Daily Kickoff
👋 Good Monday morning!
The “Negev Summit,” a gathering hosted by Israel of the foreign ministers of six nations — Israel, the U.S., the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt — kicked off in Sde Boker on Sunday and carried into Monday morning.
The summit comes as Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning.
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who attended the history-making summit, also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday.
Two Israeli Border Police officers were killed Sunday night in a terror attack, later claimed by ISIS, in Hadera, Israel. Two attackers were subsequently shot and killed by off-duty counter-terrorism officers who happened to be in a restaurant nearby. The shooting, which occurred as summit leaders were getting ready to meet, was the fourth attack in several weeks across Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid addressed the attack at the conclusion of the Negev meeting, telling the gathered ministers, “Shortly after this attack, Islamic Jihad and Hamas praised it. They declared that it was a response to the Negev Summit that we are holding here. The terrorists’ goal is to intimidate us. To make us afraid to meet and build the relationships and agreements between us. They will not succeed. We will not let them.”
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister, referenced the attack during the conclusion of his remarks at the summit. “It’s by us standing together, it’s by our people-to-people relationship, it’s by creating a better environment for our businesses to work together. That’s the way we can go after the narrative of hate, of incitement, of terror. We will prevail, no doubt about it.”
Our eJewishPhilanthropy colleagues report today and tomorrow from Palm Beach, Fla., where the first in-person Jewish Funders Network conference since the start of the COVID pandemic is taking place. The impact of the pandemic looms large over the three-day meeting.
In an address at the plenary session of the conference, JFN CEO Andrés Spokoiny focused on “a crisis… of potentially devastating consequences,” born of the pandemic, in the Jewish community. He called for Jews to unite around areas of broad consensus — what he called “a coalition of the sane” — when it comes to Jewish advocacy and the fight against antisemitism.
For more updates on the conference, sign up for eJP’s Your Daily Phil newsletter here.
Sunshine Aspirations
Jared Moskowitz wants to succeed Ted Deutch in South Florida

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Coral Springs, speaks against the parental trigger bill on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday, April 4, 2013, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.
Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz, the first and so far only Democratic candidate to enter the race for the 22nd Congressional District seat, is eager to cast himself as Rep. Ted Deutch’s (D-FL) natural successor, pledging to carry on two of the South Florida congressman’s top issues — Mideast policy and gun control, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Background: “Serving at the federal level is something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Moskowitz told JI in a recent interview. “With the challenges we’re facing as a country, both internally and externally, I want to be in the room helping make those decisions for my community in the state of Florida and the country.” Prior to his current post, the 41-year-old Moskowitz represented Coral Springs in the Florida House and was the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management from January 2019 to April 2021.
Line of attack: Should other Democrats enter the race, Moskowitz is likely to face scrutiny and criticism for his ties to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who appointed him to his roles at Emergency Management and the Broward County Commission — already a source of suspicion for some Democrats. Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), who endorsed Moskowitz, lauded his Democratic credentials, saying he should be “judged on his performance, his record, his beliefs. And there’s nothing more dangerous than guilt by association” saying he has “not… even a remote concern.”
Running deep: Moskowitz, whose father was prominent attorney, Democratic fundraiser and AIPAC activist Michael Moskowitz, said he grew up “in Democratic diapers.” Moskowitz’s family history also plays a central role in the aspiring congressman’s support for Israel. Several of his ancestors were killed in Auschwitz or in pogroms in Poland, and his grandmother and great-aunt were both part of the Kindertransport out of Germany. “When I was young, my parents wanted me to understand the history of the Holocaust and why it was important, and then transitioning into why Israel was so important to have a Jewish state because of what had happened,” he said.
In action: Moskowitz rattled off a long record of pro-Israel policies from throughout his time in elected office, including serving as a lead sponsor of Florida’s anti-BDS legislation, a resolution condemning UNESCO’s posture toward Israel and a resolution in support of former FBI agent Bob Levinson, who was held captive by Iran. He also traveled to Israel with DeSantis in 2019, signing a Memorandum of Understanding with an Israeli counterpart during the visit. “[Israel] is not an issue that I just started caring about because I’m running for Congress, unlike some other people who may jump into this race,” he said. “This is something that’s been part of my fabric — this is something that Ted Deutch and I have been talking about since I was 20 years old.”
Stamp of approval: Although he has not endorsed Moskowitz, Deutch — who was tapped to lead the American Jewish Committee following the retirement of outgoing CEO David Harris later this year — praised the congressional hopeful in a statement to JI. “The U.S.-Israel relationship is personal to Jared, and he understands the importance of standing up and speaking out in support of Israel,” Deutch said. “I’m honored that he turns to me for guidance on these issues that matter so deeply to my constituents.”
Quotable: “When I mean I’m going up there and [Israel] is one of my core issues, it’s not just to have a voting record. It is to be that outspoken voice,” Moskowitz continued. “There are big shoes to fill with Ted Deutch. No one is going to fill those shoes on day one. But I think I’m most positioned and poised to fill those shoes in due time.”