Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY), two of the most prominent avatars of a more restrictionist foreign policy in the Senate Republican conference, criticized the bipartisan U.S. approach to Ukraine and the U.S.’ broader foreign policy posture in speeches at a foreign policy conference on Capitol Hill organized by The American Conservative magazine, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Ukraine in focus: Lee further lamented that “anyone raising dissent” or “legitimate questions” about the U.S.’ assistance to Ukraine is “immediately labeled a Putin apologist, a lover of Russia,” and said that fellow NATO members have not been pulling their weight in supporting Ukraine. Echoing a line adopted by a growing number of conservative critics of U.S. foreign policy on the war in Ukraine, Lee claimed that the U.S. is depleting stockpiles that would be needed in a potential conflict with China. “This is leaving us ill-prepared to replenish those resources and prepare for what some would say might end up being the most significant near-term threat to our national interest and our national security abroad,” Lee said.

Friendly fire: Lee criticized plans to potentially include additional aid for Ukraine in an upcoming disaster relief funding bill as “another sign of weakness in our unflinching pro-Ukraine strategy” and a sign that the war is actually unpopular among Americans. “If your aid package cannot pass on its own merits, such that it has to be attached to another package, a sympathetic, must-pass bill… that says something about your cause,” he argued. Paul echoed such sentiments. “I think the people are with us, but Washington isn’t, and that’s why we still need to clean house and get a new Congress as soon as possible,” Paul said.

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When Josh Bartelstein took over as CEO of the Phoenix Suns organization in April, it looked like he was joining a franchise at the top of its game. A blockbuster midseason four-way trade had recently landed the Suns superstar Kevin Durant — fueling hopes that the team might actually win its first championship title in 55 seasons — while its WNBA counterpart, the Phoenix Mercury, was celebrating the long-awaited return of star player Brittney Griner — after nearly 10 months of detainment and imprisonment in Russia over drug charges. Internally, however, the franchise was a mess. Bartelstein, who most recently served as assistant general manager of the Detroit Pistons, inherited all of the unrest when he took over, and has spent his first few weeks trying to avoid the mistakes of his predecessor, Jewish Insider’s Tori Bergel reports in a new profile of Bartelstein.

Background: In November 2021, an exposé by ESPN, detailing instances of alleged racist and misogynistic behavior by franchise majority owner Robert Sarver throughout his nearly two decades with the Suns, led the NBA to conduct a 10-month-long investigation into the tycoon. The inquiry concluded on Sept. 13, 2022, hitting Sarver with a one-year league suspension and a $10 million penalty. Days later, amid public outcry, Sarver announced he would be selling his share of the organization, which would eventually go to businessman Mat Ishbia — and brother Justin Ishbia as an alternate governor — in December for $4 billion. The NBA approved the purchase on Feb. 6 — just three days before the Suns signed Durant. But Sarver was apparently not alone in creating a toxic work environment. Suns personnel told investigators, and later ESPN, that Sarver’s misconduct had led to mistreatment by other top executives, including CEO Jason Rowley, of lower-level staff that included instances of verbal abuse, retaliation and intimidation. Rowley eventually stepped down the same day the NBA approved Ishbia’s purchase.

Workplace environment: “The focus initially has been on the people here and making it an amazing place to work,” Bartelstein told JI in an interview a month into his new role. “Literally I’ve met with every single person in the organization to hear about who they are, what they’ve done here and where they want to go, because it helps me shift and frame what this organization is going to stand for.” At 33, Bartelstein is one of the youngest CEOs in the league, but he is bringing a lifetime of basketball know-how and experience to the position.

Read the full interview here.

A new development across the street from the Jerusalem Theater looks set to change the face of Talbiyeh, an upscale Jerusalem neighborhood where some of the Israeli capital’s most prestigious institutions are located. The Theatron, a 99-room luxury hotel, which includes 26 sprawling suites, as well as three adjoining apartment complexes that benefit from the hotel’s services and amenities, partially opened last week, Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash reports.

Sneak peek: JI was given an exclusive look at the new hotel’s central feature: one of two 320-square-meter presidential duplexes, replete with an expansive living room, a dining room featuring a balcony that gives way to a panoramic view of southern Jerusalem and a private infinity pool on the roof. Built by the Hassid Brothers Group, a Jerusalem-based developer, and managed by luxury French multinational hospitality company Accor as part of its MGallery Hotel Collection, the self-contained presidential suites are also directly accessible via private elevator from a secure area in the underground parking lot. It’s a feature that will make it attractive to those responsible for securing world leaders and other top officials visiting Israel.

VIP spot: Another draw at The Theatron Hotel is Sheldon Ritz. The former deputy general manager in charge of special delegations at the King David Hotel, the South African-born Ritz, who moved to Israel 30 years ago, plans to utilize his contacts and his experience to make sure that Theatron is the hotel of choice for all VIPs visiting the capital. 

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