Daily Kickoff
HEARD LAST NIGHT — Biden to Atlanta Jewish Leaders: “Biden told the hundreds crowded into the Ahavath Achim synagogue in Buckhead that the pact would help prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, positioning himself in the process as the candidate who would continue President Barack Obama’s legacy were Biden to run for president.” [AJC; CNN; NBC]
“Joe Biden to Florida Jewish Leaders: ‘Read My Lips’ on Iran Deal” by Margaret Talev: “Biden told Jewish leaders gathered Thursday morning at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie, Florida, that he had been “sort of the skeptic in the administration” who needed convincing before buying into the deal. But the former head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he now believes it will make the U.S. and Israel safer, not weaker.” [Bloomberg; MiamiHerald; WashPost; SunSentinel] • We’re told Biden did not discuss any 2016 plans in the nearly two hour long substantive meeting. He did talk about his personal relationship with Bibi, which he described as good, but noted that “if I lived in Israel, I probably wouldn’t be Likud.”
Attendees included… Ike Fisher, Andrew Weinstein, Michael Adler, Mitchell Berger, Barry Wilen, Baruch Levy, Stephen Bittel, Steve Zach, Rabbi Jonathan Berkun, Jacob Solomon.
“On Iran Deal, Cory Booker Chooses Obama Over Rabbi” by Kathleen Miller: “Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat torn between his 20-year friendship with a rabbi opposed to the Iran deal and his loyalty to President Barack Obama, said he will back the Iran nuclear agreement. Senate Democrats Mark Warner of Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota also said they support the deal.” [Bloomberg; JP]
Booker’s Medium Post: “With the JCPOA, we have now passed a point of no return that we should have never reached, leaving our nation to choose between two imperfect, dangerous and uncertain options. Left with these two choices, I nonetheless believe it is better to support a deeply flawed deal, for the alternative is worse.” [Medium]
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach: “Booker’s statement of support is riddled with logical inconsistencies, such as condemning the fact that the deal was negotiated at all – as he writes, “With the JCPOA, we have now passed a point of no return that we should have never reached” – and then, astonishingly, electing to embrace it.” [Facebook]
“Lieberman, N.J. Jewish leaders don’t hide their disappointment in Booker” by Matt Friedman: “This is not the battle we wanted to be fighting now, but that’s where we are, and that’s what we are still capable of doing,” Lieberman told the crowd, which numbered in the hundreds but was still well short of what AIPAC had anticipated. “He really disappointed all of us,” Lieberman said of Booker. “And I speak as an admirer and friend.” [PoliticoNJ]
“Inside Israel’s Bid to Derail Iran Pact” by Adam Entous: “In early August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in front of 22 Democratic U.S. lawmakers… The Aug. 9 session in the prime minister’s office was a telling moment in an extraordinary campaign by Mr. Netanyahu to scuttle the agreement. Both supporters and opponents say they can’t recall any other foreign government inserting itself so directly into an American political debate, especially against a deal the White House considers a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s legacy.” [WSJ] • “How AIPAC Lost the Iran Deal Fight” [WashPost]
DRIVING THE DAY: “Saudi king to meet with Obama amid Gulf concerns over Iran deal” by Yeganeh Torbati: “Saudi King Salman will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Friday to seek more support in countering Iran, as the Obama administration aims to use the visit to shore up relations after a period of tensions.” [Reuters] • “Four Seasons rolls out the red carpet for King Salman” [Politico]
“And Tonight’s Headliner Is… Alan Dershowitz: The Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village gets ready to host a debate on Israel, Iran, and nuclear accords.” [TabletMag]
Mike Huckabee will speak at the Hampton Synagogue’s Friday night dinner tonight. [THS]
2016 — Sneak Peek: “Out next week in New York magazine, contributing editor Jason Zengerle offers an in-depth look at the Jewish Republican moment, Sheldon Adelson, and the GOP presidential primary.”
New to Jewish Insider: Corey Lewandowski, campaign manager for Donald Trump.
Profile: “For His Unconventional Campaign, Donald Trump Looks to an Unorthodox Manager” by Maggie Haberman: “While some candidates look for a manager who will rein in their impulses, Mr. Lewandowski channels them. He is not interested in telling Mr. Trump what to do or in being a master strategist. His greatest attribute, Mr. Trump said in an interview, is that “he knows when to speak up.” [NYTimes]
Trump’s Foreign Policy Interview: “Real-estate magnate Donald Trump admitted he didn’t know the answers to what he called “gotcha” questions in a Thursday interview focused on foreign policy. Among other things, Trump suggested it was not yet important for him to know the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas, the Islamic militant groups based in Lebanon and Palestine, respectively.”[BusinessInsider; HughHewitt]
“Clinton Campaign Tries to Reassure Supporters: Marc Lasry, another Clinton fundraiser, said he’s also trying to allay concerns from restive donors. “One thing I’ve been doing is explaining to people exactly what the real facts are in the email situation,” he said. “People call me and say, ‘Can you explain to me what’s going on?’ And I’m happy to explain it.” [WSJ]
“Mission Impossible? Finding Bernie Sanders’ Kibbutz” by Judy Maltz: “The assignment should have been a no-brainer: Find out what kibbutz Bernie Sanders volunteered at in 1963 or 1964. The presidential candidate has described the time he spent on an Israeli collective farm as a formative experience. The identity of Sanders’ kibbutz turns out to be one of Israel’s best-kept secrets.” [Haaretz] • “Legion of Tech Volunteers Lead a Charge for Bernie Sanders” [NYTimes]
BUSINESS BRIEFS: “For Josh Kushner’s Health Insurance Startup Oscar, Cute Ads Only Go So Far” [Bloomberg] • “East Rutherford Council approves American Dream development deal” [NorthJersey]• “CIM Sells Prime Hollywood Office to Souferian” [LABiz] • “Berger, Miller strike again with $25M Brooklyn Heights buy from the Heller family” [RealDeal]
“The Moment That Made a Tech Guru Slow Down” by Lloyd Grove: “Last fall, when media and technology oracle Jason Hirschhorn was launching his much-anticipated REDEF site—a cunningly curated collection of mixed-media newsletters covering everything from fashion to music and supported to the tune of $2.25 million by top-tier investors like Jeffrey Katzenberg, James Murdoch and Mark Cuban—it was pretty clear that Hirschhorn was headed for a new adventure… A little over two weeks ago, at the tender age of 44, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery.” [DailyBeast]
Yitz Applbaum on the Wine of the Week: “I’ve been an admirer of the Yatir wines for many years. If you visit the winery in the Yatir Forest, you will find an 1,800 year old wine press near where the current winery operates. Everyone who works at Yatir is passionate about their wines and they have great reason to be. I am now drinking the 2010 Yatir Forest. The first time I opened, it I felt as if I my palate had been run over by a train. The wine is brash and if you don’t give it a lot of time to breathe, it can be thick and coarse. For those with less patience, that is the bad news.”
“The great news is that if you give it sufficient time to breathe, and perhaps eat food alongside the wine, it is one of the greatest experiences you will have with Kosher wines. The wine finishes with dark chocolate flavors, and, as it turns out, actually eating dark chocolate will really enhance the experience. On the front pallet there are hints of blackberries and some more subtle blueberry tones. It is a big wine in the classic California fashion with very big, structured tannins and it finishes with a robust fruit taste. The wine is made predominantly from Cabernet grapes and has some Petit Verdot and Merlot. The wines are aged between 13-15 months in French oak. Please let this wine breath for at least an hour, though it might call for two.” [Yatir]
WEEKEND BIRTHDAYS: Jared Weinstein turns 36… Murray O’Brien… Jeremy Furchtgott… Shoshanna Liebman… Lee Wunsch (birthweek)…
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