Daily Kickoff
👋 Good Wednesday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on an Arizona congressional candidate who previously voted against statewide antisemitism legislation, and scoop the bipartisan push on Capitol Hill for increased funding for a joint U.S.-Israel international development program. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Gabe Amo, Dr. Rachel Brem and John Bolton.
Former Vice President Mike Pence will kick off his presidential campaign in Iowa today, as he tries to recreate a traditional coalition of conservatives to topple his old boss, former President Donald Trump. Minutes ago, Pence released his first campaign video, titled “Best Days,” which includes an image of the former VP with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 32-second mark, as well as video of Iran firing a rocket.
Pence — who is celebrating his 64th birthday today — faces tough odds in a Republican primary: While he maintains goodwill with evangelical voters and establishment-oriented Republicans, the most loyal Trump supporters view him negatively after he lived up to his constitutional duty and certified the 2020 election results.
As a more traditional GOP candidate, he also faces stiff competition from Republican rivals with similar worldviews — including former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who launched his campaign yesterday.
Iowa is a critical state for the former vice president, given its concentration of religious conservative voters that make up his political base. Pence attended Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) Roast and Ride event in Des Moines last Saturday — and was the only presidential candidate to ride a motorcycle with Ernst.
Earlier this week, Pence attended the Chabad of Indiana’s gala dinner to celebrate Chabad activities and to honor the family of the late Jill and Irwin Rose.
If you were in Washington last night, the odds are good that you were at the Israeli Embassy’s Yom Ha’atzmaut party at the National Building Museum. (No spotted list, but don’t worry, we saw you all there.) Roughly 2,000 attendees packed the venue, where they mingled with senators, members of Congress and administration officials and noshed on a variety of Israeli and regional foods and desserts, including beef kofte, fish kebabs, chicken pastilla, vegan mushroom shawarma and several varieties of baklava and rugelach.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in attendance with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, addressed the crowd as the administration’s representative at the event, which also featured remarks from Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog and TikTok influencer Montana Tucker, and video remarks from Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Harris reiterated the administration’s support for a two-state solution and to fighting antisemitism, quoting from the recently released national strategy on antisemitism, and praised Israeli technological innovations. She also made brief mention of efforts in Israel to reform the country’s judiciary. “Under President Joe Biden and our administration, America will continue to stand up for the values that have been the bedrock of the U.S.-Israel relationship, which includes continuing to strengthen our democracies, which, as [Ambassador Herzog] has said, are both built on strong institutions, checks and balances, and, I’ll add, an independent judiciary,” Harris said, to cheers from some in the crowd.
In her remarks, Harris also pledged that “the commitment of the United States… to Israel’s security will remain unwavering” and that the U.S. will work to “continue to build on Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and on Israel’s historic agreements with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco… to support Israel’s normalization with countries in the region and beyond.”
Among those in the audience for Harris’ speech: Israeli MK Simcha Rothman, a leading proponent of the judicial reform efforts, who has been in the U.S. for the past several days. Rothman requested a last-minute invitation to the gala, according to the embassy.
Responding to Harris’ remarks this morning, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israel’s public broadcaster, “If we were to ask Kamala Harris what bothers her about the reform, she wouldn’t be able to name a single clause.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides responded to Cohen’s comments, noting that Harris’ presence at the celebration “speaks for itself about the relationship of the two countries.” Nides said he has “respect for FM Cohen, but [Harris] said things the administration says [at] every opportunity regarding the shared values and policies. Harris is a strong supporter of Israel.”
TERÁN’S TAKE
Phoenix congressional candidate Raquel Terán faces scrutiny for voting record on antisemitism

A leading candidate for a coveted open House seat in Phoenix is facing increased scrutiny from Jewish community leaders for her recent opposition to an antisemitism reporting bill that was overwhelmingly approved by Arizona’s state legislature last year. Raquel Terán, a progressive activist and former state lawmaker running to succeed outgoing Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), was among nine Democratic state senators who voted against legislation requiring that Arizona’s Department of Public Safety collect information on criminal offenses motivated by antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Community concerns: Terán, who led the state Democratic Party before launching her House campaign two months ago, has not publicly explained her decision to oppose the legislation, even as she had previously voted in favor of a similar bill that ultimately stalled in the upper chamber. Now that she is seeking higher office amid a sharp uptick in antisemitic incidents — which the Biden administration is seeking to address at the federal level — some Jewish activists in Arizona are voicing skepticism of Terán’s broader commitment to the Jewish community’s ongoing concerns.
Voting record: “I do not consider her a friend to the Jewish community and have never heard her stand up for our community,” state Rep. Alma Hernandez, a Jewish Democrat in Tucson who served with Terán in the state legislature, told JI in a bluntly worded assessment on Monday. “When she had the opportunity to vote with our community to protect Arizona Jews from being targeted, she voted against it.”
Read the full story here.