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DRIVING THE WEEK: “Deal-makers looking to network with Kushner-Trumps head to ski weekend” by Claire Atkinson: “Media banker Aryeh Bourkoff is scheduled to kick off his annual “Media Winter Ski Weekend” Sunday… The Deer Valley, Park City, shindig will see IAC/InterActiveCorp boss Barry Diller mingling with John Malone’s Liberty Media mafia: Greg Maffei and Mike Fries. It’s unclear at press time if Jared Kushner will be with his wife Ivanka on the slopes this year — On the Money hears she will stay in the nation’s capital with the kids. But sources believe Jared’s bro Josh Kushner is expected.” [NYPost] • Also expected: MediaLink’s Michael Kassan, Thrillist’s Ben Lerer and Yahoo’s Adam Cahan.

–Bourkoff’s LionTree, a fast-growing New York boutique investment bank, is advising the Kushner family on their bid for the Miami Marlins, according to one person involved in the negotiations. [FinancialTimes]

Danny Ayalon tweets: “Glad to meet Charles & Josh Kushner, dad & brother of Jared Kushner, POTUS’s son-in law and senior advisor. They are true friends of Israel.” [Pic] 

President-in-law: “Jared Kushner’s Mission Impossible” by Annie Karni: “In the heat of the presidential election last summer, Jared Kushner took a timeout from his father-in-law’s campaign for a secret meeting with one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest donors. For about 90 minutes at a New York hotel, Kushner sat down with Haim Saban… to talk about Israel. Kushner had been interested in meeting the Israeli-American entertainment mogul for years but had never before gotten on his radar. In 2010, Kushner cold-wrote Saban a letter expressing his admiration and congratulating him on a magazine feature. The letter had gone unnoticed and unanswered until now. At their under-the-radar confab, Kushner assured Saban that a President Donald Trump would be “very good for the U.S.-Israel relationship,” a phrase he repeated multiple times during the meeting…”

Saban confessed to Kushner that he thought Trump was offering a free ride to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on policies like expanding West Bank settlements. Clinton, he said, would take a more balanced approach. “Who knows?” Kushner responded… Kushner seems aware of the limits of his power. At his meeting with Saban, where they steered clear of talking about the election, the Clinton megadonor tried to glean a little bit of competitive information from Trump’s top campaign adviser. “What can we expect at the debates?” Saban asked. Kushner gave his enigmatic smile. “Who knows?” [Politico] 

“For Kushner, Israel Policy May Be Shaped by the Personal” by Jodi Kantor: “When Jared Kushner was 17 years old, he stood where a million Jews had been murdered and listened to Israel’s prime minister stress the country’s importance… But unlike other students on the trip, he knew the prime minister, who was friendly with his father, a real estate developer and donor to Israeli causes. Mr. Netanyahu had even stayed at the Kushners’ home in New Jersey, sleeping in Jared’s bedroom. (The teenager moved to the basement that night.)… Many years after his teenage encounters with Mr. Netanyahu, he may also be in a position to help the Israeli leader, who is facing multiple corruption investigations and ever-stronger challenges from the right… “The Prime Minister is coming into the meeting with the hope to forge a common policy with the president, and Jared’s role is critical in that,” said Ron Dermer, the ambassador of Israel, with whom Mr. Kushner has been in close contact. “He’s someone who, in my interactions with him, has really been able to deliver.”” [NYTimes] 

TOP TALKER: “Can a ‘Wrecking Ball’ of a President Evolve?” by Susan B. Glasser: “[Bob] Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reveals in an interview that Trump in fact planned to order the U.S. Embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem immediately after his inauguration… “They were ready to move the embassy at 12:01 on Jan. 20, maybe 12 and 30 seconds,” Corker says… “That was going to be their first move.” … He may still order the U.S. Embassy to the disputed capital, Corker says, but only after hearing objections from Arab allies as well as his face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington this week. “My sense is, they’re probably still moving there.”” [Politico] 

DRIVING THE CONVERSATION: “Donald Trump’s Diplomatic Moderation” by Peter Nicholas and Carol Lee: “Mr. Trump also has retreated from his campaign promise to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, opting not to do that within days of taking office. What’s more, Mr. Trump issued a statement warning Israel that expanding the construction of settlements to new areas could be an impediment to an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. That stance tracks with longstanding U.S. policy toward the Middle East… With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled to visit Mr. Trump at the White House on Wednesday, the settlement and embassy issues could prove a source of contention.” [WSJ] 

“With Netanyahu visit, Trump faces difficult test on Israel this week” by Olivier Knox: “Donald Trump this week could become… the first president to make good on that pledge (to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem)… A decision could come by Wednesday, when the unpredictable president hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.” [YahooNews] 

KAFE KNESSET — On The Prime Minister’s Plane — by Tal Shalev: A delegation of over 32 journalists gathered this afternoon at Ben Gurion International Airport to accompany Prime Minister Netanyahu on his trip to the United States. It’s an unusually high number compared to recent years, as many Israeli media outlets, large and small, sent representatives (a leased El Al 767; an Israeli Air Force 1 is still on the way), and they were joined by foreign press representatives as well. Escorting Netanyahu on this historic trip are his National Security Advisor Yaakov Nagal, Chief of Staff Yoav Horwitz, Cabinet Secretary Tzachi Braverman, and Hebrew and Foreign press spokespeople Boaz Stembler and David Keyes.

Netanyahu has been preparing for this visit for weeks. Yesterday, he convened a special cabinet meeting to discuss the agenda for his first encounter with the new administration, which lasted four hours. Netanyahu already stated in advance that he intends to “listen” to the cabinet ministers, and then essentially do what he wants. In sharp contrast to the high volume with which some of his ministers have attacked him in recent days, the meeting was apparently calm and cordial. “Netanyahu is in his highest element when dealing with the US,” a senior cabinet minister told Kafe Knesset. “As he considers himself ‘Mr. America’ it’s quite difficult to challenge him on these issues and even Bennet was well behaved.” After raising demands in recent weeks, calling on Netanyahu to denounce the two-state solution, Bennet changed his tone, wishing the PM bon voyage. “We trust you and back you 100% in the mission of keeping Israel the Jewish homeland,” Bennet said at a Jerusalem conference. Read today’s entire Kafe Knesset [JewishInsider]

“Benjamin Netanyahu: Trump won’t give Israel carte blanche to do what it wants “ by Tovah Lazaroff: “Even after eight years of complex navigation in the tenure of [former US President Barack] Obama, we still need to continue to act wisely with the Trump administration. While it is a more comfortable administration [to work with], there will still be restrictions,” Netanyahu told the ministers in his party… In his opening remarks to the government… Netanyahu spoke of his meeting with Trump… “I understand that there is a lot of excitement ahead of this meeting and there are many motivations behind this. I have only one motivation — first and foremost to take care of Israel’s security, to strengthen its alliance with the US and to shore up our national interests, which are intimately linked with the strong bond with the US. This requires a responsible policy, this requires discrete judgment and that is how I am going to operate.” [JPost] • Netanyahu: “I Told Trump Palestinians Won’t Budge, He Said They’ll Make Concessions” [Haaretz] 

Former U.S. Amb. Dan Shapiro: “For Netanyahu, one of the hardest parts of getting ready to meet Trump has to be the unpredictability and instability of this administration. Think about it: who thought that within a month, and before meeting Bibi, Trump would walk back on moving the embassy and warn on settlements? Israeli legalization bill and settlement announcements contributed, but Trump still went much farther than expected, esp to Israel Hayom. Tillerson is a new face, and the most familiar & friendly of faces, Elliott Abrams, was poised to be named Dep Sec, until Trump tanked him. That doesn’t even touch what Trump plans for warming ties with Putin, and the implications it could have for Israel‘s interests in Syria & Iran… if you’re Netanyahu, how do you work with this?” [Twitter]

“Why Trump’s Love Affair With Netanyahu Won’t Last” by Aaron David Miller: “To the surprise of many, myself included, his administration has issued a statement on Israeli settlements that would have been recognizable and acceptable to its predecessors. It’s hardly a James Baker-like blast on the settlements enterprise, and I’d bet that it was cleared with the Israelis. But it did caution Israel not to build new settlements or expand existing ones beyond their current borders… What matters is this: In the past, when you put Netanyahu, the peace process and the U.S. in the same sentence, things usually got messy, awkward, and unpleasant and they rarely worked out… I’m betting that within a year or so—and it might not take that long—Trump and Netanyahu will be annoying the hell out of one another.” [PoliticoMag] 

“Bibi and Donald” by Elliott Abrams: “White House officials knew what they were doing here (with statement on settlements), but did not seem (in my conversations with them) to have had Israeli domestic politics in mind. Yet these statements constructed a sort of shelter for Netanyahu, who had been pulled right since the Trump victory…. Expect a terrific visit. Warm remarks. Hugs. Firm commitments. And then, back to work “studying” and “thinking” about the same intractable problems that have faced American and Israeli officials for decades.” [TWS]

OVER THE WEEKEND: “Trump Overrules Tillerson, Rejecting Elliott Abrams for Deputy Secretary of State” by Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Weisman and Eric Lichtblau: “The deputy’s job was denied for Elliott Abrams… deals a blow to Mr. Tillerson in his first week on the job. The rejection of Mr. Abrams leaves Mr. Tillerson without a sherpa to help guide the first-time government official around the State Department headquarters. Mr. Trumphad a productive meeting with Mr. Abrams on Tuesday, according to a White House official and a person close to Mr. Abrams. But after it took place, Mr. Trump learned of Mr. Abrams’s pointed criticisms of the president when he was running for president, the administration official said… Mr. Tillerson had argued strongly for Mr. Abrams. So had Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and a senior adviser. Senator Tom Cotton… and some members of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, had been reaching out to Democratic senators to impress upon them the importance of Mr. Abrams receiving Senate confirmation.” [NYTimes; CNN] 

“US blocks Palestinian from leading UN mission in Libya” by Edith Lederer: “U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the Trump administration “was disappointed” to see that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sent a letter to the Security Council indicating his intention to appoint Salam Fayyad, who served as the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister from 2007-2013, as the next U.N. special representative to Libya. “For too long the U.N. has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel,” Haley said.” [AP] 

“UN Erupts in an Uproar After Trump Vetoes High Post For Ex-Premier of ‘Palestine’” by Benny Avni: “Naming “Palestine” as Mr. Fayyad’s state of origin is crucial. Never before had a person from a country that is not a full United Nations member been named to such high post… American officials, as well as their Israeli counterparts, sensed that Mr. Guterres’ move was yet another step in the Palestinian Authority’s strategy of gaining world recognition through creeping UN acceptance.” [NYSun] • Netanyahu Confirms He Objected to Salam Fayyad’s UN Appointment [Haaretz] 

Martin Indyk‏: “Blocking Salam Fayyad & Elliott Abrams in one day are two of the most ANTI-Israel decisions Trump could take. Crazy.” [Twitter] 

“UN Chief Offered Israeli Lawmaker Tzipi Livni a Senior Role” by Yossi Verter: “Over the weekend, Livni (Hatnua-Zionist Union) received a phone call from UN Chief Antonio Guterres, who offered her the position of under-secretary-general… Officials in the UN see the offer as a deal: The U.S. will take back its opposition to the pick of former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as head of the UN mission to Libya, and in return Livni’s appointment will be greenlit.” [Haaretz] 

ON THE HILL: “Senate to move on Friedman nomination for Israel ambassador” by Burgess Everett: “The Senate will move forward [this] week on the nomination of David Friedman to be ambassador to Israel, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced on Saturday afternoon. Friedman, a conservative orthodox attorney, will be one of the first non-Cabinet level nominees to move through the Senate. After his confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Feb. 16, Friedman could be confirmed shortly thereafter if there’s bipartisan cooperation.” [Politico] 

HEARD YESTERDAY IN NYC – Democratic House Members, Reps. Yvette Clarke, Eliot Engel, Adriano Espaillat, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney and Tom Suozzi addressed JCRC-NY’s Congressional Breakfast at the offices of the UJA-Federation of New York in Manhattan.

Highlights — Engel on the Iran deal: “I don’t believe that canceling the deal now is the right thing to do because Iran has stolen money and laughed all the way to the bank and yet the restrictions that we have imposed on Iran have not yet been carried out. I want to make sure that Iran lives up to every obligation it’s supposed to live up to under this deal.”

Engel on Jerusalem embassy: “I believe in moving the embassy to Jerusalem because Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. I don’t accept the fact that people say, ‘Well, you know if you move the embassy, it’s going to cause problems.’ Too bad. No one is suggesting that the embassy be moved to East Jerusalem. The part of Jerusalem that it would be moved to wouldn’t be far from the Knesset and is a part that has always been Israel since its founding in 1948, and will be Israel if and when there will be a peace agreement with the Palestinians. The fact of the matter is, every other country in the world declares where its capital is, except for Israel, and I am tired of it.”

Jeffries on strengthening Democratic support for Israel: “All of us can spend more time talking about how progressive a society – on the domestic front – Israel is today because I think that quite naturally is something that would appeal to a lot of progressives within the DemocraticParty, and it has the benefit of happening to be true. It is not what we would call alternative facts (laughter)… Israel is a very progressive society, and progressives should embrace and acknowledge that fact.” … “I think we’re going to have to be supportive when the relationship between Israel and the U.S. is advanced by the Trump Administration, but also be critical when necessary.”

Suozzi: “We Democrats from New York need to a better job of communicating with our fellow Democrats throughout the country about the importance of this relationship.” [JewishInsider] 

TRUMP TUMULT: “Confrontation vs conformists in the White House” by Mike Allen: “The conformists — Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, economic adviser Gary Cohn, General Mattis, Secretary Tillerson — would simply call themselves the realists. They think needless confrontation is killing the president’s standing overseas and on Capitol Hill… But Jared and Ivanka will outlast everyone. Many Republicans think the two will recognize the damage to Trump‘s brand and their own — and help engineer a return to a more conventional West Wing.” [Axios]

“Mike Flynn’s Position as National Security Adviser Grows Tenuous in White House” by Carol Lee, Shane Harris and Peter Nicholas: “Mr. Trump’s views toward the matter aren’t clear. In recent days, he has privately told people the controversy surrounding Mr. Flynn is unwelcome… But Mr. Trump also has said he has confidence in Mr. Flynn and wants to “keep moving forward,” a person familiar with his thinking said. Close Trump adviser Steve Bannon had dinner with Mr. Flynn over the weekend, according to another senior administration official, and Mr. Bannon’s view is to keep him in the position but “be ready” to let him go… Jared Kushner, as of Sunday evening hadn’t yet weighed in, the official said.” [WSJ]

Bret Stephens: “The smart move for the WH: Sack Flynn; replace him with Bolton.” [Twitter]

“Turmoil at the National Security Council, From the Top Down” by David Sanger, Eric Schmitt and Peter Baker: “Last week, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was exploring whether the Navy could intercept and board an Iranian ship to look for contraband weapons possibly headed to Houthi fighters in Yemen. The potential interdiction seemed in keeping with recent instructions from Mr. Trump, reinforced in meetings with Mr. Mattis and Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, to crack down on Iran’s support of terrorism. But the ship was in international waters in the Arabian Sea, according to two officials. Mr. Mattis ultimately decided to set the operation aside, at least for now. White House officials said that was because news of the impending operation leaked, a threat to security that has helped fuel the move for the insider threat program. But others doubt whether there was enough basis in international law, and wondered what would happen if, in the early days of an administration that has already seen one botched military action in Yemen, American forces were suddenly in a firefight with the Iranian Navy.” [NYTimes] 

“Gary Cohn Has Emerged as an Economic-Policy Powerhouse in TrumpAdministration” by Nick Timiraos, Michael Bender and Damian Paletta: “Washington and Wall Street are waiting to see how Mr. Cohn carves up the policy portfolio with the 54-year-old [Steve] Mnuchin at Treasury… White House officials dismiss talk of any budding rivalry, and the two men were seen lunching together last week in the White House’s mess hall. “I’m talking to Steve two, three times a day,” Mr. Cohn said. “I’m working as well with him as I can in what he’s allowed to do under the statutes and not being sworn in yet. I’m convinced we’ll work even better when he’s sworn in.”” [WSJ] 

— “Cohn collaborates frequently with Mr. Kushner … Along with Mr. Kushner and … Ivanka Trump, Mr. Cohn recently helped persuade the president not to pursue an executive order that would have rolled back rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.” [NYTimes]

MEDIA WATCH: “When a Pillar of the Fourth Estate Rests on a Trump-Murdoch Axis” by Jim Rutenberg: “His coziness with the president is not a given. “I’m a little surprised that Rupert seems as well disposed to Trump as he is,” said William Kristol, a conservative Trump critic who co-founded The Weekly Standard under the auspices of News Corp., which sold it in 2009. “Especially on trade and immigration, he was what Trump’s people call ‘a globalist.’ He may be one of the four most prominent globalists in the world.” Stephen K. Bannon, a Trumpadviser, made a similar observation in an interview with the media writer Michael Wolff shortly after the election, saying, “Rupert is a globalist and never understood Trump.” True, Mr. Murdoch — a longtime free-trade and immigration advocate — did not initially rally behind Mr. Trump and practically begged Michael Bloomberg to enter the race, on Twitter.” [NYTimes] 

SPOTLIGHT: “Trump Sons Forge Ahead Without Father, Expanding and Navigating Conflicts” by Eric Lipton and Susanne Craig: ““I was the first person to raise my hand and say you should not do certain deals, as I understood the optics, as you can’t build the tallest building in Tel Aviv and try to negotiate peace in the Middle East,” Eric [Trump] said. He estimated that the company had canceled a billion dollars’ worth of deals — although this estimate could not be confirmed independently.” [NYTimes] 

DNC WATCH: “Bill de Blasio: Keith Ellison Supports the Jewish Community, Israel” by Jacob Kornbluh: “He has fought anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia all as one continuous struggle,” de Blasio said as he introduced the Minnesota Congressman at a Jewish Rally for Refugees, organized by HIAS, a global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees. “He understands and supports the Jewish community, and he supports the Jewish homeland, the state of Israel.” In his remarks, Ellison blasted the Trump Administration for omitting any mention of Jews in the President’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day statement. “They don’t even want to put Jews in the statement,” he said. “How are we going to exclude Jewish people from Holocaust Memorial Day and then defend it by saying, ‘Well, you know, other people suffered too’? That was their answer. The reality is, we know who the primary target and victim of the Holocaust was and we will never forget it. We will stand with you every single day to remind them of it, and we will understand that an attack on one is an attack on all.” [JewishInsider] • D.N.C. Contenders Agree on One Thing: Resistance to Trump [NYT]

** Good Monday Morning! Enjoying the Daily Kickoff? Please share us with your friends & tell them to sign up at [JI]. Have a tip, scoop, or op-ed? We’d love to hear from you. Anything from hard news and punditry to the lighter stuff, including event coverage, job transitions, or even special birthdays, is much appreciated. Email [email protected] **

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Bistricer’s Clipper Realty debuts on NYSE [RealDeal] • Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz dishes out $40M for Greenwich Lane penthouse [NYPost] • Media tycoon Richard Desmond starts £1bn Docklands regeneration [EveningStandard] • James Tisch’s epic explanation for why he’s reluctant to buy back stock or acquire companies [Yahoo] 

“Adelson spokesman on withdrawal from stadium project: Raiders were ‘picking his pocket’” by Richard N. Velotta: “(Adelson) was willing to share revenues and make it financially mutually beneficial, but they were picking his pocket,” [Andy] Abboud said. “I think that they felt they were asking to be entitled to revenue streams and things that simply made the deal unworkable. It was never about the financial return for the Adelsons, but the Adelson family wasn’t going to have their pocket picked, by the Raiders or by the NFL or anybody.” [LVReviewJournal]

TALK OF THE TOWN:“Orthodox soup kitchen loses donors after director helps Yemeni neighbors” by Josefin Dolsten: “Alexander Rapaport… who runs a network of kosher soup kitchens, helped organize a communal show of support last week for a local Yemeni-owned bodega in reaction to President Donald Trump’s executive order… Not everyone was happy about the gesture. “I received your solicitation letter in the mail along with this phone number,” read a text message he received Wednesday. “After seeing, though, that you protested President Trump’s executive order, and thus shamefully sided with those who are putting American lives in danger, I am no longer able to donate to your organization.” [ToI]

“Preparing My Kids for the New America” by Sayed Kashua: ““Listen up, kids,” I told them, as though conducting an army drill. “When I give the signal, you start doing an American Midwestern accent.” They sounded like locals to me. In other words, they sounded pure white to a Middle Eastern ear. “Very good,” I said. “And if someone should, even so, detect an accent and ask where you’re from?” “We’ll tell him we’re from Jerusalem,” my elder son replied. My daughter, who is the firstborn child, made a face. “Really, dad, we’ve been through this a million times.” Still, I forged ahead according to protocol. “And if it’s a sharp American who knows that there’s East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem, and asks which part of the city you’re from?” “We’ll try to check out his politics as best we can, and then decide whether we’re from the eastern or western part of the city,” my daughter said. “Excellent. And if you discover he doesn’t like either Jews or Arabs?” “We’ll say we’re from Jerusalem in Yates County, New York State,” the two children replied, correctly. My younger son didn’t have to take part in the drill. He’s in preschool, speaks only English, and thinks he’s as American as the next kid. He’ll be fine, because we haven’t yet told him that he’s a Muslim.” [NewYorker] 

TALK OF OUR NATION: “Dormant for five centuries, Jewish life in Italy’s far south is stirring” by S. D’I. and Eresmus: “Last month, the Roman Catholic authorities in Palermo decided to cede part of a church, built on what once was a medieval synagogue, to Jewish believers. The move was perceived as a significant, if long-overdue, gesture of reconciliation, coming some 500 years after the Spanish edict of expulsion. Mr Palazzolo says the community is gradually gaining not only in numbers but in confidence that it can withstand social pressure. “We are slowly coming back home,” he says.” [Economist]

SPORTS BLINK: “11-strong NFL stars’ trip to Israel now down to seven” by Jessica Steinberg: “Bennett’s brother Martellus, of the New England Patriots, has also reportedly pulled out of the trip. On Saturday, Denver Broncos’s Forsett retweeted Bennett’s letter with a post saying: “For those who are wondering I will not be on this trip to Israel.”… The trip was planned by the Ministry for Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry and America’s Voices in Israel, an initiative of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations… But Bennett pulled out after reading comments about the trip made by Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin…” [ToI] 

BIRTHDAYS: Senior US Senator from Connecticut, elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016, previously Attorney General of Connecticut (1991 to 2011), Richard Blumenthal turns 71… Internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Zynga, maker of online social games, Mark Pincus turns 51… Rabbi and Talmudic scholar, also emeritus professor of economics at New York University, closely identified with the Austrian school of economic thought, Yisroel Mayer Kirzner turns 87… Television, film and stage actor, popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles such as Ship of Fools (1965), and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), George Segal turns 83… Professor at American Jewish University in Los Angeles and scholar of biblical literature and Semitic languages, Ziony Zevit turns 75… Host of the tabloid talk show “The Jerry Springer Show” since its debut in 1991, former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Jerry Springer turns 73… Newsweek columnist specializing in US intelligence, military and foreign policy issues, previously national security editor for Congressional Quarterly, Jeff Stein turns 73 (h/t Playbook)… Professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto, author of “‘I Did Not Know You Were Jewish’ and Other Things Not to Say,” Ivan Kalmar turns 69… Executive vice chairman emeritus of United Israel Appeal, formerly CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom, Rabbi Daniel R. Allen turns 68…

Ukrainian billionaire, previously president of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, Ihor Kolomoyskyi turns 54… Amy Sobo turns 54… President and CEO of the congressionally chartered National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, professor at GWU Law School, nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Jeffrey Rosen turns 53 (h/t Playbook)… Retired Israeli soccer player, he made 89 international appearances for Israel and won eight league championships, more than any other Israeli player, Alon Harazi turns 46… Wall Street Journal reporter covering the auto industry, focusing on safety, regulation, litigation and government investigations, Mike Spector turns 36 (h/t Playbook)… Executive director of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (chaired by Congressman Steve Israel), formerly communications director for Steve Israel, Samantha Ariel Slater turns 34 (h/t Playbook)… Former senior speechwriter for Treasury Secretaries Geithner and Lew (2010-2017) and speechwriter for Senator Frank Lautenberg (2008-2010), Mark Cohen… Dallas native and graduate from SMU, Government and Public Affairs Associate at ECA Strategies, Alejandra Aguirre… Norman Gardner… Jonathan Neuman… Pamela Brown… Arlene Milrad… Grandmother of Aryeh, Gabby, Noam, Alex and Daniella, among others, Esther Dickman (yesterday)…

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