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The battle for a key endorsement from a sizable Hasidic voting bloc in New York’s Hudson Valley is reaching a crucial moment in the final days of a closely contested congressional race that could determine the balance of power in the House.
In an 11th-hour effort to court the Orthodox vote on Monday, the two top Democrats in Congress — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — paid a visit to the Hasidic village of New Square, where they met privately with Rabbi David Twersky, known as the Skverer rebbe, to boost the candidacy of former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) as he fights to reclaim his old House seat.
Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who issued the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, is facing scrutiny from pro-Israel lawmakers on Capitol Hill over newly revealed sexual misconduct allegations.
Khan ordered the arrest of Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in May. While Israel isn’t a part of the ICC, making it possible to flout their rulings, the warrants make it impossible for Netanyahu or Gallant to travel to any country in compliance with the court.
Hasan Piker, among the most-watched streamers on the platform Twitch, is coming under fire for anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric that has escalated in recent weeks.
Piker, also known as HasanAbi, has hosted several well-known lawmakers including Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) on his platform. Critics also say his conduct reflects deeper problems with antisemitism at Amazon-owned Twitch, the dominant player in the streaming market.
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Speaking to Jewish voters in Pittsburgh on Monday night, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff did not explicitly acknowledge fears that some longtime Jewish voters might opt to support former President Donald Trump over Emhoff’s wife, Vice President Kamala Harris.
But that concern was the unstated backdrop of his address, which seemed designed to assuage Jewish Americans by offering a straightforward closing argument: Don’t worry, Emhoff argued. Harris gets it. She’s on our side.
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A bipartisan group of 18 House lawmakers wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday to express “deep concern” over his call for an embargo on arms deliveries to Israel.
“Your comments to halt arms and weapons deliveries to Israel will further embolden Iran and its proxies to escalate their attacks against Israel, undermining the State’s right to defend herself and her citizens,” the lawmakers said, noting that Hamas killed 48 French citizens on Oct. 7 and still holds two French-Israeli dual citizens hostage.
Marc Rod
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Speaking to Jewish voters in Michigan on Monday evening, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), the Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, made his closing pitch to the potentially decisive voting bloc, and sought to assure attendees that his outreach to Michigan’s sizable Muslim and Arab population doesn’t mean he’s compromising his support for Israel.
“We’re trying to do outreach in the Muslim community, but I also tell them where I’m at,” Rogers said during a Republican Jewish Coalition event on Monday evening in the Detroit suburbs. “I never walk away from where I’m at on Israel, and let me tell you, the first 30 minutes are always a little bumpy.”
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Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), the Republican vice-presidential nominee, claimed in a new interview that pro-Israel Americans responded in a “much more militaristic” way to Oct. 7 than Israelis and argued that Israel’s interests sometimes conflict with those of the United States.
Vance made the comments during his appearance on “The Tim Dillon Show” after being asked by the podcast host how a Trump-Vance administration would handle the unfolding conflict in the Middle East.
Vance made the comments during his appearance on “The Tim Dillon Show” after being asked by the podcast host how a Trump-Vance administration would handle the unfolding conflict in the Middle East.
“Obviously, Israel has the right to defend itself, but America’s interest is… pic.twitter.com/X0qV3ZISDJ
— Jewish Insider (@J_Insider) October 28, 2024
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An overwhelming majority of the Knesset voted on Monday to outlaw the United Nations Relief and Works Agency aiding Palestinian refugees and their descendants, after some of its employees took an active part in the Oct. 7 attacks and holding Israelis hostage in Gaza.
The first of two bills to shut down UNRWA bans the agency from operating on Israeli sovereign territory, such as in Jerusalem, where it has an office; it passed with 92 in favor and 10 opposed, with support spanning over three quarters of the 120-seat Knesset. The second bill prohibits Israeli government officials from having any contact with UNRWA, and passed with 87 in favor and nine opposed.
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