Some Democratic senators are not enthused about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Yechiel Leiter as Israel’s next ambassador to the United States, citing Leiter’s pro-settlement policies and past ties to the Jewish Defense League, a group the U.S. later designated as a terrorist organization.

Their comments suggest that Leiter could face a rocky relationship with Democrats on Capitol Hill as he works to represent Israel to Congress.

In a letter to constituents who reached out to her office about last month’s Senate votes on resolutions that would have blocked some shipments of U.S. aid to Israel, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) lambasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanuyahu and the Israeli government while also arguing that the resolutions would have created more challenges and done nothing to address issues on the ground.

The letter, which was obtained by JI, highlights that even some Democrats, such as Duckworth, who voted against blocking aid, harbor a deep degree of anger and frustration toward the Israeli government. Nineteen senators voted for one of the three resolutions led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which pertained to mortar rounds, tank rounds and bomb guidance kits.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) bid to add the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act has been blocked by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), making it increasingly unlikely that the bill will pass Congress this year.

Schumer requested that the legislation be included in the compromise version of the NDAA to be voted on by both the House and Senate. 

The fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad happened because of “the strength of Israel,” former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told attendees on Sunday at the Tikvah Fund Jewish Leadership Conference in Manhattan. 

Haley warned that the lightning-fast rebel takeover of Syria, which came after Israeli military achievements against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is today “a net positive for Israel,” but that could change, as “every hour going forward is going to mean something.” 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hosted the inaugural Anti-Hate in Education Center Convening on Antisemitism on Thursday at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, an event that’s slated to take place annually.  

The formation of the Anti-Hate in Education Center was first announced by Hochul in September 2023. At the time, the announcement made New York State the first in the nation to respond to President Joe Biden’s national strategy to counter antisemitism, which had been released earlier that year. 

Several top gubernatorial candidates and Jewish leaders in New Jersey are calling on the state to reschedule next year’s June 3 primary election — which overlaps with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, making it impossible for observant Jews to vote on that date.

In observance of the holiday, Jews are forbidden from working, driving, writing, traveling and using electronics, a range of prominent Jewish leaders in the state note in an open letter shared exclusively with Jewish Insider on Thursday, expressing their “deep concern” regarding the scheduling conflict.

Democratic lawmakers in Michigan mostly avoided responding to the University of Michigan’s announcement this week that it will roll back its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. On Thursday, the state’s flagship university announced it will no longer ask for diversity statements from faculty when considering hiring, promotion or tenure.  

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Sen.-elect. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Jewish Insider about Michigan ending required diversity statements, which ​​some of Michigan’s most high-profile DEI initiatives rely on. 

When Israel and Hezbollah agreed last month to a cease-fire deal to stop the fighting that caused devastation in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, White House aide Amos Hochstein could breathe a sigh of relief. The Biden confidant had finally negotiated the accord that had eluded him for more than a year. 

But the completion of the cease-fire deal did not mean Hochstein could return to Washington and ride out the remainder of President Joe Biden’s term quietly ensconced at the White House. Instead, Hochstein traveled with the president this week to Angola, where he could see through another major accomplishment before Jan. 20.