Daily Kickoff
👋 Good Monday morning and Happy Hanukkah!
In a statement marking Hanukkah, President Joe Biden said, “At its core, Hanukkah recounts a story at the heart of the human spirit – one that is inherently Jewish and undeniably American. It commemorates how even the most fragile flame can sustain a tradition and nourish the soul of a people. It teaches us that even a little bit of light, wherever it is found, can dispel the darkness and illuminate a path forward. And it reminds us that whether it is the Holy Temple in Jerusalem or the temple of our democracy, nothing broken or profaned is beyond repair.”
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff was on hand and spoke at the lighting of the National Menorah on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. The annual lighting, produced by American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), was tied this year to the “Shine a Light” campaign that aims to draw attention to rising antisemitism. Later in the evening, Emhoff shared a photo of himself and Vice President Kamala Harris lighting a menorah at their residence.
U.S. newspapers began their Hanukkah coverage over the weekend. In The Washington Post, Michelle Boorstein explores the origins of Hanukkah amid rising antisemitism against Jewish communities, while The New York Times spotlights efforts — which sometimes fall short — by major retailers to appeal to Jewish customers during the holiday season.
Tributes have poured in praising the work and influence of Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who died on Friday at age 91. Sondheim, who is credited with reimagining the Broadway musical, was remembered for such iconic works as “Sunday in the Park with George” and the lyrics to “West Side Story.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides arrived in Jerusalem today to begin his posting. “After my first trip to Israel, I wrote in my local newspaper that “the moment I put my feet on the ground, I had a feeling which I will never forget.” Landing today in Israel to be U.S. Ambassador is another moment I’ll never forget,” he posted alongside a video on Twitter.
The student government at the University of Toronto passed two anti-Israel measures last week, including one that allowed for kosher food on campus to come only from catering companies that “do not normalize Israeli apartheid.” University President Meric Gertler said in a statement to the campus community that the motions “are specifically focused on Israel in a way that is troubling to many members of the community” and that he’d be following up with the student group.
quiet diplomacy
Israel’s dilemma as negotiations resume on Iran’s nuclear program

The chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami (R) and Iran’s Governor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Kazem Gharib Abadi at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria on September 20, 2021.
As diplomats return to Vienna this week to resume negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, Israel faces a strategic dilemma: Ramp up the rhetoric that, in the past, has put it at odds with its closest allies; or find a quieter, more polite, way to work within the renewed diplomatic push and perhaps achieve a more acceptable outcome than the deal negotiated with Iran in 2015. Thus far, Israel’s new government, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — who met with President Joe Biden following the most recent round of talks in August — seems to be adopting the latter approach, a clear departure from the combative and divisive tone of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But, as the new round of talks begin, Israel could once again find itself on a collision course with major world powers, including the United States, Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash reports.
Public diplomacy: “I believe and consider the relationship between Israel and U.S. as the cornerstone of our national security, and it is [in] our interest to be coordinated with the administration and with Europe,” Israel’s former Defense Minister and former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon told Jewish Insider in a recent interview. “There might be disputes but those should be discussed indoors, not publicly.” Yaalon, who held various positions in Netanyahu’s cabinet, slammed the former leader for using the Iranian nuclear issue for “political interests” and for openly meddling in internal U.S. politics – most notably Netanyahu’s controversial 2015 speech to a joint session of Congress in which he publicly opposed the Obama administration’s efforts to secure the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
‘Tremendous mistake’: “I did not like it at the time — the whole idea of an Israeli prime minister intervening in U.S. politics,” Yaalon said. “We should work to keep the bipartisan relationship and though I was not then serving in any official capacity, it was Netanyahu who pushed [President Donald] Trump to withdraw [from the nuclear deal in 2018].” “The JCPOA was a historic mistake, but the withdrawal from it was even worse,” said Yaalon. “At least in 2015, we had an international coalition; the P5+1 voted together in the U.N. Security Council. But by withdrawing and going alone, the U.S. lost Europe, Russia and China. It was a tremendous mistake.”
New approach: There are signs that Israel’s new leaders also recognize the flaws in the previous government’s public approach, keeping their criticisms of the Biden administration’s diplomatic strategy under the radar. Speaking last week at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University in Herzliya, Bennett alluded to a reevaluation, saying, “We need to look at what we’ve accomplished and examine if we need to recalibrate this vast effort. And the answer, if we look openly and reasonably, is yes.” At the same event, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who will travel to the United States in the coming weeks, said a diplomatic solution on Iran was “preferable.” But, he added, “the use of force should be on the table.” He urged the world to “add a ‘Plan B’ to the diplomatic option.”