Daily Kickoff
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: “Hillary Clinton Made History, but Bernie Sanders Stubbornly Ignored It” by Michael Barbaro and Yamiche Alcindor: “Revolutions rarely give way to gracious expressions of defeat. And so, despite the crushing California results that rolled in for him on Tuesday night, despite the insurmountable delegate math and the growing pleas that he end his quest for the White House, Senator Bernie Sanders took to the stage in Santa Monica and basked, bragged and vowed to fight on.” [NYTimes]
NYC Councilman David Greenfield told us at Clinton’s election night party in Brooklyn:
“I was thrilled to witness history tonight and proud that Jewish communities across America came together to support Secretary Clinton.”KAFE KNESSET — by Amir Tibon & Tal Shalev: The top headlines in Israel this morning are about Hillary Clinton’s historic achievement, and some Israeli politicians aren’t shying away from congratulating her for it. MK Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union), the Israeli woman who came closest to the prime minister’s office in recent years, tweeted that Clinton’s breaking of the “glass ceiling” is an important moment for women all around the world. Her colleague Merav Michaeli, a prominent feminist, added: “HER! But this isn’t just about her, it’s about all of us.”
One individual who is generally expected to remain silent on the presidential elections over the coming months is Prime Minister Netanyahu. A senior Likud source tells us that Netanyahu is “determined” to stay out of the race, and is “aware of the fact that he made some mistakes in 2012, which created the wrong impression of Israeli involvement in the process. He won’t repeat them.” Time will tell if this assessment holds.
MILLENNIAL CHALLENGERS FALL SHORT: Jewish 25 year-old candidates for Congress, Erin Schrode (CA-2) and Alex Law (NJ-1), came up short in their respective Democratic primaries yesterday. Rep. Donald Norcross defeated Law with 69.7% to 30.3% while Schrode received 8.1% to incumbent Rep. Jared Huffman’s 68.8% and Republican Dale Mensing’s 16.3%.
–Schrode tells the NYTimes: “I’m a lifelong activist. Public service is my mission. That will not die on June 8, or November 8, or two years from now, or four years from now.” After all, her life’s motto has always been: “Do something. Start somewhere. Begin today.” [NYTimes]
–Alex Law: “We’re gonna see close to 60,000 votes in this primary. We planned to get 18,000 votes and we will. We spent $3.50/vote and they spent about $46/vote. The reality is we did something that no other campaign has been able to do in South Jersey.” [PolitickerNJ]
HEARD YESTERDAY — Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY) and Republican strategist Dan Senor debated whose party is better for U.S. Jews: Senor suggested that the appointment of Dr. Cornel West and James Zogby to the Democratic platform committee is proof that the future of the Democratic Party is being shaped by the progressive energy that believes in standing against Israel. Rep. Israel, for his part, insisted that the anti-Israel and pro-BDS voices within his party are “nuts” and are not the face of the Democratic Party. “If you have some nuts, some crazies, to suggest that the Democratic Party’s energy is behind them is tantamount to suggesting that Republican Party energy is behind the use of concentration camps symbols to vilify American-Jewish journalists. You got your nuts, we have our nuts; but the mainstream is holding steady on Israel and on the broad range of other critical Jewish values,” Israel summed up.
Israel also drew equivalence between Senor bucking his party’s presumptive nominee and his vote against the Iran deal last year. “I voted against the Iran deal, not out of politics but out of my DNA. I said that to the president in a twenty-five minute phone conversation.. Having a nuclear bomb, it’s bad. If the bomb can only explode in your face, that’s not such a problem for us. But if the warhead can be mounted on a missile and reach Israel, that’s unacceptable. This deal was absolutely silent on Iran’s missile capabilities.”[JewishInsider]
J Street Wants Dem Platform to Articulate ‘New Consensus’ on Israel” by Jacob Kornbluh: “The Democratic Party could avoid a floor fight over its platform at the convention by agreeing on a “consensus” approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami said on Tuesday. “We urge the committee to approach its work as a valuable opportunity for the Democratic Party to articulate a new consensus about America’s approach to the conflict,” Ben-Ami said during a conference call with reporters.” [JewishInsider]
Spotted on Capitol Hill yesterday: Alex Soros introducing Rep. Keith Ellison, a member of the Democratic Party Platform Committee, at Bend the Arc’s 1st National Conference [Pic]
“New Israeli defense minister: A hardliner the U.S. can ‘do business with'” by Elise Labott: “David Makovsky, who served on Secretary of State John Kerry’s peace negotiating team, remembers Liberman as a “pragmatic” foreign minister and an ally Kerry’s in quest for peace — a stark contrast to Ya’alon, who reportedly said Kerry’s diplomatic efforts were done out of “obsession” and a “messianic” sense. “Netanyahu couldn’t have offered some of the concessions he was willing to make without Liberman’s support,” Makovsky said.” [CNN]
William Galston: “A Political Earthquake in Israel: Netanyahu now may face his most serious challenge since taking office in 2009” [WSJ]
Headline: “Israel’s Netanyahu frequents Russia as U.S. influence in Mideast recedes” [Reuters] • Watch Bibi & Putin at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia last night [Facebook]
“Asked About Trump, Vulnerable Republican Calls Obama a Racist” by Eli Yokley: “New York freshman Rep. Lee Zeldin said Tuesday that Donald Trump’s comments about the federal judge overseeing a legal challenge to Trump University were racist – but added he’s not the only one. “So if he, internally, felt superior because he is white and he’s not Hispanic — if he felt superior because he was white and he wasn’t black or he was Christian and not Jewish — you could start getting into the weeds internally as far as a person’s character goes. But quite frankly, what I have seen through the years is an offensive micro-targeting on policy and rhetoric of campaigns. People want votes. When you’re micro-targeting a community, and you are putting blacks together and Hispanics together, and certain economic messages and positions on issues, quite frankly, with the way I define racism, I see it in a lot of policies and statements that have taken place,” Zeldin said. “You can easily argue that the president of the United States is a racist with his policies and his rhetoric.”” [MorningConsult; WashPost]
ON THE HILL: “Senate Bill Would Help Recover Art Stolen by Nazis” by Emmarie Huetteman: “A bipartisan collection of senators said on Tuesday that it was their moral obligation to ensure that Holocaust victims could recover art confiscated from them during World War II and, in many cases, still hanging in museums and private collections more than 70 years later. At a hearing on Tuesday, Ronald S. Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, told a panel of senators that the pain inflicted by the Nazis was worsened by the participation of so many in an art theft he called “probably the greatest in history.”” [NYTimes]
Rep. Ted Deutch emails us this morning… “Last night, the House spoke out in support of Holocaust Survivors by unanimously approving a resolution I introduced with my Florida colleague Rep. Ros-Lehtinen calling on the German Government to fulfill its moral obligation to Survivors. We are directing this power message to the negotiators currently meeting to address funding gaps. This is our last opportunity to ensure that every Survivor’s needs are met in full.” [Bill] • Watch Ted’s passionate speech on the House floor [YouTube]
BUSINESS BRIEFS: “Israel says con men stole millions from global companies” [AP] • “Israeli Tycoon Leviev Asks Banks to Delay Repayment of Private Debt” [Haaretz] • “The Man Who Destroyed Montauk”[VanityFair] • “Nakash Group’s Herbert Samuel Jerusalem Hotel is Now Open” [JewishVoice] • “Room change? John Pritzker’s tommie hotels exits NYC” [RealDeal] • “YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki on Transforming the Video Service” [WSJ] • “Alan Tisch’s Shopping app Spring’s redesign could be a game-changer” [Mashable]
STARTUP SPOTLIGHT: “Can America Build Its Own LVMH?” by Vanessa Friedman:
“On the second floor of a classic cast-iron building in SoHo… along one wall is a rail of discreet white and black and marinière striped linen and silk, cotton and denim; culottes, shirtdresses, tunics and cashmeres. With price tags attached… It’s an experiment, and that rail is Stage Three of a long-term plan to do what has never really been done before in American fashion: create a conglomerate of brands all born, if not permanently housed, under one roof. The experiment is being conducted by Adam Pritzker, a positive-thinking spritelike 31-year-old scion of the billionaire Hyatt hotel family, and Vanessa Traina, the famously chic 31-year-old daughter of the romance novelist Danielle Steel. It started in 2013, when Mr. Pritzker founded Assembled Brands.” [NYTimes]MEDIA WATCH: “Buzzfeed chairman hosting Obama at Democratic fundraiser” by Brian Stelter:
“On the same week that BuzzFeed’s CEO terminated an advertising deal with the Republican National Committee, BuzzFeed’s chairman is hosting a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee. BuzzFeed says the two actions are completely unrelated, and there is no evidence to the contrary. But the disclosure about the DNC fundraiser is bound to raise eyebrows among Republicans. President Obama will be headlining the DNC fundraiser on Wednesday. It will be held at the Manhattan home of Kenneth Lerer and his wife, Katherine Sailer.” [CNN]STARTUP NATION: “Global VC Firm Accel Hires Facebook Exec to Expand Into Israel” by Gwen Ackerman: “Israeli-born Nir Blumberger will leave his executive post at Facebook Inc. to join Accel as a venture partner and open an office in Tel Aviv to focus on an ecosystem the global venture capital firm said is flourishing with bold ideas and mature entrepreneurs.” [Bloomberg; BusinessInsider]
PROFILE: “Meet the acting coach who trains Israel’s diplomats, politicians” by Marissa Newman: “Before they sat down in front of the cameras in television studios in Israel and abroad, numerous Israeli diplomats and politicians have sat down with Michelle Stein Teer. A Rhetoric and Communication adviser and lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) and Bar-Ilan University, Stein Teer instructs them on how to construct soundbites — “start from the end. From your main message” — where to look, to avoid passive tense, to start with a positive message and shift to the negatives, and to ignore advice to keep their hands on the table throughout an interview.” [ToI]
JAFFA RISING: “The ancient port city is now luring vacationers and second-home buyers with a 21st-century vibe” by Nathan Jeffay: “Steeped in layer after layer of history, Jaffa has long been on the itineraries of diaspora Jewish travelers, who enjoy its stunning port and its boutiques and cafés. But now, it is also an increasingly popular choice for vacations and second homes. One of the most ambitious attempts to cater to the high-end market in the city… is in full swing at an old Christian complex. Once finished, the complex will be part of the W Hotels collection.” [JewishWeek]
“Inside Fundraising at Birthright Israel” by Paul Suchecki: “The trips average around $3,000 each, and the budget of the Birthright Israel Foundation in 2015 was about $95 million. Who pays for all this? The foundation’s president, David Fisher, explained… “”We have individual donors who give us as much as $2.5 million dollars a year, lots of family foundations,” Fisher said. In recent years, the Shimon ben Joseph Foundation, the Marcus Foundation, the Schusterman Family Foundation, the Steinhardt Foundation, the Jacobson Family Trust, and the Klarman Family Foundation have donated a million dollars and more. The biggest funder of all to Birthright Israel has been the foundation of Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, which has contributed over $90 million to the organization since 2009.” [InsidePhilanthropy]
DESSERT: “The Next Big Bagel Reveal From the West Wing” by Jane Eisner: “It was at the end of our discussion Monday in her White House office, about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and U.N. resolutions and so forth. So I needed to inject some Jewish warmth and humor into the room. I asked her about her favorite bagel. “Poppyseed.” “No, really?” I replied. “You know that is his.” “No I didn’t know that. I had no idea!” And this is when she laughed. Not just laughed – but leaned forward in her chair and clapped and smiled. Clearly, the answer to getting ahead in the Obama administration is to share a secret affinity for doughy round bread with little black seeds.” [Forward]
“Very close call for Bob Kraft’s 75th birthday bash!” by Gayle Fee: “Patriots boss Bob Kraft, who was feted and fawned over by 300 of his nearest and dearest at a 75th birthday surprise bash last weekend, almost found out about the super-secret soiree because one former player read the invite wrong! The ex-player, who shall remain nameless, couldn’t make it to the bash, which featured entertainment by Jon Bon Jovi and comedian Tracy Morgan in a hangar at Hanscom Air Force Base. So he wanted to call up and apologize and wish Bob a happy birthday. Luckily, the player’s S.O. caught him before he blew the whole surprise out of the water.”
“The party also featured a video of some “untold stories” of Kraft’s life narrated by Charlie Rose… Toasting Bob in the A-list crowd were Pats QB/QT Tom Brady (but no Mrs. Brady, who was out of town) and his teammates Matthew Slater, Jerod Mayo and Julian Edelman and past Pats Ty Law, Scott Zolak and Andre Tippett; Pats coach Bill Belichick; CBS boss Les Moonves; Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg; uber-agent Ari Emanuel; Viacom big Shari Redstone; casino mogul Sheldon Adelson; NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer; Fidelity cheese Abigail Johnson; Harvard prez Drew Faust; MIT prez L. Rafael Reif; Verizon head Lowell McAdam; Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi; Digital Sky Technologies’ Yuri Milner; Activision Blizzard main man Bobby Kotick; Honeywell honcho Dave Cote; Marvel Entertainment’s Ike Perlmutter; private equity bigs Leon Black and Steve Schwarzman, comedian Lenny Clarke; Ricki Lander; and many more.” [BostonHerald]
BIRTHDAYS: A wonderful JI reader Jill Rachesky (h/t Karen Davidson)… Dasha Zhukova, philanthropist and founder of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, turns 35… Comedian and actor, originally of the comedy team of Stiller and Meara, later of both Seinfeld and King of Queens, Jerry Stiller turns 89… Hebrew University mathematics professor and Nobel Prize laureate in Economics, Robert Aumann turns 86… Guru of alternative / holistic / integrative medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil turns 74… Detective novelist, best known for creating the character of V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky turns 69… The Juilliard School’s classical pianist, teacher and performer, Emanuel Ax (child of Holocaust survivors) turns 67… Winner of many Emmy and SAG awards, star of the recently concluded TV series “The Good Wife,” Julianna Margulies turns 50…
Former Congresswoman, survivor of an assassination attempt near Tucson in 2011, Gabrielle Giffords turns 46… Actor, starring in USA Network’s “Royal Pains,” Mark Feuerstein turns 45… Offensive tackle for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, Hebrew name “Mendel,” Mitchell Schwartz turns 27… South African businessman and philanthropist, formerly the Chairman of De Beers, Nicky Oppenheimer turns 71… Jewish Federation of Chicago’s Patti Frazin…
