Daily Kickoff
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on the Biden administration’s new conditions on military aid to Israel, and spotlight Argentinian President Javier Milei’s visit to the Jewish state. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sam Altman, former Vice President Mike Pence and Alex Karp.
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider, eJewishPhilanthropy and The Circuit stories, including: Gallant: Odds of war on the northern front are significant; Biden’s pro-Israel stance boosts his standing in Pennsylvania; The former hostages using data to help Oct. 7 victims; JChef offers kosher meal kits for the busy consumer. Print the latest edition here.
On Thursday, a Justice Department special counsel released a long-awaited report with the results of an investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents.
There wasn’t enough evidence to charge Biden with any crimes, the special counsel found. But the report contained several bombshell assessments of Biden’s mental acuity — describing him as a “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” — that quickly sent Washington into a tailspin.
Hours later, Biden addressed the report infiery remarks before taking questions from reporters. challenging the descriptions of his memory issues. “I’m well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man — and I know what the hell I’m doing,” he said on Thursday night.
After his remarks, the president walked back to the lectern to respond to a question on the hostages still being held in Gaza and said, “I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top.” The White House has yet to clarify the president’s remarks, during which he also called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the president of Mexico.
Soon after, Biden issued a national security memorandum requiring recipients of U.S. military assistance — including Israel — to issue written certifications that they will comply with humanitarian and international law. Earlier in the day, the White House faced criticism from some Jewish leaders over a meeting in Michigan between several senior administration officials and Muslim community members, including a controversial activist who has praised Hamas and Hezbollah. More on the new policy and the Michigan meeting below.
Up the I-95 corridor, Tuesday’s special election on Long Island to determine former GOP Rep. George Santos’ successor in Congress is as good a political bellwether as you’ll see. The race pits former Rep. Tom Suozzi, a popular moderate Democratic lawmaker, against Republican Mazi Pilip, an Ethiopian-born immigrant from Israel who serves in the county legislature, Jewish Insider Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar writes.
Biden comfortably carried the district four years ago, but Republicans have been dominating Long Island elections ever since. Democrats are running on protecting abortion rights — a key issue among suburban voters — but Republicans are tapping into anger from voters over an unchecked migrant crisis and elevated crime affecting the region.
The stakes are high: A Democratic win would shrink the GOP’s already razor-thin House majority, and prove that a moderate playbook can succeed even in an area trending away from the party. But a Republican win on Biden’s turf would spark panic across the White House, underscoring that the president’s poor approval numbers could threaten the fortunes of other congressional Democrats in November.
Public polls show a narrow Suozzi advantage, but a district where Biden’s support has collapsed. A Siena College survey released on Thursday found that despite Suozzi’s narrow edge, former President Donald Trump would defeat Biden by five points in the presidential election. Biden’s favorability rating in the New York City suburb is a notch worse than Trump’s.
During a time of historic levels of straight-ticket voting, it’s unusual that there are a notable number of Trump supporters planning to support Suozzi. It’s either an encouraging sign that his moderation and familiarity are effective selling points in the district, or a warning sign that the district’s Trump-supporting majority could end up backing the Republican in the end.
In a district with one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the country — where Jewish voters are estimated to make up as much as 20% of the special election electorate — support for Israel has been a significant issue. Pilip, who is Jewish and served in the Israel Defense Forces, is making inroads with Jewish voters, even among some who typically vote Democratic. But Suozzi’s lengthy pro-Israel record has allowed him to maintain majority support among Jewish voters in the district.
While Pilip has touted that she’d offer a powerful and personal rebuke in Congress to the hard-left Squad, Suozzi has also denounced anti-Israel Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) on national television as a conspiracy theorist.
The Siena poll found Jewish voters in the district are backing Suozzi by 13 points — 55-42%. That’s a strong showing for a Republican, but given Pilip’s resonant background, it may not be enough of an overperformance to win. (Trump is winning 35% of the district’s Jewish vote, according to the poll.)
Both sides are cautiously optimistic about their chances. Republican strategists involved in the race told JI that the trendlines have shifted in Pilip’s favor in the closing weeks of the race, but Democratic operatives maintain that the race has stabilized in the final stretch — and they’re outspending Republicans on advertising to make sure it stays that way.
Buckle up for a close race on Tuesday. We’ll be covering all the latest developments here at JI.
tacking left
Biden places new conditions on U.S. military aid following criticism of Israeli campaign
President Joe Biden issued a new national security memorandum on Thursday evening that requires recipients of U.S. military aid to issue written certifications that they will comply with humanitarian and international law, and that they will cooperate with U.S. humanitarian aid efforts, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Gabby Deutch report.
The context: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) who has been pushing Congress to pass similar policies, described the new memo as placing new “condition[s]” on U.S. aid that could give the U.S. more leverage over Israel, as well as other allies. Although the new regulations apply globally, they come amid growing friction between the administration and Israel over its military operations in Gaza. At a press conference on Thursday evening, Biden criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. “I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top,” he said. He appeared to be responding to questions about the hostage negotiations and about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
What it does: The new memorandum requires the secretary of state to obtain “credible and reliable assurances” from countries receiving military aid that they will use the aid in compliance with international humanitarian law and will not “arbitrarily deny, restrict, or otherwise impede, directly or indirectly” American and U.S.-backed humanitarian assistance efforts. Any country, such as Israel, that is already engaged in hostilities using U.S. aid will have 45 days to provide these assurances, or aid will be suspended.
Backlash: The policy drew immediate criticism from the Republican Jewish Coalition. A spokesperson for the group called the memo “yet another piece of the Biden administration pressuring Israel unfairly.” RJC spokesperson Sam Markstein said, “We gave him relatively high marks at the beginning of the war, when he went over there in person to show solidarity, and we gave him credit for that. But this tonight was really, really ridiculous,” also referring to Biden’s comment about Israel’s “over the top” conduct in Gaza.
Amendment averted: The Biden administration has thus far avoided placing any conditions or restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Israel, despite pressure from some progressive lawmakers. Biden said in November that conditioning aid was a “worthwhile thought,” a comment the White House later walked back. Legislation proposed by Van Hollen that would achieve the same aims as Biden’s new memorandum would likely have struggled to pass Congress.
michigan mess
Jewish leaders slam White House for meeting with activist who defended Hamas, Hezbollah
A Thursday meeting between several senior Biden administration officials and Muslim leaders in Michigan drew scrutiny from leaders in the Jewish community over the inclusion of Osama Siblani, a Dearborn political activist and newspaper publisher who has in the past praised Hamas and Hezbollah, and claimed the U.S. government was “bought” by the “Zionist lobby,” Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Rebuilding bridges: The meeting was part of White House efforts to mend ties with Arab Americans who are displeased with President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, particularly in Michigan, a key battleground state. Siblani has pledged not to vote for Biden this year. Those in attendance from the Biden administration included USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer and Steve Benjamin, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Extreme caution: “While the Biden administration is of course entitled to meet with whomever it chooses, they should be aware of Mr. Siblani’s long record of open support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups and his demonization of Israel,” Asher Lopatin, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Detroit, told JI. “We would urge extreme caution in providing legitimacy or validation to such a divisive figure.” A White House spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding Siblani’s participation in the meeting.
Blaming Bibi: After the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, Siblani, the publisher of the Arab American News, defended Hamas. “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, and we have to say to them the terrorist is Benjamin Netanyahu and his government,” he said.
Bonus: Politico’s “West Wing Playbook” talks to some of the Arab-American leaders who participated in yesterday’s meetings with administration officials.
shalom javier
Israel’s leadership embraces Argentina’s Milei on tearful tour
From the moment he descended from a chartered El Al plane in Israel, wearing a “Bring Them Home Now” dog tag to advocate for hostages held by Hamas, Argentinian President Javier Milei was embraced by Israelis. The South American country’s new leader has made an international name for himself with his colorful style, libertarian policies and slogan “¡Viva la libertad, carajo!” – “Long live liberty, damn it!” – with which Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz greeted him on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport. But it’s not his eccentric style or economic policy that endeared him to Israelis – his great enthusiasm for Judaism makes him unique on the world stage, and his government has been called one of the most pro-Israel in Argentina’s history, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.
Embassy promise: Speaking on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport, the Argentinian president reiterated to Katz that he would move the Argentinian Embassy to Jerusalem. The expected ambassador is Milei’s rabbi, Axel Wahnish, head of the Moroccan Jewish community in Argentina, who is fluent in Hebrew and studied at Yeshivat Hanegev in Netivot, in Israel’s south. Wahnish accompanied Milei on his visit to Israel, during which the president made the unusual move of requesting a meeting with Israeli Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef.
Meeting Bibi: Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a one-on-one meeting followed by an expanded sit-down with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and others on the Israeli side, as well as Argentinian Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, Milei’s sister Karina, who functions as the country’s first lady and is Argentina’s general secretary of the presidency, a high-level adviser who is a member of the cabinet, and Wahnish. Netanyahu and Milei bonded over championing free markets, the Prime Minister’s Office readout said. A source in Netanyahu’s office said that Milei expressed admiration for the economic reforms Netanyahu enacted in Israel as finance minister 20 years ago.
orange county contest
Pro-Israel groups ally against Dave Min in contentious California primary
Democratic Majority for Israel is wading into an increasingly contentious House race for an open swing seat in California, endorsing Joanna Weiss over the other top Democrat, Dave Min, who is also facing opposition from a separate pro-Israel group that recently made an unexpected entry into the primary, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
New slate: DMFI’s political arm announced on Thursday that it was backing Weiss, an attorney and activist, in its first round of non-incumbent endorsements for the 2024 election cycle. The new slate also includes a handful of moderate Democrats in competitive primaries for open seats in Virginia and Colorado as well as some challengers in Texas and Nebraska, among other states.
Tag team: The nod to Weiss, however, represents the most immediately consequential endorsement on the list, landing just weeks ahead of what is expected to be a closely contested primary to replace Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA). It also comes as Min, a state senator, has been pummeled by new attack ads from the super PAC affiliated with AIPAC, which has dropped more than $600,000 on a TV ad campaign highlighting his DUI arrest last May.
Speculation swirls: DMFI PAC, which entered 2024 with around $1.7 million in cash on hand, is also planning to invest in the race, according to a source familiar with the group’s deliberations, adding to a torrent of outside spending. The late activity from two leading national pro-Israel organizations has stirred speculation over the motivations behind their opposition to Min — which neither group has publicly clarified.
on the hill
Senate votes to begin deliberations on Israel aid bill
After a week of false starts in Congress, the Senate took its first step on Thursday toward passing a supplemental aid bill for Israel and other U.S. allies in an initial procedural vote that passed 67-32. Seventeen Republicans backed the bill, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) opposed it, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What’s next: Thursday’s vote is a positive initial signal, but not a guarantee, that the bill will have the necessary support to ultimately pass the Senate. Some senators are vowing to drag the process out and others are seeking extensive amendment votes, making it likely that a final vote won’t come until next Tuesday or Wednesday and that lawmakers will be working on it through the weekend. Lawmakers are still haggling over which amendments to the bill will be considered. And Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is putting up procedural blocks that could prevent consideration of any amendments to the legislation. If no agreement is reached, the Senate will take a second procedural vote to push the bill forward on Friday evening.
Moving on: Despite some indications that Republicans might seek to pare back or eliminate Palestinian aid from the bill, Republican senators who support the legislation told JI that the party mostly views the issue of Palestinian humanitarian aid in the bill as largely settled. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told JI he thinks Republicans are comfortable with the current language, given the stringent new regulations governing Palestinian aid in the bill. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said that blocking aid in the bill from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency had generally addressed Republicans’ concerns.
Back to the border: Despite overwhelminglyrejecting a bipartisan deal on immigration policy — calling it insufficient — most Republican opponents of the bill say that their primary concerns center on the lack of immigration restrictions, which they say must be addressed before foreign aid. Many GOP amendments are likely to focus on immigration policy, Republicans senators said. “I’m happy to do the Ukraine [aid] if we do a better job at trying to secure our border,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told reporters.
Merkley’s move: Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Schatz and Sanders filed a new amendment on Thursday conditioning aid to Israel on a guarantee from Israel that it will not provide U.S. firearms to any Israeli civilians outside the IDF and national police, and that all firearms will be used in accordance with existing U.S. law.
Elsewhere in Washington: Washington’s pro-Israel heavyweight, AIPAC, is joining the calls to pressure Qatar to help facilitate the release of hostages. “The US must continue to strongly press Qatar to do more to pressure Hamas to immediately release all the hostages,” AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told JI. Many U.S. Jewish leaders have been skittish about openly or aggressively criticizing the kingdom.
Worthy Reads
Tough Talk: In The Wall Street Journal, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo call on the Biden administration to adopt a stronger stance against Tehran. “The mullahs have unceremoniously snapped every olive branch Mr. Biden and his diplomats extended. It is past time to accept that this approach has utterly failed and cost American lives. To keep our soldiers and our nation safe, the Biden administration must adopt a more robust stance toward Iran. …The safety and security of the nation and its citizens must always remain paramount. Those who volunteer to defend our freedoms shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves. Those who make the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country deserve justice. And those who dare to threaten America’s interests deserve a reminder that they’ll regret it.” [WSJ]
Lending a Hand: Time’s Vera Bergengruen spotlights how Palantir, its CEO Alex Karp and other tech companies are using technology to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia. “The progress has been striking. In the year and a half since Karp’s initial meeting with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, Palantir has embedded itself in the day-to-day work of a wartime foreign government in an unprecedented way. More than half a dozen Ukrainian agencies, including its Ministries of Defense, Economy, and Education, are using the company’s products. Palantir’s software, which uses AI to analyze satellite imagery, open-source data, drone footage, and reports from the ground to present commanders with military options, is ‘responsible for most of the targeting in Ukraine,’ according to Karp. Ukrainian officials told me they are using the company’s data analytics for projects that go far beyond battlefield intelligence, including collecting evidence of war crimes, clearing land mines, resettling displaced refugees, and rooting out corruption. Palantir was so keen to showcase its capabilities that it provided them to Ukraine free of charge.” [Time]
Inside Israel: In Foreign Affairs, Haaretz Editor-in-Chief Aluf Benn considers the challenges Israel faces in a post-Oct. 7 world, and under the leadership of a government that has long shelved the idea of a two-state solution. “The trauma of October 7 has forced Israelis, once again, to realize that the conflict with the Palestinians is central to their national identity and a threat to their well-being. … Yet recovering from this war and changing course is bound to be extremely difficult, and not just because Netanyahu does not want to resolve the Palestinian conflict. The war has caught Israel at perhaps its most divided moment in history. In the years leading up to the attack, the country was fractured by Netanyahu’s effort to undermine its democratic institutions and turn it into a theocratic, nationalist autocracy. His bills and reforms provoked widespread protests and dissension that threatened to tear the country apart before the war and will haunt it once the conflict ends. In fact, the fight over Netanyahu’s political survival will become even more intense than it was before October 7, making it hard for the country to pursue peace.” [ForeignAffairs]
Around the Web
Regional Report: A spokesperson and top negotiator for the Iran-backed Houthis praised ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated peace with both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, saying that recent Omani-brokered talks with Riyadh “resulted in overcoming the most important obstacles facing the roadmap.”
Security Legislation: Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Troy Carter (D-LA) reintroduced the Pray Safe Act, which would establish a federal database for houses of worship and nonprofits on resources and best practices for their security.
Minnesota Move: The Minneapolis City Council overrode Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of a resolution calling for a cease-fire.
Booted: Meta removed the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei due to repeated violations of their terms of service.
Oil Oy: Bloombergspotlights the New York-based insurer that has come under fire for providing coverage to more than 20 vessels believed to have been carrying Iranian oil in violation of sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Altman + AI: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seeking trillions of dollars in funding — including from the United Arab Emirates — for a new initiative to reshape the semiconductor industry.
Transparency Trouble: TikTok removed the public view counts on popular hashtags on its platform, complicating efforts by researchers to assess viewership disparities between pro- and anti-Israel content.
Campus Closing: Texas A&M is phasing out its Qatar campus, with plans to fully withdraw from the Gulf nation by 2028.
Odd Couples: The New York Times looks at how couples where one spouse is Jewish and the other is not are navigating conversations around Judaism, antisemitism and Israel following Oct. 7.
Tucker’s Talk: In his controversial interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tucker Carlson asked Putin about the extended detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Bad Sports: Ireland’s women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with the opposing Israel team ahead of a tournament qualifying game in Riga, Latvia; Israel beat Ireland 87-57.
Flight Fracas: An El Al flight from Prague to Tel Aviv was diverted to Greece after a disturbance in which a passenger tried to gain entry to the plane’s cockpit before being subdued by an air marshal.
Inside the Tunnels: The Wall Street Journalinterviews several Israeli hostages who were released from Hamas captivity in November, detailing their experiences in captivity.
Data Leak: The personal details of hundreds of Jewish Australians who work in the arts and academia were published by a group of anti-Israel activists.
Transition: Mike Starr was named the diplomatic reporter at The Jerusalem Post. He was previously the Post‘s legal reporter.
Remembering: Si Spiegel, who popularized artificial Christmas trees in American homes after being rejected as a commercial pilot due to his religion, died at 99. Former Syrian opposition leader Riad al-Turk died at 93. Music promoter and talent manager Dick Waterman, whose clients included many Black blues artists, died at 88.
Pic of the Day
Israeli kickboxer Nili Block wears a “Bring Them Home” sweatshirt calling for the release of the hostages’ ahead of a match at the Kickboxing World Championship on Thursday in Paris. Block beat Hélène Connart in three rounds to hold onto her world champion title.
Birthdays
Three-time Tony Award and three-time Emmy Award-winning actress, Judith Light turns 75…
FRIDAY: Grammy Award-winning songwriter, Barry Mann turns 85… Singer-songwriter in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Carole King turns 82… Professor of economics at Columbia University, Nobel laureate in 2001, former SVP and chief economist of the World Bank, Joseph Stiglitz turns 81… Professor of history and modern Jewish studies at UCSD, Deborah Hertz turns 75… Israeli singer, Shimi Tavori turns 71… Former governor of Virginia, chair of the DNC, chair of two Clinton presidential campaigns, Terry McAuliffe, aka “the Macker,” turns 67… Creator of the HBO series “The Wire” and NBC’s series “Homicide: Life on the Street,” David Simon turns 64… Theoretical physics professor at Columbia University, Brian Greene turns 61… Isaac Lieberman… Managing director with the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, he was the lieutenant governor and then attorney general of Delaware, Matthew P. Denn turns 58… Play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s men’s college basketball and for the Toronto Blue Jays, Dan Shulman turns 57… British broadcasting executive who is currently chief content officer at the U.K.’s Channel 4, Ian Katz turns 56… President of the U.S. education portfolio at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthopies, Julie Mikuta… Assistant adjunct professor of journalism at UCLA, Abigail Helaine (“Abbe”) Goldman turns 54… Managing director of Tiedemann Wealth Management, Jeffrey L. Zlot… Charleston, S.C., resident, Ellen Miriam Brandwein… Actress, Margarita Levieva turns 44… Member of the Minnesota State Senate, Jeremy R. Miller turns 41… Director of public policy and strategy for Christians United for Israel Action Fund, Boris Zilberman… Director of development for Ben-Gurion University, Jason Pressberg… Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Benjamin R. Waxman turns 39… Principal of Blue Zone Partners, Thomas Szold… Brazilian chess grandmaster, André Diamant turns 34… Director at Real Chemistry, Carly Abenstein… Israeli judoka, he competed for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Baruch Shmailov turns 30… Offensive tackle for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, Jake Curhan turns 26…
SATURDAY: CEO of Metromedia Company and a board member of Carnival Corporation, Stuart Subotnick turns 82… Rabbi in Vienna, Austria, in the 1980s, in Munich in the 1990s and in Berlin since 1997, Yitshak Ehrenberg turns 74… Swimmer who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Mark Spitz turns 74… CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger turns 73… Miami-based philanthropist, Jayne Harris Abess… Host of CNBC’s “Mad Money,” James J. “Jim” Cramer turns 69… CEO emerita of D.C.-based Jewish Women International, Loribeth Weinstein… Ethiopian-born, former member of Knesset for the Likud party, he is an activist for the Falash Mura community, Avraham Neguise turns 66… Syndicated newspaper columnist for the Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby turns 65… Former NASA astronaut, famous for his mezuzah in the International Space Station, he is a consultant for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Garrett Reisman turns 56… Member of the Maryland House of Delegates, Anne Kaiser turns 56… Director of development for Midwest growth initiatives at the Anti-Defamation League, Matthew Feldman… Executive director of Ohio Jewish Communities, Howie Beigelman… Israeli pop star and part of the duo “TYP” also known as The Young Professionals, Ivri Lider turns 50… Co-founder and principal at the bipartisan public policy firm Klein/Johnson Group, Israel “Izzy” Klein… Israeli rock musician, David “Dudu” Tassa turns 47… CEO at Citizen Data, she was a candidate for VPOTUS as the running mate of Evan McMullin in 2016, Mindy Finn turns 43… Director of marketing and communications at Greens Farms Academy, Michelle Levi… Partner in the Washington, DC office of Venable, Ariel S. Wolf… Manager of global sales operations at Sygnia, Avital Mannis Eyal… NFL quarterback, now a free agent, he was the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh Rosen turns 27… Israeli singer, songwriter and dancer, Jonathan Ya’akov Mergui turns 24…
SUNDAY: Los Angeles attorney, Shirley Cannon Munch… Journalist and author of a Passover Haggadah co-written with his late wife Cokie Roberts, Steven V. Roberts turns 81… NYC-based gastroenterologist, Julio Messer, M.D. turns 72… Former governor of Florida, John Ellis “Jeb” Bush turns 71… Former Knesset member for the Jewish Home, Likud and Ahi parties, Eliyahu Michael “Eli” Ben-Dahan turns 70… ProPublica’s editor-in-chief, Stephen Engelberg turns 66… Victorville, Calif., resident, Tricia Roth… Hospice and palliative care physician, Gary E. Applebaum, MD… Principal at Buck Global, LLC, Alan Vorchheimer… U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) turns 62… Admin and special project coordinator for Jewish Renewal programs at JDC, Debbie Halali… Founder and president of RAINN, Scott Berkowitz… Governor of Hawaii, Joshua Green turns 54… CEO at Baltimore-based real estate firm, Quest Management Group, Jason Reitberger turns 50… Elected as a member of the Broward County (Fla.) School Board in the months following the death of her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Lori Alhadeff turns 49… Executive producer of the broadcast team at Salesforce, Rob Hendin… Ilana Ozernoy… Executive at City Winery, he was also a pitcher for Team Israel in qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, Shlomo Lipetz turns 45… Tight end on the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for four seasons ending in 2006, Mike Seidman turns 43… Executive director of Merkos 302 at Chabad World Headquarters, Mendy Kotlarsky turns 42… Republican strategist and president of Somm Consulting, Evan Siegfried… VP of global healthcare banking at Bank of America, David Stern… Senior program director at WillowTree, Michelle Zar Beecham… Director of account management at Politico, Rachel Kosberg… Assistant general manager for MLB’s Baltimore Orioles, Eve Rosenbaum turns 34… M&A associate at Kirkland & Ellis, Alix Simnock… Associate attorney at EarthJustice and author of two books on origami, Scott Wasserman Stern… and his twin brother, a VP for Technicolor Political, Eric Wasserman Stern, both turn 31… Data scientist at CAST AI, Joy Neuberger Twersky… and her MasterChef brother Yisroel Neuberger…