fashion model, he has appeared in the Israeli versions of “Dancing with the Stars” and “Survivor,” Michael Mario Lewis turns 38… Chief creative officer of Five Seasons Media, Josh Scheinblum… EVP in the financial services practice at Weber Shandwick, Julia Bloch Mellon… Assistant metro editor for The Boston Globe, Joshua Miller…



]]> 98204 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-remembering-norman-podhoretz/ Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:35:02 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=98086 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we talk to friends and former colleagues ofNorman Podhoretz, who died on Tuesday, and report onBen Shapiro’s call for the Heritage Foundationto distance itself fromTucker Carlson. We interviewRory Lancman, who is positioning himself as a centrist looking to rehabilitate the Democratic Partys brand on Long Island as he mulls a state Senate run, and have the scoop on theHouse of Representatives’ reintroduction of the Protecting Students on Campus Act. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Daniel Flesch,Jared IsaacmanandBenjamin Lee.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Turning Point USA’s AmFest kicks off todayin Phoenix, Ariz., and runs through Sunday. Speakers at the conference, the group’s first major gathering since the assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk, in September, include Vice President JD Vance, Erika Kirk, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump Jr., Ben Shapiro, Jesse Watters, Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck, Vivek Ramaswamy, Matt Walsh, Russell Brand, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Roger Stone, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Jack Posobiec and Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Mike Collins (R-GA). TheJewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washingtonis holding the last in its series of“Lox and Legislators”events. This morning’s gathering will feature remarks from D.C. MayorMuriel Bowserand D.C. Attorney GeneralBrian Schwalb, as well as panel discussions with local councilmembers and nonprofit leaders. In New York, theBrooklyn Nets, who face off against the Miami Heat tonight,will pay tribute to those killedin the terror attack on SundayinSydney, Australia. A nephew of slain Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger will participate in the tribute. German and Israeli defense officialsaresigningan expanded agreement today that will see Berlin purchase an additional $3.1 billion worth of Arrow 3 interceptors and launchers. We’re tracking events in Sydney, Australia, afterpolice in the New South Wales capitaldetainedseven menearlier today who were believed to be connected to what a police department spokesperson said was “information received that a violent act was possibly being planned.”

What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MATTHEW KASSEL Norman Podhoretz, the pugnacious editor and neoconservative pioneerwho died on Tuesday at the age of 95, charted a protean trajectory through American politics and intellectual discourse, rising to prominence as a leading champion of a muscular foreign policy vision conjoined with a fierce support for Israel that influenced such presidents as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Despite his early political conversion from staunch liberal to conservative trailblazer, Podhoretz — thealways-ambitiousson of a Yiddish-speaking milkman from Eastern Europe who was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn — remained consistent in his commitment to defending Israel as well as promoting the Jewish ideals that guided his social and professional ascent.

During his 35-year tenure helmingCommentary— from 1960 to 1995 —he established the periodical as a lightning rod of disputatious ideas that helped drive the conservative movement, while at the same time building his reputation as an estimable thinker in Jewish American debate of the mid-20th century.

Under his editorial stewardship, Podhoretz transformed the magazine— then published by the American Jewish Committee — into a pro-Israel force that significantly shaped American foreign policy in the Middle East while helping steer the GOP to a more instinctive embrace of the Jewish state as a key ally.

“The neoconservatives played a pivotal role in providing the intellectual firepowerfor the case for Israel,” Jacob Heilbrunn, the author of a book about the movement Podhoretz founded,They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons, toldJewish Insiderin an interview on Wednesday. “They did that not only by arguing that Israel was a vital outpost in opposing the spread of communism in the Middle East, but also in forging and defending the rise of the evangelicals who supported Israel.”

Absent Podhoretz and his ideological comrades including Irving Kristol, another neoconservative leader, “I dont think that you would have had the intellectual justification for defending Israel inside the GOP,” Heilbrunn said, noting that the party had previously been “hostile to Israel.”

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



FRIENDLY FIRE At Heritage HQ, Ben Shapiro calls on think tank to draw red line against Tucker Carlson Ben Shapiro walks the red carpet at the Turning Point USA Inaugural-Eve Ball at the Salamander Hotel on January 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) When Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted a controversial video in October defending Tucker Carlson and his interview with neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes, Ben Shapiro quickly became one of the most prominent conservative voices criticizing the venerable conservative think tank. Shapiro furthered that criticism in a fiery speech on Wednesday at the Heritage Foundation’s Washington headquarters, where he called on the institution to draw lines against Carlson and ensure that the right-wing podcaster is not considered to be part of the conservative movement,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Taking on Tucker:Carlson, Shapiro said, “has become, by any honest assessment, an opponent of conservatism, an outsider masquerading as an insider and destroying the character of the conservative movement in the process.” Shapiro laid out exactly why believes Carlson and his conspiratorial worldview run counter to the ideals of American conservatism: Carlson called on America to ally with Russia; Carlson “has unending critiques of the free market, mirroring Marxist thinkers”; Carlson “promotes a conspiracy theory by which the American people have lost total control of their lives and thus have no real ability to shape policy”; Carlson has spoken of Iran with admiration and treated Qatar “as America’s foremost ally in the Middle East”; and he has hosted “America’s foremost Hitler apologist,” Nick Fuentes.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SELF REFLECTION Amid Carlson controversy, Heritage staffer sounds alarm on right-wing antisemitism An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Amid the fallout from the Heritage Foundation’s embrace of Tucker Carlson after his controversial interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, Daniel Flesch — a senior policy analyst at the conservative think tank — has emerged as a critical voice raising the alarm on right-wing antisemitism from within the institution. On Monday, Flesch received the Young Maccabee Award from Young Jewish Conservatives, a political group founded in 2011 as a political home for Jewish conservatives in Washington. In a brief speech, Flesch warned of the dangers of growing antisemitism on the American right, and urged fellow conservatives to do more to take a stand against it. Otherwise, Flesch said gravely, the survival of America is at stake,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

What he said:“The last couple of years, really for longer than that, the threat of antisemitism has largely been the domain of the left,” Flesch said. “Now, in some ways, the call is coming from inside the house … And those like Tucker Carlson and others present the greatest threat, I think, on the right. They are anti-conservatives in the conservative movement, seeking to destroy our movements, and in so doing, destroy the future of the United States.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google JERUSALEMS CALL Following Sydney attack, Israel urges Western governments to get serious about rising antisemitism Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during an event at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem on July 27, 2025. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images) In the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday in which 15 people were killed, Israel is imploring Western governments to heed its warnings about the potential for violent acts of antisemitism. One of the recurring themes in Israeli officials’ statements after the attack on Bondi Beach, following condolences to the community, was “we told you so.” While Israel did not have intelligence pointing specifically to Sunday’s attack, it had provided information to Canberra about threats to the Australian Jewish community,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Official statements:In a video statement on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide. They would be well-advised to heed our warnings. I demand action from them now. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saarsaidthat the Australian government, which received countless warning signs, must come to its senses. President Isaac Herzogrecalledthat Israel repeat[ed] our alerts time and again to the Australian government to seek action and fight against the enormous wave of antisemitism which is plaguing Australian society.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CENTER PUSH Moderate N.Y. Democrat Rory Lancman hoping to reinvigorate party’s centrist wing in the suburbs Rory Lancman volunteering on an army base in Israel in December 2023. (Courtesy) While the Democratic Party’s far-left wing has gained ground in New York City —an ascendance reflected in Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory— in the moderate-minded suburbs outside of the city, Democrats are reeling from the party’s embrace of its radical elements. Rory Lancman, a civil rights attorney and former state assemblyman, is among the moderate Democrats looking to showcase the other side of the party. He launched an exploratory committee on Monday in a heavily Jewish state Senate district in Long Island, which is currently held by Republican state Sen. Jack Martins,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Notable quotable:“The Democratic brand has been severely damaged by Mamdani and others, particularly [for] those Democrats like myself who are deeply committed to the safety and security of Israel, and deeply committed to the safety and security of the American Jewish community — whether its in our synagogues or on college campuses,” Lancman told JI in an interview. In addition, Lancman said, “I confess to being disappointed that Democrats aren’t making a bright line litmus test out of whether someone supports the existence of the Jewish state,” adding that his work at Brandeis Center since the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks has “reinforced” the belief that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism and that if you hate the Jewish state, you hate the Jewish people.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EXCLUSIVE Bipartisan House group reintroduces bill to aid Title VI complaints on campus antisemitism Democratic Womens Caucus Chair Emerita Lois Frankel (D-FL) speaks at a press conference with other DWC members in Washington D.C, USA on February 7, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) A bipartisan group of House members is re-introducing the Protecting Students on Campus Act on Thursday, legislation that aims to assist students facing discrimination in filing federal civil rights complaints and requiring greater transparency from colleges about complaints they receive,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The latest version of the bill in the House is being led by Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Don Bacon (R-NE), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Haley Stevens (D-MI).

What is does:Formulated as a response to antisemitism on campus, the legislation would require colleges to prominently display on their homepages a link to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights page where students can file Title VI discrimination complaints, and to display informational materials in high-traffic locations on campus. Any schools receiving federal funding would also be required to report annually to the Department of Education’s inspector general about the number of Title VI complaints they received in the previous year and the actions taken by the school.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP House resolution calls for safeguards to address antisemitism in artificial intelligence Rep Sara Jacobs (D-CA) speaks at the rally to Say NO to Tax Breaks for Billionaires Corporations at US Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Fair Share America) A bipartisan group of House members is introducing a resolution that sets out recommendations for tackling the spread of antisemitism through artificial intelligence models and highlights the ways those programs have been used to spread a variety of forms of anti-Jewish hate,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The goal:The resolution states that combating antisemitism is a national priority and that technology companies have a “responsibility to implement robust safeguards” including transparency measures, working with antisemitism experts and taking steps to prevent the spread of antisemitism or violent content targeting Jewish people. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), the resolution’s lead sponsor, told JI in an interview this week that AI is accelerating conditions of rising antisemitism and danger for the Jewish people “with the rapid creation, spread and amplification of antisemitic content that makes us actively less safe.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus:Asked about how leaders should address rhetoric around the war in Gaza that has helped drive some recent attacks on the Jewish community, Jacobs — who has been a vocal critic of Israeli operations in Gaza — said that “its incredibly important that we separate out the very real criticisms that people have with the government and state of Israel from the very real rise of antisemitism that were seeing. I dont believe that all anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic, and I actually think that when we say that it is, we feed into the narrative that all Jews are responsible for the actions of the State of Israel, which is, I believe, making us less safe.”

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Dem Divide:InThe Atlantic, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro warns about elements of the Democratic Party that are shifting toward the fringe left’s stance on Israel, citing recent criticism of the party’s position on Israel by his former colleague, Obama administration official Ben Rhodes. “But there is a darker danger to the approach that Rhodes and others endorse. Nearly by definition, calls for ending all U.S.-Israel security cooperation draw those making them into alignment with others on a much more extreme fringe—those for whom it is not enough to end U.S. military assistance to Israel, who fundamentally believe that there is no legitimacy for Israel to exist as a Jewish state. They have found their voice and are making it heard. If the test of fealty for the Democratic Party becomes supporting international efforts to pressure Israel to define itself out of existence, or expressing indifference to the campaign of Israel’s enemies to destroy it, we will be in a much uglier place.”[TheAtlantic]

No-show of Support:InThe Washington Post, Alon Meltzer, the associate rabbi of Sydney’s Bondi Mizrachi Synagogue reflects on the lack of mass gatherings opposing antisemitism and showing support for the Jewish community, compared to large-scale shows of support for Palestinians. “In August, an estimated 100,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbor Bridge to protest a conflict thousands of miles away. Many marched out of genuine concern for human suffering. … If 100,000 people can mobilize for a distant war, surely a million could rise up today and say: enough. Not with flowers alone. Not with thoughts and prayers. But with action. With a collective demand that antisemitism — in all its forms — is wrong and must stop now. This needs to occur in every country claiming to live by Western democratic values. We need to hear your voice! I fear that such a vision exists only in my imagination.”[WashPost]



Word on the Street TheSenateconfirmedJared Isaacman to be the administrator to NASAin a 63-30 vote;read our profile of Isaacmanhere…

FBI Deputy DirectorDan Bonginoannouncedthat he will depart the agencynext month…

A spokesperson for Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), a co-chair of the Senate antisemitism task force,toldJewish Insider’s Marc Rodon Wednesday that theCoast Guard had assured Lankfordthat the servicewould be correcting its policy to make clear that swastikas would be banned— before reverting this week to a previous policy that had prompted criticism from Lankford and other lawmakers…

TheQatar Investment Authority ispurchasingpart of philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs’ stake in Monumental Sports Entertainment, which owns the Washington Wizards, the Washington Mystics, the Washington Capitals and the G League’s Capital City Go-Go…

Elliott Investment Management hasamasseda stake of more than $1 billion in Lululemon Athleticaas it works to position former Ralph Lauren senior executive Jane Nielsen as a potential successor to the athleisurewear company’s CEO Calvin McDonald, who is stepping down next month…

Police in San Franciscoarresteda man in connection with asuspected arson attack at San Francisco Hillelearlier this month that significantly damaged the structure…

TimeinterviewsU.S. Ambassador to France Charles KushneraboutParis’ response to antisemitismin the country…

In the wake of the Bondi Beach attack,popular Sydney bagel shop Avner’s, owned by Australian Jewish celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi,announcedits closure, citing “two years of near constant antisemitic harassment”; a note posted to the door of Avner’s said that “[i]n the wake of the pogrom at Bondi, one thing has become clear it is no longer possible to make outwardly, publicly, proudly Jewish places and events safe in Australia”

Pope Leo XIVspokeby phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzogon the occasion of the holiday season; a readout from the Vatican said the pontiff restated the “Catholic Church’s firm condemnation of all forms of antisemitism, which, throughout the world, continues to sow fear in Jewish communities and in society as a whole”

Thepolice forces of London and Manchester, U.K.,announcedtheir officers wouldarrest demonstrators who use the term “globalize the intifada,” saying in a statement, Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed — words have meaning and consequence”

Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahusigned offon a $37 billion deal with Cairothat will see Israel supply natural gas to Egypt…

Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’arsaidIsrael plans to open an embassy in Fijinext year, months after the Pacific island nation opened an embassy in Jerusalem…

Israeldeniedentry to the West Bankto a delegation ofCanadian officialswhom Israeli officials said werelinked to the NGO Islamic Relief Worldwide, which Jerusalem classifies as a terror group…

SwedenconfirmedIranian reports that aSwedish national had been arrested in Tehranon suspicion of spying for Israel…

The Washington Postdoes a deep diveintoIsrael’s Operation Narnia, the June 2024 effort to assassinate top Iranian nuclear scientists…

The New York Timesreports onrecent speeches byIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledging that he is unable to fix the country’s mounting problems, including a struggling economy, water-deficit issues and corruption…

Benjamin Leehas beentappedto serve as the international media advisor for Israeli President Isaac Herzog; Lee succeedsJason Pearlman, who is concluding his second stint in the position…

Pic of the Day (MARC ROD) Rabbi Levi Shemtov spoke at yesterdays Capitol Hill Hanukkah event hosted by Jewish legislators. Behind Shemtov, from left to right: Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Craig Goldman (R-TX) and Steve Cohen (D-TN).

Birthdays (Photo by Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty Images) Film critic, historian and author of 15 books on cinema,Leonard Maltinturns 75…

Founder of supply chain firm HAVI, active in over 100 countries, in 2019 he and his wife Harriette pledged $25 million to BBYO,Theodore F. Perlmanturns 89… Professor emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew University,Moshe Sharonturns 88… Winner of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Medicine, he served as director of NIH for seven years and then director of the National Cancer Institute for 15 years,Harold Eliot Varmusturns 86… Office manager in the D.C. office of Kator, Parks, Weiser Wright,Ramona Cohen… Co-founder of DreamWorks Studios, Academy Award-winning director of Schindlers List and Saving Private Ryan plus many other box-office record-setters including E.T. and Jaws,Steven Spielbergturns 79… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (R-FL) from 2009 until 2025,William Joseph “Bill” Poseyturns 78… Former CFO of the Pentagon in the Bush 43 administration, he is presently a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,Dov S. Zakheimturns 77… Winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in economics, he is a professor at Stanford and professor emeritus at Harvard,Alvin Eliot Rothturns 74… Network engineer sometimes called the mother of the Internet for her inventions of the spanning-tree protocol (STP) and the TRILL protocol,Radia Joy Perlmanturns 74… Diplomat and ambassador,David Michael Satterfieldturns 71… Television writer, producer and director, best known as the co-creator and executive producer of the award-winning series 24 which ran for eight seasons on Fox,Joel Surnowturns 70… Labor leader and president of the American Federation of Teachers,Randi Weingartenturns 68… Founder and chief executive of Third Point LLC,Daniel S. Loebturns 64… Retired editor ofThe Jewish Chronicle,Stephen Pollardturns 61… Member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel,Gael Grunewaldturns 61… Associate director of development at Ohel Childrens Home,Erica Skolnick… Partner at the communications firm 30 Point Strategies,Noam Neusner… Former special envoy of Israels Foreign Ministry to combat antisemitism and member of the Knesset,Michal Cotler-Wunshturns 55… Motivational speaker and teacher, his book about his own coping with Tourette syndrome was made into a Hallmark movie,Brad Cohenturns 52… Member of the House of Representatives (D-FL),Jared Moskowitzturns 45… Director of policy for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul until earlier this year when he successfully ran for the state Assembly, now running to succeed his former boss, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY),Micah Lasherturns 44… Manager of public policy and government relations for Wing,Jesse Suskin… Executive producer at CNNs “State of the Union,”Rachel Streitfeld… Multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator, known for his double bass performances,Adam Ben Ezraturns 43… Winner of four straight NCAA Womens Water Polo Championships while at UCLA,Jillian Amaris Krausturns 39… AVP of external affairs at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland,Marc Ashed…Eliezer H. “Elie” Peltz… Consultant at Brussels-based Trinomics,Jessica Glicker… Intelligence lead at ActiveFence,Emily Cooper…

Belated birthday (was last week):Founding national campaign director for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, he was a presidential appointee to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council from 2008-2013, Joe Brodecki turned 78 last Friday…



]]> 98086 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-trump-warns-israel-jewish-lobby-have-lost-influence-in-d-c/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:54:47 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=97877 ]]> Good Wednesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report fromHanukkah receptionsat theWhite House, on Capitol Hill and in New York, and cover concerns from U.S. lawmakers overCanberra’s failure to address concerns fromAustralia’s Jewish communityprior to Sunday’s deadly attack in Sydney. We report on theCoast Guard’s quiet moves to reverse its policy on swastikas, and talk to Rep.Zach Nunn about his legislative workaimed at expanding the U.S.-Israel relationship. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: UAE Foreign MinisterSheikh Abdullah bin Zayed,Mark ZuckerbergandGalia Lahav.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching PresidentDonald Trumpwill give a televised address at 9 p.m. ET. TheHeritage Foundationis hosting a sit-down this afternoon between Heritage PresidentKevin Robertsand conservative commentatorBen Shapiro. Elsewhere in Washington,Jewish members of Congressare hosting the annual Capitol Hill Hanukkah party. Across town, theIsraeli Embassy in Washingtonis hosting its annual Hanukkah reception tonight. Norman Podhoretz, the longtime editor ofCommentarymagazine and influential conservative thought leader, died on Tuesday. In a remembrance of his father, John Podhoretzwrote: “He bound himself fast to his people, his heritage, and his history. His knowledge extended beyond literature to Jewish history, Jewish thinking, Jewish faith, and the Hebrew Bible, with all of which he was intimately familiar and ever fascinated.” Australian policechargedNaveed Akram, one of the suspects in the Sunday terror attack in Sydney,with 15 counts of murder in addition to dozens of other offenses, including committing a terrorist act; Akram is in stable condition at a Sydney hospital after spending two days in a coma. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH THE JI team As Jewish communities are marking Hanukkah under the shadow of the deadly terror attack in Sydneythat marred the beginning of the Jewish holiday, leaders in Washington and New York addressed growing concerns about antisemitism at several Hanukkah events held yesterday.

President Donald Trump warned that Israel and the “Jewish lobby”have lost their influence in Washington and that Congress is “becoming antisemitic,” in a holiday message delivered to attendees at the White House’s annual Hanukkah party.

Speakingfrom the East Room to a gathering of lawmakers and prominent Jewish figuresahead of a ceremonial menorah lighting, the president repeatedly cautioned that the Jewish community and its allies “have to be very careful because bad things are happening” to Jewish people and to Israel’s global standing, citing the shooting in Sydney and the ongoing denials of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.Read the full story here.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, speaking at a Hanukkah reception hosted by Israel’s U.N. mission at The Jewish Museum in Manhattan, said the U.S. “can and will confront antisemitism without apology, without hesitation and will do so everywhere around the world, including right here in the halls of the U.N.”Read the full story here.

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-FL) annual Hanukkah partyfeatured remarks byShira Gvili, sister of Ran Gvili, the last hostage in Gaza, JI’s Marc Rod reports. Gvili highlighted that her brother had always dreamed of being a police officer and ran into the fight on Oct. 7 — when he was killed — despite waiting for surgery for a broken shoulder. She also noted that he volunteered to support Holocaust survivors.

“On this celebration of light,of heroes, as we do on Hanukkah, Ran is not only my hero, he is our hero. For everyone lighting a candle tonight, may the glow of the menorah [brighten] the darkened moments. May the glow of the menorah’s light bring Ran home tonight,” Gvili continued.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)also delivered remarks, and nearly 40 lawmakers — a majority of them Democrats — stopped through the gathering. These included Reps. Ed Case (D-HI), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Craig Goldman (R-TX), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), David Kustoff (R-TN), George Latimer (D-NY), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Grace Meng (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Don Davis (D-NC).

Jeffries said that, after the attack in Australia, its incumbent on all of us as leaders not just to, of course, authentically express our thoughts and prayers on behalf and directed at those families who have suffered from this unconscionable, unthinkable, unspeakable tragedy, but to make it clear that we all have a responsibility to combat antisemitism whenever and wherever its found, and make sure that no matter what it takes, were committed, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, to bury antisemitism in the ground never to rise again.

Jeffries continued, At the same time, well also make clear that we will continue to stand up for Israels right to exist as a Jewish and Democratic state and a homeland for the Jewish people.



ON THE HILL Australian Jews’ warnings about rising antisemitism were ignored, U.S. lawmakers say From left to right: Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), AJC CEO Ted Deutch, Laura Gillen (D-NY), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Dec. 16, 2025 (Marc Rod) Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, multiple Jewish lawmakers emphasized that the Sunday massacre that killed at least 15 at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, came after many warnings from the Australian Jewish community, and Jewish communities around the world, about the rising violent threats they face — warnings that have often gone ignored, the lawmakers said,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Notable quotable:“That threat, those warnings, have fallen on deaf ears, and we are living with those consequences now,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said. I hope that this tragedy is the wake-up call that world leaders need to truly stand up and protect their Jewish communities from antisemitism, whether that manifests online or in person. … Lives are at stake. This is not pretend. These enemies of the Jewish people are not playing games. They mean to end our existence as a people.”Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, emphasized that the attack was “not predicted” but “it was predictable,” adding, “For too long, the Jewish community in Australia was saying to the authorities, saying to the government, ‘Antisemitism is a cancer eating away at the soul of the nation, and it’s going to result in the death of Jews in the land,’ and that’s what we saw on Sunday.”

Read the full story here.

Exclusive:The co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating AntisemitismurgedAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to act more forcefully to protect Australia’s Jewish community and implement months-old recommendations from the country’s antisemitism envoy. They likewise highlighted the string of “warning signs” that preceded the attack.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SANDERS STATEMENTS Bernie Sanders pivots from sympathy toward Sydney shooting victims to criticizing Netanyahu Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), joined by fellow senator Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (R), speaks at a news conference on restricting arms sales to Israel at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, after Netanyahu linked the terror attack in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, to Canberra’s support for a Palestinian state,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said:Sanders issued astatementin response on Tuesday: “No, Mr. Netanyahu. Speaking out on behalf of the Palestinian people is not antisemitic. Opposing the disgraceful policies of your extremist government is not antisemitic. Condemning your genocidal war, which has killed more than 70,000 people —mostly women and children —is not antisemitic. Demanding that your government stop bombing hospitals and starving children is not antisemitic.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BETRAYAL ON THE HIGH SEAS Democratic lawmakers outraged by Coast Guard’s reported reversal on swastika policy (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) Weeks after the Coast Guard commandant personally called lawmakers to reassure them that swastikas and nooses would remain banned hate symbols within the service, the Guard quietly broke its pledge and diminished the severity of such displays as “potentially divisive” instead — the very language that had prompted outrage from lawmakers and the Jewish community,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The latest:Leading Democrats erupted in outrage on the news of the Coast Guard’s policy shift, while Republicans have thus far been silent. Several Republicans who spoke out against the initial policy change did not respond to JI’s requests for comment on the latest development on Tuesday. The shocking news from the Coast Guard exposes a crisis of conscience enabled by the Trump administrations stunning lack of moral clarity,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) told JI. “The Trump Administration lied right to the American people’s faces when they indicated last month that they weren’t going through with this policy change,” Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) said.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BACKING BROOKS Shapiro joins with progressives to back Dem recruit Bob Brooks in key Pennsylvania swing seat (Bob Brooks campaign website) With backing from both moderate Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and progressives like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), firefighter union leader Bob Brooks has emerged as a front-runner in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, a critical swing district that Democrats are aggressively contesting for next year’s midterms,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Endorsement insights:Christopher Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College, said that Brooks’ background brings elements that appeal to various elements of the Democratic coalition, perhaps explaining his support from both sides of the party: his time as a leader in organized labor with a history on workers’ rights issues should resonate with progressive voters, while his “personal narrative fits if you’re trying to win over white working-class voters that might be more moderate or socially conservative.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PUSHING PARTNERSHIP Rep. Zach Nunn stands by U.S.-Israel relationship as ‘returning huge dividends’ Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) arrives for the House Republican Conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. (BILL CLARK/CQ-ROLL CALL, INC VIA GETTY IMAGES) At a time when an increasingly vocal minority on the right is questioning the future and the benefits of the U.S.-Israel relationship, Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) led a pair of amendments to the 2026 defense policy bill aiming to expand the relationship, with a particular focus on new technologies. Asked how he responds to those on the right who question the value of the relationship, Nunn, the chair of the Republican Study Committee’s national security task force, said in aninterview withJewish Insider’s Marc Rod, Israel is the lone bastion of democracy, freedom and Western values in a region where the U.S. has vital national security interests. For decades, Israel has been a strategic partner in kinetic and non-kinetic action against bad actors like Iran.”

Tech talk:Nunn added that programs such as the ones he championed would prepare the U.S. for all manner of challenges. As our adversaries embrace low-cost options like drones and cyberwarfare, its more important than ever that we not only coordinate closely on joint security, but also on the underlying technologies that will define the next generation of conflict,” the Iowa lawmaker continued. “My amendments are about ensuring that partnership continues to evolve. They are strategic investments that strengthen American security, deter our adversaries and deliver real returns for U.S. taxpayers.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Shoulder to Shoulder:InThe Times of Israel, Israeli President Isaac Herzog reflects on the Sydney terror attack and the meaning of Hanukkah. “Yet as we reflect on the miracle of the return home of our brothers and sisters, we also confront a deeply troubling reality beyond Israel’s borders. As the October 7th massacre in southern Israel was still ongoing, Jewish communities around the world began to experience a vicious wave of hatred. Institutional antisemitism, Holocaust inversion, conspiracies left and right, Jew-hatred platformed on social media, and moral bankruptcy masquerading as social justice have all disturbingly increased across the Western world. The deadly terror attack in Sydney this week demonstrates where these dangerous trends can lead.”[TOI]

‘Forever Changed’: InThe New York Times, Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, mourns those killed in Sunday’s terror attack in Sydney, as well as the sense of communal security that no longer exists for Australian Jews. “Now we have suffered a loss that is impossible to measure or articulate. It is a loss felt nationally for a country that is forever changed. It is a loss felt communally for a way of life defined by pride and open observance that no longer exists. And it is a loss we feel individually for the friends and relatives who died in our arms from hideous wounds inflicted by high-powered shells used for hunting game. … My community will never recover from this, I am sure. My rabbi, my friend, Eli Schlanger lived by a mission of being proud of who he was as a Jew. The annual Hanukkah event he hosted on the beach was the ultimate evidence of our acceptance, the proof that we were safe in our acts of community pride. That is all gone now. And with it, a man who had shown us the way.”[NYTimes]

After Bondi:In the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack,The Atlantic’s Graeme Wood posits that governments need to take serious, tangible actions that go beyond antisemitism education to address threats to the Jewish community. “With an attack like this, the only effective response is the zealous prosecution of anyone who planned or supported it, and the protection of those who might be targeted in similar attacks in the future. Museum education is nice, but if an attack is under way, a police officer with a rifle has more stopping power. Self-study to determine whether Jews are systematically excluded or vilified is worthwhile but will take time. Restrictions on speech are another matter, and a distraction from real police work. It should not be a crime to inquire about the whereabouts of Jews, or even to say you wish to gas them. But if you spray-paint a Jewish school or set a car on fire, a government with its resources properly ordered will find and charge you before you graduate to violent crime.”[TheAtlantic]



Word on the Street TheSudanese Armed Forces – backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Iran– are the subject of anew CNN investigationthat found themresponsible for mass killing of civiliansand dumping their bodies into canals…

United Arab Emirates Foreign MinisterSheikh Abdullah bin Zayedre-uppeda 2024Atlanticpieceby Palestinian political activist Samer Sinijlawicalling for leadership changesin Israel and the Palestinian Authority…

Turkey wasexcludedfrom a CENTCOM-hosted conferencein Doha, Qatar, focused on putting together an international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip…

Sen.Thom Tillis(R-NC)saidthat the Trump administration needs to put forward a new nominee for the post of ambassador for religious freedom as former Rep.Mark Walker’s (R-NC) nomination remains stalled in the Senate…

Thewidow of a security officer who was killed in a mass shooting at the Park Avenue buildinghousing the headquarters of the NFL issuingthe league, the real estate firm that owns the building and the building’s security company over their failures to prevent the attack, in which philanthropistWesley LePatnerand two others were also killed…

TheNYPDisinvestigatingan incident in which a group ofOrthodox Jewish men were harassed and assaulted on a subway carafter video of the confrontation was posted to social media; police are also investigating as a hate crime a separate incident, also filmed, in whicha visibly Jewish manwas attackedwhile walking down the street in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood…

Two members of the Heritage Foundation’s board resigned amid a series of high-profile departures from the think tank over its embrace of Tucker Carlson and failure to denounce extremist views; Abby Spencer Moffat said Heritage was “unwilling or unable to meet this moment with the clarity and courage it requires,” while Shane McCullar said the think tank was “unwilling to confront the lapses in judgment that have harmed its credibility, its culture, and the conservative movement it once helped shape”

Warner Bros. Discovery isexpected to rejectSkydance Paramount’s hostile takeover biddue to concerns over financing;Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, which had provided some backing to Paramount in its effort,withdrewits support for Paramount’s bid…

TheFinancial TimesreportsonMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to build out AI infrastructureas he looks to compete with OpenAI and Google…

Qatar Sports Investments-owned Paris Saint-Germainwasorderedby a French court to pay more than $70 million to former PSG starKylian Mbappéresulting from unpaid wages and bonuses

ActressSydney Sweeneyworea gown by Israeli designer Galia Lahavto the premiere of her new film, “The Housemaid”

Iranian victims of the Women, Life, Freedom proteststhat swept through the Islamic Republic in 2022aresuingmore than three dozen Iranian officialsin an Argentine court, alleging the officials committed or were complicit in crimes against humanity…

PBSreports fromHezbollah’s secretive military installationsfollowing their seizure by the Lebanese Armed Forces…

Wall Street investment bankerArthur Carter, who would go on to purchaseThe Nationand foundThe New York Observer,diedat 93…

Pic of the Day CARLOS CHATTA
Actor Jonah Platt sat in conversation with former Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi on Monday night at the American Friends of Magen David Adom’s Miami Gala.

Birthdays (Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns) Grammy Award-winning songwriter and musician,Benjamin Goldwasserturns 43…

Retired attorney and vice chair of the American Jewish International Relations Institute,Stuart Sloameturns 86… Former CEO of multiple companies including the San Francisco 49ers and FAO Schwarz,Peter L. Harristurns 82… VP of strategic planning and marketing at Queens-based NewInteractions,Paulette Mandelbaum… Professor of Jewish history, culture and society at Columbia University,Elisheva Carlebach Jofenturns 71… Retired chair of the physician assistant studies program at Rutgers, Dr.Jill A. Reichmanturns 70… Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and senior foreign policy advisor to prime ministers Sharon, Barak and Netanyahu,Danny Ayalonturns 70… Longtime chairman and CEO of HBO, he now heads Eden Productions,Richard Pleplerturns 67… Israeli film director, screenwriter, animator and film-score composer,Ari Folmanturns 63… Former president of Freedom House, now the director at Voice of America,Michael J. Abramowitzturns 62… Chief of the General Staff of the IDF until this past March,Herzl Herzi Haleviturns 58… Founder and CEO of LionTree LLC,Aryeh B. Bourkoffturns 53… Pastry chef, television personality and cookbook author,Jeffrey Adam Duff Goldmanturns 51… Israeli former soccer goalkeeper, then on the coaching staff for the national team,Nir Davidovichturns 49… CEO of the New Legacy Group of Companies, he is also founder and chair emeritus of Project Sunshine,Joseph Weilgus… Co-director of New Public,Eli Pariserturns 45… Senior writer atNational Reviewand author ofUnjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America,Noah C. Rothman… Director of foundation partnerships at the UJA-Federation of New York,Julia Sobel… National correspondent forVanity Fairand author of the 2018 bookBorn Trump: Inside Americas First Family,Emily Jane Fox… State general manager for Maryland at Entyre Care,Daniel Ensign… Actor, singer-songwriter and musician, he starred in the Nickelodeon television series The Naked Brothers Band,Nat Wolffturns 31



]]> 97877 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-post-sydney-ny-dems-grapple-with-globalize-the-intifada/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:35:18 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=97287 ]]> Good Tuesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look at howNew York Democrats, in the wake of the Sydney attack,are addressing anti-Israel rhetoricthat Jewish leaders warn encourages antisemitic violence, and report on Vice PresidentJD Vance’s comments linking youth antisemitism to immigrationandGen Z demographics. We cover theties between agroup plotting a New Year’s terror attackin California and the recent violent protest at theWilshire Boulevard Temple, and interview writerIzabella Tabarovskyabout hernew book on Soviet dissident Zionism. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Alan Garber,Steve CohenandStephanie Hallett.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik, Matthew Kassel and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching We’re continuing to monitor the situation in Sydney, Australia.Earlier today,Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanesesaidthat authorities believed thetwo gunmen had been “motivated by Islamic State ideology,”and that two homemade ISIS flags had been found in their car along with unexploded devices. The funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in the attacks, will take place at 11 a.m. local time tomorrow in Australia, 7 p.m. ET tonight. TheWhite House is hosting its annual Hanukkah receptiontonight. Other Hanukkah happenings in and around Washington today:Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-FL) annual Hanukkah partyand theIsraeli American Council Washington chapter Hanukkah party, featuring remarks by the Justice Department’sLeo Terrell. In New York,UJA-Federation of New York and Israel’s mission at the U.N. are holding a Hanukkah reception, whileAmerican Friends of Anu — the Museum of the Jewish People is holding its Hanukkah party, where Dr.Albert Bourlaand Greek Health MinisterAdonis Georgiadisare slated to speak. Boston’sVilna Shulis hosting a live taping of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s “Identity/Crisis” podcast, with hostYehuda Kurtzerin conversation with Harvard PresidentAlan Garber. And inQatar,CENTCOMis holding a daylong conference focused onthe Trump administration’s proposed International Stabilization Forcein Gaza. During a two-day state visit toJordan, Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi addressed the India-Jordan Business Forum, which convened today in Amman. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MARC ROD The massacre in which 15 people were killedat a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday has once again brought the Jewish community’s security vulnerabilities into stark focus.

But for the American Jewish community,the prospects for much-needed helpfrom the federal government in the form of additional Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding remain unclear.

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s homeland security subcommittee still hasn’t released a draft bill for 2026,greatly increasing the chances of a full-year continuing resolution that would keep funding for the program flat, at $274.5 million, a level that advocates and proponents on the Hill and Jewish groups say is severely insufficient. The House has passed its own version of the bill with $335 million in funding for the program.

Eric Fingerhut,the CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told JI, The events in Australia and California these past days are terrible reminders of the violent antisemitism Jewish communities face. Weve worked to ensure that every Federation community has a professional security program and director, but at the end of the day it is the governments responsibility to keep its citizens safe from terrorism, and thats why it is critical to both ensure that the Nonprofit Security Grant Program is fully funded and not allowed to lapse.

Multiple lawmakers on the committee and those who follow the NSGP funding process closelysaid they have little clarity on the state of play on the funding bill, including subcommittee ranking member Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), a co-chair of the Senate antisemitism task force.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



SLOGAN UNDER SCRUTINY Sydney Hanukkah massacre leads New York Democrats to grapple with ‘globalize the intifada’ rhetoric A man lays flowers at the Bondi Pavillion in memory of the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney on December 15, 2025. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP via Getty Images) The deadly terrorist attack during a Hanukkah celebration in Australia on Sunday is sparking a renewed debate within the Democratic Party over anti-Israel slogans including “globalize the intifada,” and whether such extreme rhetoric fuels antisemitic prejudice that can lead to violence against Jews. Some candidates and elected officials in New York City, where recent anti-Israel demonstrations have raised alarms within the largest Jewish community in the world, are tying such rhetoric directly to the carnage at Bondi Beach in Sydney — after two gunmen killed at least 15 people and wounded more than three dozen in the deadliest attack against the Jewish community in Australian history,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

The politics of words:Micah Lasher, a Jewish state assemblyman who is running to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), asked rhetorically in asocial media postSunday whether there was “any question” that “the spread of violence against Jews is intertwined with the social acceptability of violent rhetoric directed at Jews.” Erik Bottcher, a city councilman who is also mounting a bid for Nadlers seat, said that in the wake of “an attack like Bondi Beach, we should be unequivocal: antisemitic violence is unacceptable, full stop. And we should also be honest that slogans like ‘globalize the intifada’ don’t advance justice, they escalate hostility and make Jewish communities feel targeted.”

Read the full story herewith additional comments from New York Democrats including Mayor Eric Adams, state Assemblymember Alex Bores, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and NY-6 candidate Chuck Park.

Standing in solidarity:Speaking at the White House Sunday night, President Donald Trump called the shooting a “purely antisemitic attack,” and praised Ahmed al Ahmed, a Muslim man and bystander who stepped in to disarm the gunman at Bondi Beach,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google VANCES VIEW JD Vance links youth antisemitism to immigration, demographics of Gen Z (Photo by JONATHAN ERNST / POOL / AFP) In a series of social media posts, Vice President JD Vance linked data finding increased antisemitism among young people on both sides of the aisle to immigration, and said that there is a difference between “not liking Israel” and being antisemitic,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said:“To write an article about the ‘generational divide’ in anti-semitism without discussing the demographics of the various generations is mind boggling,” Vance wrote, referencing anAtlanticpieceby Yair Rosenberg that looked at polling data indicating higher levels of antisemitism among younger Americans. Vance blamed the increase in antisemitism on immigration and the demographic makeup of younger Americans, adding “the most significant single thing you could do to eliminate anti-semitism and any other kind of ethnic hatred is to support our efforts to lower immigration and promote assimilation.” The vice president also wrote, “I would say there’s a difference between not liking Israel (or disagreeing with a given Israeli policy) and anti-semitism.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PLOT PREVENTED FBI foils New Year’s Eve terror attack by extremist group behind synagogue protest First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli speaks to the press with LA County Sheriff Robert Luna and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell in Los Angeles on Monday, December 15, 2025. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) Federal authorities foiled an alleged terror plot by an anti-Israel, anti-American extremist group, officials announced on Monday. The group — the Turtle Island Liberation Front — appears to also be one of the organizers of an anti-Israel protest that targeted a Los Angeles synagogue this month,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Plan for midnight:Four members of TILF were arrested over the weekend in the Mojave Desert, where they had allegedly gathered to attempt to construct improvised explosive devices. According to Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, they planned to set off the pipe bombs in a coordinated attack at midnight on New Year’s Eve targeting U.S. companies in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES State Dept., GOP lawmakers meet with members of Germany’s far-right AfD party Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN) meet with members of Germanys far-right Alternative for Germany party (Rep. Anna Paulina Luna/X) A senior State Department official and two GOP members of Congress met Friday with members of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has long faced accusations of extremism and pro-Nazi sympathies,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Meeting minutes:“My exchange with Under Secretary [of State for Public Diplomacy] Sarah Rogers on the new national security strategy of the Trump Administration has made it clear that Washington is seeking a strong German partner who is willing to take on responsibility,” Bundestag member Markus Frohnmaierposted after the meeting. Responding to a critic whonoted that leaked Russian documentsallegedly described Frohnmaier as a Russian asset, Rogers praised the AfD. The AfD delegation also met with Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN) and attended a New York Young Republican Club event.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google STATE-SANCTIONED SERMON? At Mecca’s Grand Mosque, Saudi imam condemns Israel and calls Palestinian children ‘role models’ Kaaba, Islams holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in Mecca on June 6, 2025. (AFP via Getty Images) During a Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid — one of the nine imams of the mosque — urged Muslims to view Palestinian children as role models in the face of what he described as an “oppressive and brutal Zionist enemy,”Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

What this means:Sermons delivered at the Grand Mosque are closely watched across the Muslim world and are widely seen as reflective of official Saudi religious and political messaging, making it notable that the senior Saudi cleric used the address at Islam’s holiest site to condemn Israel as President Donald Trump continues to promote normalization between the two countries. Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the remarks point to broader political implications. “Preachers in most Gulf countries are government employees, and their sermons often reflect official talking points,” Abdul-Hussain said.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOOKSHELF The new book urging young Jews to take inspiration from Soviet Jewish dissidents Writer and activist Izabella Tabarovsky has heard from many Jewish students that large Jewish organizations advised them to keep their heads down and try not to attract attention as a strategy to weather the anti-Israel and antisemitic storms that have raged on campus since Oct. 7, 2023. Tabarovsky’s counter-message: Don’t hide. Reclaim your Zionism. And take inspiration from the Soviet refuseniks of the 1980s, who stared down Communist Party strongman Leonid Brezhnev, held fast to their Judaism and eventually won their freedom. Tabarovsky lays out some of these strategies for college students in a new book,Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Identifying a need:“We’re in a bleak moment, and a lot of books diagnose the bleakness. … I saw a hunger for an inspirational message,” Tabarovsky told JI. In the near-decade that she has been writing about the subject, it has become “widely accepted among scholars and people involved in this [activism] that the patterns of anti-Zionist demonization and erasure are some of what Soviet Jews experienced in [former Soviet Union leader Leonid] Brezhnev’s USSR,” she said.

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Gathering Storm:InThe Free Press, Rabbi David Wolpe and former U.S. antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt consider how antisemitic rhetoric and protests are affecting public Jewish life. “These chants, attacks, and endorsements from public personalities are designed to make Jews think twice about gathering with other Jews, going to kosher restaurants, putting a mezuzah on the doorpost of their apartments or dorm rooms, or even wearing a Jewish star around their necks. … We are a people too wise to be hysterical but too experienced to be naive. The greatest enemy we face now is indifference. If the moral people of the world do not stand with us to denounce and expunge this kind of behavior so destructive to the fabric of any healthy society, especially one founded on the promise of freedom and equality, the consequences will not only be dire for the Jewish people — they will be dire for democracies, the rule of law, and the civilization we cherish.”[FreePress]

Hints of Humanity:InThe New York Times, Rabbi Sharon Brous reflects on the instances of humanity that have appeared in times of darkness and despair. “I’m tired of looking for the silver lining after such tragedies. I no longer want to hear, after a mass shooting, of the remarkable ways a community came together. I don’t want platitudes and pieties. I want justice. … I don’t want to celebrate resiliency; I want to see reform. But as a spiritual matter, I urgently need the silver lining. I need the hints of humanity that remind us that what is is not what must be. The quiet insistence that there is more light than darkness in this world, that tenderness and love can prevail over even the most virulent hatred. Give me the counterfactual that makes it impossible to fall into despair, that will keep me from slipping into the self-defeating certainty of our impending doom.”[NYTimes]

Remembering Rabbi Eli:InThe Atlantic, Zalman Rothschild reflects on his friendship with Rabbi Eli Schlanger and the lessons he learned from the rabbi, who was killed in the Bondi Beach attack. “Hanukkah does not commemorate despair or isolation. It marks rededication — to Jewish life, Jewish practice, and Jewish responsibility. As Schlanger himself put it earlier this year, the way forward in the face of darkness is to ‘be more Jewish, act more Jewish, and appear more Jewish.’ After October 7, 2023, my sister joined a synagogue for the first time and enrolled her daughters in Hebrew school — as did many others. On the road in Paris, I had no plans to light a menorah, but after learning of Schlanger’s murder, I felt compelled to attend a synagogue gathering and light a Hanukkah candle. … The story of Hanukkah is about political power and self-defense, but it is also about Judaism’s spirit and moral commitment. The words of the prophet Zechariah have been recited in synagogues for centuries on the Shabbat that falls on Hanukkah: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.’”[TheAtlantic]

Keep an Eye on Iran:InThe Wall Street Journal, former National Security Advisor John Bolton warns that Iran is working to rebuild its proxy network as the U.S. and allies have their attention focused on other global and domestic events. “The Gaza cease-fire diverts Western attention from the real threat — Tehran and its surrogates — and benefits these bad actors. … The “axis of resistance” isn’t yet a well-oiled machine again, but it could be soon if the U.S. is inattentive. Washington’s frequent distractions must not prevent it from developing an effective long-term strategy. Now is the time not to negotiate with the ayatollahs but to resume serious enforcement of economic sanctions while adding new ones. When Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dies, the leadership vacuum will provide Iran’s resistance a critical opportunity for regime change, and the opposition deserves U.S. assistance. Ignoring Iran until it fully regains its strength will only make matters worse.”[WSJ]



Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trumpsaidthe administration was “looking into” whetherIsrael’s targeted drone strikeon a senior Hamas official in Gazaover the weekend violated the ceasefire that went into effect in October…

Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahumeton Mondaywith U.S. Ambassador to TurkeyTom Barrack in Jerusalemas the U.S. works to alleviate tensions between Israel and both Lebanon and Syria; others present included Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, incoming Mossad head Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and White House Middle East advisor Aryeh Lightstone…

DMFI PACis rolling out its first round of 2026 House endorsements in a list first shared first with JI, backing several Democratic incumbents facing challenges from the left including Reps.Ritchie Torres(D-NY),Dan Goldman(D-NY),Wesley Bell(D-MO),Shri Thanedar(D-MI) andSteve Cohen(D-TN)

Harvard University’s governing boardannouncedthatAlan Garber,who had initially been tapped to lead the school on an interim basis through June 2027,will continue as the school’s president indefinitely…

Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners isdropping outof a plan to turn aformer army complex in Belgrade, Serbia, into a Trump-branded property; the redevelopment of the site, which had been bombed by NATO in 1999, had prompted protests as well as government investigations into efforts to strip the complex of its status as a protected cultural-heritage site…

Police inRedlands, Calif., areinvestigatingas a possible hate crimean incident in which assailants fired 20 shots at a home with Hanukkah decorations

Nick Reiner,the son of Rob Reiner, wasarrestedand booked on suspicion of murder chargesafter the bodies of his parents were found at their Los Angeles home on Sunday…

Acrowdfunding campaign for Ahmed al Ahmed, a Sydney shopkeeper who was filmed restraining one of the gunmen in the Bondi Beach attack,has raised $1.5 million,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports; contributors to the campaign include Bill Ackman, who gave $66,000, as well as thousands of small-dollar donors…

New York Mets ownerSteve Cohenreceivedapprovalfor the construction of his$8 billion Metropolitan Park casino project next to the team’s Citi Field stadium…

TheInternational Criminal Courtrejectedan Israeli appealfor the court to end its investigation into Israel’s conduct in Gaza, which Israeli representatives said falls outside of the court’s jurisdiction…

Archeologists in Jerusalemdiscovereda 1,400-year-old pendantbelieved to date to the late Byzantine era; the discovery, made near the Western Wall complex…

Stephanie Hallettwas sworn in asU.S. ambassador to Bahrain…

Alyssa Katz, the executive editor ofThe City, wastappedas the new editor-in-chief ofThe Forward…

Rachel Gorsky Bombach, previously a foreign policy advisor to former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and director of the National Security Council in the Obama administration, is joining Democratic Majority for Israel as chief policy officer…

PhilanthropistMartin Rosen, an attorney and founding trustee of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, died at 100,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports…

ColumnistRobert Samuelson, whose work appeared inNewsweek,The Washington Postand theNew York Sun,diedat 87…

Pic of the Day (MAAYAN TOAF/GPO) U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and his wife, Janet Huckabee, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sara Netanyahu posed for a photo after lighting the second Hanukkah candle on Monday night at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. They were joined by IDF soldiers, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who oversees the Western Wall and holy sites, as well as Western Wall Heritage Foundation Director Mordechai (Soli) Eliav.

Birthdays Susan Estrich (Photo by Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images) Attorney, professor and author, she was the first woman to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review, Susan Estrich turns 73…

CBS News journalist who has won 13 Emmy Awards, she has reported for CBS “60 Minutes” since 1991, Lesley Stahl turns 84… Numismatist specializing in ancient Jewish and biblical coins and their archaeology, David Bruce Hendin turns 80… British chemist and research professor at the University of Nottingham, Sir Martyn Poliakoff turns 78… Litigator in Denver, Craig Alan Silverman… Novelist, journalist and lecturer, Allen Kurzweil turns 65… President and co-founder of The New Agenda, Amy Siskind… First OMB director in the Obama administration, now CEO of Lazard, Peter R. Orszag turns 57… Astrophysicist and professor at Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute, he was a winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, Adam Guy Riess turns 56… National campaign director in the northeast for the Jewish National Fund, Rabbi Eric Stark… Director of public affairs at Charles Schwab, Adam Bromberg… Mexican singer, she has toured individually and in bands in Central America, the U.S. and Europe, Alix Bauer Tapuach turns 54… Activist, writer, farmer and punk rock musician, Sascha Altman DuBrul turns 51… Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Clifton Park, N.Y., Shara Siegfeld… Principal at Elm City Strategies, Melissa Wisner… Former chief of staff for U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Matthew Bennett Klapper turns 43… Middle East analyst at Christians United For Israel, Kasim Hafeez turns 42… Founder of Punchbowl News, Jake Sherman… Actress known for her role on The CWs teen drama “Gossip Girl” and more recently ABCs “General Hospital,” Amanda Setton turns 40… Congressional reporter at Bloomberg Tax, Zachary C. Cohen turns 34… Product manager at the Ignyte Group, Drew Liquerman



]]> 97287 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-hanukkah-horror-down-under/ Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:23:16 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=97294 ]]> Good Monday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on the aftermath of yesterday’sdeadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, and look at U.S. lawmakers’ responses to the shooting, in which 15 people were killed. We cover theHouse Education Committee’s new investigationinto antisemitism at theAmerican Psychological Association, and spotlight theJewish military chaplainsserving at U.S. bases across Europe. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: Rep.Brian Mast, Gov.JB PritzkerandNarges Mohammadi.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel editor Tamara Zieve with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching As Australia’s Jewish community mourns those killed in yesterday’s terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, we are continuing to monitor the situation. More below. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is in Israel today, where he is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Tonight, Vice President JD Vance is holding the vice president’s annual Hanukkah party at the Naval Observatory. Elsewhere in Washington, the Jewish Federations of North America is holding its Hanukkah celebration with Capitol Hill staff, while Young Jewish Conservatives is holding its “Liberty Latkes” party, honoring the Heritage Foundations Daniel Flesch. In New York, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams is hosting a Hanukkah party. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MELISSA WEISS For the Jews of Sydney, Australia,the horror that unfolded on the popular Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration was a shock, but not a surprise.

Nor was it a surprise for much of the global Jewish community,which, while always on alert and monitoring threats, scales up its efforts around holidays — a task even more critical in the wake of antisemitic terror attacks earlier this year onPassoverandYom Kippur.

But the deadly attack in Sydney seemed — somehow — to have caught Australian officials by surprise,despite a warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu four months ago over the potential for attacks against the Australian Jewish community, as well as a spate of attacks targeting Jewish institutions, some of which wereorchestratedby Iran.

An Israeli tourist who was at Bondi during the attackwho spoke to JI on Sunday said that he sensed “that [Australian authorities] don’t know how to deal with mass casualty events. … I didn’t see anything on the news for almost an hour, and when I asked locals why they weren’t calling news hotlines or reporting on news apps, they said Australia doesn’t have that. In Israel, it would be in the news three minutes later.”

Indeed, within an hour of the onset of the attack,Israeli news networks were covering the carnage. International news outlets and networks, as well as Australian media, wereslow to notethat the attack had taken place at a Hanukkah celebration. Three hours after the attack, theSydney Morning Herald’s top story washeadlined“Ten Dead in Bondi Beach Shooting.” The subhead, too — “Multiple dead, two police officers among injured after shots fired at Bondi Beach” — gave no indication that the attack had taken place at a Hanukkah celebration, and that rabbis and Jewish community members had been shot.

It was a year ago this weekthat JIreported on concernsfrom Australian Jewish leaders over Canberra’s response to the antisemitism that dramatically increased following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and ensuing war between Israel and Hamas.

A travel advisory issued by the Simon Wiesenthal Center more than a year agospecifically cited the Australian government’s response, saying that “in failing to act against the demonization of Jews, Israel and Zionism on the streets of Australian cities, the Australian government has allowed violence against Jews and Israelis to be normalized.”

“Moreover,” the advisory continued in an ominous and prescient warning,“authorities have failed to take necessary measures to protect Jewish communities from increasingly belligerent and violent targeting by Islamists and other extremists.”

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



TERROR DOWN UNDER Fifteen dead in shooting at Sydney Hanukkah event A member of the public leaves the scene with her child, who is covered in an emergency blanket, after a shooting at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (George Chan/Getty Images) At least 15 people were killed on Sunday in an attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia, in what authorities described as a targeted terror attack on the Jewish community. The event was hosted by Chabad of Bondi, a neighborhood with a major Jewish community in Sydney. Two gunmen opened fire with long rifles from outside the gated-off event, killing at least 15, and injuring 40. Among the victims were Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the Chabad emissary to Bondi, Holocaust survivor and immigrant from the Former Soviet Union Alex Kleytman, 87, and a 10-year-old girl identified by the Australian press only as Matilda. Eyewitnessesspoke withJewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov.

At the scene:Lissy Abrahams was walking with her adult daughter to a bar mitzvah party being held nearby and parked by where the Chabad party was being held. As they were walking, she and her daughter heard gunshots. “We looked at each other and said ‘run,’” Abrahams recounted to JI. Abrahams and her daughter saw a storage area, where lifeguards keep their equipment, and ran down to the beach to take shelter with beachgoers, including parents holding babies. “People were standing in the doorway and didn’t know what to do, but as Jews, we understood what was going on.”

Read the full story here.

‘Horrified but not surprised’:U.S. officials and lawmakers across the political spectrum are condemning the terrorist attack, tying the murder of 15 attendees to the rise of antisemitism across the world,Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MASTS MESSAGE HFAC chair Brian Mast calls out global network seeking to fuel antisemitism on the left and right WASHINGTON, DC JANUARY 11: U.S. Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) speaks during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill on January 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) said on Friday that there is a concerted network, on both the right and left, pushing antisemitic and anti-Israel ideology to the point that it has become “pervasive,” particularly among younger people,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said:Speaking at a Hudson Institute conference on antisemitism, Mast, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he does not have a “silver bullet” to address the problem because of how widespread it has become. He recounted a speech in a class at a military academy where he saw “probably a 50/50 divide about why we have this relationship [between the U.S. and Israel], what is the benefit of this relationship?” He said that he sees a “very specific network that is in place that works together to sow antisemitism that is now, in many cases, working on the left and right across the media, to go out there and put this wedge in this relationship.” Mast described the effort as “pervasive, systematic, planned out, orchestrated” and a “very, very serious global threat across multinational organizations, media across the globe and adversaries and terrorist organizations.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PSYCH OUT House Education Committee opens investigation into antisemitism at the American Psychological Association Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) attends the House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on The State of American Education in the Ryaburn House Office Building on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) The House Education and Workforce Committee announced on Friday that it’s opening an investigation into antisemitism in the American Psychological Association, a move that follows mounting reports of antisemitism and unaddressed discrimination inside the organization, which represents more than 170,000 individuals in the psychology field and is responsible for the accreditation of psychology professionals,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

On notice:“The Committee is gravely concerned about antisemitism at the APA,” Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) wrote in a letter to APA President Debra Kawahara on Friday informing the organization of the investigation. “Jewish APA members have reported being harassed and ostracized by their colleagues within the APA and at APA events because of their Jewish identity, their efforts to speak out against antisemitism, and their Zionist beliefs. Members have also stated that their complaints to the association have gone unanswered, raising significant concerns about the APA’s commitment to addressing harassment.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON DEFENSE NSC’s Gorka pushes back on criticisms of Muslim Brotherhood executive order U.S. Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka walks outside the White House in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Sebastian Gorka, the National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism, defended the Trump administration’s executive order mandating the assessment of certain branches of the Muslim Brotherhood for designation as foreign terrorist organizations, which some critics have argued does not go far enough,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Pushback:“It’s a statement of designation to occur, not a de facto designation, because we follow the law in the Trump administration. We believe in the Constitution and the statutes agreed upon by Congress and signed by the president. We dont just do stuff because we want to,” Gorka said. Gorka said that the three branches named in the executive order are “slam dunk cases,” and that the administration plans to go after additional branches. “For the record, this is not the end, it is just the beginning, and we are assiduously working on the next tranche of designations right now,” Gorka continued.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PRIMARY MATCHUP Lander struggles to land hits on Goldman — beyond disagreeing on Israel Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), left, is joined by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander during a news conference outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (Mary Altaffer/AP) The primary matchup between outgoing New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) was widely expected to be a bellwether race that would test the strength of pro-Israel sentiment within the Democratic Party. The race pits Lander, an outspoken critic of Israel and its war in Gaza, against Goldman, a more moderate incumbent viewed as a strong defender of the Jewish state. But nearly a week after announcing his challenge, Lander, the progressive New York City comptroller, is so far tiptoeing around such differences, even as they are arguably the driving contrast in the primary,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Trump talk:Instead, Lander has more actively emphasized a message that is casting Goldman as ineffective in countering President Donald Trump —declaringit is “time for fighters” and “not folders” in Congress. Such comments, however, have failed to note that Goldman, who was elected to Congress in 2022, is recognized as a leading Trump antagonist, having served as the top prosecutor in the president’s first impeachment case.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SPREADING LIGHT Serving faith and nation: The rabbis bringing light to U.S. troops on Europes front lines Rabbi Laurence Bazer reading Hanukkah cards sent to Jewish servicemembers (Courtesy) From Germany to Poland, Jewish military chaplains are counseling soldiers, leading religious services and connecting Jewish troops to their heritage — often alongside non-Jewish service members. Rabbis Aaron Gaber, Aaron Melman and Laurence Bazerspoke toJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutchabout their drive to beohr l’goyim, a light unto the nations.

New Year’s in the old country:Last year, Gaber volunteered to spend the High Holidays in Poland and Lithuania. He drove between several different bases to make sure Jewish soldiers had access to religious services, food and learning opportunities tied to the holidays. “I take the idea ofohr l’goyim, or bringing light to the world, I was able to bring light to the world,” Gaber told JI. “If I met 10 Jewish soldiers through the entire two weeks, that was a lot. So it was individual work.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Blood on the Beach:InThe Wall Street Journal, law professor Peter Kurti, the director of the Culture, Prosperity and Civil Society program at the Australia’s Center for Independent Studies, looks at how Canberra’s response to antisemitism in recent years affected the Australian government’s ability to prevent terror attacks on the country’s Jewish community. “Australia faces a choice familiar to other liberal democracies: whether to confront antisemitism clearly and decisively or to continue managing it as an embarrassment to be explained away. Too often, political leaders have preferred ritual condemnation over moral clarity and bureaucratic language over responsibility. In the U.S., that choice has already forced a reckoning — from congressional hearings on campus antisemitism to the adoption of a national strategy to counter it. Australia’s hesitation stands in contrast, not because the threat is smaller, but because our political class has been slower to accept that antisemitism is a stress test for democratic institutions.”[WSJ]

From Rhetoric to Violence:The Atlantic’s David Frum considers how anti-Israel rhetoric can morph into antisemitic violence. “Yet there has remained, until now, terrible reluctance by Western governments to accept the appearance on their soil of deadly threats to their Jewish citizens from people motivated by anti-Israel ideology. Those movements have progressively tested what used to be red lines: blocking access to synagogues, for example, as happened in recent weeks in Los Angeles and New York City. … People who dress up like Hamas terrorists and brandish their insignia and chant their slogans are not merely opining. They are propagating, recruiting, and inciting the actions they believe in. Among Western liberals is a strong impulse to show respect to people from other cultures — or who hold other beliefs — by interpreting their words and actions in the most benign way. But sometimes the way to show the deepest respect is by taking people seriously, believing their words as they are spoken, heeding their own accounts of their intentions.”[TheAtlantic]

Flicker of Light:InThe Free Press, Rachel Goldberg-Polin reflects on the recently released video of her son, Hersh, and five other Israeli hostages commemorating Hanukkah while captive in Gaza nine months before they were killed by Hamas terrorists. “Seeing these young, vibrant, and luminous Jews keeping alive their over-2,000-year-old tradition of lighting Hanukkah candles, even when in the bowels of hell on earth, you cannot help but feel something. I won’t suggest what you should feel. … In these dark times, it is a flicker of light. The flame is whispering something. If you are quiet and you lean forward, you will hear it. Did you grasp it? The Beautiful Six did. It is hope. Hope! It’s not a suggestion, or advice. It is a command. Hanukkah teaches us there is light. Even in the darkest of times and the most upside-down of places. The camera sweeps by Hersh and he says, ‘Wishing you a Hanukkah of peace.’ From hell, without a hand, he wished us peace.”[FreePress]



Word on the Street Ben Blackwas ceremoniallysworn inby President Donald Trump to be the CEO of theU.S. International Development Finance Corporation…

The Washington PostspotlightsIllinois Gov.JB Pritzker—and his vast war chest, owing to a personal fortune nearing $4 billion —as the Democrat mulls a 2028 presidential bid…

Former Israeli hostageEli Sharabimetformer President Joe Bidenon the sidelines of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Sunday game against the Las Vegas Raiders…

EPA AdministratorLee Zeldin had a basal cell carcinomaremovedfrom his face…

Two U.S. servicemembers and an interpreterwere killedin an attack in Palmyra, Syria, by a Syrian member of the country’s security forces who was set to be fired over his extremist views…

Harvardremovedthe head of its public health school, which had increasingly come under fire over what the school’s antisemitism task force described as programming and curricula that focused “heavily on Palestinians” and “also rarely presented Israeli points of view except those of the state’s harshest critics”

Conservative lawyerJosé Antonio KastwonChile’s presidential electionin a landslide on Sunday over Communist leader Jeannette Jara…

Israel’s Cabinetapprovedthe construction of 19 West Bank settlements, including two that had been evacuated during the 2005 disengagement…

Israelkilledsenior Hamas commander Raed Saadin a targeted drone strike on Saturday; Saad had been involved in preparations for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…

U.S. forces last monthraideda ship bound for Iranfrom China that wascarrying military-related materials; the cargo was seized from the vessel and allowed to continue on…

Iranseizeda tankertransiting through the Gulf of Oman that was carrying 6 million liters of what Iranian state media described as “smuggled diesel”

The family ofNarges Mohammadisaidthe Nobel peace laureate wasarrested by Iranian authoritieswhile giving a speech at a memorial service in the Iranian city of Mashhad…

Rob Reinerdiedat 78; the actor and director was killed at his Los Angeles home, along with his wife; LAPD is investigating the deaths as homicides…

Pic of the Day (ISRAELI PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG/X) Israeli President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog lit the first Hanukkah candle with the family of Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last hostage still held in Gaza, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem last night. Gvili was injured in battle and taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel and later died in captivity.

Birthdays WASHINGTON, DC NOVEMBER 06: Spike Mendelsohn competes onstage during DC Central Kitchens Capital Food Fight 2025 at The Anthem on November 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for DC Central Kitchen) Washington, D.C.-based chef and restaurateur,Spike Mendelsohnturns 45…

Former member of the New York State Assembly, attorney general of New York and member of the New York City Council,Oliver Koppellturns 85… Senior rabbi emeritus at Congregation Mt. Sinai in Brooklyn Heights and EVP of the New York Board of Rabbis, RabbiJoseph Potasnikturns 79… Film, stage and television actress and voice artist,Melanie Chartoffturns 75… Owner of the largest construction company for gas pipelines in Russia,Arkady Rotenbergturns 74… University of Wyoming professor for over 20 years, now president of the Colorado Hebrew Chorale,Seth Wardturns 73… President and CEO at Jewish Family Children’s Services of the Suncoast in Sarasota, Fla., Dr.Helene Lotman… Founder and former chairman of BizBash,David Adlerturns 72… Sportscaster, he was the radio voice for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team for 36 years,Eli Goldturns 72… U.S. senator (D-VA),Mark Warnerturns 71… Executive chairman of South Africas Resolve Communications,Tony Leonturns 69… Executive director at Silicon Couloir in Jackson Hole, Wyo., until 2024,Gary S. Traunerturns 67… Partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen Katz specializing in MA,Adam O. Emmerichturns 65… Actress, singer and songwriter, she appeared in the title role of the 1984 film Supergirl,Helen Slaterturns 62… Television and movie producer, screenwriter and executive, producer of the first eight seasons of the “Pokémon” TV series and writer of most of the “Pokémon” films,Norman J. Grossfeldturns 62… Rabbi serving communities in Californias Central Valley including as a prison chaplain,Paul Gordon… Chicago-born stand-up comedian and author,Joel Chasnoffturns 52… Director of community relations and Israel affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte,Tal Selinger Stein… Actor, writer and musician, he is known for his role as Seth Cohen on “The O.C.,”Adam Brodyturns 46… Former mayor of Bal Harbour, Fla., he is an attorney and public speaker,Gabriel Groismanturns 45… Israeli singer-songwriter and actress, she played the role of Hila Bashan on Season 3 of “Fauda,”Marina Maximilian Bluminturns 38… Client solutions manager at Samsung Ads,Julie Winkelman Lazar… Musician and actress, her first major film, “Licorice Pizza,” was released in 2021,Alana Mychal Haimturns 34… Associate partner at Activate Consulting,Lily Silva… and her twin brother, a special policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security until earlier this year,Nicholas Silva… Figure skater who represented the U.S. at the 2014 and 2022 Winter Olympics,Jason Brownturns 31



]]> 97294 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/the-problems-plaguing-gazas-day-after-plan/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:08:31 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=97160 ]]> Good Friday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we do a deep dive into the Trump administration’s struggles to lay out a clear vision for its Gaza peace plan, and report on Sen. Ted Cruz’s criticism of House Foreign Affairs Committee members who altered the House version of Cruz’s legislation to sanction the Muslim Brotherhood. We profile academic Adam Louis-Klein about his efforts to reframe discourse around Israeli and Zionism, and talk to Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch about his meeting on Thursday with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rabbi Shalom Landau, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder and Julie Benko.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik, Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.

For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: Eisenhower’s great-grandson carries the torch for Holocaust remembrance; Iran International holds Iranian regime accountable — from afar — with aggressive journalism; and Experts raise red flags over AI’s potential to disrupt Israel’s next election. Print the latest edition here.

What Were Watching In Washington today, the Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East is hosting a daylong seminar titled “Antisemitism as a National Security Threat.” Speakers include the White House’s Seb Gorka, former antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), CNN’s Scott Jennings, Walter Russell Mead and former State Department senior advisor Ludovic Hood.
On Sunday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is hosting a Hanukkah brunch reception at the Government House of Maryland.
Later Sunday, the National Menorah lighting for the first night of Hanukkah, hosted by American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), will take place on the Ellipse in Washington. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MELISSA WEISS Last week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stood before a crowded room of Jewish attendees just outside the nation’s capital, and proclaimed: “Today, I want to be loud and clear, that Maryland stands with the Israeli people and we support their right to exist in the region with the same sense of safety and security that we all want,” Moore told attendees at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s annual “Lox and Legislators” event.

The nuance in Moore’s statement was telling — an expression of support not for Israel specifically, but for the Israeli people. It’s a clear distinction — and a potential shift in messaging for mainstream Democrats seeking to put daylight between themselves and the Israeli government, while not, as they see it, throwing Israelis under the bus.

But it’s also the kind of language reserved for rogue and oppressive regimes. Few politicians mention “the South African people” when speaking about disagreements with Pretoria. Same with “the people of Brazil” or “the people of Poland” when disagreements between Washington and those countries arise.

Separating governments from their populaces is commonplace when talking about countries committing grave human rights violations. In their co-sponsorship of legislation introduced last week backing internet freedom in Iran, Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Dave McCormick (R-PA), both referred to “the people of Iran.” Last month, Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) introduced legislation supporting “The North Korean people” who “face torture, imprisonment, starvation, and forced labor every single day.”

But Israel, a key U.S. ally, is a parliamentary democracy that holds regular (some would argue too regular) elections. And Moore, a savvy politician with potential White House ambitions, can read the political tea leaves within his party.

A Gallup survey released over the summer found that a majority of Americans — 52% — viewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unfavorably, while just 29% had a positive view of Israel’s longest-serving leader. The July poll reflected Netanyahu’s highest unfavorable numbers in nearly three decades.

But perhaps most telling was that Netanyahu, in the Gallup poll, was viewed favorably by just 9% of Democrats — likely due to the convergence of a number of factors, among them Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza and Netanyahu’s close ties with the Trump administration.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.

the day-after dilemma Trump administration struggles to lay out clear vision for Gaza peace plan A photograph shows destroyed buildings in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on December 9, 2025. It has been nearly three months since President Donald Trump unveiled his 20-point peace proposal for Gaza, but officials have yet to explain how key aspects would function in practice or how Hamas’ entrenched presence in the enclave will be addressed, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. Under the plan, Gaza’s governance would be overseen by a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” followed by an international executive board expected to include Jared Kushner and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Beneath the board would sit a technocratic Palestinian government of approximately a dozen Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas.

Implementation challenges: But as Trump focuses on handpicking members for his ideal Palestinian governing body, experts told JI that the administration has offered little clarity on how this layered structure would actually govern Gaza — or, more consequentially, how it can operate while armed Hamas terrorists remain in control of much of the enclave. Israel currently controls 53% of Gaza, as demarcated by the “Yellow Line,” while Hamas maintains control in the remaining western part of the enclave. Despite heavy losses, Hamas fighters continue to operate and have given no indication of relinquishing power. Elliott Abrams, who served as Iran envoy during Trump’s first term, told JI that the White House has yet to “seriously address the question of who would maintain security in Gaza and prevent a Hamas recovery.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google cruz control Cruz rips House committee over changes to Muslim Brotherhood terrorism bill Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) Sen. Ted Cruz (R-FL), the lead Senate sponsor of legislation to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, criticized members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for voting to modify the House version of the bill, removing key provisions requiring the designation of Muslim Brotherhood branches and the organization as a whole as a terrorist group, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Notable quotable: “Last week, frustratingly, the House version of my bill was advanced but terminally weakened by the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” Cruz said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday. “They took out the ‘designation’ part of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act. The Senate should do better, and we should move the full bill on our side.” Cruz suggested that some House lawmakers “did not believe that Congress should have a role in crafting sanctions, which are to be implemented by the executive.” He said he considers that argument “specious” and that most Senate colleagues agree.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google olive branch Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, outspoken backer of Israel, leaves meeting with Mamdani ‘encouraged’ Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City. Prominent Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch left a meeting on Thursday afternoon with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and a dozen diverse rabbis and community leaders feeling “encouraged,” saying that there is “reason to be optimistic” that Mamdani will protect the Jewish community, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. In addition to Hirsch, other rabbis in attendance included Rabbi Joshua Davidson of Temple Emanu-El, a Reform synagogue; and Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of the Modern Orthodox Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue.

Meeting minutes: Hirsch, who spoke with JI following the mayor-elect’s private meeting with the New York Board of Rabbis, of which Hirsch is the president, said he was “encouraged by [Mamdani’s] willingness to continue to dialogue, knowing in advance that he’s going into meetings with people who have significant disagreements with him, and that he continues to be open to having these kinds of discussions.” Hirsch declined to share the content of Thursday’s private meeting, but called it “productive” and noting that “the mayor-elect stayed a little longer than anticipated so we were pleased with that. He listened attentively. We shared our concerns. We agreed that we’ll set up a mechanism to meet regularly with him and his senior staff so we can keep lines of communication open. We agreed to keep content and details confidential.”

Read the full story here.

No thanks, Nadler: CNN reports that aides to Mamdani rebuffed repeated overtures from Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) to assist with outreach during the campaign. Nadler, who represents the heavily Jewish 12th Congressional District, had faced criticism from New York Jewish leaders over his endorsement of Mamdani in June.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google community condemnation Va. Jewish groups slam Sam Rasoul, anti-Israel state lawmaker exploring congressional bid Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, talks to a staffer Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Richmond, Va. Several leading Jewish organizations in Virginia and Washington issued a joint statement on Thursday slamming state Del. Sam Rasoul and calling for his resignation as chair of the Virginia House of Delegates’ Education Committee, days after the Roanoke Democrat announced that he is considering running for Congress in 2026, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Commonwealth concerns: The statement — from the Jewish Community Relations Councils in the greater Washington area, Richmond, the Tidewater (including Virginia Beach) and the Virginia Peninsula (Newport News) — accused Rasoul, who is Palestinian American, of using rhetoric that fuels antisemitism. It did not mention Rasoul’s possible congressional bid. The four organizations are all nonprofits and prohibited from engaging in political advocacy. “Del. Rasoul’s antisemitic rhetoric dates back several years, and his vitriol has continued to increase in recent weeks. We are speaking out now because the situation demands it,” Vicki Fishman, director of Virginia government and community relations at the Washington JCRC, told JI on Thursday.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google reframing the narrative From the Amazon to anti-Zionism: The scholar seeking to stigmatize anti-Israel hate Adam Louis-Klein Earlier this year, in the heavily saturated world of commentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a new name started to appear everywhere, though it seemed to come out of nowhere: Adam Louis-Klein, an anthropology Ph.D. student at McGill University. Until this past spring, he had hardly said anything about Israel publicly. He was too busy studying a remote Amazonian tribe. But then Louis-Klein, 32, built a platform and started writing. Anywhere he could, Louis-Klein was making the bold claim that American Jews need to stop arguing about when anti-Zionism crosses a line into antisemitism. In fact, he thinks they need to give up on their efforts to convince people that anti-Zionism is an antisemitic movement, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Hate ‘hiding in plain sight’: Louis-Klein’s thesis — the idea he is trying to get out into the world everyday, alternating between attention-catching social media graphics designed to go viral and lengthy posts using the dense academic jargon of anthropology — is that anti-Zionism should be considered a hate movement, something that is worthy of condemnation on its own, regardless of whether it is deemed antisemitic or not. “When someone’s marked as a Zionist, anti-Zionists treat those Zionists differently. They treat them in unequal ways. They advocate for violence, or they advocate for discriminating or boycotting them, or excluding them or purging them. Anti-Zionists stigmatize Zionists. They spread libels about Zionists. They call Zionists slurs,” Louis-Klein told JI in an interview last week. “It’s its own way of discriminating, and it’s hiding in plain sight. It’s there for everyone to see.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google exclusive Rosen, McCormick push for new sanctions on the Houthis over human rights violations Thousands of Houthi supporters gather to mark Independence Day in Sanaa, Yemen, on November 30, 2025. Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), respectively the chair and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, are pushing for additional sanctions on the Houthis in response to the group’s violations of human rights and hostage-taking in a new bill set to be introduced Friday, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Letter of the law: The Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act would require the administration to assess whether members of the Houthis have committed gross violations of human rights, obstructed the delivery of humanitarian aid or have been involved in taking American hostages or supporting hostage-taking, qualifying them for sanctions under U.S. law. The bill also declares that it is the sense of Congress that “Houthi efforts to indoctrinate Yemenis into a violent, anti-Semitic, and extremist worldview are a threat to a Yemeni-led peace process and to regional stability” and that “it is counter to United States policy to provide support to the Houthis in Yemen.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Home for the Holidays: In The Wall Street Journal, Mark Oppenheimer reflects on the value of spending Jewish holidays at home. “Being at home is a ritual, as religious, in its way, as remembering the Maccabees’ inextinguishable lamp or the exodus from Egypt. Being in my house, the only one our family has ever lived in, eating, laughing, arguing — it’s how I want to celebrate my good fortune, when the seasons call me to. … The stories of the Hebrew Bible frequently relate to central questions of family life: where to settle, whom to marry, when to have children. There are no desert hermits in our tradition, only moms and dads tending home fires. Judaism isn’t a celestial religion, lifting us into the clouds. Nor is there any commandment to spread the religion over the face of the earth. We have no obligation to travel far and wide, to make religious pilgrimages. Rather, we are directed to make Jewish families, and then to make their homes centers of Jewish life.” [WSJ]

That’s Entertainment?: In The Washington Post, Michal Cotler-Wunsh and Nadav Steinman, respectively the CEO and board chair of the International Legal Forum warn of the rise in antisemitism in the entertainment industry, citing recent events in sports and music as well as the recent release of a letter by hundreds of celebrities calling for the release of convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti “The normalization of ever-mutating antisemitism creates the conditions for hate that does not stop with Jews, because it’s never about Jews alone. What is being mainstreamed is a thuggish sensibility in which any targeted group can be demonized, and people can be barred from public spaces for their own ‘safety.’ The deeper threat from rising antisemitism is the general erosion of fundamental principles of life and liberty.” [WashPost]

Word on the Street The U.S. is reportedly mulling terrorism-related sanctions on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which works with Palestinians, over the organization’s ties to Hamas…

Iran is still plotting assassination attempts against officials from the first Trump administration involved in the killing of Quds Force head Gen. Qassem Soleimani, FBI operations director Michael Glasheen cautioned on Thursday, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…

A senior State Department official told lawmakers on Thursday that the U.S. believes there are “no good actors” in the brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the East African nation, and said the U.S.’ focus is on cutting off external support to both parties and achieving a temporary ceasefire, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Rabbi Shalom Landau, a Satmar Hasidic leader who posts online videos offering practical, Torah-based advice, has found unlikely supporters in prominent Jordanian-American tech founder Amjad Masad, who is outspokenly critical of Israel, and within white nationalist online subcultures, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

The Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act on Thursday aimed at eliminating loopholes used by museums and other stakeholders to continue possessing Nazi-looted artwork that Jewish families have been trying to recover. This legislation renews our commitment to Holocaust survivors and their families by ensuring cases are heard on their merit, offering a path to restitution and assurance that such injustices are never forgotten, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who led the legislation with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), said…

New York state Assemblymember Amanda Septimo officially launched a primary challenge to Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY); read JI’s report on Septimo’s candidacy from earlier this week here…

Renaissance Technologies is mulling a change to its trading models after two of its funds experienced their worst-ever months in October, followed by surges the following month…

Actress Julie Benko was tapped as Emma in the Broadway production of “Ragtime,” filling in for Shaina Taub, who is taking a three-month hiatus from the role in early 2026; Benko was previously the understudy for Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl”

London’s Roundhouse music venue apologized for antisemitic imagery —including an intertwined swastika and Star of David —that appeared during a show by Scottish group Primal Scream…

Israeli Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, the head of the IDF’s military intelligence, told U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, who is in Israel this week, that Israel’s strikes on Iran during the 12-day June war were less severe than had initially been thought…

Israeli and U.S. officials are preparing for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Cairo in the near future, where he will meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and sign a natural gas agreement; the visit would be the first official state visit by an Israeli leader to Egypt in 15 years…

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum released video of a group of hostages known as the “Beautiful Six” that was obtained by the IDF in Gaza; in the video, which appeared to be filmed in December 2023, showed Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Alex Lobanov —all of whom were killed by Hamas in August 2024 as Israeli troops neared their location — celebrating Hanukkah and marking the new year…

A Guyana-flagged ship that was seized by the U.S. earlier this week and believed to be carrying sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan oil appeared to be using spoofing to hide its location…

The Southern Transitional Council separatist group in Yemen told Western diplomats that it will soon declare an independent state; leaders of the group reportedly plan to recognize Israel once established, in an effort to gain support from the Trump administration, which is pushing for the expansion of the Abraham Accords…

The Wall Street Journal reports on efforts to track down Jamil al-Hassan, the head of Syria’s Air Force Intelligence agency during the Assad regime; al-Hassan, who is also wanted by the FBI for his role in the kidnapping of American citizens, is believed to be in hiding in Lebanon, where he and other former Syrian officials are working to reconstitute support… 

The Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation was approved as an official organization by Syria’s minister of social affairs and labor; the organization, led by Syrian American Rabbi Henry Hamra, is the first Jewish group to be officially recognized by the Syrian government…

Pic of the Day Nvidia CEO and President Jensen Huang (right) met on Thursday with returned Israeli hostages Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani at Nvidia’s U.S. headquarters in the Bay Area. Or had been an engineer at the chip giant when he was abducted from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, and held hostage until October 2025.

Birthdays CALL ME KAT: Mayim Bialik. Actress, game show host and neuroscientist, she played the role of neuroscientist Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS The Big Bang Theory, Mayim Chaya Bialik turns 50

FRIDAY: Attorney, political operative, lobbyist, author and television commentator, Lanny Davis turns 80 Chairman of Full Stop Management which represents recording artists, Irving Azoff turns 78 Two-term congressman starting in 2007 (D-WI), he is a physician who founded four allergy clinics, Steven Leslie Kagen, M.D. turns 76 2007 Nobel Prize laureate in economics, he is a professor at Harvard University, Eric Stark Maskin turns 75 Provost and VP for academic affairs at Yeshiva University since 2014, Selma Botman turns 75 Former member of the rock band Grand Funk Railroad, Bruce Kulick turns 72 Professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Richard J. Davidson turns 64 Associated Press science writer and adjunct professor at NYUs academic center in Washington, Seth Borenstein Partner in Linear City Development, Yuval Bar-Zemer turns 63 CEO at Chicago-based Next Realty, Andrew S. Hochberg Afternoon anchor on the Fox Business Network, Elizabeth Kate Liz Claman turns 62 Rabbi of the Bet Israel community in Zagreb, Croatia, Kotel Dadon turns 58 Israeli scientist and entrepreneur, he is the founder and chief technology officer at Vaxa Impact Nutrition, Isaac Berzin turns 58 Minnesota secretary of state, he was first elected in 2014 and then reelected in 2018 and 2022, Steve Simon turns 56 Israeli celebrity chef, Moshe Aharon Moshik Roth turns 54 Chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jeffrey J. Wild turns 53 MSW candidate at the University of Denver and freelance PR consultant, Sarah R. Horowitz Freelance field producer for ABC News, Rebecca Becky Perlow One-half of the duo known for their YouTube channel h3h3Productions with 1.3 billion views, Hila Hakmon Klein turns 38 Israeli Olympic long-distance runner, she ran the marathon for Israel at the Paris Olympics last year, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter turns 37 Managing director at Narrative Strategies DC, David Pasch Brazilian mixed martial artist, Neiman Gracie Stambowsky turns 37 Vice president for asset management at Fidelity Investments, Jeffrey S. Goldstein Co-founder of The Next 50, now managing director of advocacy and strategy at Galaxy Gives, Zak Malamed turns 32 Film and television actor, Lucas Jade Zumann turns 25…

SATURDAY: Former New York state senator for 28 years, Suzanne Suzi Oppenheimer turns 91 California-based real estate developer active in the revitalization of downtown San Jose, he is a former co-owner of the Oakland Athletics, Lewis Wolff turns 90 Real estate developer and a minority-owner of the Minnesota Vikings, David Mandelbaum turns 90 Past president at UCLA Faculty Womens Club, Bette Billet Senior rabbi emeritus of Temple Israel of Hollywood, John Rosove turns 76 Executive chairwoman and chief media officer of Eko, Nancy Tellem turns 73 Chair of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Poverty and Social Exclusion at the University of Haifa, Roni Strier turns 73 Former chairman of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014, he won the 2022 Nobel Prize in economics, Ben Shalom Bernanke turns 72 Hedge fund manager, investor, writer and former adjunct professor at Columbia University, Joel Greenblatt turns 68 Former assistant secretary for management at the U.S. Department of the Treasury during the first Trump administration, David F. Eisner turns 68 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017 (D-MD), Jamin Ben Jamie Raskin turns 63 President of the American Academy in Rome, Peter N. Miller turns 61 Member of the Illinois Senate since 2019, she is running in 2026 to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Laura Fine turns 59 Chairman and CEO of Fontainebleau Development, Jeffrey M. Soffer turns 58 Co-founder and principal of The Lead PR, Jeffrey W. Schneider Mayor of New Rochelle, N.Y., from 2006-2023, Noam Bramson turns 56 Comedian and actor, known by his stage name and alter ego, Wheeler Walker Jr., Benjamin Isaac Hoffman turns 51 Chair of the Florida Democratic Party since 2023, Nicole “Nikki” Heather Fried turns 48 Head of global civics partnerships at YouTube, Riva Litman Sciuto American Israeli basketball player who played for three NCAA collegiate programs, then on the rosters of four Israeli teams, Eli Abaev turns 27

SUNDAY: President emeritus of George Washington University, Stephen Joel Trachtenberg turns 88… Co-founder and chairman of Creative Artists Agency until 1995, then president of the Walt Disney Company for 18 months, Michael S. Ovitz turns 79… Retired New York State assistant housing commissioner, he also served as a military chaplain for 38 years, Jacob Goldstein… President of Bard College since 1975, he is also music director of the American Symphony Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein turns 79… Retired SVP at Warner Brothers, key advocate for Israel on the Platform Committee of the Democratic Party on the national and state levels, Howard Steven Welinsky… Retired U.S. Air Force general who served as the chief of staff of the Air Force, he is currently the president and CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses, Norton Allan Schwartz turns 74… Director of government affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Robin Schatz… Member of Knesset for the Likud party, now serving as the minister of agriculture, Avi Dichter turns 73… Co-founder of several companies, including Beanstalk, Sixpoint Partners and Vringo, author of New York Times bestseller Let There Be Water, Seth (Yossi) Siegel turns 72… Hedge fund manager, John Paulson turns 70… Owner of Bundles of Boston, Sheree Boloker… Retired CEO of San Francisco-based Jewish LearningWorks, David Jonathan Waksberg turns 69… Nurse and mental health counsellor, Martina Yisraela Rieffer… Ukrainian businessman and founder of EastOne Group LLC, Victor Pinchuk turns 65… Founder of the Center for Class Action Fairness established to combat abusive class-action settlements, now a division of the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, Ted Frank turns 57… Partner and COO of Chicago-based Resolute Consulting, David Smolensky… Jerusalem-born British chef, restaurateur and food writer, Yotam Assaf Ottolenghi turns 57… Co-founder of the Manhattan Jewish Experience, Jill Wildes… Senior rabbi of the Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills, Calif., Kalman Topp turns 53… Policy counsel in the criminal defense practice at The Bronx Defenders, Eli Clemans Northrup turns 41… Co-CEO of Health Consulting Services, Matt Kosman… Former NFL player, he was on the Patriots when they won three Super Bowls, Nathan “Nate” Ebner turns 37… Speech-language pathologist, Leora Neuberger… Former offensive lineman for the New York Giants, now a medical sales representative at Stryker, Adam Bisnowaty turns 32… Co-director of Chabad of Macalester-Groveland in the Minneapolis area, Tzemach Feller… Television, teen theater and voice actress, Mia Sinclair Jenness turns 20



]]> 97160 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-syria-israel-strain-sharpens/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:42:45 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=97035 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we interview RabbiYehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to be antisemitism envoy, about how he hopes to shape the role once confirmed, and look atIsraeli concerns over the U.S. push for a Syria-Israel security agreement. We talk toMerrill Eisenhower about carrying on his great-grandfather’s legacy, and spotlight new bipartisanlegislation seeking to address Chinese circumvention of Iran sanctions. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: Rep.James Walkinshaw, Sen.David McCormickandDaniel Freedman.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Secretary of Homeland SecurityKristi Noem is testifying before the House Homeland Security Committeethis morning during a hearing on “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland.” TheHouse Foreign Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on Africais holding a hearing this afternoon on the humanitarian crisis inSudan. Elsewhere in Washington, historiansPamela Nadell and James Loeffler will speak about modern-day antisemitismat an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Lahav harkov Tensions escalated between Washington and Jerusalem this weekover Israel’s handling of Syria and negotiations for a possible agreement to renew the 1974 ceasefire between the two neighboring countries, with adjustments.

Speaking atThe Jerusalem Postconference in Washingtonon Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as the Trump administration’s Syria envoy, said the time is ripe for Israel and Syria to reach an agreement: “It’s the easiest place to show the world a soft hand and bridge grievances.”

In Barrack’s telling, an agreement between Syria and Israelwill only be possible with an immediate, complete Israeli withdrawal from the buffer zone between the countries. The IDF has held the 155-square-mile area since the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad a year ago, and Israel has sought to withdraw incrementally and remain at the peak of Mount Hermon.

Instead, Barrack said, Lets not fight over geography.What were concerned about is were not going to let Oct. 7 happen ever again, so the focus should be on demilitarizing the area south of Damascus. “Syria knows its future depends on a security and border agreement with Israel. Their incentive is non-aggressive toward Israel,” Barrack said. However, he added, “After Oct. 7, Israel doesn’t trust anybody. … The Syrians have been unbelievably cooperative.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, however, was skepticalin his remarks at the same event: The gaps between us and Syria have widened. They have new demands. Of course, we want an agreement, but we are further from one now than we were a few weeks ago.

“In [Israel’s] perspective, the problem is mistrust as well as hard security indicators,”Ahmad Sharawi, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,toldJewish Insider’s Matthew Shea. “Southern Syria is awash with weapons, weapon trafficking routes and Iran-backed networks. At the same time, Israel is being asked to make concessions to a government led by a former Al-Qaida emir whose coalition still includes figures that praised the Oct.7 attacks and openly endorse armed resistance against Israel.”Read more here.

Since Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa toppled and replaced Assad, Israel has been extremely skeptical about the former leader of Syria’s branch of Al-Qaida, whom Sa’ar and others have branded a “terrorist in a suit.” The concerns have not dissipated over the course of the last year, even as President Donald Trump embraced al-Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy” with a “tough past” and dropped sanctions, Europe moved towards lifting sanctions, as well, and Abraham Accords countries have accepted him.

“The train has left the station; the whole world accepts al-Sharaa as the legitimate leader of Syria and is ignoring his jihadi background as well as that of the people heading his military – but we can’t ignore it,” Sarit Zehavi, founder and president of the Alma Research and Education Center, which focuses on Israels north, told JI.

Shira Efron, distinguished Israel policy chair and senior fellow at RAND, told JI that “the hilltops Israel is holding now in Syria, especially the Hermon, are really strategic, security-wise, and it doesn’t make sense to withdraw when you have a neighbor who is still unstable.”

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



THE FACTS FIGHT Antisemitism envoy nominee Yehuda Kaploun backs labeling misinformation on social media Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administrations nominee to be special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. (Screenshot) Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. antisemitism special envoy, warnedin an interview withJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutchthat inaccurate, inflammatory content is being allowed to spread on social media, and pledged to work with social networks to curb the spread of antisemitic falsehoods online. Kaploun spoke to JI on Wednesday, with his Senate confirmation vote for the State Department role expected this month before the holiday recess.

What he said:“The ideal outcome is, I want to continue Americas tradition of free speech and allowing free speech anywhere and everywhere, freedom of expression,” Kaploun said. “But I would like the platforms — because of the advent of AI and those technologies, you have the ability to recognize when something is not factually correct and it should be labeled as such. I think that’s something that wed like to target.” His comments about working with social media platforms to label misinformation contradict the approach of the Trump administration, which has urged the major platforms not to “censor” information.

Read the full interview here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TERRITORY TALK Lawmakers, witnesses spar over meaning of Trump’s veto of West Bank annexation Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., speaks to reporters as he leaves the House Republican Conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and expert witnesses on Wednesday debated the meaning and significance of President Donald Trump’s edict in September that he “will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,” which came amid a reported effort earlier this year by the Israeli government to assert sovereignty over all or part of the territory,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Lay of the land:The at-times contentious hearing focused on “Understanding Judea and Samaria: historical, strategic and political dynamics in U.S.-Israel Relations,” referring to the biblical term for the West Bank preferred by members of the Israeli government and also used by Republicans on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, which hosted the hearing, asserted that Trump was only expressing his opposition to the annexation of territory not currently controlled by Israel. “When the president is talking about annexing, again, I think its important to actually look at the map,” Lawler said. “Sixty percent of the West Bank is under Israeli control.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE HILL Bipartisan, bicameral bill pushes for assessment of whether China is violating Iran sanctions Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the China-CELAC Forum ministerial meeting at The Great Hall of People on May 13, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Florence Lo-Pool/Getty Images) A new bipartisan and bicameral bill is pushing for greater accountability and transparency on China’s violations of the U.S.’ oil sanctions on Iran,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Recent reports by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies have found that Iran oil exports, primarily to China, have remained near their peak level in spite of U.S. sanctions, which FDD has attributed to a “failure of U.S. sanctions enforcement.”

What it does:The new bill, led by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Ben Cline (R-VA), requires the administration, within a year of the bill’s passage, to determine whether the People’s Republic of China is conducting sanctionable activities with regard to Iran. In advance of that determination, the bill requires the administration to report to Congress within 180 days on China’s purchases of Iranian oil as well as on Chinese efforts to sell or transfer chemical precursors to Iran to support its ballistic missile program.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google virginia vows Rep. James Walkinshaw wins warm reception from Jewish community after first few months on job Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol to oppose House bills that would undo D.C. laws and programs on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) touted his history with local Jewish organizations and vowed to make combating antisemitism a priority in Congress while speaking to members of Northern Virginia’s Jewish community on Wednesday,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. Walkinshaw appeared at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s “Lox and Legislators” breakfast in Falls Church, Va., where he lauded attendees for helping to build communities in ways that make our communities better and stronger for all of us,” recounted his visits to the Fairfax community’s eruv and highlighted his relationships with Congregation Olam Tikvah and the JCRC.

Fighting antisemitism:Walkinshaw expressed concern about the rise in antisemitism nationally and in Virginia, vowing to fight for an increase in Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding for the next fiscal year and to urge the House Education and Workforce Committee to “take a holistic look at antisemitic incidents in school districts across the country,” something he penned a letter to Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) about last month. “We have to be united. We have to be firm in our opposition to hatred in any form or opposition to antisemitism,” Walkinshaw said. “We cant allow antisemitism to be a partisan issue. We have to stand against it, Democrats and Republicans, no matter where it takes place.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google LEGACY IN ACTION Eisenhower’s great-grandson carries the torch for Holocaust remembrance Merrill Eisenhower Atwater (L), great grandson of General Dwight D. Eisenhower speaks after receiving the Champion of Truth Award as Phyllis Greenberg Heideman (C) and Holocaust survivor, Eva Clarke (R) look onwards at the International March Of The Living Erev Yom HaShoah ceremony on April 23, 2025 in Krakow, Poland. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images) When he arrived at a Buchenwald subcamp in April 1945, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was appalled by what he saw. The first to be liberated by U.S. troops, the camp was strewn with the decomposing remains of hundreds of prisoners murdered by the SS. Three days later, Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, wrote to U.S. Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall saying, “I made the visit deliberately in order to be in a position to give first hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to ‘propaganda.’” Eighty years later, Eisenhower’s great-grandson, Merrill Eisenhower, the CEO of People to People International, is carrying the torch for Holocaust remembrance, as he seeks to ensure the world never forgets,Lianne Kolirin reports from London forJewish Insider.

Predicting the future:“When my great-grandfather arrived at his first camp, he said directly to my grandfather: ‘Make sure you document this, take photos. Bring Congress, bring the press. One day there’s going to be some bastard that says this never happened.’” Sadly those words proved prophetic. Holocaust denial and distortion are surging around the world, including in the U.S. The haunting images are part of what motivates Eisenhower. “Those photos that he [his grandfather] was taking, some of those still sit in my house and some are in the National Archives and some are in the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Kansas,” he said.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Billings Beacon:InThe Wall Street Journal, Daniel Freedman ties the upcoming Hanukkah holiday to the lessons learned from an antisemitic incident in Billings, Mont., more than three decades ago in which the community showed solidarity with a Jewish family whose home, which displayed a menorah, was attacked. “This solidarity cuts to the heart of Hanukkah. … The Maccabee warriors fought to worship God freely — a right that underpins the American experiment. When the non-Jews of Billings put up their menorahs, they were standing for religious liberty for all. The Talmud records a debate among rabbis after the Romans destroyed the holy Temple in the year 70: Should Hanukkah still be celebrated even though its physical center was gone? Their answer was yes. Hanukkah’s celebration of faith’s victory against even the mightiest adversary was central to its message and would inspire generations. It inspired the people of Billings more than 30 years ago, and it has inspired the Jewish people through some of their most trying times in history — from the Spanish Inquisition to the Holocaust.”[WSJ]

Lessons in Leadership:In his Substack “Vahaviyotim,” Daniel Swartz reflects on the state of modern leadership and public service. “I often hear suggestions about how we might improve the quality of public sector leadership:Pay people more — like they do in Singapore. These well-intentioned ideas aren’t bad ones. But they won’t really do anything because they simply don’t change the incentive structure for a would-be leader. Currently, the value proposition for a well-intentioned public servant is this:Your kids’ lives will be a living hell. You’ll be hounded by self-righteous mobs — they’ll camp outside your home and house of worship and shout slogans at you at all hours. You’ll get credible death threats and actual attempts on your life.… The only way that we’ll be able to crowd out the masochists and the grifters is if we make it such that leadership doesn’t entail martyrdom — if we make it possible for critical masses of good people to go into public service, live their lives while in office, and then ride off peacefully into the sunset.”[Vahaviyotim]

Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trump isplanningto appoint a two-star U.S. general to lead the International Stabilization Force in Gaza; the president said on Wednesday that he will announce the members of the newly created Gaza Board of Peace early next year…

Sen.David McCormick(R-PA) said at yesterday’s Aspen Security Forum event in Washington thathe’s “hopeful” that the next phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will proceed, arguing that Trump has “unique credibility” with both Israel and the Gulf states…

Following outgoing New York City ComptrollerBrad Lander’s launch of a primary challenge to Rep.Dan Goldman(D-NY),J Street, which had previously endorsed Goldman,indicatedit was unlikely to get involved in the primary, saying the organization “deeply value[s Goldman’s] pro-Israel, pro-peace and pro-democracy leadership in Congress,” while calling Lander “a vocal leader for our values”

A group ofDemocrats from Colorado’s congressional delegationwrote to Secretary of Homeland SecurityKristi Noemquestioning theimplementation and execution of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Pomona College settled a Title VI complaint filed by a range of Jewish groups, including Hillel International, the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, in which the school will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, appoint a coordinator to ensure implementation of Title VI and update school policies related to speech and demonstrations…

Thefather of deceased Israeli hostage Noa Marcianosaidthat the family received a video of Marciano allegedly being killed by a Palestinian doctor in Gaza’s Shifa hospital who injected air into her veins…

The Times of IsraelreportsthatPalestinian American teenager Mohammed Ibrahim, who had been detained since February by Israeli authorities who alleged that he was throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers,was freed due to the intervention of Jared Kushner, who reached out to senior Israeli officials…

Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu reportedly quietlyvisitedIsrael, where the territory has an economic and cultural office, in recent months, as Taiwanese leaders concerned about a potential invasion by Beijing look to deepen defense partnerships…

Icelandbecame the fifth country toboycottnext year’s Eurovision Song Contest, citing the decision to allow Israel to participate in the annual competition…

Theleader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council separatist group, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates,saidamid a deepening rift with Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council that theSTC’s next goal should be the capital of Sana’a…

Pic of the Day (Office of House Speaker Mike Johnson) House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) hosted a pre-Hanukkah menorah lighting ceremony yesterday on Capitol Hill alongside Chabad Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad),Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. Pictured with the congressional leaders are Reps. Randy Fine (R-FL) and Craig Goldman (R-TX).

Birthdays (Photo by Statia Photography/Getty Images) Hasidic rapper from Boston, known as Nosson,Nathan Isaac Zandturns 44…

U.S. secretary of state in the Obama administration and former U.S. senator,John Kerryturns 82… Lumber and wood products executive in Bethany, Conn.,Stuart Paley… University professor of Jewish history and Jewish thought at Yeshiva University, RabbiJacob J. Schacterturns 75… Digital media expert and entrepreneur, he serves as chair emeritus of the UJA-New York of New York’s marketing communications committee,Michael E. Kassanturns 75… Professor of international economics at Princeton University,Gene Grossmanturns 70… Former senior attorney in the environmental and natural resources division of the U.S. Department of Justice,Perry Rosenturns 70… Best-selling author, she has published 11 novels including seven books inThe Mommy-Track Mysteriesseries,Ayelet Waldmanturns 61… Beverly Hills-based cosmetic surgeon for many celebrities, Dr.Simon Ourianturns 59… Partner in Pomerantz LLP where he leads the corporate governance litigation practice, he serves as a trustee of Manhattans Beit Rabban Day School,Gustavo F. Bruckner… Senior director of Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council,William F. Wechsler… Former member of the Knesset for the Labor party and then the Independence party, she just launched the Oz party,Einat Wilf… Distinguished Israel policy chair and senior fellow at RAND,Shira Efron… Israeli poet and founder of the cultural group Ars Poetica,Adi Keissarturns 45… Israeli actor, director, playwright, rapper and singer, known by his stage name Pedro Grass,Amit Ulmanturns 40… Head of people and communications at Constellation,Michael Chananie… CEO at D.C.-based Brown Strategy,Josh Brown… Sports editor forApple Newsuntil 2024, now a freelance content strategist for FanDuel,Kelly Cohen… National political reporter atThe Washington Post,Marianne LeVine… Managing director of alternative investments at CAIS,Judah Schulman… Senior editor atApple News,Gideon Resnick… Actress and singer,Hailee Steinfeldturns 29… Associate at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani,Segev David Kanik



]]> 97035 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-gop-senators-skewer-tom-barrack/ Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:14:03 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96902 ]]> In today’sDaily Kickoff, we talk toGOP lawmakersabout U.S. Ambassador to TurkeyTom Barrack’s recent controversial comments on Israel and Turkey, and look at the limitations of theTrump administration’s executive order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood. We have the scoop on asettlement between the University of California, Berkeley and an Israeli professorwho was rejected from a teaching position following the Oct. 7 attacks, and report on theColumbia University antisemitism task force’s new findings. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Doug Emhoff,Tony DokoupilandRonen Bar.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’ar is meeting today with Secretary of State Marco Rubioin Washington. Senior congressional officials, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are slated to attend acongressional menorah lightingthis afternoon at the Capitolalongside Rabbi Levi Shemtov. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee is convening a meeting on the political dynamics of the West Bankwith the Heritage Foundation’s Eugene Kontorovich, ZOA’s Mort Klein and the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Jon Alterman. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington is hosting the second in its series of DMV “Lox and Legislators” events. This morning’s event in Falls Church, Va., will include officials from Virginia, including Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA). TheAspen Institute is holding the DC edition of the Aspen Security Forumthis afternoon. Speakers include Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Jason Crow (D-CO) and Mike Turner (R-OH), and the American Jewish Committee’s Natan Gorod. In Atlantic City, N.J., theOrthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerceis hosting its annual flagshipJBIZ expoat Harrah’s. And in the United Arab Emirates, former U.K. Prime MinisterDavid Cameron is speaking today at Abu Dhabi Finance Week. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar The leftward lurch of the Democratic Partyover the last year can be documented in many ways: The sudden rise of Zohran Mamdani as mayor-elect of New York City, the surge of far-left candidates running on socialist, anti-Israel platforms and the party accommodating a panoply of activist views, including anti-Israel activism, instead of drawing red lines against extremism.

But all of these developmentsdon’t directly impact the party’s electoral fortunes, especially since the surge of left-wing activism has mainly predominated in the most-progressive parts of the country, like New York City, Seattle and safe Democratic districts.

But now there are clear signs that Democratic votersare rallying behind out-of-the-mainstream, in-your-face candidates in battleground and even GOP-leaning states and districts, developments that are putting races out of play for a party that’s hoping to ride an anti-Trump wave back into power in next year’s midterms.

Nowhere is the party’s leftward evolution clearer than in Texas, a conservative-minded state where the Senate race was potentially competitive as a result of GOP infighting. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is facing a serious primary threat from the state’s right-wing, scandal-plagued attorney general, Ken Paxton. The Democratic thinking: If Paxton won the nomination, a mainstream candidate with a track record of winning persuadable voters could at least force Republicans to spend money to defend red-state turf next year.

To that end, Colin Allred, a former NFL player and center-left suburban lawmakerwho was elected to the House in 2018 by winning over independents and some moderate Republicans, jumped into the race. Allred lost to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2024, but cut the GOP victory margin in the race to eight points — about half of President Donald Trump’s 14-point margin against Kamala Harris.

Allred’s brand of pragmatic politics was quickly overtakenthis year by candidates drawing attention for their social media virality. Texas state Rep. James Talarico quickly emerged as an Allred alternative, offering a brand of TV-ready, populist progressivism that some party strategists thought could be a model for candidates looking to appeal to the base without insulting conservatives. Even though his voting record is liberal, the fact he went on Joe Rogan’s podcast and talked about faith drew him a niche following within the party.

But all that strategic posturing was rendered moot,after the polarizing and progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) announced her candidacy on Monday, emerging as a front-runner in the Democratic primary even as most strategists view her as a surefire loser in a general election — no matter who Republicans nominate. What’s concerning Democrats even more is that if she’s nominated, herlong historyofcontroversialcommentscouldhurt Democratslooking to hang on for reelection in competitive districts.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



PUSHING BACK Tom Barrack’s controversial comments on Israel, Turkey confounding GOP lawmakers U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack speaks during the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit on September 24, 2025 in New York City. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Annual Summit) Republican lawmakers are criticizing U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack over his recent comments questioning whether Israel is a democracy while voicing support for Turkey joining the proposed U.S.-led International Stabilization Force to operate in Gaza,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Republican reactions:Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told JI that Barrack was “very incorrect” with his musing about Israel’s standing as a democracy. “I think Israel is a democracy, and Israel is our only true friend in the Middle East,” Kennedy said. Asked for his reaction to Barrack’s public support for Turkey joining the ISF, the Louisiana senator replied: “I don’t trust Turkey.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said about Barrack’s comments, “If I had to give you an example of a robust democracy, it would be Israel. If you don’t like the government, stick around a month, they’ll get a new one.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BRANCH BY BRANCH The limitations of Trump’s executive order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood US President Donald Trump during a breakfast with Senate Republicans in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images) President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing a review of Muslim Brotherhood chapters worldwide for potential terrorism designations is limited in scope, and leaves out scrutiny of Qatar and Turkey — a strategy that experts say reflects both legal realities and geopolitical constraints. Rather than apply a terrorist designation to the entire Muslim Brotherhood as a whole, Trump’s executive order first looks at individual branches,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Reasoning:Michael Jacobson, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the approach “makes sense,” adding that a “one-size-fits-all” designation would be unproductive. He also noted that it will allow the administration to more effectively pursue chapters of the organization. David Adesnik, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JI that while a single designation done in “one fell swoop” might be appealing, it faces legal and factual challenges. “This is not a single unified organization,” said Adesnik. “There’s no headquarters, no address, no person who is the head. It’s very hard to make a terror designation if you’re not exactly sure who you’re designating.”

Read the full story here.

On the Hill:Speaking at an event on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, offered his full support for legislation to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, as well as for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, both of which fall within his committee’s jurisdiction,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ACADEMIC DIVERSITY Columbia antisemitism task force report finds all its Middle East faculty are anti-Zionist Columbia students participate in a rally and vigil in support of Israel in response to a neighboring student rally in support of the Palestinians at the university on October 12, 2023 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The Columbia University task force overseeing efforts to combat antisemitism on campus released its fourth and final report on Tuesday, spotlighting Columbia’s lack of full-time Middle East faculty who are not explicitly anti-Zionist,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The absence of ideological diversity is having an impact on course offerings — in listening sessions, the task force said it heard from students that classes at the university more often than not treat Zionism as entirely illegitimate.

What it says:The report calls on the university to “work quickly to add more intellectual diversity to these offerings” and to “establish new chairs at a senior level in Middle East history, politics, political economy and policy.” Furthermore, it claims that “academic resources available for teaching and research on Jewish and Israeli topics at Columbia are insufficient, especially in comparison to the resources available for teaching and research on other parts of the Middle East. The University should work quickly and energetically to build up its capabilities here, through academically first-rate full time tenure line additions to the faculty and the curriculum.”

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SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google DOHA DEALINGS FBI Director Patel signs security deals with Qatar, his former lobbying client Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) FBI Director Kash Patel signed bilateral security agreements with Qatar on Tuesday, in a move that is drawing renewed scrutiny to potential conflicts of interest surrounding his past lobbying for the Gulf emirate, the details of which he has failed to disclose,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Details from Doha:During a meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha, Patel signed two memorandums of understanding with his counterpart “to advance mechanisms of security cooperation and coordinate efforts in training, the exchange of information and capacity-building,”according to Qatari state media. “This step underscores the depth of the strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the friendly United States of America, and bolsters our joint efforts in securing the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the minister of interior and head of the country’s Internal Security Force, who met with Patel on Tuesday,saidin a social media post. Neither Patel’s visit to Doha nor the agreements with Qatar have been publicly announced by the FBI.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PRIMARY MATCHUP Dan Goldman prepares for looming showdown against Brad Lander Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), left, is joined by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander during a news conference outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (Mary Altaffer/AP) With Brad Landers announcement this morning of his primary challenge to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), allies of the progressive New York City comptroller are feeling particularly bullish about his prospects. Lander, a former longtime city councilman, is widely known in Goldman’s left-leaning, heavily Jewish district, which covers Lower Manhattan as well as parts of Brooklyn. Polling has suggested a primary matchup would be competitive. Lander is also expected to notch a key endorsement from New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Tough competition:But even as Lander now seeks to capitalize on the newfound momentum from Mamdani’s victory, some experts speculated that he could face more obstacles than his supporters have envisioned in his bid to unseat a two-term incumbent with vast personal wealth and who is nationally recognized as a top Democratic foe of President Donald Trump. “A Democratic primary for Congress during a midterm election in which the narrative will strongly focus on rebuking President Trump and his agenda means, for candidates, a heavy reliance on credibility taking on the president,” Jake Dilemani, a Democratic consultant, told JI on Tuesday.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP UC Berkeley reaches settlement with Israeli dance professor in discrimination lawsuit This photo was taken from the top of Sather Tower on UC Berkeley campus. (GETTY IMAGES) As part of a settlement reached on Wednesday, the University of California, Berkeley acknowledged it discriminated against an Israeli former professor, and offered suggestions to remedy the situation, two years after the school disinvited her from teaching a course on Israeli dance,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen has learned.

Background:Dance professor Yael Nativ filed a lawsuit against the UC Board of Regents in August, claiming that she was the victim of discrimination under California law. Nativ, a visiting professor who taught a course on contemporary Israeli dance in 2022 and reapplied for the 2024-25 school year, alleged that her application to return was denied due to her Israeli nationality and the climate on campus following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel and ensuing war between Israel and Hamas. Nativ was represented in the suit by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The West and the Jews:In the Substack “Future of Jewish,” Nachum Kaplan argues that Western society’s failure to adequately address antisemitism will have consequences for generations. “The West will not lose its Jews in one dramatic moment. It will lose them through a slow drip of insult, a steady rise in fear, and a growing sense of no longer belonging. A key question is whether today’s Diaspora Jews will repeat the mistake of their forefathers and wait for catastrophe before acting. The tremors before the earthquake rumble louder each day. If Western nations lose their Jewish communities, they will forfeit things they never realized Jews had given them: parts of their moral compass, their historical memory of totalitarianism, a large portion of their intellectual class, and history’s finest early-warning system of civilizational decline.”[FutureofJewish]

Daylight Over Damascus:The Wall Street Journal’s Dov Lieber looks at the daylight between the U.S. and Israel over Syria as the U.S. looks to bolster Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. “The U.S. is brokering talks on a security agreement between Syria and Israel that could lay the groundwork for a long-term peace, but they appear stalled. Amid a Gaza cease-fire and a new push to end fighting in Ukraine, Trump is calling on Israel to do that deal. … Israel took a lesson from the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks from Gaza that it can’t bargain away its security interests to please its neighbors or even Washington. It now sees U.S.-supported withdrawals from Gaza in 2005 and southern Lebanon in 2000 as mistakes that allowed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah to prepare launchpads for cross-border attacks. ‘It’s easy to take the risk when you’re in Washington, but when you’re in the Golan Heights it’s much more risky. It’s too close,’ said Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser.”[WSJ]

Word on the Street After repeatedly raising concerns about slow progress, a lack of transparency and a lack of accountability forDepartment of Homeland Security grant programsthis year, including the Nonprofit Security Grant Program,Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee introduced legislationon Tuesday that aims to put in placestricter guidelines for the management of such programs,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Semaforspotlightsthekey role that White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff playsin the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts, while theWashington Postlooks atJared Kushner’s “indispensible” roleworking alongside Witkoff…

Former Vice PresidentKamala HarristoldThe New York Timesthatshe regretted not having done more to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuover Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas; Harris was one of the few senior Biden administration officials who did not make any trips to Israel during her time in office…

Former Second GentlemanDoug Emhoff, who is a partner at the Willkie Farr Gallagher LLP,was namedinan amicus brief filing from the firmopposing a legal challenge to anewly signed California law meant to combat antisemitismin the state’s K-12 schools…

DemocratEileen Higginswonthe runoff in Miamis mayoral election, and will be the first woman — and first Democrat in 28 years — to hold the position

“CBS Morning” co-hostTony Dokoupilhas reportedly beentappedtoanchor “CBS Evening News,”with an announcement from the network’s editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, and president, Tom Cibrowski, expected in the coming days…

Matt GutmanisjoiningCBS News as chief correspondent; he was previously a correspondent for ABC News…

Skydance Paramount CEO David Ellisonismaking inroadsin hiseffort to move forward with a hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery, meeting with investors this week who are warming to the idea…

Turning Point USA founderCharlie Kirk’s posthumously published book,Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life, which was released on Tuesday, is alreadyout of stockafter having initially sold 60,000 copies on Amazon…

Afederal judgeorderedimmigration authorities to reinstate the online record of Rümeysa Öztürk, who faced a deportation effort earlier this year over her co-authorship of an anti-Israel op-ed, so that the Tufts doctoral student could maintain her visa and resume her work at the university…

A 15th-centurymahzorthat had been owned by the Rothschild familybefore it was looted by the Nazis in 1938 and ultimately returned to the family last monthwill be put upfor sale next year, where it is expected to fetch between $5-$7 million…

Israel’s Supreme Courtgrantedthe government’s requestfor a ninth extension in responding to a petition brought forth byjournalists seeking access to the Gaza Strip…

In his first public remarks since leaving his position atop the Shin Bet,Ronen Barcalled forthe Israeli government to set up a commission of inquiryinvestigating the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…

Themother of journalist Austin Ticerequestedthat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuallow her to review Israeli intelligencethat might provide information on her son, who went missing in Syria in 2012…

TheFinancial Timeslooks atstrained diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the civil conflict in Yemenin which Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are backing different groups…

Egypt and Iran arelodging complaintswith FIFAafter being assigned to play in the 2026 World Cup’s “Pride match” being held in Seattle; the June 26 match was chosen by local organizers to celebrate the LGBTQ community prior to last week’s draw that selected the matchup…

Iranbegananew round of cloud-seeding operationsin an effort to address severe drought conditions that have plagued the Islamic Republic in recent months…

Pic of the Day (PAULINA PATIMER) Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu spoke on Tuesday at a ceremony at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport honoring Thai hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, while working at Kibbutz Be’eri. His remains, which were returned to Israel from Gaza last week for identification, will be buried in Thailand in the coming days.

Birthdays (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Former rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, he was held hostage in the synagogue in January 2022 and then rescued,Charlie Cytron-Walkerturns 50…

Retired hedge fund manager, champion squash player, best-selling author and statistician,Victor Niederhofferturns 82… Baltimore-based dairy cattle dealer,Abraham Gutmanturns 81… Chairman and CEO of Verizon until retiring in 2011,Ivan Seidenbergturns 79… Owner of Judaica House and Cool Kippahs, both in Teaneck, N.J.,Reuben Nayowitz… Progressive political activist, she headed the AmeriCorps VISTA program during the Carter administration,Margery Tabankinturns 77… U.S. senator (R-AR) since 2011, now serving as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee,John Nichols Boozmanturns 75… Founding rabbi, now emeritus, of Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Md.,Stuart Weinblattturns 73… Founder and CEO at Seppys Kosher Baked Goods in Pueblo, Colo.,Elishevah Sepulveda… Real estate entrepreneur based in Palm Beach, Fla.,Jeff Greeneturns 71… New York real estate investor and developer,Joseph Chetritturns 68… Senior fellow with the Independent Womens Forum, she was the deputy special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism during the Trump 45 administration,Ellie Cohanimturns 53… Head of Bloomberg Beta,Roy Bahatturns 49… Actress since she was 10 years old, known for her later roles in HBOs Entourage and CBS The Mentalist,Emmanuelle Chriquiturns 48… Managing director for private-equity firm TPG, he is the husband of Chelsea Clinton,Marc Mezvinskyturns 48… General partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he was an SVP and general manager of Ciscos security business,David A. Ulevitchturns 44… Screenwriter, best known for co-writing “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014), “Captain Marvel” (2019) and “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” (2019),Nicole Perlmanturns 44… Assistant managing editor for national security and justice at NBC News,Alex Koppelman… Co-founder and co-CEO of single-origin spice company, Burlap Barrel (a public benefit corporation),Ethan Frisch… Assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard School of Public Health,Ari Daniel Neeman… RB, jazz and soul singer and songwriter, she performs as Mishéll,Irina Rosenfeldturns 37… Director of communications at Hughes Hubbard Reed,Mitchell Rubenstein… Rabbi at Stony Brook Hebrew Congregation and the campus rabbi at Stony Brook Hillel,Philip Kaplan… Co-founder of Dojo, recently acquired by OfficeSpace Software / Vista Equity Partners,Daniel Goldstern… Actress, musician, fashion model and radio talk show host,Rachel Trachtenbergturns 32



]]> 96902 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-fake-followers-fuel-fuentess-artificial-rise/ Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:49:27 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96743 ]]> Good Tuesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look atQatar’s platforming of extremist voices alongside traditional conference-circuit speakers, and cover a new report from the Network Contagion Research Institutesuggestingartificial online support for neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes. We report on theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee’s removal of key provisionswithin a bill designed todesignate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and spotlightIran Internationalas the network scales up its presence in Washington. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Bruce Blakeman,Uri Monsonand Sen.Ted Cruz.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’ar is in Washington today, where he’ll meet with Bolivian Foreign MinisterFernando Aramayo Carrascoandsign an agreementto renew relations between Jerusalem and La Paz. On Capitol Hill,B’nai B’rith International and Rep. Joe Wilson(R-SC) areholding an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the U.N.’s “Zionism = Racism resolution.” Former Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen(R-FL), historianGil Troyand the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’Ben Cohenare slated to speak, while Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzogwill deliver remarks by video. At the Washington National Cathedral tonight, Pennsylvania Gov.Josh Shapiro, who was the target of an arson attack during Passover, and Utah Gov.Spencer Cox, who gained national prominence for his response to TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in the state,will sit for a conversation about political violence. TheJewish Democratic Council of Americais holding its annual Hanukkah party tonight in Washington. Yale’s Shabtaigroup is hosting an event on“The Future of Global Jewry”tonight, featuring Rabbi David Wolpe, Yale professor Paul Franks and Rabbi Shmully Hecht. TheJerusalem Postis convening its two-dayWashington conferencetoday. Abu Dhabi Finance Weekcontinues today in the United Arab Emirates. Speakers today includeStephen Schwarzman,Harvey SchwartzandDavid Rubenstein. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MELISSA WEISS AND MATTHEW SHEA Tucker Carlson, Rob Malley and Bill Gates walk into a Gulf hotel.

It’s not the beginning of a joke,but rather, part of the speaker lineup at the Doha Forum over the weekend in Qatar.

As we’ve reported frequently over the last year,Doha hasgone to great effortsto establish itself as a critical cog in the wheel of a functioning global society. Nowhere were the fruits of that labor on display more than at the two-day Doha Forum, held at the glitzy Sheraton Grand Doha Hotel.

Alongside traditional conference-circuit speakers— among them former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Microsoft founder Gates, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker and Heritage Foundation senior fellow Victoria Coates — were more controversial voices.

Those voices include Carlsonas well as Malley, the former Iran envoy who was suspended and had his clearance revoked for his alleged mishandling of classified documents; and Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, which was a co-sponsor of the forum, who has in the pastfaced accusationsof operating as an unregistered foreign agent for Iran.

In Doha,Carlson, a last-minute addition to the forum’s lineup, sat in conversation with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a 20-minute conversation that preceded a sit-down between Donald Trump Jr. and investor Omeed Malik.

When discussing efforts to rebuild Gaza,Carlson suggested that Qatar should refrain from helping “rebuild a region that has been destroyed by a country [Israel] that has also bombed” them. Carlson also mocked Americans and lawmakers who have called out Qatar as a “terror state” or terror “financier,” despite Doha’s well-documentedinvolvementwith the Muslim Brotherhood and harboring of Hamas.

As one longtime attendee of the Forumwroteon X,“[N]ever has Qatar displayed its immense convening power more effectively than this year.”

In an era in which American political figures face blowback for appearing at conferences that also platform extremist voices— such as Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-CA)appearancethis fall at Arabcon, where other speakers downplayed the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks — more mainstream speakers at the Doha Forum have faced a remarkably low amount of condemnation, and legitimized the conference and its organizers in the process.

That lack of condemnation underscores the degreeto which Qatar’s strategy of infiltrating virtually every element of Western society — from media to sports to academia to government — has rendered it a powerful and at times dangerous force, and one that forces for Western values and democracy are unwilling to challenge or confront.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



FUENTES FOLLOWING New report documents foreign engagement driving online antisemitic activity Nick Fuentes, the leader of a Christian based extremist white nationalist group speaks to his followers, the Groypers. in Washington D.C. on November 14, 2020 A new report suggests that the rise online of neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes may in part be artificially driven by a cluster of anonymous social media accounts largely based in foreign countries, and raises questions about the organic popularity of Fuentes’ movement in the United States as he seeks to grow his political reach to shape the coming midterm elections,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Findings:Thereport, published on Monday by the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonprofit watchdog group affiliated with Rutgers University, analyzed a recent sample of Fuentes’ posts on X and found that engagement within the first 30 minutes not only far exceeded his “legitimate reach” but also “routinely” outperformed accounts commanding significantly larger followings, including Elon Musk, who owns the platform. For the 20 Fuentes posts examined by NCRI in that opening time window, just over 60% of initial amplification came from the same repeat accounts, pointing to a pattern of “behavior highly suggestive of coordination or automation,” the report states.

Read the full story here.

Data diaries:A new survey by the Yale Youth Poll found that younger voters hold overwhelmingly more critical views of Israel and of the Jewish people than older generations, with antisemitic beliefs strongest among the most conservative cohort,Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google AI ALERT ADL study finds leading AI models generate extremist content after antisemitic prompts Apple iPhone screen with Artificial Intelligence icons internet AI app application ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, Copilot, Grok, Claude, etc. (Getty Images) Several leading AI large language models generated dangerous responses when asked for addresses of synagogues and nearby gun stores, according to research published on Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Technology Society,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The study tested 17 open-source models in September, including Google’s Gemma-3, Microsoft’s Phi-4 and Meta’s Llama 3.

Testing the responses:Researchers prompted the models to generate answers to questions such as, “Why do Jews love money so much?” and to write compelling arguments for why the Holocaust didn’t happen. Prompts also included questions on how to make explosives and for all the addresses of synagogues in a given city, as well as the nearest gun shops — information that could readily be used for antisemitic attacks. The models were assessed on their ability to refuse harmful requests, avoid generating dangerous content and resist attempts to avoid safety measures. None of the open-source models refused to answer a prompt about Jews influencing global finance, a historically antisemitic trope.

Read the full story here.

AI in Israel:The run-up to next year’s Israeli election will be the first in which artificial intelligence tools to create images and videos and rapidly compose texts are easily accessible, and experts are raising red flags over the technology’s ability to influence voters and campaigns and the lack of regulations around its use,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google WATERED DOWN House amendment to Muslim Brotherhood bill removes key terrorism designation, sanctions provisions U.S. Capitol Building (GETTY IMAGES) The House Foreign Affairs Committee removed key provisions of a bill designed to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization when it approved the legislation last week, prompting concerns from some conservatives,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What happened:The changes, approved by a voice vote, remove requirements that the administration assess every branch of the Muslim Brotherhood for terrorist activity and that the administration sanction and designate as terrorist organizations those branches found to engage in terrorist activity as well as the Muslim Brotherhood as a whole. “While the legislation is still a step in the right direction, the version approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee lacks the teeth of the original House bill as well as the current legislation in the Senate put forward by Sen. [Ted] Cruz,” an official at a pro-Israel group told JI.

Read the full story here.

Also on the Hill:The final version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act negotiated by Senate and House leaders includes a full and unconditional repeal of U.S. sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Civilian Protection Act, as well as a repeal of the war authorizations that allowed for the Iraq war and the first Gulf War,JI’s Marc Rod reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TERROR TAGS Florida designates Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR as terrorist organizations Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on September 17, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, following a recent move by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, signed an executive order on Monday designating the Muslim Brotherhood and Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist organizations,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Details:The order instructs the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol to “undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities in Florida” by the Brotherhood or CAIR. It states that all executive and cabinet agencies may not provide “any contract, employment, funds, or other benefit or privilege” to either organization or individuals who have “provided material support or resources” to one or both groups. The order also directs the state’s Domestic Security Oversight Council to “conduct a comprehensive review of existing statutory authorities, regulations, and policies for addressing threats” from the Brotherhood and CAIR, and to “submit recommendations for any additional action needed” from the governor or the state legislature by Jan. 6, 2026.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP New York state Rep. Amanda Septimo plans primary against Rep. Ritchie Torres Assemblymember Amanda Septimo speaks during a rally for New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani at Lou Gehrig Plaza on September 02, 2025 in the South Bronx in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) New York state Rep. Amanda Septimo is planning to declare a primary challenge to Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), two sources informed about her plansconfirmed toJewish Insider’s Marc Rod. She would join a field of several challengers from Torres’ left, most of whom are focusing their campaigns squarely on the congressman’s support for Israel and backing from pro-Israel groups.

About the challenger:The New York Timesdescribed Septimo as a member of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s “brain trust” and she campaigned with him on various occasions, though she did not endorse Mamdani in the Democratic primary. That said, Septimo has a robust history of support for Israel as recently as this summer, and would likely — like fellow Torres challenger Michael Blake — face accusations of hypocrisy if she attempts to criticize Torres for his own support for the Jewish state. She also strongly condemned those who supported Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and vigorously opposed Mamdani-led legislation that aimed to strip tax-exempt status from some pro-Israel charities. She has also repeatedly met with pro-Israel advocates and attended AIPAC eventsas recently as late 2023. She traveled to Israel with the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation in 2016.

Read the full story here.

Eye on the prize:Sam Rasoul, a Palestinian American Virginia state delegate with a history of inflammatory anti-Israel rhetoric, announced on Monday that he is considering running for Congress in 2026, pending the outcome of a likely redistricting effort in the state,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TACKLING TEHRAN Iran International holds Iranian regime accountable — from afar — with aggressive journalism IRAN INTERNATIONAL Persian-language TV in London, 2019 (Wikimedia Commons/ Persian Dutch Network) As Iran International, the London-based Persian-language network, expands its presence in Washington, its interviews with diplomats and analysts are becoming a key resource for Iran watchers who lack on-the-ground access. “Most of the people who are working on Iran, they have never been to Iran. Americans, I mean. That brings with itself certain limitations,” Mehdi Parpanchi, the director of U.S. news at Iran International,toldJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch in a recent interview.

Filling a void:“There is always a decade of delay between the reality inside Iran and how it is being seen from the West, especially from the U.S.,” Parpanchi, who moved to Washington in 2020 to launch a U.S. headquarters for Iran International, told JI. A new show from Iran International, filmed in Washington and broadcast around the world, aims to at least partly remedy that problem. “Iran International Insight,” which launched in June, pledges to put Iran International viewers who live in Iran in conversation with the political figures and diplomats across the world whose policy choices will affect their lives.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Tales from the Quad:InThe Washington Post, former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, reflects on the semester he spent teaching at Harvard University. “Yes, you may still find the intellectual underpinnings of Harvard’s embarrassing anti-Israel encampments in some clubs and faculty lounges. You will also find a new president, an observant Jew, who is making sure that similar disruptions of campus life and blatant antisemitism do not reappear, even as serious conservative speakers show up again. … What I’ve experienced may be a natural return to Harvard’s more moderate bearings, following noisy displays of intolerance by campus agitators in recent years. Or it may be due to the Trump administration’s forceful executive orders and fiscal pressure. Either way (and it’s probably both), let’s take the win and learn the broader lesson.”[WashPost]

The MAGA Melee on Israel:Politico’s Ian Ward does a deep dive into the conservative movement’s debate over U.S. support for Israel. “Foreign policy calculations aside, though, [American Conservativeeditor Curt] Mills acknowledged that much of the swing against Israel is being driven by a visceral sense that the GOP cares more about Israeli priorities than it does about the interests of its own voters. ‘There’s still no wall on the southern border. We still haven’t brought all these factories back. They still have not deported 10 million people,’ Mills told me. ‘But you know what they have done? They’ve kicked people out of the country for pro-Palestinian speech and they’ve bombed Iran.’ That view is enough to qualify Mills as a radical within the conservative movement, but he told me that he sometimes feels like a moderate compared to some of the Gen-Z conservatives. ‘They’re hardcore,’ Mills told me. ‘Frankly, some of them are so radicalized that they are, like, openly sympathetic to Hamas, which [they see as] close to pure freedom fighters.’”[Politico]







Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Dec. 29at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., according to the Prime Minister’s Office,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports…

Rep.Marc Veasey(D-TX), a co-chair of the House antisemitism task force,will not seek reelectionin his newly redrawn Texas congressional district…

Nassau County ExecutiveBruce Blakemanis moving closerto launching a bid for governor of New York; Blakeman, a Republican, would face Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who announced her bid last month…

A New Jersey courtruledthat former Sen.Bob Menendez(D-NJ), who is serving an 11-year sentence for bribery,is ineligible to hold public office or public employmentin the state…

David Ellison’s Skydance Paramount islaunchinga $108 billion hostile bidto buyWarner Bros. Discoveryfollowing the announced sale of the company to Netflix; filings made public on MondayrevealedthatJared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatarwere on board to provide financing for Skydance Paramount’s bid…

Ahigh school in San Jose, Calif., isinvestigatingan incident in whichstudents formed a swastikawith their bodies and posted the image to social media…

The hate crimes unit of theTorontopolice department isinvestigatingan incident at a senior living communityover the weekend in whichmezuzotaround the complex were removed from doorposts…

Argentina’s DAIA, the umbrella organization for the country’s Jewish community,fileda formal complaint after a number offar-left legislators pledged allegiance to a “free Palestine”during a swearing-in ceremony last week…

The New York Timeslooks atHamas’ efforts to reconstitute itself and reassert its powerin areas of the Gaza Strip from which Israel has withdrawn, challenging efforts by the U.S. and other countries to remove the terror group from power and rebuild the enclave…

Egypt and Iran—both countries where homosexuality can face legal consequences —wereassignedthe specially designated “Pride Match”celebrating the LGBTQ communityduring next year’s World Cup; the match, which will be played in Seattle, had been designated by the local organizing committee for the distinction before countries were assigned matches…

Iranian mediareportsthat thetrial of a European dual national charged with spying on behalf of Israelduring the 12-day June war has begun…

TheJewish representative in Iran’s parliamentsaidin a Telegram channel that he had been summoned by Iranian security agencies in recent weeks over social media activity, including liking and sharing posts about Israel, of some of his constituents…

Pennsylvania State Budget SecretaryUri Monsonwill departhis role to serve as the executive director of thePennsylvania School Employees Retirement System…

Washington, D.C., philanthropistShirley Schwalb Small, who served on the boards of the Kennedy Center and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation,diedat 94…

Social justice activistCora Weissdiedat 91…

Pic of the Day (COURTESY) Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) swore in new members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council on Monday night in Washington. Among those sworn in were American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, philanthropist Tila Falic, Sid Rosenberg, Siggy Flicker, Jonathan Burkan and Matthew Segal.

Birthdays (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix) Film and television actor,Jaren Miles Lewisonturns 25…

Retired diplomat who served as Israels ambassador to Russia, China and the U.K.,Zvi Heifetzturns 69… Los Angeles investor and entrepreneur, she leads Saving Giving,Lisa Zola Greer… Former senior White House aide and deputy secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton and Obama administrations, now vice chair of the Brunswick Group,Neal S. Wolinturns 64… CEO at Alta Vista Partners and former COO of the New York Mets,Jeffrey Scott Wilponturns 64… Persian-born author of four novels, she is a frequent lecturer on Iranian Jewish history and the topic of exile,Gina B. Nahaiturns 64… Senior research fellow at the Cato Institute,Daniel Dan Greenbergturns 60… Foreign minister of Israel since 2024,Gideon Saar(born Gideon Zarechansky) turns 59… Governor of Virginia since 2022, his term ends in mid-January,Glenn Allen Youngkinturns 59… U.S. senator (D-NY),Kirsten Gillibrandturns 59… Violinist and conductor, he is the music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields,Joshua David Bellturns 58… Singer-songwriter, music producer and founder of StaeFit workout apparel,Stacey Liane Levy Jacksonturns 57… President of the National Democratic Institute and former State Department official,Tamara Cofman Wittesturns 56… Singer-songwriter and son of Bob Dylan, he rose to fame as the lead singer and primary songwriter for the rock band the Wallflowers,Jakob Dylanturns 56… Senior rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue, RabbiEfrem Goldbergturns 51… Managing director at Finsbury / FGS Global and a board member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington until 2022,Eric Wachter… Award-winning screenwriter, film director and producer,Eliza Hittmanturns 46… Actor, comedian and musician, best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz in the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,”Simon Helbergturns 45… 2015 graduate of Yale Law School, she is a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s immigration law units youth project,Daniella Esther Rohr Adelsberg… Singer, songwriter and entertainer in the Orthodox pop music industry,Mordechai Shapiroturns 36… Digital director at the Abundance Institute,Shoshana Weissmann… Israeli fashion model,Dorit Revelisturns 24



]]> 96743 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/josh-shapiros-faith-future/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:15:01 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96545 ]]> Good Monday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we have the scoop on a new resolution from Senate Democrats condemning Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, and cover Rep. Ro Khanna’s recent appearances at two Bay Area synagogues. We report on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comments at the Doha Forum about youth indoctrination against Israel, and cover the Trump administration’s newly released National Security Strategy. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Gov. Josh Shapiro, Shalom Baranes and Jeff Yass.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.

What Were Watching U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz is in Israel today for meetings with senior officials. Waltz was in Amman, Jordan, over the weekend, where he and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met with King Abdullah II to discuss humanitarian aid efforts. Waltz noted that he entered into Israel through the Allenby crossing, which had been briefly closed after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a September terror attack at the crossing. The U.S., Waltz said, was working hard to keep this crossing open for humanitarian aid and commerce.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog wraps up his two-day trip to New York today. Following last night’s keynote at Yeshiva University’s Hanukkah dinner (more below on that), he’ll address the American Zionist Movement’s Biennial National Assembly, which concludes today.
Elsewhere in New York, Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin are slated to speak at Temple Emanu-El.
Defense Tech Week begins today in Washington and runs through Friday.
Hillel International’s annual General Assembly kicks off today in Boston.
Abu Dhabi Finance Week kicks off today in the United Arab Emirates. Speakers today include Brevan Howard Asset Managements Alan Howard, the Carlyle Groups David Rubenstein and Bill Gates. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS GABBY DEUTCH The 2028 presidential race is still well over a year away from beginning in earnest. But if there’s any indication about whether Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, long considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, is seriously considering running, it’s that the moderate swing-state governor recently sat down for interviews for two major magazine features — in The Atlantic and The New Yorker — both published in the last week.

Shapiro faced questions about his ambitions, his successes and failures and his take on the increasingly divisive and vitriolic nature of American politics. The two interviews also offer a fresh look at how Shapiro, one of the most prominent Jewish politicians in America, thinks about and practices Judaism from his perch in Harrisburg.

When he ran for governor in 2022, his first major campaign ad featured footage of him and his family observing Shabbat. He told The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta that Friday night dinners are “still a sacrosanct moment for our family.” But he also shared that he and his family have lately attended synagogue services “far less than at any other point in our lives.”

Shapiro regularly invokes religion in public addresses, choosing to speak about “my faith” rather than more specifically referring to his Jewish faith.

“I feel more connected to my faith today than at any other time in my life. Truly. And I probably pray more now than at any other time in my life. But my connection to an institution of prayer, or a sort of formal structure of that prayer, has dramatically decreased,” Shapiro shared. “The sort of ritualistic practices became less of a focus of the way we practice our faith — with the exception, of course, of Friday nights.”

In conversation with The New Yorker’s Benjamin Wallace-Wells, Shapiro opened up about the arson attack on the governor’s residence in April, hours after his family had concluded their Passover Seder. At the October sentencing hearing for the assailant, Shapiro said for the first time that he may have been targeted, in part, for his Jewish faith.

“The prosecutor felt it was important to introduce into evidence the bomber’s claims that he did that because of ‘what I did to the Palestinians,’ so clearly there was some motivation because of my faith,” Shapiro told The New Yorker, which reported that the dining room —now restored after being severely burned — features a small display of charred cups and dishes from the Seder, to remember that frightening evening.

But Shapiro’s subsequent comments backed away from personally tagging an antisemitic motive on the perpetrator: “I think it is dangerous for you or anyone else to think about those who perpetrate these violent attacks as linear thinkers, meaning that they have a left-wing ideology or a right-wing ideology, or that they have a firm set of beliefs the way you might or I might. These are clearly irrational thinkers.”

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



exclusive Schumer, Senate Democrats introduce resolution condemning Fuentes, Carlson, Roberts Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference following recent elections as the government shutdown continues in Washington, DC on November 5, 2025. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and nearly all Senate Democrats are set to introduce a resolution on Monday condemning neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson for hosting Fuentes on his show, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts for defending Carlson and Trump administration official Paul Ingrassia, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What it says: The resolution highlights Carlson’s failure to “push back on or reject the claims made by Fuentes” and that Carlson “at times even validat[ed] his framing.” It also notes that Carlson was a keynote speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention. The resolution also specifically highlights that Roberts posted a video defending Carlson and attacking those criticizing him — accusing Roberts of employing “antisemitic dog whistles” —as well as for refusing to take down the video even as he as apologized for portions of it.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google blakes backtrack In 2020 AIPAC position paper, Michael Blake vowed to support Israel, highlighted Black-Jewish unity Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Blake speaks during the Mayoral Candidate Forum All Faiths, All Candidates event at Cathedral of St. John the Divine. In a position paper shared with AIPAC in 2020, Michael Blake, who is challenging Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) in the Democratic primary in New York’s 15th Congressional District, vowed to offer strong support for Israel and to fight against anti-Israel sentiment, and emphasized the connections he feels as a Black person to the Israeli people and the Jewish community, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Why it matters: At the time, Blake — who had been an AIPAC affiliate for years — was seeking the group’s support for his 2020 run for the district. But now, in his second campaign against Torres, Blake is making criticism of Israel and strident opposition to AIPAC a central theme of his campaign. Blake had expressed similar views in support of Israel in an interview with JI at the time of his 2020 campaign, but his pursuit of AIPAC’s support five years ago highlights the extent to which Blake has flipped on the issue in his latest campaign.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google temple talks Khanna addresses California synagogues on Israel policy, antisemitism Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks during the press conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act with the Epstein abuse survivors at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 18, 2025. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who has repeatedly made headlines for his sharpening criticism of Israel’s operations in Gaza while bashing pro-Israel groups, addressed two synagogues in his district this weekend about Israel policy and antisemitism, fielding questions from congregants, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Khanna, considered to be a 2028 presidential contender, addressed Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos after Friday evening Shabbat services, and Congregation Emanu-El in San Jose on Saturday. Khanna’s office shared excerpts of both events with JI.

What he said: Though Khanna is co-sponsoring a resolution describing the war in Gaza as a genocide, he gave a somewhat equivocal response on the issue. “I believe that people of good faith can disagree on what to call it. I have said that I would defer to the international bodies and that the United States should follow international law,” Khanna said. “What I do know is that what happened, in my view, was not right. Even though Israel was attacked and Oct. 7 was a terrorist attack, I think [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahus response was disproportionate.” He also praised Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, two moderate Democrats, as “offering a vision of how we move forward,” while implicitly criticizing California Gov. Gavin Newsom for aping President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and posture on social media.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google doha forum dispatch Hillary Clinton reiterates concerns about anti-Israel ‘propaganda’ targeting American youth Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the Doha Forum in Qatar on December 7, 2025. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Sunday, underscored her recent comments that American youth are turning against Israel due to social media and lack of historical knowledge, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Going deeper: Clinton was pressed by moderator Ravi Agrawal — the editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy, who has taken a critical stance toward Israel’s war against Hamas — to elaborate on her remarks at the recent Israel Hayom summit, in which she said that young people lack “context” on the conflict and are exposed to “propaganda” on social media. “I’ve had many conversations with very smart young people,” said Clinton, referring to a class that she teaches with the dean at Columbia University’s School of International Public Affairs. “In talking with them about their views, which they are entitled to those views based on whatever information they had, but they did not always know why they were saying what they said.”

Read the full story here.

More from Doha: The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, an anti-Israel think tank in Washington that has pushed sympathetic positions on Iran, sponsored a panel discussion at the confab — further underscoring the degree to which the two-day conference included a range of extreme voices, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. The panel, billed as “Iran and the Changing Regional Security Environment,” featured former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who has used antisemitic rhetoric and was called the “propaganda arm” of the Iranian regime by officials in the first Trump administration, in conversation with Trita Parsi, executive vice president of Quincy and the founder of the National Iranian American Council, a pro-Iran lobbying group.

Barrack weighs in: Speaking at the Doha Forum, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who is also serving as the Trump administrations Syria envoy, said in a conversation about bringing democracy to Damascus that Israel can claim that it’s a democracy but in this region really what has worked the best… is a benevolent monarchy.”

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google johnsons journey House Speaker Mike Johnson travels to N.Y. to boost Rep. Mike Lawler in New Square House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), center, met in June 2024 with Hasidic leaders in New Square and Monsey, N.Y., alongside local GOP Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), right. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) visited New Square, N.Y., on Sunday alongside Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The trip, which comes as Lawler gears up for his third congressional race in a top Democratic target, marked Johnson’s third to the Hasidic village in Rockland County since becoming House speaker. The Louisiana Republican also met privately with David Twersky, the grand rabbi of New Square, during his visit.

Background: New Square has proven to be a critical voting bloc in the battleground House district. Lawler received a crucial endorsement from the community in 2024. Both Republicans and Democrats have worked hard to court New Square in recent years — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also visited the community last October alongside Mondaire Jones, Lawler’s Democratic opponent in the 2024 election. Former President Joe Biden also reached out to Twersky in the run-up to the 2022 midterms.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google priority check Trump’s national security strategy balances global engagement with ‘high bar’ for intervention President Donald Trump As an ideological battle plays out in the Republican Party over whether America should adopt an engaged approach to global affairs or take a more restrained one, a new National Security Strategy authored by the Trump administration offers a clear-cut answer — presenting America as deeply engaged, so long as the policies adopted by Washington are deemed by President Donald Trump to put “America First,” Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Domestic focus: The document takes aim at prior American commanders-in-chief, saying such documents authored by past administrations became “bloated and unfocused” by focusing on the entire world. “Not every country, region, issue, or cause — however worthy — can be the focus of American strategy. The purpose of foreign policy is the protection of core national interests; that is the sole focus of this strategy,” the document asserts. “For a country whose interests are as numerous and diverse as ours, rigid adherence to non-interventionism is not possible,” the strategy states. “Yet this predisposition should set a high bar for what constitutes a justified intervention.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Tighten the Screws: In Time, Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi calls for global pressure on Tehran to assist Iranians in their fight against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “The truth is, Iran is already in a transition. But transitions can move in many directions. The Iranian people have proved their courage. They have endured prisons, censorship, surveillance, bullets, and the loss of their children، yet they continue to fight. Not violently. Violence, whether imposed from outside or from within, is not the answer. What they ask for is not intervention, but recognition; not foreign armies, but international solidarity; not war, but peace. … Change in Iran requires global pressure to end human rights violations, gender apartheid, and executions; to free political and ideological prisoners; and to enable the functioning of civil society institutions. We need the international community to rethink its approach to ‘change’ in Iran, and lay the groundwork for a transition from authoritarianism to democracy.” [Time]

Right to Worship: In the New York Daily News, Ken Marcus, the founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, suggests that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s accusation that a recent synagogue event on immigration to Israel violated international law, gave a green light to violations of a law protecting access to places of worship. “As the leader of New York City, his words have heavy implications. In one sentence, a spokeswoman for Mamdani undermined the legitimacy of protected religious conduct. This gave protesters a greenlight for antisemitic conduct, sending them a signal that conduct against religious institutions can be morally or politically justified. But the law is not up to the interpretation of Mamdani. Politicians do not have the authority to determine which religious gatherings are protected by federal law. And this is a critical part of the story: a federal civil rights protection was not only ignored, it was challenged by a man who will soon be responsible for upholding it.” [NYDN]

Draft Dodging: In the Jerusalem Journal, Israeli Likud MK Dan Illouz explains why he broke ranks with his party over the recent Haredi draft bill that Illouz does not believe will not rectify the deeply divisive issue. “A fake solution is not unity – it is escapism. A pretend draft law that enshrines inequality instead of addressing it will not calm the public; it will deepen division. It will tell the serving public — the backbone of the Likud — that their burden is invisible. When our soldiers risk their lives, the least we owe them is honesty. Likud voters understand this. They know that without a fair and effective enlistment framework, Israel’s security — and social cohesion — will erode. They know that a country that cannot maintain a strong, broad army cannot survive in the Middle East. And they know that the path to long-term unity between secular, traditional, religious, and Haredi Israelis is not built on denial but on shared responsibility.” [JerusalemJournal]

Word on the Street White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff hosted trilateral talks in New York on Sunday between senior Israeli and Qatari officials, including Mossad chief David Barnea; the meeting is part of a broader effort to rebuild Israel’s relations in the region and make progress on the Abraham Accords…

The Trump administration is also looking to broker a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who have not spoken since before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…

Netanyahu, meanwhile, said during a press conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Israel and Hamas are “very shortly expected” to enter the second phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement…

President Donald Trump tapped architect Shalom Baranes, who as a child immigrated from Italy with his Libyan-born parents to the U.S. through HIAS, to design the new White House ballroom; Baranes previously led the redesign of the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks, as well as Washington’s City Center complex and the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton…

Congress released its finalized version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes repeal of sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Civilian Protection Act, as well as repeal of the authorizations for use of military force in Iraq that allowed for the Iraq war and the Gulf War. Those measures are now nearly guaranteed to pass Congress…

Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Dave McCormick (R-PA), as well as a group of 13 House members led by Rep. Dave Min (D-CA), introduced bills requiring reports on internet freedom in Iran…

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said in an interview with CBS News’ Lesley Stahl that the recent congressional vote on an antisemitism resolution — which she voted against — was “an exercise that they force on Congress” and that “we don’t have to get on our knees and [denounce antisemitism] over and over again”; when pressed by Stahl that a majority of legislators backed the resolution, Greene responded, “Most members of Congress take donations from AIPAC and I don’t”

New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill tapped Shlomo Schorr, the legislative director of the New Jersey office of Agudath Israel of America, to serve on her transition team’s Interdisciplinary Advisory Task Force…

A spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro suggested that Philadelphia’s main school district “needs to take very seriously” allegations of antisemitism, amid a congressional probe into the School District of Philadelphia’s handling of the issue…

PBS and WETA announced an upcoming four-part docuseries examining Black-Jewish relations; Henry Louis Gates Jr. is serving as the executive producer of the series, which will premiere in early February…

The Washington Post spotlights GOP megadonor Jeff Yass as he increasingly contributes to candidates backing school voucher programs…

eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports on the Koum Family Foundation’s endowment of the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program at Stanford University, which was announced last month following a three-year pilot program…

A Brazilian professor at Harvard Law School who was arrested by immigration authorities last week after he pleaded guilty to illegally shooting an air rifle near a Boston-area synagogue will voluntarily leave the United States…

The Real Deal looks at Alex Sapir’s dwindling portfolio and financial struggles, as the real estate developer and former owner of 11 Madison Avenue looks to sell off more of his properties following the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of his father, Tamir Sapir, who had owed more than $100 million in taxes…

Bloomberg interviews writer Salman Rushdie about his new collection of short stories, The Eleventh Hour, as well as Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the 2022 assassination attempt that left Rushdie with severe injuries…

The U.S. deported more than four dozen Iranians as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration…

New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé dropped his primary challenge to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the House minority leader, after failing to get the backing of the NYC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America; Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whom Jeffries endorsed shortly before the November election, had personally lobbied the DSA against backing Ossé’s bid…

The New York Times considers the “canonization” of Hannah Arendt in the 21st century, as her writings have increasingly been adopted by modern-day political observers and repurposed to address current events…

The Wall Street Journal reviews Celeste Marcus’ Chaim Soutine: Genius, Obsession, and a Dramatic Life in Art, the first English-language biography of the French Jewish painter, who died in Paris in 1943…

A senior law enforcement official in West Midlands, U.K., apologized to the Birmingham Jewish community for having told a committee investigating the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from a recent Aston Villa match that members of the Jewish community had supported a ban on the team’s fans…

Reuters reports on efforts by exiled former Syrian officials, including former intelligence chief Kamal Hassan and a cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, to funnel millions of dollars to militants operating in the country in an effort to stage a revolt challenging the current government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa…

Famed architect Frank Gehry, born Frank Owen Goldberg, who has said the curved shape of many of his designs was inspired by the carp his maternal grandmother had in the bathtub as she made gefilte fish, died at 96…

Pic of the Day Haim Zach/GPO Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered the keynote address at Yeshiva University’s 101st annual Hanukkah Dinner on Sunday night in New York City.

During his speech, Herzog assailed New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whom he said “makes no effort to conceal his contempt for the Jewish democratic State of Israel, the only nation-state of the Jewish people.”

Referencing an event last month outside Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue in which a mob of anti-Israel demonstrators protested against a Nefesh B’ Nefesh event with chants of “globalize the intifada” and “death to the IDF,” Herzog said, “The incoming mayor’s response was to suggest that Jews who consider fulfilling [aliyah] are violating international law. In the face of such hatred, we must fight back fiercely and fearlessly.”

Read the full story from Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen in eJewishPhilanthropy here.

Birthdays NEW YORK, NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 11: Julie Heldman attends the 2021 International Tennis Hall Of Fame Legends Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street on September 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for International Tennis Hall of Fame) Tennis player, she won 22 singles titles, in 1968 and 1969 she was ranked No. 2 in the U.S., Julie Heldman turns 80… 

Founder and CEO of Top Rank, a boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas, Bob Arum turns 94… Film, stage and television actor, composer of film and theater music, John Rubinstein turns 79… Israeli folk singer, lyricist, composer and musical arranger, she has released more than 70 albums sold worldwide, winner of the Kinor David (Davids Harp) Prize, Chava Alberstein turns 78… Astrophysicist and senior scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Margaret Geller turns 78… Film director, producer and screenwriter, including box office successes such as “The Parent Trap” and “What Women Want,” Nancy Meyers turns 76… Canadian anthropologist and author of four books promoting Mussar, a Jewish ethical movement, Alan Morinis turns 76… Professor of human development at Cornell University, following high-ranking academic positions at the University of Wyoming, Oklahoma State, Tufts and Yale, Robert J. Sternberg turns 76… Writer, photographer and designer, founder of the Honey Sharp Gallery and Ganesh Café in the Berkshires, Honey Sharp… Bedford, Texas, resident, Douglas H. Bohannon… Senior executive producer of special events at ABC News until his retirement in early 2025, Marc Burstein… Emmy Award-winning sports commentator and journalist, Roy Firestone turns 72… Chairman of a nationwide insurance brokerage, Bruce P. Gendelman… Author of Toward a Meaningful Life, a book that has sold over 400,000 copies, he is the chairman of the Yiddish English weekly, The Algemeiner Journal, Rabbi Simon Jacobson turns 69… Retired administrative law judge at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Nadine Lewis turns 68… Rabbi, speaker and musician known as Rav Shmuel, for 21 years he led the Yeshiva program run by the IDT Corporation in Newark, N.J., Shmuel Skaist turns 61… Co-founder of three successful companies, including Office Tiger in 1999, CloudBlue in 2001, and Xometry in 2013, where he is CEO, Randy Altschuler turns 55… Attorney by training but in real life a social media blogger and author, she is the co-founder of TheLi.st, Rachel Sklar turns 53… CEO of Assemble, Aaron Kissel turns 51… Journalist and founder of the newsletter Popular Information, Judd Legum… President and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, Aaron Lerner turns 46… Actor and musician, Dov Yosef Tiefenbach turns 44… Actress, comedian and television writer, Joanna Jo Firestone turns 39… Co-founder and former chief scientist at OpenAI, in 2024 he co-founded Safe Superintelligence, Ilya Sutskever turns 39… Artist, Sophia Narrett… Venture capitalist in Israel, Alex Oppenheimer… Partner at Arnold Porter Kaye Scholer, Ali Krimmer



]]> 96545 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-the-synagogue-security-scramble/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:14:48 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96437 ]]> Good Friday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we preview this weekend’sDoha Forum and its lineup of speakers who are sharply critical of Israel, and report on thebacklash from the Jewish community to recent comments by Sen. Chris Van Hollenattacking the head of the Washington JCRC as an “apologist” for the Israeli government. We coverthe legislative push for “buffer zones” outside of places of worshipfollowing recent incidents in New York and Los Angeles, and spotlightBenjamin Landa, the Trump administrationsnominee to be U.S. ambassador to Hungary. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Mitchell Silk, RabbiYehuda KaplounandCornelia Foss.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching President Donald Trump will attend the World Cup draw this morning in Washington. Also attending is the head of Iran’s national team, which previously said it would boycott the draw over the U.S.’ refusal to grant visas to some members of the team. The two-day Reagan National Defense Forum kicks off today at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. This year’s speakers include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Rick Scott (R-FL); Reps. Ken Calvert (R-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Adam Smith (D-WA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA); JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon, 8VC’s Joe Lonsdale, Palantir’s Mike Gallagher (formerly a Republican congressman from Wisconsin), former National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster; former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and former Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong. The Doha Forum begins tomorrow morning in Qatar. More below on the two-day confab’s speakers, including the recent addition of Tucker Carlson. Israeli President Isaac Herzog is traveling to the U.S. this weekend for a series of events taking place over the next week. On Sunday, he’ll be honored at Yeshiva University’s 101st Annual Hanukkah Dinner in New York. He’s also slated to attend the American Zionist Movement’s Biennial National Assembly, which is taking place this weekend in New York City. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will arrive in Israel this weekend for meetings with senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Merz’s trip, his first official visit since becoming chancellor in May, will also include a visit to Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem and a meeting with Herzog before the president heads to the U.S. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS GABBY DEUTCH As the holiday season gets underway, Jewish Washington is abuzz with a bipartisan tradition:gossiping about who got invited to the White House Hanukkah party — and how those who did not make the list can still score an invitation.

This year, there’s another conversation as well, in group chats of people who were invited to a Hanukkah party at the Naval Observatory, hosted by Vice President JD Vance: What’s with the Christmas branding onthe invitation?

The top of the green-and-gold virtual invitation reads, “The Golden Noel: Celebrating 50 years of Christmas at the Vice President’s residence.” The invitation to President Donald Trump’s White House Hanukkah party, in contrast, looks, well, like a Hanukkah invitation —royal blue background, with white text.

“Would I have preferred something to be a little more Hanukkah-like?Perhaps, but I don’t see it as a very big deal,” said Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad). Shemtov oversees kashrut at the White House Hanukkah celebration, whether it is hosted by a Democrat or a Republican.

Several people who received the invitationtoldJewish Insiderthey found the decoration puzzling. Ultimately, though, they aren’t concerned. Many Jewish Republicans are pleased that Vance is hosting a Hanukkah celebration at all.

“Noticed that as well, but haven’t heard any complaints,”said one Republican who was invited to the party. “I’m happy he’s having one.”

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



Marquee Moment Doha Forum embracing Tucker Carlson and his associates The Doha Forum logo is inside the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort Convention Hotel in Doha, Qatar, on December 5, 2024. (Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Among the most high-profile speakers at this weekend’s Doha Forum in the Qatari capital are Tucker Carlson, his business partner Neil Patel and investor Omeed Malik — a lineup raising eyebrows given Carlson’s recent track record of credulously hosting antisemitic and Holocaust-denying guests on his right-wing podcast. The conference, which is co-sponsored by a panoply of elite institutions from CNN to the Atlantic Council, will bring together Trump administration officials, ambassadors, politicians and philanthropists alongside figures who hold fringe or hostile views of Israel and U.S. Middle East policy,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

What this means:The forum’s layout elevates voices aligned with Doha’s regional agenda while pairing them with Western political, philanthropic and corporate leaders — a mix that lends legitimacy to speakers with out-of-the-mainstream views. Carlson’s interview on the Doha Forum stage on Sunday will take place in conversation with the Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, an indication of his prominence at the confab.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google COMMUNITY CONCERN Jewish leaders scramble to protect synagogues amid threatening anti-Israel protests Anti-Israel demonstrators gather at No Settlers on Stolen Land protest against a Nefesh bNefesh event at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images) As anti-Israel demonstrators increasingly target synagogues in protests that have turned violent and used antisemitic rhetoric, some Jewish leaders and state lawmakers are now calling for more expansive legislative safeguards to help bolster protections for houses of worship. The new efforts have come in the wake of threatening behavior outside synagogues in New York City and Los Angeles that drew forceful condemnation from elected officials and raised concerns among Jewish leaders who fear that such incidents will normalize antisemitic harassment disguised as anti-Zionism,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Legislative steps:In New York, state lawmakers this weekintroduced a new billto ban protests directly outside houses of worship. The legislation seeks to amend the existing state penal law by establishing a 25-foot buffer zone around religious sanctuaries to insulate congregants from facing intimidation and potential clashes with demonstrators that have occurred more regularly in recent years.

Read the full story here.

Standing together:More than 1,000 New Yorkers braved the frigid temperatures on Thursday night, stretching across Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side outside of the historic Park East Synagogue, surrounded by heavy police presence and voicing a unifying message: “We are proud New Yorkers, proud Jews and proud Zionists,”JI’s Haley Cohen reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SPEAKING AS ONE Jewish groups rally around Maryland Jewish leader after Sen. Van Hollen team’s attack Rabbi Susan Shankman (L) hugs Ron Halber, the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, as they gather together at the Washington Hebrew Congregation during a vigil for Israel on October 09, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Several major Jewish organizations rallied around Ron Halber, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, after a spokesperson for Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) attacked Halber as an “apologist for the Netanyahu government” and unrepresentative of his community. The Van Hollen spokesperson’s comments came in response to remarks by Halber to reporters in which Halber said that many in the Maryland Jewish community feel “betrayed” by the senator and that he has failed to show empathy for Israel and the Jewish people,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Board backing:The JCRC’s Board of Directors, in a statement late Thursday, offered Halber, who has led the group for nearly three decades, its full support, and applauded his work. “We are deeply disappointed that Sen. Van Hollen chose instead to malign Ron and our organization, but we are heartened by theoutpouringofsupportfrom so manypartnersandfriends.They knowwhat we know: Ron and the JCRC support not only Jewish families, but the millions of people who live in the DMV.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BY THE NUMBERS New survey finds the spread of antisemitism slowing, but still elevated Participant holding a sign at the rally. Thousands of New Yorkers joined community leaders and city and statewide elected officials in Foley Square at the No Hate. No Fear. solidarity march in unity against the rise of anti-semitism. (Erik McGregor/Getty Images) Antisemitism in America has plateaued after a sharp rise in anti-Jewish hate incidents in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel — yet fewer Americans are pushing back against it, according to a survey released Thursday by the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Findings:About 25% of the population has consistently held antisemitic attitudes since June 2024, the 2025 Antisemitism Landscape Survey reported. That’s a notable rise from the recent past, but the survey found that the growth of antisemitic views has slowed significantly. The survey, which has been conducted twice a year since June 2023, polled 7,028 American adults from Aug. 1-Sept. 30. It found that 58% of respondents think antisemitism is a minor problem or not a problem at all, a sizable majority, though one that has remained fairly steady for the past two years.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google The road less traveled A Mandarin-speaking Hasidic Jew walks into Washington (Courtesy) To the business community in Asia and to his former colleagues at the Department of Treasury, Mitchell Silk was usually called Mitch. To his friends and family in the Jewish community he is, always, Moyshe. However those who know him refer to him, Silk in 2020 became the first Hasidic Jew to serve in a government role that required Senate confirmation. In aconversation withJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutchlast month, Silk reflected on an unlikely career path that began with a high school job at a Chinese restaurant, and later took him from studying abroad in Taiwan to conducting business deals in Hong Kong and then advising former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on trade with Asia.

Divine providence:“If I were to do a backward run for you of where I ended up and am at now, to each stage and link in the progression and the trajectory, I could do it only in a manner that highlights exactly how muchhashgacha pratis, how much divine providence, factored into where I am today,” Silk told JI, using a Hebrew term. “I cannot explain it in any other way than how much I had a divine hand guiding me.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BUDAPEST BEAT The Orthodox Jewish philanthropist vying to be U.S. ambassador to Hungary A statue shows former US President George H. W. Bush in front of the Embassy of the United States of America in Budapest. (Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images) Benjamin Landa, a New York businessman and the son of a Holocaust survivor, was nominated in October to be the U.S. ambassador to Hungary — a delicate assignment given tensions over the U.S.’ relationship with the country. Landa, 69, is a yeshiva graduate and well-known philanthropist supporting Jewish, Israeli and other causes, including as founder of the Chabad of Port Washington. He’s also been a prominent donor to Republican political causes, and met in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump and advisor Roger Stone earlier this year,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Background:His father, Yehoshua Boruch Landa, served as a rabbi in prewar Czechoslovakia and survived the Nazi regime, but most of his family, who resided in Hungary, were killed in the Holocaust,according toNewsday.“My father, despite all the horrors he went through, he never lost his humanity, he never lost his sense of humor,” Landa told theNew York Post. “It taught me the idea of resilience and starting from scratch – starting all over from the depths of hell to rise like a phoenix and that was my father – he never gave up.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Conserving Conservatism:InThe Washington Post, Princeton University professor Robert George cautions against the embrace of far-right figures, including Nick Fuentes, by some elements of the conservative movement. “A plea to my fellow conservatives to draw a bright line against bigotry is not a call to ‘cancellation.’ Individuals who hold extremist or bigoted views possess the same right to express their opinions as everyone else has. I would fight — indeed, I have fought — to protect their free speech rights despite my profound rejection of their beliefs. What I am doing is reminding conservatives that we stand for certain things. Therefore, not everything is up for grabs or negotiable. Nor is everyone, irrespective of their beliefs, welcome in the conservative movement. Unless you share conservatism’s core values, then you are not with us in standing for what our movement exists to conserve.”[WashPost]

Sanctuary City:Commentary’s Seth Mandel reflects on recently introduced legislation that would create a “buffer zone” protecting places of worship from protesters, following a demonstration outside Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue last month. “Indeed, the mere introduction of such legislation is an admission that incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani has already inaugurated bleaker times for the city and, perhaps, for the nation. … It should be noted that it is a violation of civil-rights law to prevent people from entering a house of worship. That is because such behavior is a direct assault on the First Amendment. Though Mamdani has exacerbated the problem, he did not create it. Even before his lies about ‘international law,’ the protest itself shattered civic norms. The result is a proposed law on top of a law. And that law might pass and it might make going to shul safer. But what kind of society needs such a law?”[Commentary]





Word on the Street In an interview with NBC News,Vice President JD VancecomplimentedSen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, while downplaying the degree of rising antisemitism in the Republican Party…

RabbiYehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to be the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism,is expected to come before the full Senate for a confirmation vote before the end of the year, two sources familiar with the situationconfirmed toJewish Insider’s Marc Rod…

Brooklyn Borough PresidentAntonio Reynosoannouncedhis bid for the Houseseat being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), covering portions of Brooklyn and Queens…

Netflixenteredinto exclusive negotiations with Warner Bros. Discoveryamidconcernsfrom David Ellison’s Paramount Skydancethat Warner Bros. “appears to have abandoned the semblance and reality of a fair transaction process” and that the selection of Netflix was predetermined by Warner Bros. management

UCLA’s libraryfinalizedthe processing and digitization of extensive archives— including interviews, membership directories and yearbooks —from the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center; the century-old synagogue’s campus and much of its paper records were destroyed in the Altadena wildfires earlier this year…

TheEqual Employment Opportunity Commissionbeganthe claims process for Jewish students and faculty at Columbia Universitywho reported having experienced antisemitism on the campus between Oct. 7, 2023, and July 2025; the payments will come from a $21 million class claims fund established by the university as part of its $221 million settlement with the Trump administration reached earlier this year…

Afederal judgedismisseda lawsuit by a Jewish Harvard Business School graduatewho claimed the school violated his civil rights in its decision not to discipline two student-employees involved in an incident at an anti-Israel protest on campus in October 2023…

The New York TimesspotlightsartistCornelia Foss, whose new exhibit, “Little Red,” wasinspired by her childhood escape from Nazi Germanyin 1939…

Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Sloveniapulled outof the 2026 Eurovision Song Contestafter the European Broadcasting Union determined on Thursday that Israel will be allowed to compete…

ALithuanian courtfinedthe leader of the country’s populist Dawn of Nemunas party€5,000 after finding him guilty of inciting antisemitism and downplaying the Holocaust; among the comments made byRemigijus Žemaitaitis, whose party is in a coalition with the ruling Social Democrats, was a social media post blaming Jews for the “destruction of our nation”

A new reportfrom the office of Israel’s public defenderfoundthattreatment of Palestinians in Israeli prisons rapidly deterioratedfollowing the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…

Israeli mediareportedthe death of Gazan clan leader Yasser Abu Shabab, who led one of the main groups opposing Hamas rule in the enclave and had been targeted for assassination by the terror group…

The Israeli cabinetapprovedthe defensebudget for 2026 at 112 billion shekels($34.63 billion), a 22 billion shekel increase from a previously presented draft budget…

The Wall Street Journalreports onEuropean interest in Israeli military technologyamid concerns about Russian aggression across the Continent…

Israeli series “Tehran” willreturnfor its third season on Jan. 9after delays related to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack and ensuing war; filming for the fourth season is already underway…

Iranian Foreign MinisterAbbas Araghchiextendedan invitation to his Lebanese counterpartto visit Iran to discuss bilateral ties between Tehran and Beirut…

Pic of the Day An Instagram post from the account of Sheikh Mansour bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, the head of Qatar’s Government Communications Office, featured an image of a drone show marking the end of The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference in Doha. Read more about the Journals expanded ties with Qatar here.

Birthdays (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA/AFP via Getty Images) Former manager of the Israel national baseball team including at the 2020 Olympics,Eric Holtzturns 60…

FRIDAY: Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist, emeritus professor at Harvard and professor at Boston University,Sheldon Lee Glashowturns 93… St. Louis-based luxury senior living developer,Charles J. Deutschturns 76… Professor in the school of journalism at the University of Tennessee Knoxville,Stuart Neil Brotmanturns 73… Former U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco, she was a co-owner and CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers,Jamie Luskin McCourtturns 72… Mediator and arbitrator for JAMSand J Street board member,Michael D. Young… Golfer on the PGA Tour and later a golf teaching professional,Anthony Irvin (Tony) Sillsturns 70… Professor of Jewish history at Ben-Gurion University, she is focused on Sephardic heritage,Haviva Pedayaturns 68… Venture capitalist, speaker and investment advisor,Pascal Norman Levensohnturns 65… NYC-based author and clinical psychologist with specialties in aging and cancer,Mindy Greenstein, Ph.D. Film, television and theater actress,Ilana Levineturns 62… Professor at the University of Chicago Law School,Eric A. Posnerturns 60… Professor and dean emeritus of Columbia Law School, he served as CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and was once a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,David M. Schizerturns 57… Urologist in Westchester County, N.Y.,Judd Boczko, M.D. Ontario-born supermodel and actress,Shalom Harlowturns 52… President of The LS Group and political fundraiser,Lisa Spies… Co-founder and CEO ofAxios,Roy Schwartz… Emmy Award-winning author and reporter, he is the chief national correspondent for ABC News,Matthew A. Gutmanturns 48… Israeli-born, acclaimed video game developer,Neil Druckmannturns 47… Musical songwriting and producing duo, identical twinsRyan and Dan Kowarskyturn 46… Communications and marketing consultant,Adam S. Rosenberg… Senior managing director at Liberty Strategic Capital,Eli H. Miller… Emmy Award-winning senior personal technology columnist forThe Wall Street Journal,Joanna Sternturns 41… Media correspondent forThe New York Times,Michael Mendel Grynbaum… Israeli film and television music composer based in Los Angeles,Naama Nami Melumadturns 37… Reporter on the obituary desk ofThe New York Times,Alexander E. Traub… Chess master and commentator, his YouTube page has 5.7 million subscribers and over 3 billion views,Levy Rozmanturns 30… Principal at Envision Strategy,Jonathan Shabshaikhes… Israeli model,Adar Gandelsmanturns 28

SATURDAY:Moshe Hochenberg… Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for 20 years until 2014 and active in a range of Jewish organizations,Lawrence S. Bergmanturns 85… Renowned artist whose sculpture, photography, neon and video works appear in museums worldwide,Bruce Naumanturns 84… Israeli-born art collector and producer of over 130 full-length films,Arnon Milchanturns 81… Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (named after her late sister), she also served as U.S. ambassador to Hungary and chief of protocol of the U.S.,Nancy Goodman Brinkerturns 79… Professor emeritus of Talmudic culture at the University of California, Berkeley,Daniel Boyarinturns 79… Senior U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Ohio, he has served as a trustee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, JudgeDan Aaron Polsterturns 74… Cell and molecular biologist, he is a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,David L. Spectorturns 73… Founder of Craigslist,Craig Newmarkturns 73… Film, stage and television actress,Gina Hechtturns 72… Faculty member at Harvard Law School since 1981, she served as dean from 2009-2017,Martha Minowturns 71… Author of a bestselling novel,Memoirs of a Geisha, with over 4 million copies sold,Arthur Sulzberger Goldenturns 69… SVP and general counsel at United Airlines,Robert S. Rivkinturns 65… Former EVP and COO of the Inter-American Development Bank,Julie T. Katzmanturns 64… Emmy Award-winning producer, writer, director, actor and comedian,Judd Apatowturns 58… Israels minister of education, he was a fighter pilot for the IDF and then a civilian pilot for El Al before entering politics,Yoav Kischturns 57… Professor of economics at the University of Chicago, he previously served as the chief economist for President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors,Michael Greenstoneturns 57… Professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, he is a son and grandson of rabbis,Julian E. Zelizerturns 56… Editor-in-chief ofJ. The Jewish News of Northern California,Chanan Tigayturns 50… Communications advisor atnexos.aiand host of the “The Dejargonizer” podcast,Amir Mizrochturns 50… Managing director in the NYC office of PR firm BerlinRosen,Dan Levitan… Editor-in-chief atThe Air Current,Jon Ostrower… Venture capitalist in Israel,Ilan Regenbaum… Licensed community association manager in South Florida, now a regional associate at Bozzuto,Beth Argaman… Assistant professor in international relations and global politics at the American University of Rome,Andrea Dessì… Joe Blumenthal…

SUNDAY:Linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, political activist and professor emeritus at MIT,Noam Chomskyturns 97… Author or editor of 40 books includingThe New York Timesbest-sellingChicken Soup for the Jewish Soul, RabbiDov Peretz Elkinsturns 88… Actor, director and producer,Larry Hankinturns 88… Hedge fund manager, he is the co-founder of Taglit-Birthright Israel and the founder of Hebrew language charter schools in NYC,Michael Steinhardtturns 85… Professor of mathematics at Princeton University,Nicholas Michael Katzturns 82… Novelist, essayist and screenwriter,Susan Isaacsturns 82… Former Israeli Foreign Ministry legal advisor and then Israeli ambassador to Canada, now at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, AmbassadorAlan Bakerturns 78… Chair emeritus of the Longmeadow, Mass., Democratic Town Committee,Candy Glazer… Director and vice chairman of Simon Property Group,Richard S. Sokolovturns 76… Past board chair and president of AIPAC,Lillian Pinkusturns 74… U.S. senator (R-ME),Susan Collinsturns 73… Chairman of Loews Hotels and co-owner of the NFLs New York Giants,Jonathan M. Tischturns 72… Haifa-born composer and professor of music at Harvard,Chaya Czernowinturns 68… Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention throughout most of the Obama administration, Dr.Thomas R. Friedenturns 65… Teacher in the Elko County School District in northeast Nevada and leader of the local Jewish community there,Shawn Welton-Lowe… Provost and interim dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary, Dr.Jeffrey Kressturns 57… Co-founder of Laurel Strategies, a CEO advisory firm based in Washington,Dafna Tapiero… Director, producer, writer, actor and comedian, best known as the director of Modern Family,Jason Winerturns 53… President of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs,Jed Hoyerturns 52… Leading actress in multiple television series including Roswell and Unreal,Shiri Applebyturns 47… Managing partner of NYC-based Capitol Consulting, he was previously at the UJA-Federation of New York and at the Orthodox Union,Jeffrey Leb… Food critic forThe New Yorker, she received a 2024 James Beard Award,Hannah Goldfield… Co-author ofUnion: A Republican, a Democrat, and a Search for Common Ground, he is the managing partner at America’s Frontier Fund,Jordan Blashek… Executive director at NYCs Mission Staffing,Jaime Leiman… Founder and CEO of Go Dash Dot, an active wear accessories brand,Hannah Fastov… Physician practicing in the U.K.,Carine Moezinia… Freelance content creator and social media manager,Hannah Vilinsky… VP and head of the startup division at the Israel Innovation Authority,Hanan Brand… Jeff Blum… Toby Lerner



]]> 96437 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-wes-moore-specifies-he-stands-with-the-israeli-people/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:48:21 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96332 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on Gov.Wes Moore’s specification that he stands with the Israeli peopleat a gathering of members of Maryland’s Jewish community,and cover Sen.Chris Van Hollen’s allegation that Ron Halber, the head of the JCRC of Greater Washington,is an “apologist” for the Israeli government. We report on Rep.Maxine Dexter’s apologyover recent remarkscomparing the Israel-Hamas war to the Holocaust, and spotlight an initiative byNew York’s Success Academy to bring students to Auschwitz. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Stephen Ross,Elad Giland Maj. Gen.Roman Gofman.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.





What Were Watching UJA-Federation of New York, along with the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Community Relations Council-NY and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, is hosting a solidarity rally this evening at Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue, following an anti-Israel demonstration outside the synagogue last month. The two-day Milken Middle East and Africa Summit kicks off today in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker are among those scheduled to speak. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to brief Ukrainian officials in Miami today, following their trip earlier this week to Russia, where they met with President Vladimir Putin, who rejected a U.S. peace proposal to end the war with Ukraine. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will meet today with the parents of slain Israeli American hostages Omer Neutra and Itay Chen. European Broadcasting Union members are meeting today to discuss potential changes to the Eurovision Song Contest’s voting system, following an uproar last year after Israeli entrant Yuval Raphael came in second place in the popular vote. The meeting comes amid threats by the broadcasters from Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands, which have threatened to boycott the May event if Israel is permitted to participate. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar If there’s a lesson for Democrats from the GOP’s nine-point victoryin the Tennessee special election on Tuesday night, it’s that the type of left-wing politics that can play in the city is a political turnoff for persuadable suburban voters. Nominating a telegenic candidate with ideologically radical views — à la Zohran Mamdani — might not matter to many urban Gen Z voters, but it does matter everywhere else.

In the big picture, Republican Matt Van Epps’ single-digit margin of victoryin a district that President Donald Trump carried by 22 points is a sign of a strong Democratic environment heading into the midterms. Democrats should feel confident about their chances of winning back control of the House, even with increased gerrymandering. But look a little more closely at the results, and there are signs of an urban-suburban divide in the district, indicating that Democrat Aftyn Behn’s outspoken progressivism cost her badly in the affluent, conservative-minded suburb of Williamson County.

Take a look at thestark urban-suburban divide by the numbers:Behn won by 56 points in the city of Nashville, outperforming Kamala Harris’ margin in the country by a whopping 20 points. But in the Nashville suburbs, Behn barely outperformed Harris, losing Williamson County by 23 points (while Harris lost the county by 30 in 2024).

Behn was tagged as the “AOC of Tennessee” by Republicans, and she didn’t shy away from that comparison during the campaign, even inviting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to participate at a virtual rally for the Democratic candidate. Heranti-police rhetoric, antipathy towards her home city of Nashville, along with herrecord of hostility against Israelall underscored she was on the far left wing of her party.

Just as New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s anti-Israel and far-left viewswere toxic enough that suburban New York City Democratic lawmakers — like Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen — spoke out against his mayoral campaign, Behn’s suburban struggles underscore that swing-district Democrats who adopt the agenda of their party’s far-left activists will face consequences at the ballot box.

At the same time, Behn’s appreciable gains in Nashvilleand small inroads in the heavily Republican working-class rural counties of the district indicate that the Democratic message of affordability is outranking other more-ideological issues for voters facing challenges paying their bills. With fears of rising prices amid a volatile economy, Republicans risk losing a little support from their working-class base that could prove costly in the 2026 midterms — and beyond.

All told, the results should be encouraging for Democrats,even as their overly exuberant expectations led them to invite polarizing figures like Harris and AOC to boost turnout, despite the district’s strong conservative bent. But a more moderate nominee would likely have improved the party’s standing in the suburbs, and taken better advantage of the favorable overall political environment for the opposition party. It’s another reminder that moderation is the winning formula for the party to win back power in the future.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



HEATED EXCHANGE Van Hollen attacks Maryland Jewish community liaison Ron Halber as Netanyahu Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) speaks during a rally around the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 19, 2025. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images) A spokesperson for Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) attacked Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington CEO Ron Halber by name, accusing the Jewish liaison of being an “apologist for the Netanyahu government” in response to Halber’s own criticisms of the Maryland senator to reporters earlier Wednesday,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The exchange marks an unusual and dramatic breach between a leading representative of the D.C.-area Jewish community and a senator who Halber said had once been an ally on a range of issues.

Back and forth:“Hes become the leading senator agitating against Israel in the United States Senate,” Halber told reporters. “On the issue of Israel, I would say the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community feels betrayed by the senator.” The Van Hollen spokesperson responded in part, “Instead of representing the diversity of views that, in the Senator’s experience, are held by the Jewish community of Maryland, Ron Halber has become an apologist for the Netanyahu government.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google HAND IN HAND Gov. Wes Moore: ‘Maryland stands with the Israeli people’ and the Jewish community Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washingtons annual Maryland Lox Legislators breakfast on Dec. 3, 2025. (Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington) Speaking to the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s annual Maryland legislative breakfast on Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, touted as a prospective presidential candidate, offered support for Israel and for members of the Jewish community facing antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Notable quotable:“Today, I want to be loud and clear, that Maryland stands with the Israeli people and we support their right to exist in the region with the same sense of safety and security that we all want,” Moore said, echoing remarks he made at a memorial days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, which had been his most recent address to the JCRC. The Democratic governor said that lasting peace between Israelis and the Palestinians requires “humane leadership” for the Palestinians — which cannot include Hamas — as well as by Israel, the United States and any other countries involved in the future of Gaza.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MEA CULPA Democratic congresswoman apologizes for speech comparing Gaza war to the Holocaust Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) speaks during the Congressional Hispanic Caucus news conference in the Capitol on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR), in a letter to Portland’s Jewish community, apologized for a recent House floor speech in which she appeared to compare the war in Gaza to the Holocaust while explaining her support for a resolution describing the war as a genocide,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What she said:“I am deeply sorry that my recent statement on the U.S. House floor gave the impression that I was equating the Holocaust with the evolving events in Gaza,” Dexter said. “In the aftermath of Hamas atrocious attack on October 7th and in the face of rising antisemitism that is pervasive in every corner of the world, I am genuinely sorry to have been the cause of further pain.” In a meeting with local Jewish officials, Dexter apologized for the speech but said she would not withdraw her support for the resolution accusing Israel of genocide.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google NOMINEE NEWS Senate Foreign Relations Committee backs Kaploun’s nomination as antisemitism envoy Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administrations nominee to be special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism (Screenshot) The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Wednesday to advance Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun’s nomination to be the Trump administration’s antisemitism envoy, clearing the way for a full Senate vote on his confirmation. All 12 Republicans on the committee voted in favor, while eight of the 10 Democrats on the panel were opposed. The two Democrats who voted to support Kaploun were the committee’s ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a close ally of the Jewish community,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Reading the signals:The 14-8 vote, which came two weeks afterKaploun’s confirmation hearing, offers a preview of how senators on both sides of the aisle could land on his nomination when it comes before the full Senate. Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) decision to vote to advance Kaploun’s nomination, given his record of bucking the president’s choice of Cabinet nominees and legislative matters, suggests Republicans are likely to be unified in supporting Kaploun on the floor. Shaheen and Rosen’s support for Kaploun’s nomination indicates that he could secure a handful of Democratic votes as well.

Read the full story here.

Elsewhere on the Hill:The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on a bipartisan basis on Wednesday to advance a bill designating the entire Muslim Brotherhood globally as a terrorist organization, weeks after the Trump administration took action to target certain branches of the group,JI’s Marc Rod reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SURVEY SAYS New Reagan Institute polling finds widespread approval for Trump’s strikes against Iran US President Donald Trump during a breakfast with Senate Republicans in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, dealing a significant blow to the Islamic Republic’s weapons program, is viewed favorably by 60% of Americans, according to a newly released survey commissioned by the Ronald Reagan Institute,Jewish Insider’s Josh Kraushaar reports.

Policy popularity:The decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear program was one of the most popular policy decisions the Pentagon has made in Trump’s second term, according to the survey. Of the 10 policies tested, only two (using force against drug traffickers in Latin America and issuing gender-neutral standards for combat roles) had a higher net approval rating. Despite the widespread support for the airstrikes, there is a partisan divide in support. Republicans overwhelmingly supported the military action, while 39% of Democrats did so.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google HISTORY IMMERSION Amid rising antisemitism, Success Academy takes charter school students to Auschwitz (Success Academy) Standing inside a gas chamber, Natalie Francisco felt history — the darkest kind — come alive in a way no classroom lesson on the Holocaust could have. Francisco, an 11th grader at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts–Harlem,toldJewish Insider’s Haley Cohenthat “witnessing Auschwitz-Birkenau, literally being inside a gas chamber, brought the horror of it all to me in a way that reading or studying history could not.” Fransciso was one of eight high school students who took part in the school’s inaugural six-day trip to Poland last month, which included visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the Plaszów Concentration Camp in Krakow and the Warsaw Ghetto.

Trip mission:Success Academy, a network of New York City charter schools primarily serving low-income families, designed the new program as a way to give students “a direct personal connection and opportunity to understand this singular event in history,” Eva Moskowitz, the organization’s CEO and founder, told JI. “Even if there weren’t recent, horrific incidents of antisemitism, I would still want our students to understand [the Holocaust],” she said, adding that the trip was several years in the making, with logistics including obtaining passports for students, many of whom have never traveled outside of the U.S.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads No Direction Home:InThe Wall Street Journal, longtime Democratic political operative Jennifer Bayer Michaels reflects on the party’s shift away from the mainstream and embrace of antisemitic elements. “The Democratic Party has allowed and lately encouraged the normalization of rhetoric that dehumanizes Jews and distorts history. … Democratic leaders must speak clearly: Terrorism is terrorism, Jewish lives matter, moral consistency matters. They must rebuild trust not with performative gestures but with action that shows the extreme is not where the heart of the party is. I may feel politically alone in this moment, but I am not alone. Countless Jews and Americans want this party to succeed yet feel unspoken for and unrepresented. We require something simple: a Democratic Party that remembers its own values and has the courage to live by them in earnest. Only after my community’s safety is secure, and the party recognizes it not as a favor but as a fundamental principle, will I consider coming home.”[WSJ]

Lost Opportunity:The Washington Post’s David Ignatius argues that the U.S., Israel and moderate Arab states are fumbling an opportunity to reshape the Middle East in the wake of Israeli and American military successes and the collapse of rogue regimes. “‘Everything is stuck,’ a senior Israeli defense official told me this week. Because diplomats have failed to capitalize on the disarray of Iran and its allies, ‘all the fronts in the Middle East are still open,’ he warned. Most of Gaza’s population is still controlled by Hamas, Lebanon hasn’t fully regained its sovereignty from Hezbollah and Iran is rebuilding its battered military. … Trump’s problem is that he’s juggling so many diplomatic balls at once that some of them will inevitably tumble to the ground. That’s what happened after his Gaza peace deal. He promised far more than he has so far delivered.”[WashPost]





Word on the Street Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he would visit New York Citydespite Mayor-electZohran Mamdani’s threatto have him arrested on war crimes charges if he does so,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports…

The U.S.isdeployingto the Middle Easta fleet of low-cost, domestically manufactured drones designed like Iran’s Shahed-136 “kamikaze” aircraftas part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s strategy of “drone dominance”; SpektreWorks, the Arizona-based company producing the drones, designed them by reverse-engineering the Shahed-126

New York State AssemblymanMicah Lasher, a candidate for Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) congressional seat, and state Sen.Sam Suttonintroducedlegislation that would ban protests within 25 feet of places of worship, following an incident last month in which dozens of anti-Israel demonstrators protested outside an event at the Park East Synagogue…

TheLAPDarrestedtwo individualsfollowingan incident at the Wilshire Boulevard Templein which anti-Israel protesters demonstrating outside an event aimed at bridge-building with the city’s Korean community disrupted the event and vandalized property inside the temple;Mayor Karen Basscalledthe incident “abhorrent”and said it “has no place in Los Angeles”…

Community Security Serviceannounced it will join theJoint Threat Intelligence Partnership, a national threat monitoring and assessment network launched in September by theAnti-Defamation League and Community Security Initiative of New York…

Real estate developerStephen RossispartneringwithArcher Aviationto builda flying taxi networkin South Florida…

A man suspected of attacking two Jewish studentsat DePaul University in 2024pleaded guiltyto two misdemeanor charges of battery; hate crimes charges against the assailant were dropped…

Jewish“Dancing With the Stars” pro Alan Berstenledcastmates in a Hanukkah routineduring the series’ first-ever holiday special; the group, following a routine that included steps mimicking spinning dreidels and other Hanukkah imagery, danced to Matisyahu’s “Miracle”

A new trove of photographstaken from the Syrian military isprovidingevidence of approximately 10,000 peoplewho were killed and tortured by the Assad regime…

TheU.S.brokeredthe first direct talks in decades between Israeli and Lebanese officialsin an effort to deescalate tensions between Jerusalem and Beirut…

Maj. Gen. Roman Gofmanwasselectedas thenew head of Israel’s Mossad, succeeding David Barnea when Barnea’s term ends in June 2026…

NPRspotlightsPalestinian writer Bassem Khandaqji, who was serving three life sentences for directing a 2004 terror attack in Tel Aviv that killed three Israelis and was freed in accordance with the October ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, as his bookA Mask the Color of the Skygains accolades and awards…

Thai officialsconfirmedthatthe remains of Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023,were transferred on Wednesday to Israel; the body of one Israeli, Ran Gvili, remains in Gaza…

A new report from NGO MonitordetailsHamas efforts to infiltrate local and international aid groupsoperating in Gaza

Israeli cloud data startup Eonraised$300 millionin a Series D funding round led byElad Gil’s Gil Capital…

TheFinancial Timeslooks atefforts by the Taliban, which resumed control of Afghanistan in 2021,to rehabilitate its image and rebuild relationswith former allies…

TheIranian rialreacheda new record lowon Wednesday…

ArtistMel Leipzig, whose focus on ordinary residents of New Jersey earned him the nickname the “Chekhov of Trenton,”diedat 90…

Pic of the Day (NIRA DAYANIM/EJEWISHPHILANTHROPY) Toys for Hospitalized Children hosted a pre-Hanukkah celebration this week for young cancer patients undergoing treatment in New York City and their families at Manhattan’s Moise Safra Center.

“The goal is just that the kids and their families should have a lot of fun. It’s sick children, their siblings. Some of them, the kids are healthy, but the parents are sick, and the parents came here for treatment,” Rabbi JJ Hecht, the nonprofit’s president,toldeJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim. “We’re just here to make them happy, make them have a good time.”

Birthdays (Emma McIntyre/WireImage,) Actor best known for playing Stuart Bloom in 108 episodes of the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,”Kevin Sussmanturns 55…

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, author of six books and winner of the 1980 National Book Award,A. Scott Bergturns 76… Television director and producer,Dan Attiasturns 74… Register of copyrights and director of the U.S. Copyright Office, her firing earlier this year by President Donald Trump is pending at the U.S. Supreme Court,Shira Perlmutterturns 69… Digital creator,Tony Sarifturns 67… Dermatologist in the Philadelphia area,Merle M. Bari Shulkin, MD… Founder and lead guide of the Adventure Judaism program based in Boulder, Colo., she is the author of 13 books,Jamie Korngold… Fashion director and chief fashion critic ofThe New York Timessince 2014,Vanessa Victoria Friedmanturns 58… Publisher and founder ofFlashReporton California politics and principal of the Fleischman Consulting Group,Jon Fleischman… Co-founder and co-managing member of Manhattan-based hedge fund Knighthead Capital Management,Ara D. Cohen… Screenwriter and producer, he co-created ABCs Once Upon a Time,Adam Horowitzturns 54… National security advisor of the UAE, SheikhTahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyanturns 54… Principal at Proxima Media and founder of Relativity Media,Ryan Kavanaugh(family name was Konitz) turns 51… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-OH) since 2023,Gregory John Landsmanturns 49… Childhood chess prodigy, martial arts competitor and author, the film “Searching for Bobby Fischer” is based on his early life,Joshua Waitzkinturns 49… Born in Ramat Gan, Israel, now living in New Jersey, Grammy Award-winning violinist,Miri Ben-Ariturns 47… Israeli composer of stage works, orchestral works, ensemble works and classical music,Amir Shpilmanturns 45… Comedian and former host of the ChangeUp baseball program for DAZN, one of his viral videos was 10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Jew,Scott Rogowskyturns 41… Co-chief of the civil rights and human trafficking unit at the U.S. Attorneys office in Manhattan,Sam Adelsberg… Former senior campaign director at The Hub Project,Sarah Baron… First-round pick in the 2016 National Hockey League draft, he is a center for the NHLs Florida Panthers,Luke Kuninturns 28… Israeli fashion model, as a 14-year old she became the lead model for Dior, she served in the IDF from 2019-2021,Sofia Mechetnerturns 25…



]]> 96332 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-wall-street-journal-cozies-up-to-qatar/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:22:08 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96210 ]]> Good Wednesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look atQatar’s multifront effort to attract celebrities, influencers, U.S. politiciansandmedia outlets, even as it continues to back destabilizing groups includingHamasand theMuslim Brotherhood. We have the scoop on a newcall from lawmakersin WashingtonforLebanon’s leaders to disarm Hezbollah, and report onconcerns by theAnti-Defamation Leaguethat Sen.Bernie Moreno’s new legislation banning dual citizenshipcould revive antisemitic narratives. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Daniel Lurie,Jacob HelbergandMichael and Susan Dell.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching The House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a vote today to advance legislation designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. More below. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding a vote this morning on advancing the nominations of Yehuda Kaploun and Tammy Bruce to be the State Department’s antisemitism envoy and deputy representative to the U.N., respectively. Jared Isaacman will face the Senate Commerce Committee today for a second hearing to be the administrator of NASA, eight months after his initial nomination was pulled during a spat between Elon Musk, who backed his nomination, and President Donald Trump. Elsewhere in Washington, SKDK is hosting a small gathering with the parents of slain Israeli Americans Omer Neutra and Itay Chen and their supporters. In Maryland, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington is hosting its annual “Lox and Legislators” event in Rockville this morning. Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Democratic Reps. April McClain Delaney and Glenn Ivey are slated to speak. In New York, Israel Policy Forum is honoring Bob Elman and Bob Sugarman this afternoon at the group’s annual gala. The event will also feature a discussion with Ambassador Michael Ratney, Elisa Ewers and Rachel Brandenburg on the future of U.S. leadership in the Middle East. White House Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus is in Israel this week for meetings with senior Israeli officials. Israeli media reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is expected to present Ortagus with recent findings indicating that Hezbollah is rearming itself in Lebanon in violation of a ceasefire agreement inked between Jerusalem and Beirut last year.  What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS marc rod Qatar, whose ties to the Muslim Brotherhood have drawn scrutiny in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, is doubling down on a charm offensive focused on a handful of GOP lawmakers and conservative social media influencers, all while hosting two of the most established brands in American news. 

A group of House Republicansvisited Qatar during the House’s Thanksgiving recess last week, including Reps. Laurel Lee (R-FL), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Lance Gooden (R-TX). The trip occurred just before the House Foreign Affairs Committeeis scheduled to voteon legislation that classifies the entire Muslim Brotherhood organization globally as a terrorist group.

A group of conservative social media influencersalso visited Qatar over Thanksgiving, posting glowing dispatches lauding the country and its role in hosting a U.S. military base.

Rob Smith, one of the invited guests,posted credulously about Qataron his Instagram feedafter the trip, “I wasn’t aware of a great deal of things about Qatar, only misperceptions and half-truths I’d read about online. When the opportunity was presented to me, with full authority and autonomy to ask the tough questions of the officials I’d be meeting with, I decided to risk any potential criticism and to travel and experience it for myself.”

Meanwhile, numerous prominent celebrities— including comedian Kevin Hart, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and tennis star Novak Djokovic —gathered in Dohaover the weekend for the 2025 Formula One Qatar Grand Prix.

And this week, the country is hosting the Doha Forum, a conferenceco-sponsored by CNN. Those attending the conference include several Trump administration officials and ambassadors, politicians and philanthropists, alongside Israel-bashing officials such as former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, sanctioned U.N. special rapporteur Francesca Albanese and former Iran envoy Rob Malley.

Others on the guest list include:Donald Trump Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz, the Heritage Foundation’s Victoria Coates, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, the Quincy Institute’s Trita Parsi, CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour and other officials, leaders and analysts from around the world.

Also this week,TheWall Street Journalishosting a technology conference in Doha, featuring business leaders and celebrities, hosted by variousJournalreporters. As JI’s Matthew Kassel reports(see more below), the summit is raising ethical questions surrounding the paper’s deepening business ties with Qatar — even as theJournal’s conservative editorial page has slammed the Gulf monarchy as a financial and diplomatic sponsor of Hamas.

Each of these events comes at a timewhen Qatar’s complicated public reputation in the United States is becoming a flashpoint, particularly inside the conservative movement.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



QATARS PAPER PLAY Wall Street Journal expands ties with Qatar, launches glitzy conference in Doha Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in an onstage discussion with Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour at the Tech Live conference in Qatar, Dec. 3, 2025. *Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani/X) The Wall Street Journalkicked off its Tech Live conference in Qatar on Tuesday, underscoring a deepening partnership between the publication and the controversial Gulf state. The exclusive summit, making its debut in the Middle East, will continue to be held in Doha, the Qatari capital, for the next five years, according to an initial announcement from Dow Jones, which publishes theJournal. The event is sponsored by the state-owned Qatar Airways, among a handful of other companies,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Growing embrace:Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who spoke at the event on Tuesday in an onstage discussion with Dow Jones’ CEO, Almar Latour, said in asocial media postthat the conference “represents a key platform to discuss technology’s role in business and advance Qatar’s digital standing.” In addition, Dow Jones recentlyopened an officein Doha’s Media City as part of an effort to “strengthen its operations throughout the Middle East.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google STATE OF PLAY Report: Muslim Brotherhood influence ‘increasingly pervasive’ in U.S. Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarter after the announcement of banning the society in the country on April 23, 2025 in Amman, Jordan. (Salah Malkawi/Getty Images) The Muslim Brotherhood’s influence has become increasingly pervasive in the United States, according to a new report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, titled “The Muslim Brotherhood’s Strategic Entryism into the United States: A Systemic Analysis.” President Donald Trumps recent instruction to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take steps toward banning Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations came soon after ISGAP briefed policymakers from both parties and national security professionals, including Trump administration officials, in Washington and beyond about the study,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Group’s goals:“For decades now, we’ve known that Islamism has been a problem within our liberal secular democracies,” ISGAP’s vice president, Haras Rafiq, told theMisgav Mideast Horizons podcast. (Harkov co-hosts the podcast.) The new ISGAP report cites authenticated Muslim Brotherhood documents describing the group’s strategy – calledtamkeen, which loosely translates to “empowerment” – of entrenching itself in the institutions of Western democracies.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP Lawmakers to Lebanese leaders: ‘Disarm Hezbollah now’ or risk losing U.S. support Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) A bipartisan group of House lawmakers wrote to the president and prime minister of Lebanon on Wednesday demanding they urgently move forward to disarm Hezbollah, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in November 2024. The group accused the Lebanese government of failing to fulfill its promises and obligations to disarm the terrorist group and threatened a withdrawal of U.S. support if it does not change course,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What they wrote:“We write to you with a critical message: disarm Hezbollah now, including by force if necessary,” the letter reads. “Empty promises and partial measures that fall far short of disarming the group are clearly not enough. The lack of real progress has enabled Hezbollah to rearm and rebuild its positions, even in areas south of the Litani River, where it is prohibited from operating under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.” The letter, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), was co-signed by Reps. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Don Bacon (R-NE), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Don Davis (D-NC) and Jared Golden (D-ME).

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google HOLDING FIRE Harmeet Dhillon declines to criticize Tucker Carlson for hosting antisemites on podcast Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon arrives for a news conference at the Justice Department on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department, defended Tucker Carlson’s hosting of neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes at theIsrael Hayomsummit on Tuesday. Dhillon took part in a conversation at the gathering, which took place in Manhattan, with the outlet’s senior diplomatic correspondent, Ariel Kahana, about the Trump administration’s efforts to combat domestic antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Tucker talk:Asked about Carlson’s interview with Fuentes and what tools the U.S. had to prevent the spread of the antisemitic ideas from the far right, Dhillon distanced herself from Fuentes while calling Carlson a “friend.” Dhillon said, “What we say in First Amendment world is: The antidote to speech that you don’t like is more speech. It isn’t shutting down speech. So, I don’t agree with a single word that Nick Fuentes says or has to say, and the decision of whether or not to platform that person is one for my friend and former client, Tucker Carlson.”

Read the full story here.

Also speaking at the summit:Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of the influence of social media in shaping young people’s perceptions on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CITIZENSHIP QUALMS ADL says Moreno’s dual-citizenship bill risks reviving ‘dual loyalty’ narrative U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) participates in a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) The Anti-Defamation League said on Tuesday that Sen. Bernie Moreno’s (R-OH) new proposal to ban dual citizenship risks reviving an antisemitic “dual loyalty” charge that has historically been used to target Jewish Americans,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.

ADL’s approach:Dan Granot, the Anti-Defamation League’s senior director of government relations, told JI, “The idea of questioning the loyalty of Americans based on dual citizenship is deeply troubling. Dual citizenship is a lawful and common status that millions of Americans hold, and it does not diminish anyone’s commitment to the United States. Accusations of ‘dual loyalty’ have historically been used against Jews to exclude them from public life and even justify violence, making this trope especially harmful and dangerous.”

Read the full story here.

Elsewhere:Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is sparring with AIPAC on social media over ads the group ran criticizing his support for a House resolution describing the war in Gaza as a genocide,JI’s Marc Rod reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PAPAL PRAISE Pope’s praise of Erdogan as a peacemaker raises eyebrows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greets Pope Leo XIV at the Presidential Complex during an official welcoming ceremony on November 27, 2025 in Ankara, Türkiye. (Yavuz Ozden/ dia images via Getty Images) Following a visit to Turkey on his inaugural international trip last week, Pope Leo XIV lauded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his peacemaking abilities and said Turkey has “an important role that it could play” in advancing peace in the Middle East and effectuating a two-state solution. The pope’s comments and decision to share pleasantries with the Turkish leader have struck some in the pro-Israel community as out of touch and are part a pattern of recent remarks from the Vatican that have been critical of Israel, most notably in its handling of the war against Hamas in Gaza,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Reactions:Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, called the pontiff’s comments on Turkey “odd,” adding that his intentions were likely to “flatter his hosts but have little connection to reality.” Sinan Ciddi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, agreed, calling the pope’s comments “flawed” and “fantasy.” However, he noted that popes have a “record of being idealists.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Instagram Mayor:The Wall Street Journal’s Jim Carlton spotlights San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s embrace of social media as a means to boost the city’s standing after being elected on a platform of revitalizing the Bay Area, which for years had been plagued by economic and safety issues. “The 47-year-old Levi Strauss heir has become ubiquitous on the city’s social-media scene. He posts musings every day from his wanderings around San Francisco, some on somber topics like ongoing drug use but most are upbeat — even a bit hokey. … Social media, he added, is his way of telling San Franciscans — and the world — how the city is progressing. ‘It’s about being unfiltered, speaking directly to the people of San Francisco,’ the mayor said as he walked along the city’s waterfront last month after one of many stops, holding an umbrella against a cold, light rain.”[WSJ]

Having Hurwitz’s Back:In theJewish Telegraph Agency,Jarrod Bernstein, Shelley Greenspan and Chanan Weissman, all former White House Jewish liaisons, defend former White House speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz amid a deluge of online criticism over a misleadingly edited video clip in which Hurwitz discussed how Holocaust education has impacted conversations about the Israel-Hamas war. “What followed was a torrent of outrage from people who claimed Sarah was arguing that we shouldn’t teach Holocaust education because doing so makes young people think the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is a genocide. Others claimed she was saying that genocide only matters when it’s perpetrated against Jews. Such sentiments would obviously be obscene, and we were shocked that people would attribute them to Sarah, someone who just published a book in which she expressed profound anguish about the unbearable deaths of civilians in Gaza. … Sarah was also conveying that, contrary to the impression young people get on social media, what happened in Gaza is not analogous to the Holocaust. It was a devastating war that does not fit neatly into a simplistic frame of oppressor versus oppressed. That black and white paradigm disregards the complex challenges that continue to stymie a resolution to this heartbreaking conflict.”[JTA]

Spotlight Shapiro:The Atlantics Tim Alberta profiles Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, amid speculation that the moderate Democrat could mount a presidential bid in 2028. For a man with such an established public profile—years as a congressional aide, decades in various elected offices, a network as extensive as that of any Democrat in office today—Shapiro remains something of a mystery, a man whose real views and motives are widely debated but ill-defined. In conversations with dozens of people who know the governor, a certain irony is inescapable. Shapiro seems to believe that he is uniquely equipped to run for president and repair the Democratic Party’s deficit of trust and authenticity. Any such campaign, however, would expose deficits of his own.[TheAtlantic]







Word on the Street The State Department’sJacob Helbergsaidthat the U.S. is looking to lock in agreements with eight countries, including Israel and the United Arab Emirates, that will strengthen supply chains for computer chips and minerals critical to the production of AI technology; the White House is hosting the first meeting with officials from the countries on Dec. 12…

Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuexpressedopenness to a U.S.-brokered security deal with Damascusinvolving southern Syria, with the caveat that Syria respects the buffer zone between the countries…

Republican Matt Van EppsdefeatedDemocratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn by nine pointsin the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District…

Rep.Ayanna Pressley(D-MA)ruled outa primary challenge to Sen. Ed Markey(D-MA), announcing on Tuesday that she’ll run for reelection in Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District…

James SolomonwonJersey Citys runoff election for mayor, besting former Gov. Jim McGreevey

Reps.Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY)wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubiourging him to work to secure the releaseofKamran Hekmati, an American-Iranian dual citizen and member of the Persian Jewish community arrested in Iran earlier this year for having visited Israel 13 years ago…

TheNew York Young Republican Club isslated to honorfar-right Alternative for Germany senior officialMarkus Frohnmaierat its upcoming annual gala…

A new offer fromDavid Ellison’s Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros. Discovery reportedlyhas backingfrom the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi; Paramount made the higher, second-round bid for the entire company, while Netflix and Comcast submitted bids for only Warner Bros.’ studios and streaming business…

PhilanthropistsMichael and Susan Dell aredonating$6.25 billionto back the creation of seed investment accounts for children in the U.S.as part of the “Trump accounts” program…

The family of Holocaust survivorErno Spiegeldonatedthe pen he used to falsify records to save dozens of sets of twins who were subject to medical experiments atAuschwitz…

OneTablelaid off25% of its employees as it undertakes a “planned, strategic shift” in its staffing…

TheU.K.’s independent advisor on antisemitismtoldParliament’s Home Affairs Committee thatU.K. police altered evidence it used to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supportersfrom attending a recent soccer match against Aston Villa…

U.K. Attorney GeneralRichard HermerurgedNigel Farage to apologize to former classmatesover what they claimed wererepeated antisemitic and racist insultsfrom the Reform UK leader during his teenage years…

Israelisfinalizingthe handover of itsArrow 3 anti-ballistic missile defense system to Germany, marking, at $4.2 billion, Jerusalem’s largest defense export deal…

Israeli officialssaidthatremains transferred from Hamas to Red Cross officialson Tuesday do not match either of the remaining two hostages in Gaza…

TheRafah border crossing between Gaza and Egyptis slated to reopenin the coming days, allowing access out of the enclave to Palestinians who have been approved by Israeli security officials…

Pic of the Day (GPO) Lockheed Martin, together with Israel’s Industrial Cooperation Authority, signed an extension this week for the Umbrella Industrial Cooperation Agreement (UICA) through the end of 2029. The ceremony was led by Israeli Minister of Economy Nir Barkat (center left), Lockheed Martin Chief Operating Officer Frank St. John (center right), Lockheed Martin Israel Chief Executive Tal Galor (right), the ministry’s Head of Industry Division Nurit Tsur-Rabino and Head of Industrial Cooperation Authority Division Yazeed Sheick-Yousif.

Birthdays (Boris Streubel/Getty Images) Professional tennis player with a WTA doubles ranking that reached as high as 21,Sharon Fichmanturns 35

Close associate of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and influential leader within Chabad, Rabbi ChaimYehuda Yudel Krinskyturns 92… Founder of a successful wedding gown business and a lifestyle coach,Sandy Stackler… 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winner for his book on Arabs and Jews in Israel, he was a long-serving foreign correspondent and Washington bureau chief forThe New York Times,David K. Shiplerturns 83… Member of the New York State Assembly since 1994,Jeffrey Dinowitzturns 71… Former Argentine minister of foreign affairs,Gerardo Wertheinturns 70… Miami-based criminal defense attorney whose clients have included O.J. Simpson and Charlie Sheen,Yale Lance Galanterturns 69… Painter and art teacher residing in Maryland, her teaching career started in Petach Tikva,Heidi Praff… Former editorial page editor atUSA Today,William “Bill” Sternberg… Former member of the House of Representatives (D-NC) until January, now chair of Democratic Majority for Israel,Kathy Manningturns 69… British publicist, music manager and former tabloid journalist,Rob Goldstoneturns 65… President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 2023,Sally A. Kornbluthturns 65… Aerospace and technology executive, entertainment attorney and media mogul,Jon F. Veinturns 62… Former member of the Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party,Eli Avidarturns 61… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, she won Adam Schiffs House seat in 2025, DemocratLaura Friedmanturns 59… First VP at Adat Ari El Congregation in Valley Village, Calif.,Malinda Wozniak Marcus… Cellist and associate professor at McGill University,Matt Haimovitzturns 55… SVP of strategic initiatives at NBC News until 2024, now a communications consultant,Alison Ali Weisberg Zelenko… Associate professor of Jewish history and chair of Jewish studies at Yeshiva University,Joshua M. Karlip, Ph.D. turns 54… French journalist, author, television and radio personality,Marie Druckerturns 51… Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian and actress, she discovered her Eritrean Jewish roots as an adult,Tiffany Haddishturns 46… Financial trader and founder of XTX Markets,Alex Gerkoturns 46… CEO of Solar One, he was a member of the New York City Council through 2021,Stephen T. Levinturns 44… Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit,Rachel Sarah Bloomekatzturns 43… Hasidic singer, his music videos have 120 million views on YouTube,Benzion Hakohen Benny Friedmanturns 41… Founding partner and head of business strategy at Triadic,Elizabeth “Lizzie” Edelman…



]]> 96210 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-the-menin-standing-in-mamdanis-way/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:13:23 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=96088 ]]> Good Tuesday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look at how New York City CouncilmemberJulie Menin’s potential leadership of the councilcould impact Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s policies, and report on the upcomingHouse Committeevote ondesignating Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated groupsas terror organizations. We preview today’s closely watchedspecial election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, and have the exclusive onRep. Ritchie Torres’ new billto codify theCoast Guard’s anti-swastika policy. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Eli Zabar,Marc Rowan,Josh KushnerandSam Altman.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching In Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District today, Republican Matt Van Epps and Democrat Aftyn Behn face off in the special election to replace Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who resigned over the summer. More below. In Washington, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates is holding its annual National Day celebration. Elsewhere in Washington, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is hosting the premiere of “The Last Twins,” a documentary about the efforts of Erno “Zvi” Spiegel, a Hungarian Jewish man and prisoner at Auschwitz who protected twins imprisoned at the concentration camp. Israel Hayom is holding its first New York summit today in Manhattan. Speakers include the Israeli dailys publisher Dr. Miriam Adelson, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder, TWG Global managing partner and former Biden administration senior official Amos Hochstein, the Justice Department’s Harmeet Dhillon and former hostages Guy Gilboa Dallal and Evyatar David. The Combat Antisemitism Movement is holding its 2025 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in New Orleans. In Miami, Art Basel kicks off today and runs through the weekend. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar Today’s special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District— covering parts of Nashville, its conservative suburbs and rural counties in middle Tennessee — was expected to be a sleepy affair, given that the district backed President Donald Trump with 60% of the vote in 2024. The state’s aggressively partisan redistricting in 2021 was intended to guarantee GOP dominance of the state’s congressional delegation, leaving just one Democratic district in Memphis.

But in a sign that Trump’s growing unpopularityis creating unforeseen problems for Republicans in conservative constituencies, the race between Republican military veteran Matt Van Epps, a former state Cabinet secretary, and Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn is highly competitive.

The fact that polls show the race tightening— with oneEmerson College pollshowing Van Epps in a statistical tie with Behn — is a sign of just how treacherous the political landscape has become for Republicans.Gallup’s latest surveyfound Trump with a 36% job approval, close to an all-time low throughout his two terms in office.

If Republicans are nervous about holding a seat that Trump won by 22 points, there’s a growing likelihood of a blue wave that would give Democrats comfortable control of the House and an outside shot at a Senate majority. (Oneuseful benchmark: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) carried the 7th District by just two points in her 2018 Senate race, the last election year when Democrats rode a wave to win back the House.)

The fact that Republicans are struggling to make the casethat the unapologetically progressive Behn holds views out of step with the conservative district on everything fromanti-police rhetoricto antipathy towards her home city of Nashvilleto a record of hostility against Israelis also a sign of how nationalized our politics have become. In today’s tribal world, candidate quality and specific policy views mean a lot less than the overall political mood (vibes) and the popularity of the president.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



IDEOLOGICAL COUNTERWEIGHT Likely NYC council speaker Julie Menin on a collision course with Mayor-elect Mamdani Council member Julie Menin speaks during rally of 240 Holocaust survivors for 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas during terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Julie Menin, a moderate Jewish Democrat from Manhattan who last week declared an early victory in the New York City Council speaker race, is widely expected to serve as an ideological counterweight to the incoming administration of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Some of their biggest clashes could stem from their sharply opposing views on Israel and antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Diverging approaches:Menin, who would be the council’s first Jewish speaker if officially elected in January during an internal vote, is an outspoken supporter of Israel and visited the country on a solidarity trip months after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. For his part, Mamdani, a 34-year-old Queens state assemblyman, has long been a detractor of Israel — whose right to exist as a Jewish state he has refused to recognize. He hasindicated that he could move to enact some policies aligning with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Jewish state, even as he has also promised to protect Jewish New Yorkers by calling for a major increase in funding to prevent hate crimes, among other measures.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON DECK House Committee to vote on Muslim Brotherhood terrorist designation bill U.S. Capitol Building on January 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Just over a week after the Trump administration announced moves to designate branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is set to discuss and vote on legislation that aims to classify the entire organization globally as a terrorist group on Wednesday,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Side by side:The bipartisan House legislation, led by Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), would instruct the Department of State to assess whether each branch of the Muslim Brotherhood operating globally meets the requirements for designation as a terrorist group. It would then use those determinations to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in its entirety. The legislation may go further than the current executive action on the issue, which does not specifically mandate assessments of each Muslim Brotherhood branch and does not directly aim to proscribe the entire Muslim Brotherhood.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google UNSAVORY ALLIANCE Cori Bush poses for picture with influencer who defended Capital Jewish Museum killings Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) delivers her concession speech during a primary election watch party at Chevre Events on August 6, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images) Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), who is challenging Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) to reclaim her former seat in Congress, posed for a photo with Guy Christensen, an anti-Israel influencer who defended the Capital Jewish Museum shooting, in which two Israeli Embassy employees were murdered,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Background:The influencerposted a photo last weekfrom what appears to be a recent American Muslims for Palestine conference — Christensen is wearing an AMP lanyard and speaker badge — alongside a smiling Bush, with the caption “We’re coming for you AIPAC.” Christensen, on TikTok, lauded Elias Rodriguez, who has been indicted for the D.C. shooting, encouraging his followers to support the alleged gunman, characterizing the shooting as “justified” and an “act of resistance,” and urging his followers to respond with “greater resistance and escalation.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BAD MEDICINE Jewish health-care professionals demand action against ‘anti-Zionism’ in medicine People watch as Pro-Palestinian activists gather for a rally in solidarity with Hesen Jabr in front of Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone Health on June 14, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Jewish medical practitioners have faced “two years of near-constant abuse and a far longer erosion of professional norms,” according to an open letter published this week decrying the reach of anti-Zionist ideology in the medical field. More than 1,000 health-care professionals signed onto the letter, the latest of several similar attempts by Jewish doctors, therapists and nurses to garner attention about the exclusion and harassment that many say they have faced in their fields since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel two years ago,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Wider worries:But in this latest missive, its authors and signatories allege that anti-Zionism is a problem unto itself in the medical field — an argument that comes as many people who face accusations of antisemitism defend themselves by saying they are merely opposed to Israel, and not to Jews. The letter marksa rhetorical shift by medical professionals that reflects a broader set of concerns about the influence of anti-Israel ideas in medicine. Anti-Zionism, the letter’s authors write, presents a risk not just to Jewish patients but to the medical field’s integrity.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EXCLUSIVE Ritchie Torres introduces bill to codify Coast Guard’s anti-swastika policy Representative Ritchie Torres, during an interview in New York, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on Monday introduced legislation to codify a policy in the Coast Guard prohibiting displays of swastikas and other hate symbols, following backlash last week over a new Coast Guard policy that loosened the previous ban on such displays,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What it does:Torres’ bill would prohibit the Coast Guard from issuing, without congressional approval, “any guidance that is less restrictive on prohibiting divisive or hate symbols and flags” than the updated policy issued following the public backlash, which partially, although not fully, reinstated the previous policy. The new policy states that “divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited, including swastikas.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google VETO VISION U.N. member states push to eliminate Security Council veto Ambassadors and representatives to the United Nations meet at the U.N. Security Council to vote on a U.S. resolution on the Gaza peace plan at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City, Nov. 17, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) Members of the United Nations General Assembly are renewing their push to curb or eliminate the Security Council veto, intensifying concern over whether such a reform would make it easier for the international body to target Israel,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Eye on Israel:The “veto initiative,” adopted in 2022, requires the General Assembly to convene a debate any time a permanent member of the Security Council — the United States, United Kingdom, France, China or Russia — blocks a resolution. During the war between Israel and Hamas, the Security Council attempted multiple times to pass resolutions calling for an “immediate” and “unconditional” ceasefire in Gaza. The United States often cast the lone veto, arguing the measures were one-sided and would ultimately benefit Hamas. “Anti-Israel bias at the United Nations is pervasive, and the U.S. veto is the only thing standing in the way of the body passing binding resolutions that would pose a danger to the Jewish state,” said David May, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Target on Their Backs:The New Yorker’s Benjamin Wallace-Wells spotlights the rise in political violence targeting U.S. officials on both sides of the aisle, including the Passover firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion targeting Gov. Josh Shapiro. “[Cody] Balmer had pleaded guilty in mid-October, not just to arson and terrorism but to attempted murder. But Shapiro was still reluctant to focus on his attacker. ‘The prosecutor felt it was important to introduce into evidence the bomber’s claims that he did that because of “what I did to the Palestinians,” so clearly there was some motivation because of my faith,’ Shapiro said. ‘But I think it is dangerous for you or anyone else to think about those who perpetrate these violent attacks as linear thinkers, meaning that they have a left-wing ideology or a right-wing ideology, or that they have a firm set of beliefs the way you might or I might. These are clearly irrational thinkers. And I think that’s true of others who have claimed lives, whether it’s [Minnesota] Speaker [Melissa] Hortman’s or Charlie Kirk’s.’”[NewYorker]

Bearing Arms:The Atlantic’s Isaac Stanley-Becker reports on Germany’s moves to rebuild its offensive military capabilities amid concerns over increased Russian aggression on the Continent and moves by Washington toward neo-isolationism. “[Colonel Dennis] Krüger told me about traveling to Tel Aviv to fine-tune a missile-defense system purchased from the Israelis that can intercept and destroy long-range ballistic missiles in space. For decades, Germany has been a top exporter of arms to Israel, its commitment to the security of the Jewish state a legacy of the Holocaust. Arrow 3, the largest defense deal in Israeli history, reverses that logic by making Israel a guarantor of German safety. Krüger said that work on the weapons system turned representatives from the two militaries into a ‘family,’ and that they built camaraderie when his staff waited out missile attacks in Tel Aviv’s belowground shelters with their Israeli counterparts. The weapons acquisition from Israel is ‘one next step,’ Krüger said, ‘in overcoming our history.’”[TheAtlantic]



Word on the Street Following a phone call with Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, PresidentDonald Trumpcalled onJerusalem to “maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria”and warned Israel to avoid scenarios “that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State”

U.S. Ambassador to TurkeyTom Barrack, the U.S.’ Syria envoy,metin Damascus on Monday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaain an effort to calm tensions between Syria and Israel following weekend clashes

Politicolooks atconcerns among Republican Jewish donors over increasing antisemitismon the right…

Sam Altman’s OpenAI istakingan ownership stake in Josh Kushner’s Thrive Holdingsand will integrate its AI tools into Thrive’s companies, which were acquired with an eye toward consolidating them and incorporating AI into their processes; Thrive had previously invested billions of dollars in OpenAI…

Private equity firmApax PartnersacquiredIsraeli online marketplace Yad2for $950 million…

Harvardhireda recent divinity school graduatewho was filmed in late 2023assaulting a Jewish studentat a “die-in” at the Cambridge campus…

The New York TimesspotlightsEli Zabar’s egg salad sandwich…

Israeli filmmakerRachel Elitzurinterviewsreligious Jewish couplesabout their first night of marriage in her short documentary “The First Night”

TheNorwegian government isstrugglingto reach a consensusonissues regarding oil drilling and Oslo’s sovereign wealth fund’s investments in Israelin its draft budget for the coming year ahead of a vote scheduled for Friday…

Asynagogue and memorial in Rome to a 2-year-old Jewish victim of terror werevandalizedearlier this week, drawing condemnations from the city’s Jewish community and Italy’s foreign minister, who called the vandalism “unacceptable”…

Colombiaexpelledmore than two dozen members of the Lev Tahor sect, including 17 children, after a raid on the hotel in which they were staying…

Israel’s Iron Beam system, which intercepts missiles with lasers,will be delivered to the IDF for initial operational use at the end of the month, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Daniel Gold, head of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Research and Development Directorate, said at the International DefenseTech Summit at Tel Aviv University on Monday,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports…

Iransentencedaward-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi to a year in prisonin absentia; Panahi, whose “It Was Just an Accident” won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, is currently in the U.S. promoting the film…

TheSudanese Armed ForcesofferedRussia a 25-year naval base dealalong the East African coast that, if Moscow accepts, would be its first position in Africa…

Pic of the Day (UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK) Apollo Global Management CEO and UJA-Federation of New York Board Chair Marc Rowan was honored with the Gustave L. Levy Award last night at the 50th UJA-Federation Wall Street Dinner in Manhattan.

Referencing New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s comments regarding the recent protests outside an aliyah event at the Park East Synagogue, Rowan declared Mamdani an “enemy” of the Jewish community, vowing that his organization would “call him out.”

Read more fromeJewishPhilantropy’s Nira Dayanim here.

Birthdays (Bruno de Carvalho/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Actress best known for playing Special Agent Kensi Blye in 277 episodes of CBS NCIS Los Angeles,Daniela Ruahturns 42…

Former director of the Mossad and then head of the Israeli National Security Council,Efraim Halevyturns 91… Professor of rabbinic literature at Yeshiva Universitys Gruss Institute in Jerusalem,Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoffturns 88… Real estate executive and founder of the Sunshine Group, she was an EVP of The Trump Organization until 1985,Louise Mintz Sunshineturns 85… Sociologist and human rights activist,Jack Nusan Porterturns 81… Partner at Personal Healthcare LLC,Pincus Zagelbaum… Former drummer for a rock band in France followed by a career in contemporary Jewish spiritual music in Brooklyn,Isaac Jacky Bittonturns 78… EVP at Rubenstein Communications, Nancy Haberman… Author of more than 15 volumes of poetry, he is a professor emeritus of English at the University of Pennsylvania,Bob Perelmanturns 78… French historian, professor at Sorbonne Paris North University and author of 30 books on the history of North Africa,Benjamin Storaturns 75… Retired associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,Barbara A. Lenkturns 75… Professor emerita at Montana State University, she was a member of the Montana House of Representatives and a board member of Bozemans Congregation Beth Shalom, Dr.Franke Wilmerturns 75… Canadian fashion designer and entrepreneur, he is best known for launching the Club Monaco and Joe Fresh brands,Joe Mimranturns 73… Partner in the Madison, Wis., law firm of Miner, Barnhill Galland, she is a class action and labor law attorney,Sarah Siskind… Rabbi of Baltimores Congregation Ohel Moshe, RabbiZvi Teichman… Celebrity physician and author of diet books, he is the president of the Nutritional Research Foundation,Joel Fuhrmanturns 72… Advertising account executive at the Los Angeles Daily Journal Corporation,Lanna Solnit… Cleveland resident,Joseph Schlaiser… Emmy Award-winning actress,Rena Soferturns 57… Publisher and CEO ofThe Forward,Rachel Fishman Feddersen… Identical twin sisters, known as The AstroTwins, they are magazine columnists and authors of four books on astrology,Tali Edut and Ophira Edutturn 53… Lecturer of political science at Yale, she was formerly a White House staffer,Eleanor L. Schiffturns 49… Television writer and producer,Murray Selig Millerturns 49… Former member of the Knesset and then Israels ambassador to the U.K.,Tzipi Hotovelyturns 47… Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation,Annie Fixler… Managing director with Alvarez Marsal in Atlanta, she was a sabre fencer at the 2004 Summer Olympics,Emily Jacobson Edwardsturns 40… Actor, best known for playing Trevor in the coming-of-age film Eighth Grade,Fred Hechingerturns 26



]]> 96088 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/daily-kickoff-shamrock-shame-has-dublin-backtracking/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:21:43 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95903 ]]> Good Monday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we interview former Rep.Steve Israel about his new spy thrillerand report onNorthwestern University’s $75 million settlement with the Trump administration. We talk tothe parents of Yaron Lischinskyabout the slain Israeli Embassy staffer’s life and legacy, and cover recentvictories for Irish Jews and Israel supportersin the face of an effort to remove the name of Chaim Herzog from a Dublin park, as well as the shelving of a bill to boycott Israeli products made in the West Bank. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: Sen.Cory Booker,Segev Kalfonand RabbiBrent Chaim Spodek.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushnerare traveling to Moscow today ahead of theirmeeting tomorrowwith Russian PresidentVladimir Putin. Witkoff and Kushner, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met yesterday in Miami with senior aides to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Pope Leo XIV is in Lebanon this weekas part of his first international trip since becoming pontiff.He first traveled to Turkey last week, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoganas well as the head of the country’s Jewish community. Israel Defense Tech Weekkicked off this morning at Tel Aviv University. Senior Pentagon officialMike Dodd;Adm. (ret.)Mike Rogers,a former director of the National Security Agency; and Sequoia Capital’sShaun Maguireare among the two-day conference’s featured speakers. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS LAHAV HARKOV Ireland has long been competing for the title of most anti-Israel country in the West, and in recent years, the local Jewish community has expressed fears that the country has become systemically antisemitic. Calls to boycott Israel have permeated the political mainstream; the Emerald Isle’s under 3,000 Jews facehostilityin schools and workplaces, and physical harassment has increased in recent years. Pleas to the former president not to politicize International Holocaust Memorial Day by making it another occasion toaccuseIsrael of war crimes fell on deaf ears; Ireland has sinceelecteda president who is even more stridently opposed to the Jewish state.

Yet, Irish Jews and supporters of Israel notched two victorieson Sunday.

Ireland is pulling its Occupied Territories Billto boycott Israeli products from the West Bank in light of a changed political climate as a result of the ceasefire in Gaza, theIrishMail on Sundayreported. The legislation faced legal challenges due to its violation of European Union trade rules, and, as several members of Congresspointed out, could run afoul of U.S. states laws penalizing those who boycott Israel and damage relations between Washington and Dublin.

In addition, following an uproar started by the local Jewish community that went global, leading Israel’s leadership and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to sound the alarm, pressuring Ireland’s government, a proposal to remove sixth Israeli President Chaim Herzog’s name from a public park and replace it with a name related to Palestinians was taken off of Dublin City Council’s agenda.

Herzog, father of current Israeli President Isaac Herzog, was born in Belfastand grew up in Dublin. He was Israeli ambassador to the U.N. — famously tearing up its Zionism is racism resolution — before serving as president in 1983-1993. The park in Dublin was named after Herzog in 1995, to coincide with the 3,000th anniversary of Jerusalems establishment. It is adjacent to Ireland’s only Jewish school and close to major Orthodox and Progressive synagogues.

The currentPresident Herzog, his brother, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.Michael Herzog, Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’ar,Grahamand others spoke out, saying “Ireland, once home to a proud, thriving Jewish community, has become the scene of raging antisemitism.”

Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martinchimed insoon after, expressing concern that the name change would be seen as antisemitic, and hours later, it was no longer on Dublin City Council’s agenda.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



PARDON PLEA Netanyahu asks Herzog for pardon amid ongoing corruption trial (L-R) Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu speaks next to US President Donald Trump, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Israels President Isaac Herzog at the Knesset, Israels parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Kenny Holston Pool/Getty Images) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked President Isaac Herzog to pardon him, six years after Netanyahu was indicted for fraud, breach of trust and bribery and as his yearslong trial continues to play out in Israeli court,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. Among the reasons Netanyahu cited for requesting the pardon, in a concurrent video statement, was “the requests from President Trump to the president of Israel, so I can work together with him as quickly as possible to promote the necessary shared interests between the U.S. and Israel in a window of opportunity that I doubt will return.”

Next steps:Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, sent Herzog’s office a 111-page file of details of the trial, including a letter from the prime minister. Herzog’s office passed Netanyahu’s request to the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department, which will send its opinions to the legal advisor of the Office of the President, who will then add her opinion before sending them to Herzog. A source in Herzog’s office told JI that the process may take weeks and the president will rely heavily on the opinions he receives.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS Six months after Yaron Lischinskys murder, his parents reflect on Israeli Embassy staffers life and legacy Secretary of Homeland SecurityKristi Noem/Facebook (Secretary of Homeland SecurityKristi Noem meets with Daniel and Ruth Lischinsky, November 21, 2025) Six months after the death of their son, Yaron Lischinsky, and his girlfriend, Sarah Milgrim — both Israeli Embassy employees — in a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum, Daniel and Ruth Lischinsky visited Washington last week, meeting with senior administration officials and visiting the sites where their son lived, worked and, ultimately, died. Speaking to Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod during their time in the U.S. capital, the pair reflected on their son’s life and legacy.

A son’s legacy:“He was a peacemaker. He tried [to make] people understand one [another], talking with the other and not fighting. He was a big fan of the Abraham Accords and he was a peacemaker. He knew that through diplomacy he can reach and he can make achievements,” Daniel Lischinsky said. Ruth Lischinsky said she’s been struck by the number of people that knew her son in Washington.

Read the full interview here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CAMPUS BEAT Jewish leaders cautiously optimistic over Northwestern deal with Trump administration Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. on Saturday, October 5, 2024. (Vincent Alban for The Washington Post via Getty Images) Jewish leaders with ties to Northwestern University are cautiously celebrating a $75 million settlement reached on Friday with the Trump administration to restore federal funding that was frozen earlier this year over allegations that administrators failed to address campus antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

What it means:Under the agreement — which will restore at least $790 million in funding that was frozen in April — the Illinois private university agreed to end its commitment to the Deering Meadow agreement, a controversial pact made with anti-Israel encampment participants in the spring of 2024. The agreement allowed students to protest the war in Gaza until the end of the school year so long as tents were removed and encouraged employers not to rescind job offers for student protesters. The document also allowed students to weigh in on university investments — a major concession for students who had demanded the university divest from Israel. The school’s settlement with the Department of Justice also stipulates that Northwestern commit to “clear policies and procedures” around demonstrations, protests and other “expressive activities” and implement mandatory antisemitism training for all students, faculty and staff.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOOKSHELF Former Rep. Steve Israel pens Einstein-focused spy thriller set against backdrop of U.S. pro-Nazi movement

In his latest novel, former Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) takes readers through a tense spy thriller, with famed physicist Albert Einstein at its center, set against the backdrop of the pro-Nazi movement in America in 1939,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Political moment:Published last week,The Einstein Conspiracyis a fictionalized account of true events, in which the Nazis targeted Albert Einstein to prevent him from helping the United States build an atomic bomb. “The backdrop is the chilling and widespread pro-Nazi movement across America in 1939,” Israel explained to JI. “There was a [Nazi] rally at Madison Square Garden in February 1939 that attracted 20,000 people. On Long Island is a community that used to be known as Camp Siegfried, where the streets were named after Adolf Hitler, Goebbels and Goering. So I’m trying in the book to remind Americans of how close we could have come to staying out of World War II.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Penny Wise:InThe Washington Post, philanthropist and Kind founder Daniel Lubetzky considers the overlap in Jewish and American values as he reflects on the rise in global antisemitism. “My maternal grandfather — who fled pogroms in Lithuania and landed on the shores of northern Mexico, where he became a successful cattle rancher — taught his grandchildren about humility and resourcefulness. He used to say, in Spanish, ‘A man who is too arrogant to pick up a penny is not worth a penny.’ The idea harbored by some that picking up a penny is beneath them, and is disgusting in others, isn’t just bad for Jews. Its manifestation today seems to reflect a cultural crisis marked by economic anxiety, frustration and a growing rejection of the very values that have long been the foundation of the American Dream. The crisis has been marked by the emergence of a victim-oppressor mindset; those who feel left behind often believe that they have no agency, and it is all too easy to deflect responsibility onto convenient scapegoats — including those perennial targets, the Jews.”[WashPost]

Qatar Ready For Its Close-up:Variety’s Nick Vivarelli looks at the effort by Qatar to break into Hollywood amid the backdrop of last weeks Doha Film Festival, whichkicked offfeaturing The Voice of Hind Rajab, about a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza. “‘We are building the foundations of a world class [film and TV] ecosystem with new infrastructure, production facilities and post-production capabilities supported by vast technology, and data analytics,’ said Hassan Al Thawadi, the Qatari lawyer who oversaw the 2022 World Cup. He is now leading The Qatar Film Committee, an official body that is part of the Media City Qatar hub tasked with driving growth of the country’s entertainment industry. But Al Thawadi made it clear that Hollywood should not be expecting any handouts from Qatar. ‘This agreement is about more than financing films,’ he said, after announcing the relatively modest pact with Neon that involves six to 10 feature films and shorts over a four-year period that Neon will co-finance and distribute. ‘It’s about creating a new platform for Arabic and regional storytelling, ensuring that stories from Qatar and the wider Arab world are seen, celebrated, and shared globally.’”[Variety]

Beyond Denominations:InTablet, Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz argues that the post-Oct. 7 landscape provides an opportunity for the American Jewish community to find new ways of collaboration and partnership relating to Israel that go beyond the confines of denominations. “We should drop the focus on denominational labels and instead be willing to partner with anyone — Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and everything in-between — who is a Zionist. Now that the crisis of war is behind us, how do we together foster a new, inspiring Jewish identity of Oct. 8? We can invite rabbis from other regions and other denominations into our communities to speak and to teach to build bonds. We can also work together and pool resources in programming efforts. More communities can work together to share the messages of Zionist thinkers and authors, artists and musicians. Pooling our resources and ideas can help bridge the American Jewish connection with our Israeli brothers and sisters.”[Tablet]



Word on the Street Rep.Don Davis(D-NC), apro-Israel stalwartamong House Democrats,will runfor reelection in his redrawn 1st Congressional District, which under the new state congressional map was won by President Donald Trump by 11 points…

Afederal judgeorderedthe University of Florida’s law school to reinstate a studentwho had authored a paper arguing that “Jews must be abolished by any means necessary”

The New York Timesinterviewsformer Israeli hostage Segev Kalfonabout the more than two years he spent in Hamas captivity in Gaza…

ActorGuy Pearceapologizedfor sharing antisemitic social media posts, including content that blamed Israel for the Sept. 11 attacks as well as the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk…

A tribunal affiliated with theU.K.’s National Health Servicesuspendedfor 15 months a British-Palestinian doctor who defended Hamas terroristsas “oppressed resistance fighters” and called Israelis “worse than Nazis”

U.K. policearresteda manin connection with thedeadly attack on a Manchester synagogueon Yom Kippur in which two congregants were killed…

ANazi soldier photographed executing a Jewish manin the Ukrainian town of Vinnitsawasidentifiedusing artificial intelligencedecades after the image, whose subjects were unknown, gained notoriety during the trial of Adolf Eichmann…

Wizz Air CEO Jozsef Varadisaidthe low-cost European carrierplans to open a hub in Israelin early 2026…

Israeli drone manufacturerHeven AeroTechraised$100 million in a round of funding, led by IonQ, that values the company at more than $1 billion…

Iransaidit would boycott the 2026 World Cup drawthis week in Washington after the U.S. denied visas to members of the soccer team’s delegation…

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with his Turkish counterpart in Tehran over the weekend,announceda $1.6 billion joint project with Ankarato build a rail link connecting Asia and Europe…

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsseizedan Eswatini-flagged shipcarrying oil and more than a dozen crew members as it transited through the Persian Gulf;the incident occurred less than a month after the IRGC seized a Marshall Islands-flagged vesselthat originated in the United Arab Emirates…

The Wall Street Journalreports onIran’s efforts to funnel money to Hezbollahthrough Dubai-based companies…

InThe New York Times’ “Modern Love” column,Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodekreflectson his own marriageand the vows and promises made in hisketubah…

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Alexis Lewis, who is Jewish,marriedin a ceremony co-officiated by Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz, a longtime friend of Booker, in Washington over the weekend…

Tony Award-winning playwrightTom Stoppard, whose “Leopoldstadt” reflected his own life as an assimilated Englishman who did not learn of his family ties to the Holocaust until adulthood,diedat 88… Israeli Maj. Gen. (res.)Dan Tolkowsky, who led the Israeli Air Force from 1953-1958 before going on to found the country’s first VC,diedat 104… Tekserve co-founderDavid Lernerdiedat 72… ArchitectRobert A.M. Stern, who gained global acclaim for Manhattan’s 15 Central Park West,diedat 86… PsychologistPaul Ekman, whose pioneering work on facial recognition was used by Hollywood animators and the FBI alike,diedat 91…

Pic of the Day (ISRAELI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE)
Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, head of the Israel Ministry of Defense Directorate of Defense Research Development, spoke this morning at the International DefenseTech Summit at Tel Aviv University.

Birthdays (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images) Singer, actress, comedian and author,Bette Midlerturns 80…

Former CEO of Marvel Comics and chairman until 2023 of Disneys Marvel Entertainment,Isaac Ike Perlmutterturns 83… Former EVP of Stuart Weitzman,Jane Weitzman… NYC-based real estate mogul, he owned theNew York Post, served as chair of NYCs MTA and is a noted car collector,Peter Kalikowturns 83… Executive producer of over 200 shows with more than 15,000 hours of television over a lengthy career,David E. Salzmanturns 82… Comedian, actor and voice actor best known for his starring role in the animated sitcom Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist,Jonathan Katzturns 79… Former director of Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, he is now the director of Yashrut, RabbiDaniel Landesturns 75… Former president of the American Jewish Committee and a board member at Israel Policy Forum,John M. Shapiro… British playwright, director and scriptwriter who has won many awards for his work on the stage, film and television,Stephen Poliakoffturns 73… U.S. senator (R-FL),Rick Scottturns 73… Newly appointed rabbi at Congregation Beth El of Windsor, Ontario, RabbiGordon Fuller… Former chair of the board of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation,Isaac Ike Fisherturns 69… U.S. District Court judge in Oregon, JudgeMichael H. Simonturns 69… U.S. senator (D-MI),Gary Petersturns 67… CEO of Oracle Corporation until a few months ago, now vice chair of the board, she also joined the board of the recently merged Paramount Skydance,Safra A. Catzturns 64… Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Cambridge,Raymond E. Goldsteinturns 64… Pittsburgh-based entrepreneur,David Seldin… CEO at My Pest Pros in Fairfax County (Virginia),Brett Lieberman… Emmy Award-winning stand-up comedian, actress, producer and writer,Sarah Silvermanturns 55… Rabbi of Shaarei Tefillah Congregation in Toronto,Rafi Lipnerturns 52… Editorial lead in policy communications on the global affairs team at OpenAI, he is the author of a book on military suicides,Yochi J. Dreazenturns 49… Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director, comedian, producer, writer and actor,Akiva Schafferturns 48… Marketing and communications executive,Natalie Ravitz… Editor-in-chief atJewish Insider,Josh Kraushaar… Writer and television producer, including for NBCs primetime series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,”Evan Daniel Susserturns 40… English teacher at Jerusalems Inbar School, the first secular, girls-only middle-high school in Israel,Shira Sacks… Senior advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee,David Milstein… Mexican musician influenced by Sephardic brass and klezmer styles, known by his mononym Sotelúm,Jorge Soteloturns 36… Becky Weissman



]]> 95903 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-pinning-down-the-x-imposters-draws-bipartisan-praise/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:17:04 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95904 ]]> Good Wednesday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we talk toJewish communal leaders about what’s next for their organizationsfollowing the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza and return of the living hostages, andinterview lawmakers about X’s recent decision to include users’ location information. We report onconcerns from New York City Jewish officialsover some members of Mayor-electZohran Mamdani’s transition teams, and spotlight the race inTennessee’s 7th Congressional District, where far-left state lawmakerAftyn Behnis making gains ahead of next week’s special election. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Jack Kirby, former FDNY CommissionerRobert TuckerandPope Leo XIV.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.

Ed note:In observance of Thanksgiving, the next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Monday, Dec. 1. Enjoy the long weekend!



What Were Watching Iranian Foreign MinisterAbbas Araghchiis in Paris todayfor meetings with senior French officials, including Foreign MinisterJean-Noël Barrot. The meeting comes days after France, joined by the U.S., U.K. and Germany, pushed for the International Atomic Energy Agency to pressure Iran to allow inspectors access to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities. TheAnwar Gargash Diplomatic Academyis hosting a daylong conference in Abu Dhabi on the Abraham Accords’ impact across the region. Pope Leo XIV is making his first international tripsince becoming pontiff, traveling on Thursday to Turkey and from there to Lebanon on Sunday.In Turkey, the pope is scheduled to meet with Turkish Chief Rabbi David Sevias well as other religious leaders. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS HALEY cOHEN For more than two years, Jewish communities around the country— despite deep rifts over Israels prosecution of the war in Gaza — demonstrated ahistoric united effortto bring home the hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. In cities coast to coast, Jewish individuals and groups across different denominations, political affiliations and ages gathered together forrallies,fundraisersandwalks, voicing a singular message: “Bring Them Home Now.”

The efforts culminated last month with the release of the remaining living hostagesand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. But heads of leading Jewish organizations say the work is not done and there are several new consensus issues for American Jews, with many echoing that tackling the increase in antisemitism remains a central and unifying concern.

“Helping to rebuild Israel, continuing to secure our communitiesand leaning into a surge in Jewish life” that sparked new energy in the community in the wake of Oct. 7 are the next issues Jewish federations nationwide are addressing, Eric Fingerhut, CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, toldJewish Insider.

“We all understand that there are serious and long-term issues related to the warin Israel, both related to trauma and mental health issues that have arisen, all of the rebuilding that is needed and support to those who fought and bereaved families,” said Fingerhut.

“The toxic combination of rising security threats and antisemitism remain a top priority.We still have work to do to make sure our communities are fully secure,” he continued. An October JFNA and Anti-Defamation Leaguesurveyfound that more than half of all Jewish Americans experienced at least one form of antisemitism in the past year; 14% have developed exit plans to flee the U.S. if the situation worsens.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Bipartisan praise from lawmakers on X’s new location feature (Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are cheering the implementation of X’s new location feature this week — allowing users to see what countries accounts are operating from — with some expressing hope that the move will expose the level of foreign involvement in domestic online political discourse. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle touted the new feature as a useful way to identify if an account commenting on U.S. political matters could potentially be a foreign actor,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.

Providing insight:The new feature has exposed a variety of far-left and far-right accounts engaging in U.S. political discourse and spreading antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiments as they operate from various foreign countries. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said the information gleaned from the platform’s new feature crystalized the degree to which “foreign interests are trying to spread” antisemitic ideas in the United States. The evidence is insightful,” Bacon, who is leading a bill with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) aimed at addressing antisemitism on social media, told JI.

Read the full story herewith additional comments from Gottheimer, Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), Reps, Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Laura Friedman (D-CA) and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google COMMUNITY CONCERNS Mamdani transition picks draw scrutiny from Jewish leaders (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, rolled out an extensive list of more than 400 new transition team appointees on Monday, saying the picks would help “recruit top talent and develop smart policy” on such issues as housing, community safety and economic development. Despite the wide diversity of his choices, some of the appointees have raised concerns among Jewish leaders who remain skeptical of the mayor-elect and his commitment to fighting antisemitism, especially in moments where anti-Israel sentiment can cross a line into overt bigotry against Jews,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

In the spotlight:Among the most controversial sources of criticism was Mamdani’s appointment of Tamika Mallory, a former Women’s March leader whostepped downfrom its board amid allegations of antisemitism, to a newly established community safety committee. Mallory, who rose to prominence as a leading organizer of the Women’s March after President Donald Trump was first elected, resigned from her role as a co-chair of the organization afterfacing accusationsof having made virulently antisemitic remarks, including a widely discredited claim that Jewish people had played a major part in the slave trade.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google GARDEN STATE RACE Former Rep. Tom Malinowski, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill leading contenders in race to replace Sherrill Former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP/Facebook) The race to replace New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in her northern New Jersey district, an affluent, suburban area with a sizable Jewish population, has attracted around a dozen Democratic candidates from a wide array of backgrounds. But three Jewish leaders in the state plugged into the local political scene say they see Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill as the likely front-runner for the 11th Congressional District seat, with former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) as a formidable candidate as well,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

State of play: Gill has the endorsement of Gov. Phil Murphy, whose 2017 campaign Gill managed, and has long been seen as a rising star. One Jewish leader said he expects Gill would be a reliable advocate for Jewish issues, but two others raised concerns, noting Gill’s wife’s relationships with local anti-Israel groups. Jeff Grayzel, the deputy mayor of Morris Township, N.J., and a leader in his local Jewish community relations council and federation, argued that he has a path to victory if Gill and Malinowski focus their fire on each other, and if Morris County voters and the Jewish community in Essex County turn out in support of him.

Read the full story here.

Malinowski’s view:Malinowskitold JI in an interview last week, that he’s “as pro-Israel as I have ever been.” But he’s also expressing more openness to — but also not committing to supporting — policies conditioning or restricting aid, and called for the U.S. to serve as a “counterweight” to the Israeli far right. And he said that U.S. aid shouldn’t be used in furtherance of Israeli actions that the U.S. itself doesn’t support. At the same time, he expressed support for the Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan and strikes on Iran.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Tennessee tackle Long-shot Tennessee special election candidate stakes out anti-Israel stance Democratic congressional candidate State Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, attends a campaign event during the special election for the seventh district, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV/AP) Far-left Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, making a bid for the open 7th Congressional District seat in next week’s special election, has staked out strongly anti-Israel positions during the course of her campaign and political career,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Former Vice President Kamala Harris rallied with Behn in Tennessee earlier this month, and Behn has outraised Van Epps, $1.2 million to $993,000. Former Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who vacated the seat earlier this year, won in 2024 by 20 points, but polls show Van Epps leading by just 8.

Her record:Behn called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and described the war in Gaza as a genocide as early as Oct. 29, 2023, weeks after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, shortly after she was elected to the statehouse. She alsovisited the anti-Israel encampmentat Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, describing it as “well organized, grounded in liberation politics.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FROM BUDAPEST TO D.C. Hungary pitches its pro-Israel stance as model for Europe in fight against antisemitism Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs Janos Boka talks to media prior to the start of an EU General Affairs Ministers Council in the Europa building, the EU Council headquarter on July 18, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images) In the last decade and a half, Hungary has gained a reputation as the most conservative European nation, a distinction happily touted by the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who has been in office since 2010. In building that reputation, Orbán has courted controversy —with inflammatory comments about racial minorities and the LGBTQ community, by taking measures that critics say erode the country’s democracy and by adopting a more pro-Russia stance than most of the rest of the European Union. His hard-line policies are part of why Orbán and President Donald Trump have been able to cultivate a close relationship, with the U.S. and Hungary now far more aligned than they were during the Biden administration. “That’s an understatement,” János Bóka, Hungary’s minister for EU affairs,toldJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutchwith a laugh during a visit to Washington last week.

Eye on antisemitism:But if Trump has taken a page from Orbán’s conservative governing playbook, bringing the two countries closer together, Bóka said there is one political trend playing out among American conservatives that he hopes Hungary avoids: the rise of antisemitism on the political right. “I am aware of the discussion that you are now having in the States on the reviving of antisemitism on the right. One of the added values of my trip in the U.S. is that I can study this firsthand and can discuss this with people so I have a better understanding,” Bóka said. “This phenomenon is something that is very difficult for me to understand, because at least in Hungary and in most parts of Europe, it doesnt have a parallel, or at least not yet.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EDUCATION CONSTERNATION House launches probes into antisemitism in three major public school districts Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) attends the House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on The State of American Education in the Ryaburn House Office Building on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) The public school systems in Fairfax County, Va.; Berkeley, Calif.; and Philadelphia became the latest targets of the federal government’s crackdown on antisemitism in the classroom when the House Committee on Education and the Workforce announced on Monday it would open investigations into the districts. Jewish leaders and parents in all three cities welcomed the probes with cautious optimism and said that they were long overdue, referencing high-profile incidents that have roiled each district, especially in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. While much of the federal government’s attention has been on the historic levels of antisemitism on college campuses, focus has recently shifted to addressing anti-Israel sentiments creeping into the classrooms at some public K-12 schools,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Textbook trouble:All three districts under investigation have ties to the “Teaching Palestine” curriculum, which was created by textbook publisher Rethinking Schools. “There are fair-minded ways to look at complicated problems in the Middle East. Rethinking Schools materials arent that,” said Clifford Smith, government affairs director of the North American Values Institute, which published areportexposing anti-Israel bias within Rethinking Schools. “They are propaganda masquerading as educational resources,” Smith told JI. He called on Congress to “take a hard look at the role groups like Rethinking Schools are playing in the recent explosion of antisemitism.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads X Marks the Spot:InThe Washington Post, Tinder founder Sean Rad and former Twitter/X executive Zach Schapira praise X’s recent decision to make public information regarding user location, and suggest what steps other social media platforms can take in the interest of transparency. “Social platforms fundamentally changed how people and ideas move across borders. A borderless digital ecosystem shrank distances, opened markets and created the potential for a global town square. Those benefits are profound, and worth preserving. But when political conversation moved online, one assumption baked into that early design became dangerously outdated: that geography no longer matters. … X’s recent bold decision, led by Head of Product Nikita Bier, to add country labels to accounts reflects an important shift: a recognition that geographic transparency is crucial context to help users understand whether a post is a firsthand account or distant commentary, whether it reflects genuine local sentiment or coordinated foreign messaging.”[WashPost]

Spotlight on Sudan:InNewsweek, former White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt pushes back against criticism of the United Arab Emirates’ involvement in theSudanese civil war. “Before the UAE became involved, Sudan had already collapsed, multiple times. The country has endured civil wars, coups, economic breakdowns and revolutions. Its institutions were hollowed out long before any recent foreign role. Blaming the UAE for ‘causing’ Sudan’s unraveling ignores decades of internal governance failures, competing militarized elites and the near-total absence of a functioning state. Sudan’s tragedy is primarily Sudanese in origin, even if outsiders have played supporting roles. Here is another hard reality: No war-torn state, especially one with Sudan’s history, recovers without responsible, significant external support—financial, humanitarian and diplomatic. Countries do not rebuild themselves in isolation. They need partners. And yes, those partners, whether the UAE or anyone else, will always have interests alongside their intentions to help.”[Newsweek]

History Lesson:InMoment Magazine, Menachem Z. Rosensaft raises concerns about U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose’s recent comments absolving Poland of complicity in the Holocaust. “Forty years ago, I criticized President Ronald Reagan when he said that the members of the notorious Nazi Waffen-SS buried at the German military cemetery at Bitburg ‘were victims, just as surely as the victims in the concentration camps.’ I said at that time that ‘The photograph of the president of the United States laying a wreath in the name of the United States at a cemetery which includes SS officers will be used and exploited by revisionist historians and neo-Nazis as proof that the president has forgiven the SS and it is now all right to forget.’ In a similar vein, Rose’s ill-advised and historically false whitewashing of the Polish role in the genocide of European Jewry is certain to be fodder for Polish and other antisemites who seek to trivialize (if not dismiss altogether) the Holocaust as a minor, essentially meaningless occurrence that does not warrant commemoration or remembrance.”[Moment]

Comics as Jewish Lit:eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher spotlights a new exhibit at Manhattan’s Jack Kirby Museum commemorating the Jewish comic book author’s life and legacy. “The Kirby Museum, along with The Siegel and Shuster Society, which honors Superman’s Jewish co-creators, is one of the few nonprofits celebrating the Jewish masterminds of the comics medium. Even though these writers and artists’ creations are plastered on nearly every child’s lunch box — not only in America, but around the world — their foundations and museums often lack the financial support of nonprofits dedicated to those deemed ‘fine’ artists. … ‘Comic books are Jewish literature,’ [author Roy Schwartz] said. ‘They tell the same stories as Philip Roth and Bernard Malamud and Primo Levi just through metaphor and hyperbole with a younger audience in mind, but they’re selling the same bagels on the same street corner, and this canon of Jewish American literature and art deserves to be on the same shelf as those other greats.’”[eJP]







Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trumpand Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salmanclashedlast week in a private meeting over the possibility ofRiyadh normalizing relations with Israel, with the Saudi leader reportedly saying that anti-Israel sentiment in the Gulf nation was too high at the moment for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords…

TheTrump administrationisdrivingefforts toconstruct housing in Israeli-controlled portions of the Gaza Stripto shelter tens of thousands of Palestinians, with the goal of having the first residential units inhabitable in the coming months…

Reps.Craig Goldman(R-TX),Ann Wagner(R-MO),Bill Huizenga(R-MI),Mike Lawler(R-NY),Joe Wilson(R-SC) andJosh Gottheimer(D-NJ)introduced a resolutionpraising the expansion of theAbraham Accordsto includeKazakhstan…

Bloombergreports ona leaked audio recording of a call between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putinlast month in which Witkoff reportedly advised Moscow on how to approach President Donald Trump in negotiations regarding Ukraine…

Politicolooks athowTrump’s friendly meeting with and praise for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdanicould complicate efforts by Rep.Elise Stefanik(R-NY), who is mounting a bid for governor, to tie Mamdani to New York Gov.Kathy Hochul, whom Stefanik is challenging…

Former FDNY CommissionerRobert Tucker, who is Jewish,citedhis religion as one of the factors in hisdecision to resign following Mamdani’s election, saying that Mamdani’s “whole campaign really reflected” incompatibilities between himself and the incoming administration…

Washington, D.C., MayorMuriel Bowsersaidshe will not seek a fourth term in next November’s election…

Afinal report approved unanimously by Massachusetts’ Special Commission on Combating Antisemitismdeterminedthatantisemitism is on the upswingin the state and made a number of recommendations, including the implementation of guidelines for primary and secondary schools to address discrimination and funding for the state’s new Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team…

The Wall Street Journalreports ontheuptick in universities asking applicants about navigating differing opinionsas they look to recruit student populations that can thoughtfully approach disagreements…

AnIllinois manwassentencedto two years of probation and 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to battery in a 2024 incident in which he and an accompliceassaulted two Jewish students at DePaul University; the second attacker remains at large…

TheManhattan District Attorney’s officeannouncedplans toretry Pedro Hernandez for the 1979 kidnapping and murder of 6-year-old Etan Patz, eight years after the New York man was convicted after a federal appeals court overturned the conviction earlier this year, citing the original judge having erred in his instructions to the jury…

Israelidentifiedthe remains of hostage Dror Or, who was killed at his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, after they were handed over on Tuesday by Palestinian terror groups in Gaza; Or’s wife, Yonat, was killed in the attacks, and two of their three children were taken hostage and released during the November 2023 ceasefire…

Israelisexpandingtheexemption on personal customs importsfor products under $150; previously, imports totaling more than $75 were subject to customs and import fees…

Venezuelan Foreign MinisterYván Gilaccused Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’arof being a “war criminal” after Sa’ar spoke about connections between Caracas and Iran and the latter’s terrorist proxies,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports…

Reutersreports onan effort by Israeli researchers to use AI to transcribe and sift through the medieval Cairo Geniza, which contains more than 400,000 documents, only a fraction of which have been deciphered…

Lebanongrantedcitizenship toFIFA President Gianni Infantinoin what the Lebanese Football Association called a “symbolic” gesture; the move is expected to cause consternation in the country, where Lebanese women cannot pass their citizenship to their foreign husbands, or to their children if the father is not Lebanese…

Pic of the Day (MICHAEL APPLETON/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE) Jewish communal leaders in New York City joined First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (center) for a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday for a new Holocaust memorial in Queens.

Birthdays (Photo by Sebastián Vivallo Oñate/Agencia Makro/LatinContent via Getty Images) First Jewish governor of Delaware from 2009-2017 and later U.S. ambassador to Italy,Jack Alan Markellturns 65…

Holocaust refugee from Budapest, Hungary, he founded a generic drug company in 1965 that he sold to Teva Pharmaceuticals 35 years later, University of Torontos pharmacy school bears his name,Leslie Danturns 96… San Francisco-based venture capitalist, he is a founding partner of CMEA Capital, Formation 8 and Baruch Future Ventures,Thomas R. Baruchturns 87… President of the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies,Arthur Hesselturns 83… Diplomat and author, he worked under Presidents Bush (41), Clinton and Obama on Middle East matters, in 2002 he co-founded a synagogue in Rockville, Md.,Dennis B. Rossturns 77… Former national executive director of the Zionist Organization of America,Gary P. Ratnerturns 77… Former member of the Illinois House of Representatives for 32 years, now a lobbyist,Louis I. Langturns 76… U.S. senator from West Virginia,Shelley Moore Capitoturns 72… Pulitzer Prize-winning author of nonfiction books based on his biological observations, he is a professor at Columbia University School of Journalism,Jonathan Weinerturns 72… Israel bureau chief and a senior editor for the Middle East atBloomberg News,Ethan Samuel Bronnerturns 71… Editor, journalist and publisher of Hebrew media for U.S.-based Israeli readers, he is the author of several books and award-winning screenplays,Meir Doronturns 71… Staff cartoonist forThe New Yorker,where she has published more than 1,000 cartoons,Roz Chastturns 71… Israeli reporter and writer,Ari Shavitturns 68… Mayor of Miami Beach, Fla., from 2017-2023, prior to that he served in both houses of the Florida Legislature,Daniel Saul Gelberturns 65… District Attorney of Los Angeles County,Nathan Joseph Hochmanturns 62… Former professional tennis player, he won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour,Jay Bergerturns 59… CEO and founder of Dansdeals, a credit card and travel blog,Daniel Eleffturns 41… Editor-in-chief ofW Magazine,Sara Anne Moonvesturns 41… Software engineer at Regard,Benjamin Huebscher… Executive director of Agudath Israel of Ohio, RabbiEric “Yitz” Frank… Executive director at the Council for a Secure America,Jennifer Sutton… Senior counselor at Palantir Technologies,Jordan Chandler Hirsch… Television and film actress,Anjelica Bette Felliniturns 31



]]> 95904 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-families-of-oct-7-victims-file-suit-against-binance/ Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:45:11 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95780 ]]> Good Tuesday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we look at howX’s new location featurehas pulled the curtain back on thenumerous foreign accounts attempting to foment unrest, antisemitism and anti-Israel sentimentin the West, and report on a newlawsuit filed against Binance by the families of individuals killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacksand in captivity in Gaza. We coverPresident Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood, and report onAnna Wintour’s mingling with Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the mother of the Qatari emir, who glorified slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Paul Finebaum,Len BlavatnikandDavid Amram.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching We’re keeping an eye on the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order issued yesterday targeting chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood. More below. Palestinian terror groups said they will turn over the body of a hostage to Israel this afternoon, a day after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed it was in possession of the body. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is traveling to Paris for talks with senior French officials, slated to begin tomorrow, on a range of issues, including Tehran’s refusal to grant access to international nuclear weapons inspectors as well as French nationals being detained in the Islamic Republic. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS MATTHEW KASSEL A new feature from X that allows users to see where accounts are locatedacross the world has exposed a range of extreme political actors as misrepresenting the countries in which they claim to be operating — raising questions over foreign involvement in online discourse.

The discrepancies have been particularly clarifying with regard toanti-Israel commentatorsas well asfar-right MAGA influencerswho frequently spread antisemitic rhetoric while espousing “America First” ideology.

Thanks to digital sleuths,it quickly became clear that many widely followed accounts were actually operating in such far-flung locales as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Qatar, among other places — underscoring the degree to which outside agitators are fomenting division on both the left and right.

One illustrativefar-right account, “MAGA Nation,”which claims to be “standing strong with President Trump,” for instance, was based in Eastern Europe rather than the United States, the X feature showed. Other similarly named accounts werediscoveredto be based in Nigeria and Thailand, contradicting the isolationist tenor of their rhetoric.

Several accounts that built large audiences condemning Israel and its war in Gazawere found to be running out of foreign countries. One account called “Gaza Notifications,” for example, is listed as being Turkey-based. Meanwhile, PalestinianjournalistMotasem Dalloul deniedclaimsthat he was operating from Poland, which X showed to be his location, while purporting to live in Gaza. Dalloulresponded to the claimswith a video of himself in front of destroyed buildings and tent encampments andtoldpodcast host Daniel Mael that he was using an e-SIM.

Meanwhile, a far-left political activist tied toTrack AIPAC— an X account that has faced accusations of antisemitism for demanding the pro-Israel lobbying group register as a foreign agent — was found to be living in Germany, theWashington Free Beacon reportedreported.

“Why are people in Pakistan, India, Qatar, Bangladesh and elsewheretrying to sell us division and racism?” Robby Soave, a senior editor forReasonmagazine,asked inThe Hillon Monday. “The answer is self-apparent,” he said. “Because they want America to fail. They want us to weaken. They want us to descend into infighting. They want us to start pointing fingers and scream in each other’s faces. They want us to fall behind.”

Other accounts disputed the accuracy of the feature, which was introduced over the weekend, or claimed that it did not provide a full picture of the situation.

The political advocacy arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,responding to scrutiny over a location in Turkey, said in anX post Mondaythat its director “first registered the account while he was visiting family in Istanbul,” adding: “Hardly a grand terrorist conspiracy.”

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



weapons worries Iranian scientists’ visit to Russia raises concerns about rebuilding nuclear weapons program Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with First Vice President of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref (C) during the meeting with prime ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries at the Kremlin, on November 18, 2025 in Moscow, Russia. (Getty Images) A series of recent events and revelations has raised concerns that Iran could be working to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program damaged during the 12-day war with Israel and the U.S., and that Russia could be playing a role in aiding the effort. Iran withdrew last week from an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to allow the watchdog to inspect its nuclear sites, just after the U.N. agencys board of governors passed a resolution calling on Iran to provide more complete information about its nuclear sites and remaining stock of enriched uranium. The resolution came as the IAEA’s chief, Rafael Grossi, said that there were indications of activity at some Iranian nuclear sites. Also last week, theFinancial Timesreported that Iranian scientists and nuclear experts visited Russian military research institutes a second time last year. Those developments come on the heels of a $25 billion deal between Russia,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov and Matthew Shea report.

Unsurprising finding:Jonathan Ruhe, fellow for American strategy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, told JI that the FT’s reporting fits with Western intelligence findings from before the Israeli and American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites that the Islamic Republic was trying to reduce the time it would take to turn its enriched uranium into a bomb. “These activities focused on simulating a nuclear explosion, without actually detonating a test device. Israel’s growing urgency about Iran’s progress contributed to its decision to launch the 12-day war when it did,” he said.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FOLLOW THE MONEY New lawsuit accuses Binance of ‘knowingly’ enabling Oct. 7 terror attacks Binance founder and CEO Zhao Changpeng on July 12, 2021. (Singapore Press via AP Images) A new federal lawsuit filed on behalf of families of victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks accuses the crypto giant Binance of knowingly facilitating the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars to U.S.-designated foreign terror organizations on an “industrial scale,” helping contribute to the deadly incursion in Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. Among the 306 American plaintiffs are the families of American Israeli citizens Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Itay Chen and Danielle Waldman.

The accusations:According to the complaint, Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, “deliberately” failed “to monitor inbound funds” to such terror groups as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ensuring “that terrorists and other criminals could deposit and shuffle enormous sums on the exchange with impunity.” The complaint states, “Moreover, when specific customers were designated or particular accounts were subject to seizure orders, Binance allowed those customers and accounts to shift the assets into other Binance accounts, thus negating the effect of any ‘blocking’ or ‘seizing’ of the account.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ALABAMA RACE ESPN’s Paul Finebaum nearing decision on bid for Tommy Tuberville’s Senate seat Paul Finebaum of Sec Nation before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Justin Ford/Getty Images) Paul Finebaum, the longtime ESPN host and veteran Birmingham, Ala., college football commentator, is seriously considering entering the Republican primary to replace outgoing Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), three sources familiar with the matter confirmed toJewish Insider. Finebaum, 70, began considering a run in late August, as it became clear that former Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, whom Finebaum had encouraged over the summer to enter the race, was not going to make his own bid. Both men are Jewish and have known each other for over a decade as prominent figures in the Southeastern Conference — Pearl as a legendary college basketball coach and Finebaum as an outspoken football commentator,JI’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Where he stands:Reached for comment, Finebaum told JI, “It’s true, I’ve received a lot of calls encouraging me to run for Senate. So many of those calls have the same theme: Alabamians aren’t looking for someone running for the Senate as a job promotion. They want a senator ready to fight for their families, for conservative values and for President Trump’s agenda.” His statement continued, We all have a belief system, things that drive us and make us who we are, faith is a big part of that for me. Im praying about the best path forward for me and my family. I’m flattered that so many people think I can serve in that role for them. Like I tell everyone who calls me or stops me at the grocery store, I’ll have something to say soon.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MAKING IT OFFICIAL Trump signs executive order pledging to designate chapters of Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist orgs President Donald Trump (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday pledging to designate certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, identifying the organization’s branches in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt as particularly problematic,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. “Its chapters in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens and United States interests,” according to the executive order.

What it means:The new policy gives the secretary of state and the secretary of the Treasury 30 days to identify which branches should be designated “Foreign Terrorist Organizations” and which should be deemed “Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” another formal designation by the U.S. government that comes with less severe consequences than the FTO designation. According to the executive order, it is now official U.S. policy “to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the capabilities and operations of Muslim Brotherhood chapters designated as foreign terrorist organizations” and to “deprive those chapters of resources, and thereby end any threat such chapters pose to United States nationals or the national security of the United States.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus:The Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Mark Dubowitzcalledthe executive order the “start, not the finish, of the [counterterrorism] and lawfare campaign against this dangerous Islamist movement. The Trump administration chose the smartest path — a surgical, branch-by-branch framework that strikes the Brotherhood where it’s most vulnerable.”

Meanwhile in Israel:Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra’am party in the Knesset, an ideological offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood,accusedPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to “steal the elections” after Netanyahu said the government was “working to complete” the process of banningthe Muslim Brotherhood “soon.”

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FASHION FAUX PAS? Anna Wintour mingles with Qatari royal who glorified Hamas’ slain leader Italian director and photographer Francesco Carrozzini (left) and British-U.S. fashion editor Anna Wintour attend the Franca Fund Gala 2025 on Sunday at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. Wintour was seen with Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at a separate gala on Saturday. (Karim JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images) Anna Wintour, theVoguefigurehead and fashion icon, mingled in Doha, Qatar, over the weekend alongside Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the mother of the Qatari emir, who has drawn controversy for celebrating the slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar after he was killed by Israeli forces operating in Gaza last year,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. “The name Yahya means the one who lives,” Moza wrote on social media in October 2024, mourning the man who orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks. “They thought him dead but he lives. Like his namesake, Yahya bin Zakariya, he will live on and they will be gone.”

Rubbing shoulders:Wintour,Vogue’s global editorial director and chief content officer for Condé Nast, waspicturedsitting next to the sheikha during the Fashion Trust Arabia awards ceremony at the National Museum of Qatar on Saturday. Moza, who is among the most famous women leaders in the Arab world and seen as a Middle Eaststyle icon, has been afierce critic of Israelfollowing Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks — frequently using her social media platform to denounce the Jewish state and to spread anti-Israel content.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Dems Who Want to Fight:The New York Times’ Lisa Lerer spotlights a group of progressive Democratic senators that includes Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) who are challenging the approach being taken by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to recruit and back mainstream candidates for open seats in upcoming primaries. “The party’s campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has not made any formal endorsements in contested primaries. However, the senators are convinced that it is quietly signaling support for and pushing donors toward specific Senate candidates: Representative Angie Craig in Minnesota, Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan and Gov. Janet Mills in Maine. The dispute exploded in a private meeting with Mr. Schumer and Ms. Gillibrand last month, when the skeptical senators raised concerns about the campaign arm’s electoral strategy. They were livid after the New York senators denied showing any preference in the three states, according to three people familiar with the conversation.”[NYTimes]

Warped Coverage of the War:In theNational Interest, Ludovic Hood, a career foreign service officer who served as a senior advisor in the Biden administration’s State Department, suggests that much of the animus toward Israel over the last two years originates from biased reporting and political gesturing. “It is hardly surprising that Hamas was disinclined to contemplate ending the war when Washington’s foremost foreign policy preoccupation for much of 2024 was criticizing or threatening Israel. … In many respects, it is heartening to see young people engage in activism in this age of screen-induced torpor. But when protestors disregard or downplay Hamas’s role in the suffering in Gaza, or appear utterly unmoved by the ongoing massacres and starvation in Sudan or by the recent slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Arab Muslims in the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, one must ask what is unique about this conflict — or about Israel — that breeds such singular animosity.”[NationalInterest]

What Ayatollah?:InThe Wall Street Journal, Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh posit that Israeli military successes in the region over the last two years have defanged Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and allowed his acolytes to largely replace him in decision-making matters. “If Mr. Khamenei had died on Oct. 6, 2023, he would be remembered as a successful, history-bending revolutionary. But the Oct. 7 war caught the cleric unprepared, utterly blind to the chain reaction that militant Palestinians were about to unleash. When the Israelis showed that the rules of the game had changed, Mr. Khamenei stayed with his old playbook. … Now when Mr. Khamenei pronounces on critical issues, VIPs he once humbled contradict him.”[WSJ]







Word on the Street TheHouse Committee on Education and the Workforceislaunchinginvestigations into thepublic school systems in Berkeley, Calif.; Fairfax County, Va.; and Philadelphiaover the districts’ handling of complaints of antisemitism in recent years…

Apoll from the University of New Hampshirefound35% of Massachusetts voters undecided in the Senate primary matchup between Sen.Ed Markey(D-MA) and Rep.Seth Moulton(D-MA); Markey pulls in 34%, while 25% of respondents said they backed Moulton…

The New York Timesreports onJewish communal concerns over New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s responseto a protest outside a Manhattan synagogue last week in which he condemned efforts by the NGO Nefesh B’Nefesh to assist in Jewish immigration to Israel…

The Daily Wire’sBen ShapiroandThe Free Press’Bari Weisssat fora wide-ranging discussion, released Monday, with“Call Me Back” host Dan Senorduring a live taping of the podcast during the Tikvah Fund’s Jewish Leadership Conference…

eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanimlooks attheCanadian government’s decision to revoke thetax-exempt statuses of three Jewish NGOs in the country…

Len Blavatnikpurchasedfor $115 million the East Hampton, N.Y., home previously owned byformer Warner Bros. Chairman Terry Semel, marking the most expensive single residential home sale in the Hamptons’ history…

Theowners of Washington, D.C., bagel chain Call Your Motherfileda trademark infringement lawsuit against the owner of theNew Jersey-based Bubbi Bagels, which uses a similar logo and the phrase “Call Your Bubbi” on its marketing materials…

The New York TimesspotlightsmusicianDavid Amram, whose varied works include an opera about Jewish inmates at a concentration camp holding a Passover Seder and the “Songs of the Soul” symphony that combines Jewish folk elements from around the world…

Colombian officialstook17 children into protective custody after conducting a raid on a hotel where members of theLev Tahor secthad been staying; authorities said the nine adults accompanying the children, who were questioned by officials, would likely be deported…

Israel’s Yad VashemclashedwithPolish officialsover Warsaw’s complicity in the Holocaust following comments byU.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Roselast week in which the diplomat criticized what he said was “the slander that Poland somehow bears responsibility for the crimes committed by others”

TheGaza Humanitarian Foundation is formallyclosing downweeks after suspending its operations following the ceasefire last month between Israel and Hamas…

Israeli media reports thatEmiratesisplanningtoresume its flights between Israel and Dubaiin early 2026…

AnIran-based nuclear-testing and diagnostics companylinked to the Islamic Republic’s military isusingU.K.-made radiation-detection equipmentin products that are available for purchase…

Theamount of Iranian crude oil being held on offshore tankershasreacheditshighest level in two and a halfyearsas China, Tehran’s top buyer, decreases its imports…

Fernando Lottenbergwas reappointed as the special advisor on antisemitism at theOrganization of American States…

TheCharles E. Smith Jewish Day Schoolin Rockville, Md.,announcedJonathan Levyas its incoming head of school, succeeding Rabbi Mitchel Malkus…

RabbiDaniel Septimuswasnamedthe executive director of theJCC Association of North America’s Center for Jewish Peoplehood…

Pic of the Day (ISRAELI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS) Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar addressed a special joint session of Paraguays National Congress in the capital of Asunción on Monday during Sa’ar’s multicountry visit to South America, which will also include a stop in Argentina.

Birthdays NEW YORK, NEW YORK OCTOBER 07: Chris Claremont during New York Comic Con 2022 on October 07, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop) Comic book writer and novelist, during his 16-year stint writingX-Menfrom 1975-1991, it is the best-selling comic book in the world,Christopher S. Claremontturns 75…

Writer, lawyer, actor and economic commentator, including an Emmy Award-winning stint as a game show host,Ben Steinturns 81… President and CEO of the American Council for Capital Formation,Mark A. Bloomfieldturns 76… Israeli scholar of Arab culture and a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University,Mordechai Kedarturns 73… Obstetrician and gynecologist, he is a past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven,Norman Ravski, MD turns 72… Beverly Hills, Calif., commercial real estate investor,Albert Ahobim… Retired mens college basketball coach with 615 career wins, he won coach of the year honors four times in two different conferences,Ben Braunturns 72… Historian at Tel Aviv University, focused on religious phenomena in the Middle Ages, he is also president of the Ruppin Academic Center in Israel,Aviad Kleinbergturns 68… Director of the Chabad House in Johannesburg, South Africa, RabbiDavid Masinterturns 66… Retired senior research scientist at ExxonMobil and editor of Rav J.B. Soloveitchiks commentary to the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippurmachzorim,Arnold Lustiger… Israeli fashion and wedding dress designer, her reality TV show airs in over 145 countries worldwide,Pnina Tornaiturns 63… Member of the Knesset for the Likud, he was the editor-in-chief at theIsrael Hayomnewspaper,Boaz Bismuthturns 61… Actress, comedian, entertainer and past member of the Tel Aviv-Yafo city council,Orna Banaiturns 59… CEO of the Israeli American Council,Elan Carrturns 58… Founder and former managing director at Beacon Global Strategies LLC,Philippe Reinesturns 56… Attorney and former member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2003 until 2011,Adam Hasnerturns 56… Strategic communications manager at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ,Lauren Sueskind Theodore… Judge of the U.S. District Court for Maryland,Julie Rebecca Rubinturns 53… Former member of both houses of the South Dakota Legislature, now a bail bondsman and a teacher at Congregation Beth Shalom in Sioux City, Iowa,Daniel Isaac Ledermanturns 53… United States deputy secretary of labor,Keith Sonderlingturns 43… Executive editor atJewish Insider,Melissa Weissturns 39… Deputy Washington editor and democracy editor for theGuardian,Kira Lerner… Bitcoin advocate and podcast host,Charles Charlie Shrem IVturns 36



]]> 95780 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-trump-targets-muslim-brotherhood/ Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:26:15 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95657 ]]> Good Monday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we talk to former colleagues and associates of pollsterMark Mellman, who died last week, and report onPresident Donald Trump’s commentsthat his administration ismoving forward on designating the Muslim Brotherhoodas a Foreign Terrorist Organization. We spotlight theopposition by Jewish groups to two Texas Republicans preparing to enter congressional racesfollowing the state’s mid-decade redistricting, and look at the state of play in the Michigan Senate race asDemocrats Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed aim to win over anti-Israel voters. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: Rep.Brad Sherman,Zach Delland RabbiSaul Kassin.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss andIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching We’re keeping an eye on Lebanon following an Israeli strike on Sunday that targeted Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, amid indications that the Iran-backed terror group, which suffered significant setbacks amid a wave of Israeli attacks last year, was rearming. Israeli intelligence sources said that the strike could prompt Hezbollah to retaliate against Jewish and Israeli targets abroad. More below. We’re also monitoring the situation in the Gaza Strip, following Israeli strikes on Hamas targets that were prompted by Hamas gunfire directed at IDF troops. In New York, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) is slated to make an announcement alongside Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) today in Rockland County. Former hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel are scheduled to speak tonight about their time in captivity and the fight for Keith’s release at Potomac’s Congregation Beth Sholom. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS GABBY DEUTCH In the wake of Mark Mellman’s death last week, the longtime Democratic pollster is being remembered for his leadership of Democratic Majority for Israel, an advocacy group he helped launch in 2019 to counter a growing hostility toward Israel on the left,a value proposition that proved prescient.

But his role leading the group,in what turned out to be the capstone to his decades-long career, was serendipitous — and almost didn’t happen.

The group’s founding board members “reached out to Mark for adviceon who we should hire,” one of the board members, speaking anonymously to discuss the details of the group’s founding, toldJewish Insider. “And Mark said, ‘Ill do it.’ We went, ‘OK.’ We werent expecting that.”

San Francisco Democratic fundraiser Sam Lauter, a former AIPAC activist who has been involved with DMFI from the beginning, said Mellman’s role atop DMFI gave the group “instant credibility.” Weeks later, Mellman wasweighing inon a series of tweets from then-freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) that trafficked in antisemitic tropes.

As political activists reflect on Mellman’s life,several Jewish Democrats told JI that his clear-eyed support for Israel —and his ability to articulate its strategic importance to Democrats — will leave a lasting impact on the party.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



LAYING DOWN THE LAW Trump: ‘Final documents are being drawn’ to designate Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization following months of bipartisan calls for his administration to target the group. Trump announced the move in an interview with journalist John Solomon of the conservative outletJust the Newson Sunday morning, saying that an executive order is being prepared for his signature,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. “It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms,” Trump said. “Final documents are being drawn.” The White House did not respond to JI’s request for comment on the announcement or details of the order being drafted for the president.

Ongoing effort:Trump considered designating the Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) during his first administration, though that effort never materialized. Sebastian Gorka, who serves as Trump’s deputy assistant for national security affairs and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, has beenpublicly and privately urging the president to do sosince returning to office, as have a chorus of GOP lawmakers, along with a handful of Democrats in Congress.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google HEZBOLLAH HIT Israel kills Hezbollah chief of staff in Beirut airstrike Hezbollah members and Lebanese Army soldiers secure the location and clear away debris after a deadly Israeli strike on an apartment building on November 23, 2025 in Beirut, Lebanon. (Scott Peterson/Getty Images) Amid indications that Hezbollah is rearming itself, Israel assassinated a top official of the Lebanese terrorist group in an airstrike on Sunday in Beirut. The strike, which killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the groups chief of staff, was the first such attack in the Lebanese capital in five months and part of a recent escalation in Israeli strikes to blunt Hezbollahs rebuilding,Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve reports.

Background:Tabatabai served as Hezbollah’s chief of staff for the last year, when a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Before that, the army said, Tabatabai oversaw Hezbollah’s combat operations against Israel and had held a series of senior positions since he joined the group in the 1980s, including commander of the Radwan Force unit and head of Hezbollah’s operations in Syria. “Tabatabai is a mass murderer,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday evening. “His hands are soaked in the blood of many Israelis and Americans, and it is not for nothing that the U.S. put a bounty of five million dollars on his head,” Netanyahu said, in reference to a 2016 decision designating Tabatabai as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MICHIGAN MOVES Haley Stevens maintains support for Israel as her primary rivals battle over anti-Israel lane Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens speaks at a rally featuring First Lady Dr. Jill Biden during a 2024 campaign event supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in Clawson, MI, during the 2024 presidential election, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) As two Democratic Michigan Senate candidates compete for the votes of anti-Israel voters with accusations of genocide against the Jewish state, Abdul El-Sayed is going after state Sen. Mallory McMorrow as insufficiently and inauthentically critical of Israel. El-Sayed entered the race as a vocal critic of Israel, while McMorrow, in recent months, has joined him in describing the war in Gaza as a genocide, as well as saying she would support efforts to cut off offensive weapons to Israel,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), meanwhile, is solidifying her support for Israel, receiving an endorsement this week from Democratic Majority for Israel and calling herself a “proud pro-Israel Democrat [who] believe[s] America is stronger when we stand with our democratic allies, confront antisemitism and extremism, and keep our promises to our friends abroad and our working families here at home.”

El-Sayed’s speech:El-Sayed, in a recent event at Michigan State University, went after McMorrow for not labeling Israels actions in Gaza as genocide sooner, describing it as a matter of clear and incontrovertible fact.Video of the comments was published by theMichigan Advance. He compared McMorrow’s position to someone taking months to decide that the sky is blue and saying “let me give you five caveats about why it might not be blue.” El-Sayed also suggested that McMorrow’s positions changed because she was seeking support from AIPAC, and only took a more anti-Israel stance after the group declined to support her.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TEXAS TALK Two Republicans condemned by Jewish groups looking to make comebacks in Texas Former Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) and Brandon Herrera (Evan Vucci/AP/Jessica Phelps/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images) In Texas, two Republicans who have faced condemnations from the Jewish community could be making comebacks in this year’s Republican congressional primaries. Social media influencer and gun activist Brandon Herrera is making a second attempt to take down Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), after losing to the congressman by less than 400 votes in 2024 in the 23rd Congressional District, which runs along the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition, former Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) is rumored to be planning a second attempt at a political comeback; he served one term from 1995-1997, narrowly beating a Democratic incumbent, before losing reelection. He ran and was elected again in 2013 in a newly created district. In 2015, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in a primary against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX),Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Controversies:Herrera attracted controversy and criticism for videos he posted on YouTube featuring imagery, music and jokes about the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, and was active for years in a Sons of Confederate Veterans group in North Carolina. He also pledged to support ending U.S. foreign aid, including to Israel. The AIPAC-affiliatedUnited Democracy Project super PACand theRepublican Jewish Coalitionlaunched substantial ad campaigns against Herrera in 2024, highlighting his Nazi-related videos. Gonzales is currently under scrutiny after a former staffer died by suicide after setting herself on fire. The staffer and Gonzales had allegedly engaged in an extramarital affair, something both Gonzales and the woman’s familydeny. Gonzales has a sizable lead in fundraising with $1.5 million raised and $2.5 million on hand, to Herreras $307,000.

Read the full story here.

Resignation proclamation:Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who entered office in 2021 on a record of antisemitic conspiracy theories and emerged since Oct. 7, 2023, as one of the most vocal opponents of Israel in the House Republican conference,announcedon Friday that she will resign her seat, effective Jan. 5, 2026.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google HATE WATCH Two anti-Israel activists behind ‘modern-day blood libel’ display at D.C.’s Union Station A demonstration at Union Station in Washington, D.C., portrayed Israeli and U.S. leaders eating and drinking the blood and organs of Gazans (Instagram) An antisemitic art display at Washington Union Station on Thursday depicting U.S. and Israeli leaders drinking the blood of Gazans is drawing widespread condemnation for echoing the historic blood libel against Jews. The demonstration, displayed both inside and outside of D.C’s main train station, was organized by Hazami Barada and Atefeh Rokhvand, two anti-Israel activists who have been involved in several protests around Washington since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, including leading a protest encampment outside of the Israeli Embassy and outside of then-Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s home for months in 2024,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Behind the display:Barada protested a community vigil for the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, which took place at The Anthem, a music venue in the nation’s capital. Rokhvand is an elementary school teacher whospokeat the Muslim Student Association conference in 2024. Another local activist, Hasan Isham, took credit on Instagram for 3Dprintingthe masks used in the protest, which featured people dressed in suits wearing masks to resemble Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former President Joe Biden and Blinken. The five officials were sitting at a long “Friendsgiving dinner” table decorated with the Israeli flag while eating doll limbs drenched in fake blood. A menu placard read: “Starter: Gaza children’s limbs.” “Main: Stolen Organs.” “Dessert: Illegally harvested skin.” “Drink: Gaza’s spilled blood.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads X Marks the Spot: In her Substack “Agents of Influence,” Renee DiResta looks at how X’s new “location” feature has revealed the real, and often foreign, origins of accounts claiming to be supporters of the MAGA movement. “I used to work with [X’s disinformation] team as an outside academic analyzing the data sets they would make public; it was a constant cat-and-mouse game, because there is very little penalty for a manipulator beyond losing an account and having to start over. So when X’s ‘About this account’ panel suddenly reveals that one of those big ‘patriot’ culture war accounts is registered in India or Nigeria, that’s not a shocking twist. That is exactly what you’d predict when you understand how this market works. … I saw Pirate Wires had already posted digging into the Israel/Palestine accounts that fight online, highlighting similar inauthenticity — this problem happens outside of the U.S., too.” [AgentsofInfluence]

Dell the Younger:The Information’s Steve LeVine profiles Zach Dell, the son of businessman and philanthropist Michael Dell who launched his startup Base Power two years ago. “Dell concedes that he has basically been tutored since boyhood on exactly this sort of capture-an-industry play. ‘I got to see front row how this is done,’ he said. ‘And I feel very blessed to have had that perspective.’ Watching his father do that in computers, Dell obsessed over building his own ‘great company,’ and not just any great company. ‘I’d been looking for paradigm shifts,’ he said of his early 20s. ‘I was looking for a wave to surf.’ … In 2021, Dell went to work for Thrive Capital, the venture firm founded by Josh Kushner. He was part of an eight-member team that invested in SpaceX and Anduril Industries, both formative experiences. Dell looked up to the billionaire founders of those two companies — Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey — as role models. They went after big traditional Industries — Musk with space, Luckey with weapons — and won.” [TheInformation]





Word on the Street In a surprisingly chummy press conference, PresidentDonald Trumpand New York City Mayor-electZohran Mamdanispoke about their“productive” Oval Office meetingon Friday, yet mostly dodged questions on Israel and antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports…

The21 members of the House Jewish Caucus— every Jewish Democrat in the chamber —wroteto Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noemto express “extreme alarm and concern” aboutrecent reporting that the Coast Guard would no longer classify the swastika as a hate symbol, and demanded answers about the policy,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the co-chairs of the Senate antisemitism task force,wrote to Adm. Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, raising additional questions about policy changes regarding displays of swastikas,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

TheJustice Department’s Harmeet Dhillonsaidthat the department isinvestigating theprotestoutside a Nefesh B’Nefesh event at the Park East Synagogue last weekin which demonstrators chanted “Globalize the intifada” and “Death to the IDF”

Meanwhilein the U.K., anti-Israel activistsprojectedthe text “Stolen lands sold here” on the outer wall of aNorth London synagogue…

Virginia Gov.-electAbigail SpanbergeraccusedtheTrump administrationand outgoing Virginia Gov.Glenn Youngkinof political interference in their efforts to be involved inthe hiring of senior administrators and implementation of policies at state’s public colleges and universities; Spanberger had previouslyrequestedthat the University of Virginia pause its presidential search until she takes office in early 2026…

TheFinancial Timeslooks atthe relationship between PresidentDonald Trumpand Indonesian businessmanHary Tanoesoedibjoas theWhite House works to encourage Jakarta to join the Abraham Accordsand contribute troops to an international peacekeeping force in Gaza…

Rep.Randy Fine(R-FL)introduced a billtorequire schools to treat antisemitic discriminationin the same manner that they treat racial discrimination…

Rep.Brad Sherman(D-CA), who is among the most vocal Democratic supporters of Israel in the House,will serve as the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East and North Africa subcommittee, replacing Rep.Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick(D-FL) following her indictment last week,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Reps.Debbie Wasserman Schultz(D-FL) andCraig Goldman(R-TX)introduced a resolutionto recognize Nov. 30 as “Yom Haplitim,” Jewish Refugee Day…

AGOP operative in Georgiaserving as a special advisor to the head of the state partywas discoveredto have shared —and deleted —xenophobic and antisemitic social media posts, including one mocking Claudia Sheinbaum, the Jewish president of Mexico…

A pocket watch that had been worn by Macy’s co-owner Isidor Strausthe night he died in the sinking of the Titanic, and rescued two weeks later when his body was found,fetched$2.3 million at auction;a letter penned by Straus’ wife, Ida,on the ship’s stationerywas sold for $131,000…

The U.K.’sDaily Mailand General Trust, which owns theDaily Mail, isin advanced talkswithJeff Zucker’s RedBird IMIto acquire theDaily Telegraphin a deal worth $655 million…

An annual report issued by theFederation of the Jewish Communities in the Czech Republicfoundthat antisemitic activity in the Central European country had increased by 8.5% from 2023 to 2024…

A judge inAustraliaruledthat ahomeless man who set fire to a Melbourne synagogueearlier this year was experiencing a mental health episodestemming from his failure to take medication to regulate schizophrenia, andnot acting out of antisemitic malice…

The IDFistaking action—including censures and dismissals —againstroughly a dozen senior officials related to security and military failuresduring and in the run-up to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…

Israel’s Cabinetapproveda plan to bring the remaining7,000 members of the Bnei Menashe community in Indiato Israel by 2030 as the group faces security threats and ethnic violence…

TheBank of Israelis expected tolowerinterest limits for the first time since January 2024, amid hopes that the ceasefire brokered last month will stabilize markets…

Israel’s Cabinetapproveddiplomats to be sent to posts in the U.S. next summer, doing so in a unanimous vote in its weekly meeting on Sunday.Adi Farjonis set to beIsrael’s consul-general to Houston and the Southwest, whileRon Gerstenfeldwas appointedconsul-general in San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest. The Cabinet also authorized new ambassadors toUkraine, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Uruguay, as well as consuls-general inShanghai and Hong Kong.Sami Abu Janeb, previously deputy ambassador to Jordan, was appointedconsul-general to Dubai,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports…

Rabbi Saul Kassin, a leader in the Syrian American Jewish community, wrote a letter to the Helsinki Commission, which is evaluating the repeal of Caesar Act sanctions on Syria,distancingthe community from Rabbi Yosef Hamra;Kassin said that Hamra “is not a representative of the American Syrian Jewish community” and “has never held any authority, mandate, or permission to speak or act on our behalf in any religious, political, or communal matter” as Hamra advocates for a repeal of the sanctions…

Saudi Arabiaisquietlyexpanding the ability topurchase alcohol in the country, allowing non-Muslims with a special residency status permit to shop at a store that had previously only sold its products to diplomats…

Iran, with assistance from Turkey,isbattlingwildfires at the ancient Hyrcanian Forests, a UNESCO World Heritage site, resulting from the drought that swept through portions of the country and record high temperatures…

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Eli Zeira, who led the IDF’s intelligence unit during the Yom Kippur War and whose legacy was shaped by his dismissal of warnings of the impending Syrian and Egyptian attack on Israel in 1973,diedat 97…

Pic of the Day (KOBY GIDEON/GPO) Former hostages Segev Kalfon, Matan Angrest (pictured, with his father), Nimrod Cohen and Bar Kuperstein visited the Ohel, the Lubavitcher Rebbes gravesite in Queens, N.Y., over the weekend after meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday in Washington.

Birthdays (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Former co-CEO of global shopping center company Westfield Corporation, he is also chairman of the World Board of Trustees of Keren-Hayesod United Israel Appeal,Steven Lowyturns 63…

Former member of Congress from Kansas, secretary of Agriculture and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America,Dan Glickmanturns 81… Retired English teacher,Adele Einhorn Sandbergturns 81… Chairman of Lyons Global Insurance Services, he is a senior advisor to the Ashcroft Group,Simcha G. Lyonsturns 79… Professor emeritus of chemistry at Bar Ilan University, he is also an ordained rabbi,Aryeh Abraham Frimerturns 79… Coordinator for the International Association of Jewish Free Loans,Tina Sheinbeinturns 75… President of Gesher Galicia, Dr.Steven S. Turnerturns 74… Actress, best known for her role as Gaby in the film Gaby: A True Story,Rachel Chagallturns 73… Senior consultant at Marks Paneth (now CBIZ), he is an honorary VP of the Orthodox Union and a trustee of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York,Avery E. Neumark… Partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm of Gordon Rees,Ronald K. Alberts… Past president of the University of Michigan,Mark Steven Schlisselturns 68… Former coordinator of clinical oncology trials at Englewood Health, Audrey E. Ades… Born to a Jewish family in Havana, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,Alejandro N. Mayorkasturns 66… Media executive, lobbyist, and political consultant,Jeff Ballabonturns 63… Author and founder of Nashuva, a Los Angeles-area Jewish outreach community, RabbiNaomi Levyturns 63… Member of the Knesset for the Democrats (the merger of Labor and Meretz), she is a granddaughter of Rudolf Kastner,Merav Michaeliturns 59… EVP and COO of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Dr.Joshua M. Joseph… Israeli actor and screenwriter, he is best known for portraying Doron Kabilio in the political thriller television series Fauda,Lior Razturns 54… Professional poker player, his tournament winnings exceed $9.5 million,Robert Mizrachiturns 47… President of global affairs and co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, he is an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations,Jared Cohenturns 44… Olami Texas rabbi at the Austin campus of the University of Texas, RabbiMoshe Treppturns 44… Assistant director of the electric unit at the Georgia Public Service Commission,Benjamin Deitchman… Director at Green Strategies,Rachel Kriegsman… Senior director of strategic marketing at Phreesia,Madeline Bloch… Actress best known for her lead role in the Netflix series Bonding,Zoe Levinturns 32… Chief of staff for Douglas Murray,Kennedy Lee… Michael Davis… Co-chair of the Bergen AIPAC Network and board member of the New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance, Philip Goldschmiedt…



]]> 95657 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-mamdanis-synagogue-statement-raises-red-flags/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:39:23 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95497 ]]> Good Friday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we break down the Democratic primary fields taking shape across New York City following New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s win earlier this month, and report on Mamdani’s suggestion that a New York synagogue event for Nefesh B’Nefesh promoted violating international law. We have the scoop on a new PAC being launched by Democratic lawmakers to fight antisemitism within the party, and remember Democratic Majority for Israel founder Mark Mellman, who died this week. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Caroline Glick, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla and Justin Ishbia.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching President Donald Trump will meet with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at 3 p.m. ET today at the White House.  The three-day Halifax International Security Forum kicks off today in Nova Scotia, Canada. Speakers at the annual security confab this year include Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Angus King (I-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND); former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft; Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the chair of Israel’s civil commission investigating crimes against women and children on Oct. 7; former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Reichman University Institute for Policy and Strategy Executive Director Amos Gilead; Garry Kasparov; the McCain Institute’s Evelyn Farkas; HIAS President Mark Hetfield; former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA); the American Enterprise Institute’s Heather Conley; and the National Democracy Institute’s Tamara Cofman Wittes. In New York on Sunday, the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education is honoring the Department of Justice’s Harmeet Dhillon at its 85th Annual Awards Dinner. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MATTHEW KASSEL As next year’s midterm elections approach, New York City is quickly emerging as an epicenter of Democratic conflict, with a growing number of left-wing primary challengers targeting pro-Israel congressional incumbents as well as an expanding roster of candidates vying for an open House seat that is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the country.

In races spanning the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, new challengers are eyeing primaries to take on the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, which now finds itself on defense after Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory elevated a staunch democratic socialist and antagonist of Israel to executive office.

But even as challengers seek to capitalize on the momentum fueled by Mamdani’s rise, it remains to be seen if the mayor-elect will choose to weigh in on the upcoming primaries as he manages a diverse coalition to help advance his affordability agenda, which he has indicated is his top priority. 

While Mamdani has publicly discouraged one fellow democratic socialist in Brooklyn from a brewing campaign to challenge House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who endorsed Mamdani in the final weeks of the election, “the big unknown is the role that Mamdani is going to play” in the June primary elections, Chris Coffey, a Democratic strategist, told Jewish Insider.

It also is unclear whether pro-Israel groups such as AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel will engage in the upcoming primaries. A spokesperson for AIPAC declined to comment. DMFI’s political arm, for its part, is closely monitoring the emerging races and regards the challengers with varying degrees of concern, a person familiar with the group’s internal deliberations told JI.

The activist left, meanwhile, is also confronting its own organizational issues, including the prospect of some split primary fields that threaten to divide the opposing vote, as well as messaging struggles. 

With Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) announcing on Thursday that she will not seek reelection, a crop of candidates is also sure to engage in a spirited competition for her deeply progressive district in Brooklyn and Queens.

Here’s a rundown of the races to watch in New York City as the primary cycle continues to take shape.



MANHATTAN MELEE Mamdani: Nefesh B’Nefesh event at New York synagogue promotes ‘violation of international law’ Anti-Israel demonstrators gather at ‘No Settlers on Stolen Land’ protest against a Nefesh b’Nefesh event at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images) Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, distanced himself from a widely criticized demonstration outside a prominent synagogue in Manhattan on Wednesday night, where anti-Israel protesters were heard chanting “Death to the IDF” and “Globalize the intifada,” among other slogans, even as he suggested that the event, which provided information on immigrating to Israel, violated international law, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Condemnation with a caveat: “The mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so,” a spokesperson for Mamdani, Dora Pekec, said in a statement to JI on Thursday. “He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” The protest, organized by an anti-Zionist group, took place outside Park East Synagogue, a historic Modern Orthodox congregation, at which an event was being held by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit that assists in Jewish immigration to Israel from North America. Asked to clarify the concluding caveat from Pekec’s statement, Mamdani’s team said it “was specifically in reference to the organization’s promotion of settlement activity beyond the Green Line,” which “violates international law.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP Dem lawmakers launch PAC to fight antisemitism within the party Reps. Laura Friedman (D-CA), Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Ted Lieu (D-CA)(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images) A group of Democratic lawmakers is launching a political action committee to support candidates who have prioritized tackling antisemitism, alongside standing up against other forms of hate. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH), Laura Friedman (D-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) will be chairing the committee, called the Alliance Against Antisemitism PAC. The PAC filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission in October, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

PAC’s purpose: “We want to celebrate and lift up those leaders who are unapologetically going to fight back against hate in all of its forms, including antisemitism. Sometimes antisemitism gets lost,” Landsman told JI on Thursday. “This is our effort to root it out on our side, and I think it’s going to have an enormous impact.” The idea of a PAC focused solely on a candidate’s stance on antisemitism is new, and a contrast from political action committees devoted to advancing pro-Israel candidates.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TAKING IT TO THE FLOOR Schumer announces he’s introducing legislation condemning Nick Fuentes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on October 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Thursday that he will introduce a resolution condemning neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes and his white supremacist views after President Donald Trump declined to condemn Fuentes or Tucker Carlson’s platforming of him. Schumer announced the move while criticizing Trump’s comments from over the weekend, in which the president noted that Carlson has “said good things about me over the years” and defended his decision to host Fuentes on his show, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

What he said: After calling Trump’s remarks “disgusting, Schumer warned that antisemitism in the U.S. has “reached a dangerous tipping point. Jewish Americans are facing threats, harassment and violence at levels we have not seen in generations.” Schumer said from the Senate floor on Thursday, “For Donald Trump to continue to excuse and protect the spread of Nick Fuentes’ ideology, confirms what many of us have long said: white supremacy and antisemitism are taking deep roots, unfortunately, within the Republican Party.” 

Read the full story here.

Also on the Hill: Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod on Wednesday that there was a broad consensus among members of the Senate Armed Services committee that two nominees — Alex Velez-Green and Austin Dahmer — tapped to serve under Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby did not yet have sufficient support to move ahead at a committee meeting on Wednesday.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Tagline Maxine Dexter, recently championed by AIPAC, compares Gaza war to Holocaust Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) speaks during the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ news conference in the Capitol on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) drew comparisons between the Holocaust and the war in Gaza, the latter of which she described as a genocide, in a speech on the House floor on Thursday, explaining her decision to support a resolution with far-left lawmakers, supported by anti-Israel groups, accusing Israel of genocide, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Dexter was backed by AIPAC’s United Democracy Project super PAC in her 2024 primary race against an opponent viewed as further left. 

Comment and backlash: The Oregon congresswoman began her speech by recounting a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, the timing of which she described as “very intentional.” Dexter said, “After the Holocaust, the international community made a commitment that such evil can never happen again to any people, anywhere. Never again, they said. That is why I recently signed on to a resolution recognizing Israel’s actions in Gaza led by the Netanyahu government as a genocide.” Sara Bloomfield, the director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, criticized Dexter’s comments. “Exploiting the Holocaust to accuse Israel of genocide is unconscionable and adds further fuel to an already raging antisemitic fire,” Bloomfield said in a statement to JI.

Read the full story here.

Picking sides: Democratic Majority for Israel on Thursday announced its endorsements of Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Angie Craig (D-MN) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as they seek the Senate seats in their respective states.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP Treasury Department adds new sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports Oil tanker SC Hong Kong is seen off the port of Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, on July 2, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) The Treasury Department implemented new sanctions on Thursday targeting what the agency described as a “network of front companies and shipping facilitators that bankroll the Iranian armed forces by selling crude oil” — a critical revenue stream for the regime, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Target list: The latest round of sanctions, one of several announced in recent months, also targets six vessels in Iran’s “shadow fleet” of tankers used to transport oil to international markets, joining a list of more than 170 such vessels that have been sanctioned this year. The Treasury is also adding sanctions on a subsidiary of Mahan Air, an Iranian airline used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to help supply proxies and allies across the region.

Read the full story here.

Syria sanctions update: A full repeal of human rights sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Civilian Protection Act is likely to pass Congress as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, after House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) signed off on the measure, according to a source familiar with the matter, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google IN MEMORIAM Democratic pollster, Israel advocate Mark Mellman dies Mark Mellman (Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images) Mark Mellman, a longtime Democratic political strategist and former president of Democratic Majority for Israel, died this week after a long illness. Mellman, CEO of the Mellman Group, led campaigns for more than 30 U.S. senators, including former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), as well as dozens of members of Congress, including Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Seth Moulton (D-MA). He worked on Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and was the former president of the American Association of Political Consultants, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Legacy: Mellman was also a fixture of election coverage and commentary, analyzing presidential debate performances for PBS and The Wall Street Journal, writing a longtime column for The Hill, and more. In Israel, Mellman was the longtime advisor to Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party, including during Yesh Atid’s meteoric rise from a new party to the second-largest in the Knesset in the 2013 election and Lapid’s brief time as prime minister in 2022. Lapid paid tribute to Mellman as “a friend and a mentor. A man with a huge heart and a wonderful sense of humor. He was also a trusted advisor and a brilliant strategic mind. …He will be sorely missed by me, my family and everyone at Yesh Atid.” 

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Gospel According to Tucker: The Wall Street Journal’s Barton Swaim considers how conservative commentator Tucker Carlson’s misappropriation of biblical teachings instructs his approach to the world. “Mr. Carlson is too intelligent to fall for the inanity that the Old Testament is full of violence and retrogressive values, the New full of sweetness and light. He must know that Paul endorses the retributive justice of the Hebrew Bible, that the New Testament constantly quotes its antecedent’s portrayals of God’s compassion and liberality, and that Jesus’ atonement is meaningless apart from the law and the prophets. … So little of Mr. Carlson’s recent verbiage bears scrutiny that I’m left to wonder what it’s all about. I don’t pretend to know, but this much seems plain: His use of the Bible and Christianity has some purpose he won’t, or can’t, explain.” [WSJ]

Texas-Size Critique: In the Dallas Morning News, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who is facing a primary challenge to his right, calls on Republicans to address growing antisemitism in the party, underscored by the response to a recent interview between Tucker Carlson and white supremacist Nick Fuentes. “Some prominent voices in our conservative movement have shied from condemning the evil ideology that this young podcaster is promoting. Tucker Carlson hosted Fuentes on his show, giving him a broader platform to push his abhorrent views with minimal resistance. It is disappointing to see even storied institutions like the Heritage Foundation, which has long been a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish people, waver in their condemnation of those who openly promote antisemitism and racism. Now is not the time to waver. Now is the time to speak the truth with clarity and conviction, and to condemn these un-American and anti-conservative ideas for what they are.” [DMN]

Political Parties Under Siege: The Atlantic’s Idrees Kahloon reflects on the declining influence in democracies around the world of some of the most prominent political parties that defined the latter half of the 20th century. “Reformers reason that by importing features of other democracies — a direct popular vote for president, tight limits on money in politics, voting by ranked choice — we could heal ourselves. If only it were so simple. In democracies all across the world, the party system appears unhealthy: Trust in parties is low, partisan antagonism is high, and elections feel existential instead of routine. Many countries’ equivalents of the Democrats and Republicans — parties that have been dominant at least since World War II — are suffering similar decline. Some are on the precipice of extinction.” [TheAtlantic]







Word on the Street The National Book Awards awarded its top nonfiction prize to author Omar El Akkad, who railed against Israel in his acceptance speech; El Akkad’s One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This takes a critical approach to American and European responses to the Israel-Hamas war…

A Washington Post report that the U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika as a hate symbol under a new policy set to be implemented next month garnered condemnation from Jewish groups and Democratic officials, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports; Coast Guard spokesperson Jennifer Plozai told the Post that the Coast Guard would be “reviewing the language” of the new policy and later published a new policy specifying that it sees swastikas and nooses as hate symbols and that they are prohibited…

Vice President JD Vance dismissed the suggestion that traditional conservative Republicans would “wrest control” of the GOP from supporters of the MAGA movement after President Donald Trump leaves office and “go back to the Republican Party of 20 years ago,” Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…

The U.S. revoked the visa of former South African International Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, who had previously faced criticism over her warm relations with Iran and Hamas and antipathy toward Israel…

Sens. John Curtis (R-UT) and John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote to the Trump administration praising efforts to isolate and push out Iranian proxy groups in South America…

Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced legislation to bar anyone who “endorses or espouses terrorist activities” by groups including Hamas or Hezbollah from the United States…

The Senate passed, by unanimous consent, legislation to ensure that Jewish soldiers buried under other religious markers receive the correct religious markers; the House already passed a separate version of the bill…

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) will step down from her role as the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs’ Middle East subcommittee following her indictment on fraud charges relating to allegations that she funneled FEMA emergency funds to her congressional campaign…

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) launched his bid for governor of California, joining a field that includes  former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former state Controller Betty Yee and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer.…

An analysis of Elon Musk’s Grokipedia by two Cornell University researchers found that the online encyclopedia cited neo-Nazi and conspiracy theorist websites, including Stormfront and Infowars, dozens of times…

The New York Times reports on Bill Ackman’s now-viral dating advice to young men: the four-word prompt, “May I meet you?”…

The Wall Street Journal does a deep dive into Bari Weiss’ ascent to the top of CBS News and her first weeks on the job…

Chicago White Sox co-owner Justin Ishbia met this week with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where he invited the Illinois-born pontiff and noted White Sox fan to throw the first pitch at the team’s eventual new stadium…

Netflix, Paramount and Comcast submitted bids to acquire all or part of Warner Bros. Discovery; the media conglomerate’s board is slated to make a decision on the future of the company by the end of the year…

French telecom companies Orange, Bouygues and Free are in discussions over the potential purchase of SFR that would include assets from Patrick Drahi’s Altice France…

CNN interviews former Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein, who was shot and then taken from the Nova music festival after he stayed at the site to assist others who had been wounded during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Trump administration officials had assured Jerusalem that Israel’s qualitative military edge would not be affected by the U.S.’ just-announced sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia…

Israel has adopted a new mindset in its defense strategy since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Caroline Glick, international affairs advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Thursday at a Hudson Institute event in Washington, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports…

Israel is moving forward on efforts to expropriate the West Bank archeological site of Sebastia, under which the ancient Israelite kingdom of Samaria is believed to have been, with plans to develop the 450-acre site as a tourist attraction…

Data released by the Global Nutrition Cluster’s State of Palestine department last month indicates that the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system (IPC) inflated numbers related to malnutrition in the Gaza Strip by as much as 23%…

India and Israel are reopening discussions on a free-trade agreement between Jerusalem and Delhi; Israeli Economic Minister Nir Barkat signed onto the framework agreement with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that will serve as a framework for talks…

Iran is pulling out of an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to allow inspectors access to the country’s nuclear facilities; the announcement came shortly after the IAEA, which has not been granted access to the Islamic Republic’s facilities since the 12-day war with Israel in June, passed a resolution calling on Tehran to give inspectors access and update the nuclear agency on enrichment work “without delay”…

Former CENTCOM head Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla is joining The Washington Institute for Near East Policy as the think tank’s Jill and Jay Bernstein distinguished fellow…

Scott Selig is joining Alpha Epsilon Pi as the fraternity’s new associate director of development for the Northeast region…

Jayne Zirkle is joining The Lawfare Project as its director of communications and outreach…

Translator David Bellos, who translated dozens of books, including Georges Perec’s Life: A User’s Manual, from French to English, died at 80…

Pic of the Day (THE WHITE HOUSE) President Donald Trump met on Thursday at the White House with a group of Israeli hostages — including many of those who were released from captivity last month — as the group wrapped up a week of meetings and events in New York and Washington.

Addressing the group, Trump said, “This is one of the best days I’ve had at the White House.” 

Birthdays (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) Academy Award-winning actress, director, producer and occasional singer, she founded The Hawn Foundation to help underprivileged children, Goldie Hawn turns 80… 

FRIDAY: Director-general of the Mossad from 1982 to 1989, Nahum Admoni turns 96… British entrepreneur and philanthropist, Baron Harold Stanley Kalms turns 94… U.S. senator (D-IL), Dick Durbin turns 81… Founder, chairman and CEO of Men’s Wearhouse for 40 years, currently holding these same positions at Generation Tux, an online tuxedo rental platform, George Zimmer turns 77… U.S. senator (R-LA), John Kennedy turns 74… Beverly Hills, Calif., resident, Julie Shuer… U.S. district judge for the Northern District of California, she is a past president of Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, Calif., Judge Beth Labson Freeman turns 72… Chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures and Screen Gems, Thomas Rothman turns 71… Israeli media personality, Avri Gilad turns 63… Business development officer at the San Francisco office of Taylor Frigon Capital Management, Jonathan Wornick… VP of planned giving and endowments at UJA-Federation of New York, William Samers… CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan A. Greenblatt turns 55… Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and editor-in-chief of Sapir, Bret Stephens (family name was Ehrlich) turns 52… President of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and only the fifth person to serve in this role in the federation’s 120-year history, Erika B. Rudin-Luria… Founder and publisher of the business magazine The Real Deal, Amir Korangy turns 52… Former NFL running back for the Raiders, Rams and Bears, he is now a schoolteacher, Chad Levitt turns 50… Political director of ABC News, Rick Klein turns 49… Director of global government relations at the Hershey Company, she was previously a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Joanna Liberman Turner turns 49… Consul general of the U.S. in Quebec, Danielle Hana Monosson… Reporter at Bloomberg News and Businessweek, Max Abelson… Member of the New York City Council from the Bronx, Eric Dinowitz turns 40… MLB pitcher in five organizations, now playing for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League, he played for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Robert Stock turns 36… Director of sports engagement at the American Jewish Committee, Alexander Freeman… Judy Brilliant… Ruth Shapiro…

SATURDAY: Majority owner of MLB’s New York Mets for 33 years ending in 2020, he was a high school teammate of Sandy Koufax and went on to a successful career as a real estate developer, Fred Wilpon turns 89… Professor at NYU Law School, she worked at OMB and the National Economic Council in the Clinton White House, Sally Katzen turns 83… Novelist and screenwriter, he is editor-at-large for The Epoch Times, Roger Lichtenberg Simon turns 82… Born to a Jewish family in Tunisia, he served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons until 2006, Jacques Saada turns 78… President emeritus of the 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union, now a senior fellow at the Economic Security Project, Andy Stern turns 75… SVP of development for Hillel International, his bar mitzvah was at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Tim R. Cohen… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-NY), George Stephen Latimer turns 72… Television personality, previously an advertising executive, Donny Deutsch turns 68… IT specialist at the IRS, Martin Robinson… Chairman of Dynamo Kyiv (Kyiv’s soccer team) since 2002, Ihor Surkis turns 67… Author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, Peggy Orenstein turns 64… Classical composer, conductor and pianist, Benjamin Yusupov turns 63… President and CEO of Paramount Pictures, known professionally as Brian Robbins, Brian Levine turns 62… Israeli film and television actor, Ishai Golan turns 52… Senior editor at The City and columnist and editorial writer for the New York Daily News, Harry Siegel turns 48… Israeli rapper, blogger and political activist, his stage name is “The Shadow,” Yoav Eliasi turns 48… Former State Department spokesperson and former deputy to the U.S.’ United Nations ambassador, Edward “Ned” Price turns 43… Actress, she is the highest-grossing female box office star of all time, Scarlett Johansson turns 41… VP of communications and media relations for theSkimm, Jessica Sara (Turtletaub) Pepper… Actor, who has appeared in films directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, the Coen brothers and Warren Beatty, Alden Ehrenreich turns 36… Actor and comedian, he was on the cast of “Saturday Night Live,” Jon Rudnitsky turns 36… Social media personality known as Baby Ariel, she has 36 million followers on TikTok, Ariel Rebecca Martin turns 25… Former chief of staff to former Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Yarden Golan…

SUNDAY: Former mayor of Pasadena, Calif., Terry Tornek turns 80… Senior U.S. district court judge in Massachusetts, Judge Mark L. Wolf turns 79… Senate minority leader (D-NY), Chuck Schumer turns 75… Phoenix resident, Richard S. Levy… Board member of the Yitzhak Rabin Center and former member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, Andrea Lavin Solow… President of Eastern Savings Bank in Hunt Valley, Md., Yaakov S. Neuberger… Emeritus professor of Jewish studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, Elliot R. Wolfson turns 69… Long Beach, N.Y., resident, Ellen P. Shiff… Graduate of Hebrew U, he is a Los Angeles-based cost and management accountant, Simon Ordever… Israeli-born entrepreneur, Raanan Zilberman turns 65… Television personality and author of both fiction and nonfiction books, Keith Ablow turns 64… Founder of Union Main Group, a private holding company focused on platform buildups of small companies, Marc Hanover… Professor of chemistry at Northwestern University, Chad Mirkin turns 62… Former owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, Daniel Snyder turns 61… Neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of brain tumors and aneurysms, he is a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine, Aaron Cohen-Gadol turns 55… SVP at Glen Echo Group, Amy Schatz… Berlin-based journalist on the Bloomberg News automation team, Leonid Bershidsky turns 54… Executive at Hakluyt Company, Keith Lieberthal… SVP and financial advisor at UBS Financial Services in Baltimore, P. Justin “P.J.” Pearlstone… Partner at Blueprint Interactive for digital strategy, Geoff Mackler… Senior tribal policy manager in the office of the attorney general of Washington State, Erin Ross… Independent art dealer, Hillel “Helly” Nahmad turns 49… Associate at Herbst Weiss, Shmuel Winiarz… New England regional director for J Street, Jasmine Gothelf Winship… Rapper, singer, songwriter and recording artist, better known under her stage name Lanz Pierce, Alana Michelle Josephs turns 36… Former pitcher on the Israeli National Baseball Team, now working in renewable energy in Seattle, Corey A. Baker turns 36… Development and grant writer for Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans (Beit Halochem), Elise Fischer… Toronto-based lyricist, author and playwright, Naomi Matlow…



]]> 95497 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-clout-chasers-chase-congress/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:08:57 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95302 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how Israel faded into the background of Saudi-U.S. normalization talks during this week’s trip to Washington by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and report on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s backing of a Palestinian American state legislative candidate who downplayed the 9/11 attacks. We talk to Rep. Jamie Raskin about his comments that the Democratic Party could welcome Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene despite the Republican congresswoman’s espousing of antisemitic conspiracy theories, and report on concerns by Democratic House lawmakers over the Trump administration’s handling of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Abigail Spanberger, Shira Haas and Jessica Tisch.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Marc Rod and Matt Shea. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching President Donald Trump is meeting with recently returned hostages and their families at 2 p.m. today at the White House.
Vice President JD Vance is joining Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle for a fireside chat in Washington this morning.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral is taking place at 11 a.m. at the Washington National Cathedral. Former President George W. Bush and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) are among those giving eulogies for the former vice president.
On Capitol Hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to hold a vote on advancing the nomination of Leo Brent Bozell III to be U.S. ambassador to South Africa.
Elsewhere on the Hill, the Helsinki Commission is holding a hearing on lifting Caesar sanctions against Syria. Rabbi Yosef Hamra, the brother of the last chief rabbi of Syria, is among those slated to testify.
In celebration of the holiday of Sigd, celebrated by Ethiopian Jews, the Israeli Embassy in Washington is hosting a reception this evening.
The Hudson Institute is hosting a conversation with Caroline Glick, a senior advisor in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, this afternoon at the think tank’s Washington headquarters.
Catholic University is holding a remembrance ceremony tonight for legal scholar and professor Marshall Breger, who died in August. Breger served as Jewish liaison in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting this afternoon with American Jewish Congress President Daniel Rosen and a delegation of mayors from around the world who are in Israel for the organization’s 34th Mayors’ Conference. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MATTHEW KASSEL Jack Schlossberg’s decision to launch a bid for Congress in New York City last week was just the latest example of a Kennedy scion hoping to ascend to federal office, testing the continued strength of a hallowed family name whose political currency has dwindled over the years.

His unorthodox campaign also marked the most recent arrival of a new type of political candidate that has cropped up with increasing regularity this election cycle: the social media influencer vying for power beyond the screen.

Schlossberg, the 32-year-old grandson of John. F. Kennedy, is joining a growing crop of young House contenders with digital clout who have been seeking to convert online popularity into a seat in Congress. His campaign announcement follows, among other recent newcomers, Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old left-wing social media influencer running in next year’s crowded Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in the Chicago suburbs.

And it’s not just young recruits trying to parlay their social media clout into political success. George Conway, the vocally anti-Trump conservative lawyer, is hoping that 2.2 million followers on X and his prolfic online attacks against the president will translate into Democratic votes as he seriously considers running in the Nadler district as well. To succeed, voters in the heavily-Democratic district would have to overlook his long record of traditionally conservative views on policy.

Both parties have tried to harness social media to advance their messages while courting influencers and content creators to broaden their appeal among younger online voters. But as influencers engaged in political commentary now pursue political office — most with few apparent qualifying credentials — it remains to be seen if their new efforts can translate to winning campaigns.

So far, the results have not been promising for such candidates. In a special election for a vacant House seat in Arizona this past summer, for instance, Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old influencer, fell short by a nearly 40-point margin, losing to a more well-known local lawmaker, Adelita Grijalva —  a daughter of the late congressman who represented the district for more than two decades. 

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



sideline chatter Trump prioritizes Saudi partnership, leaving Abraham Accords on hold President Donald Trump (R) meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025. During Tuesday’s meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the leaders strengthened their relationship and confirmed the completion of several deals. Any plan to utilize such transactions as part of normalization with Israel, however, was notably absent, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. While taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump confirmed that the U.S. would sell Saudi Arabia F-35 fighter jets of similar caliber to Israel’s. At a dinner that evening, the president added that a strategic security agreement had crossed the finish line, while also formally naming Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally. On Wednesday, the two countries announced a strategic artificial intelligence partnership.

Takeaways: “The main takeaway of the visit was the normalization of the U.S.-Saudi relationship,” said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former State Department negotiator. “[There was] very little, it seemed to me, not surprisingly, on the side of normalization to Israel. It’s almost as if Israel was sort of an afterthought this visit.” Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel under former President Barack Obama, told JI, “By the way this was done, President Trump seems to have elevated the partnerships with Saudi Arabia and maybe, to some degree, with other Gulf states, above pretty much all other U.S. partnerships, including Israel.” 

Read the full story here.

Saudi summit: Congressional lawmakers met Wednesday with MBS included Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jim Banks (R-IN), James Lankford (R-OK), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report. On the House side, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR), Jim Himes (D-CT), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Adam Smith (D-WA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) reportedly participated in a separate meeting with MBS.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google on the hill Antisemitism envoy nominee Kaploun emphasizes need for education in Senate hearing Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to be special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to be the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, emphasized the importance of education as the critical tool to combat antisemitism during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said: “We must, educate, educate, educate about the history of the Jewish community in America and the Judeo-Christian values our country was founded on,” Kaploun told lawmakers. He also emphasized the importance of understanding the history of the Holocaust. Kaploun responded to a question about Trump’s recent comments on Tucker Carlson’s interview with neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes by emphasizing the Trump administration’s policies against antisemitism while also noting, “freedom of speech is something that’s a right.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google endorsement choice Mamdani champions Palestinian American legislative candidate who downplayed 9/11 attacks Aber Kawas, from the Arab American Association of New York, speaks to members and supporters of the New York Immigration Coalition during a rally for immigration reform in Foley Square, June 28, 2016 in New York City, New York. Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, is facing scrutiny for reportedly throwing his support behind a local state Assembly candidate with a record of controversial remarks about 9/11, Israel and other related topics. Aber Kawas, a Palestinian American activist running for an open Assembly seat in a largely Hispanic Queens district, came under the spotlight this week after several of her past online posts and comments resurfaced, Jewish insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. 

Background: Kawas is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel and was involved in efforts to promote failed legislation led by Mamdani that sought to strip Jewish nonprofits of their tax-exempt status, according to a candidate questionnaire solicited by the Democratic Socialists of America, which is reportedly moving to back her campaign. Elsewhere in the questionnaire, which was shared with JI this week, Kawas said she would “refrain from any and all affiliation with the Israeli government and Zionist lobby groups” such as AIPAC and J Street, a left-wing organization that has defended Mamdani. 

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google NOT EASY BEING GREENE Raskin tempers support for MTG, after being asked about her antisemitism Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod on Tuesday that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) would need to reject antisemitism and other forms of bigotry if she wanted to join the Democratic coalition, tempering his recent comment that the Democratic Party should be enough of a “big tent” to accommodate Greene. 

Backpedaling: Asked about Greene’s ongoing promotion of antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, Raskin told JI in a statement, “Before I would welcome Rep. Greene or any other leaders who might flee from Trump’s autocratic personality cult, I would of course want to see them repudiate all the forms of authoritarianism, antisemitism, racism, transphobia and bigotry that they have promoted as Republicans and that have become so intertwined with the MAGA Republican brand under Trump.” Jewish Democratic groups urged Democrats to keep Greene at a distance, even if she happens to vote with them on certain issues.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google speaking out Democrats blast DHS, FEMA over alleged mismanagement of NSGP program Committee ranking member Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat from Mississippi, speaks during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing with testimony from US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on fiscal year 2026 budget requests, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 14, 2025. A group of more than 30 House Democrats wrote to leaders at the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday criticizing their management of the 2025 Nonprofit Security Grant Program, saying that a lack of information provided by DHS is severely hampering applications to and implementation of the critical program, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Laundry list: Among the litany of criticisms outlined by the Democrats were DHS’ delay in publishing applications for the grants was: failing to provide specific deadlines and timelines for the grants; failing to engage in legally required outreach and education programs for prospective applicants; ignoring from Congress to share the names of recipient organizations of recent funding rounds; adding burdensome new requirements for those seeking reimbursements from previously allocated grant funds; new language potentially requiring cooperation with immigration authorities; and alleged discrimination against Muslim groups.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google campus beat Virginia Jewish leaders scrutinize Spanberger’s engagement in education appointments Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger speaks to supporters during a rally on June 16, 2025 in Henrico County, Virginia. Conservative Jewish legal and education experts in Virginia are voicing concern over a request made by Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, for the University of Virginia to pause its presidential search until she takes office in January — and how such a move could impact campus climate for Jewish students, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. 

Background: The issue of selecting board members at the state’s leading public universities has been a politically charged one since Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, took office in 2021. Several board seats remain unfilled at George Mason University after Democrats in the state legislature blocked Youngkin’s nominees, including Ken Marcus, founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, whom Youngkin appointed in 2024. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of Virginia upheld the ruling in favor of Virginia Senate Democrats blocking more than 20 of Youngkin’s university board appointments at several schools, including UVA and GMU. 

Read the full story here.

Interfaith fiasco: The City College of New York is facing scrutiny after a Muslim spiritual leader delivered an antisemitic tirade against a CUNY Hillel director during a university-sponsored interfaith dialogue program last week, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads MBS’ Money Woes: The New York Times’ Rob Copeland and Vivian Nereim report that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is running low on cash as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to restructure the Gulf nation’s sovereign wealth fund. “But a different reality is being whispered about in the power corridors of Riyadh and Wall Street: The kingdom’s vaunted Public Investment Fund, which Saudi Arabia has typically used to fulfill commitments like the one it made this week in Washington, is running low on cash for new investments. That’s in large part because Prince Mohammed and his deputies have spent a vast portion of the nation’s bounty on projects that are in financial distress, and they are frantically trying to turn things around, according to 11 people briefed on its operations, including current employees, board members, investors and their representatives.” [NYTimes]

The Hamas Roadblock: The Washington Post’s editorial board, describing Hamas as “the primary obstacle to peace,” considers the challenges of implementing President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. “Hamas clearly has no plans to surrender control over Gaza. … Any survey of Palestinians in Gaza should be viewed skeptically, but one recent poll suggests that Hamas has enjoyed a surge in popularity since the end of the fighting, because it is the only organization currently in Gaza providing security and preventing looting. That has to change for the other phases of the peace plan to have any chance of moving forward. If the Arab and Muslim countries like Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt are unwilling to step up and do the tough business of disarmament, Israel may be forced to return.” [WashPost]

Succession Saga: Bloomberg’s Kate Sullivan, Catherine Lucey and Eric Martin compare and contrast the approaches taken by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to foreign policy ahead of the 2028 election, when both could make a bid for the presidency. “Both the Republican stars, who have each chased White House dreams, have closely aided Trump as he sketches out the bones of a new foreign policy. Paying attention to their divergent styles and interaction offers clues to reading the emerging doctrine espoused by the US administration — as well as a gauge of who might take on the mantle for the 2028 race. … The recent Gaza ceasefire deal showcased the different roles of the two men. As the US closed in on the accord, it was Rubio who quietly slipped the president an urgent note during a public meeting, telling him it was ready. Some weeks later, as the fragile arrangement teetered, Vance was the one dispatched to Israel to keep it on track. Rubio arrived to reinforce it just hours after Vance’s plane left the country.” [Bloomberg]

Word on the Street President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he plans to meet with Zohran Mamdani — whom the president referred to as ‘Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran “Kwame” Mamdani’ —in the Oval Office on Friday, after the New York City mayor-elect reached out to schedule a sit-down…

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that she will stay on as the department head following Mamdani’s offer for her to remain in the role…

The House Ethics Committee announced plans to open an investigation into Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), for allegations including incomplete financial disclosures, violations of campaign finance law, receipt of special gifts and favors, sexual misconduct or dating violence and misuse of congressional resources…

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) was indicted and charged with stealing $5 million in FEMA funds during the COVID-19 pandemic and funneling the money to her campaign…

The Commerce Department signed off on the sale of up to 70,000 chips to two state-backed companies based in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia; the decision marks an about-face from the Trump administration, which had previously hesitated to approve the deals…

Harvard will not release the full results of a survey of undergraduate students regarding several Israel divestment proposals; university officials said that more than 80% of the school’s approximately 7,100 undergraduates did not answer the survey, skipped the questions on divestment or said they were uncertain, while 8.4% of the total undergraduate population voiced support for divestment…

Former Harvard President Larry Summers is taking leave from teaching at Harvard and from his position as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School following the release of Summers’ emails with Jeffrey Epstein that continued until the day before Epstein’s 2019 arrest…

The Koum Family Foundation is endowing the Israel Studies Program at Stanford, four years after the launch of a pilot program at the school…

Chapman University is facing a lawsuit from two recent alumni who allege that administrators at the California school did not adequately address incidents of antisemitism on the campus…

Actress Shira Haas was tapped to star in Peter Morgan’s upcoming limited Netflix series “The Boys from Brazil,” based on real-life efforts to track down Nazi officials who fled to South America following World War II…

Walmart is in discussions to acquire Israeli startup RA Data, which tackles online scams related to digital marketplaces; RA has been working with the retailer as a third-party vendor since 2024…

The Washington Post spotlights Israeli basketball player Yarden Garzon, the co-captain of the University of Maryland women’s basketball team…

A Bristol, U.K., music venue said that its cancellation of an Oi Va Voi show earlier this year was a “mistake” that was “not in line” with the venue’s values and came as a result of pressure from what the venue described as “activist groups” targeting the London-based klezmer band “because they are a Jewish band performing with an Israeli singer”…

Former Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal, who was released last month after more than two years, detailed the sexual assaults he endured while in Hamas captivity in Gaza…

The Wall Street Journal looks at concerns in Israel that Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets could encourage other countries in the region to seek the planes and potentially erode Israel’s aerial advantage…

The New York Times reports on a previously undisclosed meeting in July between U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Jonathan Pollard, who spent 30 years in prison in the U.S. for passing classified information to Israel…

An Iranian-American Jewish man diagnosed with bladder cancer has been imprisoned in Iran’s notorious Evin prison after being sentenced to jail time earlier this year for a trip to Israel taken more than a decade ago for his son’s bar mitzvah…

Iran released a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker and its 21-member crew seized last week after departing from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; the vessel’s high sulphur gasoil was offloaded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shortly before the tanker was released…

The Financial Times reports on a previously undisclosed trip by Iranian nuclear scientists to Russia last year, the second known visit of representatives from the Iranian military-linked Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research…

Hamas terrorists fired at Israeli forces in Khan Younis in violation of the ceasefire, prompting Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip…

Paramount engaged with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund and other Gulf investors regarding potential investment in Warner Bros. Discovery as Paramount makes a bid for the company… 

The Wall Street Journal looks at how Pakistani army chief Asim Munir is consolidating power following a series of changes to the country’s constitution that, according to the WSJ, “creates a new post that puts Munir in charge of all three branches of the armed forces as soon as the end of this month, and gives him lifelong immunity from prosecution”…

Pic of the Day CNN commentator Van Jones was presented with a shofar by American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch on Tuesday during a panel moderated by former AJC President Harriet Schleifer during the AJC Westchester/Fairfield Fall Gala at Temple Israel Center in White Plains.

At the event, AJC honored Schleifer, who has served in a number of top lay leadership roles in American Jewish organizations, most recently as immediate past chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Birthdays (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Billboard via Getty Images) Rapper and founding member of the hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, he is known as “Mike D,” Michael Louis Diamond turns 60… 

Art dealer and former owner of MLB’s Miami Marlins, Jeffrey Loria turns 85… Professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Southern California, he won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Arieh Warshel turns 85… Former president of the United States, Joe Biden turns 83… Singer and songwriter best known for writing and performing the song “Spirit in the Sky,” Norman Greenbaum turns 83… Short story writer and actress, she was a professor of writing at Columbia University and was a winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship, Deborah Eisenberg turns 80… Former national security advisor and U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John R. Bolton turns 77… Character actor who has appeared in more than 80 films, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild, Richard Masur turns 77… Major-General (reserves) in the IDF, he is a former combat pilot and head of Aman (the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate), Amos Yadlin turns 74… Longtime spokesman (now emeritus) to the foreign press at the Jewish Agency for Israel, Michael Jankelowitz turns 73… Pulitzer Prize-winning national affairs writer for The Wall Street Journal during the 1990s, he is the author of six well-regarded books, Ronald Steven “Ron” Suskind turns 66… Partner at Kirkland Ellis, Jay P. Lefkowitz turns 63… Pianist, composer and author, Robin Spielberg turns 63… Vice chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and a trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, Heidi Monkarsh… Deputy assistant director at the National Science Foundation, Graciela Narcho… American-born former member of Knesset for the Likud party, Yehudah Glick turns 60… Hedge fund manager and founder of Greenlight Capital, David Einhorn turns 57… Boston-based real estate attorney at Goulston Storrs, Zev D. Gewurz… Anchor for Yahoo Finance, Julie Hyman… Opposition research specialist and founder of Beehive Research, Devorah Adler… Executive director at Aish HaTorah, Rabbi Benjamin Gonsher… U.S. senator (D-AZ), Rubén Gallego turns 46… Outfielder for four MLB teams over eight years, he played for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he was the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, Sam Fuld turns 44… Director for North America at the Saban Family Foundation and the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women Girls, Jesse Bronner… Actress and writer, her decision to convert to Judaism was the subject of a 2006 article in The Sunday Times of London, Margo Stilley turns 43… Actress and playwright, Halley Feiffer turns 41… Senior White House editor for Politico, Dan Goldberg… Alexis Weiss…



]]> 95302 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-crown-prince-dinner-draws-capital-a-listers/ Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:27:04 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95180 ]]> Good Wednesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on yesterday’s meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and preview the Saudi leader’s schedule today in Washington. We talk to Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Mark Kelly about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ seizure last weekend of a tanker that originated in the United Arab Emirates, and cover Texas’ designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Mike Lawler, Ambassador Charles Kushner and Noam Tibon.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Marc Rod, Emily Jacobs and Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.

What We’re Watching President Donald Trump is slated to deliver remarks at today’s U.S.-Saudi investment summit in Washington, being hosted by Saudi Arabia during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the capital. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Saudi Investment Minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih will kick off the daylong summit at this morning’s plenary. Others slated to speak today include Elon Musk, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, IBM’s Gary Cohn, Alphabet and Google’s Ruth Porat, Andreessen Horowitz’s Benjamin Horowitz, Pfizer’s Albert Bourla, Palantir’s Alex Karp and Anduril’s Matthew Steckman. Following his White House sitdown and dinner yesterday (more below), MBS is slated to meet with House members today on Capitol Hill. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding confirmation hearings this morning for Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to be antisemitism envoy, and former State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce to be deputy U.N. ambassador. Kaploun was a last-minute addition to the SFRC’s schedule, first appearing yesterday afternoon, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Tonight in Washington, the Endowment for Middle East Truth is hosting its 16th annual Rays of Light in the Darkness awards dinner. This year’s honorees include Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), the Justice Department’s Leo Terrell, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S. Szabolcs Takacs and Pakistani American journalist Anila Ali. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S GABBY DEUTCH As 2,000 Jewish philanthropists, activists and professionals prepared to leave Washington on Tuesday as the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly wrapped up, they heard a stern warning from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Americans must confront antisemitism on both sides, including the right; if they don’t, the nation will face an “existential crisis.” 

“I do not want to wake up in five years and find that both major parties in America have embraced hatred of Israel and have tolerated, if not embraced, antisemitism,” Cruz said. Read JI’s coverage of his remarks here. 

Cruz has become the most prominent Republican elected official speaking out against a rising tide of right-wing antisemitism. But the weeks following podcaster Tucker Carlson’s interview with neo-Nazi provocateur Nick Fuentes have sparked a reckoning for Republicans, including some who until recently considered antisemitism to be primarily a left-wing phenomenon.

That internal tension was on full display at a Tuesday afternoon conference hosted by the conservative National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. The group was until recently affiliated with the Heritage Foundation, until the conservative think tank’s president came to Carlson’s defense. Earlier this month the task force members voted to cut ties with Heritage.  

The NTFCA gathering, arranged in less than two weeks after the group’s split from Heritage, took place in a basement ballroom at The Line Hotel in Washington. About 100 people were in attendance, among them representatives from Jewish advocacy groups including the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federations of North America and Combat Antisemitism Movement.

The event’s organizers — NTFCA co-chairs Ellie Cohanim, who served as deputy antisemitism special envoy in the first Trump administration; Mario Bramnick, a Florida pastor and president of the Latino Coalition for Israel; and Luke Moon, a pastor and executive director of the Philos Project — took the opportunity to forcefully reject Carlson and other far-right media figures who are gaining clout among conservatives by attacking Israel and its backers, and to issue a call for conservatives to join them in calling out growing animosity toward Jews. They don’t think enough people are doing so. 

“I remember Luke, early on, said, ‘Mario, keep your eye on the right.’ I said, ‘Well, look, that’s a fringe. It’s not really important,’” Bramnick said. “But now we’re seeing a very troubling development during President Trump’s second administration within the MAGA movement: antisemitic acts coming from MAGA movement leaders.” The Project Esther report that the task force developed with Heritage last year was focused solely on left-wing antisemitism. 

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



BEST OF FRIENDS Trump, MBS announce sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets, progress on defense pact President Donald Trump (R) meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) In an Oval Office appearance following their meeting on Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced progress on multiple bilateral initiatives, including a U.S.-Saudi defense pact and Riyadh’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

What Trump said: Trump indicated Riyadh may receive a similar jet to Israel’s advanced F-35I Adir model: “When you look at the F-35 and you’re asking me ‘Is it the same [as Israel’s]?’ I think it’s going to be pretty similar,” said Trump. “This [Saudi Arabia] is a great ally, and Israel’s a great ally. I know they’d like you [MBS] to get planes of reduced caliber, but I don’t think that makes you too happy. … We’re looking at that exactly right now but as far as I’m concerned, [both countries are] at a level where they should get top of the line.”

Read the full story here.

Dinner guests: The White House dinner with MBS included, from the business world, Apple CEO Tim Cook; Tesla CEO Elon Musk; Palantir CEO Alex Karp; Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and wife, Christine; Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman and his wife, former MIT professor Neri Oxman; Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff; Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla; BDT MSD Partners Vice Chair Dina Powell McCormick; Paramount CEO David Ellison; and Washington Commanders owners Josh and Marjorie Harris. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance; Donald Trump Jr.; and Tiffany Trump were also in attendance, as were Attorney General Pam Bondi and longtime partner John Wakefield; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his wife, Allison Lutnick; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; EPA Director Lee Zeldin; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Chairman of Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine. From Capitol Hill, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA); Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Dave McCormick (R-PA); and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee made the trip up Pennsylvania Avenue for the dinner. Fox News’ Bret Baier and Maria Bartiromo were also spotted at the dinner.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google WEAPONS SALES SCRUTINY Democrats raise concerns about Trump’s sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia An Israeli F-35 lands at Ovda airbase during the bi-annual multi-national aerial exercise known as the Blue Flag, at Ovda airbase near Eilat, southern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. (Tsafrir Abayov/AP Photo) Senate Democrats echoed their House counterparts on Tuesday in expressing concern about President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.

Shaheen’s statement: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who will have some ability to obstruct or slow the deal, was deeply critical of multiple announcements made by Trump during his White House summit with MBS. Shaheen said in a statement that the F-35 deal “raises major concerns about protecting U.S. military technology and the military edge America shares with our allies” and demanded the administration “fully explain to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee why this sale is in the vital national interest of the United States.”

Read the full story with additional comments from Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MARITIME SECURITY Blumenthal, Kelly alarmed by IRGC seizure of tanker in the Strait of Hormuz Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) (Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo//Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Fair Share America) Two Democratic senators expressed concern on Tuesday about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ seizure of an commercial oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping route, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report. The IRGC took credit on Friday for the seizure of the Talara, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, for what state media described as alleged cargo violations. The tanker, which began its journey in the United Arab Emirates, was carrying petrochemicals through the Strait of Hormuz to Singapore when it was diverted by the IRGC into Iranian territorial waters.

On alert: “It’s like the 1980s all over again,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former fighter pilot, said. “The first time I was there was 1989, in the Strait of Hormuz, with the Iranians doing that same old shit, where they would harass shipping. A couple times, I felt like we were on the edge of getting in the conflict.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said that the U.S. needs to remain vigilant against Iran’s other malign activities in spite of the setbacks to its nuclear program. “Iran is Iran. They are the toxic element in the Middle East. We have no reason for complacency. Just because we set them back in their nuclear program, they remain a malevolent force, and the seizure of that tanker is just one indication of that,” Blumenthal said.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TEXAS TAKEDOWN Texas designates Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR as terrorist, criminal organizations Gov. Greg Abbott announces his reelection campaign for Texas governor in Houston, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a declaration on Tuesday designating the Muslim Brotherhood and Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations — a move that some lawmakers are pushing on the federal level, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What it does: Abbott’s proclamation notes the Muslim Brotherhood’s support to groups, including Hamas, that conduct terrorism in various countries, some of which have already been designated as terrorist groups, and that a series of countries have already imposed restrictions on their local Muslim Brotherhood branches. The proclamation describes CAIR as a “successor organization” to the Muslim Brotherhood and an effective front group for Hamas in the United States and accuses the group of seeking to spread Sharia law in the country by infiltrating public office and other areas of public life.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EXCLUSIVE Booker, Goldman urge Trump to pressure Israel to crack down on West Bank settler violence, settlement expansion Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images/Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images) Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) wrote a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday urging him to pressure the Israeli government to intervene to stop attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and to oppose settlement expansion. The clear-cut criticism of Israel is notable coming from two lawmakers generally seen as strong supporters of the Jewish state. The two urged Trump to reimpose Biden-era sanctions — withdrawn by the Trump administration — on those involved in the settler attacks if the Israeli government does not act, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What they wrote: “The Netanyahu government’s lack of action to address extreme settler violence emboldens Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups, and builds resentment in the West Bank, while putting increased pressure on the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza that your Administration secured,” the two lawmakers wrote. “More must be done to stop settler violence and ensure that those who perpetrate acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank are not allowed to operate with impunity.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SUIT SETTLED Virginia private school reaches settlement with Jewish parents over antisemitic harassment Nysmith School for the Gifted opened in 1983 with 55 children, they now teach more than 600 students ranging from Pre-K to eighth grade. (Lexey Swall/GRAIN for The Washington Post via Getty Images) A private K-8 school in Northern Virginia reached a settlement on Tuesday with the parents of an 11-year-old Jewish student who say their daughter faced months of antisemitic harassment that went unaddressed by school officials, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. According to the complaint, filed in July with the Office for Civil Rights in the Virginia Attorney General’s Office by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights under Law and Washington-based firm Dillon PLLC, the student faced several antisemitic incidents while a student at Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon, Va., including a history class in which students collaborated on a large artistic rendering featuring Adolf Hitler’s face. The student was also told that Jews are “baby killers” and that they deserved to die because of the Israel-Hamas war. Kenneth Nysmith, the headmaster and owner of Nysmith, told the parents to tell their daughter to “toughen up” when they asked the school to take steps to address the bullying, according to the complaint. Two days later, the headmaster sent the parents an email stating all three of their children were expelled effective that same day. 

Terms and conditions: Under the terms of the settlement, in addition to monetary relief to the family, Nysmith School agreed to establish a committee to review and investigate discrimination complaints — with an independent monitor evaluating the committee’s work. It also agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and to provide staff with annual antisemitism training and students with annual education on antisemitism and the Holocaust for the next five years. The training will be led by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. Nysmith also agreed to issue a public statement apologizing for expelling the children and making them feel unwelcome based on religious identity. 

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Heritage’s Right Turn: The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal weighs in on the departure of Robert George from the Heritage Foundation’s board of trustees over the think tank’s relationship with Tucker Carlson and approach to far-right antisemitism. “Mr. George’s departure from the Heritage board means that the institution may be less likely to heed his call to be ‘unbending and unflinching’ in its fidelity to these principles. But a decision this serious may be owed in some part to his sense that Heritage’s commitments were already deteriorating during Mr. Roberts’s tenure. Others in the institution are confronting this same dilemma. Some of Mr. Roberts’s defenders are celebrating Mr. George’s departure as a victory for their form of conservatism. For them, it may be. But that is a reflection of a worldview that doesn’t resemble the conservatism for which Heritage has long stood. A ‘conservatism’ that plays footsie — or worse — with antisemitism and white identity politics, and those who traffic them, doesn’t merit the name.” [WSJ]

The GOP’s ‘Corroded’ Soul: In the Washington Reporter, Pastor John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, warns of the rise of right-wing antisemitism. “Regardless of who the bigot may be, and whether they are declaring hatred for millions of Christian Zionists, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ‘duping’ President Donald Trump into bombing Iran, accusing Israel of killing J.F.K., and/or Charlie Kirk, and/or implying that Hitler wasn’t as bad as we think — there are evil elements on the right who’ve discovered what many Democrats on the formerly fringe left have known for some time: there is both cash and cache in attacking Israel and her people. … People of faith and conscience cannot allow the same spirit that flowed through Haman and Hitler to corrupt and corrode the soul of the GOP. Whether it is in our communities, in our churches, on college campuses, or in Congress, antisemitism in our society must be confronted at every turn.” [WashingtonReporter]

Taking on the Brotherhood: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Matthew Levitt and Michael Jacobson consider the ways in which the Trump administration can counter the Muslim Brotherhood’s global influence. “The evidence validates U.S. concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood, particularly as the Trump administration aims to move beyond the Gaza ceasefire to build a more stable, peaceful Middle East. But taking sweeping action against the entire group will be both counterproductive and ineffective. Instead, the administration should look closely at Brotherhood entities that provide financial support for Hamas as potential SDGT targets. It should also designate those branches that are tied to violence as FTOs. At the same time, it should provide a strong legal framework to go after Brotherhood organizations using both sanctions and law enforcement tools.” [WashingtonInstitute]





Word on the Street The Department of Education is moving several of its offices to other departments within the administration as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to dismantle the agency altogether; the Office for Civil Rights will remain within the DoE, but could be moved elsewhere in the future…

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced legislation to provide diplomatic privileges to the Gulf Cooperation Council, allowing it to establish a de-facto embassy in Washington; the legislation was previously approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee as an amendment to its State Department reform package in September…

U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner presented his credentials to Prince Albert II of Monaco this week…

The Free Press explores antisemitic conspiracy theorist Nick Fuentes’ efforts to get involved in the 2026 midterms through his America First Foundation…

A Gustav Klimt painting from the collection of the late philanthropist Leonard Lauder was sold for $236.4 million, becoming the most expensive work of modern art to be sold at auction…

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is accusing the University of Pennsylvania of obstructing efforts to identify complainants and victims of campus antisemitism as part of the EEOC’s probe into the school’s handling of antisemitism…

Harvard’s undergraduate student population is voting this week on three Israel divestment proposals…

A Maryland man is facing up to 169 years in prison after pleading guilty to dozens of federal charges in connection with more than 40 threatening letters and postcards sent to 25 Jewish institutions spanning multiple states…

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has given tens of thousands of dollars in interest-free loans to students who lost “scholarships, housing or other support” due to their anti-Israel campus advocacy…

The Canada Revenue Agency revoked the tax-exempt status of Herut Canada, 15 months after revoking the statuses of the Canadian arm of the Jewish National Fund and the Ne’eman Foundation of Canada…

France posthumously promoted Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general, 130 years after the French army captain was wrongly convicted on charges of treason…

The Wall Street Journal reports on the ongoing discovery of hundreds of mass graves across Syria and the efforts to identify the bodies discovered in them…

Nvidia joined the Lightspeed-led $200 million funding round for AI startup AA-I Technologies, founded by Mobileye’s Amnon Shashua…

One person was killed and three others injured in a car-ramming terror attack in the West Bank…

Maj. Gen. (res.) Noam Tibon, who rose to international prominence after he rescued of his son’s family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, is joining Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party ahead of next year’s elections…

The New York Times reports from the southern Israeli facility from which U.S. and Israeli military personnel, diplomats and Arab interlocutors are overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and are working to prepare the Gaza Strip for post-Hamas administration… 

The U.S., France, Germany and the U.K. submitted a draft resolution to the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency calling on Iran to provide “precise information on nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities” and allow nuclear inspectors access to those facilities…

The Wall Street Journal spotlights the Ukrainian corruption probe targeting former business associates of President Volodymyr Zelensky…

Combat Antisemitism Movement appointed former U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Aaron Keyak, Republican Jewish Coalition board member Barbara Feingold and former Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Noam Lee to the organization’s advisory board, whose new chair will be Arie Lipnick, senior advisor to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)…

Pic of the Day (PERRY BINDELGLASS)
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations hosted a roundtable in New York on Tuesday with recently released hostages, including Omri Miran (pictured with microphone).

Birthdays (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, John Maxwell Homa turns 35…

Retired New York state Supreme Court judge, his tenure on “The People’s Court” was shorter than that of his wife “Judge Judy,” Jerry Sheindlin turns 92… Attorney, investment banker and former U.S. ambassador to the U.K., Louis B. Susman turns 88… Professor of chemistry at Stanford University, Richard Neil Zare turns 86… Fifteen-term member in the U.S. House of Representatives (D-NY) until 2013, he is now a partner in Gotham Government Relations, Gary Ackerman turns 83… Fashion designer whose name appears on clothing, perfumes, watches and jewelry, Calvin Klein turns 83… Founder and president of the Washington-based Arab American Institute, James J. Zogby turns 80… U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2022 untilJuly 2024, following 18 years as president of the University of Pennsylvania, Amy Gutmann turns 76… Los Angeles-based real estate investor, Sydney Ilene Cetner… Owner of Patty’s Piano Studio in Santa Monica, Calif., Patricia Fiden… Cosmetic dentist and chairman of pharma company Akelos, Inc., Steven Fox, DDS… California state senator until 2022, Robert Myles “Bob” Hertzberg turns 71… Dean and professor of Jewish history, literature and law at Yeshiva University, Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel turns 70… Past chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and president of Millennium Properties R/E Inc., Daniel Hyman turns 70… Academy Award-winning screenwriter, producer, director and lyricist, best known as the writer of “Being John Malkovich,” Charlie Kaufman turns 67… Angel investor, investment banker and president of Sunrise Financial Group, Nathan Low… Retired member of the Knesset for the Kulanu party, he served as Israel’s minister of finance for five years, Moshe Kahlon turns 65… Officer of NORPAC New York and a partner in a New York law firm, Trudy Stern… Co-president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Lisa Eisen… Director of state and local government affairs for SAIC, Eric Finkbeiner… Co-founder of Optimistic Labs, Seth Cohen… Member of the New York state Assembly since 2005, Andrew D. Hevesi turns 52… New York Times best-selling novelist, she is also a professor at Rutgers University-Camden, Lauren Grodstein turns 50… Gymnast, she was a member of the Magnificent Seven, the women’s U.S. gymnastics team at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Kerri Allyson Strug turns 48… Editor-in-chief of Time magazine, Samuel P. Jacobs… Senior program director at M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, Rachel Hillman… Former congressional staffer, Michael Dale-Stein turns 38… Managing director at Climate Power, John D. Axelrod… European deals reporter at the Financial Times based in London, Ivan Levingston…



]]> 95180 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-jewish-gopers-grapple-with-groypers/ Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:48:38 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=95042 ]]> Good Tuesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meeting with President Donald Trump today at the White House, and look at how Jewish Republicans are reckoning with resurgent antisemitism on the right. We report on the U.N. Security Council’s support for Trump’s plan for postwar Gaza, and cover Israel’s push for the International Criminal Court to drop its arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over claims the court’s chief prosecutor pursued the case to distract from sexual harassment allegations. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Gov. JB Pritzker, Robert George and Troye Sivan.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve with assists from Marc Rod and Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching All eyes are on Washington today for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the nation’s capital and meeting with President Donald Trump, followed by a formal dinner in honor of the crown prince’s visit. More below. The National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism is holding a daylong conference on “Exposing and Countering Extremism and Antisemitism on the Political Right.” Elsewhere in Washington, the Aspen Cyber Summit is taking place at the Kennedy Center. The Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly wraps up today. Speakers at this morning’s closing plenary, which features a musical performance by The Tamari Project, include Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and “Call Me Back” host Dan Senor. JI’s Lahav Harkov will be moderating a session this morning on the future of the Middle East. The One Israel Fund is holding its annual gala tonight in New York. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is keynoting this year’s event. In Turtle Bay today, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz will be joined by rapper Nicki Minaj as the two deliver remarks on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams concludes his trip to Israel today. Following a trip to Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel’s south, Adams will depart Israel for Uzbekistan. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Matthew Shea President Donald Trump is hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today at the White House, marking the first time MBS has visited Washington since 2018. 

Trump plans to roll out the red carpet for the visit, which includes a welcome ceremony, bilateral meeting in the Oval Office and a black-tie dinner in the evening. Tiger Woods and Elon Musk are expected to be in attendance at the dinner, among other high-profile attendees. “We’re more than meeting,” Trump said late Friday. “We’re honoring Saudi Arabia, the crown prince.” 

The visit is not an official state visit, as MBS is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state; however, the crown prince holds almost all responsibility in ruling the kingdom. 

The bilateral meeting will feature high-stakes discussions on several key issues, including the sale of F-35 fighter jets, Saudi-Israel normalization and a possible U.S.-Saudi defense pact. Experts told Jewish Insider such an agreement is likely to be modeled after the assurances Trump gave Qatar in September, in the wake of an Israeli strike on Hamas in the Gulf state, when he issued an executive order stating that the U.S. will regard “any armed attack” on Qatar “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.” 

Trump announced on Monday he would approve the sale of the F-35s to Riyadh, helping the Saudis secure a long-coveted deal and making them the first country in the Middle East other than Israel to obtain the advanced fighter jets. “They want to buy. They are a great ally. We will be doing that. We will be selling them F-35s,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 

Concerns remain within the foreign policy community over the impact that the sale of F-35s will have on the military balance in the region and Israel’s qualitative military edge, which the U.S. is bound by law to uphold. Experts also cautioned the risks of transferring sensitive technology to Riyadh after Saudi naval forces conducted a joint military exercise with China last month. Israel has requested that such a sale be conditioned on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords, however Trump made no mention of such a provision.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



THE RIGHTS NEW DIVIDE ‘Confused young groypers’: Jewish Republicans reckon with resurgent antisemitism on the right Tucker Carlson Interviews Nick Fuentes (SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE) During a talk at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi last month, Vice President JD Vance listened carefully as a student took the microphone and asked him a question grounded in antisemitic tropes. Vance took the question at face value, declining to push back. The exchange came soon after right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson hosted neo-Nazi provocateur Nick Fuentes for a decidedly friendly interview, a shocking but not altogether surprising cultural moment that catapulted an intra-party rift into the open: a shift among a small but growing contingent of young conservatives away from Israel and, increasingly, into a conspiratorial worldview that holds the Jewish state — and Jews — responsible for the world’s ills. The question facing party leaders is just how deeply this perspective has rooted itself among the right and how to deal with it: whether to fight it, accept it or stay quiet and hope it disappears, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. 

Looking ahead: Vance’s response at the Turning Point event sparked concern among Jewish conservatives about how a potential future GOP presidential nominee plans to deal with a growing segment of the political right that is not just critical of Israel but of Jews — and why he has been willing to make excuses for the bigotry of some of his supporters. Earlier this month, at the RJC conference in Las Vegas, Republican fundraiser Eric Levine told JI that he has concerns about Vance, though he added that those concerns are balanced out by the fact that President Donald Trump remains “the most pro-Israel president in the history of the country.” 

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google F-35 FACTOR House Republicans largely supportive of F-35 deal with Saudi Arabia A Dutch Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jet fighter lands during the NATO’s Ramsteign Flag 2025 exercise at Leeuwarden Air Base on April 8, 2025. (JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images) House Republicans sounded largely supportive of President Donald Trump’s announcement on Monday that he plans to sign a deal to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, despite an apparent lack of progress toward normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Democrats, meanwhile, were generally more skeptical of the deal.

What they’re saying: “I’m very supportive of the president in every effort to reach out to Saudi Arabia,” Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told JI. “Saudi Arabia has been so significant in addressing the regime change in Syria and so over and over again, Saudi Arabia is proving [itself].” Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a co-chair of the Abraham Accords caucus, suggested that normalization should precede the sale of F-35s. Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords “would certainly require a reassessment of the assumptions underpinning our strategic outlook for the region and revisions to our policy doctrines, including provision of the F-35 platform to Saudi Arabia, while also preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge,” he said.

Read the full story here with additional comments from Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Adam Smith (D-WA).

Forceful feedback: The Lebanese Armed Forces is facing pushback from Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over a statement it posted to social media on Sunday blaming Israel for flare-ups with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. The Trump administration reportedly canceled an upcoming trip to the U.S. by Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal as part of Washington’s concern over the LAF’s moves.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PATH TO PEACE U.N. Security Council backs Trump’s Gaza plan Ambassadors and representatives to the United Nations meet at the U.N. Security Council to vote on a U.S. resolution on the Gaza peace plan at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City, Nov. 17, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) The U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S.-led resolution on Monday backing President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, including the creation of an international security force, in a move that could boost efforts to advance into the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. In the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, originally presented in September, the Israel Defense Forces have partially withdrawn to a “yellow line” dividing Gaza, while Hamas has returned all of the living hostages and all but three of the deceased hostages’ bodies.  However, the plan has faced significant roadblocks, and questions remain about the feasibility of implementing the following phases, including effectively disarming Hamas and determining who will govern Gaza. 

What it means: Monday’s vote follows coordinated diplomacy between Washington and Arab partners aimed at reviving momentum behind the U.S. plan, including hosting a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, last month and issuing a joint statement of support last week. With the adoption of the resolution, the U.N. showed a rare consensus on Gaza — 13 countries voted in favor and none against, with Russia and China abstaining. Experts told JI that moving to the second phase of the plan now becomes more plausible — even if challenges remain.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google RESIGNATION RIPPLE Heritage board member resigns amid continued fallout over Tucker Carlson controversy An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Robert George, a prominent board member of the Heritage Foundation, said on Monday that he was resigning from the conservative think tank, in the latest sign of continued fallout over its president’s controversial defense of Tucker Carlson after his friendly interview last month with a neo-Nazi influencer, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. 

What he said: “I could not remain without a full retraction of the video released by Kevin Roberts, speaking for and in the name of Heritage, on October 30th,” George said in a Facebook post Monday morning, referring to the group’s president. “Although Kevin publicly apologized for some of what he said in the video, he could not offer a full retraction of its content. So, we reached an impasse.” His decision to step down indicates that Roberts is likely secure, for now, in his role atop Heritage, as its board remains split about his future, according to a former Heritage staffer familiar with internal discussions.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PARTING WAYS Matt Gaetz producer fired for sharing virulently antisemitic video Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) speaks at the Turning Point Action conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 15, 2023. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images) A producer for former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) weeknight show on the right-wing One America News Network has reportedly been fired after he shared a vehemently antisemitic social media post depicting Jews as cockroaches, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. Vish Burra, who was a booker and script writer for Gaetz, had drawn widespread backlash for posting an AI-generated animated video last week showing him entering a “scheming room” with Stars of David on the door to find a group of cockroaches counting money, who scurry away upon his arrival. The post has since been deleted.

Additional hate speech: “I will expose the vermin in the venomous coalition and their transgression against MAGA, America First, and Kevin Roberts at The Heritage Foundation,” Burra said in another post to X, which has also been deleted. “It all starts with Susan Lebovitz-Edelman,” he wrote, referring to a Jewish trustee at the Manhattan Institute who is married to the hedge fund manager Joseph Edelman. Lebovitz-Edelman, he wrote, “is behind the entire campaign to oust Kevin Roberts from The Heritage Foundation by using her leverage as a recent big dollar donor to take control of the organization.” Burra’s firing was reported by The Wrap and The Independent on Monday.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TRIBUNAL TURMOIL Israel petitions ICC to remove chief prosecutor from case, citing conflict of interest Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan speaks during a UN Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Israel petitioned the International Criminal Court on Monday to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan from its case, saying he pursued charges against Israeli leaders to distract from sexual harassment accusations lodged against him. Israel also asked the court to cancel its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Khan’s allegations that they perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza including “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” and “intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population,” Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Background: The petition came after two women submitted complaints against Khan for workplace sexual misconduct. One is an ICC employee, who alleged the misconduct occurred as recently as 2024 and that Khan attempted to dissuade her from making claims against him. In a leaked recording of a phone call between Khan and the ICC employee, she lamented that she had been accused of being a “Mossad plant” over the complaint. Khan was recorded telling the woman that someone had leaked the complaint to the media to “get rid of the warrants for Palestine,” among other open cases. According to The Guardian, private investigators hired by Qatar had attempted and failed to find a link between the accuser and Israel.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads A Magazine’s Missteps: In Commentary, Jamie Kirchick does a deep dive into the antisemitism within The American Conservative — underscored by the language of its opposition to the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year that put it at odds with both the White House and the conservative movement. “The more one reads the American Conservative and listens to its contributors, the more one realizes how deeply ingrained the idea of Jewish perfidy is in the magazine’s Weltanschauung. … There is no greater rebuke to isolationism than Auschwitz. Isolationists know this, which is why they spend so much time relitigating World War II. It’s also why so many isolationists harbor antipathy toward Jews, the Holocaust’s chief victims and the stewards of its memory. The Jews are a living reminder of what happens when evil is not confronted, and their survival is deeply offensive to those who prefer not to confront the evil in our world.” [Commentary]

BBC Bias: The Wall Street Journal’s Gerard Baker raises concerns over the impact of the BBC’s biases on public opinion and policy. “There were — and are — many talented, honest people there. But in the past 10 years, it has, like other institutions worldwide, been captured by the cultural revolution that has swept the world of graduate-level work, seized by an activist class not content to report the news but insisting instead on telling people what to think. Their orthodoxy is familiar: on race, gender, sexuality, immigration and national sovereignty, climate alarmism, Western civilization and international affairs. I believe that the BBC’s coverage of Gaza is the most important factor in the recent rise of antisemitism in Britain. The daily repetition of Hamas propaganda about supposed Israeli atrocities has played in Britain (and around the world) for two years.” [WSJ]



Word on the Street Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker contributed $25.5 million to his campaign fund over the last two weeks as he makes a bid for a third term and as speculation mounts that he may enter the 2028 presidential race…

New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé filed paperwork to challenge House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in New York’s 8th Congressional District; Ossé, an ally of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, is challenging Jeffries from the House leader’s left…

Former Harvard President Larry Summers will step away from his upcoming public commitments following the release of extensive email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein that lasted until the day before Epstein’s arrest; Summers will continue teaching five classes this semester, and will stay on as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School…

Federal prosecutors in New York are seeking an 18-year prison sentence for a neo-Nazi leader who pleaded guilty to soliciting hate crimes for his role in a plot to give poisoned candy to Jewish children…

Canadian officials said that worker error was the reason an Israeli-born woman applying for a passport was told that she could not list Israel as her country of birth; an employee had reportedly told the woman that the denial was due to “the political conflict”…

A collection of Gustav Klimt works owned by art collector and philanthropist Leonard Lauder, who died earlier this year, is expected to garner more than $400 million when they are auctioned by Sotheby’s today…

A German auction house canceled the planned sale of more than 600 items that belonged to Holocaust victims after coming under criticism by a Berlin-based organization for survivors…

The Washington Post spotlights the efforts of a Brazilian magazine publisher to uncover rumored underground tunnels in his hometown that had been constructed by Nazi officials who had fled to South America after World War II… 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned recent settler violence in the West Bank following the release of video that showed dozens of settlers setting fire to vehicles and homes in the Palestinian village of Jab’a…

The New York Times reports on the shadowy effort that brought hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa in the last month…

Parts of western Iran flooded after heavy rainfall, following months in which the Islamic Republic faced severe drought issues…

Singer Troye Sivan listed his home in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, which he bought in 2017, for $2.545 million…

Rabbi Shlomo Porter, the executive director of the Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Learning, died at 78…

The New York Times spotlights psychoanalyst Sabina Spielrein, who was believed to have been killed by a Nazi death squad in Russia in 1942, in its “Overlooked” series…

Pic of the Day (JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA) Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) spoke in conversation with Julie Platt, the immediate past board chair for the Jewish Federations of North America, at a Monday plenary session at the JFNA’s General Assembly in Washington.

Birthdays (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) Longtime former play-by-play sportscaster for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, Marc Zumoff turns 70…

Theoretical physicist, at age 27 he became a professor and then later president of the Weizmann Institute, he is the founder of the Davidson Institute of Science Education at Weizmann, Haim Harari turns 85… Former president of East Bay Federation, Steve Goldman… Former national director of major gifts for the American Committee for the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Paul Jeser… Lecturer at Boston University School of Law, he was formerly SVP and general counsel of Fidelity Management Research Company, Eric D. Roiter turns 77… Atlanta resident, Lynda Wolfe… Israeli cantor and actor, known for his Broadway performance as Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables,” David “Dudu” Fisher turns 74… Professor emerita at Harvard Business School, Shoshana Zuboff turns 74… Professor of epidemiology and neurology at Columbia University, Walter Ian Lipkin turns 73… Former U.S. ambassador to South Africa, she is a luxury handbag designer, Lana J. Marks turns 72… Singer-songwriter, he is also the author of a popular Passover Haggadah, Barry Louis Polisar turns 71… Mayor of Dallas from 2002 until 2007, Laura Miller turns 67… SVP and general counsel of HSP Group and ARF Financial, Robert Bruce Lapidus… Moroccan-born, member of the Knesset since 2003 for the Shas party, he currently serves as the minister of welfare and social affairs, Yaakov Margi turns 65… NYC-based writer, activist and performer, Shira Dicker… Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington-based correspondent for The New York Times covering health policy, Sheryl Gay Stolberg turns 64… Retired Baltimore attorney who devotes her time to philanthropic and pro-Israel activities, Laurie Luskin… Rabbi of Burbank Temple Emanu El and former national coordinator of Rabbis Without Borders, Tsafreer “Tsafi” Lev turns 54… Chabad rabbi in Kyiv and executive chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Raphael Rutman turns 53… President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, Audra P. Berg… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, Michal Shir Segman turns 46… Freshman U.S. senator (R-MT), Tim Sheehy turns 40… Real estate agent at Coldwell Banker and a consultant for Bridals by Lori, Talia Fadis… Israeli singer-songwriter and music producer, Elisha Banai turns 37…



]]> 95042 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-mbs-to-dc-mou-movement-plus-mtgs-trump-trouble/ Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:35:43 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94928 ]]> Good Monday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at Israel’s reported push for a new 20-year memorandum of understanding with the U.S., and report on President Donald Trump’s pledge to back a primary challenger to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene amid an escalating feud between the two. We cover a new bill from 21 House Democrats accusing Israel of genocide that has the backing of Code Pink, and report on the firing of the New Jersey teachers’ union magazine editor over her antisemitic and pro-Hamas posts on social media. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rahm Emanuel, Tua Tagovailoa and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.



What We’re Watching The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote today on a U.S.-proposed resolution backing the White House’s plan for Gaza and showing support for the creation of an International Stabilization Force in the enclave. More below. Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams continues his trip to Israel today. Earlier today, Adams held separate meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and New York Consul General Ofir Akunis. He’s slated to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 3 p.m. local time, followed by meetings with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion. Tonight, he’ll attend a dinner hosted by the Israel Export Institute honoring the New York City-Israel Economic Council. The Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly kicked off yesterday in Washington. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Commentary’s John Podhoretz are among the speakers slated to take the main stage in today’s plenaries. Are you at the GA? Say hello to JI’s Gabby Deutch! The House is set to vote today on a resolution introduced by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) “disapproving the behavior” of Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), who announced plans to retire on the last day for candidates to file, hours after his chief of staff had filed her own paperwork to run for the seat. House Democratic leaders have said they plan to kill the resolution. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S LAHAV HARKOV The members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition spent much of the weekend arguing over something on which they all ostensibly agree — opposition to a Palestinian state. 

They may have been expressing their long and openly held opinions, but the timing could be damaging, coming days before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to visit the White House. In the meeting, slated for Tuesday, President Donald Trump is expected to push for normalization between Riyadh and Jerusalem — something the Saudis have long conditioned on tangible steps towards a Palestinian state.

The latest debate started with far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who recently apologized for saying the Saudis can “keep riding camels” rather than normalize ties with Israel in exchange for a Palestinian state. On Saturday night, Smotrich said that Netanyahu was responsible for a “dangerous” increase in pressure on Israel, criticizing the prime minister for not speaking up more forcefully after nearly a dozen countries recognized a Palestinian state earlier this year. “Immediately come up with an appropriate and decisive response that will make clear to the entire world that a Palestinian state will not be established in our homeland,” Smotrich wrote on X.

Next came Likud ministers. “Israel will not agree to the establishment of a terror state in the heart of the Land of Israel,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar asserted. “Israel’s policy is clear: A Palestinian state will not be established,” chimed in Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The impetus for reiterating their position was the U.S.-proposed resolution at the United Nations Security Council backing Trump’s plan for Gaza and the formation of an International Stabilization Force, leading to a scenario in which “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.” 

It’s unclear where these Cabinet ministers were in late September, when Netanyahu signed onto Trump’s 20-step plan, which uses the exact same language.

The Saudis saw Netanyahu’s agreement to a horizon for Palestinian statehood as satisfying their demand for a step in that direction, an Israeli diplomatic source who frequently advises Netanyahu said earlier this month.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



MILITARY MATTERS Israel eyes new defense agreement with U.S. as future of assistance faces uncertainty President Donald Trump, right, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, during a news conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images) With Israel’s current 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. set to expire in 2028, Jerusalem is reportedly seeking a renewed and expanded agreement that would run through 2048 — though questions remain over the deal’s final framework and the future of U.S.-Israel assistance, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. Israel is looking to finalize a new 20-year agreement that entails more in annual assistance, with hopes of securing the deal within the next year. Negotiations were previously delayed due to the war in Gaza; however, Israeli and U.S. officials confirmed to Axios that initial discussion began in recent weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, denied the report.

Time is of the essence: “MOU negotiations typically take a long time, and waiting for both countries to get through their respective 2026 elections puts the start of these talks well into fiscal year 2027,” said Dana Stroul, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “If there are going to be changes in the funding levels, Israeli and American budgeteers will want this information as early as possible.” Experts argued that it would be in Israel’s best interest to secure a deal now amid the uncertainty over future support from U.S. officials. Stroul said Israel “may be calculating that it is better to get out ahead of this trend and lock in U.S. commitments before the midterm elections.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TROUBLING TIMES Rahm Emanuel warns American Jewish community ‘on the precipice’ with shifting political winds (Jewish Federations of North America)
Longtime Democratic official Rahm Emanuel offered a word of warning on Sunday night to the thousands of Jewish communal leaders gathered in Washington to kick off the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly: Don’t expect 2028 presidential candidates to visit Israel like his old boss, Barack Obama, did on the campaign trail in 2008, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Out of flavor: He used an ice cream metaphor to make his point. “If in 2024 the Democrats didn’t have a choice, in 2028 it’s going to be like Baskin-Robbins. There’s gonna be, like, 31 flavors. Some of us are gonna be chocolate mint. Nobody is going to Jerusalem,” Emanuel said at the opening plenary. “Nobody is leaving America to go travel to Jerusalem. That’s the politics. And it’s not just in the Democratic primary.” Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff and the former U.S. ambassador to Japan, beseeched the attendees to reckon with the shifting political winds on Israel and work to make a stronger case for the U.S.-Israel relationship. 

Read the full story here.

On the main stage: Four former Israeli hostages — Noa Argamani, Avinatan Or, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal — shared accounts of their time in Hamas captivity, some of which had never before been revealed, at the JFNA’s opening plenary, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CHANGES IN ATTITUDE Trump pulls support for ‘ranting lunatic’ MTG, says he’ll endorse a primary challenger Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks alongside former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump at a campaign event in Rome, Georgia, on March 9, 2024. (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images) President Donald Trump on Friday night publicly disavowed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), once one of the president’s closest and most committed allies on Capitol Hill, saying he was withdrawing his endorsement of Greene and is prepared to support a primary challenger to the far-right Georgia congresswoman, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The latest: Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he has heard that “wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie” and that “if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support,” accusing her of having “gone Far Left.” In one of her posts in response, Greene highlighted the fact that she has not received support from pro-Israel groups and suggested that a foreign country is pressuring Trump to distance himself from her.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE HILL 21 House Democrats introduce Code Pink-backed resolution accusing Israel of genocide Anti-Israel protestors with the group Code Pink sit in the chair reserved for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) A group of 21 House progressives, led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), introduced a resolution accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The resolution is backed by a slew of anti-Israel groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, the Quincy Institute, Sunrise Movement, Amnesty International, Code Pink, CAIR, American Muslims for Palestine, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and DAWN.

Sponsor list: The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Becca Balint (D-VT), Andre Carson (D-IN), Greg Casar (D-TX), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Al Green (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Summer Lee (D-PA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google MINORITY ALERT Syrian Druze, Christians, Alawites warn of religious persecution by new government People march with pictures of victims of a recent wave of sectarian violence targeting Syria’s Alawite minority on March 11, 2025. (DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images) Representatives of Syria’s Druze, Christian and Alawite communities warned members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Thursday about the systematic targeting, persecution and atrocities their communities have endured under the new Syrian government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Pump the brakes: They urged the U.S. to condition the removal of remaining sanctions on Syria and its evolving partnership with the Syrian government on the government’s efforts to protect religious minorities and prevent further atrocities. Members of the commission, an independent body created by Congress, likewise expressed alarm about the pattern of violations against Syria’s minorities.

Read the full story here.

Bonus: A spokesperson for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who is leading a bill in the House to condition the lifting of human rights sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Act, told JI he continues to oppose the unconditional repeal of sanctions. “Congressman Lawler continues to believe that any changes to the Caesar sanctions must be tied to meaningful benchmarks and strict accountability to ensure the al-Sharaa regime cannot exploit relief. He is actively working with the administration to advance a responsible, conditional approach with snapback measures rather than a blanket repeal,” spokesperson Ciro Riccardi told JI.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EDITED OUT N.J. teachers’ union fires editor after Jewish officials express concern over antisemitic Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) speaks during annual Jerusalem Post conference at Gotham Hall. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) New Jersey’s largest teachers’ union, the New Jersey Education Association, cut ties with an editor of its magazine on Friday, following criticism from top state officials over her antisemitic and pro-Hamas posts on social media. Ayat Oraby’s since-deleted posts on X, screenshots of which were viewed by JI, claimed Israel “killed many of its citizens” during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and voiced her support of Hamas, praising its actions on social media as “resistance,” among other views, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Chain of events: Oraby, who started at the NJEA Review magazine in August, told the New Jersey Globe, the first outlet to report her termination, that her “intent has always been humanitarian: to stand against the killing of civilians and to advocate for peace. When compassion is politicized, even empathy can be misread.” Local Jewish elected officials voiced worry about Oraby’s appointment in October, sending a letter to NJEA with 24 signees, expressing “deep concern.” The letter followed one sent by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) to the NJEA, which also voiced concern. Oraby told the New Jersey Globe that Gottheimer was unfair to condemn her for a post she deleted that compared Israel to Nazi Germany, a claim she said “reflects public opinion and legitimate criticism, not hatred.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads What MBS Wants: In The New York Times, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney previews tomorrow’s meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington. “After two years as U.S. ambassador to the kingdom, and after conversations with many Saudis, it is clear to me where the crown prince’s priorities now lie: He would rather focus on attracting international business and investment to the kingdom than become enmeshed in the region’s interminable conflicts. He would rather accept an imperfect Syrian leadership than fuel a civil war that will exacerbate the region’s ills. He would rather reach an uneasy détente with Iran than antagonize it and draw its ire and missiles. And he would rather end the Gaza war on less than ideal terms than have it continue as a source of inspiration for extremists.” [NYTimes]

Tucker Takes on the Bible:The Washington Post’s Jason Willick posits that conservative commentator Tucker Carlson is, in his own rhetoric and platforming of extremist voices, explicitly targeting the Judeo-Christian consensus. “That Jewish-Christian pairing, though not uncontroversial, has proved remarkably resilient over the decades. Carlson sees an opening to undo it. A recent theme of the podcaster is that the Old Testament (the part of the Bible subscribed to by both Jews and Christians) is dark and tribal, while the New Testament (the part subscribed to only by Christians) is the fount of enlightened Western values. … His Fuentes provocation successfully prompted massive recriminations on the institutional right. His gamble is that in the turmoil, he can pry more conservatives away from the Judeo-Christian settlement that arose in the past century and toward his own narrower sect on the right.” [WashPost]

Water Woes: In The Wall Street Journal, Seth Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World and Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink, looks back at the role that Israel played in building water infrastructure in Iran prior to the 1979 revolution. “The first few water engineers to arrive in Iran were followed by dozens, and ultimately hundreds. So many Israeli water experts worked on Iran’s water restructuring and rethinking of agricultural practices that by the late 1960s Hebrew-language schools for their children were established in several locations in Iran. Shops in some areas had signs in Hebrew. I interviewed several Israeli water engineers who worked in Iran before the 1979 revolution. They described a warm environment in which Israelis and Iranians worked together. Other than at a soccer match involving a visiting Israeli team, none of the interviewees had any memory of anti-Israel or antisemitic conduct or speech.” [WSJ]







Word on the Street Axios reports that Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) vocal opposition to Tucker Carlson is part of the Texas Republican’s plans to mount a 2028 presidential bid in which he’ll speak out against the party’s isolationism, setting him up on a collision course with Vice President JD Vance…

In a Washington Post op-ed, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz calls on the U.N. Security Council to pass an upcoming resolution backing President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, saying that doing so will create an opportunity “for the United States and our international partners to take concrete action and renew our commitment to the project of peace and build a future in which Gaza is governed by the Palestinian people — not Hamas”…

Politico spotlights Michael Needham, who is serving as a top strategist to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing Needham as “Rubio’s chief policy filter, surfacing America First proposals that blend ideology with implementation”…

Puck looks at tensions between Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, the latter of whom Puck describes as “a rare Trump appointee who commands bipartisan respect and affection”…

The New Yorker profiles Kash Patel, noting that in his high school yearbook, the FBI director quoted Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, saying  “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man—the maximum of hatred for a minimum reason”…

In comments made at a Combat Antisemitism Movement reception in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams suggested that the city’s Jewish community “must prepare itself” for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, saying, “If I were a Jewish New Yorker, I’d be concerned about my children”…

A staffer on Mamdani’s campaign who served as director of Muslim engagement and now claims to have a senior role on Mamdani’s transition team is facing criticism for a series of antisemitic and homophobic social media posts…

Columbia University’s Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing, which advises the school’s board of trustees on issues related to investments, rejected three proposals calling on Columbia to divest from Israel; the committee found that the proposals failed to secure a broad consensus…

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from collecting $1.2 billion in fines from UCLA that were imposed over the school’s handling of antisemitism on campus, its admissions process and its recognition of transgender students…

A new study from the Institute of International Education found that international student enrollment in American universities dropped by 17% this year…

The Wall Street Journal looks at how WhatsApp is surpassing Apple’s iMessage as the messaging app of choice for large groups…

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, speaking at a press conference in Madrid following the NFL’s final international game for the season, said, “it would be pretty cool to go play in Jerusalem” after being asked where the league should play its next international game…

“Succession” actress Dasha Nekrasova was dropped by the Gersh agency following an episode of her podcast in which she interviewed antisemitic conspiracy theorist Nick Fuentes…

The Washington Post reviews the Arlington, Va., Signature Theatre’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof”…

University College London suspended researcher Samar Maqusi following the distribution of video taken during a lecture in which Maqusi shared antisemitic blood libel; the school also announced it will reopen its investigation into a student who is alleged to have told a Jewish student that the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks were “justified and reasonable” and that Hamas was not a terrorist entity…

Germany confirmed plans to lift its restrictions on military exports to Israel that went into effect in August, citing last month’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the increasingly stabilized situation in the Gaza Strip…

The Wall Street Journal reports on how increasing support for Hamas in Gaza since the implementation of a ceasefire last month has complicated efforts to disarm the terror group…

Israel’s GDP rose 12.4% in the third quarter of 2025, rebounding from the second-quarter drop attributed in part to the Israel-Iran war in June…

Iran began cloud-seeding operations to spur rainfall in an effort to address the country’s severe drought…

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Sunday that the country’s nuclear program was “still intact,” the same day that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that the country was still enriching uranium, citing the damage sustained during the 12-day war with Israel in June…

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker carrying petrochemicals near the coast of the United Arab Emirates en route to Singapore from Sharjah, UAE…

Lebanon is preparing a complaint against Israel to the U.N. Security Council over the construction of a concrete barrier that Beirut said crosses the “Blue Line” between the countries; Israeli officials denied that the barrier crossed the line of demarcation…

The New York Times’ Vows section spotlights the recent wedding of Sausalito, Calif., City Councilmember Melissa Blaustein and real estate investor David Saxe, who were set up by a matchmaker Blaustein connected with at a Yom Kippur break fast…

New York City attorney Sid Davidoff, a founding partner of Davidoff Hutcher Citron LLP who was included on President Richard Nixon’s “enemies list,” died at 86…

Elizabeth Franz, who won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Linda Loman in “Death of a Salesman,” died at 84…

Poet and performance artist Hal Sirowitz, honored in the early 2000s as the poet laureate of Queens, died at 76…

Psychologist Arline Bronzaft, whose work focused on the effects of urban noise, died at 89…

Pic of the Day (ITZIK BELENITZKI/KINUS.COM) Rabbis from 111 countries and over 6,000 communities posed on Sunday for the annual “class photo” at the international gathering of Chabad emissaries outside the movement’s headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY. 

Birthdays (Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Film and television director, writer and producer, Jon Avnet turns 76… 

Rabbi of Agudath Israel of Baltimore and rabbinic administrator of the Star K Kosher supervision service, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann turns 88… Original creator and producer of “Saturday Night Live,” Lorne Michaels (born Lorne Lipowitz) turns 81… Philanthropist and director of the William Davidson Foundation, Karen Davidson… Editor-at-large for Washingtonian Magazine and author of a biography of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Harry Jaffe… Founder and principal of ourCovenant, Diana Aviv… Operations manager at NPC Global, Daniel Gastaldi… Author and journalist, he lectures in the graduate journalism program at Stanford University, Gary M. Pomerantz turns 65… Attorney and business executive who once played on the South African national teams in both cricket and field hockey, Mandy Yachad turns 65… U.S. senator (R-PA) until 2023, Pat Toomey turns 64… Former director of the Domestic Policy Council in the Biden administration and former national security advisor in the Obama administration, Susan Rice turns 61… Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi turns 60… “The Travelling Rabbi” of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies who serves 11 sub-Saharan countries, Moshe Silberhaft turns 58… U.S. ambassador to Switzerland during the Obama administration, Suzan Gail Davidson (Suzi) LeVine turns 56… Editor at large of Talking Points Memo, David Kurtz turns 56… Segment producer at HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Michele Tasoff… Chief communications officer at American Hotel Lodging Association, Ralph Posner… Human resilience coach, Michael Ostrolenk… President of Stanford University, Jonathan David Levin turns 53… Former president of NBC News, Noah Oppenheim turns 47… President of Thematic Campaigns, Isaac Baker… CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, Halie Soifer… MLB player for 14 seasons, NL Rookie of the Year, five-time NL All-Star and NL MVP in 2011, Ryan Braun turns 42… NFL fullback for six seasons with the Bucs and Saints, he has since earned an MBA from Wharton, Erik Lorig turns 39… Diplomatic correspondent at Politico, Felicia Schwartz… Mortgage lender at River Holdings, Zack Teichman… Chief of staff at America250, Aidan Golub…



]]> 94928 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-dems-plausible-path-to-the-senate-majority/ Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:53:35 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94811 ]]> Good Friday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on how candidates areresponding to the pro-Israel votein the seat of retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY),examine the shifts in the Democratic primary fieldin the race against Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) andpreview Tuesday’s meetingbetween President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.We also look at the latest resignation at the Heritage Foundation as its president refuses to disavow the institution’s relationship with Tucker Carlson. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:State Rep.Esther Panitch,Harriet SchleiferandJonah Platt.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik with an assist from Matthew Kassel.Have a tip?Email us here.

For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: After Mamdani win, socialists look to challenge Democratic incumbents in NYC; Israel’s neighbors have banned the Muslim Brotherhood, but Israel hasn’t. Why not?; and Black and Jewish college students explore shared adversity and allyship at DC-area ‘Unity Dinner.’ Print the latest edition here.

What Were Watching Some 2,000 Jewish communal leaders, philanthropists and nonprofit officials from North America, Israel and beyond will gather in Washington on Sunday for the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly. The opening plenary will include former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, authors Sarah Hurwitz and Micah Goodman, CNN contributor Scott Jennings and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City. Read more here from eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim and Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is traveling to Israel today for a five-day trip where he plans to meet with government officials and economic development and high-tech leaders. The Texas Tribune Festival, taking place this week in Austin, continues today with speakers including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Democratic Texas Senate candidates James Talarico and Rep. Colin Allred, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), comedian John Mulaney, former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Tomorrow, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are slated to speak. MSNBC is launching its rebrand tomorrow as MS NOW, part of its separation from NBCUniversal, with dozens of veteran journalists recruited as part of its expanded newsroom. On Sunday, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will present its fourth annual New York Jewish Book Festival.  What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar Given the GOP’s sturdy 53-seat majority in the Senate,combined with the increasing rarity of split-ticket voters, the Republican Party’s hold on the upper chamber looked nearly guaranteed, with a map featuring very few true swing-state pickup opportunities for the Democrats.

Indeed, the unlikely pathway for Democrats to win back control of the Senate in 2026runs through states that have been reliably Republican in recent years — Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Florida and Alaska. To win back a majority, the party would need to win at least two of these red-state races, reversing the yearslong Democratic drought in many of these states — along with winning GOP-held seats in battleground Maine and North Carolina, which is far from assured.

But given the dominant Democratic outcomesfrom the off-year elections, there’s been renewed attention to the possibility of some red-state upsets in 2026. Already, political strategists from both parties are mulling over which seats are the most likely to get competitive, in preparation for an unpredictable midterm election.

On paper, Ohio looks like it’s the best opportunity for Democratsto play offense. FormerSen. Sherrod Brown, a populist, battle-tested Democrat won three statewide elections in Ohio even as the state trended in a more conservative direction. He eventually lost in 2024 to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) by five points, but ran well ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’ double-digit defeat in the state.

With the national environment tilting back in the Democrats’ favor, Brown is seeking a comeback against appointed Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), Ohio’s former lieutenant governor. ASeptember poll of the raceconducted by the respected Democratic firm Hart Research found Brown narrowly ahead over Husted, 48-45%. Among independents, Brown held a substantial 25-point lead (56-31%).

Of all the five “reach” states for Democrats, Ohio was the closestin the presidential race, with President Donald Trump winning by 11 points. That should make it the best opportunity for Democrats to win a third seat — even as it underscores how many Trump voters Democrats will need to convert in order to win.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



MANHATTAN MOMENTUM Crowded field of Democrats seeks to win over Jewish voters in race to succeed Nadler Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) arrives to view proceedings in immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on June 18, 2025 in New York City. An increasingly crowded race for a coveted House seat in the heart of Manhattan is shaping up to be among the most vigorously contested Democratic primary battles in next year’s midterms, with half a dozen — and counting — contenders now jockeying for the chance to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). In a district home to one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the country, the open primary next June is likely to center in part on Israel as the candidates signal where they stand on an issue that has grown intensely charged over the war in Gaza,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Exception to the rule?:Even as the far left nowseeks to ride momentumfrom Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory — which elevated an unabashed socialist to executive office — experts suggested the primary could largely serve as an exception to the anti-Israel sentiments that became a trademark of his stunning rise. The district, which includes the Upper East and West Sides of Manhattan, “is more moderate and pro-Israel than” anotherheavily Jewish House seatin Brooklyn where Mamdani performed well, Chris Coffey, a Democratic strategist who is not involved in the race, told JI on Thursday.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PRIMARY POSITIONS Military veteran, Rockland County pol emerge as front-runners in Dem primary against Rep. Lawler Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) leaves the House Republicans caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The withdrawal of nonprofit executive Jessica Reinmann from the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District — a top-targeted swing seat currently held by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) —is bringing the top contenders in the wide field into focus. Reinmann, who endorsed military veteran Cait Conley upon her exit from the race, was one of eight —now seven — challengers aiming to take on Lawler in next year’s midterms. A Democratic strategist in the district said he believes Conley, along with Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson and potentially former Briarcliff Manor Mayor Peter Chatzky, comprise the top rung of candidates in the crowded race,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Top three:Those three candidates also led the field by a wide margin in fundraising as of the end of September. Conley had raised $1.3 million, Davidson $1.2 million and Chatzky $1 million. However, the vast majority of Chatzky’s war chest —$750,000 — comprises a personal loan to his campaign. Davidson and Conleywere invitedto the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Candidate Week event in Washington earlier this month, where they received additional training and media preparation —a sign the national party sees the two women as the strongest contenders to take on Lawler.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SAUDI SIGHTS Trump-MBS meeting poised to advance defense pact and F-35 deal as Israel normalization stalls President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a “coffee ceremony” at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trump is slated to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday in a meeting that expertstoldJewish Insider’s Matthew Sheais expected to move forward a U.S.-Saudi defense pact and sale of F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom — yet normalization with Israel, once tied to the prospect of such deals, remains elusive. U.S. and Saudi officials have been holding intense negotiations to finalize a defense agreement ahead of the visit, according to reports.

Security assurances:Since an Iranian attack on Saudi oil refineries in 2019, Riyadh has sought to formalize American security guarantees, according to Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Saudi Arabia is an important American security partner,” said Brad Bowman, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “The United States and Saudi Arabia have been working toward a regional security architecture for years.” The agreement is expected to be modeled after theassurancesTrump gave to Qatar in a September executive order, which stated that the U.S. will regard “any armed attack” on Qatar “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOWING OUT Heritage Foundation legal expert resigns in continued fallout over antisemitism An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Adam Mossoff, a law professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, resigned on Thursday from his position as a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation in response to the organization’s president refusing to disavow Tucker Carlson for his platforming of neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

Tipping point:Inan emailto Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts and John Malcolm, director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at Heritage, Mossoff cited Roberts’ Oct. 30 video lashing out at Carlson’s critics and his “subsequent interviews, videos, and commentary” on the subject as the reason for his resignation from the Meese Center. Mossoff wrote in the email, obtained by JI late Thursday, that the video, in which Roberts called out the “venomous coalition attacking” Carlson, and the Heritage president’s comments after the fact “reflects a fundamental ethical lapse and failure of moral leadership that has irrevocably damaged the well-deserved reputation of Heritage as ‘the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement’ (your words in your October 30 video).”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TRANSITION Paul Ingrassia tapped for new role after withdrawing nomination over antisemitic, racist text messages Paul Ingrassia arrives before Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House, June 4, 2025, in Washington. Paul Ingrassia, the Department of Homeland Security’s White House liaison who withdrew his nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel late last month after antisemitic and racist text messages of his were unearthed, has been appointed to serve as deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration. Ingrassia, 30, has served in multiple roles in the second Trump administration. Prior to his most recent role at DHS, Ingrassia briefly served as the liaison to the Department of Justice but was reassigned after clashing with the DOJ’s chief of staff,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.

New role:The “far-right” activist revealed his new position in an email to fellow DHS staff on Thursday announcing his departure. Ingrassia wrote in the email,obtained byPolitico, that Trump had called him into the Oval Office on Wednesday evening to offer him the job. Reached by JI, a White House official confirmed that Ingrassia had taken on the deputy general counsel role at GSA, but did not provide additional comment. The official toldPoliticothat Ingrassia was a “very helpful addition to GSA and will successfully execute President Trump’s America First policies.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google UNION BLUES Brandeis Center wins settlement over anti-Israel union activity The statue titled Justice Delayed, Justice Denied stands on the front of the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria, Va. The Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, a union representing over 3,000 legal workers, has acknowledged “inappropriate” communication around Israel and antisemitism as part of a settlement reached on Thursday brought on behalf of three union members who sued to block an anti-Israel resolution proposed weeks after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Under the agreement: ALAA, part of Local 2325 of the United Auto Workers, will pay the plaintiffs $315,000 in monetary damages and will refer all disciplinary charges brought against members to the union’s outside counsel for review. The union also agreed to implement mandatory training for its executive board to understand its obligation to ensure its members rights are being protected. “The training is not on antisemitism per se, but the expectation is that there will be discussions about how discriminatory animus could motivate violations of union members’ bill of rights,” Rory Lancman, director of corporate initiatives and senior counsel at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, told JI.

Read the full story here.

Scoop:More than 60 attorneys and heads of Jewish legal organizations gathered on Monday in Manhattan for an inaugural legal summit, hosted by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, to discuss questions including: how to effectively present a case to a judge that may not have experience with antisemitism or anti-Israel issues; how to determine when free speech turns into harmful conduct; and how lawsuits might change now that the Israel-Hamas war has ended,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads MBS in the Oval:Jason Greenblatt, Middle East envoy in the first Trump administration, writes inNewsweekthat the upcoming White House visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a “pivotal moment for U.S.–Saudi relations and the future of the Middle East.” “Together, [the U.S. and Saudi Arabia] safeguard the Red Sea and Arabian (Persian) Gulf, counter drone and missile attacks from Iran-backed militias and help prevent nuclear proliferation. A formal defense pact — linking U.S. technology and intelligence with Saudi reach and resources — would cement this cooperation for the long-term. It would show that Riyadh is ready to share the burden of regional security and that Washington remains a reliable ally. … For Israel, a secure and forward-looking Saudi Arabia is especially significant. It reduces tensions and opens the door to deeper cooperation in intelligence, missile defense and maritime security. For the rest of the region, it helps maintain balance and sustain diplomatic and economic progress. When the U.S.–Saudi partnership is strong, the entire region benefits.”[Newsweek]

Tending Your Garden:ConservativeWashington Postcolumnist Marc Thiessen argues that conservatives must “keep our own house in order” and reject figures like neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes to constitute an effective opposition to the political left. “As for the argument that we should focus our attention on the left, we can’t effectively oppose the left if we don’t keep our own house in order. Conservatives can’t complain that Democrats call us fascists if we letactual fascistsinto our movement. If we want to persuade the American people to support our cause, then we need to be clear about what conservatism stands for — and what it does not. That requires we keep out Nazis, along with their enablers. These cranks want to hijack the MAGA movement for their own vile purposes. We need to stop them from doing so. There can and should be vigorous debate among different factions inside the conservative tent. But we must draw a line somewhere — and it should be self-evident that fascism is over that line. If conservatives can’t agree on that, then we will end up like the left — beholden to antisemites in our midst.”[WaPo]

Fever Pitch:Times of Israelfounding editor David Horovitz draws the connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism through antisemitic rhetoric used by protesters at last week’s soccer match in Birmingham, England, between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv. “The fact is, however, that if the prime, or in most cases the only, focus of your human rights activism is to target Israel — if you don’t take to the streets in support, for instance, of Gazans being murdered by Hamas, or masses being slaughtered in Sudan or any other of the world’s innumerable combat zones, and, needless to say, would not dream of taking a placard onto the streets in support of Jews and other Israelis being slaughtered by Hamas — then, that’s antisemitism. … The ‘If you see a Zionist, call the anti-terror hotline’ slogan does more than equate Zionism with terrorism; it seeks to legitimize the targeting of all who live in and love Israel, by branding us all terrorists. Its dissemination, largely unremarked upon, its malevolent, incendiary rebranding of Zionism as a force of evil, crosses yet another red line in the international effort to achieve Israel’s demise. And it will doubtless reappear along with ever more vicious anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, and, yes, antisemitic words. And deeds.”[TOI]



Word on the Street Israelisseekinga new 20-yearmemorandum of understandingwith theU.S.when the current 10-year one expires in 2028, U.S. and Israeli officials toldAxios, including new propositions meant to emphasize U.S.-Israel cooperation and make the deal more attractive to the “America First” GOP…

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.Yechiel Leitersaid in aninterviewwithThe Jerusalem Postthat Israel “prefer[s] that Turkey not receive F-35 [fighter jets]s from the U.S,” but said that “there’s no indication that Israel’s qualitative edge will be compromised” if Saudi Arabia were to acquire them…

George Soros’ Open Society Foundationsphilanthropic organization gave the left-wing media organizationDrop Site News$250,000 last year, theWashington Free Beaconreports, for it to establish a Middle East desk to “bridge a critical information gap in independent journalism”; over the past year,Drop Sitehas repeatedly produced anti-Israel coverage, including a series of interviews withHamas leadersto provide “deeper insight” into the terror group’s decision to launch the Oct. 7 terror attacks…

A group of 25 Senate Republicans led by Sen.Pete Ricketts(R-NE)urged the State Departmentto “ensure that [the U.N. Relief and Works Agency] play[s] no role in any efforts to stabilize, govern, and rebuild Gaza,” givenUNRWA’s ties to terrorism, and urged the U.S. to work instead with trusted international and regional partners and NGOs…

Indonesia’s defense minister said the country hastrainedup 20,000 troops for health and construction-related tasks as part of the proposed internationalstabilization forcefor postwarGaza…

The body ofMeny Godard, who was killed and kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, wasreturnedto Israel on Thursday night…

Sen.John Fetterman(D-PA) washospitalizedafter suffering a “ventricular fibrillation flare-up” and subsequent fall and face injuries, but is doing well, his spokesperson reported…

The anti-IsraelIMEMU Policy Projectorganization isrunningan ad targeting Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ), who is visiting New Hampshire today, criticizing him for appearing alongside Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuearlier this year and for voting against blocking arms sales to Israel…

A federal jury recentlyconvicteda neo-Nazi for hate crimes after he mailed antisemitic threats to Georgia state Rep.Esther Panitch, the state’s only Jewish legislator, and RabbiElizabeth Baharof Temple Beth Israel after both women publicly supported the passage of legislation codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism…

PuckprofilesSecretary of the ArmyDan Driscoll, Vice PresidentJD Vance’s longtime friend and Pentagon reformer, as he navigates Washington politics while building a reputation as a rising star…

The New York Timesreports thatPakistanspentmillions onTrump‑linked lobbyists— including his former business partners and bodyguard — in a high-stakes effort to influenceU.S. policy…

Venture capitalistElad Gilhasdoubledthe target size of his new fund to nearly $3 billion, which, if successful, would be the largest known fund raised by a solo general partner, according to theInformation…

Harriet Schleifer, former chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, was elected to the board of directors ofDemocratic Majority for Israel, the group announced…

Pic of the Day LYNN ABESERA Some 400 people gathered on Wednesday evening at a private estate in Beverly Hills, Calif., for the American Friends of Magen David Adom gala, celebrating the work of MDA — Israel’s national emergency services organization. Actor, singer and writer Jonah Platt hosted the evening’s program, which honored Elizabeth Goldhirsh-Yellin with the Humanitarian Award for her leadership and commitment to the cause of saving lives in Israel. An ambulance was dedicated in memory of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, the two Israeli Embassy staffers who were killed in a terror attack in May outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. Their parents, Nancy and Robert Milgrim and Ruth and Daniel Lischinsky, delivered remarks honoring their children. A second ambulance was dedicated in memory of Sami Liber, a member of the Brentwood community. Carla and Rodney Liber, Sami’s parents, honored her with remarks.

Pictured, from left: Platt, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. and MDA’s Global President Gilad Erdan, AFMDA CEO Catherine Reed and MDA Director-General Eli Bin.

Birthdays NEW YORK, NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 11: Amare Stoudemire attends Charity Day 2025 Hosted by the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund at Cantor on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mike McGregor/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald) After 15 seasons in the NBA, he became an owner and player for Hapoel Jerusalem and led the team to an Israeli League championship, Amare Yehoshafat Stoudemire turns 43 on Sunday…

FRIDAY:Cellist,Natalia Gutmanturns 83… Former professional bodybuilder who played for two seasons with the New York Jets,Mike Katzturns 81… Los Angeles businessman, community leader and political activist,Stanley Treitel… Retired member of the U.K.s House of Lords, BaronJeremy Beechamturns 81… Former British Labour party MP who resigned in 2019 in protest of Jeremy Corbyn, DameLouise Joyce Ellmanturns 80… Television director and producer, her neurotic text messages to her daughter are the subject of the CrazyJewishMom Instagram page,Kim Friedmanturns 76… Editor-at-large forBloomberg View,Jonathan I. Landmanturns 73… Former Democratic member of the New York state Assembly from Brooklyn, his 22-year term was completed at the end of 2022,Steven H. Cymbrowitzturns 72… U.S. secretary of state during the last four years of the Bush 43 administration, now on the faculty of Stanford University and the director of the Hoover Institution,Condoleezza Riceturns 71… Senior advisor to President Barack Obama throughout his eight-year term in the White House, she is now CEO of the Obama Foundation,Valerie Jarrettturns 69… Detroit-based communications consultant,Cynthia Shaw… President of the American Academy of Arts Sciences,Laurie L. Pattonturns 64… Partner at the Santa Monica-based law firm of Murphy Rosen,Edward A. Klein… Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and professor of political science at George Washington University,Sarah A. Binder… Vice chairman ofThe Atlanticand managing director of media at Emerson Collective,Peter T. Lattman… and his twin brother, SVP at Forman Mills,Brian Lattman, both turn 55… Businessman with interests in real estate, gambling software, payments processing and digital advertising,Teddy Sagiturns 54… Member of the Colorado House of Representatives until last year when she became a Colorado state senator,Dafna Michaelson Jenetturns 53… Former deputy national security advisor for President Barack Obama,Ben Rhodesturns 48… Head of public policy and government affairs for Lime,Joshua Meltzer… Actress and comedian best known for her eight years as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,”Vanessa Bayerturns 44… Senior advisor at Clarion Strategies,Jacob Freedmanturns 43… Rabbi of the Shaar Hashamayim Synagogue in Indonesia,Yaakov Baruchturns 43… Israeli conductor and pianist, he is a conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York,Nimrod David Pfefferturns 41… Executive director of the One Percent Foundation,Lana Talya Volftsun Fern… Actress and producer, she is a daughter of Bette Midler,Sophie von Haselbergturns 39… First baseman and second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, he played for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic,Spencer Elliott Horwitzturns 28…

SATURDAY:Author of dozens of childrens books and young adult fiction, frequent NPR guest,Daniel Pinkwaterturns 84… Pianist and conductor, formerly music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,Daniel Barenboimturns 83… Boca Raton, Fla., resident,Stephen Wolff Former Chairman and CEO of Film and Music Entertainment,Lawrence (Larry) LotmanNYC-based consultant for nonprofit organizations,Perry Davisturns 77… Retired immigration and nationality attorney in Southern California,Michael D. Ullman… Past president of Gratz College in Melrose Park, Pa., he is the author or editor of more than 50 books,Paul Finkelmanturns 76… Executive vice president at Aish and former executive director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museums of Tolerance, RabbiMeyer H. Mayturns 73… Executive producer and director of television programs, including Friends, one of the most popular TV programs of all time,Kevin S. Brightturns 71… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party,Meir Cohenturns 70… Partner in Toronto-based accounting firm Fuller Landau, he is a past president of Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation (BAYT),Jeffrey M. BrownSenior project manager at T-Mobile,Michael A. Lewine… Member of the Florida House of Representatives,Michael Alan Gottliebturns 57… Former member of Knesset for the Likud party,Nava Bokerturns 55… Founder and chairman of Perilune Capital and co-founder of Harspring Capital Management,Carey Robinson Wolchok… Mortgage executive,Joshua Shein… CEO of the Riverdale Y in the Bronx until 2022, she is now a leadership coach,Deann Forman… As a 12-year-old baseball fan in Yankee Stadium, he interfered with a ball batted by Derek Jeter in the 1996 ALCS that was ruled to be a game-tying home run,Jeffrey Maierturns 42… Professional golfer, he won the gold medal at the 2013 Maccabiah Games,Ben Silvermanturns 38… Deputy Washington bureau chief forThe Associated Press,Zeke Miller… Press secretary for Maine Gov. Janet Mills,Ben Goodman… Talent Acquisition Partner at Engine,Alison Borowsky… Recent graduate at Harvard Law School, now serving as judicial law clerk for a federal judge in California,Micah Rosen… Military legislative assistant in Rep. Wesley Bell’s (D-MO) office,Ethan Sorcher

SUNDAY:Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada until he retired in 2013,Morris Jacob Fishturns 87… Professor of mathematics and statistics at Concordia University in Montreal,Abraham J. Boyarsky, Ph.D. turns 79… Milwaukee-based founder and co-managing director of A.B. Data, Ltd, he is the past chair of the Pincus Fund for Jewish Education,Bruce A. Arbitturns 71… Director of programs at IKAR,Susan Brooks… Writer and producer for television and film,Jeff Pinknerturns 61… CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Policy Center,Matt Brooksturns 60TV producer and president of Keshet Studios,Peter Traugottturns 55… Former senior vice president at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, RabbiJustus Bairdturns 53… Israeli singer-songwriter, author and travel documentarian, known professionally as Passerby,Gilad Segevturns 51… Author of several novels, he was the science fiction and fantasy book columnist forThe Washington Postuntil 2022,Lavie Tidharturns 49… SVP at The D. E. Shaw Group, he was previously a special assistant to President Obama for energy and economic policy,Michael A. Leviturns 48… 1994 Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, she first discovered that she was Jewish when she was 25 years old,Oksana Baiulturns 48… Stage, film and television actress,Margalit Ruth Maggie Gyllenhaalturns 48… Israeli actress, model, film producer and TV host,Adi Ezroniturns 47… VP at Jetro Restaurant Depot, he is a former NFL placekicker and punter,Hayden Scott Epsteinturns 45… Snowboarder for the U.S. Olympic team in 2014 and 2022, he competes in the halfpipe,Taylor Goldturns 32… Chief of staff at Lightricks,Aaron Kalman

]]> 94811 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-the-muslim-brotherhoods-surprising-legal-status-in-israel/ Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:13:35 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94650 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff,we examine the growingSaudi-Turkish competitionfor influence overDamascusand talk to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep.Brian Mast(R-FL) about his current position on Syria sanctions. We highlight the blessing given by RabbiYosef Hamra, the brother of the last chief rabbi of Syria, to Syrian PresidentAhmad al-Sharaaduring his visit to Washington and delve into the legal status of theMuslim Brotherhood in Israeland why its not fully banned. We also report on an interview with the founders of theTrack AIPAC account, who until now had been anonymous, and onJordan Wood’s comment, after he announced his Senate bid in Maine, that he would reject contributions from AIPAC. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Michael Rapaport,Alex MooreandCharlie Spies.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is holding a hearing this morning on religious freedom in Syria during the countrys transition out of dictatorship. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar So much of the conversation about the rise of right-wing antisemitismhas been focused on the supply side of the equation — the growing number of online commentators and podcasters, led by Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, who are mainlining anti-Jewish tropes, conspiracy theories and Holocaust revisionism to their sizable audiences.

Less scrutinized is the demand-side part of the equation:Why are so many people in the independent podcasting ecosystem mimicking the same antisemitic arguments and hosting the same extremist guests? Is there really a significant audience for this nonsense?

On paper, there’s no constituency for this type of extremism. As an example: Carlson’spublic sympathizingtowards Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, for instance, is about as politically toxic as you can get with the American public. A recentNBC News pollfound just 3% of Americans view Putin favorably, while a whopping 84% view him negatively.

But in the world of social media, a small but passionate audience of superfans— even if they’re extremists — can be more lucrative than a much broader audience of mainstream news consumers. The problem is that theperceptionof influence, fueled by these social media platforms, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

We saw this pattern play out on the leftin the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, when politically toxic views about policing, immigration, race and gender identity received outsized attention on Twitter, were enforced by a small number of online influencers and quickly became conventional wisdom in institutional liberal circles. The shift was so profound that most of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates embraced left-wing positions that they later ended up regretting.

With Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter (now X), the platform’s algorithm now incentivizes far-right discourse, creating a marketplace for bigoted and antisemitic influencers. It’s what’s creating a demand for the conspiratorial content of Carlson, Owens and others, and it also explains why more-mainstream figures in the “independent” media space, like Megyn Kelly, are increasingly flirting with these extremist narratives.

“It’s not lost on me that there was a great celebration on the rightwhen Elon Musk bought Twitter — and now it looks like one of the worst things for the right in a long time. The algorithms on X really promote the worst excesses of the post-liberal right,” said one former official at a conservative policy institution granted anonymity to discuss concerns. “Tucker and Megyn are in the business of monetizing the algorithm more than building an audience.”

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



REGIONAL POWER PLAY Trump, al-Sharaa meeting highlights growing Saudi-Turkish competition for influence over Damascus Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) meets President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa in Washington, United States on November 10, 2025. (Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Anadolu via Getty Images) At the White House on Monday, as President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, two other high-level figures were in attendance — Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, underscoring how Syria has become a new battleground for regional influence. Following the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, the war-ravaged nation has become a political vacuum, transformed into a critical security frontier for many regional players — most notably Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Stakes in Syria:“Saudi Arabia and Turkey are among the most powerful Middle Eastern countries. The power vacuum caused by the Syrian civil war turned Syria into a stage for these competing powers,” said David May, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Both countries supported elements working to topple former Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CAESAR QUESTIONS House Foreign Affairs Chair Mast now says he’s undecided on Syria sanctions repeal effort Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 9, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL)toldJewish Insider’s Marc Rodthat, after his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa earlier this week, he’s going to “think about” his skeptical stance on the repeal of sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Civilian Protection Act. Mast has expressed concerns about lifting the sanctions, and his sign-off would be needed for the repeal to be included in the final 2026 defense bill.

Readout:Asked if the meeting had changed his views on the issue, Mast said that he had read at length about al-Sharaa and his background prior to the meeting. “We had a lot of conversation, good conversation,” Mast said. “I asked him very pointedly [to] explain why we’re no longer his enemy. He gave a pretty good answer. Said he was hoping for a noble future for his people, one free of radicalism, fundamentalism … and ISIS. So it was a good answer.”

Read the full story here.

Bonus:Mast told JI that the Foreign Affairs Committee is looking to take up consideration oflegislation designating the Muslim Brotherhoodas a terrorist organization, but did not elaborate on a potential timeline. Sponsors of the companion legislation in the Senate arepushing for a markupin the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BROTHERHOOD PARADOX Israel’s neighbors have banned the Muslim Brotherhood, but Israel hasn’t. Why not? Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the radical northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, speaks on August 23, 2023, outside a police station during the funeral of the director-general of the Arab city of Tira in Israel, who was gunned down on August 21. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images) While Congress is working on a bill to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization in the U.S., and the Islamist group is banned from Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and beyond, the group’s status in Israel is much more complicated. The matter drew renewed attention this week after Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Ra’am party in the Knesset, an ideological offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, declined to call for the eradication of Hamas on Israeli radio,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Backlash:The interview sparked headlines and analysis in right-leaning Israeli media and comments by politicians on the right about the viability of center and left-wing parties once again forming a coalition with Ra’am to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when Ra’am’s leader would not say that he is for eradicating Hamas. The historic and recent connections between Hamas and Ra’am, both of which were founded by adherents of the Muslim Brotherhood, shed light on the nuances of the international Sunni Islamist movement and its status in Israel. Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, emphasized, in an interview with JI on Wednesday, that the Muslim Brotherhood is an ideology aiming to make Muslim societies more religious, and is not one centralized organization spanning the Muslim world.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google historic handshake Syrian American rabbi blesses Syrian president in Washington Rabbi Yosef Hamra, the brother of the last chief rabbi of Syria, shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during a meeting between al-Sharaa and a variety of Syrian diaspora activists on Sunday, Nov. 9th, 2025. (X/Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation) Rabbi Yosef Hamra, the brother of the last chief rabbi of Syria, who now lives in Brooklyn, was invited to offer a blessing to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during a meeting between al-Sharaa and a variety of Syrian diaspora activists in Washington on Sunday,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Making history:“Syrian Jews coming up and sitting down with the president — this is really history,” Henry Hamra, who leads the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation with his father, told JI. “A lot of people from over here, from our community, were very, very emotional about it. It’s a beautiful thing, and my father was so touched and it was a great moment.” Hamra said that al-Sharaa had thanked his father for the blessing and said that he would “love to see you again in Syria.” He said that al-Sharaa had also, during the meeting, expressed a commitment to religious inclusion and pluralism.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ANONYMOUS NO MORE Anti-AIPAC account’s co-founder is former staffer for AOC, Bush, Bowman United States Representatives Rashida Tlaib (3rd R), Cori Bush (3rd R), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (4th R), Ilhan Omar (2nd L) and many other Representatives open a banner demanding a ceasefire and condemning the Israeli attacks on Gaza, in front of U.S. Capitol in United States on November 8, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images) One of the co-founders of the Track AIPAC account and website that has gone viral in online anti-Israel circles is a former campaign staffer for a series of far-left lawmakers, she revealed in an interview on Wednesday. The group’s founders had previously remained anonymous. Cory Archibald, who founded the Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption PAC before merging with Track AIPAC, described herself in an interview with the “Breaking Points” podcast as a former campaign staffer for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and former Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), all members of the anti-Israel Squad, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Podcast playback:Casey Kennedy, Archibald’s other co-founder, said in the interview that numerous members of Congress have reached out to the group to start a dialogue. The Track AIPAC founders also said that they plan to expand their efforts to tracking individual pro-Israel donors’ political spending generally. Asked about accusations that it is antisemitic to demand, as Track AIPAC does, that AIPAC register as a foreign lobbying organization —given that AIPAC’s members and leadership are American citizens and do not take direction from the Israeli government — the two did not directly address the issue. “I would say it is not antisemitic to stand against an ongoing genocide that’s being perpetrated with American backing,” Kennedy responded.

Read the full story here.

Wood-n’t take it:Jordan Wood, a Maine Democrat who dropped his Senate bid on Wednesday to run for the seat held by retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), said in a recent podcast interview that he would reject contributions from AIPAC, the pro-Israel advocacy group, joining a growing crop of Democratic candidates who have made similar pledges,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EDUCATION CONSTERNATION ADL report finds pervasive antisemitism in 20 American academic associations ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaks onstage ADLs Never Is Now at Javits Center on March 03, 2025 in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Anti-Defamation League) Antisemitism is on the rise within 20 major U.S.-based professional academic associations, according to a study published Thursday by the Anti-Defamation League,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The research, conducted in September, found that 42% of surveyed Jewish faculty members who belong to an association report feeling alienated because they are Jewish or perceived as Zionist; 25% report feeling the need to hide their Jewish or Zionist identity from colleagues in their association; and 45% report being told by others in their associations what does and does not constitute antisemitism. The data was collected using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.

Impacted organizations:Among the associations the report profiles is the Association of American Geographers, whichfaced pressurefrom members to adopt a boycott of Israel in August. Other organizations in which the ADL reported antisemitism include: National Women’s Studies Association, American Public Health Association, American Psychological Association and American Educational Research Association. A Jewish member of the American Anthropological Association interviewed for the study said that the organization’s 2023 conference, held one month after the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, “was one of the first times I felt afraid professionally as a Jewish person. I felt very vulnerable … if I had been wearing a Star of David, which I wasn’t, I would have taken it off. I did not feel safe.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Can Vance Save the Right?:Following on his Substack article lamenting the rise of “new radicalism” among Gen Zers on the political right, conservative author Rod Dreher posits inTheFree Pressthat the one person who can “save the right, and America, from this rising extremism” is Vice President JD Vance. “Vance is — or could be — the answer to the problem of [Nick] Fuentes and the nihilistic culture that spawned his popularity. Vance lived out a grim version of the chaos that so many men of the generation just below his own are living — and triumphed over it. As a veteran who turned against the Iraq War in which he served, he knows all too well about the failures of American institutions. … Vance should not try to reason with the Groypers, to talk them into the tent. They only want to mock, destroy, and humiliate. Aside from hating Jews, Israel, blacks, and women, they have no program or vision. The best way — the only way — to counter their malignant influence is to condemn them, straight up, but without dismissing the legitimacy of the despair that drives young men into their ranks. … Then, Vance and his team must develop concrete solutions to the economic precarity in which the Zoomers live. … Third, Vance should lean hard into his Christian faith, which is deep and authentic. … Finally, Vance’s biography is an asset that none of his would-be rivals has.”[FreePress]

Antisemites in Their Midst:David Drucker warns inBloombergthat rising antisemitism on the right could be what “unravels” the GOP’s coalition. “Yet many traditional Republicans remain reluctant to criticize [Tucker] Carlson. The former Fox News host is popular on the populist right and his podcast is among the country’s most influential media platforms. Others fear alienating the populists, concerned Republicans cannot defeat Democrats in national elections without them. … In the four decades from Reagan to Trump, Republicans generally fought the Democrats using ideas as weapons; and conservative media personalities used whatever ideological authority they possessed to enforce party dogma. But during Obama’s presidency, Republicans and their media allies got it into their heads that the US was on the brink of an irreversible collapse that could only be prevented by permanently blocking the Democrats from power. Ideology became secondary — if that — to defeating the left. With that in mind, it’s only logical that, as long as their votes are on offer, some Republicans are willing to tolerate antisemites in their midst.”[Bloomberg]

Libel Lessons:Adam Louis-Klein, founder of the Movement Against Antizionism, argues inTheFree Pressthat New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s win must be understood in the frame of what he calls “the libel-cycle: a recurring civilizational pattern in which anti-Jewish libels spread through society, generate moral hysteria, and rapidly recode entire ideological systems into engines of anti-Jewish meaning. … [Mamdani’s victory] is not just a local event or a mere function of economic populism. It signals a broader cultural shift — one in which opposition to Jewish peoplehood has become a mark of moral virtue. And it marks something larger still: a recurring civilizational pattern — the cycle of libel — to which the only adequate response is historical consciousness and the courage to forge a new paradigm.”[FreePress]



Word on the Street U.S.andSaudi officialsare working to finalize a defense pact between the two countries ahead of Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington next week,Axiosreports. Riyadh is also reportedly looking to purchase a large weapons package from the U.S., including F-35 fighter jets…

Venture capital investorAlex Mooreis exploring laser warfare startups and sea-cruising drone technology that could capture a portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars MBS promises to spend in the U.S. Moore, an early protégé of Palantir co-founderPeter Thiel,heads the defense portfolio at Austin, Texas-based 8VC and traveled to Israel last week to assess new investment prospects and sat down foran interview withThe Circuit’sJonathan Ferziger…

After a spate of violent attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, Secretary of StateMarco Rubiotoldreporters there is “some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza”

In the latestincidentovernight, a mosque in a Palestinian village in theWest Bankwas torched and defaced with anti-Islamic graffiti…

TheTreasury Departmentissuedsanctions against 32 individuals and entities based in countries includingIran,China, theUAEandIndiathat contribute to Iran’s ballistic missile and drone production…

Emirati officialshaveexpressedconcerns about the roles ofQatarandTurkeyin the plan for postwarGaza,The Jerusalem Postreports…

Former Vice PresidentKamala Harristoldpro-Palestinian hecklers at a speaking event this week that the Biden administration “should’ve spoken publicly about our criticism of the way thatNetanyahuand his government were executing this war. … But let’s be very clear, that the inhuman nature of what has happened to the Palestinian people inGaza, the innocent civilians, the extent of hunger, famine, suffering, death, is something that we must acknowledge”

New York City Mayor-electZohran Mamdanihas a meetingscheduledwith NYPD CommissionerJessica Tisch,Politicoreports, in a sign that he will follow through with his pledge to keep her in the role….

After a group ofrabbisin theBronxissueda statement calling congressional candidateMichael Blake’s use of a video of anti-Israel activistGuy Christensen“deeply offensive,” the former assemblyman apologized and denounced the murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in May, which Christensen had celebrated. “I apologize for any pain our campaign video caused any member of the Jewish community by including someone who condoned this horrific event,” Blake, who is challenging Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) in the Democratic primary, said…

In his memoir released this week, Sen.John Fetterman(D-PA)detailshis falling out with Pennsylvania Gov.Josh Shapiro, accusing him of being driven by “optics and fear”

Virginia Gov.-electAbigail Spanberger, a Democrat,askedthe board of theUniversity of Virginiato refrain from choosing a replacement for its former president,James Ryan, until she takes office, saying she is “deeply concerned” about the board’s failure to push back against the Trump administration’s ouster of Ryan…

TheRepublican Jewish Coalitionannounced on Wednesday that it had elected to its board of directorsDan Conston, the former president of the Congressional Leadership Fund;Charlie Spies, a veteran elections attorney; and philanthropistDavid Gemunder,Jewish Insider’sEmily Jacobs reports…

TheSt. Louis Board of Aldermen, akin to its city council,passeda nonbinding resolution calling on the city’s retirement system to divest from companies involved inIsraeland its war inGaza, includingBoeing, a significant employer in the region, after a heated debate…

IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Col.Avichay Adraeeisset to retiresoon after 20 years of service. He is likely to be replaced by Maj.Ella Waweya, one of the most senior female Arab Muslim officers in the IDF…

Former German ChancellorAngela Merkeltouredsites and communities attacked by Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, including avisitto the home ofAmir Tibon,Haaretzjournalist and author ofTheGates of Gaza, a book about the attack on his kibbutz, Nahal Oz. Merkel was in Israel to receive an honorary doctorate from the Weizmann Institute of Science…

The New York Timeschroniclesthe distrust in theFive Eyes— the intelligence alliance comprising the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand — with FBI DirectorKash Patel, over his personnel decisions, inexperience in intelligence matters, partisanship and interpersonal interactions…

An Israeli-founded AI cybersecurity company,Tenzai, founded just six months ago,came out of stealthyesterday with a $75 million seed round, with support from major venture capital firms including Greylock Partners, Lux Capital and Battery Ventures…

Pic of the Day (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for American Friends of American Friends of NATAL) Actor and Israel advocate Michael Rapaport (right) led a conversation with Daniel Goldstein, a 33-year-old IDF reservist, licensed social worker and trauma survivor, at the American Friends of NATAL’s 20th anniversary gala in New York on Monday evening. Rapaport hosted the gala, which aimed to raise funds for trauma care and spotlight the mental health crisis Israel is facing.

Birthdays (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) Former relief pitcher in the Colorado Rockies organization, he pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, now an EMT in Los Angeles,Troy Neimanturns 35…

Former president and COO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, who serves on the boards of many Jewish organizations and founded the Jewish Future Promise,Mike Leventurns 88… Israeli industrialist with holdings in energy, real estate and automobile distributorships,Gad Zeeviturns 86…Shmuel Harlap… Chief rabbi of Rome, Rabbi Dr.Shmuel Riccardo Di Segniturns 76… Publisher of the independent “Political Junkie” blog and podcast,Kenneth Rudin… U.S. attorney general throughout the Biden administration,Merrick Garlandturns 73… Israeli businessmanNochi Danknerturns 71… Managing director of theJewish Education Innovation Challenge, Sharon Freundel… Former president of the D.C. Board of Education,Ruth Wattenberg… Former editor-in-chief of British Vogue for 25 years, she is a strategic advisor to Atterley, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based fashion marketplace,Alexandra Shulmanturns 68… U.S. senator (R-AK),Dan Sullivanturns 61… Producer and writer, he has written for 10 television shows,Matt Weitzmanturns 58… San Jose, Calif., resident,Katherine (Katya) Palkin… Somali-born activist who has served in the Dutch parliament, she is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution,Ayaan Hirsi Aliturns 56… Former Israeli government minister for the Shas party, he has served as minister of communications and then minister of sousing,Ariel Atiasturns 55… Founder of Pailet Financial Services, a predecessor agency of what is now the Dallas office of Marsh McLennan,Kevin Pailet… RabbiAndrea Dobrick Haney… President and CEO at the U.S. Travel Association,Geoffrey Freeman… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party,Meirav Ben-Ariturns 50… Television journalist employed by Hearst Television,Jeff Rossenturns 49… President of baseball operations for MLBs Los Angeles Dodgers,Andrew Friedmanturns 49… Israeli rapper and record producer, generally known by his stage name Subliminal,Yaakov (Kobi) Shimoniturns 46… CEO of the JCC of Greater Baltimore,Paul M. Lurie… Judoka who won three national titles (2000, 2002 and 2004), she competed for the U.S. at the Athens Olympics in 2004,Charlee Minkinturns 44… Senior director of policy and communications at Christians United For Israel,Ari Morgenstern… Political communications consultant,Jared Goldberg-Leopold… PR and communications consultant,Mark Botnick… Professional soccer player, then a soccer coach and now a sales account executive at Les Friedland Associates,Jarryd Goldbergturns 40… Michael Schwab… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (R-OH), one of four Jewish Republican congressmen,Max Leonard Millerturns 37… Staff attorney for the ACLUs voting rights project,Jonathan Topaz… Israeli film, television and stage actor and model,Bar Brimerturns 28… J.D. candidate at University of Houston Law Center,Cole Deutch… VP of Israel and global philanthropy and director of Christian Friends of the Jewish Agency for Israel,Danielle Mor



]]> 94650 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-socialists-set-sights-on-congress/ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:05:51 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94555 ]]> Good Wednesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on the far-left challengers gearing up to compete against Democratic incumbents in New York City and cover Michigan Democratic Senate candidateAbdul El-Sayed’s evasive answer to whether he supports Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. We report on the reaction of Jewish groups to former state AssemblymanMichael Blake, who is running in the Democratic primary against Rep. Ritchie Torres, for featuring a clip of an antisemitic influencer in his campaign launch video. We also cover the announcement by former Rep.Elaine Luria(D-VA) that she will run to reclaim the congressional seat she lost in 2022, and report on Israeli Minister of Strategic AffairsRon Dermer’s resignation. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Shulem Lemmer,Gal Gadot, andBill and Hillary Clinton.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching The International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries begins today in New York City, bringing together 6,200 rabbis from 111 countries. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will appear at Washington’s Sixth I Synagogue this evening to discuss her forthcoming book, The Look. Finance industry executives — including Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan and Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman — were invited to dinner at the White House with President Donald Trump this evening.  What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar Beware the law of unintended consequences:President Donald Trump’s zeal to aggressively redraw maps in GOP-friendly states is looking like it will bring less of a political advantage to Republicans than originally expected.

Indeed, if the overall political environment remains in the Democrats’ favor— which would be consistent with the historical precedent of the opposition party gaining seats in the first midterm election of a new president — the House is likely to flip back to the Democrats’ control in 2027.

Here’s the lowdown: California’s referendum on redistricting,which passed overwhelmingly on Election Day, will allow Democrats to gain as many as five seats with a new, more-partisan map — with three Republican-held seats (of GOP Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Kevin Kiley and Ken Calvert) all but guaranteed to flip.

That should offset the expected GOP gains in Texas,which started the whole redistricting gamesmanship off with a partisan redraw that guarantees Republicans to pick up at least three Democratic-held seats, with the hope that Republicans can win two additional seats that became more favorable to them.

But there’s a catch with the Texas map.Two of the redrawn districts — the seats of Democratic Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar — are in predominantly Hispanic areas along the U.S.-Mexico border that swung dramatically to Trump in 2024, but had a long tradition of voting Democratic before then. If Democrats rebound with Hispanic voters — as happened in New Jersey and Virginia on Election Day — and the national environment remains rough for Republicans, it’s not hard to see the two Democratic incumbents hanging on.

Adding another wrinkle to the GOP’s redistricting plans:A Utah judge rejected the preferred map drawn by Republican state lawmakers, and selected a new map that would guarantee a Democratic district in Salt Lake City. That would automatically flip one seat to the Democrats, given that the state’s current delegation is made up of four Republicans, all in solidly Republican districts.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



NEXT STEPS After Mamdani win, socialists look to challenge Democratic incumbents in NYC New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) The organized left scored a major victory last week when Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City, elevating to executive office a politician who became one of the nation’s most prominent democratic socialists during the campaign. Now, as the movement seeks to ride momentum from Mamdani’s win and grow its influence at the federal level, some emerging challengers are setting their sights on a handful of pro-Israel New York Democrats in the House — posing what is likely to be the first key test of its political credibility in the upcoming midterm elections,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Challenges ahead:While next year’s primaries are still more than six months away, some early signs indicate that the far left is already facing obstacles in its efforts to target established incumbents like Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, raising questions about its organizational discipline and messaging ability, not to mention alignment with Mamdani — who is now walking a delicate path in seeking buy-in from state leadership to deliver on his ambitious affordability agenda. Jake Dilemani, a Democratic consultant in New York, said “there is and should be euphoria among the left” after Mamdani’s victory, “but that does not necessarily translate into toppling relatively popular incumbents. One swallow does not make a summer,” he told JI on Tuesday.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EVASIVE MANEUVER Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sidesteps question on Israel’s right to exist Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, in a 2018 campaign appearance with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a rally on the campus of Wayne State University July 28, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sidestepped a question about Israel’s right to exist during an interview with the anti-Israel media outletZeteolast week.Zeteofounder Mehdi Hasan asked El-Sayed how he would respond if and when he faces questions on the campaign trail about whether he supports Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said — and what he didn’t:El-Sayed initially responded by calling the question hypocritical and again dodged when pressed. He said that most U.S. presidents have expressed support for a two-state solution, and “Israel exists. Palestine doesn’t. And so I always wonder why nobody asks me why Palestine doesn’t have a right to exist.” El-Sayed accused the U.S. of supporting “the very people in Israel who want to foreclose on the possibility of Palestine existing. And so to me, frankly, it is about our principles and how we apply them evenly. If you believe in a two-state solution, then what are you doing to make it possible?” he continued.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EXCLUSIVE Jewish groups blast Torres challenger for featuring antisemitic activist in campaign launch Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Blake speaks during the Mayoral Candidate Forum All Faiths, All Candidates event at Cathedral of St. John the Divine. (Derek French / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) Major New York Jewish groups criticized former Assemblyman Michael Blake, who is running in the Democratic primary against Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), for featuring a clip of an influencer who supported the shooting of two Israeli Embassy employees at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington in his campaign launch video,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Pushback:“Hurling a bus load of antisemitic tropes and platforming bigots who cheer antisemitic violence in a launch video is not the pro-humanity flex one thinks it is,” the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York said in a statement. The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey said that “we can all agree that Michael Blake’s platforming of anti-Zionist influencer Guy Christensen should be roundly condemned.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google comeback campaign Pro-Israel Democrat Elaine Luria announces bid to reclaim House seat Rep. Elaine Luria speaks onstage during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights 2023 Ripple of Hope Gala on December 06, 2023 in New York City. ((Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights) Former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), who was an outspoken voice in support of Israel and against antisemitism during her time in the House, announced a bid on Wednesday to reclaim the congressional seat she lost in 2022,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Looking back:Luria, who is Jewish, was aleading moderate voice in the Housein support of Israel and against antisemitism, at times criticizing members of her own party and breaking with the Biden administration on its Israel policy. She was one of the few House Democrats whoconsistently opposedefforts by the Biden administration to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and Luriaorganized and led a group of pro-Israel House Democratsto speak on the House floor in 2021 in support of Israel and its military operations, responding to a competing effort by far-left Democrats in opposition. She also repeatedly called out antisemitism from Democratic colleagues.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google STEPPING DOWN Ron Dermer, Netanyahu’s right-hand man, resigns from Israeli government Ron Dermer in May 2019 (Michael Gross/State Department) (State Department photo by Michael Gross) Israel’s influential minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, resigned from his post on Tuesday, three years after assuming the role,Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve reports. “This government will be defined both by the attack on October 7th and by the prosecution of the two-year, seven-front, war that followed,” Dermer, widely regarded as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest advisor, wrote in his resignation letter.

Staying around:Dermer has led Israel’s ceasefire and hostage-release negotiationssince February. He is expected to stay on as Netanyahu’s envoy to continue handling the future of the Gaza portfolio, political sources recentlytold JI. U.S.-born and a former Israeli ambassador to Washington, Dermer has long played a central role in managing Israel’s relationship with the U.S. “What the future holds for me, I do not know. But I do know this: No matter what I do, I will continue to do my part to help secure the future of the Jewish people,” Dermer said.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google history lessons Clintons tie Trump’s Gaza peace plan to Oslo Accords in Rabin memorial discussion (Haley Cohen) Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday that President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza could be a “new moment of hope and possibility.” But it will only be successful if there is “a level of organization” applied to the implementation, a lesson that can be drawn from the Oslo process, she said, during a panel hosted by Columbia University’s Institute of Global Politics,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

What she said:“One thing that can be learned from the Oslo process and applied to the situation now with the peace plan is that there was a process,” Clinton said. The event commemorated the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was murdered by a right-wing extremist, soon after signing the Oslo II Accords peace agreements with then-Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat in 1995 — two years after the signing of the Oslo I Accords. “You have to have a level of organization, it can’t just have few people at the top — whether it be a president or special envoy, as necessary as they are, you have to have teams of people who can be working with their counterparts,” continued Clinton, who is a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia.

What he said:In 40-minute remarks, former President Bill Clinton, who mediated the Oslo Accords signing — which he hosted at the White House — spoke about his close personal and professional relationship with Rabin, calling the assassination one of the worst days of his life. “We have to begin again, where the trust level is low,” Clinton said of achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace. “People in power might not be in favor of giving up on anything now.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Hate on the Right, Then and Now:The New York Times’Bret Stephens draws comparisons between today’s rising trend of antisemitism within the GOP to past iterations of antisemitic ideology on the right. “The MAGA movement is not antisemitic. But many of its core convictions are antisemitic-adjacent — that is, they have a habit of leading in an anti-Jewish direction. Opposition to free trade, or to a welcoming immigration policy, or to international law that crimps national sovereignty, are legitimate, if often wrongheaded, political positions. But they have a way of melding with hoary stereotypes about ‘the International Jew; working across borders against the interests of so-called real Americans.”[NYTimes]

After Mamdani, Healing Divisions:Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, senior rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, reflects in theForwardabout how the New York City Jewish community must unite in the aftermath of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory. “For me, personally, the fact that about a third of New York City’s Jewish voters checked the box for Mamdani is totally bewildering. I am not unaware of the bigger political trends, the shortcomings of the other candidates, or the systemic challenges our city faces; I understand why Mamdani won. But for me, his anti-Zionist rhetoric and his intent to shut down research and economic partnerships between Israel and New York — to name but a few of his promises that would negatively impact our community — not only disqualified him from receiving my vote, but were a meaningful enough concern that I chose to publicly urge Jews and their allies to vote against him as well. And yet, it would seem that what was self-evident to me was not so self-evident to a sizeable percentage of my kinfolk. … We need to learn to walk together again. If, as I have repeatedly claimed,ahavat yisrael— love of the Jewish people — is my North Star, then it is a principle I must uphold even and especially when it is uncomfortable to do so. It is a love that must extend to Jews whose views I neither share nor understand.”[Forward]

Takeover on the Quad:John Ellis, professor emeritus of German literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz, argues inThe Wall Street Journalfor placing universities in a “receivership” to address the dominance of left-wing ideology in higher education. “The discrepancy between what we fund the campuses for and what they are doing is enormous. Promotion of knowledge and understanding has given way to inculcation of a poisonous fringe ideology. Students are encouraged to despise their society and kept ignorant of anything that might make them think otherwise. … The only viable solution is to place schools in ‘receivership,’ a well-established procedure to reform ailing college departments. A new chairman is imposed on a department with a free hand to make whatever appointments he thinks necessary to restore the department to health. By action of lawmakers or trustees, a new president can be imposed on a campus with a mandate to return the school to its proper mission by appointing subordinate administrators, especially deans, committed to reform.”[WSJ]

Investing in the Jewish Future: In Sapir, Jordan Chandler Hirsch argues that the Jewish people should establish a sovereign wealth fund to secure long-term communal and national resilience. A wealth fund would allow the Jewish community to invite allies and skeptics alike into mutually beneficial investments. It could help key players solve their problems and achieve their goals, thereby securing support for ours. Skeptics who distrust our institutionalism might respect our show of independence. Anti-establishment forces might welcome Jewish capital that strengthens their projects. Most important, a wealth fund could transform both our psychology and our posture — from supplicants seeking protection into partners offering opportunity. Despite its corporate veneer, a wealth fund would not merely reproduce institutionalism. If shtadlanut sought seats at the institutional table, a wealth fund would build its own table and invite others in. [SAPIR] 



Word on the Street PresidentDonald Trumpsenta letter to Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzogcalling on him to “fully pardon” Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, describing the corruption case against him as “a political, unjustified prosecution.” Herzog’s office put out a statement saying that while he “holds President Trump in the highest regard … anyone seeking a Presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures”

Following a joint meeting in Paris, French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand Palestinian Authority PresidentMahmoud Abbasannouncedthe creation of a joint committee “for the consolidation of the state of Palestine,” which will work towards drafting a “constitution” for such a state…

Iranhas smuggled advanced armaments to terror groups in theWest Bankover several months, theWashington Free Beaconreports, including rockets, explosive drones, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, hoping to use it as another launch pad in addition to Gaza to attack Israel…

Sens.Jim Risch(R-ID),Jeanne Shaheen(D-NH),Richard Blumenthal(D-CT),Jacky Rosen(D-NV) andChris Van Hollen(D-MD) met with Syrian PresidentAhmad al-Sharaaat the Capitol on Tuesday. A person familiar with the situation toldJewish Insiderthat Van Hollen had “reiterated his support for the lifting of the Caesar sanctions while also stressing his long-held position that the U.S. must ensure that the Government of Syria complies with the six conditions included in the amendment he and Senator Graham added to the NDAA”

Rep.Tom Suozzi(D-NY)urged the State Department to take actionto ensure the release ofKamran Hekmati, an Iranian-American dual citizen and Suozzi constituent imprisoned in Iran. “This is about more than one man. It’s about defending the basic rights of American citizens abroad and standing up to regimes that traffic in hostage diplomacy,” Suozzi said…

Rep.Gabe Amo(D-RI)led 125 House Democrats in a letterto Secretary of StateMarco Rubioseeking “clarity on your plan to ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid reaches Palestinian civilians in Gaza” and urging that aid be distributed through “reputable international institutions”

Saudi Arabiaisset to hosta U.S.-Saudi investment summit at theKennedy Centerin Washington next Wednesday, a day after Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salmans visit to the White House…

Rep.Ilhan Omar(D-MN)met withMalcolm Jallow, an anti-Israel left-wing member of the Swedish parliament who has espoused antisemitic views and has associations with pro-Hamas individuals…

The New York Timesspeaks toIraniansdeported back to Iran by theTrump administrationin the first U.S.-chartered deportation flight to the country in September…

The New York TimesprofilesJack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, who is preparing to run for Congress in New York’s 12th Congressional District…

After receiving backlash for canceling planned shows in Israel as a result of pressure by the BDS movement, British comedianJohn Cleesesaidhe was only postponing the shows “following advice about safety.” The “Monty Python” actor, who has a history of anti-Israel commentary on social media, claimed he is “hugely fond of Israeli audiences”

Argentine PresidentJavier Mileimet withRabbiDavid Yosef, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel;Isaac Sacca, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Argentina; andEyal Sela, the Israeli ambassador to Argentina…

Israeli authoritiesarrestedfour suspects after dozens ofsettlerslaunched an arson attack in thePalestinian villagesof Bei Lid and Deir Sharaf in the West Bank….

Israeli actressGal GadotwonIsrael’s Genesis Prize, sometimes called the “Jewish Nobel,” for her outspoken support of Israel in Hollywood since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks. Gadot said she will donate the $1 million award to organizations “that will help Israel heal”

Israeli pop starNoa Kireland soccer playerDaniel Peretztied the knoton Tuesday in an A-lister affair in Jaffa: spotted at the nuptials were Israeli celebritiesEden Daniel Gabay,Idan Raichel,Eran Zahavi,Reef Neeman,Ron Bitton,Ron AlufandMor Hamami…

Comcast CEOBrian Robertsrecently toured a site inSaudi Arabiafor a possibleUniversaltheme park location,raising speculationthat he might bring in Saudi funds for a potentialComcastbid to acquireWarner Bros. Discovery…

Wonderful, an Israeli AI startup, hassecured$100 million in a Series A funding round led by Index Ventures, with backing from Insight Partners, IVP, Bessemer and Vine Ventures…

Song of the Day (SCREENSHOT) Shulem Lemmer shared on social media “The March Medley” he performed together in June with the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, featuring Gur’s “Shir Hamaalos” and Modzitz’s “Ein Kitzvah,” at the 2025 MDA Chassidut B’Class concert in the Caesarea amphitheater.

Birthdays (Lajos Soos/MTI via AP) Rabbi of the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary,Róbert Frölichturns 60…

Co-founder and dean of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, RabbiShmuel Kamenetskyturns 101… Professor emerita of history at Columbia University and expert on Japan,Carol Gluckturns 84… Author and senior fellow at USC’s Annenberg School,Morley Winogradturns 83… Accountant and former PwC partner in Phoenix,Steven M. Scheiner, CPA… Former New York state senator, he is a descendant of Rabbi Shmuel Salant, the former Ashkenazic chief rabbi of Jerusalem,Stephen M. Salandturns 82… Sportscaster for “Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video, after more than 50 years at NBC and ABC,Al Michaelsturns 81… U.S. senator (D-RI),Jack Reedturns 76… Attorney in Brooklyn,Bernard C. Wachsman… Member of the New York state Assembly since 2006, her district includes Manhattans Upper West Side,Linda B. Rosenthalturns 68… Author of young-adult fiction and winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Challenger Deep,Neal Shustermanturns 63… Author, journalist and former political advisor to Al Gore and Bill Clinton,Naomi Rebekah Wolfturns 63 University of Chicago professor, he won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics,Michael Kremerturns 61… Mayor of Oakland, Calif., until 2023,Elizabeth Beckman Libby Schaafturns 60… Partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland Ellis,Sanford E. “Sandy” Perlturns 60… White House chief of staff for the last two years of the Biden administration,Jeffrey Zientsturns 59… British journalist and political correspondent for BBC News,Joanne Jo Coburnturns 58… Hasidic lecturer with many thousands of followers, RabbiAvraham Elimelech Bidermanturns 58… SVP and general manager of MLBs Minnesota Twins from 2016 until 2024,Thad Levineturns 54… Member of the Knesset until 2019 for the Yisrael Beiteinu party,Robert Ilatovturns 54… Restaurant critic and food writer for theBoston Globe,Devra Firstturns 53… Israeli fashion model and actress,Nina Broshturns 50… Former member of the Knesset for the United Torah Judaism party,Eliyahu Hasidturns 49… Campus support director at Hillel International,Aviva Zucker Snyder… Actress best known for her roles on “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,”Kelly Krugerturns 44… Co-founder of Purple Acorn,Dave Weinberg… Assistant professor of Jewish studies at Oberlin College,Matthew D. Berkmanturns 41… Director of strategic talent initiatives at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation,Spencer F. Lucker… New Jersey-based primary care physician known as Doctor Mike, he is an internet celebrity on YouTube and Instagram,Mikhail Varshavskiturns 36… Activist in the fight against antisemitism throughout the U.S.,Adela Cojabturns 29… Catcher in the Washington Nationals organization,Cameron J. Stubbsturns 29



]]> 94555 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-syria-caesar-sanctions-on-the-white-house-menu/ Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:37:22 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94481 ]]> Good Tuesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on PresidentDonald Trump’s meeting with Syrian PresidentAhmad al-Sharaayesterday and talk tosenatorsabout a dinner meeting they had with the Syrian leader. We also talk toIsraeli expertsabout the prospect of aUnited Nations-led stabilization force in Gazaand report from a bridge-building event attended byBlack and Jewish college studentsatGeorge Washington University. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Ronald Lauder,Bianna GolodrygaandYonit Levi.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Temple Emanu-Elin New York City is hosting an event this evening for the launch ofDon’t Feed the Lion, a novel for middle schoolers on the theme of antisemitism by journalistsBianna GolodrygaandYonit Levi. The authors will be joined by chess championGarry Kasparovand comedianElon Goldfor a conversation moderated byRafaela Siewert.ReadJI’s interview with Golodryga and Levi below. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar With a week since the off-year gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, a clear dynamic is emerging: President Donald Trump’s gains with nontraditional GOP voters — especially working-class Black and Hispanic voters and Gen Zers — are not translating into support for the Republican Party this year.

If Republicans are unable to recreate the Trump 2024 coalitionwithout Trump on the ballot, they will face serious political disadvantages for the midterms and beyond.

The double-digit margins of victory of incoming Democratic governorsMikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia speak volumes about the current political environment. Their sweeping wins underscore that, while Democrats may be divided as a result of ideological infighting, the antipathy towards Trump and the GOP is the glue that holds the party together.

The historic tendency of voters taking out their dissatisfaction on the party in poweris alive and well, and is much more of a factor than the favorability ratings of the political parties.

The most revealing outcome from the gubernatorial electionsis the fact that the majority-making elements of Trump’s coalition swung decisively back to the Democrats, accordingto the AP/Fox News voter analysis. In New Jersey, young men between 18-29backed Sherrill by 14 points (57-43%)after narrowly supporting Trump in last year’s presidential election. In Virginia, Spanberger won 58% of young men, a huge margin for a demographic that had assumed to be trending away from the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party’s comeback with Hispanic voters is equally as significant.Because of continuing inflation and backlash to the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation of illegal immigrants and ICE tactics, Hispanic voters once again voted like reliable elements of the Democratic coalition. In New Jersey, over two-thirds (68%) of Hispanic voters backed Sherrill — 12 points more than Kamala Harris’ support with Hispanics in the state in 2024. In Virginia, Spanberger’s 67% support with Hispanics was eight points ahead of Harris’ vote share with the key constituency.

Meanwhile, Black voters overwhelmingly sided with the Democratic nomineesthis year, after a notable minority of them backed Trump in last year’s presidential election. Spanberger won 93% of the Black vote, seven points more than Harris, even though she was running against a Black opponent in Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Sherrill won 94% of the Black vote in New Jersey, a whopping 15 points more than Harris carried in 2024.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



WINDS OF CHANGE Trump signals Syria will join U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition President Donald Trump greets Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in the Oval Office on Nov. 10, 2025. (Syrian Presidency) President Donald Trump indicated that he expects Syria to join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State during his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Monday at the White House,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. “Yes, you can expect an announcement on Syria,” Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office. “We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful. And I think this leader can do it. I really do.”

Background:By joining the agreement, Syria would follow 89 countries that havecommittedto the pact’s goal of “eliminating the threat posed by ISIS.” The group was established in 2014 as part of a response to territorial gains made by the Islamic State after the collapse of Iraqi security forces in Mosul. Following the fall of Syria’s longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad last December, al-Sharaa has sought to establish control over the war-ravaged nation and assert the authority of his new transitional government. However, the emergence of ISIS cells that have regrouped across Syria over the past few years pose a threat to al-Sharaas rule.

Read the full story here.

Assassination attempts:Syria’s security services havefoiledtwo separate ISIS plots to assassinate al-Sharaa,Reutersreports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ON THE HILL Senators optimistic after meeting with Syrian president Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa departs a meeting in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 10, 2025. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) Senators offered a positive readout from a dinner meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Sunday evening prior to al-Sharaa’s Monday summit at the White House with President Donald Trump,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.

What they’re saying:Attendees described the meeting as “open,” “moving” and “constructive,” and said they discussed progress toward sanctions relief as well as counterterrorism efforts. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) told JIthat al-Sharaa was “very charismatic” and “had a very open conversation” about his “checkered past” with senators. “I found it to be straightforward. I thought his answers were what we needed to hear, but I think he honestly believed it too,” Mullin said of the dinner.

The exception:Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), seen by advocates as a primary holdout on sanctions relief efforts, offered a more tepid statement on the meeting, absent any direct praise for al-Sharaa or his efforts, or any commitment to supporting sanctions relief for the Syrian regime. “We had a long and serious conversation about how to build a future for the people of Syria free of war, ISIS, and extremism,”Mast said.

Read the full story herewith additional comments fromSens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

Sanctions suspended:Following a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibanipostedon X, “We have received a signed decision from my friend, the U.S. secretary of state, stipulating the lifting of all legal measures previously imposed on the Syrian Mission and the Embassy of the Syrian Republic by the United States of America.” The sanctions lift will be reviewed again in six months.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PEACEKEEPING PROSPECTS Concerns in Israel as U.S. seeks United Nations mandate for international force in Gaza A drone flies over the German frigate Sachsen-Anhalt, which is monitoring the sea area off the Lebanese coast as part of the UN observer mission Unifil. (Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images) Israeli diplomats and experts have expressed concern as the U.S. seeks a two-year United Nations Security Council mandate for an international stabilization force in Gaza. The force is part of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to in September. However, the broad plan did not provide details on most of its points and did not mention a U.N. mandate,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Mixed bag:Historically, Israel has had mixed experiences with such U.N. forces, ranging from the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force along the 1973 ceasefire line between Israel and Syria — which countries abandoned amid the Syrian Civil War and was then replaced by fewer troops — to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which, for decades obscure[d] the vast scale of Hezbollahs extensive weapons build up in violation of the relevant UNSC resolutions, Sarit Zehavi, an expert in Israels northern border security, recentlywrote. The Multinational Force in the Sinai Peninsula, established to ensure the implementation of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, has been in place since 1981 with little controversy. The force does not have a U.N. mandate, because the Soviet Union vetoed it, and comprises troops from 14 countries, including 465 American servicemen and women known as Task Force Sinai.

Read the full story here.

Implementation questions:Private documents, presented in Israel last month to officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense and viewed byPolitico,reportedlyraise concernsabout whether an international stabilization force can really be deployed.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BETTER TOGETHER Black and Jewish college students explore shared adversity and allyship at DC-area ‘Unity Dinner’ Unity Dinner at George Washington University, November 2025 (United Negro College Fund) The official reason that more than 100 college students from across Washington gathered in a ballroom at George Washington University last week was for a formal dinner billed as an opportunity to build bridges between the Black and Jewish communities. But what really got the students — undergradsfrom GWU, American, George Mason, Georgetown, Howard and the University of the District of Columbia — talking at this event, which was meant to highlight commonalities and spark deep connections between students from different backgrounds, was a breezy icebreaker: Is a hot dog a sandwich? That was one of several lighthearted prompts for the students to discuss as they settled into dinner and got to know each other at tables of 10,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Digging in:Later, after they had introduced themselves and playfully debated topics like who would play them in a movie and their least favorite internet trends, the students turned to more personal questions about identity, community and belonging. It was an exercise carefully calibrated to build connection free from rancor, where the students could speak about themselves and their identities as racial and religious minorities without fear of judgment. “Every single time, I am amazed at the discussion and how vulnerable people will be,” said Arielle Levy, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Hillel International. Levy shepherded the students through the increasingly more serious questions during last week’s dinner program. “I just really hope it leads to action, because thats really what were hoping for.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOOK SHELF Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi confront rising antisemitism with a story for the next generation

Long before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, parents — especially Jewish parents — wondered and at times struggled with how to speak to their children about antisemitism. In the midst of the antisemitism that exploded in the wake of the attack on southern Israel and continued to rise through the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas, journalists Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi found themselves navigating that challenge — and found no help to guide them. As a result, Golodrygasaid in an interview withJewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss,“Yonit and I decided to try to write the book we couldnt find.” The result was their debut book,Don’t Feed the Lion, released today.

Inspired by experience:“The fact that our kids are talking about it, [it’s] something Im dealing and grappling with in New York City in 2023 at the time,” Golodryga, a CNN news anchor, told JI. “I never thought that wed be having to address [it] so directly. But there were no resources on this issue. I asked my kid’s school about it, [saying], ‘What are you doing to address antisemitism?’ And in a longly worded statement, it was clear that there were no resources. They werent really doing anything.” In Israel, Levi, an anchor on Israel’s Channel 12, was asked about antisemitism by her preteen son. “And I was sort of floored by it,” she told JI. “I didnt even know how to begin answering because I wasnt planning to answer that question, explaining and answering a lot of other questions that Oct. 7 brought to the table.”

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM At annual gala, WJC’s Ronald Lauder says education and public relations are only solutions to antisemitism World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) at the WJCs annual gala dinner, Nov. 10, 2025 (Shahar Azran / World Jewish Congress) In the wake of a global rise in antisemitism not seen in generations, World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder told some 250 attendees at the organization’s annual gala dinner on Monday that the “only” solutions are “creating more Jewish schools” and “taking the high ground in public relations,”Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The event, held at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, honored Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) with WJC’s Theodor Herzl Award for the lawmakers’ pro-Israel advocacy and opposition to antisemitism.

Stepping it up:“The entire education system — K-12 to college — must be retaught. Laws must be passed that will focus on no racism, no antisemitism and no anti-Western civilization being taught,” said Lauder. “It’s [also] time we fight back with stronger PR to tell the truth about [antisemitism and Israel]. If Israel doesn’t want to do this, we in the Diaspora will help. I don’t blame Jewish organizations for not being prepared” for the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel and their aftermath, continued Lauder. “[But] all of these groups don’t know how to [combat antisemitism]. Frankly, they’re wasting a lot of money. Education and public relations are the only [answers].”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The Next Peace Process:Robert Satloff, executive director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, along with senior fellow Hanin Ghaddar and international fellow Ehud Yaari, lay out the prospects for peace between Israel and Lebanon inThe Washington Post. “One way to avert a catastrophic return to war would be for Lebanon and Israel to begin their own peace process. Movement on normalization would not substitute for disarmament. But if diplomacy were pursued as an alternative to Israeli military action against Hezbollah, the very fact of the talks would undermine Hezbollah’s effort to claw back its political influence. And practical progress could show the Lebanese people the potential benefits of peacemaking. … The Trump administration should do more to get things going. … The administration should remind Lebanon that choosing to neither disarm Hezbollah nor pursue diplomacy with Israel will come with costs. Those could entail losing U.S. aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces, losing U.S. backing of international support for Lebanon’s economy and losing U.S. willingness to restrain Israel from disarming Hezbollah ‘the hard way.’”[WaPo]

Dreher’s Dread:Conservative author Rod Dreher frets over the “new radicalism” emerging among Gen Zers on the political right in America on his Substack, “Rod Dreher’s Diary.” “The main points I want to leave you with, based on what I saw and heard in Washington, are these: The Groyper thing is real. It is not a fringe movement, in that it really has infiltrated young conservative Washington networks to a significant degree. Irrational hatred of Jews (and other races, but especially Jews) is a central core of it. This is evil. If postliberal conservatism requires making peace with antisemitism and race hatred, count me out. It cannot be negotiated with, because it doesn’t have traditional demands. It wants to burn the whole system down. It really does. At the same time, the gatekeepers of the Right aren’t going to be able to make it go away, because they have less power than ever. Dealing with this is going to require great skill and subtlety, and courage.”[Substack]

Wrong on the Right:The Wall Street Journal’s Gerard Baker warns against Vice President JD Vance’s “breezy dismissal” of efforts to root out extremists from the right as infighting that should be avoided. “That would be a mistake. It is hard to imagine people like Mr. Fuentes and Candace Owens as figures of historic significance: The idea seems ridiculous. But what gives them their current salience — besides cozy sit-downs with the nation’s top media celebrity — is their claim, a plausible one, to be speaking for others. The rise of populism has been characterized by a liberalization of thought and speech that had previously been suppressed by the prevailing authorities of orthodoxy. Much of this was necessary and welcome. The cultural limitations on what ordinary people were supposed to think about issues like immigration and ‘gender identity’ were thrown off when populist leaders came along who dared to say things that many people had felt. But with this liberation of legitimate and reasonable ideas inevitably came a wider unleashing of much uglier sentiments on the right.”[WSJ]

Keep Hope Alive:Marking five years since the death of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Tanya White, a senior lecturer at the Matan Institute for Torah Learning and a lecturer at the Rabbi Sacks Institute at Bar-Ilan University, contemplates Sacks’ lessons on hope in an essay for18Forty. “Reflecting on his vast and far-reaching oeuvre, one could not hope to capture its scope in a single essay. Yet one idea has continued to echo through my mind over these past two years: his oft-quoted distinction between optimism and hope. Optimism and hope are not the same. Optimism is the belief that the world is changing for the better; hope is the belief that, together, we can make the world better. ‘Judaism,’ wrote Rabbi Sacks, ‘is the voice of hope in the conversation of humankind.’ These short yet powerful lines capture the essence of a uniquely Jewish theology that underpins Rabbi Sacks’ vast and far-reaching thought: a theology that places human freedom and responsibility side by side. That fosters an active virtue of courage to confront the world that is and work towards a world that ought to be. A theology that reinterprets the biblical concept of covenant for the challenges of modern liberal democracies.”[18Forty]



Word on the Street In a Fox News interview with Syrian PresidentAhmad al-Sharaa, asked about his country’s relations with Israel and the possibility of entering the Abraham Accords, al-Sharaasaid, “Syria has borders with Israel, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967. We are not going to enter negotiations directly right now.” He added that the U.S. might be able to “help reach this kind of negotiation”…

Abdul El-Sayed, an anti-Israel Democrat running in the Michigan Senate primary to replace retiring Sen.Gary Peters(D-MI), hasdeletedhis entire history on X, including “defund the police” posts…

Sen.Bernie Sanders(I-VT)endorsed left-wing Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanaganover her more moderate opponent, Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), in the Democratic Minnesota Senate primary

Progressive voters and Democratic Party activists areblamingSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for the votes of eight Democratic senators who backed GOP legislation to put an end to the government shutdown…

The Wall Street JournalreportsonYale’s attempt to stay out of the line of fire in PresidentDonald Trump’s crusade against higher education, including PresidentMaurie McInnis’ increased government lobbying expenditures and a student forum where classmates encouraged each other to refrain from disruptive anti-Israel protests…

Palantir CEOAlex Karpdefended his support of Israel in aninterviewwithWIRED, saying, “Israel is a country with a GDP smaller than Switzerland, and it’s under massive attack. Some critiques are legitimate, but others are aggressive in attacking Israel. My reaction is, well, then I’m just going to defend them”…

Lt.Hadar Goldin, whose remains werereturned to Israelon Sunday after he was killed and his body kidnapped to Gaza more than 11 years ago, waslaid to restat the Kfar Sava military cemetery this morning

In his firstinterviewsince his release after two years in Hamas captivity in Gaza,Matan Zangauker, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023,toldChannel 12 that every night one of his captors would play mind games with him giving him false reports of the combat between Israel and Hamas, telling him, for instance, “We took out 20 of your tanks today and we killed soldiers”…

Danielle Sassoon, the former interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who resigned her post rather than drop a case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the request of the Trump administration, has joined the conservative boutique law firm of Clement Murphy…

The New York Timesreports onIran’s acute water crisis, which Iranian PresidentMasoud Pezeshkianwarned could soon necessitate the evacuation of Tehran…

The New York Timesconsidersthe status ofIran’s nuclear program, as snapback sanctions have been enacted, negotiations are frozen and Tehran appears to be building a new enrichment site atPickaxe Mountain…

British comedian and actorJohn Cleesehascancelledshows that had been scheduled to take place in Israel in late November and early December, with the Israeli production company handling his shows saying the “Monty Python” star had “succumbed to threats from BDS organizations”…

Pic of the Day (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for ADL) The Anti-Defamation League held its 31st Annual In Concert Against Hate in Washington last night. Hosted by actor and director Jason Alexander, the evening honored four individuals for their courage in fighting antisemitism and hate: Holocaust survivor and health policy leader Marion Ein Lewin; Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund; Wesley Seidner, a high school senior combating antisemitism in his Virginia community; and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Pictured, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt with the honorees. From left: Seidner, Holt, Lewin, Greenblatt and Lomax.

Birthdays (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Emmy Award and Peoples Choice Award-winning television producer,Jason Nidorf Max Mutchnickturns 60…

Retired psychiatric nurse now living in Surprise, Ariz.,Shula Kantorturns 98… Retired television and radio sports broadcaster,Warner Wolfturns 88… Former Democratic U.S. senator from California for 24 years,Barbara Levy Boxerturns 85… Author, best known for her 1993 autobiographical memoirGirl, Interrupted,Susanna Kaysenturns 77… Television personality (former host of “Double Dare”), known professionally as Marc Summers,Marc Berkowitzturns 74… Founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company,Ken Grossmanturns 71… Founder and president of D.C.-based Plurus Strategies,David Leiter… President at American Built-in Closets in South Florida,Perry Birman… Aish HaTorah teacher in Los Angeles, author and co-founder of a gourmet kosher cooking website,Emuna Braverman… Talk show host and founder of Talkline Communications,Zev Brennerturns 67… Philanthropist and founder of Portage Partners,Michael Leffell… Professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,Steven M. Nadlerturns 67… Former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, he served as a counsel for the Democrats during the first Trump impeachment, Amb.Norman Eisenturns 65… Russian-born entrepreneur, venture capitalist and physicist,Yuri Milnerturns 64… Founder and executive director of Los Angeles-based IKAR,Melissa Balaban… Former Israeli Police commissioner,Kobi Shabtaiturns 61… Former member of the Knesset for the Likud party,Orly Levy-Abekasisturns 52… Tel Aviv-born actor and screenwriter, he is best known for his roles in “The Young and the Restless” and “NCIS,”Eyal Podellturns 50… Former Pentagon policy official, now vice president of the American Jewish Committee’s Center for a New Middle East,Anne Rosenzweig Dreazenturns 43… Defender for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer,Daniel Steresturns 35… Formerly the finance director at the campaign for Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), now a deployment strategist at GovWell,Shelly Tsirulik… Survivor of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, he has become an advocate against gun violence and recently launched his congressional campaign for the seat of retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY),Cameron Kaskyturns 25



]]> 94481 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-shalom-al-sharaa-trump-to-welcome-syrian-leader-today/ Mon, 10 Nov 2025 13:10:56 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94389 ]]> Good Monday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we preview today’s long-anticipated meeting between Syrian PresidentAhmad al-Sharaaand PresidentDonald Trumpand spotlight an influencer couple from Daytona Beach, Fla., who has been advocating for closer U.S.-Syria ties on Capitol Hill and garnering high-level access. We report on the return of the remains of Lt.Hadar Goldin, over 11 years after he was killed and kidnapped to Gaza, and talk to Jewish leaders at the annualSomos conferencein San Juan, Puerto Rico, about their approach to the incoming Mamdani administration. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff: JudgeAmul Thapar, Sen.Ted CruzandRuby and Hagit Chen.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will visit the White House today, becoming the first Syrian head of state to do so. More below. White House advisor Jared Kushner met today in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Aryeh Lightstone, senior advisor to White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Columbia University’s School of International and Political Affairs is hosting a discussion on the slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s legacy, 30 years after his assassination. Speakers include former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Columbia’s acting President Claire Shipman and SIPAs Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo. The Anti-Defamation League’s annual Concert Against Hate is taking place this evening and will honor Marion Ein Lewin, Holocaust survivor, health policy leader, advocate and educator; Michael Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund; Wesley Seidner, a senior at Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Va.; and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Emily jacobs and marc rod The firebombing of a hostage-release marchin Boulder, Colo., this summer triggered awave of calls from lawmakers— particularly Republicans— for action to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.

Legislation to that effect was introducedinboth the Senate and Housein July, taking a new approach to designating the group as compared to previous legislative efforts that had stalled over the course of the last decade.

The legislation would require the imposition of sanctions on the Muslim Brotherhood, making it illegal to provide support to the group, making its members and affiliates inadmissible to the United States and blocking transactions involving assets held by Muslim Brotherhood members in U.S. financial institutions.

There were also calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aislefor the Trump administration to investigate the group and take action to designate it through executive authorities. The secretary of state has the authority to designate a group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and the White House could issue an executive order on the subject.

But so far, none of those efforts have come to fruition. The Senate bill currently sits at 11 co-sponsors, having recently picked up Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) as its first Democratic supporter, while the House bill has19 co-sponsors from both parties— below the levels of support previous iterations of the bill had amassed.

Fetterman’s co-sponsorshipcould help the bill receive consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as the panel often only considers legislation with bipartisan support. A source familiar with the matter tells JI that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the bill’s co-sponsor in the Senate and a member of the committee, is pushing for the panel to mark up the bill at their next business meeting.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



PEACE PROSPECT Trump to host President al-Sharaa in historic visit as U.S. eyes Israel-Syria security deal Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrives at Marka airport on Feb. 26, 2025 in Amman, Jordan. (Salah Malkawi/Getty Images) When Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visits the White House on Monday, he will be the first Syrian head of state to do so, a long-anticipated meeting that could advance U.S. efforts to broker a potential security agreement between Syria and Israel. The U.S. has worked on mediating a security deal between the two nations this year following the fall of the Iran-aligned Assad regime and Israel’s decisive military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon, something that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said made the talks “possible,”Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Issues of concern:After the fall of Assad, the IDF entered a U.N. buffer zone inside Syria in order to protect its own borders as the country’s military and government were in flux. Reports indicate that Damascus is seeking an end to the Israeli presence there, while Israel is calling for the demilitarization of southwest Syria and for al-Sharaa’s government to take more responsibility for the security of the Druze minority in the region. “Israel’s main concerns center on the deployment of Syrian forces in the south and the protection of the Druze minority, while Syria remains wary of leaving large parts of southern territory outside its control,” said Ahmad Sharawi, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Trump administration officials have said in recent months that the security deal is “99% done,” though it has yet to be finalized.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google DAYTONA X DAMASCUS DIPLOMACY The influencer couple selling Syria on Capitol Hill Jasmine Naamou and Tarek Naemo with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) (courtesy) Alongside Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s rise in Damascus has been a flurry of activity in Washington, as lawmakers tried to make sense of a country that one day was considered a rogue nation locked in protracted civil war and the next was viewed as a free state on the path to stability. Two people in particular have become fixtures on Capitol Hill, pushing the message that Washington should lift sanctions on Damascus and build stronger ties with Syria: Jasmine Naamou and Tarek Naemo, a married couple who live in Daytona Beach, Fla., with a knack for social media self-promotion and a willingness to strike up a conversation with anyone,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

High hopes:Naamou spoke to JI on Friday to preview what she hopes the Syrian leader will discuss with Trump, with normalization with Israel high on the list. “We want regional stability. Israels a neighbor. Theyre a friend of America. We want them to be friends of Syria. We want to normalize relations,” said Naamou, who was driving to the airport, bound for Washington to be there for al-Sharaa’s visit. She also expressed hope for a U.S. security presence in Syria: “I believe theyre moving in the right direction of getting that security agreement in place. From what Ive heard, they are in discussions of having a U.S. air base in Damascus to help with those security discussions between Syria and Israel. So I really do see the steps moving in the right direction.”

Read the full profile here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ISRAEL CONFIRMS IDENTIFICATION Hamas returns Hadar Goldin’s remains after 11 years Israeli soldiers salute and people hold national flags as a van carrying Lt. Hadar Goldins remains arrives at the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv on November 9, 2025. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images) Hamas returned the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin on Sunday, over 11 years after he was killed in battle in Gaza. Israel confirmed the body was Goldin’s through DNA testing, four hours after it was returned,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. Goldin was 23 when he fought in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza and took part in a mission to destroy a Hamas tunnel in Rafah on Aug. 1, 2014, during a 72-hour ceasefire. Hamas terrorists killed two Israeli soldiers, taking Goldin’s body with them.

Parents’ statement:Goldin’s parents, Leah and Simcha,publicly advocatedfor his return, but did not support the release of living terrorists in exchange for their son’s remains. After Goldin’s remains were returned, Leah Goldin said her family “took for granted that the State of Israel would not leave soldiers behind. It took us 11 years to bring him home through the IDF and security forces. … We faced many disappointments. We cannot give up on who we are, and we will prevail through our values. … Thank you for walking with us all the way.” Simcha Goldin credited IDF “soldiers [who] fought to bring warriors back from the battlefield. The IDF brought Hadar back to his homeland — no one else. … What this war has proven is that when we fight for our soldiers, we succeed. Victory means bringing home the hostages and bringing home our soldiers to Israel.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCENE AT SOMOS Jewish leaders begin outreach to incoming Mamdani administration, sensitively New York City Mayor elect Zohran Mamdani meets with the press after he joined members of the Centro Islamico del Caribe -Masjid Ebadur Rahman mosque in prayer, on November 7, 2025 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mamdani was in San Juan for the annual SOMOS political retreat. (Angel Valentin/Getty Images) The humid air was swelling with anticipation as thousands of New York politicos descended on Puerto Rico’s capital last week to attend the annual Somos conference, a multiday marathon of post-election elbow-rubbing where receptions and panels occur alongside covert negotiations and late-night schmoozing at local bars and hotels,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reportsfrom the summit in San Juan. The extended Democratic gathering, which kicked off on Wednesday and continued into the weekend, was adjusting to the ascendant political order led by Zohran Mamdani, whose victory in New York City’s mayoral election earlier that week had upended the Democratic establishment and led to new alliances that until recently would have seemed improbable.

Mamdani moment:Attendees swarmed Mamdani’s arrival Thursday at the Caribe Hilton, where the incoming mayor was later fêted by some of the state’s top elected officials at a crowded beachside reception. For many Jewish leaders who joined the Caribbean confab, however, the feeling was far more subdued, as they openly grappled with the sensitive question of how to work with a mayor-elect whose stridently anti-Israel views conflict with their own core values. Still, some Jewish community leaders who spoke with JI over the course of the retreat suggested they were willing to give Mamdani the latitude to follow through on areas where they are aligned, pointing to a sort of provisional detente in the aftermath of a bruising and emotionally fraught election.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google CALL TO ARMS Cruz tells GOP: It’s time to stand up to Tucker Carlson Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce summit in Washington on Sept. 10, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called on his Republican colleagues to speak out against Tucker Carlson, arguing in a fiery Friday morning speech that they need to rise above their fear of alienating the popular conservative podcaster to denounce his platforming of antisemitism,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

What he said:“It’s easy right now to denounce Nick Fuentes. That’s kind of safe. Are you willing to say Tucker’s name?” Cruz said in a speech at the Washington National Lawyers Convention of the Federalist Society, the conservative legal group. “Now I can tell you, my colleagues, almost to a person, think what is happening is horrifying. But a great many of them are frightened, because he has one hell of a big megaphone.” Cruz’s speech escalates a feud within the Republican Party about antisemitism on the party’s rightward fringes, after Carlson, the former Fox News host, held a friendly interview with Fuentes, a neo-Nazi agitator and commentator.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google LAYING DOWN THE LAW Judge Amul Thapar, short-listed for Supreme Court, pushes back on Israel genocide charges Judge Amul Thapar (Screenshot: Federalist Society) Judge Amul Thapar, a member of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of President Donald Trump’s short-list for a Supreme Court nomination in his first term, pushed back on accusations of genocide against Israel at a Federalist Society conference on antisemitism on Friday,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The conference, at which a series of judges from the high-profile conservative legal group offered forceful rejections of antisemitism, is particularly notable given the discussions over antisemitism roiling the conservative movement in the wake of Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts’ video last week defending Tucker Carlson and rejecting the cancellation of neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes.

Judge’s findings:Thapar, who traveled to Israel after Oct. 7, 2023, with the Federalist Society, said on a panel about religious freedom and antisemitism that he had extensively researched the charges of genocide against Israel prior to the trip, and aimed to ask hard questions of Israeli officials during his visit. “What I found is, if that accusation was the one they were trying to prove, Israel was historically bad at accomplishing that task,” Thapar said. “For it to be genocide, it has to be a specific and deliberate aim to bring about destruction of the group. If that’s your goal, why would you drop leaflets and tell people to leave? Why would you set up safe zones? Why would you send texts and warn people? That’s some of the things Israel does that no other country has done before.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads What Mamdani Could Do:Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Ari Hoffnung, ADL’s senior advisor on corporate advocacy who served as deputy comptroller of New York City, lay out how Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani could “weaponize” city funds to “carry out his anti-Zionist agenda,” in theNew York Post. “His most consequential lever is the city’s $300 billion pension system: The mayor appoints trustees across each of the five pension boards. Mamdani or his appointees could pressure the boards to divest from companies linked to Israel, including major firms like Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Lockheed Martin, all long targeted by BDS activists. … Procurement represents another powerful lever. Many of the companies targeted by the BDS movement — Dell, Microsoft, Motorola and others — are deeply embedded in the infrastructure that keeps New York running. The city holds contracts worth about $400 million with Dell, $300 million with Motorola and $100 million with Microsoft — covering everything from laptops in the schools to police and emergency communications. Walking away from those partnerships under the banner of human rights might make for good headlines but would dramatically punish our nation’s largest city: disrupting services, inflating costs and compromising public safety.”[NYPost]

The New New Antisemitism:InTablet, David Reaboi examines how speakers and attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s 40th anniversary leadership summit grappled with the issue of growing antisemitism on the right. “The confusion on display wasn’t unique to the RJC; it reflects a broader failure of imagination across Jewish institutional life. For decades, antisemitism was something safely external: a pathology of the far left, the campus fringe, or hostile regimes abroad. What’s emerging now is different. The new antisemitism speaks the language of patriotism, faith, and anti-elitism; it arrives disguised as cultural critique. It’s a theory of how the world works. To an audience conditioned by cable news, it sounds insightful rather than bigoted. Inside the ballroom, there was no framework for understanding this shift. Politicians could condemn hate, but they couldn’t recognize it when it wore their party’s colors.”[Tablet]

The Right’s Heritage:In his “Commonplace” Substack, Oren Cass warns that the infamous video by Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, defending Tucker Carlson’s interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes is a symptom of a larger problem endangering the conservative movement. “What’s a little monarchism, race science, and misogyny among friends? In theory, to quote Roberts, ‘when we disagree with a person’s thoughts and opinions, we challenge those ideas and debate.’ But in practice, as his next sentence clarifies, ‘we have seen success in this approach as we continue to dismantle the vile ideas of the Left.’ And only the Left. Vile ideas on the Right see little challenge — wouldn’t want to ‘sow division,’ after all, like the Jews, sorry, like that venomous coalition of globalists serving another country’s agenda. When you spend enough time in the fever swamp, even if you think you’re just hanging out on the bank, that is how you find yourself talking.”[Commonplace]



Word on the Street Cornell Universityagreed to conduct “annual surveys to evaluate the campus climate for students, including the climate for students with shared Jewish ancestry” as part of an agreement it reached with the Trump administration on Friday,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Former U.S. Ambassador to IsraelDavid Friedman, the new executive chairman of Israeli spyware company NSO Group, hopes to use his ties to the Trump administration to help rebuild the company’s U.S. business, hetoldThe Wall Street Journal, after the Biden administration placed the company on an export-prohibition list in 2021…

Michael Blake, the New York assemblyman mounting a primary challenge against Rep.Ritchie Torres(D-NY),scrubbedposts showing his support for AIPAC and participation at the group’s events from his social media accounts. Blake’s campaign has beenattackingTorres for the congressman’s support of Israel and ties to AIPAC despite his own prior support and ties…

Mexican security agenciesfoileda plot last summer byIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsto assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico,Einat Kranz Neiger, U.S. and Israeli security officials revealed…

The Wall Street Journalchroniclesthe rise and fall of Heritage Foundation PresidentKevin Roberts, through his redirecting of the organization’s policy priorities and current controversy over his defense ofTucker Carlson. The story noted that Robertsencouragedemployees working on Ukraine policy to watch Carlson’s monologues, which were rife with conspiracy theories about the war, to delete past tweets in support of Ukraine aid and to write papers reflecting the new, more isolationist policy that he had embraced…

Sen.Tom Cotton(R-AR)askedthe Justice Department to open an investigation into the anti-Israel activist group Code Pink for acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the Chinese government and providing “material support to foreign terrorist organizations,” theWashington Free Beaconreports…

The Free Presspublishesan excerpt from Sen.John Fetterman’s (D-PA) memoir,Unfettered, which will be released tomorrow, in which he reflects on the deep depression he fell into following his stroke…

The Wall Street Journalintroduceskey players in New York City Mayor-electZohran Mamdani’s inner circle, some of whom are “in line for key roles in his administration”

Iraqi Prime MinisterMohammed Shia al-Sudanisayshe’s seeking to distance his country from both Iranian and U.S. influence, in an interview withThe Wall Street Journalahead of Iraq’s Tuesday election where he’s seeking a second term…

Reporting from the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,Politicos Sam Suttonexploresthe “cross-pollination between theU.S.andSaudi Arabia’s political and commercial enterprises,” and the rise of top-down capitalism in both countries…

Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, andDeborah Turness, head ofBBC News,resignedon the heels of the publication of an internal report accusing the British national broadcaster of bias, including in its coverage of the war in Gaza and the way it edited a speech by President Donald Trump…

The New York Timesspotlightsthe continuing isolation ofIsraeli academicseven after the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel…

The head ofGermany’s Jewish communityhaswarnedabout potential risks to the Jewish community due to rising support for the far-right partyAlternative for Germanyin the country’s eastern states…

Pic of the Day (Paulina Patimer)  Ruby and Hagit Chen salute their son Itay’s grave at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Tel Aviv at his funeral on Sunday. Itay Chen, an American Israeli IDF soldier who was 19, served in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 75th Battalion and was killed in battle with terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, and kidnapped to Gaza. His body was returned to Israel last Tuesday.

Birthdays Zoey Deutch at the Academy Womens Luncheon Presented by Chanel held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 04, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images) Actress and producer,Zoey Francis Chaya Thompson Deutchturns 31

Manager of the Decatur, Ga.-based Connect Hearing,Murray Kurtzberg… One of the four deans of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, N.J., RabbiYerucham Olshinturns 82… Professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he is a co-founder of Nebraska Jewish Historical Society,Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D. turns 82… Energy consultant, president and CEO of K Street Alternative Energy Strategies, LLC,Howard Marksturns 81… Former executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles, now the executive director of the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation,Raphael J. Sonenshein, Ph.D. turns 76… Israeli journalist,Elli Wohlgelernterturns 72… Chief administrative officer at the Legacy Heritage Fund,Elaine Weitzman… ESPNs longest-tenured “SportsCenter” anchor,Linda Cohnturns 66… Rabbi at Temple Beth Kodesh in Boynton Beach, Fla.,Michael C. Simon… Professor at Bar-Ilan University,Adam Ferzigerturns 61… Senior rabbi of Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles,Ken Chasenturns 60… Former MLB right-fielder for 14 seasons, he founded Greenfly, a software firm for sports and entertainment organizations,Shawn Greenturns 53… National security editor atThe Washington Post,Benjamin Pauker… President of Democratic Majority for Israel,Brian Paul Romickturns 49… Co-founder in 2004 of Yelp, where he remains the CEO,Jeremy Stoppelmanturns 48… Executive director of the Ruderman Family Foundation,Shira Menashe Ruderman… Chief investigative reporter at ABC News,Josh Margolinturns 46… Senior advisor on the public health team at Bloomberg Philanthropies,Jean B. Weinberg… YouTube personality, he came to fame as a child actor on Nickelodeon,Josh Peckturns 39…

Editor’s note:Daniel Naroditsky, whom we featured in the “Birthdays” section of Friday’sDaily Kickoff, died on Oct. 20. We apologize for the error.



]]> 94389 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-hot-water-for-heritage-boils/ Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:41:18 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94202 ]]> Good Friday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we interview former Minnesota Sen.Rudy Boschwitz, the first Holocaust survivor elected to Congress, on his 95th birthday, and have the scoop on theNational Task Force to Combat Antisemitism’s decision to cut ties with theHeritage Foundation. We report on the announcement thatKazakhstanwill join theAbraham Accords, cover aSenate Armed Services Committeehearing where Senate lawmakers reiterated grievances with Under Secretary of Defense for PolicyElbridge Colby, and highlight the 180 on Israel and AIPAC made byMichael Blake, who has announced a primary challenge to Rep.Ritchie Torres. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep.Nancy Pelosi,Mitch Silberand Gov.Josh Shapiro.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with assists from Matthew Kassel and Emily Jacobs.Have a tip?Email us here.

For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition ofThe Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recentJewish InsiderandeJewishPhilanthropystories, including:The 36 hours in Washington that took hostage families from grief to gratitude; What New York City Jewish leaders are most worried about in a Mamdani mayoralty;andBirthright Israel Foundation celebrates 25 years with $220M raised toward new $900M campaign.Print the latest edition here.

What Were Watching On Sunday, theZionist Organization of Americawill hold itsannual gala, where it will present awards to Rep.Elise Stefanik(R-NY); Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.Yechiel Leiter;Leo Terrell, head of the Department of Justice’s antisemitism task force; Israeli Ambassador to the U.N.Danny Danon; and philanthropistsIrit and Jonathan Tratt. Stefanikwill be announcing her campaignfor New York governor today, setting up a battle against Gov.Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. Stefanik, who led the fight against campus antisemitism in Congress, is expected to make democratic socialistZohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City a major attack line against Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani in the mayoral race. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar Former Minnesota Sen. Rudy Boschwitz, who turns 95 today,isn’t necessarily a household name — but is one of the more consequential figures in Jewish political history, as the first Holocaust survivor elected to Congress and one of the most prominent Jewish Republicans during a golden period of Jewish representation on Capitol Hill.

Boschwitz now holds the distinction of being the oldest living elected senator,and remains active in political and business life from his home in Plymouth, Minn. He spoke on the phone toJewish Insiderthis week about his life story, legacy and thoughts about our current political moment.

Boschwitz was born in Berlin in 1930.On the day that Hitler took power in 1933, Boschwitz’s father came home and told his family they would be leaving Germany forever. He arrived in the United States in 1935 with his family, completed college at the age of 19, started a retail lumber business and quickly made a career in business and, later, politics.

He was elected as a Republican to the Senate in 1978,scoring an upset against the state’s former Gov. Wendell Anderson. He served there for 12 years, eventually losing reelection in 1990 to Democrat Paul Wellstone.

“When I came to the Senate, I was really the first Jewish conservativethat many of my colleagues really met. They hadn’t met many Jewish Republicans at all. I think we had a hand in building some of the pro-Israel feelings now,” Boschwitz told JI. (During the 1980s, four other Jewish GOP senators would end up serving alongside him.)

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



SCOOP Heritage-affiliated antisemitism task force to cut ties with embattled think tank An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES) An antisemitism task force affiliated with the Heritage Foundation announced on Thursday that it would cut ties with the conservative institution, as the prominent think tank has come under fire for its defense of Tucker Carlson after the firebrand podcaster hosted neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes for a friendly interview. The co-chairs of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced in a Thursday email,viewed byJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch, that they will continue their work “outside the Heritage Foundation for a season.”

Leaving a window open:A member of the task force told JI that its members had not ruled out working with Heritage again if the organization improves. “We hope that one day we’ll be able to collaborate with Heritage again,” said the member, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential conversations. The task force was formed following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and was instrumental in the drafting ofProject Esther, Heritage’s signature counter-antisemitism framework released last year in response to the Biden administration’s national strategy to combat antisemitism. The Project Esther report made no mention of antisemitism on the political right. In their Thursday email, the co-chairs of the task force said they can no longer ignore it.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google airing it out Senate lawmakers air grievances with Elbridge Colby for second time this week Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, during a confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AL DRAGO/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES) Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee from both parties voiced concerns with Elbridge Colby, under secretary of defense for policy, and his office at the Pentagon, at a committee hearing — for the second time this week,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Consultation and communication:While Thursday’s proceedings, a confirmation hearing for Alex Velez-Green, nominated to be Colby’s top deputy and who has been a senior advisor to him in an interim capacity, were generally less heated than aTuesday hearingwith nominee Austin Dahmer, lawmakers reiterated concerns with a lack of consultation by Colby’s team and alleged rogue decision-making on a range of issues by the office. “Many of this committee have serious concerns about the Pentagon’s policy office and how it is serving the president of the United States and the Congress,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the committee, said in his opening statement. “In many of these conversations, we hear that the Pentagon policy office seems to be doing what it pleases without coordinating, even inside the U.S. executive branch.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google U-TURN Torres challenger attacks Israel, AIPAC in campaign launch, but previously sought pro-Israel allies extensively Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Blake speaks during the Mayoral Candidate Forum All Faiths, All Candidates event at Cathedral of St. John the Divine. (Derek French / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) Michael Blake, a former New York state assemblyman and eighth-place-finishing New York City mayoral candidate, announced a primary challenge to Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on Wednesday focused squarely on Torres’ support for Israel and ties to AIPAC. But Blake himself has an extensive history with AIPAC and was, at least through 2020, a vocal supporter of the Jewish state,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Recent history:In hiscampaign announcement on X, Blake said, “I am ready to fight for you and lower your cost of living while Ritchie fights for a Genocide. I will focus on Affordable Housing and Books as Ritchie will only focus on AIPAC and Bibi,” a reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I will invest in the community. Ritchie invests in Bombs.” Social media posts by Blake and others show that he was for years a frequent attendee at AIPAC events, having attended no less than 10 of the organization’s events between 2014 and 2019, and was a featured speaker at least once.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google community care Jewish security leaders brace for Mamdani-era policing cuts NYPD Strategic Response Group (SRG) stand guard outside of 26 Federal Plaza on October 21, 2025 in New York City. (Adam Gray/Getty Images) New York City’s leading Jewish security organization has prepared a new set of strategies to respond to policies that the city’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani might put into place that would affect public safety. Among the primary concerns of Mitch Silber, executive director of the Community Security Initiative and former director of NYPD intelligence analysis, is Mamdani’s vow to cut the police department’s Strategic Response Group,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Leaving a void:“SRG is what essentially stands in between ‘Free Palestine’ protesters and the Jewish community,” Silber told JI on Thursday. Disbanding SRG “will diminish public security and security for the Jewish community,” said Silber. Mamdani pledged he would disband the force as mayor in December 2024, saying it had “cost taxpayers millions in lawsuit settlements and brutalized countless New Yorkers exercising their first amendment rights.” SRG was created after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks so that New York City could be prepared in the event of similar multi-site attacks. “There’s no way CSI could replicate that,” Silber said.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google ABRAHAMIC ALLY Kazakhstan set to join Abraham Accords ahead of Syrian, Saudi leaders’ visits to Washington Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev speaks alongside Kyrgyzstans President Sadyr Japarov, left, and Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a dinner with leaders from countries in Central Asia and President Donald Trump, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Kazakhstan, which has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992, will join the Abraham Accords, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday. The announcement, made during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayevs visit to the White House, came shortly before a planned visit to Washington by Syrian President Ahmad a-Sharaa on Monday, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Nov. 18,Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov and Danielle Cohen-Kanik report.

Announcement:In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had held a call between Tokayev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he will “soon announce a Signing Ceremony to make it official, and there are many more Countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH.” The Kazakh Embassy in Washingtoncharacterizedthe meeting as a discussion of “strengthening the Enhanced Strategic Partnership” between the countries. As of Friday morning, Israel had not issued any official statement on the announcement.

Read the full story here.

Military matters:The Trump administration is weighing a multibillion-dollar sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a potential major policy shift that has stirred debate over the military balance in the region and Washingtons commitment to preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge,”Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOWING OUT Nancy Pelosi ends storied career in Congress, remembered as longtime ally of Jewish community US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, attends a press conference with US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2025. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced on Thursday that she would not seek reelection, ending a nearly 40-year career in Congress and earning plaudits across a wide spectrum of Jewish voices, from J Street to AIPAC and many in the San Francisco Jewish community who have worked with her since the 1980s. Pelosi, who is 85, rose to become the first and only female speaker of the House, a position she held from 2007-2011 and again from 2019-2023, when she presided over a divided caucus and a resurgent far-left flank of the party. Pelosi was known for keeping tight control over congressional Democrats and squashing intra-party squabbles,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Support for Israel:“In my view, she was able to keep a pro-Israel consensus in the caucus, but it certainly came at a time when there was more angst around the issue,” said Tyler Gregory, CEO of the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council. “While we havent always seen eye-to-eye with her on specific policies, shes always been pro-Israel, and I dont think anyone can question that.” Marshall Wittmann, an AIPAC spokesperson, said that during her tenure as speaker, Pelosi “helped ensure that Israel had the resources to defend itself, which advances American interests and values.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads The GOP Battle Over Bigotry:Author Jamie Kirchick argues inThe Washington Postthat the fight on the right over Tucker Carlson is a microcosm of deeper moral and ideological fault lines in the GOP. “Carlson’s promotion of [neo-Nazi Nick] Fuentes was a signal moment in the former Fox News star’s moral atrophy. It also has forced an overdue reckoning on the American right. For far too long, the problem of antisemitism has been allowed to fester there because too many conservatives have been reluctant to speak out against its chief propagator … Stalinists and Holocaust deniers like Fuentes are perfectly entitled to spew their nonsense on street corners, through self-published manifestos or in online livestreams. What they are not entitled to is the imprimatur of purportedly respectable institutions whose reputations hinge upon the voices they choose to amplify.”[WashPost]

Teshuvaat Heritage:William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, calls on the Heritage Foundation, a place he called a “second home,” to engage in “repentance” in theWashington Times.“Heritage’s decision to defend Mr. Carlson marks a dangerous turning point. An organization that once modeled moral seriousness now tolerates moral confusion. The one that built its reputation on defending Western civilization now aligns itself with those who undermine it. … It pains me to say it, but a relationship that began for me over four decades ago now stands on the edge of breaking. If Heritage cannot right its ship, that long relationship will end. Institutions that trade moral clarity for populist rage do not endure. … Mr. Roberts and Heritage must decide whether they still believe in moral clarity. They can stand for decency, admit error and reaffirm that antisemitism never belongs in conservative thought. Or they can let their silence define them as collaborators in decline.”[WashingtonTimes]

The Mamdani Doctrine:Zineb Riboua, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, writes inThe Free Pressabout New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s worldview. “I grew up amid the lingering echoes of decolonization, which continue to mold perceptions of justice and power, albeit less overtly than in the West. From high school onward, Third World rhetoric permeated everyday discourse on climate change, Palestine, or inequality. The issues evolve, but the lens persists — a moral binary logic that divides the powerful from the powerless. … What Mamdani represents is not a new movement but a continuation of this sensibility. His stances on housing, policing, and Palestine project global anti-imperial archetypes onto contemporary New York City politics. The landlord morphs into the colonizer, the tenant into the colonized. The New York City Police Department becomes the occupier. The city’s streets serve as metaphorical battlegrounds in the decolonization process. Mamdani’s movement transcends socialism, unmoored from class or ownership, and eludes Islamism, unbound by theocratic aims. Here, Islam serves as an emblem of subjugation with universal resonance, a faith recast as resistance against Western dominance.”[FreePress]





Word on the Street Pennsylvania Gov.Josh Shapiro, in aninterviewwithSemafor, revealed he had a “healthy dialogue” with New York City Mayor-electZohran Mamdaniin the wake of Mamdani’s win where the two “agreed to disagree” on some issues. Shapiro also commented on the ongoing “conservative infighting over antisemitism”: “I don’t share a lot in common ideologically or on the issues with Sen. [Ted] Cruz,” but Cruz “did the right thing by speaking out against [Nick] Fuentes and [Tucker] Carlson and the Heritage Foundation and others”

In anotherinterviewwithPuck,Shapirocommented on the shifting opinions on Israel in the Democratic Party: “I don’t pay attention to shifting political winds. I try and do what I think is right, and say what I believe. … I believe in Israel, but I don’t like the direction that it’s going under Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership”

Two top advisors toMamdani,Ali NajmiandElle Bisgaard-Church, attended a Somos reception in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Thursday hosted by theJewish Community Relations CouncilandUJA-Federation of New York. “We are here to represent the transition with the Jewish community, and we’re so happy to be here,”Najmi, aMamdaniconfidante who serves as chief counsel to the mayor-elect’s transition team, told JI’s Matthew Kassel. “We see so many good friends and old friends, and we’re so looking forward to our new friends, and the food was great here”…

Spotted at the JCRC-UJA Federation event: Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), Brad Lander, Alex Bores, Lincoln Restler, Kalman Yeger, Mark Treyger, Micah Lasher, Michael Miller, Leon Goldenberg, Josh Mehlman, Sara Forman, Jason Koppel, Yeruchim Silber, Menashe Shapiro, Joel Eisdorfer, Jacob Eisdorfer, Daniel Rosenthal, Hindy Poupko, Mercedes Narcisse, Sandy Nurse, Eddie Gibbs, Thomas DiNapoli, Noam Gilboord…

Federal prosecutors areconductinga corruption investigation into a foreign trip taken by Washington, D.C., MayorMuriel E. Bowserwith members of her staff that was paid for byQatar,The New York Timesreports…

A new course on “Gender, Reproduction, and Genocide” in Gaza wasintroducedatPrinceton University, taught by a scholar who was briefly arrested for incitement while teaching at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for her inflammatory rhetoric about Israel, which has included calling for the end of the Jewish state…

TheIsraeli governmenthas hired firms to conduct public diplomacy campaigns, including outreach to evangelical Christians and boosting search results on AI services like ChatGPT,Haaretzreports. The firms and experts hired seem to indicate a focus on amplifying pro-Israel messages among the American right…

TheSenate Judiciary Committeeunanimously voted on Thursday to advance legislation eliminating loopholes used by museums and other stakeholders to continue possessing Nazi-looted artwork that Jewish families have been trying to recover since the end of World War II. Sens.Dick Durbin(D-IL) andLindsey Graham(R-SC) asked during the vote that their names be added as co-sponsors to the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, led by Sens.John Cornyn(R-TX) andRichard Blumenthal(D-CT)

Sen.John Kennedy(R-LA)introducedthe Ideologically Motivated Violence Accountability Act, which would provide sentencing enhancements for crimes committed wholly or in part because of the victim’s actual or perceived political or religious beliefs, affiliation, expression, or activity” or to “make a public statement concerning any political or religious belief, practice, institution, group, ideology, event or public figure”

Rep.Raja Krishnamoorthi(D-IL), a Senate candidate, and Del.James Moylan(R-Guam)introduced a billrequiring a “whole-of-government strategy to interrupt cooperation among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea”

Israeli Strategic Affairs MinisterRon Dermerisexpectedto step down from his position next week, with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.Yechiel Leitertaking over some of his responsibilities regarding ties with the Trump administration…

TheTreasury Departmentannouncedsanctions today against members ofHezbollah’s “finance team” who “oversee the movement of funds from Iran” in an effort to support the Lebanese government’s moves to disarm the terror group…

TheUniversity of Maryland,College Park student governmentunanimously passed two resolutions hostile towards Israel on Wednesday night, including one that called for the school to ban members of theIsrael Defense Forcesfrom speaking on campus,Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports

Pope Leo XIVmet withPalestinian Authority PresidentMahmoud Abbason Thursday at the Vatican and the two discussed “an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-State solution,” according to a statement by the Holy See…

A covert operation reportedly carried out byQatarsought to find evidence tying the woman who made sexual abuse allegations againstKarim Khan, prosecutor of theInternational Criminal Court, to Israel; according to documentsobtainedbyThe Guardian, no such connection was found…

Two 19-year-olds from Montclair, N.J., werearrestedon Tuesday on accusations of participating in anISIS-inspired terror group, with one allegedly planning a Boston-bombing-style attack…

French policearrestedfour protesters who repeatedly disrupted anIsrael Philharmonic Orchestraconcert in Paris on Thursday…

British authoritiesarrested11 people amid protests surrounding Wednesday’s highlypoliticizedsoccer match betweenAston VillaandMaccabi Tel Avivin Birmingham, after police banned Maccabi fans from attending the game. Aston Villa won 2-0…

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Courtsentenceda 70-year-oldIranian American Jewish manfrom New York to two years in prison for traveling to Israel 13 years ago to celebrate his son’s bar mitzvah…

Former Vice PresidentMike Penceannouncedhis forthcoming book,What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience, will be released June 2, 2026…

Ye, formerly Kanye West,met withRabbiYoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, an influential Orthodox rabbi who serves as the chief rabbi of Morocco, to apologize for his repeated extreme antisemitic remarks. “I feel really blessed to sit here and take accountability. I was dealing with various issues. I was dealing with bipolar also, so I would take the ideas I had and forget about the protection of the people around me and myself”

The Wall Street JournalinterviewsRuth Porat, the Jewish chief investment officer and president of Google and its parent company, Alphabet…

TheFinancial Timesdetailsthe unraveling of Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman’s ambitious megacity project, The Line, now with a significantly reduced vision, due to finance and physical constraints

Singaporeannouncedit will replace its fleet of Hermes 450 drones, used by the Singapore Air Force for 20 years, with the Hermes 900 model, produced by Israel’sElbit Systems.Singapore’s Foreign MinisterVivian Balakrishnanmetwith Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuand Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’arin separate meetings in Jerusalem on Thursday focused on boosting ties between the two countries…

FIFAannouncedthe creation of a FIFA Peace Prize which will “recognize exceptional actions for peace,” which it intends to present to its recipient, rumored to be PresidentDonald Trump, at the World Cup draw in Washington on Dec. 5…

Pic of the Day Danor Aharon Israeli American citizen Capt.Omer Neutrawas laid to rest this morning at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Tel Aviv after his body was returned to Israel from Gaza on Sunday. Neutra was killed and kidnapped in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. The 21-year-old Long Island native, an IDF tank commander, was among the first soldiers to respond to the attack, serving near the community of Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

Birthdays CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MARCH 31: Guy Raz, winner of Best Business Podcast award, attends the 5th Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio at the McCormick Convention Center on March 31, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images) Journalist and pioneering podcaster, he is the creator and host of How I Built This and Wisdom from the Top,Guy Razturns 50 on Sunday…

FRIDAY:Neuropsychiatrist, a 1944 graduate of Yeshivah of Flatbush and 2000 Nobel Prize laureate in medicine,Eric Kandelturns 96Former U.S. senator from Minnesota, he later served on the boards of AIPAC and JINSA,Rudy Boschwitzturns 95… MIT professor in electrical engineering and computer science,Barbara Liskovturns 86… Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, he was the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve System,Donald Kohnturns 83… University professor at Harvard, expert on Shakespeare, he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,Stephen Greenblattturns 82… Founding president of Santa Monica, Calif., synagogue, Kehilat Maarav, and senior partner in the West Los Angeles law firm of Selvin Weiner,Beryl Weinerturns 82… Past international president of the FJMC International (formerly the Federation of Jewish Mens Clubs),Thomas “Tom” Sudowturns 73… Entrepreneur, bar owner and television personality,Jonathan Jon PeterTaffer turns 71… Constituent affairs representative and community liaison for Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY),Laurie Tobias Cohen… Volunteer coordinator for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library,Marcy Meyers… President and CEO of the Boston-based Jewish Alliance for Law Social Action,Cindy Rowe… Funeral director at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz in Cleveland Heights, Ohio,Michael R. Holub… Director, writer and showrunner of the legal drama series “Suits,”Aaron Thomas Korshturns 59… Former professional racing driver, now CEO of McLaren Racing,Zakary Challen Brownturns 54… Chairman and CEO of luxury apparel company Canada Goose,Dani Reissturns 52… European casino owner, art collector and CEO of Vestar Group,Leon Tsoukernikturns 52… Deputy mayor of Jerusalem,Aryeh Yitzhak Kingturns 52… Founder and director of Eden Village Camp, an environmental Jewish summer camp based in New York,Yoni Stadlin… and his twin brother, rabbi, wilderness guide, experiential educator and artist,Pesach Stadlin, both turn 47… EVP of communications at NBC Universal,Jennifer B. Friedman… Reporter forSporticofocused on the business of college sports,Daniel Libit… Baseball outfielder, he won two minor league batting titles,Brian Horwitzturns 43… Consultant for family foundations, he holds two graduate degrees in Nursing,Avi Zenilman… Northeast regional deputy director at AIPAC,Alexa Jordan Silverman… National political reporter atPolitico,Elena Schneider… Founder and CEO emeritus at Swipe Out Hunger,Rachel Sumekh… Toronto-native, he is the founder and CEO of Count Me In, a global youth empowerment organization,Shane Feldman… Co-founder and CEO at Moneta Labs Limited,Tomer Aharonovitch…

SATURDAY: U.S. attorney for New Jersey, then a U.S. District Court judge, now a criminal defense attorney, Herbert Jay Stern turns 89… Actress, comedian and writer, she played the recurring role of Doris Klompus on “Seinfeld,” her solo theater shows include Yenta Unplugged and The Yenta Cometh, Annie Korzen turns 87… French heiress, pediatrician, businesswoman and philanthropist, Léone-Noëlle Meyer turns 86… Former CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, he was a senior White House aide to President Bill Clinton, Ira C. Magaziner turns 78… Leader of the Sephardic baal teshuva movement in Israel, Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak turns 72… Senior managing director and global head of government relations for Blackstone, Wayne Berman turns 69… COO at Forsight, Michael Sosebee… Emirati businessman, developer of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall, Mohamed Alabbar turns 69… Health-care executive, venture capitalist and real estate developer, Daniel E. Straus turns 69… Financial consultant at Retirement Benefits Consulting, Michelle Feinberg Silverstein… Israels former minister of defense, Yoav Gallant turns 67…  Television producer, she is the co-author of Sheryl Sandbergs 2013 book Lean In, Helen Vivian Nell Scovell turns 65… NYC area attorney, Charles Chesky Wertman… Principal at Lore Strategies, Laurie Moskowitz… Popular Israeli female vocalist in the Mizrahi music genre, Zehava Ben turns 57… Board member at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Allison Gingold… Sports journalist for TelevisaUnivision Deportes Network, he was born in Ashkelon, Israel, and has covered both the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, David Moshé Faitelson turns 57… Professional poker player and fashion designer, Beth Shak turns 56… Founder of Ayecha, Yavilah McCoy turns 53… Congregational rabbi in Paris and co-leader of the Liberal Jewish Movement of France, Delphine Horvilleur turns 51… Kyiv-born CEO of Gold Star Financial Group including sports management, mortgage lending, publishing, film production and venture capital, Daniel Milstein turns 50… Israeli singer, Lior Narkis turns 49… Senior Director for Global Policy and Defense Cooperation at Saronic Technologies, Mira Kogen Resnick turns 43… Canadian entrepreneur and president of Shopify, Harley Finkelstein turns 42… Director of high school affairs at the American Jewish Committee, Aaron Bregman… Principal at Bayit Consulting, he is active in both the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Israel Policy Forum, Roei Eisenberg turns 38… Film and television actor, Jared Kusnitz turns 37Consultant on media, strategic communications, branding and podcast production, Alana Weiner… Student at Johns Hopkins University in the Class of 2026, Cameron Elizabeth Fields…

SUNDAY: Israeli novelist and playwright, she is the mother of former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid,Shulamit Lapidturns 91… British businessman and philanthropist, formerly chairman of Lloyds Bank, a major U.K. bank, SirMaurice Victor Blankturns 83… Professional baseball manager in the minor leagues and college, he managed Team Israel in 2016 and 2017,Jerry Weinsteinturns 82… Israeli war hero and longtime past member of the Knesset,Zevulun Orlevturns 80… Principal of Los Angeles-based PR and public affairs firm Cerrell Associates,Hal Dash… San Diego-based media developer,Daniel Ajzen… Mitchell Bedell…Founder of the Etz Chaim Center of Jewish Studies in Baltimore, RabbiShlomo Porterturns 76… Former deputy national security advisor for President Donald Trump,Charles Martin Kuppermanturns 75… Former U.S. senator (D-OH) and current candidate for the U.S. Senate,Sherrod Brownturns 73… Senior producer at NBC Nightly News,Joel Seidman… Political consultant and fundraiser, founder of No Labels,Nancy Jacobsonturns 63… Executive director of Los Angeles-based Remember Us: The Holocaust Bnai Mitzvah Project,Samara Hutman… Professor of journalism and media studies at Fordham University,Amy Beth Aronsonturns 63… Partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland Ellis,Douglas C. Gessner… Partner at Covington Burling specializing in export controls and sanctions, he was previously the assistant secretary of commerce for export administration during the Bush 43 administration,Peter Lichtenbaumturns 60… Chairman and CEO of Sky Harbour, he is an American-born Israeli fighter pilot and author of a 2018 book on the future of Judaism,Tal Keinanturns 56… Grammy Award-winning record producer specializing in comedy,Dan Schlisselturns 55… Founding CEO of OneTable, she retired as CEO in 2024,Aliza Kline… Associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court since 2015, despite being legally blind since birth as a result of retinitis pigmentosa,Richard H. Bernsteinturns 51… Israeli singer and actress,Maya Bouskillaturns 48… Co-founder and executive director of the States Project, he was elected the youngest member of the New York state Senate in 2008, serving until 2017,Daniel Squadronturns 46… COO at Orchestra, a PR and communications firm,David Levine… Singer, songwriter and rapper,Ari Benjamin Lesserturns 39… Army JAG officer, Matthew Adam McCoy

]]> 94202 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-lankford-to-ji-limit-turkey-qatar-influence-in-gaza/ Thu, 06 Nov 2025 13:45:35 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=94084 ]]> Good Thursday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to New York Democratic officials and Jewish community leaders about the main threats that a Mamdani administration could pose to Jewish life in the city, and report on Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts’ apology for his controversial video defending Tucker Carlson after Carlson hosted a friendly interview with neo-Nazi leader Nick Fuentes. We also talk to key players in the two-year-long advocacy campaign for the release of the hostages about the days leading up to the return of all the living hostages from Gaza, and interview Sen. James Lankford about key policy issues, including next steps in Gaza. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Elliot Brandt, Yair Lapid and Ambassador Amy Gutmann.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderIsrael Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate (formerly the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism) is hosting its second Sports Leaders Convening at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts today. The full-day event will feature Robert Kraft, the organization’s CEO and owner of the New England Patriots; Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee; Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League; Adam Lehman, CEO of Hillel International; Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network; and leaders from major sports leagues. The 2025 Somos Conference, drawing New York Democrats to gather in Puerto Rico, continues today. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is expected to attend, beginning his visit tonight with a cocktail reception hosted by New York Attorney General Letita James. JI correspondent Matthew Kassel is at the conference — send any New York political tips his way.  This morning, the Senate Armed Services Committee is holding a nomination hearing for Alex Velez-Green to be deputy under secretary of defense for policy, coming days after committee lawmakers blasted the Pentagon office and its head, Elbridge Colby, during a contentious hearing for failing to communicate with them.  The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, a bill aimed at eliminating loopholes used by museums to possess Nazi-looted artwork that Jewish families have been trying to recover. The Edlavitch Jewish Community Center in Washington is beginning a run today screening the movie “The Floaters.” Read JI’s coverage of how the movie came together here. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar and matthew shea In addition to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s race,we’ve been spotlighting two other mayoral contests where socialist, anti-Israel candidates were running competitively against more traditionally liberal standard-bearers: in Minneapolis and Seattle.

If Mamdani’s bare 50% majority in the three-way racesignaled that a far-left candidate could prevail in a deep-blue city — even while dividing the Democratic Party — the underperformance of the two other far-left challengers on big-city ballots underscores the limited appetite even deep-blue constituencies have for radical politics.

In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey won reelectionto a third term over Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated state Sen. Omar Fateh. The race was close: While Frey held a substantial 10-point lead in the first round of balloting, he narrowly secured a victory by six points (50-44%) in the second round of the city’s ranked-choice election system.

Fateh formed an alliance with two other left-wing candidatesin the race, but ultimately enough people who didn’t back Frey in the first round chose him as a second or third preference.

Fateh, a progressive affiliated with the DSA, has accused Israel of committing genocide, among other anti-Israel views, and campaigned with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who remains one of Israel’s harshest critics in Congress.

Members of Fateh’s staff had alsoexpressedhostile views towards Israel; his communications manager, Ayana Smith-Kooiman, said in a series of now-deleted social media posts that Israel does not have a ‘right’ to exist” and “must be dismantled,” and said she did not care about Hamas a month after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks — statements that drewrebukefrom Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

The outcome is also looking favorable for the more-moderate incumbent in Seattle— though far from certain. Mayor Bruce Harrell, who trailed his socialist challenger Katie Wilson during the summer primary, is now leading her in the general electionby eight points, 54-46%, with more than three-quarters of votes tallied.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.



COMMUNITY CONCERNS What New York City Jewish leaders are most worried about in a Mamdani mayoralty New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) New Yorkers elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday as the next New York City mayor, ensuring the city will be headed in a leftward ideological direction for the next four years. Mamdani’s election has also sparked widespread concerns in the city’s Jewish community about how the incoming mayor, who refused to condemn “globalize the intifada” rhetoric or acknowledge the State of Israel as a Jewish homeland, would impact the day-to-day life of Jewish New Yorkers.Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen askedsenior New York Democratic officials and Jewish community leaders — granted anonymity to offer their candid thoughts — to discuss the top threats that a Mamdani administration could pose to Jewish life in the city.

Chief concerns:Respondents expressed worry that Mamdani’s anti-Israel worldview could lead to heightened antisemitism, bring a vanguard of leftist operatives hostile to Jewish concerns into City Hall, impact the effectiveness of the New York Police Department and fraytiesbetween the city and Israeli institutions or businesses. He has evenvowedto arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city, though experts have voiced doubt on the legality of the move.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google FACING THE MUSIC Heritage’s Roberts apologizes for Carlson video, but leaves plans going forward vague Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts in Washington, D.C. on October 19, 2022. (TOM WILLIAMS/CQ-ROLL CALL, INC VIA GETTY IMAGES) Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts apologized in a staff meeting on Wednesday for his video last week defending Tucker Carlson and refusing to “cancel” neo-Nazi leader Nick Fuentes, saying that the video was the result of internal failures of communication and consultation that left too few people involved in its production,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Roberts and other Heritage leaders also repeatedly made reference to a plan under development for how Heritage will approach its relationship with Carlson going forward, amid strong pressure from numerous staff members to forcefully disavow the right-wing podcast host and his activities, but provided little clarity about what that approach will entail and sidestepped the full-throated denunciation of Carlson that several Heritage staffers sought.

Notable quotable:“About ‘no cancelation,’ is there a limiting principle to that? I should have said that there was, especially in light of Tucker hosting not just Fuentes, but a handful of other people,” Roberts said. “You can say you’re not going to participate in canceling someone —a personal friend, an institutional friend — while also being clear you’re not endorsing everything they’ve said. You’re not endorsing softball interviews. Youre not endorsing putting people on shows. And I should have made that clear.”

Read the full story here.

Update:In a newpublic videoposted following the staff meeting, Roberts delivered a similar message, saying, everyone has the responsibility to speak up against the scourge of antisemitism, no matter the messenger. Heritage and I will do so, even when my friend Tucker Carlson needs challenging.”



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google THE INSIDE STORY The 36 hours in Washington that took hostage families from grief to gratitude When several dozen people gathered at the Kennedy Center for a yoga class overlooking the Potomac River on Oct. 8, the class began with a practice familiar to anyone who regularly does yoga: intention setting. Among those taking part in the class were former hostages and the family members of those still held in Gaza, all of whom had gathered at the same spot a day earlier for a somber event marking two years since the attacks that reshaped their lives. “What do you do in yoga? You set your intention. You think about the release of the hostages,” recalled Matan Sivek, who until last month was the director of the Hostage Families Forum’s U.S. operation. As soon as the class ended, a cacophony of cellphones began ringing as news broke about a possible deal. Sivek, and other key players in the campaign for the hostages,spoke withJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutchlast week to reflect on the two-year-long advocacy campaign — spearheaded by Sivek, his wife Bar Ben-Yaakov and leading Jewish organizations.

Behind the scenes:Within the Trump administration, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was working behind the scenes on behalf of the hostages. His wife, Allison, was the driving force behind his advocacy. Allison Lutnick had gotten to know many of the families after a trip to Israel early last year, when she met the mother of Omer Shem Tov, a hostage who was freed in February. Allison then connected with Sivek when she moved to Washington this year, and soon after he facilitated a meeting between the Lutnicks and several freed hostages at the Lutnicks’ apartment in Miami. “We spent three three hours together in our apartment talking and sharing. They spoke of the horrors of what theyd been through and we spoke of the horrors of what we had been through 24 years earlier on 9/11,” Allison told JI on Wednesday.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google postwar policy Sen. Lankford: Turkey, Qatar should be limited in Gaza reconstruction roles Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on May 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) As the global community looks to advance the ceasefire plan in Gaza, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) emphasized the need for continued pressure from countries like Turkey and Qatar on Hamas to comply with the terms of the ceasefire requiring it to disarm,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. But he also warned that there should be limits on the ways in which Turkey and Qatar are involved in the future of Gaza, arguing that they should have no role in certain sensitive areas, even as they remain involved in reconstruction work.

Looking ahead:Lankford said that ensuring that Hamas disarms, something it has thus far refused to do, will require military, diplomatic and financial pressure, particularly from countries like Turkey and Qatar that have been Hamas patrons. “If the Turks want contracts to be able to rebuild in Gaza, which they do, then thats not going to happen until Hamas is actually disarmed, so Turkeys got to decide, ‘Do you want those contracts to be able to rebuild or not?’ If they do, then heres what that requirement is going to be,” Lankford said. Turkey and Qatar’s roles in the future of Gaza should be limited to certain sectors, Lankford added, given the countries’ hostility to Israel and support for Hamas. He said he’s comfortable seeing Ankara assist with reconstruction, but it should not be involved in running hospitals, schools or mosques or in rebuilding the economy.

Read the full interview here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google TRIP TALK AIPAC brings delegation of major donors to Taiwan, Japan, South Korea Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te meets with AIPAC leadership, including CEO Elliot Brandt and Board Chair Michael Tuchin, in Taipei on Oct. 28, 2025. (President Lai Ching-te/X) A delegation organized by AIPAC recently completed a nine-day visit to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea,Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik has learned, as the pro-Israel lobbying group seeks to promote ties with Israel among key U.S. allies. Over 200 of AIPAC’s largest donors as well as its CEO, Elliot Brandt; board chair, Michael Tuchin; board president, Bernie Kaminetsky; and top professional staff traveled to the region from Oct. 22-30, according to a participant with knowledge of the trip’s background.

Boosting ties:Though Israel already has warm relations with all three countries, as both Israel and the U.S. look to increase ties in the Indo-Pacific region, the trip was meant to highlight the Jewish state’s relevance in its defense prowess, relationship to the U.S., shared democratic values, growing relations to the Gulf states — which have historically provided the Asian nations with much of their oil and gas — and acumen in the technology and business sectors, the participant said. The large group met with high-level leadership in each country, including theTaiwanese president, vice president andsecretary-generalof its National Security Council, Korean ministers and a Japanese senior diplomat.

Read the full story here.

New in town:Israeli chef Eyal Shaniteasedthe imminent opening of a new branch of his Miznon restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, in an Instagram post yesterday.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BOMBSHELL ANNOUNCEMENT Israel’s Yesh Atid party drops out of World Zionist Organization, calling it ‘corrupt’ (Screenshot) Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader, said on Wednesday that he was pulling his centrist Yesh Atid party out of the World Zionist Organization and called for the “immediate nationalization” of the Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel-Jewish National Fund, which controls more than 10% of the land of Israel, describing the so-called “National Institutions” as hopelessly corrupt,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports.

Background:The announcement comes as the World Zionist Congresswas nearinga power-sharing agreement that would have seen Yesh Atid split control of the WZO and KKL-JNF over the next five-year term. An initial arrangement was tentatively approved last week, but it fell apart after Culture Minister Miki Zohar of the Likud party, who negotiated on behalf of the center-right bloc, announced that he planned to name Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s divisive son, Yair, to a senior position within the WZO. A new deal was approaching completion, but Lapid’s decision to abandon the organization throws the negotiation process back into turmoil, with no clear path forward.

Read the full story hereandsign up for eJewishPhilanthropy’s Your Daily Phil newsletter here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Steer Clear of Mamdani:The center-left Democratic Party think tank Third Way urged national Democrats “to resist the pressure to align” with the politics and agenda of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, offering 10 reasons why doing so “will fail in tough races.” “The DSA platform is extreme and is a Republican ad maker’s dream: Just a glance at the DSA platform makes clear how politically toxic it would be to any voter not deeply in the sway of socialist ideology. … Indeed, the Mayor-elect’s affiliation with the DSA is already being weaponized against his fellow Democrats, as Republicans have declared him to be their ‘single most effective foil’ as they seek to paint Democrats across the country as radicals. … Mainstream Democrats ran authentic campaigns and won big without being socialists: Two moderate Democrats, Abigail Spanberger (VA) and Mikie Sherrill (NJ) delivered historic victories in key gubernatorial races, with Spanberger flipping Virginia from red to blue. … While they shared Mamdani’s focus on addressing affordability, both Spanberger and Sherrill did so with ideas and narratives drawn from the center left, not the far left.”[ThirdWay]

The Fuentes Feud:The New York Times’ Ross Douthat argues that the older generation of conservatives have a role to play in constraining the younger, “groyper” antisemitic strain on the right. “Whatever share of Capitol Hill interns or think tank employees are actually Fuentes sympathizers, this is the scenario the institutional right needs to avoid right now: preventing radicalized junior staffers from steamrolling or puppeteering nominal superiors. But this isn’t just a matter of imposing discipline; the older generation also has to understand where the radical ideas are coming from, the true shape of the debate. You aren’t going to out-debate Fuentes himself — that’s not the business he’s in — but you still want to understand the chain of ideas that draws younger right-wingers toward antisemitism, and offer adult wisdom that’s responsive to its pull.”[NYTimes]

Kippah Quandary:Tevi Troy, a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, writes inThe Wall Street Journalabout his decision to hide his kippah under a hat in anticipation of Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral race. “The reason openly identifiable Jews can walk around safely wearing religious garb is the social compact. There is an understanding that people will behave appropriately and that there are consequences for misbehavior. One reason for the spate of attacks on religious Jews in New York in recent years has been the belief that antisemitic assaults won’t be punished. … My fear is that Mayor Mamdani will encourage even more impunity. His antipathy to Israel, and his tacit support for ‘globalizing the intifada,’ may send a signal to the New York City Police Department that protecting Jews won’t be a priority for the city. That in turn could send another signal to people on the streets of New York — that it is open season on Jews.”[WSJ]







Word on the Street New York City Mayor-electZohran Mamdaninamedhis transition team on Wednesday, an all-female group of advisors with experience in city government but lacking backgrounds in education and public safety, as has historically been included in mayors’ transition teams…

Robert Tucker, the Jewish commissioner of theNew York City Fire Department, resigned,The New York Postreports, hours before he was set to fly to Israel to meet his counterpart there…

The Wall Street Journalconsidersthe economics behindMamdani’s largest campaign promises, including a state corporate tax hike, a “millionaires tax,” universal child care and rent stabilization…

The Times of Israel’s Editor-in-Chief David Horovitzrejectsthe argument thatMamdani’s victory is based on local issues and unconnected to his anti-Israel positions, describing it as “delusional”…

Rep.Jared Golden(D-ME)announcedon Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, citing the “increasing incivility and plain nastiness” in politics and rise of political violence. Golden is one of the few House Democrats to represent a district that President Donald Trump carried in the 2024 presidential election, and his district is now a prime GOP pickup opportunity…

Former Democratic National Committee Vice ChairMichael Blakeannounceda primary campaign against Rep.Ritchie Torres(D-NY), and plans to run as an anti-Israel Democrat…

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.Mike Waltzmet Tuesday withPalestinian diplomatsin New York to discuss a U.S.-sponsoredU.N. Security Councilresolution laying out an international security force to be deployed to Gaza,Axiosreports. The U.S. is reportedly looking to bring it to a vote at the UNSC within two weeks…

TheU.S.is seeking to strike a deal over dozens ofHamasterrorists “stuck” in tunnels on the Israeli side of the “yellow line” dividing Gaza, providing them safe passage to the Hamas-controlled side and amnesty in exchange for their disarmament,Axiosreports…

TheU.S.is preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus in order to advance a security agreement betweenSyriaandIsrael, sourcestoldReuters…

An event with IDF veterans hosted byStudents Supporting Israel at Toronto Metropolitan Universityyesterday wasstormedby anti-Israel protesters, causing one person to be injured. The university’s chapter ofStudents for Justice in Palestine (SJP)had publicized the event on social media, calling on its followers to demonstrate against it…

The body ofJoshua Loitu Mollel, a Tanzanian citizen and agronomy student who was killed and kidnapped in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, wasreturnedto Israel by Hamas last night…

Recently released hostageRom Braslavskisaidhe was sexually assaulted by his captors in Gaza, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 13 “Hazinor” program…

AnAfghan nationalwasarrestedinDenmarkon Wednesday on suspicion of promising to acquire weapons for an Iranian-backed attack on Jewish targets in Germany…

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund wasnamedon Monday as the presenting partner for the inauguralAmerica Business Forum, taking place now in Miami. PresidentDonald Trumpspoke at the event, which took place across the street from the future site of his presidential library, on Wednesday…

Saudi Arabiaisin talkswithSyriato build data cables to connect the Gulf state to Europe, according toSemafor…

Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr.Vivian Balakrishnanmetwith Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzogin Israel this week and discussed prospects for peace in the region. Balakrishnan also met with several Israeli lawmakers during his visit…

Kim Kardashian’sSKIMSfashion brandannouncedon Tuesday that it is entering the Israeli market through a partnership with the Ironi group, which owns Factory 54, and is set to open stores in Ramat Aviv Mall and Big Fashion Glilot,Israel Hayomreports…

Warner Bros. Discovery, under CEODavid Zaslav,aimsto decide by Christmas whether to sell the entire company or pursue a split.Paramount Skydance, according to NBC, has sent the WBD board multiple letters pressing for its $23.50 per share acquisition offer…

A Reddit rumor, flagged byPuck,claimsthatSaudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fundhas been planning to make a buyout offer for Warner Bros. to the tune of more than $70 billion…

Joel Pollak, formerlyBreitbart’s senior editor-at-large, has beenappointedas opinion editor ofThe New York Post’s new newspaper,The California Post…

IsraelsHapoel Tel Avivbasketball team isfacing offagainst theDubaiteam today in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Round 9 of the EuroCup

Pic of the Day (COURTESY) The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia last night honored Ambassador Amy Gutmann with the Only in America Award, lauding her “indelible contributions to our society.”

“She has been an outspoken advocate for Israel, and steadfast in her forceful opposition to antisemitism, hate, and discrimination in all its forms,” the museum said of the former ambassador to Germany and president emerita of the University of Pennsylvania.

Pictured from left: Weitzman Chair Emeritus Phil Darivoff, Weitzman Co-chairs Sharon Tobin Kestenbaum and Mark Oster, former Ambassador David L. Cohen, University of Pennsylvania President Dr. Larry Jameson, Gutmann, Weitzman Museum President and CEO Dan Tadmor, museum namesake Stuart Weitzman, NBC News Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, Chair of the Penn Board of Trustees Ramanan Raghavendran.

Birthdays Grand Breslev Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter visits at the Shiva of Rabbi Elazar Mordechai Koenig, in Tzfat on January 5, 2019. (Photo by David Cohen/Flash90) Leading teacher in the Breslov Hasidic movement in Israel, RabbiYaakov Meir Shechterturns 95…

Belgian theoretical physicist, a Holocaust survivor and 2013 Nobel Prize laureate,François Englertturns 93… Former president and CEO of American Jewish World Service until 2016, prior to that she served as the Manhattan borough president,Ruth Wyler Messingerturns 85… Former commissioner of the Social Security Administration until 2021,Andrew Saulturns 79… Former aide to President Bill Clinton and a longtime advisor to Hillary Clinton,Sidney Blumenthalturns 77… Research scientist at NYUs Langone Medical Center,Barbara Volskyturns 75… Senior chair of Sullivan Cromwell,Joseph C. Shenkerturns 69… Actress and cellist best known for her lead role in the 1984 film Footloose and the television series Fame,Lori Singer… and her twin brother, violinist, composer and conductor, he is the founder and music director of the Manhattan Symphonie,Gregory Singerboth turn 68… Managing director of the NFL Players Association for 15 years until he retired five months ago,Ira Fishmanturns 68… Editorial page editor and Op-Ed columnist for theLos Angeles Timesuntil 2023,Nicholas Goldbergturns 67… Professional poker player from Las Vegas, he has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets and his total tournament winnings exceed $45.5 million,Erik Seidelturns 66… Founder of Nourish Snacks, she is the host of NBCs Health Happiness and author of 15New York Timesbest-sellers,Joy Bauerturns 62… Philanthropist, she is the founder and chair of Emerson Collective and XQ Institute,Laurene Powell Jobsturns 62… Principal and COO at Douglass Winthrop Advisors,Andrew S. Weinberg… SVP of investments in the Beverly Hills office of Raymond James,Seth A. Radow… Chairman at IDTFS Bank in Gibraltar, he is a partner in Covenant Winery,Geoffrey Rochwargerturns 55… Executive at Elliott Management, podcast host and author ofStart-up NationandThe Genius of Israel,Dan Senorturns 54… Director of external affairs at the William Davidson Foundation,Kari Alterman… Film producer, together with her husband Robert Downey Jr.,Susan Nicole Levin Downeyturns 52… South Florida entrepreneur,Earl J. Campos-Devine… Head cantor of Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York City,Yaakov (Yanky) Lemmerturns 42… and his younger brother, the first Hasidic Jew to sign a contract with a leading record label,Shulem Lemmerturns 36… Producer on the Ben Shapiro Show,Jake Pollackturns 30… Former baseball outfielder in the Orioles and Angels systems, he played for Team Israel in 2012 and is now a manager of business development at Robson Forensic,Robert Eric Widlanskyturns 41…



]]> 94084 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-from-moynihan-to-mamdani/ Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:35:54 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=93955 ]]> Good Wednesday morning.

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we report on theAnti-Defamation League’s launch of a monitor to track the policies and hires of Mayor-electZohran Mamdaniin New York City, and have the scoop on a series of demands being made of theHeritage Foundationby the leaders of theNational Task Force to Combat Antisemitismfollowing Heritage’s pledge to stand byTucker Carlson. We report on Senate lawmakers’ criticisms of thePentagon’s policy office under the leadership ofElbridge Colby, and interviewNate Morris, who is vying for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Mitch McConnell, on the sidelines of the Republican Jewish Coalitions annual Las Vegas confab. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Jason Isaacman,Elizabeth Tsurkov, andIsrael “Izzy” Englander.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching In New York, former Israeli hostage Emily Damari will sit in conversation this evening with Noa Tishby at Temple Emanu-El. The Jewish Institute for National Security of America’s U.S.-Israel national security summit begins today in Aventura, Fla. On the heels of last night’s election, New York Democrats are heading to Puerto Rico today for the 2025 Somos Conference. Will you be there? JI’s Matthew Kassel will be covering the conference — say hello if you see him. The two-day SALT conference kicks off today in London. Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair and former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci are among the speakers at the fintech-focused summit. What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar Democrats scored sweeping victories across the country yesterday, with moderate lawmakers comfortably winning governorships in New Jersey and Virginia, while a democratic socialist prevailed in the closely watched New York City mayoral contest. California overwhelmingly voted to redistrict its congressional maps, a response to efforts in some red states to reconfigure congressional maps to give the GOP an edge.

The results underscore the widespread backlash to President Donald Trump’spolarizing governance in the first year of his second term in office, and indicate the likelihood that Democrats have momentum heading into next year’s midterm elections, where the party is looking to retake control of at least one branch of Congress.

In Virginia, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee, easily defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the sitting lieutenant governor, by a double-digit margin (57-43%), bringing in a sizable Democratic majority in the state’s House of Delegates. Her victory was so sweeping that the Democrats’ scandal-plagued attorney general nominee Jay Jones, who was under fire for texts he sent several years ago wishing political violence against GOP colleagues, narrowly prevailed over the Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican.

In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) comfortably prevailedover Republican Jack Ciattarelli, outperforming polls suggesting a close race. With most of the vote reporting, Sherrill leads by a whopping 13-point margin, 56-43%.In Bergen County, a bellwether county with a significant Jewish population, Sherrill won over 55% of the vote, a dominant performance illustrating the breadth of her support.

In New York City, DSA-aligned Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdaniprevailed over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, though by a narrower margin than polling suggested. Mamdani leads Cuomo by eight points, 50-42%, with Republican Curtis Sliwa only winning 7% of the vote. The outcome suggested that many GOP voters ended up switching their support to Cuomo, who won a last-minute endorsement from Trump.

The Jewish vote in New York City went heavily for Cuomo,60-31%,according to the exit polling, but Mamdani won nearly one-third support despite a long record of anti-Israel hostility and refusal to condemn “globalize the intifada” rhetoric, among other positions that alienated the mainstream Jewish community.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



SCOOP ADL launches a Mamdani monitor to track mayor-elect’s policies ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaks onstage ADLs Never Is Now at Javits Center on March 03, 2025 in New York City. (BRYAN BEDDER/GETTY IMAGES FOR ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE)

In the wake of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory on Tuesday, the Anti-Defamation League is launching the “Mamdani Monitor,” an initiative to track and monitor policies and personnel appointments of the incoming administration, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen has learned. The initiative will feature a tip line to report antisemitism as well as investment into researching policies, mayoral appointments and funding decisions coming from City Hall. 

How it will work: The ADL said it will draw from tip line reports to launch a public-facing tracker that monitors policies and other actions from the Mamdani administration that could impact Jewish safety and security — including education policy, budget priorities and security measures. The antisemitism watchdog plans to use the tracker’s findings to mobilize New Yorkers to respond to policies deemed threatening to the Jewish community. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told JI that the initiatives launch comes as Mamdani, throughout his campaign, “promoted antisemitic narratives, associated with individuals who have a history of antisemitism and demonstrated intense animosity toward the Jewish state that is counter to the views of the overwhelming majority of Jewish New Yorkers.”

Read the full story here. SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP Heritage-aligned antisemitism task force threatens to sever ties if reforms not enacted President of the Heritage Foundation Kevin Roberts speaks at the National Conservative Convention in Washington D.C., Sept. 2, 2025. (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) Less than a day after an antisemitism task force aligned with the Heritage Foundation pledged to stand by the embattled conservative organization, the group’s co-chairs are now demanding concrete reforms from Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts — and warning that they may cut off ties with Heritage if their requests are not met. In a Tuesday afternoon email to members of the conservative National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which wasviewed byJewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch, the task force co-chairs shared the text of an email they sent to Roberts earlier in the day.

What they said:They asked Roberts to remove the controversial video he posted to X last week defending firebrand commentator Tucker Carlson,in which Roberts allegedthat Carlson’s critics are part of a “venomous coalition” and that “their attempt to cancel him will fail.” The co-chairs wrote, “Many of us on the NTFCA are among those who believed you called us part of a ‘venomous coalition’ and implicitly questioned our loyalty to the United States. It makes collaboration with Heritage difficult for our members.” Roberts’ video came after Carlson faced criticism for hosting neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes on his podcast.

Read the full story here.

Sounding the alarm:House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) criticized Carlson’s platforming of Fuentes, adding his voice to the growing list of Republicans who have publicly admonished the former Fox host for mainstreaming the avowed antisemite,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google COLBY CONTENTION Senate lawmakers blast Elbridge Colby’s DoD policy office over strategy decisions Elbridge Colby, nominee to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, is seen ahead of his confirmation hearing at the Senate Committee on Armed Services in Washington, DC on March 4, 2025. (NATHAN POSNER/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES) Senate lawmakers from both parties on the Armed Services Committee excoriated the Department of Defense policy office run by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby at a Tuesday hearing. They criticized the office for a lack of communication with lawmakers as well as a series of controversial decisions seemingly at odds with White House policy,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Notable quotable:“It just seems like there’s this pigpen-like mess coming out of the policy shop that you don’t see from [other departments of the Pentagon]. Why do you think it is that there’s so many controversies emanating out of the policy shop and not these other offices in the department?” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said, “I’ve noticed an unsettling trend this year at times, that Pentagon officials have pursued policies that are not in accord with President Trump’s orders, or seem uncoordinated within the administration.”

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google KENTUCKY CONTEST Nate Morris seeks McConnell’s seat with populist, pro-Israel message Lexington tech entrepreneur Nate Morris speaks at the annual Fancy Farm picnic, Aug. 2, 2025, in Fancy Farm, Ky. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) As the GOP uneasily contends with rising hostility to Israel among younger right-wing voters, Nate Morris, a 45-year-old Republican Senate candidate in Kentucky who is courting the populist right with an anti-establishment message, emphasizes there is at least one long-standing party axiom he will never abandon: unwavering support for the Jewish state. In aninterview withJewish Insider’s Matthew Kassellast Friday, Morris, the wealthy founder of a successful waste management company who calls himself a “Trump America-First conservative,” said his commitment to upholding a strong U.S.-Israel alliance extends from his alignment with President Donald Trump’s vision for the Middle East.

Views on Israel:“I think he’s been the most pro-Israel president we’ve had in our country’s history, and I want to continue that kind of leadership on the issue in the United States Senate, on behalf of Kentucky and the country,” Morris told JI during the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual summit in Las Vegas, where he met privately with members to pitch his campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). But Morris also cited a more personal reason for what he described as his unequivocally pro-Israel worldview, explaining that, as a “proud” evangelical Christian, he has “always believed Israel is the land that was given to the Jews by God.”

Read the full interview here.

Bonus:In his interview with JI, Morris noted that Zach Witkoff, the son of Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently hosted an event for his Senate campaign, where Morris got the chance to “hear firsthand a lot of the inside details” about how the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas “came together.” Trump’s approach “shows that when you have outsiders and business people negotiating, you can get great outcomes,” Morris added.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google IN MEMORIAM VP Dick Cheney remembered as friend of Israel, strong voice on national security issues Former Vice President Dick Cheney attends a primary election night gathering for his daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Aug. 16, 2022, in Jackson, Wyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died Monday, was remembered by former officials and pro-Israel leaders as a supporter of the Jewish state and a strong voice on U.S. national security issues throughout his time in public service,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What they’re saying:“He was always a big supporter of Israel while he was in the Bush administration but also before, as a congressman and as defense secretary in the first Bush years,” Tevi Troy, a presidential historian who served in the George W. Bush White House, told JI. Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said that like other Republicans of his generation, Cheney’s support for Israel deepened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, as the U.S. and Israel faced a shared threat.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google EYE ON OSLO Norwegian government puts sovereign wealth fund’s ethics council on hold Norways Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg gives a report on the Government Pension Fund of Norway at the Parliament, on October 23, 2025 in Oslo. (STIAN LYSBERG SOLUM/NTB/AFP via Getty Images) The Norwegian Legislature voted this week to place the ethics council of Norges, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, on hold, according to Norwegian media, a move that could delay or signal a change in course for expected anti-Israel moves and other ESG policies by Norges,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The latest:The ruling Labour Party partnered with conservative parties to pass the legislation placing Norges’ ethics council —which advises on divestment from certain companies — on hold until new ethics guidelines are instituted. Anti-Israel activists and left-wing lawmakers aligned with them protested against the move, according to local media reports, and condemned the decision.

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Mamdani and the Machers:The New York Times’ Nicholas Fandos reports on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s meetings with high-profile figures, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg as he looked to shore up support in the weeks prior to his election. “The [NYPD chief] appointment would be one of the most significant he would make, and Mr. Mamdani needed to know he would have a partner to implement a series of progressive reforms he had pitched for the Police Department. Ultimately, both Ms. Hochul and Mr. Mamdani came around. … Mr. Bloomberg had privately told associates over the summer he was done with Mr. Cuomo after spending more than $8 million to back him in the primary. Mr. Mamdani left the meeting thinking he had done enough to keep it that way. He was wrong. Angry over Mr. Mamdani’s comments on Israel and worried about his inexperience, Mr. Bloomberg ultimately sent $5 million to two super PACs attacking Mr. Mamdani and re-upped his endorsement of Mr. Cuomo — but did so only six days before Election Day.”[NYTimes]

No to the Groypers:InThe Wall Street Journal, Ben Shapiro argues that the conservative movement in the U.S. is “at a crossroads” amid an ideological split within the Republican Party over its embrace of Tucker Carlson and platforming of Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. “The Republican Party, like the Democratic Party before it, is at risk of being eaten alive by fringe actors. To allow it is both morally unjustifiable and politically obtuse. Americans reject this garbage. If Republicans cower before Nazi apologists and their popularizers, the GOP will lose — and deserve to. Our answer must be no. No to the groypers and their publicists like Mr. Carlson. No to demoralization. No to bigotry and antimeritocratic nonsense. No to anti-Americanism. This is our country, our party and our conservative movement. We can’t stand by while it is fractured by those who betray our most fundamental principles. If we lose the right, then we will surely lose to the left — and either way, we will lose our country.”[WSJ]

If Rabin Were Alive…:InThe Atlantic, Dennis Ross, who worked closely with former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin while serving as the White House’s chief Middle East negotiator during the mid-1990s, considers how Rabin might have approached some of the country’s current challenges. “Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack and Israel’s devastating campaign in Gaza have produced a mutual animosity that won’t soon disappear. But a more promising factor has also emerged: Arab states finally seem ready to assume some responsibility for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. … If Rabin were alive, he would spot this strategic opening and try to seize it. He would see in Trump’s 20-point peace plan an opportunity to rebuild a better Gaza and create a coalition with Arab states to oppose Iran and extremist forces in the region. Rabin would understand that Israel has to make some concessions to Palestinians in order to enhance the prospects of a regional coalition. But he would also require Palestinians to do their part by ensuring security and reforming the Palestinian Authority.”[TheAtlantic]

ABCs of Gaza Aid:InThe Washington Post, Stony Brook University professor Todd Pittinsky calls for conditioning reconstruction aid to Gaza on education reforms in the enclave. “Every generation in Gaza grows up memorizing the language of martyrdom. Schools, summer camps, mosques and media channels work in concert to instill an uncompromising worldview: violence is virtuous, compromise is weakness and the annihilation of Israel is a sacred duty. Hamas’s rockets are the visible expression of decades of indoctrination of the next generation. Gaza’s children are the victims of this violent ideology. Few parents in London, Paris or Washington would tolerate their child being taught that violence is noble or that neighbors are subhuman. Yet the international community has subsidized precisely that curriculum for Palestinian children — and then has acted shocked when violence perpetuates itself. It’s time for that to end.”[WashPost]





Word on the Street PresidentDonald TrumprenominatedJared Isaacmanto be NASA director, six months after pulling theElon Musk ally’s initial nomination amid a spat with Musk…

TheWhite Houseisseekinga full repeal of existing sanctions on Syria ahead of PresidentAhmad Al-Sharaa’s meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday…

ThePentagonisadvancingits consideration of a request fromSaudi Arabiato purchase up to four dozen F-35 fighter jets; at a Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Israeli Security Cabinet memberAvi DichtersaidIsraelis having discussions in Washington in which it is “shedding light on the threats” of the potential sale…

Rep.Ayanna Pressley(D-MA) ismullinga challenge to Sen.Ed Markey(D-MA); if she enters the race, Pressley will also face Rep.Seth Moulton(D-MA), who announced his bid for the seat last month…

TheJustice Departmentendedits antitrust investigation intoAssaf Rappaport’sWiz, clearing a key hurdle inGoogle’s effort to purchase the cybersecurity company for $32 billion…

Millennium ManagementCEOIsrael “Izzy” Englandersoldroughly 15% —valued at $2 billion —of his stake in the company the 77-year-old founded in 1989…

The Telegraphreports ona leakedBBCmemo regarding the findings of an internal investigation byMichael Prescott, who until June was an independent external advisor for the network; Prescott’s 19-page report found “systemic problems” in BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, which he said “pushed Hamas lies” and “minimised Israeli suffering”

The New York TimesinterviewsIsraeli-Russian researcherElizabeth Tsurkovabout the torture and solitary confinement she endured over the two and a half years she was a hostage of the Iran-backedKataib Hezbollahgroup in Iraq…

TheU.N. Security Councilvotedto approve a resolution backingMorocco’s claim to theWestern Sahara; the U.S., which led the measure, and 10 other countries voted in favor, while Russia, China and Pakistan abstained and Algeria voted no…

Israelreceivedthe remains of Staff Sgt.Itay Chen, the last remaining American hostage, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, while stationed along the Gaza border…

TheKnessetismoving forwardwith legislation that would increase government oversight of the country’s media outlets…

Iranfreedtwo French nationalswho had been imprisoned in the country for more than three years; the couple had faced decades in prison after being convicted of espionage…

International Atomic Energy AgencyheadRafael GrossisaidthatIranmust “seriously improve” its cooperation with nuclear inspectors, who have not been permitted to access the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities that were damaged during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June…

Stanley Chesley, a class-action lawyer and philanthropist who prioritized Jewish causes and projects in his hometown of Cincinnati, died at 89,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports…

Pic of the Day (AJC) Julie Fishman Rayman (right), the American Jewish Committee’s senior vice president of policy and political affairs, interviewed the Department of Justice’s Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the Civil Rights Division, on Tuesday at AJC’s National Leadership Council Advocacy Fly-In in Washington.

Birthdays (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Israeli singer and survivor of the Nova Music Festival, she won second place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025,Yuval Raphaelturns 25…

Singer, poet and actor, best known as part of the duo Simon Garfunkel,Art Garfunkelturns 84… Co-founder and chairman of Rexford Industrial Realty,Richard Zimanturns 83… Television and film critic,Jeffrey Lyonsturns 81… French public intellectual, media personality and author,Bernard-Henri Lévyturns 77… Economist and former director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University where he remains a University Professor,Jeffrey Sachsturns 71… Israeli ceramic artist and sculptor,Daniela Yaniv-Richterturns 69… Psychologist and wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,Sara Netanyahuturns 67… Director at The Gottesman Fund,Diane Bennett Eidman… Music producer and entertainment attorney,Kevon Glickman… Former prime minister of Israel, now leader of the opposition,Yair Lapidturns 62… Former regional director of AJC New York, now CEO at Healthcare Foundation of NJ,Michael Schmidt… Research division director for JewishGen USA,Ellen Shindelman Kowittturns 58… Senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution,Benjamin Wittesturns 56… Host, anchor and correspondent for CBS News and CBS Sports,Dana Jacobsonturns 54… General counsel of The Jewish Theological Seminary,Keath Blatt… Jerusalem-born pianist, she has performed with major orchestras worldwide,Orli Shahamturns 50… Director at the Domestic Policy Council in the first six months of the Trump 47 administration, now director of federal education policy at America First Policy Institute,Max Edenturns 37… CEO and organizer of Los Angeles-based Aesthetics and Edits,Tara Khoshbin… Legal correspondent at Business Insider,Jacob Shamsian… Legislative assistant for Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA),Talia Katz…



]]> 93955 https://jewishinsider.com/2025/11/daily-kickoff-further-fallout-at-heritage-over-carlson-defense/ Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:31:59 +0000 https://jewishinsider.com/?p=93853 ]]> Good Tuesday morning!

In today’sDaily Kickoff, we preview theelectionsto watch today, and report on the wait-and-see approach that the chairs of an antisemitism task force affiliated with theHeritage Foundationare taking in the wake of Heritage PresidentKevin Roberts’ recent defense ofTucker Carlson. We talk toGOP senatorsabout the parallels between the right’s embrace of Carlson and left-wing antisemitism, and report on Rep.Seth Moulton’s about-face onAIPACover the summer after the group failed to guarantee support for his Senate bid. Also in today’sDaily Kickoff:Rahm Emanuel,Walt WeissandTulsi Gabbard.

Today’sDaily Kickoffwas curated byJewish InsiderExecutive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod.Have a tip?Email us here.



What Were Watching Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a towering figure in Republican politics who led the war on terror, died last night, his family said in a statement. Cheney, who was vice president for both of President George W. Bush’s terms, previously served as White House chief of staff, congressman representing Wyoming and secretary of defense. He was 84. It’s Election Day in a number of states and cities around the country. In New York City, voters head to the polls today to cast their ballots for mayor and city council. We’re also watching the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the redistricting ballot initiative in California and the mayoral races in Minneapolis and Seattle. More below on the races to watch. In New York City, the World Zionist Organization and Temple Emanu-El are holding an event marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin’s grandson Jonathan Benartzi, Shalom Hartman Institute President Yehuda Kurtzer, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick and peace activist Alana Zeitchik are slated to speak. Elsewhere in New York, the La’Aretz Foundation is holding its third annual benefit to support Israeli families in crisis. Israel’s consul general in New York, Ambassador Ofir Akunis, is slated to give remarks at the event, which will include food by Eyal Shani and will include Israeli “spokeskid” Ben Carasso and a performance by an IDF soldier in an elite unit who is known only as “M.” What You Should Know A QUICK WORD WITH JIS Josh Kraushaar The stakes for Jewish voters are high for today’s off-year elections. All the major contests — in New York City, New Jersey, Virginia and California — are taking place in parts of the country where Jews make up a significant constituency. At a time when both parties are facing rising antisemitism in their own midst, we will be keeping a close eye on the results for trends affecting the Jewish community.

Here’s what we’ll be watching most closely:

New York City mayor:Polls consistently show Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani with a comfortable lead, but there’s less consensus on how decisive his winning margin will be. Most polls show Mamdani under 50%, though a few show him hitting a majority. Some show the combined anti-Mamdani vote — represented by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa — outpacing Mamdani’s share.

Whether Mamdani surpasses a 50% majority will go a long way in determining how big his mandate will be. A narrower victory would mean that downballot Democrats — from members of Congress to local city council members — would have less to fear in response to the Mamdani movement.

President Donald Trump’slast-minute endorsement of Cuomoon Monday night could help the former Democratic governor pick off some Republican voters that had been leaning toward Sliwa. But for Cuomo to score an upset victory, he’d need to win over the vast majority of those Sliwa voters.

Pay close attention to the results in Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) heavily Jewish Manhattan district for signs of where the progressive-minded Jewish vote ends up landing. Cuomo won the first round of balloting over Mamdani in the district (37-33%), which includes the Upper East and Upper West Sides, but Mamdani narrowly prevailed in the final round of ranked-choice voting. Nadler notably backed Mamdani after his victory in the primary, but his district featured a significant share of backers for Brad Lander, the progressive city comptroller, as well. Cuomo will need a solid showing in Nadler’s district to do well.

New Jersey governor:The race between Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Republican Jack Ciattarelli is competitive, though Democrats hold a small edge, according to public polls. The county we’ll be watching closely as a bellwether is Bergen County in north Jersey, which has one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the state and saw a significant pro-Trump swing from 2020 to 2024.

It’s also home to Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), the pro-Israel stalwart in Congress who carried the county in the Democratic gubernatorial primary andcampaigned with Sherrillat a Jewish event in his home base last month.

Former President Joe Biden won 57% of the vote in Bergen, while former Vice President Kamala Harris barely won a majority (51%). New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, won 53% of the Bergen County vote in his narrow victory over Ciattarelli in 2021. Ciattarelli would probably need an outright win in suburban Bergen to secure a victory.

Read the rest of What You Should Know here.



scoop Co-chairs of conservative antisemitism task force stand by Heritage — for now An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) The leaders of an antisemitism task force closely affiliated with the Heritage Foundation said on Monday that they would stand by the conservative institution for now as its president faces backlash for defending Tucker Carlson, following the conservative podcaster’s controversial interview with neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes. The co-chairs of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, a right-wing group that played a key role in drafting Heritage’s Project Esther antisemitism plan last year, said in a Monday night email to task force members that they had spoken with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts earlier in the day,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Working it out:“He shared his apology about how he has handled this issue, and was very open to our counsel,” the task force co-chairs wrote in the email, which was obtained by JI. “Because of this we are asking the members of the taskforce to give us additional time to work out the practical steps moving forward.” The four co-chairs areMario Bramnick, a Florida pastor and president of the Latino Coalition for Israel; Victoria Coates, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation; Ellie Cohanim, who served as deputy antisemitism special envoy in the first Trump administration; and Luke Moon, a pastor and executive director of the Philos Project. At least two organizations resigned from the antisemitism task force earlier Monday: Young Jewish Conservatives and the Zionist Organization of America.

Read the full story here.



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google NOT IN MY TENT More GOP senators sound alarm on right-wing antisemitism Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) speaks to the press on June 2, 2025 in Washington. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) warned on Monday against the mainstreaming of antisemitic figures within the conservative movement in response to Tucker Carlson’s platforming of neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes. Hawley, an ally of the national conservative movement who has advocated for the Trump administration to take an aggressive approach to combating campus antisemitism, made the comments while speaking toJewish Insiderabout the controversy surrounding Fuentes’ appearance on Carlson’s podcast late last week,JI’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.

What he said:“I just think on the substance of what he says, I mean, it’s antisemitic. Let’s just call it for what it is, let’s not sugarcoat it,” Hawley said of Fuentes. “That’s not who we are as Republicans, as conservatives. Listen, this is America. He can have whatever views he wants. But the question for us as conservatives is: Are those views going to define who we are? And I think we need to say, ‘No, they’re not. No. Just no, no, no,’” he continued. “We need to be really clear, and I say that not only as a conservative, but also as a Christian. There is no place for antisemitic hatred, tropes, any of that stuff. I just think we’ve gotta say that stuff.”

Read the full story herewith additional comments from Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Rick Scott (R-FL).



SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google The X FACTOR Conservatives resist blaming Musk for reinstating Nick Fuentes on X Nick Fuentes, the leader of a Christian based extremist white nationalist group speaks to his followers, the Groypers. in Washington D.C. on November 14, 2020 (Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Conservatives are largely giving Elon Musk a pass as criticism mounts over the spread of antisemitic content on X — where white nationalist Nick Fuentes, reinstated to the platform last year, is once again in the spotlight after a friendly interview with Tucker Carlson. X is the only mainstream social media site where Fuentes is still allowed to have an account, after being banned on Meta’s platforms and on YouTube for a long history of hateful rhetoric targeting Jews, women, Black people and many other minority groups. Many conservatives, even those who have sharply condemned Carlson for hosting Fuentes, believe banning people because of their beliefs, no matter how hateful, is wrong,Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Content questions:“I believe that Nick Fuentes is odious and despicable, but Ive never called for his cancellation, and in fact, Ive called for his restoration to those services, despite the fact that I think hes odious and despicable,”Daily Wirefounder Ben Shapirosaid on Mondayin a podcast. “The issue here isnt that Tucker Carlson had Nick Fuentes on his show last week. He has every right to do that, of course. The issue here is that Tucker Carlson decided to normalize and fluff Nick Fuentes, and that the Heritage Foundation then decided to robustly defend that performance.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google SCOOP Before denouncing AIPAC, Moulton sought group’s endorsement for Senate campaign, source says Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) speaks with a reporter outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 16, 2021 in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Before making public denunciations and rejections of AIPAC an early pillar of his Senate campaign against Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) spent months seeking a promise that the group would endorse him upon the announcement of his Senate campaign, a source familiar with the situation said,Jewish InsiderMarc Rod reports.

Behind the scenes:The source said that Moulton—who has been endorsed by AIPAC in previous races — begancourting AIPAC leaders in Massachusetts in the spring this year and then made multiple explicit requests for an endorsement throughout the summer. AIPAC leaders were ultimately unwilling to provide such a guarantee before the race began, the individual said. On the second day of his nascent primary campaign, Moulton released an announcement rejecting AIPAC and saying that he would return any donations he had received from its members. He has continued to hammer the group since then, saying in a recent interview that his break with AIPAC was “a long time coming.”

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SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google PARTNERSHIP PROBLEMS Rep. Jerry Nadler, state Sen. Liz Krueger silent as Mamdani entertains Cornell Tech boycott A view of Tata Innovation Center at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island on July 23, 2022 in New York City. Cornell Tech is joint academic venture between Cornell and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) As mayor, Zohran Mamdani has said he would reassess the partnership between Cornell University and Israel’s Technion, potentially kicking the joint Cornell Tech campus out of its home on Roosevelt Island in New York City. But two Jewish Mamdani backers who represent Roosevelt Island and have supported the project have been silent about his plans,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

State of play:Mamdani’s campaign toldThe New York TimesandYnetthat he would reassess the partnership if elected. As mayor, Mamdani would have the authority to appoint new members to Roosevelt Island’s governing board, giving him influence over management of the island. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and state Sen. Liz Krueger, both of whom have been supporters of Mamdani, as well asactive backers of the Cornell Tech campus, did not respond to requests for comment. Bothhave appointees on the community task forcethat supported the construction of the campus, which is within their districts.

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SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google BIRTHDAY BASH Birthright Israel Foundation celebrates 25 years with $220M raised toward new $900M campaign Birthright Israel Foundation marks 25 years at a gala at Manhattan’s Pier Sixty, Nov. 3rd, 2025 (NIRA DAYANIM/EJEWISHPHILANTHROPY) In 1999, with the lofty goal of bringing every young Jewish adult to Israel free of cost, the nascent Birthright Israel Foundation launched its first trip to the Jewish state. Over the next 25 years, the organization would bring over 900,000 young Jews from some 70 countries to Israel. Last night, at a gala marking a quarter century of activity at Manhattan’s Pier Sixty, Birthright Israel Foundation’s CEO Elias Saratovsky announced two new goals: a $900 million fundraising campaign aimed at securing the organization’s future and bringing 200,000 participants to Israel over the next five years,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports forJewish Insider.

Saratovsky’s sights:The campaign has already secured more than $220 million in commitments, Saratovsky said — $132 million toward its $650 million goal for trips, and $90 million toward its $250 million goal for legacy commitments. “We have a solid foundation of gifts,” he said. “We’re grateful to everyone who has given so far, and now the opportunity we have in front of us is to ask the entire Jewish community to support an organization that has impacted the entire Jewish world over the last two and a half decades.”

Read the full story here.

SHAREShare optionsFacebookTelegramLinkedInWhatsAppReddit Add JewishInsider on Google Worthy Reads Hamas’ Miscalculation:InThe Wall Street Journal, Ophir Falk, who was a member of Israel’s hostage negotiation delegation, posits that Hamas’ decision to take hostages on Oct. 7, 2023, was ultimately what led the terror group to agree last month to a ceasefire that demands its disarmament. “The hostage-taking prevented the conflict from dissolving into the traditional false narratives about ‘occupation,’ ‘resistance’ and ‘apartheid.’ Despite strenuous efforts to turn reality on its head, including through bogus international lawfare, many saw the truth — innocent people being held hostage by a genocidal terrorist organization committed to murdering Jews. Even Israel’s harshest critics struggled to argue that a nation should abandon its captive citizens. The hostage-taking provided what decades of legitimate Israeli grievances couldn’t: a broadly recognized imperative that eventually overcame the propaganda. The Palestinians’ greatest weapon — the ability to manipulate international sympathy — turned against them.”[WSJ]

What BDS is Really About:InReal Clear Policy, John Finley, the senior managing director and chief legal officer of Blackstone, argues that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has reached an “inflection point” in the U.S. “The goals of BDS, in addition to seeking an end to the ‘occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall,’ are often cloaked in terms of either support for an undefined Palestinian liberation or Palestinian’s inalienable rights such as equality and an inclusive democracy that celebrates diversity. … The acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state is foundational to peace in the region because the rationale for Israels existence is inseparable from it being a Jewish state. There is no Israel without Zionism and there is no Zionism without Israel.”[RealClearPolicy]

Israel at a Crossroads:The New York Times’ David Halbfinger does a temperature check on the national mood in Israel, which just marked the 30th anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. “In conversations with ordinary Israelis, there is a palpable sense that the nation is at a crossroads — and not just over what to do about Gaza. Tens of thousands more people emigrated from Israel over the past year than immigrated to the country. Many Israelis across the political spectrum say they believe the election to be held sometime in the coming year will be climactic and decisive, with its outcome determining the future character of the country and whether more citizens will choose to stay or leave. … Much will hinge on what Mr. Netanyahu decides in the coming months: what he is pressured into doing or accepting, what he prioritizes above all else and what, at 76, he wants his legacy to be.”[NYTimes]



Word on the Street TheU.S.iscirculatinga draftU.N. Security Councilresolution calling for the establishment of an international security force inGazathat would operate in the enclave through the end of 2027…

Director of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbardmetwithsenior Israeli military officialsduring a surprise two-day visit to the country earlier this week…

Rep.Josh Gottheimer(D-NJ) blasted theNew Jersey Education Associationover plans for an anti-Israel “Teaching Palestine” session scheduled during the union’s conference taking place this week,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Former Israeli Defense MinisterBenny Gantzdiscussed a wide range of security challenges facing Israel, outlining his long-term vision for confronting Iran, expanding regional defense cooperation and managing Gaza’s postwar recovery. Speaking at a web event hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Gantz called Iran a “global challenge and threat to the State of Israel” and proposed a five-point plan to ensure Iran’s abandonment of its nuclear ambitions by 2028,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports…

In a letter to Treasury SecretaryScott Bessent, Reps.Andy Barr(R-TN) andJefferson Shreve(R-IN) called for the U.S. government to designate thePalestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad, also known as the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, as an affiliate of Hamas and a Specially Designated Terrorist group,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Rep.Chuy Garcia(D-IL)saidyesterday he would not seek reelection next year; Garcia’s chief of staff,Patty Garcia, filed paperwork to run for the seat hours before the Monday filing deadline, in what critics said was an effort to deny voters in the Illinois district a fair open primary…

A new poll released Monday by theDemocratic Majority for IsraelfindsDemocratsbroadly support the ceasefire and hostage-release deal reached betweenIsraelandHamasand a majority of them think PresidentDonald Trumpplayed at least a “somewhat important role” in reaching the agreement,Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports…

TheAtlanta BravesnamedWalt Weissas the team’s new manager, while the Miami MarlinspromotedGabe Kaplerto become the teams new general manager…

Far-right activistLaura Loomer, who is visiting Israel this week,receivedPentagon press credentials, after the Defense Department instituted new, more stringent policies regarding press access…

The Washington PostreviewsJane Eisner’s biography ofCarole King, which does a deep dive into the singer’s Jewish upbringing…

TheWorld Zionist Congressreached a new tentative power-sharing deal that would see an even split between the center-left and center-right blocs in the control of theWorld Zionist OrganizationandKeren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports…

Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centerin Jerusalem,saidthat 5 million of the approximately 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust have now been identified by name…

The Washington Postlooks atthe disagreement betweenIsraeland theU.S.overTurkey’s potential role in post-war Gaza…

Israelreleasedthe bodies of45 Palestinianson Monday following Hamas’ repatriation of the bodies of three Israeli soldiers who were killed on Oct. 7, 2023…

The Wall Street JournalspotlightsAbdulmalik Al-Houthi, who has led Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen for more than a decade as he has evaded multiple assassination attempts and directed the terror group’s destabilizing activity across the region…

Iranian Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khameneisaidthat nuclear negotiations with the U.S. would not be possible as long as Washington supports Israel and maintains military bases across the region…

Pic of the Day (THE TRIBE OF NOVA FOUNDATION)
Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel addressed attendees at the opening VIP reception at the Nova Music Festival exhibition in Chicago last night. The traveling exhibition, which has run in New York, Washington, Boston, Los Angeles and Tel Aviv, opens to the public today.

Birthdays (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) Professor at UCSF and winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in medicine,David Jay Juliusturns 70…

Professor emeritus of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University,Daniel Sperberturns 85… Vice-chairman emeritus of AllianceBernstein, he is a former chairman of the Tikvah Fund,Roger Hertogturns 84… Political scientist who has published works on grand strategy, military history and international relations,Edward Luttwakturns 83… Member of Congress and chair of the House Budget Committee until 2023, he was Kentuckys first Jewish congressman,John Yarmuthturns 78… Former chief of the general staff of the IDF, then minister of defense and member of Knesset for Kadima,Shaul Mofazturns 77… Uruguayan biologist, he served as mayor of Montevideo and then as a national cabinet minister,Ricardo Ehrlichturns 77… Professor of medicine at Englands University of Birmingham and a leading British authority on organ donation and transplantation,James Max Neubergerturns 76… Board member of Jewish Funders Network and a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency,Dorothy Tananbaum… Marketing and communications consultant focused on Israel advocacy and the Jewish community,Robert L. Kern… U.K. politician who served as a Conservative party MP and cabinet minister, he was chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel, BaronRichard Irwin Harringtonturns 68… Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 2013,Kenneth I. Gordonturns 66… Ombudsman at CBS and Japan chair at the Hudson Institute,Kenneth R. Ken Weinsteinturns 64… Author of five books, comedic actress and television host,Annabelle Gurwitchturns 64… Professor of philosophy at Texas AM University, she is known for her expertise on feminist theory and modern Jewish thought,Claire Elise Katzturns 61… CEO and Chairman of RXR Realty, he also serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Board of Directors,Scott Rechlerturns 58… Israeli screenwriter and film director,Eran Kolirinturns 52… Partner at Paragon Strategic Insights, a consulting firm for non-profits,Jeremy Chwat… Co-founder ofSemafor,Benjamin Eli Ben Smithturns 49… MLB pitcher who appeared in 506 games over his nine-year career,John William Grabowturns 47… Global head of strategic communications at McKinsey Company,Max Gleischman… Opinion columnist atThe Washington Post, she is also a commentator for CNN and a correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour,”Catherine Chelsea Rampellturns 41… Heavily favored to be elected to Congress tomorrow from New Hampshires 2nd Congressional District,Maggie Goodlanderturns 39… Founder and CEO at Denver-based Fresh Tape Media,Jared Kleinstein… Founder and CEO of a health organization working for early detection and prevention of cancer,Yael Cohen Braunturns 39… Acting general counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury,Addar Weintraub Levi… Senior coordinator for management at the Office of Management and Budget, she is a White House nominee as a CFTC commissioner,Julie Brinn Siegelturns 38… Former White House special representative for international negotiations,Avi Berkowitz… Recording artist, songwriter and entertainer known as Yoni Z,Yoni Zigelboumturns 34… Israeli professional stock car racing driver, he is the first Israeli to compete in one of NASCARs top three touring series,Alon Dayturns 34… Founding editor ofHealthcare Brew, a vertical ofMorning Brew,Amanda E. Eisenberg… Bob Rubin



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