Daily Kickoff
Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to U.S. Senate candidate Larry Hogan, Maryland’s former governor, about concerns over the Biden administration’s shift on Israel policy, and interview Westchester County Executive George Latimer about his first-quarter fundraising haul as he challenges Rep. Jamaal Bowman. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Princess Reema Bandar al-Saud and Larry David.
More than 12,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to data released by the Israeli Defense Forces yesterday as Israel marked six months since the terror group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, Jewish Insider’s senior correspondent Ruth Marks Eglash reports.
The updated assessment comes as Israel withdraws most of its brigades from southern Gaza, citing “tactical reasons.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his weekly cabinet meeting yesterday that the army is still planning to go into Rafah, where top Hamas leadership is believed to be hiding. The pullback is part of the army’s strategy to regroup ahead of a Rafah incursion. The Rafah operation, according to a Sunday release from Israel’s Defense Ministry, “will finalize the dismantling of Hamas as a military authority in Gaza.” Read the full story here.
Based on intelligence gathered from apprehended Hamas terrorists — the IDF said some 4,600 have been captured since the start of the war — the army was able to locate and recover the body of slain hostage Elad Katzir, who appeared in two hostage videos in December and January and is believed to have been killed by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Katzir’s father was killed on Oct. 7; his mother was taken hostage and released in November.
The IDF now puts the number of hostages in Gaza at 133, a number that includes four young men — two of whom were killed in clashes with Hamas terrorists before their bodies were taken to the enclave — who were taken hostage years prior to the Oct. 7 attacks. Several dozen are believed to have been killed on Oct. 7 or since then. In The New York Times, Gershon Baskin, who served as a negotiator during the 2011 talks that freed Gilad Shalit in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian terrorists, including Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar, considers what Israel could do to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Communities around the U.S. marked the six months with rallies focused on calling for the release of the hostages. Thousands gathered at a rally outside the U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, where current and former Israeli and U.S. officials, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), called for their release.
Meanwhile, Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid is in Washington this week for meetings with top U.S. officials including Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Lapid will also meet with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as well as Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), the latter of whom chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Questions about Israel’s next moves in Gaza — as well as U.S. support — will be front and center this week on Capitol Hill as lawmakers return to Washington following the Easter recess. Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee will meet tomorrow for a hearing on the Pentagon’s upcoming budget, while the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing hours later on the USAID budget. The SFRC, House Appropriations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee will convene Wednesday and Thursday for similar hearings on USAID’s budget.
policy priorities
Larry Hogan: Democrats will lose Jewish voters due to White House pressure on Israel
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican who is running for U.S. Senate, says he’s “very concerned” about backsliding support for Israel among Democrats, accusing the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers of caving to “pressure from the far-left base of their party” at the expense of “an awful lot of Jewish support,” Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Senate plans: JI sat for an interview with Hogan on Sunday at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore’s annual block party, where he huddled with Jewish leaders to mark six months since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and spoke with locals about his Senate bid. In an interview during the event, Hogan said that one of his leading policy priorities in the Senate “is being a champion for Israel” amid waning support from the Democratic Party.
Democratic digs: “I’m very concerned about it. When you have people like one of our senators here in Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, and [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer [D-NY] taking positions that I never would have imagined,” Hogan told JI. “I’m concerned about the rise in antisemitism and I’m concerned about what were traditionally good allies and supporters turning their backs [on them] because of pressure from the far-left base of their party. It’s very frustrating, and I think it’s a mistake.”
Hogan’s warning: The Republican former two-term governor of Maryland also surmised that President Joe Biden’s escalating rhetoric on Israel could hurt him in November despite the tone shift being an effort to stem the bleeding of Arab American support. “I think he’s definitely feeling the pressure. There’s stories about people in the White House screaming at each other and everywhere they go they have protesters yelling at them. They’re definitely reacting, which is what they usually do. They cave to pressure, they show weakness,” Hogan said. “I think it’s going to hurt him drastically. I mean, he’s caving to the pressure from the Palestinian community because he was losing votes in Michigan, but he’s losing an awful lot of Jewish support now.”
Elsewhere: The editorial board of the Baltimore Jewish Timescriticized Van Hollen’s “relentless attacks against Israel” and said the “time when we counted Van Hollen as a challenging but reliable friend of the Jewish community and the state of Israel” is “gone,” adding, “we face the uncomfortable reality that Chris Van Hollen is not our friend.”
uphill path
Israel, Ukraine aid unclear as growing number of Dems oppose Israel aid
As the House returns from a two-week recess for two weeks in session before Passover, there’s still little clarity about the path to holding a floor vote on additional aid for Israel and Ukraine, or whether there are sufficient votes to pass such legislation, particularly in light of growing Democratic opposition to unconditioned Israel aid, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Where things stand: Although House leadership had said that the supplemental would be the first priority after passing 2024 government funding, the supplemental is not on this week’s schedule. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has floated a series of changes he’s hoping to make to the Senate’s bill, including transforming Ukraine aid into a loan and mandating a rollback of administration energy policy, but the final bill seems to be still under negotiation. Johnson also again said that the supplemental should be contingent on border policy changes.
Balancing act: It’s also not clear how Johnson would muster the two-thirds of the House necessary to pass the aid, given widespread GOP opposition to Ukraine aid and the growing opposition to unconditioned aid — or in some cases any aid — to Israel from progressive Democrats. Underscoring that issue, 40 House Democrats signed a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday calling for him to freeze additional arms sales to Israel until an investigation into the Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers is complete, and to place additional conditions on any further aid “to ensure it is used in compliance with U.S. and international law.”
Speaker’s shift: The letter was led by Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and signatories include former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who previously defended Israel and its war in Gaza.
On the schedule: The House will be taking one vote on Israel issues this week, on a resolution that “opposes efforts to place one-sided pressure on Israel with respect to Gaza,” effectively condemning the Biden administration’s call for an immediate cease-fire and decision not to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire not conditioned to the return of hostages.
Democratic Distrust: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said in an interview with MSNBC’S Jen Psaki that following the Israeli strike killing World Central Kitchen workers, “anybody doing humanitarian aid work,” including U.S. troops working on the Gaza pier operation, “is going to wonder if they are in harm’s way from the IDF.” Meanwhile, Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) called it “extremely hard to believe” that the Israeli strike “was an isolated incident” and said that the U.S. must directly investigate and seek accountability before any further arms transfers. Wild is Jewish, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and faces a competitive reelection race in November.
rare critique
Gottheimer raises concerns about aspects of Israel’s military operation in Gaza
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), returning from a trip to Egypt and Qatar where he met with top hostage negotiators and U.S. officials last week, offered rare public concerns about Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Quotable: “I, of course, have concerns with aspects of how Israel has executed aspects of this war. I stressed these concerns to the prime minister and others in Israel,” Gottheimer said in a press call on Friday, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu, “and of course reiterated the critical need to expedite humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians and protect aid workers, particularly after the awful tragedy with the World Central Kitchen aid workers this week.”
Why it’s notable: Gottheimer is among Israel’s most stalwart defenders among House Democrats and had generally avoided publicly airing concerns about Israeli government moves. His public comments about the course of the war reflect the extent to which the WCK incident, in which seven aid workers were killed in an Israeli strike the IDF has since apologized for, has heightened concerns about the course of the war among Democrats.
Qatar angle: Gottheimer, who previously led a letter threatening “fast track legislative options” targeting Qatar unless the remaining hostages were promptly released, also appeared to take a more generous tone toward the Qatari government’s efforts following his trip. “I have said consistently that we have to keep pressure on the Qataris to make sure that they are actively engaged in the negotiations,” he said. “My takeaway is that they are actively engaged, working around the clock. They feel the responsibility of that role and it’s clear that they’re taking that responsibility very seriously. I saw how actively engaged they were.”
westchester windgfall
Latimer: I outraised Bowman this quarter
George Latimer, the Westchester County executive challenging Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) in the Democratic primary, tells JI he expects to announce this week that he outraised the incumbent congressman in the first quarter of this year, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Money game: Both Latimer and Bowman have delivered impressive fundraising hauls thus far this cycle, though the Westchester County executive has outraised the incumbent congressman. Bowman announced on Friday he brought in $1.3 million in the first quarter of this year, nearly double the $725,000 he raised in the last quarter of 2023. By contrast, Latimer raised $1.4 million in December alone. While Latimer has yet to release his Q1 numbers, he tells JI that his earnings will exceed Bowman’s.
Latimer’s next haul: “We’re going to announce our figures next Wednesday when we’re sure we’ve done all the math right,” Latimer said in an interview on Friday, adding that the numbers are “going to show that we outraised him this quarter as well, and that our aggregate results are still well ahead of his. And I’m sure our cash on hand is going to be well ahead of his.”
Worthy Reads
Six Months On: The Washington Post’s Shira Rubin and William Booth talk to residents of Israel’s northern and southern communities about how they are coping with the trauma of Oct. 7 and looking toward the future. “Evacuees fear that their communities are becoming places frozen in time and loss. They worry that if no solution is found for them — if security is not restored along the borders they share with their enemies — the rest of the country will remain exposed, in a permanent state of existential danger. … [Kibbutz Kfar Aza residents Hanan] Dann and [Dvir] Rosenfeld have recounted their stories countless times to visitors. They are weary. But they feel compelled to bear witness, again and again, as Hamas and its supporters continue to downplay the group’s atrocities. ‘It’s like being in a zoo,’ Rosenfeld said. ‘But it’s worse if there are people, outside, who say that this never happened.’” [WashPost]
Threat Assessment: In the Financial Times, former U.K. Ambassador to the U.N. and former chief of the MI6 John Sawers suggests that the major threat against Israel originates from Tehran, not Gaza. “The strike against the Iranian consulate building in Damascus this week was much more relevant to Israel’s real security needs. In what we assume was their targeting of diplomatic premises, Israel was taking a political risk. But Iran seems to have been abusing the rules that protect diplomats by allowing the building to be used as a military HQ for Quds Force commanders. By carefully watching Tehran’s response to each twist of the current crisis — the controlled rocket exchanges across the Israel-Lebanon border, the tailing-off of Houthi strikes on Red Sea shipping, the absence of a repeat militia attack after the one that killed three American soldiers on the Jordan-Syria border — Israeli analysts will have concluded that Iran does not want to be pulled into a wider war any more than the US does. That reluctance to up the ante has encouraged Israel to go further than before in its attacks on Iranian officials.” [FT]
Gaza-Iraq Parallel: The New York Times’ David French considers what lessons Israel can learn from Washington’s invasion of Iraq, as it faces similar challenges on the ground in Gaza. “Our forces — much like the Israeli military — proved remarkably lethal and effective in urban combat. But we were ineffective in maintaining civil society or the rule of law. Iraqis’ hunger and thirst didn’t make the news as much as the Gazan plight does today. They did experience anarchy, though, and that anarchy almost cost America the war. We went for the quick win, and we ended up embroiled in one of our longest conflicts. Even worse, that anarchy might well have represented our most consequential violation of the laws of war during the entire conflict. While mistaken strikes, tragic accidents and scandals like the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib marred the American military effort, our combat operations as a whole were precise and targeted and often exceeded the requirements of the law of armed conflict.” [NYTimes]
What Happiness Means: In The Wall Street Journal, Gil Troy explores why Israel ranked in the top tier of countries on the recently released World Happiness Index. “Don’t confuse ‘happiness’ with ‘comfort’ or ‘self-indulgence.’ Israelis began 2023 polarized politically — only to be united by Hamas’s invasion. Amid unspeakable suffering, Israelis have found comfort in one another and a higher calling. Too many Americans feel lonely and lost. Israelis pursue happiness through family and community, by feeling rooted and having a sense of purpose. … Israelis didn’t seek this war — but when attacked, they unleashed a patriotism, idealism, self-sacrifice and grit that today’s regressive progressives scorn. Israelis’ resilience, duty and love of life explain how this often polarized and besieged society remains such a happy place. Rather than demonize these heroes, protesters could learn from Israelis about the art of living — not only for their sake but for America’s too.” [WSJ]
Around the Web
Lew in the News: U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew told Yediot Ahronot that concerns that the Biden administration is trying to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were a “misconception,” adding that the U.S. tries “very hard not to interfere in the politics of other countries, especially our allies.”
Survey Says: A new poll from the Israeli broadcaster Kan found that 71% of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign, but are split over whether he should step down immediately or when the war in Gaza ends.
Princess Profile:The New York Times spotlights Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Princess Reema Bandar al-Saud’s tenure as Riyadh’s top diplomat in Washington for the last five years; regarding normalized relations with Israel, Princess Reema told the Times: “We are happy to not just recognize Israel, but do the work that’s necessary. But there has to be a two-state solution, and it cannot be one that’s open-ended.”
Trump Ties: The Wall Street Journal looks at the relationship between former President Donald Trump and Dr. Miriam Adelson, who has yet to contribute to Trump’s reelection campaign; of the former president’s recent comments about Israel, an individual close to Adelson said she “will be sensitive to anything that looks to compromise the security position of Israel.”
Spending Splash: The Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition plans to spend approximately $500,000 to mobilize voters in Pennsylvania’s Jewish communities ahead of the state’s primary later this month.
Mayor’s Move: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb declined to sign a city council resolution calling for a cease-fire, saying the resolution’s language did not center “the condemnation of Hamas and a plain understanding that it is the fundamental obstacle to peace today”; the move was praised by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and panned by the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Audio Empire: Soros Fund Management is scaling up its investments in audio media as it looks to acquire more radio and podcast companies; earlier this year, the company became the largest shareholder in the bankrupt Audacy.
Breaking the Ice: The New York Times spotlights the efforts of Colby College students in Waterville, Maine, to assist the Jewish community in its effort to bring water — in this case, from a frozen pond — to its new mikvah.
Campus Beat: Harvard’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will hold a graduation “affinity celebration” for Jewish students around this year’s commencement ceremonies, after coming under criticism last year for not having such an event.
Court Case: A federal judge in New York rejected Louis Farrakhan’s $4.8 billion lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League, which the longtime Nation of Islam leader accused of pushing a “false narrative” that he is antisemitic.
Historical Matter: A new article in the New England Journal of Medicine condemns the publication for its lack of coverage about Nazi atrocities and experimentation during WWII.
DC Dining: A new Jewish-style deli whose menu includes pastrami sandwiches, knishes and latkes is opening across from Nats Park in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
‘Curb’ Culture: The New York Times’ critic at large weighs the cultural impact of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” the final episode of which aired last night.
Across the Pond: Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson came out against a potential arms sales ban to Israel. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said on Sunday the U.K. would continue arms sales to Israel.
Managua Vs. Berlin: Nicaragua is bringing a case against Germany in the International Court of Justice over Berlin’s arms sales to Israel.
Art Attack: The New York Times looks at how debate over the Israel-Hamas war and Germany’s support for Israel has impacted Berlin’s arts scene.
Stepping Down: The editor-in-chief of Guernica, Jina Moore, resigned from her position, weeks after much of the literary magazine’s staff tendered their resignations following an uproar over the inclusion of an essay by a British-Israeli writer and peace activist, Joanna Chen, about the Israel-Hamas war, which was later retracted.
Macron Remembers: French President Emmanuel Macron participated in a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of a raid on an orphanage in southeast France and the subsequent deportation of the dozens of Jewish children hiding there as well as their instructors; only one person from the orphanage survived the Holocaust.
Shattered Hopes: The Washington Post spotlights the families of Israelis who were believed to have been taken alive as hostages on Oct. 7 who were later determined to have been killed during the terror attacks.
Faction Friction: The Wall Street Journal explores how tensions between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are deepening concerns over the governance of a post-war Gaza.
Identity Exposed: The identity of the head of Israel’s elite 8200 unit was revealed after the electronic version of a book he published about his experiences was linked to his email account.
Turkey Tachlis: The Financial Times interviews Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, whose Republican People’s party saw a series of wins against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party across the country in last week’s elections.
Mazal Tov: Danielle Ellison and Aryeh Kalender were married on Sunday, April 7 at the Fairmont in Washington, D.C., by the groom’s father, Rabbi David Kalender. Danielle is a lead associate at Booz Allen Hamilton and Aryeh works for a local politician in his home district in Fairfax, Va.
Pic of the Day
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew (center left) and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the IDF’s newly created Humanitarian Coordination and Deconfliction Cell in southern Israel on Sunday. The cell was opened over the weekend to assist in the facilitation of aid into Gaza.
Birthdays
Lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Vampire Weekend, Ezra Michael Koenig turns 40…
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and political writer, Seymour Myron “Sy” Hersh turns 87… French actor who has appeared in over 60 movies during a career spanning six decades, Jean Benguigui turns 80… Political fundraiser, Joy Silverman turns 77… Bassist for the rock band Grand Funk Railroad, Melvin George “Mel” Schacher turns 73… Longtime college and NBA basketball coach, he was most recently an assistant coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Larry Shyatt turns 73… Russian-born businessman, he emigrated to Israel in 1972 and was appointed in 2005 as president of the Congress of Jewish Religious Communities of Russia, Arcadi Gaydamak turns 72… U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) turns 69… Member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 2014 to 2022, David Birnbaum turns 68… Leading U.K. pensions expert and a member of the House of Lords, Baroness Rosalind Miriam Altmann turns 68… President of Wesleyan University since 2007, Michael S. Roth turns 67… Member of Knesset for the Likud party, David Bitan turns 64… Beverly Hills resident, Shahnaz Mossazadeh… Associate professor of pediatric anesthesia and intensive care at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Albert Gyllencreutz Castellheim… Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland since 2019, Justice Jonathan Biran turns 58… Financial adviser in the Cedarhurst, N.Y., office of Citigroup Global Markets, Jeffrey Kramer… Author of the national bestselling book 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week,Tiffany Shlain turns 54… Partner at consulting firm Democracy Partners, Joel M. Rubin turns 53… Television journalist and chief political analyst for NBC News, Charles David “Chuck” Todd turns 52… Minor league pitching coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, Matthew Lee “Matt” Ford turns 43… Israeli actor, entertainer, model and TV host, Ofer Shechter turns 43… NYC-based head of investor relations for the Israeli Ministry of Finance, Jason Reinin… Television personality and entertainer, best known for starring on the first season of the reality TV series “Beauty and the Geek,” Richard Rubin turns 41… Climate and environment editor of the Washington Post, Zachary A. Goldfarb turns 41… Member of the Canadian Parliament since 2021, she is the first Jewish woman ever elected as a Conservative MP, Melissa Lantsman turns 40… Israeli musician, singer, actress and poet, Yael Eisenberg turns 33… Director of advocacy at UN Watch, Daniel E. Smith… Film, television and voice actress, Shelby Young turns 32… Janet Goldstein…
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