Daily Kickoff
👋 Good Thursday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we profile State Department spokesperson Ned Price, and interview Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs about her recent victory. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sen. Marco Rubio, Amb. Deborah Lipstadt and Ronald Brownstein.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will receive a classified briefing this morning on Iran, the day after the Islamic republic was expelled from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
The U.N. vote, which was prompted by the U.S., was supported by 29 other states. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield argued that the vote sends a message to the Iranian regime “that we will hold them accountable” and a message of support to Iranian women.
A bipartisan group of 14 House members spanning the ideological spectrum sent a letter to the State Department Wednesday morning supporting the effort. The letter calls on the administration “to use every possible mechanism to hold the regime accountable.”
But some argued that the U.N. needs to go further. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley called the largely symbolic vote “the bare minimum the U.N. can do.”
In a farewell speech on the House floor yesterday, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), said she is “even more concerned today about the rising frequency and pervasiveness of antisemitism” than she was when she made her first floor speech, which addressed antisemitism. Antisemitism “has even reared its head among our colleagues in this own chamber in the form of claims of dual loyalty to those who show support for Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East,” Luria added.
the price is…
Ned Price leans into his Jewish values
Any given night, one might find State Department spokesperson Ned Price at a diplomatic reception around Washington. One Wednesday evening this past September, Price was among the guests at Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog’s Georgetown residence for a Rosh Hashanah reception. A group of partygoers was playing the whispered parlor game that takes place among Jewish politicos in the nation’s capital regarding personnel in presidential administrations. It’s a simple question: Is so-and-so official Jewish? “Several people were wondering whether Ned Price was Jewish. I said I might be able to find out,” Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), recalled to Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch. So he did what Chabad rabbis learn early in their training: He went up to Price and simply asked.
Speaking out: Price took up his position to great fanfare in January 2021, when he made history as the first openly gay person to serve in that role. But he didn’t require a Senate confirmation, and as a spokesperson, his job is to explain the U.S. government’s position on global challenges, and not to speak about his personal life. So it’s no surprise that Price hadn’t previously spoken about his Jewish faith in any public forum.
American emissary: An emissary from Washington to the world, Price, who is 40 years old, is one of the most visible faces of America’s foreign policy. His professional journey to Foggy Bottom began with his time as a CIA analyst, but he traces his devotion to public service — and the ideals that he holds dearest — to his Jewish upbringing. The son of a Jewish father and a Christian mother, Price grew up exposed to multiple faith traditions. He attended a private Episcopalian high school and went on to college at Georgetown, a Jesuit university. (It was watching smoke billow above the Pentagon from a Georgetown rooftop on 9/11 that led him to pursue a career at the CIA.) Price identifies as Jewish.
Emphasizing empathy: “When I think back on what propels me and what motivates me, at the end of the day, it’s public service, and I think that is more than a political thing,” Price explained to JI during a recent conversation in his Foggy Bottom office. “I think it is also a drive that is rooted in a sense of values and a sense of principles that really come from every faith tradition to which I’ve been exposed to any degree, certainly from the Jewish faith, the emphasis — and especially in the congregation [Temple Emanu-El in Dallas] that I attended growing up — on the marginalized, a tradition that emphasizes empathy, a tradition that emphasizes service.”
Israel on the job: One of Price’s early overseas trips was to Israel, where he went as a 12-year-old before his bar mitzvah. He’s since been back several times in the course of his career. “You can read about 1948, 1967 and 1973, and the First and Second Intifada, but I don’t think you can fully understand the complexity of it until you go there, you see the small space that is at the heart of these questions, to see the passion that is at the heart of the emotions that you hear from the Israelis and Palestinians,” said Price. That passion intimidated him when he first got behind the lectern. “When I first started in this job, I would go to extraordinary lengths not to talk about it,” he said of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “There are few issues where words are parsed as finely as when it comes to this particular issue.”
hobbs at the helm
Katie Hobbs warns of ‘toxic’ political climate as she prepares to lead Arizona
Katie Hobbs, the governor-elect of Arizona, gave a stark assessment of the current political landscape in an interview with Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel on Wednesday, describing a climate “more daunting” than she has “ever experienced” amid rampant election denialism that has “continued to stoke threats and harassment” against officials. “It’s really a toxic environment,” said Hobbs, the outgoing secretary of state, who received hundreds of death threats over the course of the midterms.
Voters’ choice: But the newly elected Democrat, who won by more than 17,000 votes, still voiced a triumphant note as she prepares to assume office in just a few weeks — notwithstanding her far-right opponent, the former TV news anchor Kari Lake, who recently filed a lawsuit challenging the election results. “That being said,” Hobbs, 52, explained, “I think that voters sent a strong message, not just in Arizona but across the country, that they want leaders who are going to walk away from that and focus on the issues that really matter.” Even as political observers had questioned her campaign strategy during the general election, which ranked among the most bruising of the midterms, Hobbs said she was always confident about her prospects. “I understand people’s concern,” said Hobbs, who faced scrutiny for refusing to participate in televised debates, among other unorthodox tactics. “They were really scared about the outcome of this election.”
Leaders leading: Speaking with JI, Hobbs suggested that her Republican rival had shown she was unfit for Arizona’s top job when she posed with a Nazi sympathizer and endorsed an Oklahoma state Senate candidate who had claimed “the Jews” are evidence that “evil exists,” among other bigoted comments. “It is not leadership to stand by and not speak out against antisemitic rhetoric or other actions,” Hobbs argued, adding that it is “incumbent upon anyone” to disavow hate — not least a candidate for statewide office. “That obviously doesn’t necessarily change behavior,” she clarified. “But it’s really important for leaders to set that kind of tone.”
Water woes: Hobbs said the issues she hears about from Arizona voters are “pretty common,” and “don’t necessarily stay within the boundaries of religion or race or even party.” One issue “that’s specific to the Jewish community is support for Israel,” she went on. “It is an important relationship for the United States, and Arizona has a really special relationship with Israel. We have a trade office there. For me, it’s really important to continue that support.” For Hobbs, one area of mutual interest is addressing Arizona’s worsening water crisis through such measures as desalination, a technology developed by Israel. “I know the current governor has gone to Israel several times looking at that technology,” she said of Gov. Doug Ducey, a term-limited Republican. “Looking to innovation in places like Israel is going to be really important to securing our water future here in Arizona,” Hobbs said.
on the hill
Senate Republicans call for Abu Akleh investigation to ‘be closed immediately’
Eight Senate Republicans wrote to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice on Wednesday urging them to shut down the FBI’s investigation of the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Background: A previous Israeli investigation of the Palestinian-American reporter’s death in the West Bank during an Israeli military operation found that she had likely been unintentionally killed by the Israeli Defense Forces. The U.S. informed Israeli officials last month that the FBI had opened a new investigation into the case, sparking outrage from some Republican lawmakers.
Damage Control: “This misguided investigation into the IDF, which the DOJ and FBI have no jurisdiction over, must be closed immediately before further harm comes to our bilateral relationship with Israel,” the letter, led by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) reads. “We are dismayed the DOJ and FBI are seeking to disregard Israeli sovereignty by inserting itself into an investigation which has concluded and which U.S. officials participated in,” it continues. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Mike Braun (R-IN), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and James Lankford (R-OK) also signed onto the letter.
Partisan divide: Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for the new investigative effort. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) told JI last month that, “If [the administration] made that determination [to open an investigation], then obviously it’s a pursuit of whatever the information is to come to a conclusion,” but also described the Israeli investigation as “rather transparent.”
🇶🇦 Qatar Question: In the wake of the arrests of E.U. officials who received bribes from Qatar, Seth Frantzman, writing in The Jerusalem Post, questions how the Gulf state’s influence could impact global relations with Israel. “In the past, countries in the Middle East that were anti-Israel would try to mobilize voices in the West, either at universities or policymaking groups, to spread anti-Israel messages. There has been a confluence of this in the US in the past, where it has now become apparent that some influential foreign policy voices have become overly sympathetic toward Russia, Iran and other adversaries. Is critique of Israel authentic if it is being bankrolled by a foreign power in the Middle East, via support for human rights groups or other NGOs that then print up anti-Israel reports? We may never know the full extent of the how and why of the sudden appearance of some long detailed glossy reports that slam Israel, or who funds some conferences or trade unions that suddenly want to boycott Israel, but the scandal in Europe may provide a hint as to how this could happen.” [JPost]
⚽ Soccer Stars: CNN’s Don Riddell and Celine Alkhaldi look at how Morocco’s Cinderella run at the World Cup — ended by last night’s 2-0 loss to France — has reeenergized the region, which for the last decade has been plagued by conflict and economic troubles. “It’s a feel-good vibe which has spread far beyond the stadiums and streets of Qatar, and which is at odds with a more common narrative in an Arab world riddled with growing youth unemployment, ballooning inflation, rising poverty rates and political violence. It’s ‘a source of joy for a region that’s been marred by violence and upheaval,’ Samia Errazzouki, a PhD candidate in Northwest African history at UC Davis, told CNN. ‘I think this moment of joy resonates with everyone who is downtrodden.’ Morocco’s success has also breathed new life into a once-lost identity, as people from across the Arab world celebrated the team’s victories. ‘People had said that Arab nationalism was dead, we’re not united anymore,’ said [North African football expert Maher] Mezahi. ‘The Olympics, Algeria’s run in the 2014 World Cup, and especially now this, as trivial of a notion as it seems, it exists, and we’re seeing it manifest in real time.’” [CNN]
👨🍳 Dubai Dish:The New York Times’ Seth Sherwood explores Dubai’s thriving culinary scene, which takes inspiration from around the world but also spotlights local chefs. “‘Things have evolved so much,’ said Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of Michelin guides, whose undercover inspectors began scouring Dubai in 2017. ‘There’s been a real explosion in the culinary scene.’ Credit goes partly to the emirate’s luxury hotels, which have long jockeyed to sign deals with Western and Asian boldface chefs — Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, Heinz Beck, Bjorn Frantzen, Nobu Matsuhisa — and many top 2022 gastronomic prizes were claimed by hotel kitchens serving Continental cuisine: Stay by Yannick Alléno, Massimo Bottura’s Torno Subito, Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm. But the more impressive story is the surge of excellent homegrown establishments, like 3 Fils and Tresind Studio, whose chefs and owners actually carry an Emirati passport or residency card.” [NYTimes]
🎓 Campus Beat: The Wall Street Journal’s Douglas Belkin spotlights the rise in antisemitism on college campuses. “College campuses have long hosted heated debates about the Israel-Palestinian conflict. But now, students say anti-Jewish antagonism is on the rise: Antisemitic incidents have increased, and a growing number of campus groups bar students who support Israel from speaking or joining… Students at schools including the University of Vermont, Wellesley College and DePaul University have ejected Jewish students who support Israel from clubs and study groups, according to interviews with affected students. Students at Tufts University, University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles tried to prevent Jewish classmates from serving in student government or attempted to remove them from positions in student government because of their support of Israel, according to students, administrators and campus news reports.” [WSJ]
🎙️ Brownstein’s Beat: The Washington Post’s Perry Bacon, Jr. interviews L.A.-based journalist Ronald Brownstein, a columnist for The Atlantic and CNN and a fixture on the cable news networks, who takes a broader and more all-encompassing approach to political reporting. “‘In D.C., everything is very tactical. The coin of the realm is knowledge of the tactics… But the way in which political actors intersect with the trajectory of change in the country is more important than which ad you put on,’ Brownstein told me. Brownstein has spent most of his career in Washington, but he moved to the Los Angeles area in 2014 and says that has helped his reporting. ‘I’m not only trying to learn what the party’s strategies are, I’m giving those strategies a stress test through my own understanding of how the country is changing,’ he said. ‘It makes it less necessary to be in Washington.’” [WashPost]
Around the Web
👎 Rapping the Rapporteur: Ambs. Deborah Lipstadt and Michèle Taylor, respectively the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism and the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, condemned a recently unearthed Facebook post from a U.N. special rapporteur that alleged a “Jewish lobby” had “subjugated” the U.S.
📃 Gaping Hole: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ forthcoming report on Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement omits mention of Tehran supplying drones to Russia, which the U.S. and some European powers argue violates a U.N. Security Council resolution backing the agreement.
🕎 Getting Lit: This Sunday’s football game between the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants, which falls on the first night of Hanukkah, will include a public menorah lighting with representatives from CTeen International and Chabad of Maryland.
📰 Press Push:Politico, which was acquired by Axel Springer last year, plans to expand into California and London, and bring on 150 new employees.
💪 Fighting Hate:The Huffington Postprovides suggestions — including learning about the history of antisemitism and encouraging Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs to include antisemitism education — for how to counter the recent rise in antisemitism.
⚠️ Emhoff’s Warning: In a new video released with ATTN:, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff warns of an “epidemic of hate” in which “antisemitism is on the rise all over the world, including right here in the United States.”
🌭 Bad Taste: A U.K. caterer is under fire for a menu that promoted vegetarian “Anne Frankfurter” hot dogs.
🍩 Fried Feast: BBC Travel spotlights the isfenğ, a medieval Andalusian dish similar to sufganiyot that was popular among Jews and Muslims in the region at the time.
💵 Advanced Talks: Abu Dhabi’s government-owned ADQ is in talks to buy control of Phoenix Holdings, Israel’s biggest insurer, for at least $675 million — between 25-30% of the company, The Circuit reports.
🎮 Game Changer: The inaugural Abraham Accords Esports Peace Games, a joint effort between the U.S. Embassy in Israel, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, LionTree, Sylvan Adams and the Israeli Esports Association, will take place in Israel next month.
💻 Social Structure: Israel plans to step up its regulation of social media platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Meta, following similar steps by the E.U.
🪙 Ancient Find: The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of 15 silver coins that archaeologists say date back to the time of the Maccabean revolt.
⚽ Shady Sporting: Following the arrest of four E.U. officials on corruption charges related to Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup, Politico EU questions the depths of foreign influence operations affecting diplomats.
🚔 Reporter Detained: In a first, a Turkish court ordered the arrest of a journalist for allegedly spreading “disinformation” under a new law that critics says threatens free speech.
🔥 New Threat: Hundreds of thousands of Gazans rallied in Gaza City to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of Hamas, as the terror group’s leaders predicted “open confrontation” with Israel in the coming year.
🕯️ Remembering: Attorney Jay Goldberg, whose clients included former President Donald Trump, Bono and Willie Nelson, died at 89. Journalist Robert Toth, a former Moscow bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times who was briefly imprisoned for his reporting on Jewish dissidents in the Former Soviet Union, died at 93. Writer Milton Viorst, who focused on Middle East issues, died at 92.
Pic of the Day
More than 100 faith leaders from around the world gathered in Abu Dhabi this week for the G20 Interfaith Forum.
Birthdays
Actor, writer and musician, he is known for his role as Seth Cohen on “The O.C.” and stars in the recently released TV adaption of Fleishman is in Trouble, Adam Brody turns 43…
Former member of the New York State Assembly, attorney general of New York and member of the New York City Council, Oliver Koppell turns 82… Senior rabbi emeritus at Congregation Mt. Sinai in Brooklyn Heights, now EVP of the New York Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik turns 76… Actress and voice artist, best known for her role in the 1990s Fox sitcom “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” Melanie Chartoff turns 72… Russian oligarch and owner of the largest construction company for gas pipelines in Russia, Arkady Rotenberg turns 71… Associate lecturer in religious studies at the University of Wyoming, Seth Ward turns 70… President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, Dr. Helene Lotman… Chairman and founder of BizBash, David Adler turns 69… Sportscaster, best known as the radio voice for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Eli Gold turns 69… U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) turns 68… Executive chairman of South Africa’s Resolve Communications, Tony Leon turns 66… Executive director at Silicon Couloir in Wyoming, Gary S. Trauner… Actress, singer and songwriter, she appeared in the title role of the 1984 film “Supergirl,” Helen Slater turns 59… Television and movie producer, producer of the first eight seasons of the “Pokémon” TV series and writer of most of the “Pokémon” films, Norman J. Grossfeld turns 59… Rabbi serving communities in California’s Central Valley, Paul Gordon… Chicago-born stand-up comedian and author, Joel Chasnoff turns 49… Director of community relations and Israel affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, Tal Selinger Stein… Recent mayor of Bal Harbour, Fla., Gabriel Groisman turns 42… D.C.-based chef and restaurateur, Spike Mendelsohn turns 42… Israeli singer-songwriter and actress, she played the role of Hila Bashan on Season 3 of “Fauda,” Marina Maximilian Blumin turns 35… Client solutions manager at Samsung Ads, Julie Winkelman Lazar… Musician and actress, her film “Licorice Pizza” was released last December, Alana Mychal Haim turns 31… Principal at Activate Consulting, Lily Silva… and her twin brother, a graduate student at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, Nicholas Silva… Figure skater who represented the U.S. at the 2014 and 2022 Winter Olympics, Jason Brown turns 28… Journalist and adjunct fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Neri Zilber…
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