Daily Kickoff
Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we take a look at the political implications of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and report on House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik’s appearance at the Knesset. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Eli Rosenbaum, Jake Sullivan and former UNRWA general counsel James Lindsay.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crashed on Sunday with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian onboard as well, near the Islamic Republic’s border with Azerbaijan, on their return from a diplomatic visit. Iranian search and rescue teams declared there were no survivors over 14 hours after the crash. An Israeli official told Reuters that Israel was not involved in the deadly crash.
Raisi was known as “the butcher of Tehran” due to his overseeing the extrajudicial execution of thousands of Iranian dissidents, including children, overseeing their torture in 1988. As former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a speech to the U.N. in 2021, Raisi then “celebrated the murder of his own people by devouring cream cakes.”
First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is now slated to assume Raisi’s role and a new president will have to be elected within 50 days, United Against Nuclear Iran’s policy director, Jason Brodsky, wrote on X.
The political implications of Raisi’s death will be significant domestically, but less so in terms of foreign policy, which “was, is and will remain revolutionary, anti-status quo, targeting American, Israel and all status quo powers in the region,” Benham Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Jewish Insider.
Domestically, Raisi’s death means “the short list to become supreme leader just got shorter,” Ben Taleblu said. Brodsky said that Raisi was “a leading candidate as [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei’s successor. Raisi is also the most qualified person by virtue of bureaucratic experience … and has been the closest president ideologically to Khamenei.” Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, is the other leading candidate to succeed him.
“Keep your eyes on the street,” Ben Taleblu suggested. “The population has used every single opportunity, every exogenous shock, whether political, social, religious, environmental and certainly economic to highlight the chasm between state and society in that country. They already highlighted the depths of that chasm on social media within hours of Raisi’s helicopter going down.”
Abdollahian was also an important figure as Iran’s face to the world. He led the Islamic Republic’s “attempt to feign interest in a nuclear deal while continuing to expand its nuclear program at home,” and its efforts to repair relations with Saudi Arabia last year to stave off Riyadh’s potential normalization with Israel, Ben Taleblu said.
In Jerusalem, the Knesset is back in session after a monthlong recess, as pressure continues to mount on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from within his government.
On Saturday, Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu, saying that if the cabinet doesn’t present a strategic plan for the Gaza Strip by June 8, he and his National Unity party will leave the government, which they joined after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
“After I have done, together with my colleagues, everything I could do in closed rooms, change is required here and now … Now, at the crossroads where we find ourselves, the leadership has to see the broad picture, to spot dangers, to identify opportunities, and to formulate an updated national strategy. In order for us to be able to fight shoulder to shoulder, the war cabinet must formulate an action plan by June 8 that will lead to the attainment of six strategic goals of national importance,” Gantz said.
He specified among key issues: the return of the hostages; the dismantling of Hamas; the establishment of an international coalition to run civilian affairs in the Strip; the return of the displaced residents of northern Israel to their homes; the advancement of normalization with Saudi Arabia; and a solution to the rift with the Haredi sector over army service.
Netanyahu’s office slammed Gantz’s entreaty, saying, “Instead of presenting an ultimatum to Hamas, Gantz presented an ultimatum to the Prime Minister.”
If Gantz’s centrist party leaves the government Netanyahu will still have a 64-seat majority, but he will be in a weaker position in the face of pressures from extremist members of his coalition.
Gantz’s comments came days after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made a similar demand, pressing the prime minister for a plan for after the end of the war against Hamas. Meanwhile, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a minister in the Defense Ministry, pushed Netanyahu yesterday to issue an ultimatum to Hezbollah that Israel will take over southern Lebanon if the militant Shiite group does not cease its attacks in Israel and “withdraw all forces to beyond the Litani River.”
Meanwhile, Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Netanyahu and several other senior Israeli officials yesterday and today in an attempt to jump-start regional diplomacy. Sullivan flew to Israel after meeting in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about “a comprehensive vision for an integrated Middle East region,” according to a White House readout of Sullivan’s travel.
“Mr. Sullivan briefed Prime Minister Netanyahu and his team on these meetings and the potential that may now be available for Israel, as well as the Palestinian people,” the White House readout said.
In the meeting, Sullivan also proposed ways for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and reiterated the White House’s opposition to a full-fledged military operation in Rafah. He also gave an update to Netanyahu on “U.S. support for Israeli efforts to find and bring to justice Hamas’s leaders in Gaza” — in line with Washington’s recent emphasis on helping Israel track down Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
This morning, Sullivan met with Gallant, Gantz and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. Regarding Rafah, Gallant emphasized to Sullivan “Israel’s moral obligation to dismantle Hamas as a governing and military authority, and to ensure the return of hostages held in Gaza,” according to a statement released by the defense minister’s spokesperson.
Gallant and his delegation, according to the press release, also presented Sullivan with humanitarian plans undertaken in Gaza “that complement operational activities on the ground,” including “significant efforts to evacuate the civilian population in Rafah, facilitating the provision of humanitarian services, and operating in a precise manner to avoid harm to uninvolved civilians.”
In Washington, the White House is hosting a Jewish American Heritage Month reception today. President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will address the gathering in the Rose Garden this evening.
Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇
Knesset conversation
Stefanik: There is no excuse for Biden to block aid to Israel
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) rebuked President Joe Biden for blocking some weapons shipments to Israel while speaking at an event in the Knesset on Sunday, promising that former President Donald Trump will pursue more favorable policies for Israel if he returns to the White House, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. “I have been clear at home and I will be clear here: There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel – aid that was duly passed by the Congress,” Stefanik told attendees at a meeting of the Knesset Caucus for Jewish and Pro-Israel Students during a visit to Israel.
Iran issue: Stefanik, the No. 3 Republican in the House, also rapped Biden for “eas[ing] sanctions on Iran, paying a $6 billion ransom to the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, or to dither and hide while our friends fight for their lives. No excuse. Full stop,” she added.
‘Good and evil’: Stefanik vowed that the U.S. “will not rest until the hostages are back home,” and said that the war in Gaza is one between “the forces of good and evil.” She added, “Total victory starts with wiping those responsible for Oct. 7 from the face of the earth.”
Touting Trump: Stefanik, whose name has been floated as a possible running mate for Trump, said that she has “been a leading proponent and partner to President Trump in his historic support for Israeli independence and security.” She listed examples of that support, including moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Abraham Accords and moving Israel to CENTCOM.
Read the full story here.
Fox interview: During her Israel trip, Stefanik got testy when “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream reminded her of previous comments critical of Trump in a 2015 interview.
college daze
Biden endorses students’ right to protest at Morehouse College commencement
President Joe Biden delivered the commencement address on Sunday at Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta. College administrators had faced pushback from some students who criticized the school for choosing Biden as speaker, citing his positions on the Israel-Hamas war. Biden’s address encouraged graduates to help build a more diverse and inclusive America and touted the Biden administration’s commitment to racial justice. In the speech, Biden opted not to ignore the foreign policy elephant in the room — he expressed support for dissenting voices, and for students’ right to protest. He also called for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza and a return of the hostages, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Gaza position: “But I also know some of you ask: What is democracy if we can’t stop wars that break out and break our hearts? In a democracy, we debate and dissent about America’s role in the world,” Biden said. “I want to say this very clearly: I support peaceful, nonviolent protest.” The president described the situation in Gaza and Israel as “heartbreaking,” describing the horrors of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and the “innocent Palestinians caught in the middle of all this.” He acknowledged the visceral emotions felt by many young people in America upon observing the war in Gaza, hinting that the issue hits home for his family, too.
Zooming out: Biden tied his goal of a cease-fire in Gaza to his administration’s regional diplomacy. “I’m also working around the clock for more than just one cease-fire. I’m working to bring the region together. I’m working to build a lasting, durable peace,” he said.
D.C. disruptions: Anti-Israel demonstrators interrupted The George Washington University graduation ceremony on Sunday at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with chants, walkouts and signs calling for the university to divest from Israel.
scoop
RJC launches attack ad against Tony Gonzales opponent Brandon Herrera
The Republican Jewish Coalition announced on Friday that it’s beginning an ad campaign opposing Brandon Herrera, the right-wing social media influencer challenging Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) in Texas’ May 28 primary runoff, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. RJC’s $400,000 ad buy follows an investment earlier this week by AIPAC’s United Democracy Project, also opposing Herrera, and comes amid an unusually aggressive season of primary involvement by RJC.
Stamp of approval: RJC’s national chairman, Norm Coleman, and CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement that Gonzales “has gone to bat for critical joint U.S.-Israel missile defense programs, and is a stalwart defender of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” also noting that he’s a leader of the Latino-Jewish Caucus and a bipartisan veterans caucus.
Extremist: “We need to keep Tony Gonzales working for the causes we care about in Congress,” they said. “His opponent, Brandon Herrera, is a goose-stepping extremist who pals around with online Nazis, and has promised to join the ‘chaos caucus’ that has frustrated the efforts of the GOP majority in the House to pass essential legislation.”
About the ad: The RJC ad highlights that Herrera was a North Carolina resident before launching his congressional bid in Texas’ 23rd District, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, and highlights comments he made on a podcast joking about suicide by veterans. The advertisement also features clips from a video where Herrera showed off Nazi weapons, including one where he and an associate perform the Nazi goose-step march.
undoing unrwa
UNRWA should be disbanded and replaced, former general counsel of the agency tells House
James Lindsay, a former general counsel of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, testified to a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday that UNRWA’s cumulative failures over the course of decades demand that it be replaced, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Indictment: Referencing a recent report commissioned by the U.N. secretary-general on UNRWA’s neutrality — which supporters of Israel have described as biased and incomplete — Lindsay said that there is ample evidence that UNRWA cannot continue to operate. “Given the… report’s revelations that UNRWA’s leadership is both incompetent and willfully obstructionist of fundamental reforms, UNRWA should be replaced,” he said.
Replacement: Lindsay said UNRWA is not, as U.N. authorities and the recent report claim, irreplaceable. And Lindsay said that, while not implemented as official policy, current moves by the U.S. and Israel are effectively beginning the process of winding down UNRWA. He said that the congressionally mandated pause on UNRWA funding, in effect through 2025, should be continued beyond then.
About the report: Lindsay said that he personally tried to raise concerns during his time at UNRWA, but was consistently ignored. He also noted that he’d written a report in 2009, after leaving UNRWA, highlighting issues in the agency that was again ignored. “The situation in UNRWA was not receptive to things that were at all critical of what was being done already,” he said.
Read the full story here.
Elsewhere on the Hill: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and 31 co-sponsors introduced legislation that would require congressional notification before the administration suspends arms sales to Israel and give Congress the opportunity to block such moves. Unlike a bill on the issue that passed the House last week, it has six Democratic co-sponsors: Reps. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jared Golden (D-ME) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). The House Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on the bill this week.
prosecutor’s perspective
What the top U.S. Nazi hunter thinks of claims that Israel is committing genocide
For more than four decades, Eli Rosenbaum’s job was to track down the bad guys: He was a professional Nazi hunter, the leader of a famed Justice Department unit that pioneered unique methods to uncover evidence of Nazi atrocities and bring Nazis to justice decades past the end of World War II. Before he retired early this year, he led a special DOJ team tasked with identifying Russian war criminals who were violating international law in Ukraine. Rosenbaum thinks there’s another genocide happening today, or at least that the world is on the precipice of one. But it’s not the genocide that’s currently being prosecuted at the International Court of Justice, which is considering whether Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. No — the only possible genocide Rosenbaum sees is the genocidal intent of Hamas, and he told Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch last week that he’s shocked to see so many people in halls of power and on college campuses argue that Israel is at fault in its retaliatory war.
Credible threat: “I see a lot through the prism of World War II, which was the last time that the Jews were targeted for annihilation, the last genocide of the Jews,” Rosenbaum said in a wide-ranging interview. “It’s Hamas that can stop this war, not Israel, in my view, but there isn’t anything close to sufficient understanding of that out in the world. It’s just an unprecedented threat. It’s — and it pains me to say this — a credible threat of genocide,” Rosenbaum added, referring to the threat that Hamas still poses to Israel.
Clear comparison: Drawing on his World War II expertise, Rosenbaum made a comparison between Israel’s campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza and the Allies’ efforts to defeat the Nazis. During that war, the Allies called on Nazi Germany to “surrender unconditionally, come out with your hands up, relinquish your weapons, release your prisoners.” “That is how World War II ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. We, the Allies, did not say to the Hitler regime, ‘Well, OK, you will have a permanent cease-fire, but you can stay in power and you can have a few battalions of mobile killing units.’ No, it doesn’t work that way,” Rosenbaum said.
primary play
Bowman to appear at fundraiser with anti-Israel councilwoman in NYC
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) will appear at a fundraiser today hosted on his behalf by a local anti-Israel lawmaker as he faces a competitive primary challenge over his anti-Israel positions. Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, who represents the Park Slope and Carroll Gardens areas of Brooklyn, is listed as a member of the host committee on an invitation to the event, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Host positions: Hanif identifies as a “Muslim socialist” and has faced criticism from constituents over her harsh stances against Israel and unwillingness to acknowledge growing antisemitism, most notably when she was one of two council members to vote against establishing “End Jew Hatred Day.” A group of Hanif’s constituents accused the councilwoman of turning a blind eye to the uptick in Jew-hatred in recent months in an op-ed in the Daily News. Hanif wrote on X, formerly Twitter, over the weekend that she was hosting the event because Bowman has “been consistent on his support and demand for a permanent ceasefire, had her back when Rep. [Rashida] Tlaib [D-MI] was censured, and is a tried and tested leader in Congress.”
Other participants: Also listed on the invite are Abdullah Younus, Hanif’s husband, who boasts on social media of his association with Antifa, and Hassan Naveed, whom New York City Mayor Eric Adams fired as his administration’s hate crimes czar over the precipitous rise in such incidents in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack. The firing was condemned by local Muslim groups, though Adams defended Naveed’s termination as unrelated to his Muslim faith.
Bonus: As he struggles in his reelection campaign, Bowman is reportedly seeking an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America.
Worthy Reads
Early Elections: In The Times of Israel, David Horovitz argues that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should schedule early elections. “As someone who doubtless believes that he loves this country, he needs to quit or at least face the electorate. It’s the only way to begin to heal Israel … Prime minister for 13 and a half of the 17 years since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007, he oversaw the strategic funding by Qatar that allowed Hamas to train and equip a terrorist army. As Hamas prepared to invade, emboldened by Israel’s disunity, he failed to recognize the growing danger. Consequently, even in the last few weeks and days, he did not demand what would have been relatively straightforward military measures — including the mobilization of adequate troops — to avert the catastrophe of October 7. Since then, he risks compounding all those failures by refusing to develop a strategy for non-Hamas governance of Gaza, and thus leaves the IDF currently facing what Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi recently reportedly told him is the ‘Sisyphean task’ of having to ‘launch campaigns again and again’ in areas where Hamas has been ousted, as the terrorist-government attempts to move back in and rebuild its infrastructure. And he has confused, dismayed and in some cases alienated allies with an incoherent and at times indefensible stop-start policy on the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.” [TheTimesofIsrael]
Power Struggle: For The Atlantic, Arash Azizi, who recently published the book What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom, examines the suspicions that will inevitably surround Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash. “Many have anticipated a ferocious power struggle in Iran, but most expected it to follow [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei’s death. Now we are likely to see at least a dress rehearsal in which various factions will brandish their strength. As for the people of Iran, some have already started celebrating Raisi’s potential demise with fireworks in Tehran. Most Iranians barely feel represented by any faction of the Islamic Republic, and some might use a moment of political crisis to reignite the street protests that have repeatedly beleaguered the regime in the past. The country’s civic movements are exhausted following years of struggle (more than 500 people were killed in the most recent round of protests, from 2022 to 2023). Still, whatever shape the power struggle takes at the top, the people of Iran won’t receive it passively for long.” [TheAtlantic]
Gantz’s Ultimatum: In Haaretz, Anshel Pfeffer looks at Benny Gantz’s Saturday night speech threatening to resign from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if he does not advance a plan to replace Hamas in Gaza. “His ultimatum to resign from the cabinet and leave the government along with his party within three weeks if a plan is not formulated to address what he says are Israel’s six strategic objectives in this war won’t change the government’s direction. There’s no way this far-right-dominated coalition will accept his demands. But the speech is important in at least one way. The bottom line isn’t the ultimatum, as we can’t trust Gantz not to find an excuse by June 8 to remain in the cabinet. The bottom line is that of the three war cabinet members (the others who attend the war cabinet are ‘observer members’), two have now publicly accused the third member, Netanyahu, of not having a strategy for a war that has been ongoing for seven and a half months. And despite all this, Gantz is giving Netanyahu another three weeks and Gallant didn’t even threaten to resign.” [Haaretz]
Around the Web
ICC Action: The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, told CNN.
Netanyahu Nix: Netanyahu has not allowed Israeli intelligence and security chiefs to meet with U.S. officials several times amid the ongoing war in Gaza, according to Axios.
Blinken’s Orders: Secretary of State Tony Blinken instructed his staff to crack down on leaks about diplomatic efforts related to the war in Gaza, Politico reports.
Talking with Tehran: For the first time since Iran attacked Israel last month, two senior Biden administration officials held indirect discussions with their Iranian counterparts in Oman in an effort to deter a wider war, Axios reported.
Disgruntled Host:The Times of Israel reported that Qatar discreetly requested that Hamas leaders leave Doha last month, citing frustration with Hamas’ refusal to compromise regarding hostage negotiations.
Outreach Efforts: President Joe Biden is facing persistent wariness from Black voters, and is focused on outreach towards the African-American community in a series of campaign events scheduled this week.
No Man Is An Island: The Washington Postreports that Republicans who backed Ukraine aid are not facing much vulnerability in their primaries, in a sign that the isolationist movement within the GOP isn’t as significant as many Republican leaders feared.
In the Hot Seat: The presidents of Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA will testify before the Committee on Education and the Workforce on Thursday about antisemitism on college campuses.
French Fears: Last week’s arson attack on a synagogue in northern France elevated concerns in the country’s Jewish community over rising antisemitism.
War Critique: In an interview with CNN’s Hilary Krieger, military expert John Spencer accused the U.S. of hindering Israel’s ability to win its war against Hamas and increasing the destruction in Gaza by slowing down the pace of the IDF’s operations.
Israeli Casualties: The IDF announced yesterday the deaths of two soldiers killed by a blast in a booby-trapped tunnel shaft in the southern Gaza Strip.
Bodies Recovered: The IDF said yesterday that it had recovered the body of hostage Ron Benjamin, alongside the bodies of hostages Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila and Shani Louk, whose names had been released to the public on Friday.
Hostage Video: The IDF released a video clip it found in Gaza of a released hostage, 8-year-old Ella Elyakim, standing in front of a Hamas flag and repeating the same line she was made to say by her captors.
The Mood in Israel: In the Financial Times, Neri Zilber takes a temperature check of the Israel national mood more than seven months into the country’s war against Hamas in Gaza, with no end in sight.
Faulty Numbers: The Atlantic’s Graeme Wood delves into the confusion surrounding the U.N.’s recently revised numbers of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza war.
Tehran to Caracas: The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said that Iranian experts will travel to Venezuela to assist Caracas with medical accelerators that had been stopped due to U.S. sanctions.
Spared in Iran: The execution of an Iranian Jew, Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani, who was sentenced to death for killing a man in self-defense, has reportedly been postponed by a month.
New Trial: Iranian women’s rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year while jailed in Iran’s Evin prison, said that she is facing a new trial on charges of “spreading propaganda” after she accused security forces of sexual assault.
Debt Load: The Financial Times questions the future of Aby Rosen’s real estate empire as his RFR Holding company has billions of dollars of debt coming due.
Pic of the Day
Jake Sullivan, assistant to the president and U.S. national security advisor, meets with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv this morning.
Birthdays
Former member of the New York State Assembly until 2020, representing the 97th Assembly District in Rockland County, Ellen Jaffee turns 80…
CEO at Kings’ Care — A Safe Place, operator of multiple drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment centers, Ilene Leiter… Canadian businesswoman and elected official, she served in the Ontario Assembly and in the Canadian House of Commons, Elinor Caplan turns 80… Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-CT-2) for 20 years, he was born in a DP camp in Germany after WWII, Sam Gejdenson turns 76… Chagrin Falls, Ohio, attorney, Robert Charles Rosenfeld… CEO emeritus of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Michael S. Miller… Seamstress and weaver, Bernice Ann Penn Venable… Retired in 2022 as a federal judge for the Southern District of Texas, she is now a mediator and arbitrator, Judge Nancy Ellen Friedman Atlas turns 75… Five-time Emmy Award-winning producer and writer who has worked on “Saturday Night Live,” PBS’ “Great Performances,” and “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” Alan Zweibel turns 74… U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) turns 73… Former director of international affairs, policy and planning at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, following 12 years at the ADL, Michael Alan Salberg… Professor at Tulane, he retired as president of the Aspen Institute in 2017, Walter Isaacson turns 72… Born in upstate NY as Michael Scott Bornstein, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and then member of the Knesset, Michael Oren turns 69… Actress and singer, known for her work in musical theater, Judy Kuhn turns 66… CEO and founder of Abrams Media, chief legal analyst for ABC News and the founder of Mediaite, Dan Abrams turns 58… NYC location scout and unit production manager for feature films and television commercials, David Brotsky… Co-founder and CEO of Breitbart News, Larry Solov turns 56… Senior director of public affairs at APCO Worldwide, Ami Copeland… French singer and actress, at 13-years old she became the youngest singer to ever reach number one in the French charts, Elsa Lunghini turns 51… Co-president of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, Matthew Silverman turns 48… Emmy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Rachel Platten turns 43… Manager of privacy issues for Amazon’s public policy team, Philip Justin (PJ) Hoffman… Program officer at the Michigan-based William Davidson Foundation, Vadim Avshalumov… Founder and CEO of Berkeley, California-based Caribou Biosciences, a genome engineering company, Rachel Haurwitz, Ph.D…. Floor director and legislative director for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), Lauren D. Wolman… Executive director of corporate communications at NCR Voyix, Susan Sloan… VP of digital advocacy at McGuireWoods Consulting, Josh Canter… Miss Israel 2014, Doron Matalon turns 31… Senior associate at Number 10 Strategies LLP, Aylon Berger turns 24… Conservative political activist, he is a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Kyle Kashuv turns 23…
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