Daily Kickoff
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on President-elect Donald Trump’s latest selections of former Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to be attorney general and director of national intelligence, respectively, and talk to lawmakers about Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel, former Gov. Mike Huckabee. We also look at concerns among Hezbollah watchers that the Iran-backed terror group might move to strike Jewish and Israeli targets in Latin America, and talk to legislators in Washington about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s announcement that Ankara will cut all ties with Israel. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Elbridge Colby, Sen. Marco Rubio and Josh Kushner.
What We’re Watching
- The Calcalist Tech and Investment Summit is taking place today in Miami. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides and Ruby Chen, whose son Itay is a hostage in Gaza, are slated to speak this morning.
- The Jewish National Fund’s annual Global Conference kicks off today in Dallas.
- The 15th annual Sir Bani Yas Forum kicks off later today in the United Arab Emirates. The three-day gathering, hosted by the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, is expected to address regional peace.
- Web Summit 2024 wraps up today in Lisbon.
What You Should Know
President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is starting to come together, but we still know few specifics about what policies Trump will pursue in his second term. Jewish Insider’s Washington team put together a list of policy questions the new administration will have to weigh in on.
Here’s what we’re watching:
Iran sanctions: The first Trump administration touted its “maximum pressure” sanctions policy toward Iran and is widely expected to pursue a similar path, especially with former Iran envoy Brian Hook expected to lead the transition team at the State Department. Expect to see stronger enforcement of existing sanctions — which lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say has been lax under the Biden administration — and the implementation of additional sanctions passed by Congress earlier this year that have not yet been enacted. But Trump has also expressed interest in a new diplomatic agreement with Iran.
Palestinian aid: The first Trump administration paused all U.S. aid to both the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and to the West Bank and Gaza generally. Congress has paused aid to UNRWA through at least March, but the Biden administration has sent millions in aid to Gaza through other channels, which could end under the new administration.
Houthis: In its final days, the Trump administration designated the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a designation the Biden administration quickly withdrew and has refused to re-impose despite bipartisan pressure and a year of attacks by the group on the U.S. and its partners. With two leaders of that pressure campaign, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), in the incoming administration, the FTO designation is likely to make a quick comeback.
Arms transfers to Israel: The Biden administration continues to withhold some arms transfers to Israel, has threatened others and implemented a new global policy imposing greater conditions on all U.S. arms sales. A new Trump White House could move to revoke both policies.
Regional normalization: In his first term, Trump cultivated strong relations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and has touted the Abraham Accords as a key accomplishment. He’ll likely make a new push to seal a deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel. MBS has said he does not want to forge an agreement with Israel until there is progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state, but he has a strong relationship with Trump — so whether he sticks to that position is anyone’s bet. Trump has also repeatedly floated the idea of bringing Iran into the Abraham Accords, though Iran has never signaled willingness to normalize ties with Israel.
Investigations into campus antisemitism: Trump appealed to Jewish voters frustrated with Democrats’ handling of antisemitism. One key question will be who he taps to lead the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which oversees investigations into antisemitism at U.S. schools and universities. Republicans have opposed increasing funding to OCR, which says it needs additional money to hire more investigators to pursue its heavy caseload. Republicans have also threatened to pull federal funding to universities that do not take antisemitism seriously — now we’ll see if they were serious about that. (Trump has threatened to eliminate the Department of Education entirely, which would have major ramifications on enforcement of anti-discrimination policies.)
Qatar: How will the Trump administration approach the troublesome U.S. ally, which has been the subject of increasing frustration from lawmakers for its harboring of Hamas leaders? One potential signal: months ago, incoming National Security Advisor Waltz was an advocate for punitive measures against Qatar if hostage negotiations remained stalled.
bridge over troubled waters
Rumored for a Trump posting, Elbridge Colby’s dovish views on Iran stand out
Even as President-elect Donald Trump nominates several foreign policy hawks to leading roles in his Cabinet, some conservative pro-Israel activists are raising concerns that one potential candidate for a senior national security job could create ideological friction in the incoming administration, particularly on Iran and the broader Middle East. Elbridge Colby, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of defense in Trump’s first administration, has recently appeared on shortlists for key national security posts as the president-elect prepares for his second term. But Colby’s dovish views on Iran and its nuclear ambitions, which he sees as a less urgent threat to American interests than China, have long been a source of contention within Republican foreign policy circles, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Iran issue: A former official in the first Trump administration, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the ongoing transition, claimed that Colby’s “views are almost indistinguishable from” former President Barack Obama “on a range of issues, most notably Iran.” He added, “I don’t know how you put a man who says he’s OK with Iran having a nuclear weapon in charge of any serious defense or national security job, when Iran is trying to kill Trump and is on the verge of a weapon.”
Another contentious pick: Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat who defected to the Republican Party, was selected to be President-elect Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, a pick that would be cause for significant alarm among Republican hawks and could raise concerns for the pro-Israel community, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Gabbard, a military veteran, has perhaps become most notorious for meeting with, and defending, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in 2017, and defending his attacks on Syrian civilians. Her record on Israel in the House could raise red flags and she also vocally opposed the Trump administration’s first-term Iran policy, instead supporting diplomacy with the regime in Tehran.
testing the limits
Trump picks Matt Gaetz, with checkered record on antisemitism, for attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump announced that he’s planning to nominate ethically embattled, far-right former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as his attorney general, tapping a figure with a checkered record on antisemitism for a role with key responsibilities in addressing discrimination and hate crimes, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
His record: The announcement that Trump sought to nominate Gaetz, a scandal-plagued figure widely disliked among his House Republican colleagues, was met with a skeptical reaction from some Senate Republicans — though Trump could try to force the confirmation through as a recess appointment without a Senate vote. Earlier this year, Gaetz was one of the most vocal Republican critics of the House-passed Antisemitism Awareness Act, claiming that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism would label the Bible as antisemitic because, he said, “the Bible is clear” that Jews killed Jesus — tapping into a long-recognized antisemitic trope. Gaetz, who resigned hours after the announcement, had been under investigation by the House Ethics committee for allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and corruption. An explosive final report was expected within days, according to news reports, but now may never see the light of day due to Gaetz’s resignation.
Rare reactions: The nonpartisan AJC and ADL rarely weigh in on presidential nominations, but both released statements. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, pointing to Gaetz’s record on antisemitism in a post on X Wednesday, said he “should not be appointed to any high office, much less one overseeing the impartial execution of our nation’s laws.” AJC also urged Trump to withdraw the nomination, and said the Senate has “a responsibility to reject it.”
turkey ties
Lawmakers condemn Turkey after Erdoğan says he will cut ties with Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s announcement that Turkey would sever all remaining ties with Israel is being met with condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.
Quick condemnation: Reaction to the comments was swift and harsh, with lawmakers cautioning the Turkish leader against pursuing such a strategy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told JI, “I think Turkey’s approach to the conflict has been outrageous. I think Israel is going to be just fine.” He added, “This will hurt Turkey in the West.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) said, “He’s been moving in that direction for a while. It’s extremely disappointing to have a NATO ally that’s going to do that. He has been terribly, he’s just been wrong in his accusations of what’s happening in the Middle East. We recognize that. We know that he has done this in the past. It concerns us.”
Israeli comment: The Israeli Foreign Ministry told JI’s Lahav Harkov that “Israel does not know of a change in status in relations with Turkey.” The Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv was still open on Wednesday, according to ynet.
mulling mike
Senate Democrats open to considering Huckabee as confirmation begins
Some Senate Democrats indicated on Wednesday they hadn’t ruled out supporting former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, though many said they weren’t particularly familiar with his policy views and needed to explore them further, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.
What they’re saying: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), a frequent critic of Israel’s policy in the West Bank, didn’t rule out supporting Huckabee, whom he said he knew years ago when they were both governors. “I want to talk to him,” Kaine said. “I have a lot of thoughts about the U.S.-Israel relationship. I would want to talk to him, and I’ll have a chance since I’m on the Foreign Relations Committee.” Some Democrats were more skeptical, however. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) expressed concern about Huckabee’s professional qualifications. “The U.S.-Israel relationship is incredibly important,” Coons told JI. “I’m surprised that President-elect Trump seems intent on nominating someone with no diplomatic experience.”
Bonus: The New York Times looks at how the selections of Huckabee and Steven Witkoff, the Trump’s choice for Middle East envoy, will shape the administration’s approach to the region, and separately how Trump’s picks for his national security team are likely to approach potential West Bank annexation.
florida to foggy bottom
Trump formalizes selection of Rubio as secretary of state
President-elect Donald Trump officially announced his plans to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as his secretary of state on Wednesday, two days after the news first leaked. The delay between public reporting about Trump’s selection of Rubio and the official announcement — a gap in which Trump publicly announced a series of other key national security picks — had raised questions about whether the president-elect might change course, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Pushback: Puck reported on Tuesday that some in Trump’s inner circle, especially MAGA conservatives, had been unhappy with the selection of Rubio, who largely holds traditionally conservative and internationalist views on foreign policy, rather than a committed isolationist. Some on the isolationist right, such as former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and podcaster Dave Smith — who was embraced by Donald Trump Jr. in recent days — have publicly bemoaned the Rubio pick.
latam alert
Hezbollah may be more motivated to strike Jewish targets in Latin America, experts warn
Jewish communities and law enforcement in Latin America should be on high alert, after Israel killed Hezbollah’s senior command and destroyed large numbers of its weapons near the border, experts warned in recent interviews with Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov. Latin America has long been an important base of operations for Hezbollah, with activities originating in the border area between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, countries with large Lebanese populations. Those countries’ tri-border area has weak law enforcement that the terrorist organization uses for money laundering. Hezbollah later expanded into Venezuela as Caracas became more aligned with Tehran.
Risk assessment: There is “an incentive for [Hezbollah] now to try to hit soft targets abroad in response to what is happening to them in Lebanon,” Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JI. “The risk [to Jewish communities] has always been there, latent and present,” he added.
Cease-fire conversations: The Lebanon cease-fire deal taking shape in Jerusalem and Washington would include direct American involvement in monitoring to ensure that Hezbollah does not re-arm itself in southern Lebanon, Israeli sources with knowledge of the matter told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov this week.
Worthy Reads
Offense on Defense: In The Wall Street Journal, former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), now the head of defense at Palantir, suggests how the incoming Trump administration can improve the Department of Defense. “Xi Jinping has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027. Whether he launches an invasion may depend on President Trump’s defense secretary. If confirmed by the Senate, Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Mr. Trump’s nominee, will have to confront the collapse of deterrence in Europe and the Middle East, resource constraints on Capitol Hill, recruitment challenges, and a deteriorating balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. The only way to promote peace is to go to war on day one—not with China, Russia or Iran but with the Pentagon bureaucracy.” [WSJ]
Talking Turki: In The National, former Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt weighs in on the recent open letter authored by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki bin Faisal to President-elect Donald Trump. “The letter came just a few days before the extremely harsh speeches and accusations that were made against Israel at the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit held in Riyadh. In contrast to what was said at the Summit, Prince Turki’s letter is reassuring. It reinforces my belief that we need not put all our differences aside to engage with one another and achieve the major goals we have in common. We can, and do, disagree about whether certain leaders are posing obstacles to the process, but we must still be open to engaging those with whom we disagree. The letter is a strong signal at a very complex and challenging time. … Difference in opinion is a challenge, not a death knell. And no one thinks solving the most persistent geopolitical problem in recent history is without its very significant challenges. The way we work through or around those challenges is with frank discussion and honesty. There is no doubt that the world has lurched backwards in far too many ways over the past few years, especially in the Middle East.” [TheNational]
Word on the Street
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to appoint a Ukraine envoy who will be tasked with winding down the war between Moscow and Kyiv…
Trump said that he and President Joe Biden discussed the wars in Ukraine and Israel during their sit-down at the White House yesterday, but did not divulge details about the conversations…
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the Fortune Global Forum in New York, suggested that Trump would take a hawkish approach to Russia’s war against Ukraine, and “is not going to allow Vladimir Putin to roll through Ukraine”…
Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley responded to Trump’s announcement earlier this week that she and Pompeo would not play roles in the incoming administration, saying that in doing so, the president-elect “showed’ that “he can be shallow at times,” and added that she had been contacted by the Trump transition team…
Israel’s climate envoy, Gideon Behar, speaking at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, said that he was hopeful that Trump’s win would allow for increased cooperation between Israel and U.S. on climate and diplomatic issues…
The New York Times looks at the role Elon Musk is playing in the formation of the incoming Trump administration, the Times notes that tech investor Joe Lonsdale, who is close with Musk, is not expected to have a former role in the new administration but is open to serving in a part-time advisory position…
Current and former Pentagon officials are raising concerns about the selection of Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary, noting his lack of managerial experience and past criticism of the Department of Defense…
Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s transition team, is pushing to be named Treasury secretary; Trump has been mulling investor Scott Bessent for the role…
Democratic strategist David Axelrod, who served as a senior advisor to former President Barack Obama, suggested that U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel should head the Democratic National Committee…
A Cambodia-based CIA employee was indicted on charges that he leaked classified documents relating to potential Israeli strikes against Iranian targets…
The Senate’s draft of the 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations bill included $305 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program; the amount is the same as the original House proposal, which Jewish groups criticized as inadequate…
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a cover of T-Pain’s “Get Low” to celebrate his anniversary with his wife, Priscilla Chan, whom he met at a college party while the rapper’s song was playing…
At the Fortune General Assembly, Thrive Capital’s Josh Kushner explained his $1.3 billion investment in OpenAI, saying he was confident both in the company’s leadership, CEO Sam Altman, and in its longevity…
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman reflected on his relations with the Jewish community during a World Jewish Congress gala honoring the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, China and Singapore; in response to the University of Pennsylvania’s handling of campus antisemitism, Huntsman, an alum of the school, halted his family’s donations to his alma mater last year…
The Marcus Foundation made a $60 million donation to RootOne weeks before philanthropist Bernie Marcus’ death earlier this month; the gift to RootOne, which has received more than $140 million from the foundation since its founding in 2020, will help subsidize trips to Israel for Jewish teenagers…
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside of a pro-Israel gala in Paris where Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had been slated to attend; due to security concerns, Smotrich’s canceled his appearance at the Israel is Forever gala, which aimed to raise funds for the IDF…
France, the U.K. and Germany are pushing for a resolution at next week’s meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors to pressure Iran over its lack of cooperation with the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog…
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, proposed a suspension of ties between the European bloc and Israel, accusing Jerusalem of human rights violations in Gaza…
Israel’s proposed wartime budget for the coming year would decrease the benefits offered to new immigrants, who benefit from some government financial assistance in their first years after immigrating…
Pic of the Day
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) met on Wednesday with the families of Americans still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Birthdays
Television director and producer, her neurotic text messages to her daughter are the subject of the CrazyJewishMom Instagram page, Kim Friedman turns 75…
Cellist and professor at Moscow Conservatoire, Natalia Gutman turns 82… Former professional bodybuilder who played for two seasons with the New York Jets, Mike Katz turns 80… Los Angeles businessman, community leader and political activist, Stanley Treitel… Retired member of the U.K.’s House of Lords, Baron Jeremy Beecham turns 80… Former British Labour party MP who resigned in 2019 in protest of Jeremy Corbyn, Dame Louise Joyce Ellman turns 79… Editor-at-large for Bloomberg View, Jonathan I. Landman turns 72… Former Democratic member of the New York State Assembly from Brooklyn, his 22-year term was completed at the end of 2022, Steven H. Cymbrowitz turns 71… U.S. secretary of state during the last four years of the Bush 43 administration, now on the faculty of Stanford University and the director of the Hoover Institution, Condoleezza Rice turns 70… Senior advisor to President Barack Obama throughout his eight-year term in the White House, she is now president of the Obama Foundation, Valerie Jarrett turns 68… Detroit-based communications consultant, Cynthia Shaw… President of Middlebury College in Vermont, Laurie L. Patton turns 63… Partner at the Santa Monica-based law firm of Murphy Rosen, Edward A. Klein… Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and professor of political science at The George Washington University, Sarah A. Binder… Vice chairman of The Atlantic and managing director of media at Emerson Collective, Peter T. Lattman… and his twin brother, SVP at Forman Mills, Brian Lattman, both turn 54… Tel Aviv native, now based in London and Dubai, with interests in real estate, gambling software, payments processing and digital advertising, Teddy Sagi turns 53… Member of the Colorado House of Representatives until last year when she became a Colorado state senator, Dafna Michaelson Jenet turns 52… Former deputy national security advisor for President Barack Obama, Ben Rhodes turns 47… Head of public policy and government affairs for Lime, Joshua Meltzer… Law professor at Fordham University, Pamela Bookman turns 45… Actress and comedian, Vanessa Bayer turns 43… Chief of staff to the secretary of the Army, Jacob Freedman turns 42… Rabbi of the Sha’ar Hashamayim Synagogue in Indonesia, Yaakov Baruch turns 42… Israeli conductor and pianist, he is a conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Nimrod David Pfeffer turns 40… Executive director of the One Percent Foundation, Lana Talya Volftsun Fern… Actress and producer, Sophie von Haselberg turns 38… Infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, he played for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Spencer Elliott Horwitz turns 27…
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