Daily Kickoff: The pro-Israel amendments in the NDAA
👋 Good Wednesday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to Maryland state Del. Lesley Lopez, who is running to succeed Rep. David Trone, and highlight U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s comments at a Jewish charity dinner in London earlier this week. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska and Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez.
At today’s 2024 National Defense Authorization Act markups in the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, lawmakers — Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) — are expected to introduce amendments incorporating the MARITIME Act into the NDAA, seeking greater naval cooperation among Abraham Accords member countries, an individual familiar with the effort told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod.
An Ernst spokesperson told JI that the Iowa senator is “hopeful” that the MARITIME Act will be included in the NDAA and that Ernst and Rosen are working on the issue.
The source added that they’re also expecting language, shepherded by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), requesting a report on Israel’s access to precision-guided munitions to be considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee. Such a report is already included in the base House NDAA bill.
The Senate’s base NDAA is expected to include a bill, introduced by Cotton, on expediting training for Israeli pilots on the KC-46 refueling aircraft, as well as positioning a U.S. KC-46 in Israel until Israel’s own order for the aircraft can be fulfilled. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is also supporting this provision, the source said. Cotton, Peters and Gillibrand did not respond to requests for comment.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), who introduced companion legislation in the House that has 21 bipartisan co-sponsors, is expected to introduce an amendment adding this legislation to the House’s NDAA.
And an update on three amendments by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) we reported on yesterday: Banks’ amendments on aerial refueling tankers and precision-guided munitions in Israel failed to receive necessary clearances from other committees with jurisdiction, and may be offered when the bill comes to the House floor, according to an individual familiar with the situation. Banks’ amendment on joint exercises with Israel is expected to be included and passed in a package of amendments today, the source added.
Down Pennsylvania Avenue, President Joe Biden will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening for a private dinner ahead of tomorrow’s official state dinner.
Earlier today in Israel, William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, testified before the Knesset’s Committee on Immigration, Absorption and the Diaspora. Addressing the rise in global antisemitism, Daroff suggested that the Knesset committee “has a crucial role to play in building and engaging such a network [to fight antisemitism]. Jewish communities throughout the diaspora have collective experience in fighting the evils of antisemitism. Through conversations like these, we are able to learn from each other, share best practices, and hopefully end this scourge of evil.”
“By working in concert and leveraging our strengths,” Daroff added, “we can achieve significant progress in combating this vicious epidemic.”
old line state
Entering House race in Maryland, Lesley Lopez seeks to ‘build on’ Trone’s work
The race to succeed Rep. David Trone (D-MD) is becoming increasingly competitive as several new candidates have recently launched campaigns for the open House seat covering western Maryland. Lesley Lopez, a state legislator from Montgomery County, was the second Democrat to enter the primary earlier this month, weeks after Trone announced he would run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). “I saw this as an opportunity to really build on some of the great work he’s doing,” Lopez, 39, said in an interview with Jewish Insider on Tuesday. “I really respect how Congressman Trone has created a great standard for constituent services and been a leader on opioids.”
Still processing: But Lopez was unable to clarify her positions on one of Trone’s top issues: Israel. The three-term congressman, an AIPAC “minyan” donor, has been a staunch supporter of pro-Israel causes during his time in the House, where he is among the most outspoken critics of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. For her part, Lopez said she was not ready to explain her approach to the BDS movement or other key Middle East policy questions such as U.S. security funding to Israel. “I just don’t really know enough to even know what I don’t know yet,” she acknowledged. “I would need to do a little bit more research before really going into the details.”
Appealing to both sides: Lopez said she considers herself a “pragmatic progressive,” claiming that “every bill” she had passed in the state legislature drew backing from members of both parties. “That’s going to be really important in this district,” she said, “being able to advance these ideals in a way where you can gain bipartisan support and work across the aisle with folks.”
west bank flare-up
Palestinian terror attack kills four Israelis
Four Israeli civilians were killed and four others wounded yesterday in a terror attack at a gas station in the West Bank, near the settlement of Eli. One of the terrorists was shot dead at the scene; a second assailant was found and killed two hours later by special forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security assessment last night at the IDF Central Command Headquarters. “Today, next to the community of Eli, a shocking and abhorrent terrorist attack was perpetrated. From the depths of my heart, I send condolences to the families of those who were murdered, may G-d avenge them, and on behalf of the entire people, I send my best wishes for a swift recovery to the wounded,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “I would like to remind all those who seek to harm us: All options are open. We will continue to fight terrorism with full force and we will defeat it.”
State Department reaction: State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller condemned the attack, adding that the U.S. is “also concerned about the continuation of violence in Israel and the West Bank in recent weeks that has killed and injured Palestinian and Israeli civilians” and plans “to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote steps towards de-escalation.”
Diplomatic tweets: Following the Eli attack, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides tweeted that he condemns “in the strongest terms the senseless murder of four innocent Israelis today — my heart is with their grieving family members.” Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog tweeted, “Today, yet another heinous Palestinian terror attack claimed the lives of 4 innocent Israeli civilians. There is no justification whatsoever for the targeting and killing of innocent civilians. It must be unequivocally condemned. Any attempt of a so called ‘balanced’ condemnation is misguided and disrespectful to the memory of the victims.”
Saudi timing: In a statement published after the attack in Eli, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli actions in Jenin on Monday, where a firefight between IDF troops and Palestinian militants resulted in the deaths of seven people, after a local wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad targeted IDF troops with roadside explosives. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the Israeli escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories, the latest of which was the aggression on the city of Jenin this morning, which led to killing innocent victims and the injury of others,” the statement read in part. “Four innocent Israeli civilians murdered by Palestinian terrorists and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns Israel,” Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, remarked. “I recall the Israeli PM condemning the Houthis for attacking Saudi Arabia.”
sunak’s speech
British premier attends Jewish charity dinner, skipping Commons vote
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the annual dinner of NGO Jewish Care on Monday evening, where he honored the role of social care providers and joked about having been described as “a nice Jewish boy.”
Quotable: “A piece in just this week’s Jewish Chronicle suggests, and I quote, ‘Rishi Sunak is a nice Jewish boy,’” Sunak told the audience, to laughter. “Well I can tell you I was pretty flattered…So, I’ve now studied every part of my family tree; my aunts; uncles; cousins, once and twice removed; and tonight I can formally reveal, for the first time; that I have absolutely no Jewish heritage,” he concluded, according to the JC. Jewish Care Chair Jonathan Zenios thanked Sunak in his speech, saying, “Your presence shows us the respect and affection our country has for our community. And those feelings are mutual.”
Noteable: Dame Gail Ronson and Lord Michael Levy also delivered speeches at the dinner, and Jewish singer Craig David performed for the some 1,000 guests. Sunak presented Jewish Care volunteer Rita Roth with a Points of Life award. Also in attendance was Israeli Ambassador to the U.K. Tzipi Hotovely, who thanked Sunak in a Twitter post for his “continued support to the Jewish community and in fighting the BDS campaign through the new legislation.”
Marked absence: But while Sunak enjoyed a warm welcome at the Jewish charity event, the premier received criticism for skipping a House of Commons vote on the Partygate report on former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and a scandal surrounding parties held during the COVID-19 pandemic, in breach of government restrictions. An overwhelming majority of 354 lawmakers voted for the finding that Johnson was in contempt of Parliament, with seven voting against it and 225 of the former prime minister’s Conservative colleagues failing to show up. Sunak said he had long-standing engagements that day, including the Jewish Care event and a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
year in review
Study: Charitable giving dropped in 2022; only the fourth such decline in 40 years
Philanthropic giving dropped in 2022, down more than 10% after adjusting for inflation from the previous year, according to an annual study by the Giving USA Foundation and Indiana University released on Tuesday, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports. This is only the fourth time that charitable giving has decreased from the previous year in four decades. The previous instances – 1987, 2008 and 2009 – followed the Black Monday crash and the Great Recession, respectively.
Details: The authors of the yearly study – Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy – calculated that individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations gave an estimated $499.33 billion to U.S. charities last year. This represents a 3.4% decline from 2021 – a record high year – when $516.65 billion was donated. Factoring in inflation, that $17.32 billion drop represents a 10.5% reduction, according to the study.
Contributing factors: The study’s authors identified four economic developments in 2022 that contributed to the estimated reduction: flat growth in disposable personal income; 40-year-high inflation rate of 8.0%; a 19.4% drop in the S&P 500, which they said created “economic uncertainty for high-net-worth households and foundations”; and the fact that the decline in the S&P 500 occurred at the end of the year, when charitable donations are more likely to take place.
Read more here and subscribe to eJewishPhilanthropy’s Your Daily Phil newsletter here.
Worthy Reads
👨🏿 Jeffries’ Journey: Politico’s Calder McHugh looks at how House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) political trials and tribulations — and successive failed campaigns early in his career — helped him rise through the ranks of the Democratic Party. “For his part, Jeffries has made a living shrugging off the complaints of left-wing Democrats. The appellations bestowed unto Jeffries by media personalities of late — ‘bridge builder,’ ‘reformer,’ ‘measured,’ an exhausting number of Obama comparisons — evince that he’s generally a moderate who believes mostly punching right but sometimes punching left will lead to better electoral success for the Democrats he now leads. This can sometimes put him in a funny position. The hard-charging lawyer, who was happy to challenge a leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, can now operate the machine he was trying to break. Now, Hakeem Jeffries has to protect incumbents from people like a young Hakeem Jeffries.” [Politico]
⚖️ Court Cause:The Wall Street Journal’s Douglas Belkin spotlights financial advisor Edward Blum, who has spearheaded eight cases that have gone before the Supreme Court, ahead of an upcoming SCOTUS decision on affirmative action. “Blum twice brought cases arguing that the law required a dismantling of affirmative action at the University of Texas. Both cases failed. Now he believes a majority of current justices are more amenable to his point of view. Blum draws a parallel between America’s current polarization and the 40-year period after the ancient Israelites fled Egypt and wandered in the desert, as described in the Old Testament book of Exodus. The biblical story explains the challenges in forging national unity, Blum says. When Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Israelites lose their way by casting a golden calf and then worshiping it, falsely. Blum compares the idolatry to the current embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion by universities and some corporate boardrooms.” [WSJ]
Around the Web
☢️ Deal Discussion: The U.S. and Iran are engaging in indirect talks over Tehran’s nuclear program, attacks on U.S. forces in Syria and efforts to release three American prisoners.
💻 Cyber Focus: The Department of Justice is creating a new unit within its National Security Division that will focus on foreign cybercrimes.
👨⚖️ Santos’ Secret Supporters: A federal judge determined that the identities of the individuals who posted bail for Rep. George Santos (R-NY) will be made public on Thursday.
❓ Raskin Ruminations: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said he is “very hopeful” to make a decision on whether to enter the Maryland Senate race to succeed Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) by July 4.
🏃♀️ In the Race: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) filed to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE).
🗳️ Copper State Candidacy: Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez announced she is running for Democratic leader of the Arizona House of Representatives.
⛳ PGA Parlay: PGA Tour officials met with members to discuss the league’s recent deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
🎭 Awards Appeal: Tom Stoppard’s play “Leopoldstadt,” about a Jewish family in Vienna, saw a 42% increase in ticket sales following its Tony win for Best Play last week, while “Parade,” which took home the Tony for Best Musical Revival, saw sales increase by 10%.
🫂 Community Bonds: The Jewish community in Manchester, N.J., is rallying around a local family whose home was destroyed in a fire set by an individual who believed the new residents were Jewish and who has been charged with dozens of criminal counts tied to the vandalism of Jewish homes.
🏌️♂️ Golf Go-getter: The Times of Israelspotlights golfer Ben Silverman, whose professional career took off after preparing for the Maccabiah Games a decade ago.
🎞️ Across the Pond: The Glastonbury Festival will no longer screen a documentary that defended former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn against allegations of antisemitism, following pushback from Jewish leaders in the U.K.
🇺🇳 Contra COI: A group of 27 countries called on the U.N. to end its open-ended Commission of Inquiry into Israel, with Michèle Taylor, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council calling the COI a “further demonstration of long-standing, disproportionate attention given to Israel in the Council” that “must stop.”
📈 Gulf Growth: Trade between Israel and the UAE reached $1.29 billion in the first five months of 2023, a year-over-year increase of 41.5% from the same period last year.
🇹🇼 Shared Struggles: Former Acting Israeli National Security Advisor Jacob Nagel toldAxios that Taiwan and Israel face similar challenges and “have a lot to learn from each other,” following a trip to Taipei and Tokyo.
🛢️ Pipe(line) Dream: Cyprus is seeking the creation of a pipeline that will link the island with Israel’s offshore gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, with talks between Nicosia and Jerusalem set to begin next month.
💼 New Hire: Israel’s Exigent Capital Group hired Talal Al Zain, formerly the CEO of Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, as the company’s chief investment officer, based out of Manama, where he will head the Exigent’s Bahraini office.
✖️ Calendar Cancelation: Morocco will cancel the upcoming ministerial meeting of the Negev Forum, a move attributed by Israeli and U.S. officials to a recent decision by the Israeli government to loosen restrictions on settlement construction and give decision-making power over the construction to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Pic of the Day
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska lays a wreath yesterday at Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem during a trip that included stops at the Ukrainian Embassy and Sheba Medical Center as well as meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Israeli First Lady Michal Herzog and Sara Netanyahu.
Birthdays
Investment banker, he was the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador in the Bush 43 administration, Charles L. Glazer turns 80…
Emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago and a writer on issues related to the Holocaust in Latvia, Edward Anders turns 97… Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 1997, she assumed senior status in 2022, Judge Rosemary S. Pooler turns 85… Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and mother-in-law of Chelsea Clinton, Marjorie Margolies turns 81… Philanthropist and vice-chair of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Ingeborg Hanna Rennert… Co-founder of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, appointed to the House of Lords in 1996, Baron Maurice Saatchi turns 77… U.K. cabinet minister in both the Thatcher and Major governments, Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind turns 77… Creditors rights’ attorney at Chicago-area Blitt & Gaines, David Stephen Miller… Retired managing editor and writer at the Washington Post for 35 years, now chief editor at The Reis Group, Peter Perl… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party since 2013, Mickey Levy turns 72… Susan Gutman… CEO of Amir Development Company in Beverly Hills, Keenan Wolens… Punk rock singer and songwriter, known as the Gangsta Rabbi, Steve Lieberman turns 65…
Washington Institute distinguished fellow and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS, David Makovsky turns 63… Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, David L. Marcus… Co-founder and executive editor of Axios, Mike Allen turns 59… National education policy reporter for the Washington Post, Laura Meckler… General manager for podcasts at Tablet Studios, Tanya Rebecca Singer… Actor, singer and entrepreneur known for his work on Broadway, television, film and concerts, Aaron Scott Lazar turns 47… Journalist and author, Abigail Krauser Shrier… Public affairs consultant based in Manhattan, Sam Nunberg turns 42… Co-founder and CEO of Kaggle, Anthony Goldbloom turns 40… Former member of the Knesset where she was the first ever Druze woman to serve, she is now a Jewish Agency shlicha, Gadeer Kamal Mreeh turns 39… Director of film publicity at Netflix, Jacqueline Berkowitz… Chief of staff to the chairman and CEO at Saban Capital Group, Amitai Raziel… Israeli classical pianist, Boris Giltburg turns 39… Executive director at Hunter Hillel, Merav Fine Braun… Editor for the global programming team at CNN, Madeleine Morgenstern… Singer-songwriter known as Jeryko, Yaniv Hoffman turns 32… Singer-songwriter and actor, known by his mononym Max, Maxwell George Schneider turns 31…
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