Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) criticized Democrats in Texas for their muted reaction to far-left streamer Hasan Piker being invited by the University of Texas’ College Democrats chapter to speak on campus later this month — despite his record of antisemitic rhetoric. 

Cruz told Jewish Insider in a statement on Thursday that Piker’s upcoming appearance at UT Austin and the lack of condemnation from Democrats in the state was indicative of the broader state of the Democratic Party. 

Nearly four in five American 8th graders score below proficient in civics, the federal government spends roughly 100 times less per student on the subject than on STEM and about one-third of Americans under 30 say democracy is no longer a viable system of government. 

A new report from the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) argues those trends are connected — and warns they pose a particular threat to Jews and to support for Israel.

The Honey Deuce — the U.S. Open’s iconic signature cocktail — is facing fierce competition for the tennis tournament’s most popular menu item this year. Surrounded by greasy fried foods, the unexpected breakout star is a green bean bowl from the Tel Aviv-born eatery Miznon, according to the restaurant’s head.

Miznon, the pita chain founded in 2011 by Israeli chef Eyal Shani, set up shop at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the first time this year, featuring green beans served in a paper bag, a stand-in for fries, that have become an unexpected sensation — selling by the thousands and drawing lines so long that fans have taken to wandering the grounds in search of them, Liad Balki, Miznon’s head of operations, told Jewish Insider. 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that the U.S. should take a “very tough position” if Israeli voters reelect the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel’s upcoming elections, but said a new Israeli government could provide opportunities for more constructive progress.

“If the Israelis want to vote for that again, then I think the United States has to take a very tough position,” Clinton said during an appearance on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.” “I think we could work with a new government.”

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law wrote to Qatari Ambassador to the U.S. Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani on Wednesday amid a back-and-forth online, urging the Qatari Embassy to release a full public accounting of its funding to U.S. colleges and universities.

“There is a straightforward way for the Government of Qatar to demonstrate that public accounts of its activities are inaccurate or misleading: full disclosure,” Brandeis Center CEO Kenneth Marcus said in a letter to Al-Thani. “We therefore respectfully ask Qatar to provide a complete public accounting, to the people and the Congress of the United States, of the funding and other financial support that its government, the Qatar Foundation, and other Qatari governmental or government-controlled entities have provided to U.S. colleges and universities.”

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Jewish Insider last week that he’s likely to support the administration’s proposed nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, which would reportedly allow for joint U.S.-Saudi nuclear enrichment efforts inside Saudi Arabia.

Mast’s support, as the chair of a committee that will be responsible for reviewing the deal during a mandatory congressional oversight period, is a strong sign that many congressional Republicans coalesce behind the administration in support of the agreement. Democrats have voiced concerns, particularly related to potential nuclear proliferation.

Norm Eisen, a former Obama White House lawyer and U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, has in recent months emerged as one of the Trump administration’s most prominent legal antagonists.

Through a nonprofit group he founded, Democracy Defenders Fund, Eisen has helped to wage a series of key court battles challenging the administration over issues like birthright citizenship, the Federal Reserve and the Kennedy Center, claiming some victories in a fight against what he calls President Donald Trump’s executive overreach.

A year and a half after CNN announced its plans to launch a network hub in Qatar, the media company is deepening its ties to the Gulf state with a Middle East speaker series in the capital of Doha that is slated for late October.

CNN said this week it was kicking off its inaugural “Global Perspectives” event in Doha on Oct. 29 with a newly unveiled lineup featuring government officials, business leaders and cultural figures, among others.