Daily Kickoff
DRIVING THE DAY: At 8:45am, we’ll be moderating a panel between the NJDC’s Greg Rosenbaum and the RJC’s Matt Brooks at the JFNA GA on “Inside the 2016 Elections: Whither Go The Jews.” [GA]
At 11:30, the JFNA GA’s closing plenary features former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, Michael Siegel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough. [GA]
At 3PM, the Center for American Progress hosts “A Conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu” moderated by CAP President Neera Tanden. “They will discuss a range of issues, including Iran, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and regional concerns, as well as ways to strengthen the partnership between Israel and the United States.” [Livestream]
“Netanyahu Visit Sparks Internal Backlash at Powerhouse D.C. Think Tank” by John Hudson: “A simmering internal disagreement at the Center for American Progress over the think tank’s decision to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week escalated into open dissent and infighting during an intense but civil all-staff meeting on Friday, according to two people with direct knowledge of the exchange.” [ForeignPolicy; WashPost]
SCENE LAST NIGHT: Approximately 2,000 guests of the American Enterprise Institute gathered at the National Building Museum last night as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, donning a blue tie at the black tie affair, was honored with the Irving Kristol Award. After being introduced by Bill Kristol as the “preeminent leader of the free world,” Netanyahu joked “I’m not used to receiving such awards in Israel.”
Bibi’s applause line: “The core of the conflicts in the Middle East is the battle between modernity and early premeditative medievalism.” • Watch the full speech [YouTube; CSPAN]
SPOTTED: Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Amb. Ron and Rhoda Dermer, Amb. Dore Gold, Amb. Danny Danon, former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, Major Gen. Yaacob Ayish, Amb. Daniel Shapiro, Sen. Tom Cotton and Anna Peckham, Sen. Ben Sasse, Sen. James Lankford, former Sen. Jim DeMint, Rep. Peter Roskam, Reince Priebus, Todd Ricketts, Ken Weinstein and Amy Kauffman, Sam Feist, Matt Brooks, David and Ilene Flaum, Mel Sembler, Bobby and Melanie Rechnitz, Cliff May, Howard Mortman, Daniel Bonner, Paul Teller, Tevi Troy, Scooter Libby, Vincent and Chelsea Harris, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ken Abramowitz, Ravenel Curry, Doug Feith, Pamela Auerbach, Rosie Gray, Eli Lake, Josh Rogin, Ali Weinberg, Joel Kaplan, Andrew Klaber, Joel Winton, Robert Kogod, Alexis Weiss, Joseph Raskas, Tim Carney, Ariel Bashi, Charles Krauthammer, Jordan Hirsh.
Tevi Troy emails… “My favorite part of Bibi’s AEI speech was how well read he was. He was clearly familiar with the works of Irving Kristol and Art Laffer — “Who is this guy Laufer? No it’s Laffer, Laffer. We tried it and it works.” He also mentioned two books that he had read, Gertrude Himmelfarb’s history of philosemitism in England — “if you can believe that. It’s a tremendous book. And a tremendous family.” — and also Will Durant’s Lessons of History — “I read a book by a wonderful writer named Will Durant. In the 1960s he wrote the Lessons of History. 100 pages. Every sentence is powerful.” Finally, he mentioned having read Jeane Kirkpatrick’s famous Commentary article, Dictatorships and Double Standards, which talked about confronting totalitarianism.”
TOP TALKER: “Obama and Netanyahu lay down the gloves (for now)” by Stephen Collinson: “Like boxers who have wiped themselves out in a sapping title fight but failed to land a knockout punch, the leaders of the United States and Israel on Monday settled on what looked like an exhausted truce.” [CNN; CSPAN]
Raphael Ahren: “In Netanyahu-Obama powwow, what wasn’t said as important as what was” [ToI]
Barak Ravid: “When PM spoke after his meeting with Barack Obama, it was hard to believe that he is the same man that up until a few weeks ago refused any dialogue with the U.S. administration and branded Obama as a bitter enemy.” [Haaretz]
David Wolpe: “Why Netanyahu Can’t Afford to Be Optimistic” [TimeMag]
Bret Stephens: “You do not make peace with enemies. You make peace with former enemies.” [WSJ]
INBOX — “Sens. Cruz and Gillibrand Lead Bipartisan Letter to the EU Opposing New Guidelines for Israeli Product Labeling” [PressRelease]
NEXT UP: “Obama invites President Rivlin to Washington” [ToI]
“Obama will not intervene to allow Jonathan Pollard to leave for Israel” by Karen DeYoung: “President Obama will not intervene to allow Jonathan Pollard, convicted three decades ago of spying for Israel, to travel there after his scheduled parole from federal prison next week, administration officials said.” [WashPost]
2016 WATCH: ‘Hell yeah’ Jeb Bush would kill baby Hitler: Bush said if given the opportunity he would kill Adolf Hitler as a baby even if he were an especially cute baby. “Hell yeah, I would!” he told HuffPost. “You gotta step up, man.” [HuffPost]
“Bush Allies Threaten Wave of Harsh Attacks on Rubio” by Maggie Haberman and Michael Barbaro: “Seething with anger and alarmed over Mr. Rubio’s rise, aides to Mr. Bush, the former Florida governor, and his allies are privately threatening a wave of scathing attacks on his former protégé in the coming weeks, in a sign of just how anxious they have become about the state of Mr. Bush’s candidacy.” [NYTimes]
“Inside The Big-Moneyed Network Rallying Around Marco Rubio” by Peter Stone: “Israeli politics and security issues played a role in Singer’s decision to back Rubio… Serendipitously, Singer jetted over to Israel soon after his network’s gathering in New York. He brought along some two dozen donors like Linda McMahon and coal magnate Joe Craft, along with top political aides to Schwab and the Ricketts family.” [HuffPost]
DEBATE TONIGHT: “Seven things to watch for in next GOP debate” by David Drucker [WashExaminer]
HEARD AT THE GA — by Jacob Kornbluh: Peter Beinart on 2016 with Chemi Shalev — “If Elizabeth Warren had run, I think she would’ve beaten Hillary Clinton in a primary…. The conventional wisdom right now is that it would come down to a Cruz vs. Rubio race. Perhaps the media is discounting Cruz’s strength because Cruz has done a phenomenal job in fundraising and you have the SEC primary – a huge block of states in the deep South where Cruz could do extraordinary well there and run up a ton of delegates, at a time when Rubio doesn’t really have much of a delegate count… Rubio’s greatest strength is that he seems like he’s at home in America in 2015. He doesn’t seem like you just dropped him there from 1971 or 1946. He’s comfortable, culturally, in the America of today.”
TOP TWEET: William Daroff — “CAPTION CONTEST: @PeterBeinart and @ZOA_National’s Mort Klein at #JFNAGA” [Twitter]
BUSINESS BRIEFS: “BSG Resources Chief Out in Split With Top Shareholder Beny Steinmetz” [WSJ] • “Westbrook to buy huge BK property for $160M-plus from Schron, Fruchthandler” [RealDeal] • “Harbor Group International Pays $300M For Three East Coast Apartment Communities” [MHN] • “Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell Tease New Deals, Talk Gender Pay Issues with The Rock” [HollywoodReporter] • “Six Questions for Mark Zuckerberg on Science, Giving, and Facebook’s Role in Health” [Bloomberg]
STARTUP NATION: “Microsoft confirms acquisition of Israel-based cyber security firm Secure Islands” by Paul Sawers: “Following rumors that Microsoft was set to acquire Israel-based security company Secure Islands for $150 million, Microsoft has now confirmed the deal that will see Secure Islands’ technology integrated into Microsoft’s Azure Rights Management Service. Neither company has disclosed how much the deal is worth.” [VentureBeat] • “Israeli savvy carves niche in global auto space” [DetroitNews] • “El Al’s ‘Cockpit’ Program Is Like Silicon Valley in the Sky” [CNTraveler]
TALK OF OUR NATION: “The effect of public and private schooling on anti-Semitism” [AEI]
HOLLYWOOD: “Zooey Deschanel Converted to Judaism; Her Schmatta Game Is Going to Be Legendary” [NYMag]
Howard Stern’s daughter — by Doree Lewak: “Emily Stern, 32, couldn’t have a life more different from her famous father’s. Nearly a decade ago, Howard’s eldest child decided to practice Orthodox Judaism, and traded in Friday nights about town for 20-person Shabbat dinners in an uptown apartment. Strappy dresses gave way to outfits that cover her elbows and knees.” [NYPost]
BIRTHDAYS: ESPN’s Linda Cohn turns 56… Rabbi Ken Chasen…
