Daily Kickoff
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we take a deep dive into Politico’s reporting on the Israel-Hamas war, and talk to Senate Democrats about their stances on a potential Israeli incursion into Rafah. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Len Blavatnik, Israeli MK Mansour Abbasand Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
In his State of the Union address last week, President Joe Biden announced plans for the construction of a pier for ships carrying aid into Gaza, saying “we’re not waiting for Israelis.”
But, Jewish Insider’s senior political correspondent Lahav Harkov reports, it appears it was the Israelis who were waiting for Biden. As the first boats of food bound for Gaza set sail from Cyprus on Tuesday, Harkov reports that Netanyahu briefed media off the record on Nov. 5, 2023, that Israel had suggested that humanitarian aid be sent to Gaza by sea, with inspections taking place in Cyprus, and had discussed the matter with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. Additionally, Hebrew media reported that Netanyahu discussed the possibility in calls with Biden on Oct. 22, 2023, and Jan. 19. More from Harkov and JI senior correspondent Ruth Marks Eglash on efforts to get aid into Gaza below.
The IDF confirmed on Tuesday that Itay Chen, an Israeli-American IDF soldier believed to be held hostage in Gaza, was killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to the enclave. Chen’s father, Ruby, has been a prominent voice speaking on behalf of the hostage families, both in Israel and in Washington. Ruby Chen first addressed the media three days after the attacks, when he shared that his son was not supposed to be on base the weekend of Oct. 7, but had requested to work the weekend of the attacks in order to have the following weekend off for his brother’s bar mitzvah.
In Washington, Biden acknowledged Chen’s death, saying he “reaffirm[ed] my pledge to all the families of those still held hostage: We are with you. We will never stop working to bring your loved ones home.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) also offered condolences in public remarks and statements.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the House will vote today on a bill that seeks to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to divest from the social media platform, or face a shutdown in the U.S. In spite of (or perhaps because of) an aggressive lobbying campaign by TikTok, the bill passed with a unanimous vote in the Energy and Commerce Committee last week and is likely to pass on the floor, Jewish Insider Capitol Hill reporter Marc Rod reports.
It’s likely to face some opposition from progressives. Some conservatives may oppose the bill on free speech or free enterprise grounds, although the Freedom Caucus appears likely to support the bill. Former President Donald Trump is opposing the bill. But Biden has said he’d sign the bill if it passed Congress.
The Jewish Federations of North America has launched an intensive push in favor of the bill, describing TikTok as the worst offender when it comes to amplifying antisemitism on social media. The Republican Jewish Coalition is also supporting the bill, but many Jewish groups have stayed out of the fray and declined to comment on the effort.
The bill has been driven primarily by concerns that the Chinese government’s potential to control the app’s algorithm and user data poses a national security threat to the U.S. FBI Director Chris Wray said Tuesday that the app provides fertile ground for Chinese Communist Party influence operations.
The legislation faces a more uncertain future in the Senate. Schumer was noncommittal yesterday, saying he would wait to see how the House acts, and consult with relevant committee chairs.
Some Republican and Democratic senators said Monday that they were skeptical of the legislation, instead favoring bills that cast a broader net, rather than targeting TikTok specifically, and stop short of a potential full ban of the app.
berlin to the beltway
Is ‘Politico’ rebelling against Axel Springer’s Israel policy?

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is casting a spotlight on latent editorial tensions between Politico and its parent company, the German publishing giant Axel Springer, whose unique mission statement has long promoted unwavering support for the Jewish state. In recent months, however, the tenor of Politico’s coverage has tacitly challenged that commitment, a review of stories published over the course of the war indicates. The popular D.C. news and politics outlet has turned a distinctly critical eye on Israel as the conflict has unfolded, frequently giving special prominence to detractors of Israel over pro-Israel voices or even neutral foreign policy experts, for instance, while publishing columns suggesting Israel is a human rights violator, among other contested claims, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Disconnect: Considered in aggregate, the emphasis on such framing underscores how Politico has increasingly clashed with one of its owner’s most venerated principles, espousing unequivocal support for “the Jewish people and the right of existence of the State of Israel.” The most recent example of a disconnect between Berlin and the Beltway emerged in the form of a political cartoon by a longtime Politico cartoonist that drew backlash on Tuesday for suggesting that Jews are using “centuries of pogroms, antisemitism and the Holocaust” as an excuse for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Upholding the essentials: In an email statement to JI, Brad Dayspring, Politico’s executive vice president of global communications and brand, defended the political cartoon, which illustrated its point with a “Free Pass” card punched with holes, as “the opinion of the author.” He stressed that “picking a single piece of opinion-based content” does not “provide an accurate assessment of the coverage in totality.” Speaking more broadly, Dayspring insisted that Politico’s coverage of Israel and the politics around the war has not been in tension with the values held by its owner, known internally as the “essentials,” which all employees are expected to uphold.
In-step statement: A spokesperson for Axel Springer echoed that view in a statement to JI. “Editorial independence at Axel Springer and Politico is our first priority,” the spokesperson, who did not comment on the political cartoon, said on Tuesday. “Independent, fair, critical journalism is not at odds with our essentials, which simply affirm the right of Israel to exist.”