Daily Kickoff
TOP TALKER: Bill Clinton takes a shot at Netanyahu in Iowa: While Hillary Clinton has been using her strong support for Israel as an asset, Bill Clinton was caught on tape as being highly critical of Netanyahu and unoptimistic about the peace process. “If we don’t force him to make peace, we will not have peace,” the man told Clinton in the video. “First of all, I agree with that,” Clinton responded, before discussing the Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts he brokered during his administration. “But Netanyahu is not the guy,” the unnamed person told Clinton, cutting in. “I agree with that,” Clinton responded. [Haaretz; Politico; NY Post] — Thanks to CSPAN’s Howard Mortman for emailing us the clip [CSPAN]
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen Tweets: “We shouldn’t coordinate w Tehran on #ISIL or anything else. As a sponsor of terror + threat 2 our ally #Israel, #Iran’s part of the problem.” [Twitter]
—U.S. has no leverage: “When Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman addressed a roomful of 200 foreign ambassadors to the United States last week, she implored them to tell their capitals to pass two crucial messages to the Iranians: the importance of seizing what may be the last opportunity to reach a nuclear deal, and that no agreement will be possible without Iran reducing the scope of its nuclear enrichment program.” [AlMonitor]
ISRAELI-VIENNESE DIPLOMATIC WALTZ: “Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman held “sensitive diplomatic meetings” over the weekend during a secret trip in Vienna, where he also met with an Austrian businessman, Martin Schlaff, who has long been wanted for questioning by the Israel Police on corruption charges, Lieberman’s office confirmed on Monday.” [Haaretz]
STARTUP NATION: “With Hostilities Over, DLD Kicks Off in Tel Aviv” by Amir Mizroch and Orr Hirschauge: “Tuesday kicks off the annual Digital-Life-Design Tel Aviv Innovation Festival, Israel’s largest international high-tech event, in the city that is home to many of the country’s startups, VCs, angel investors, incubators, accelerators and entrepreneurs. Some of the event’s main themes: cybersecurity, financial technology, smart cities, robotics and the Internet of Things. According to Yossi Vardi, co-chairman of DLD Tel Aviv, despite recent events the number of visitors registered for the Innovation Festival grew over the last year.” [WSJ]
HAPPENING TODAY: Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy R. Sherman will receive the Trainor Award for Distinction in the Conduct of Diplomacy and present a lecture entitled “US Policy in the Middle East: Present Course, Future Direction.” The event will take place at 6:00 p.m. at Georgetown University’s Lohrfink Auditorium (2nd floor, Hariri Building).
POLITICS: Aron B. Wieder, a 40-year old democrat, could become the first Hasidic Jewish member to serve in the NY State Assembly if elected this November. His candidacy signals the beginnings of “political maturation” for the ultra-orthodox community. [NYTimes]
BUSINESS BRIEFS: Sheldon Adelson’s Makor newspaper has announced it will cease daily publication, opting to produce in print only one a week and post updates to their website daily. Makor recently acquired news site NRG, a news website owned by the now-defunct tabloid Ma’ariv. [Haaretz] • Barbara Picower, widow of Jeffry Picower, the largest beneficiary of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, has awarded $104 million in grants via the JPB Foundation focusing on medical research, poverty, and the environment. The JPB Foundation is one of the 40 biggest U.S. foundations. [JTA] • Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff made a new $5 million donation to San Francisco middle schools today. Salesforce.com also plans to donate $1 million to Code.org, a nonprofit that promotes computer science programs, especially to girls and students of color. [Salesforce]
A JEWISH SCIENTIST OUT TO SAVE THE WORLD: Alfred Mann, a Jewish physicist (and billionaire), can claim that he has both helped the deaf to hear and the blind to see, as well as developing other revolutionary medical advances such as inhale-able insulin, which allows diabetic users to avoid injecting themselves daily. “‘I know what motivates him,’ said Keith Markey, a Griffin Securities analyst who covers MannKind. ‘He’d like to do as much as he can for humanity.'” “‘I’m trying to help people,’ [Mann] said. ‘How else would I have been able to work until I’m almost 90, if I didn’t have something to motivate me?'” [LA Times]
HOLLYWOOD: “Israeli TV powerhouse Keshet International is gearing up for MIPCOM with a successful launch of its big focus format for next month’s TV and entertainment global market in Cannes. On Saturday night, the company launched Help! I Can’t Cook, a celebrity culinary reality show, in Israel. It debuted with a 43.7% household share, making it the second-biggest premiere ever for an original reality format in the country” [HR]
BOOKSHELF: ‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece on Robert Moses: “Robert Caro was born in 1935 and grew up in Manhattan on Central Park West and 94th Street, which was then a middle-class neighborhood of Jewish emigrants from Germany and Eastern Europe like Caro’s father, who had grown up in Lodz, Poland. Caro’s mother, who was American, died when he was 12.… When Caro first wrote to Moses to tell him he was writing a biography and would like to interview him, Moses not only said no but dispatched two different PR reps in two different conversations to tell Caro “no” in person. Realizing the book was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not, Moses relented. “So you’re the young fellow who thinks he’s going to write a book about me,” Moses said at their first meeting at his summer cottage on Long Island out past Jones Beach on May 26, 1967, turning on the charm with a warm smile.” [Daily Beast]
New Job Listing: “JCC Association invites nominations of candidates for the position of CEO. Candidates’ prior professional experiences should suggest their likely success in communicating the import of JCCs for the Jewish future; in leading a complex multi-constituency organization; and in mobilizing thought leaders and resources to strengthen JCC Association in its role as a catalyst for strengthening JCCs, the JCC movement, and the North American Jewish community. Resumes must be submitted by email (only) no later than October 1, 2014 to [email protected].” [Philanthropy]
Scene Last Night: Joseph Stamm’s NYCHSRO, Medreview, the oldest healthcare peer review organization in New York, celebrated its fortieth year of at the Down Town Association near Wall St. Spotted: Elected officials including Eric Adams of Brooklyn and Melinda Katz from Queens. State Assembly members including: Denny Farrell, Jr., Richard Gottfried, Steve Cymbrowitz, Deputy Speaker Rhoda Jacobs, Linda Rosenthal, and Alec Brook-Krasny. NYC Council Members Mark Levine, David G. Greenfield, Andy King, and Jennie Berger representing Melissa Mark Viverito. Also in attendance were former State and City Comptrollers H. Carl McCall and Bill Thompson respectively. Accolades received from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, NYC Public Advocate Tisch James, and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of NY Board of Rabbis.
VIRAL WATCH: Enthusiastic (Jewish) Bro High Fives New Yorkers Trying to Hail a Cab [YouTube]
