Daily Kickoff
DRIVING THE CONVERSATION: “Jeffrey Goldberg named editor of The Atlantic” by Mike Allen: “Goldberg, a 51-year-old Brooklyn native who is now a national correspondent for the venerable magazine, will succeed James Bennet, who left to become editorial-page editor of The New York Times in May. Goldberg, who was last an editor when he was in college at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s, said he had not expected to become The Atlantic’s top editor. “It’s certainly true that this was not in my plan for 2016,” he said in a telephone interview on Monday. But, he added, “It started coming up in conversation a couple of months after James left, and I had to take it seriously.”” [Politico; NYTimes] • See the memo from Atlantic Chairman David Bradley [AtlanticMedia]
TOP TALKER: “Univision owner Haim Saban pushes Clinton team to Latino strategy” by Hadas Gold: “Haim thinks we are under reacting to Trump/Hispanics. Thinks we can get something by standing up for Latinos or attacking R’s for not condemning,” Clinton campaign chair John Podesta wrote to senior members of the campaign. Clinton campaign vice chair Huma Abedin wrote back that “if Haim is raising it, it means he’s hearing it from his Univision colleagues.” But in later emails from August of 2015, Saban seemed concerned that Univision was appearing to be too pro-Clinton. He forwarded to Abedin an article from Hot Air published in May of 2015, headlined “The press is starting to notice Univision’s pro-Hillary boosterism”, which linked to a piece by POLITICO about the deep Univision/Clinton relationship. “I have nothing to do with it,” Saban wrote. “i NEVER tell our news dep. What to cover.,,,unlike some of my peers.” Abedin replied “welcome to our world!”
— “That doesn’t mean Saban didn’t enjoy when Univision helped Clinton. Rob Friedman, former Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group sent Saban an email praising Univision’s Democratic debate from March of 2016. “I just wanted to tell you that I thought the moderators for last nights Debate were excellent,” Friedman wrote. “They were thoughtful, tough and incisive. I thought it made Hilary appear direct and strong in her resolve. I felt it advanced our candidate. Thanks for Univision.” “I like this one,” Saban wrote, forwarding the note to Clinton’s top staff.” [Politico;WashPost]
More emails – Saban disclosure: “I love selling cartoons,,,,much easier,,,,AND profitable. :)” [08-23-2015]
In February, Saban forwarded an excerpt from Jewish Insider‘s Daily Kickoff to Podesta about Rubio’s Jewish outreach in Florida and how 61% of Floridians opposed the Iran deal. Saban wrote, “I know you know,,, but still wanted to share.” [02-29-2016]
Saban clarifies comments on Iran deal: “Huma ,,,,Laura forwarded your enquiry to me. It was an interview on Israeli TV in Hebrew,,,,,on the day she announced,,,,,, someone took my statement and translated it freely to English,and stated what THEY wanted to state NOT what I said. Never said that she opposes the deal,,,said” I don’t know and if I knew I couldn’t say”…..they took out the part that said “I don’t know”,,,kept the rest and then concluded that it’s a hint that she opposes,,,,,baloney stuff.,,,,, All questions that I am asked about policy I simply answer “I don’t know”,,,,,and I just praise her experience courage persistence tenacity etc,,,,no policy discussions. The Hill needs to go the Hebrew lessons if they want to quote Hebrew interviews.” Podesta: “No big deal and not even a small deal. I’m sure it was great in Hebrew.” [04-19-2015]
Stu Eizenstat clarifies Bibi is not concerned with Hillary’s views on Israel: “What he meant was that they are concerned that the focus of an HRC Administration would be on the Palestinian peace process and two state solution, rather than on the external threats to Israel (Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas), and that the Administration would be populated with officials of this bent. He was less worried about HRC’s own views.” [12-11-2015]
Deploying Hillary to combat BDS: “Once informed about Hillary Clinton’s letter opposing BDS, the favorable/unfavorable views held by students regarding pro-BDS arguments shifted 11 points in the right direction. Just a reflection that she remains a trusted source to students on these issues.” [01-29-2016]
“Netanyahu to Kerry: I Expect U.S. Won’t Advance UN Resolution on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Before Obama Leaves Office” by Barak Ravid: “Netanyahu made the comments in a telephone conversation with Kerry on Saturday night. A senior Israeli official who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter said that, in the call, Netanyahu presented Kerry with Israel’s position on the matter… Haaretz has learned that in the portion of the call devoted to possible steps at the UN Security Council, for the most part Kerry listened, but ultimately told the prime minister that the U.S. administration has still not made any decision on the issue.” [Haaretz]
“New U.S. guidance on Iran sanctions seeks to reassure banks” by Joel Schectman and Yeganeh Torbati: “A U.S. Treasury spokeswoman said on Monday the changes were “intended to clarify the scope of sanctions lifting” under the nuclear deal, and do not amount to additional sanctions relief for Iran. But Iran may not see the new guidance as enough to address the hurdles to doing business. Hossein Ghazavi, a vice-minister in Iran’s economy ministry, said on Monday the changes still left doubts for banks.” [Reuters] • Foundation for Defense of Democracies Executive Director Mark Dubowitz on how the White House gave Tehran more access to dollars [WSJOpinion]
AIPAC memo: “This new edict accelerates a pattern of undeserved concessions to Tehran as it simultaneously escalates its terrorist activities, ballistic missile tests, and human rights violations. Undeserved concessions going beyond the JCPOA only reinforce Tehran’s propensity to violate its international obligations and ultimately undermine the JCPOA itself.”
“Oren: Debates don’t work in Israel” by Gil Hoffman: “Israel should not hold American- style televised debates because they do not work in a multiparty system, Deputy Minister Michael Oren (Kulanu) said.” [JPost]
SUNDAY NIGHT DEBATE SCENE — Rabbi Hershey Novack, Director of Chabad on Campus at WashU, located within the security perimeters of the debate hall, shared the following with us: “Students gathered at the Chabad House for a watch party and could hear the cheers (and jeers) from the nearby athletic complex where the debate was held. However, the build up for the debate was far greater than its content. Few students changed their views about the candidates, nor were they better informed about their positions. Many were disappointed at the overall tenor of the discussion and wanted to get their 90 minutes back.”
“Obama’s ‘red line’ haunts Clinton, Trump” by Michael Crowley: “She was there as Secretary of State with the so-called line in the sand,” Trump said, in an apparent reference to what is usually called Obama’s “red line.” “No I wasn’t. I was gone,” Clinton protested. “At some point we need to get the facts out.” But the facts are less convenient than either Clinton or Trump suggested. Although she was a private citizen at the time, Clinton did play a supporting role in the red line saga.” [Politico]
Josh Rogin on Trump’s Syria policy: “It’s probably not a coincidence that Trump’s description of the situation in Syria largely tracks with the Russian government propaganda line, because Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have roughly the same worldview. The bottom line is that Trump doesn’t understand basic facts about the crises in the Middle East and he stubbornly refuses to learn.”[WashPost]
“Springsteen and others focus on election at New Yorker fest” by Jocelyn Noveck: “At a late-night panel, comedian Sarah Silverman explained to New Yorker humorist Andy Borowitz that although she’d been a huge supporter of Bernie Sanders in the primaries, she couldn’t understand Sanders supporters who weren’t supporting Clinton now. Clinton, she said, had listened to Sanders’ ideas.” [AP]
“Paul Ryan Turns Focus From Donald Trump to House Races, Roiling G.O.P.” by Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin: “Ryan informed Republican lawmakers on a morning conference call that he would never again campaign for Mr. Trump and would dedicate himself instead to defending the party’s majority in Congress. Over the course of an hour, a stream of conservative lawmakers urged their colleagues not to give up on Mr. Trump and chided Mr. Ryan for what they described as surrendering prematurely in the presidential race.” [NYTimes] • “Inside Ryan’s decision to (almost) dump Trump”[Politico]
Dan Senor explained Ryan’s move on Bloomberg’s WADR: “He felt that this was different than a lot of the things that we have heard in the past, basically saying, ‘I don’t want to be part of the Trump presidential campaign.’ If Hillary wins and wins big, which looks increasingly likely, then she’s probably going to take the Senate with her. And the only thing standing between a Clinton presidency and Clinton overreach, and some hope for normalcy, is that House majority.” [Bloomberg]
SPOTLIGHT: “Cofix Enters Russia With Coffee at Fraction of Starbucks Prices” by Ilya Khrennikov: “Cofix Group Ltd., an Israeli operator of a low-cost coffee chain, began expanding abroad with a cafe in Moscow, seeking to lure Russian consumers with cappuccino at a fraction of Starbucks Corp.’s price amid the country’s worst recession in two decades.” [Bloomberg]
AIRING TODAY — PBS’ The Contenders — 16 for ’16 on Barry Goldwater: “His father was Jewish, his mother was Episcopalian, so the story goes that one day he walked up to the Phoenix Golf & Country Club, and they all knew who Barry Goldwater was, and he said he would like to play. They responded, “we’re terribly sorry we can’t let you play, we don’t allow Jews to play here.” And he paused for a second and said, “well I’m only half-Jewish, can I play 9 holes?” [YouTube]
LongRead: “Leonard Cohen Makes It Darker” by David Remnick: “He was brought up in Westmount, a predominantly Anglophone neighborhood, where the city’s well-to-do Jews lived. The men in his family, particularly on his father’s side, were the “dons” of Jewish Montreal. His grandfather, Cohen told me, “was probably the most significant Jew in Canada,” the founder of a range of Jewish institutions; in the wake of anti-Semitic pogroms in the Russian imperium, he saw to it that countless refugees made it to Canada. “I have a deep tribal sense,” he said. “I grew up in a synagogue that my ancestors built. I sat in the third row. My family was decent.” In 1972, Cohen, now accompanied by a full complement of musicians and singers, arrived in Jerusalem at the end of a long tour. “I am committed to the survival of the Jewish people,” he told an interviewer at the time… To this day, Cohen reads deeply in a multivolume edition of the Zohar, the principal text of Jewish mysticism; the Hebrew Bible; and Buddhist texts.”[NewYorker]
“Israeli bodyguard to keep Kim Kardashian safe” by Ayala Or-El: “Cohen is an Israeli-American who was born in Canada. After moving to Los Angeles with his family with his family at age two, he made Aliyah when he was 17. A year later, he was drafted into the IDF as a lone soldier, where he served as a Mista’arav (undercover soldier pretending to be Arab) in the elite Duvdevan Unit. After he finished his army service, Cohen returned to the US and started a security company catering to celebrities. His company has worked with some of the biggest names in showbiz, from singer Katy Perry to actor Brad Pitt and even the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kardashian’s husband, singer Kanye West, was the one who reportedly called Cohen, in an effort to tighten the security around his wife.” [Ynet]
“James Packer’s ex fiancée Kate Fischer has revealed she’s more than happy with her new life as reclusive T’ziporah Malka bat Israel” by Chloe-Lee Longhetti: “James Packer’s ex fiancée Kate Fischer has revealed she’s more than happy with her new life as reclusive T’ziporah Malka bat Israel. The 42-year-old exclusively told Daily Mail Australia she’s happy with the new life she leads, one that is completely out of the spotlight. She now works as a therapist and has embraced orthodox Judaism.”[DailyMail]
PROFILE: “Meet the Israeli lawmaker who wants to turn Jerusalem’s Islamic holy site into a Jewish temple” by Ruth Eglash and William Booth: “Yehuda Glick’s flaming red hair isn’t the only thing that makes him stand out. But he is best known as an activist who is demanding that Jews be allowed to pray at one of Islam’s holiest sites. Jews call it the Temple Mount, believed to be where the first and second temples once stood.” [WashPost]
Victoria Gardner Coates, former foreign policy advisor to Ted Cruz, writes about the Jerusalem exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York: “Ultimately, “Every People Under Heaven” functions as a highbrow gloss on the movement to define Jerusalem as anything but Jewish, and so to undermine Israel’s sovereignty. A more aggressive approach will be on display at Unesco on Thursday during the vote on the resolution defining Jerusalem as a global city with a universal rather than a national identity… It would be more productive to try to learn from the painful realities of medieval Jerusalem, not to revise its history.” [WSJ]
SPORTS BLINK: “Ruth Bader Ginsburg Calls Kaepernick’s Protest ‘Dumb’ and ‘Arrogant’” by Eric Levitz: “Would I arrest them for doing it? No,” Ginsburg told Yahoo News’s Katie Couric, in reference to Kaepernick and other NFL players who had declined to publicly honor the nation’s flag. “I think it’s dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think it’s a terrible thing to do, but I wouldn’t lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act.” [NYMag]
TALK OF THE TOWN: “Jewish Families Leave Happy Rosh Hashana Fliers at Lafayette BART Station” by Lisa Fernandez: “Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of Orinda, a member at Congregation B’nai Tikvah in Walnut Creek, told NBC Bay Area that she and four other families left Happy Rosh Hashana fliers on cars two days before the start of the Jewish New Year. She and her friends left about 600 Happy Jewish New Year greetings on the cars on Sept. 30, two days after a man in a Santa hat was seen by a witness leaving anti-Semitic fliers in the same lot.” [NBCBayArea]
SCENE SUNDAY IN DC — Well over 100 friends, spanning multiple generations and geographic locations, gathered at The Mansion on O Street to celebrate the 60th birthday of Jonathan Kessler, AIPAC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives. In lieu of gifts, guests donated Judaica and books to the Mansion’s museum. Brunch was served in five of the Mansion’s hundred rooms, including a dessert spread featuring a birthday cake covered with Israeli and American flags. Attendees included decades of various AIPAC campus leaders, Jewish organizational leaders, along with a number of Jonathan’s Palestinian and Syrian friends. Greetings were sent by Yossi Klein Halevi, Gal Hirsh and Prince Emmanuel Ben Yehuda of the African Hebrew Israelites.
SPOTTED: AIPAC’s Howard Kohr, Schusterman Foundation’s Lisa Eisen, Tom Dine, Gidi & Betty Grinstein, Laura Blumenfeld, Ellen Kessler, Strategist Mark Penn, Nancy Jacobson, Hillel’s Eric Fingerhut, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Israel on Campus Coalition’s Jacob Baime, Brian Jaffee, Hillel’s Sheila Katz, Arielle Poleg, Larry Haas, E Kinney Zalesne.
BIRTHDAYS: Professor emeritus of history at UCLA, winner of both a MacArthur genius fellowship and the Israel Prize, Saul Friedländer turns 84… Tony award and Emmy award winning film, stage and TV actor, Ron Leibman turns 79… Israeli novelist and documentary filmmaker, Amos Gitai turns 66… Israeli diplomat whose postings as ambassador include both the UK and the UN, Ron Prosor turns 58… Actress Michelle Trachtenberg turns 31… Sol Majer… Michael Dickson… Peter Turman… Mark Gurvis…
