Daily Kickoff
👋 Good Wednesday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at Democratic efforts this week to put pressure on congressional Republicans regarding Rep. George Santos, and talk to California politicos about Rep. Katie Porter’s just-announced Senate bid. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Frida Ghitis, David Friedman and Steven Spielberg.
U.S Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides will lead this April’s delegation of March of the Living alongside his predecessor, former Ambassador David Friedman. The trip was announced by Friedman at last night’s March of the Living Gala in Aventura, Fla., which also honored Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and his wife, Rhoda.
In his remarks, Dermer addressed the growing universalization of the Holocaust. “The Holocaust took everything away from the Jewish people,” he said. “It took away — for the victims, it took away their property, it took away their dignity. It ultimately took away their lives. But it is very important not to take the Holocaust itself away from the Jewish people. Because there has been an attempt in recent years to universalize the Holocaust, to turn it into another genocide, another massacre that happened. And I understand why people want to do that, because they want it to resonate with people outside of the Jewish community.”
But, Dermer said, “To turn the Holocaust into a story — another chapter in man’s inhumanity to man — it actually betrays the memory of the victims. It is not simply another chapter in man’s inhumanity to man. It is the worst chapter in man’s inhumanity to Jews.”
“What is the lesson of the Holocaust to the Jews?” Dermer asked. “Is the lesson that we have to teach tolerance? Did we need six million to die to teach tolerance?…We didn’t need the Holocaust to teach tolerance. The lesson of the Holocaust is that the Jewish people need power. That’s the lesson of the Holocaust.”
Thirty AIPAC leaders met at the White House yesterday with Brett McGurk, coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council. Among the topics discussed were Iran, the Abraham Accords and Ukraine, according to an attendee who spoke to Jewish Insider after the meeting.
The House appears set for a clash over Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the coming weeks. Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have pledged for years to force a House floor vote to expel Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee over past anti-Israel and antisemitic comments, and McCarthy reaffirmed that commitment this week, after becoming speaker. A spokesperson for Omar confirmed to Jewish Insider yesterday that the Minnesota Democrat is seeking to be assigned to the Foreign Affairs Committee again, despite the GOP efforts — which included a fundraising email from McCarthy yesterday in which he committed to “taking Ilhan Omar off” the committee.
Meanwhile, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) are set to receive committee assignments, after being booted in the previous Congress by House floor votes. Greene was stripped of her assignments for past conspiratorial, incendiary and antisemitic comments, while Gosar has twice spoken at a conference organized by far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes. Seven of the 11 Republicans who voted to remove Greene from her committees remain members of Congress.
Republicans also plan to remove Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the Intelligence Committee, which McCarthy can do unilaterally without a floor vote. Omar’s expulsion from the committee, however, will require a full House floor vote. The House Republican Steering Committee will meet today to begin determining member placement on the Appropriations, Ways and Means, Financial Services and Energy and Commerce committees.
Correction: Last Thursday’s edition of the Daily Kickoff reported that Elizabeth Bagley was not renominated to be ambassador to Brazil. Bagley was confirmed by a Senate voice vote last month and ceremonially sworn in earlier this week.
santos saga
Democrats turn up the heat on Santos
Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who is accused of fabricating much of his background, including his faith and familial ties to the Holocaust, as well as various campaign finance violations, is facing increasing scrutiny from House Democrats this week, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. On Tuesday, two fellow New York lawmakers filed an official complaint against the freshman congressman with the House Ethics Committee, while other lawmakers urged Republican leadership to deny Santos access to classified information.
More money, more problems: The ethics complaint, filed by Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Dan Goldman (D-NY), focuses on the alleged financial disclosure issues, including accusing Santos of failing to file timely financial disclosure reports and failing to file complete and accurate financial reports. The complaint describes Santos’ financial disclosures as “sparse and perplexing.” In response to the complaint, Santos insisted that he had “done nothing unethical” or wrong.
Classified information: Also on Tuesday, a group of four Democrats — Reps. Pat Ryan (D-NY), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Jeff Jackson (D-NC), who are all military veterans — urged House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to prevent Santos from accessing classified information and ensure he is not assigned to any committees that deal with such information. Santos, who represents parts of Long Island and Queens, told NY1 in November, before his record of falsehoods came to light, that he was seeking a spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee, which grants members regular access to classified information and briefings.
Republican response: Republican leadership has, so far, remained silent about Santos, but Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told reporters on Tuesday that “there were concerns about what we had heard” and that Republican leaders are handling the matter “internally.” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), who is not in leadership but served as a negotiator for McCarthy’s speakership bid, said yesterday that he doesn’t think Santos should be seated on committees “until we [have] a deeper and moe full understanding of exactly what went on during his campaign. He should be referred to the Ethics Committee, there should be a full and complete investigation and he should be held accountable for what he’s done.”
next steps
U.S. to host Negev Forum partners for defense meeting this year
The first international gathering of several task forces meant to advance regional integration in the Middle East in the wake of the Abraham Accords wrapped up on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, after bringing together more than 150 government officials from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Real results: “We’ve accomplished our bottom-line objective, which was to have some tangible outcomes and more than just statements,” State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told reporters on Tuesday. The meeting came 10 months after Secretary of State Tony Blinken met with the foreign ministers from those nations at last March’s Negev Summit, where he announced the creation of six working groups in the so-called “Negev Forum” that would work toward regional normalization.
Militaries meet: The Negev Forum nations will meet in Washington this year for a defense meeting focused on capacity-building and sharing best practices on issues including border security, disaster preparedness and climate change, Chollet announced on Tuesday. “The United States will be looking forward to hosting Negev Forum members in the U.S. in the coming months to see some of the capabilities we have when it comes to information sharing, when it comes to addressing security risks and threats,” said Chollet, who chaired the working group that is focused on security.
Negev Summit continues: Another high-level Negev Summit is expected to take place in Morocco this year with each country’s foreign minister, and the working groups plan to meet at least three times a year, either virtually or in person. The other working groups focus on clean energy, education and coexistence, food and water security, health and tourism.
Slow expansion: Since last March’s summit, Washington has expressed a desire for other nations to join the Negev Forum and normalize ties with Israel, but additional nations have not yet heeded the call. Jordan, who made peace with Israel in 1994, has sat out the Negev Forum, insisting that it would not join unless the Palestinians do. “We the United States are fully supportive of the Palestinians joining, the Jordanians joining, of course, and others,” Chollet said. “We believe,” he added, that “by coming up with tangible outcomes, by having such productive meetings, such positive meetings as we’ve had in the last few days, that countries that are not yet part of the Negev Forum that we believe would benefit from that will be incentivized to join.”
senate watch
Katie Porter announces bid for Feinstein’s Senate seat
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), a progressive Democrat from Southern California, announced her bid for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, sending an early warning shot to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who is expected to retire at the end of her current term, if not earlier, but has yet to publicly disclose her plans, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. “Especially in times like these, California needs a warrior in Washington,” Porter, 49, said in a campaign video shared on Twitter, adding: “It’s time for new leadership in the U.S. Senate.”
First in: The Orange County Democrat, who recently won a competitive reelection bid, is the first candidate to enter the race to succeed Feinstein, 89, who has faced scrutiny over reports that her mental fitness has deteriorated. Porter’s entry scrambled the dynamics of what is likely to be a crowded race for the seat long held by Feinstein, whose term concludes at the beginning of 2025. Those who are also reportedly eyeing the seat include California Reps. Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna, among other Democrats.
Feinstein’s response: In a statement to JI, Feinstein was diplomatic if also somewhat dismissive of Porter’s run. “Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time,” Feinstein said in comments her office shared on Tuesday. “Right now I’m focused on ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead.”
‘Lock up donors’: While Porter’s bid may threaten to antagonize Feinstein, who has several allies in the state, it also presents an opportunity to “lock up donors,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. Porter is widely recognized as a prolific fundraiser as well as a rising progressive star, thanks largely to the former law professor’s combative interrogative approach in congressional hearings, some of which have gone viral.
Mideast matters: While in office, Porter has occupied a mainstream Democratic lane on Middle East policy, even if she has hinted at reservations over how U.S. funding to Israel, which she has supported, is applied. “She’s got a solid record with the Jewish community,” Andrew Lachman, the president of Democrats for Israel California, told JI. “She’s done the right things.” Richard Hirschhaut, the regional director of the American Jewish Committee in Los Angeles, which is nonpartisan, said Porter has “always” been “responsive and available for conversations to hear our perspective.” He described her as “an outspoken supporter of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship” who has also been “acutely focused on issues of hate crimes and bias,” amid an uptick in antisemitic and anti-Asian attacks.
Worthy Reads
🏠 At Home with SBF:Puck’s Teddy Schleifer travels to Palo Alto, Calif., to meet with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried at his parents’ home, where he is on house arrest. “Otherwise barefoot and wearing a plain red t-shirt and gray shorts, with his hair as disheveled as ever, S.B.F. and I shook hands as he welcomed me inside his parents’ ranch-style house. It was Friday night, and he seemed genuinely excited for the company. He and [his German shepherd] Sandor led me through the first floor of the home, past an activity room where Sam’s two chess sets and two gaming monitors sat center stage amid new Amazon packages, and then through the open kitchen, as we negotiated the best place for us to sit down and chat. His voice was startlingly unaffected; he offered me something to drink as if we were there for a playdate, as if nothing of consequence had recently transpired. Meanwhile, the house was totally silent. No one else appeared to be there: no lawyer or P.R. chaperone hiding around the corner, no aggrieved parents with a glass to the wall, listening in for some sort of confessional or obfuscation, perhaps to find out how their eldest son had brought them shame, blemished their careers, and unleashed the sort of havoc that will take years, if not decades, to unspool.” [Puck]
💻 Terrorism on Twitter: In the Wall Street Journal, MEMRI Executive Director Steven Stalinsky cautions Elon Musk against reinstating the Twitter accounts of jihadists. “Today, the issue of terrorism on Twitter is again in the spotlight. In October, the Supreme Court took up cases concerning Twitter’s, Meta’s, Google’s, and other companies’ facilitation of past jihadist attacks. This includes new scrutiny of past content on Twitter and of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which concerns legal protections for apps and websites. In response, Twitter argued that ‘it is far from clear what a provider of ordinary services can do to avoid terrorism, since a plaintiff can readily allege that the defendant could have done more to prevent terrorists’ use.’ This fresh attention could reopen criticism over Twitter’s evasion of responsibility. For all its faults, Twitter has managed in recent years to keep ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups off its platform. But jihadists still want to tweet and won’t stop trying to sneak back onto Twitter. [WSJ]
🧕 Lack of Action: CNN’s Frida Ghitis criticizes Western nations for not taking significant action to support anti-regime demonstrators in Iran. “Iran’s young protesters are showing a level of courage that is nearly unfathomable. It is up to them whether or not to continue their struggle, demanding ‘azadi, azadi!’ – ‘freedom!’ in Farsi. Those watching in awe from outside Iran have other decisions to make – how will they respond as the regime kills its young? The reaction so far has been utterly inadequate… The beatings, the shootings, the executions, have not put an end to the protests. On the contrary, the latest executions have reignited protests at universities. Young people seem determined to risk it all for a chance at a different life. In many ways, the calls for an end to the theocracy seem unstoppable. For the rest of the world, there’s even more moral clarity over the issue of supporting protesters now that Iran has started providing Russia with the weaponry it is using to destroy Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.” [CNN]
🇮🇱 In Absence of a Constitution: In the Wall Street Journal, Israel Democracy Institute President Yohanan Plesner calls on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce a “constitutional truce” protecting the decisions made by the country’s Supreme Court. “Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition, made up of parties that received 49.5% in the vote, holds a 64-seat majority in the Knesset. In keeping with the tradition that changes to a democratic regime should be made with the broadest possible public support, Mr. Netanyahu has the opportunity to defy expectations, reach across the aisle, and work with his political opponents on a new constitutional arrangement. Such a solution wouldn’t force one branch of government to surrender to another but rather create a new balance among them. This would include strengthened parliamentary oversight of the executive branch and limits to judicial review, while providing enhanced protections of the rights of all Israelis in the absence of a written constitution.” [WSJ]
Around the Web
👩 Not Leaving: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen intends to continue with the administration through the next two years, following speculation that she was considering leaving the role and a personal plea from President Joe Biden not to step down.
✉️ You’ve Got Mail: The Department of Education said it is “fully committed to ensuring that the civil rights of all students, including Jewish students, are protected, consistent with President Biden’s commitment to combat anti-Semitism,” in a response letter to Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) — obtained by JI — who had urged the department to open an investigation into the University of California, Berkeley.
⚖️ Teeing up: Reps. Pat Fallon (R-TX) and Mary Miller (R-IL) introduced articles of impeachment targeting Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of violating the law and perjuring himself in congressional testimony.
🪧 Second Chance: A bipartisan group of more than 30 House members, led by Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), reintroduced a resolution expressing support for Iranian protesters, which easily passed the House last year but stalled on the Senate floor.
🇮🇷 Prisoner Plea: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called on Iran to release Iranian-American businessman Morad Tahbaz on the fifth anniversary of his imprisonment in Iran.
📄 FDD Strategy: The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has published a plan with 231 recommendations for American policymakers and allies to support the Iranian people and confront the ongoing threats from Iran.
🗓️ Not Attending: Citing “an unavoidable scheduling conflict,” George Soros said he will not be in attendance at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, but will speak ahead of the Munich Security Conference next month.
👨⚖️ Gionet Jailed: Far-right provocateur Anthime Gionet, also known as Baked Alaska, was sentenced to two months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
🔨 Five Months Time: Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in prison for tax fraud.
🎞️ And the Award Goes To…: Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama, while Spielberg won Best Director for the semi-autobiographical film.
🕺 Parade Pushback: Mel Gibson was removed from his role as co-grand marshal of a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade following pushback from Jewish organizations over his inclusion; the group hosting the actor cited “threats that cause us great concern” as the reason for the decision.
🤝 Plea Deal: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg offered a plea bargain to Waseem Awawdeh, who was charged in the 2021 assault of a Jewish man; Awawdeh said last year after being arrested that he would “do it again” if given the chance.
💼 Goldman Sacked: A series of layoffs at Goldman Sachs this week will eliminate roughly 6% of the company’s workforce.
🍔 Burger Boy: Texas Monthly visits Austin’s JewBoy Burgers, the brainchild of Mo Pittle, an El Paso native who combined the Jewish fare he grew up on with Tex-Mex flavors.
🥬 Artichoke Alla Giudia: The Financial Times spotlights the in-season artichoke in Rome, the city that popularized its use in cooking, where it can be found in restaurants cooked “alla giudia” — in the Jewish style.
✍️ Celebrating Roth: The New Jersey Performing Arts Center will hold a three-day tribute to author Phillip Roth in his hometown of Newark that will feature a range of actors and writers celebrating the Pulitzer Prize winner, who died in 2018.
🙏 Call for Calm: Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on Israeli politicians to “lower the temperature” after weeks of verbal back-and-force and heightened tensions between members of the new governing coalition and the opposition.
🇹🇷🇮🇱 Restored Ties: Herzog today invited his Turkish counterpart President Tayyip Erdogan to visit the country as he received the credentials of Ankara’s Ambassador to Israel Şakir Özkan Torunlar.
👨👩👧👦 Family Matters: The New York Timeslooks at the roles that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife and son play in the prime minister’s decision-making.
🌊 Port Purchase: Haifa Port was sold to a group led by India’s Adani Group in a deal totaling $1.15 billion.
🛰️ Shifting Strategy: Iran is working to build an aerial defense network in Syria to protect against frequent Israeli strikes that have targeted Iranian assets in the war-torn country.
🔫 Weapons Cache: CENTCOM announced the interception of more than 2,000 assault rifles officials said were being smuggled from Iran to Yemen.
🇺🇳 Death Penalty: U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that recent executions of Iranian demonstrators by the regime amounted to “state-sanctioned killing.”
➡️ Transitions: Former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) will join Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service as fellows for the spring 2023 semester. Joel Simon, formerly the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, was named the founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.
🕯️ Remembering: New York Times journalist Blake Hounshell — who, while not Jewish, shared his tips for making the perfect latkes — died at 44. Rabbi Shimon Baadani, co-founder and spiritual leader of Israel’s Sephardic Orthodox party Shas, died at age 94.
Pic of the Day
Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and his wife, Rhoda, were honored last night with a silver-plated shofar at March of the Living’s annual gala in Aventura, Fla.
Birthdays
French-American actress, Flora Cross turns 30…
Psychologist and the author of 26 books, he lectures at NYU, Michael Eigen turns 87… Retired judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago, author of 40 books on jurisprudence and economics, Richard Posner turns 84… Violinist and music teacher, Shmuel Ashkenasi turns 82… Film, television and theater director, Joel Zwick turns 81… Las Vegas resident, Stephen Norman Needleman… Economist and professor of banking at Columbia University, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Frederic Stanley “Rick” Mishkin turns 72… Noted gardener and florist, Lynn Blitzer… Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of experimental medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he is the author of five books, Dr. Jerome E. Groopman turns 71… Former member of the Canadian House of Commons, Susan Kadis turns 70… Former director general of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Avi Gil turns 68… CEO of Sense Education, an AI company, Seth Haberman turns 63… Attorney, author, speaker and activist, Brian Cuban turns 62… VP at Republic National Distributing Company and a former president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Alan Franco… Rabbi at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT), Rabbi Daniel Korobkin turns 59… Actress, socialite and reality television personality, she converted to Judaism in her 20s, Kyle Richards Umansky turns 54… Defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League for twelve seasons, he is a co-owner at Vera’s Burger Shack based in Vancouver, BC, Noah Cantor turns 52… Film, stage and television actress, Amanda Peet turns 51… Former goaltender with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, Josh Tordjman turns 38… Member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, Naama Lazimi turns 37… Executive chef and restaurateur, Yehuda Sichel… VP and head of strategic partnerships at Penzer Family Office, Michal (Mickey) Penzer… Founder of Nannies by Noa and a senior at Brown University, Noa Mintz turns 22…
