Daily Kickoff: Israeli concerns about Jordan’s stability
Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at concerns in Israel over the potential destabilization of Jordan following the ouster of the Assad regime in Syria and talk to Rep.-elect Gabe Evans about his approach to the Middle East. We report from last night’s Yeshiva University Hanukkah Dinner and spotlight the new Miami outpost of Eyal Shani’s Malka restaurant. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Ric Grenell, Michael Dell and King Charles.
What We’re Watching
- President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are hosting their final Hanukkah reception at the White House tonight.
- The Jewish Democratic Council of America is also holding its Hanukkah party tonight.
- Palm Beach Synagogue is hosting a conversation between Dan Senor and Ben Shapiro tonight.
- The American Jewish Committee is hosting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, in conversation with AJC CEO Ted Deutch, at the 80th anniversary celebration of its Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey office.
- We’re also keeping an eye on Berlin, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing a no-confidence vote that, if successful, would send the country to early elections in February.
What You Should Know
As Israel works to dismantle Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terror groups in Gaza, a separate effort to target the Iranian proxies in the West Bank is underway as the Palestinian Authority cracks down on malign actors in Jenin, Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss reports.
A new round of violence kicked off early Saturday morning when PA security forces foiled a car bomb plot meant, according to senior PA security official Anwar Rajab, “to be detonated among citizens and security personnel.” The failed attack followed efforts by the PA to arrest members of Hamas and PIJ who had stolen PA security vehicles last week and paraded them through Jenin. A senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander was killed in the ensuing weekend raid.
The U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which provides services to the Palestinians, responded to the violence by shutting down operations in Jenin. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini blasted “violent clashes between Palestinian Security Forces & Palestinian armed actors,” citing the “fragile stability” of the West Bank.
Over the weekend, the U.S. asked Israel to approve the use of American military aid to the PA in an effort to help stabilize the situation in light of the PA’s failure to tamp down on extremist forces in the West Bank, whose popularity grew in the wake of last year’s Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks.
Jenin in particular has been a stronghold for terror groups that pose a threat to the shaky governance of the Palestinian Authority and its ailing president, 89-year-old Mahmoud Abbas, who next month will begin the 21st year of the four-year term to which he was elected in 2004. A few weeks ago, the IDF and Shin Bet seized an arsenal of Iranian weapons intended to arm terrorist operatives in Jenin.
Last month, Abbas named an interim successor, Rawhi Fattouh, who would take over for a 90-day period in the event that Abbas dies or resigns. The decision, made under pressure from Saudi Arabia, underscores the degree to which Abbas and regional power brokers are concerned about the potential collapse of the PA — and what could fill the vacuum left in its absence.
The tenuous situation in West Bank mirrors the shaky situation next door in Jordan (more on that below), with leaders in Ramallah and Amman concerned over a potential uprising akin to the one that ousted Bashar al-Assed in neighboring Syria by extremist forces emboldened by Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham’s victory.
The PA, bolstered by U.S. support, may well be successful in its efforts to quell this spate of violence in the West Bank, but without a plan to address the underlying issues, it is only a matter of time before the tensions reach a fever pitch.
eye on amman
Israeli officials concerned Assad’s fall risks destabilizing Jordan
The ripple effects across the Middle East of Bashar al-Assad’s fall in Syria remain to be seen, but Jordan’s leaders are reportedly eyeing recent events to their north with concern for the stability of King Abdullah II’s regime, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF Intelligence Directorate head Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder secretly visited Jordan over the weekend to discuss the implications of the rebels’ victory in Syria and concerns that extremists may undermine King Abdullah’s regime, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.
‘Potential aftershocks’: Zohar Palti, the Viterbi International Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former head of the Mossad Intelligence Directorate, identified Jordan as one of the fronts in which the U.S. and Israel need to act “if they hope to prevent or roll with other potential aftershocks.” While Israel took control of the buffer zone on the border with Syria in the last week, Deraa, a city on the Jordan-Syria border, “could be critical to stability in Jordan and the wider region,” Palti wrote, “especially if extremist elements come to the fore in Syria and try to challenge King Abdullah’s rule next door.”
Read the full story here.
veteran’s perspective
Newly elected Rep. Gabe Evans brings Middle East military experience to Capitol Hill
Rep.-elect Gabe Evans, a Colorado state House member and Army veteran, is set to bring personal experience as a service member in the Middle East, under fire from Iranian rockets, to Capitol Hill in January, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Speaking from experience: Evans, as a helicopter pilot in the Colorado Army National Guard, operated in nine countries in the Middle East in support of the Afghanistan war — though he never personally deployed inside the country. He told JI in a recent interview that working with U.S. partners and allies in the Middle East was a key element of his time in the region, as was working to prevent Iranian-backed terrorism and destabilization and maintain stability and governance in the midst of the Arab Spring. Having personally come under attack from Iranian missiles, Evans told JI, “we cannot live in a world with a nuclear Iran.” The Colorado Republican called Israel “hands down, bar none” the United States’ “most critical ally in the Middle East.”
malka’s moment
Israel’s culinary ambassador Eyal Shani doubles South Florida footprint with new kosher restaurant
It’s after Thanksgiving but before Christmas, which means South Florida is in the midst of its annual transformation as snowbirds come south in droves to escape the colder climes of the Northeast. This year, if Eyal Shani’s latest gamble proves correct, many of them will be flocking to Malka, the Israeli celebrity chef’s newest venture: a high-end kosher meat restaurant that opened last week in West Palm Beach. It’s the first Florida outpost of Malka, Shani’s kosher concept, which also has two locations in New York City and one in Tel Aviv, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
My people: The 65-year-old Shani has opened 40 restaurants around the world, only five of which are kosher. He decided to open his first kosher restaurant after realizing that the majority of Israeli Jews keep kosher — and could not go to his restaurants. “They used to stand and look at my restaurant with eyes that want to swallow my restaurant. But they couldn’t because they are Orthodox and they are eating kosher,” Shani told JI in an interview last week. “Then I said to myself, my purpose in life is to cook for my people. And these are part of my people. “
festival of lights
Yeshiva University hosts philanthropist-studded Hanukkah Dinner, announces major gifts
In a year filled with darkness, the light of Hanukkah illuminated New York City’s Cipriani ballroom on Sunday evening as more than 500 supporters of Yeshiva University gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Hanukkah Dinner, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Hanukkah gelt: A number of major gifts — some of which will go toward the Orthodox institution’s new health sciences building in Midtown Manhattan — were announced during the dinner by Rabbi Ari Berman, the president of the university. These include $36 million from the Wilf family, members of which were presented with the Centennial Medallion award for their longtime support of the university; $11 million from Zahava and Moshael Straus; $6 million from the Safra family (Chella Safra, member of the Yeshiva University Board of Trustees and chair of the Moise Y. Safra Philanthropic Foundation — named for her late husband — received an honorary doctorate at the dinner), as well as millions from hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who has criticized his alma mater, Harvard University, (and withheld donations to it) over its handling of antisemitism and other diversity-related issues.
Read the full story here and sign up for eJewishPhilanthropy’s Your Daily Phil newsletter here.
Worthy Reads
Dermer’s Dogma:The Wall Street Journal’s Barton Swaim interviews Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer about the lessons the U.S. can take from Israel about the latter’s fight for its survival over the last 14 months. “It occurs to me that no other first-world nation, with the exception of the U.S. in the months after Sept. 11, 2001, possesses the shrewdness and sheer audacity to pull off so many exploits against its enemies. Israel, unlike the 21st-century West, takes its own side in a fight. Why? ‘We have no choice,’ Mr. Dermer says. He makes the point with a joke: ‘So I hear you have issues with Canada and Mexico. I’ll tell you what, we’ll take Canada, and you can have Syria. We’ll take Mexico, and you can have any other country in the Middle East.’ The necessity of remaining vigilant, of cultivating a sense of national self-confidence, has kept Israel from developing some of the pathologies of other prosperous liberal nations. ‘You’re always trying to find the right balance between security and civil liberties,’ Mr. Dermer says. ‘Then, as danger from abroad recedes for a time, you naturally concentrate more on civil liberties and all of these issues.’ The remarkable fact about Israel, he says, is that ‘we’ve been living Sept. 12 for 76 years. And as somebody born and raised in the United States’ — he took Israeli citizenship in 1997 and held U.S. citizenship till 2005 — ‘what amazes me about Israel is that with all of its imperfections, and every society’s imperfect, it still remains a vibrant, thriving democracy that affords its citizens enormous freedoms.’” [WSJ]
Proceed With Caution: In Semafor, Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas posits that the Gulf countries are approaching the new government in Syria with caution, due to its past ties to terror groups. “In Syria, the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — a militant group on several terror lists — as the dominant force behind the overthrow of Assad raises similar concerns. HTS leader Ahmed Al Shara (until recently known as Abu Mohammad Al Golani) is certainly sending all the right assurances, so far. Through international media appearances and messages to domestic audiences, he has promised to respect minority rights, peace, and not to impose strict Islamic dress codes on women. This is noteworthy, especially given Syria’s diverse religious fabric, which the Assad regime long exploited to maintain power. Is he sincere? Will he, and can he, keep his promises? Only time will tell. For now, Gulf states seem willing to give the benefit of the doubt. This was certainly the tone in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, which expressed its satisfaction with the ‘positive steps taken to ensure the safety of the brotherly Syrian people, to prevent bloodshed, and to preserve Syria’s state institutions and resources’ — a nod to the wise decision HTS has taken not to dismantle government institutions, a mistake the US made after it took control of Iraq in 2003.” [Semafor]
Riyadh’s Reckoning: Politico’s Matthew Kaminski, visiting Riyadh, reflects on Saudi Arabia’s modernization at the hands of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “When regimes in the region care most about the economy and modernization, they see security and the relationship with Israel differently than their predecessors. Before the Hamas attack last year, Riyadh and Israel were moving toward normalizing relations. … Those talks are on hold, but the recent wins for Israel in its region, above all Iran’s weaker position following the fall of Syria’s Bashar Assad, could reopen the door. The aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks makes an even more compelling case for Saudi Arabia to strike a deal. The key element — the one that Riyadh cares most about — is the promise of an American security guarantee for Saudi Arabia, preferably in the form of a Senate-ratified treaty along the lines of NATO. The violence that Oct. 7 unleashed that brought about direct confrontations between Israel and Iran reminded Saudis of their own precarious security — the threat from extremists and from their rival Iran, which has nuclear ambitions.” [Politico]
Window of Opportunity: In conversation with the Washington Post’s David Ignatius, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggests that the U.S. and Israel have a narrow window to act to stop a nuclear Iran. “How to stop Iran’s progress? The Biden administration had hoped before the Gaza war began to reach a new nuclear arms agreement with Iran to replace 2015’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Trump, too, even as he jettisoned the JCPOA in 2018, discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron and others negotiating a bigger, tougher agreement. If coercive diplomacy fails to quash Iran’s nuclear capability, Israel and the United States might consider military action. Many Iranian nuclear facilities are buried deep underground, and analysts have argued that only the United States has big enough conventional weapons to bust those bunkers. Gallant hopes the United States and Israel will work together to prevent a nuclear Iran. But he stressed: ‘Israel has the means to strike Iranian assets in a precise, forceful and sophisticated manner. If needed, we will not hesitate to act.’” [WashPost]
Word on the Street
President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war as well as the evolving situation in Syria…
Trump named Ric Grenell, who served as acting director of national intelligence during the first Trump administration, as the incoming administration’s envoy for special missions, working, Trump said in a Truth Social post, “in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea”…
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Cantor Fitzgerald, whose CEO, Howard Lutnick, was named by Trump as his choice for Commerce secretary, with violating regulatory disclosure laws…
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, met last week in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; the meeting was the first between an incoming member of the Trump administration and the Saudi leader since the November election…
Days later, Witkoff celebrated the bris of his grandson, who was named Don James Witkoff in honor of the president-elect, over the weekend…
Politico looks at how Trump’s selection of a number of Catholics to senior administration positions is poised to shape the administration’s agenda…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights efforts by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was tapped as commissioner last month, to identify and apprehend the man suspected of killing the CEO of UnitedHeathcare…
The New York Times reviews Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words, a new biography about the famous lyricist…
Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Wendy Sachs’ “October H8te,” which it will distribute next year under the title “October 8,” about the rise in antisemitism following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war…
The University of Virginia reached an out-of-court settlement with an Israeli student who alleged he faced “virulent antisemitism,” including physical violence, on the campus…
The New York Times spotlights moves by some universities to create dialogue groups on campus in an effort to deescalate tensions on hot-button issues, including the Israel-Hamas war…
The Wall Street Journal looks at how tech entrepreneur Michael Dell has adapted his eponymous company to become a key player in the AI boom…
The U.K.’s King Charles accepted an invitation to travel to Auschwitz for International Holocaust Remembrance Day next month…
Switzerland’s Federal Council proposed a ban on Nazi symbols in the country, citing an uptick in antisemitism…
Israel appealed the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing procedural errors on the part of Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor…
Israel’s cabinet unanimously approved a $11 million proposal from Netanyahu to double the population of the Israeli side of the Golan Heights…
A new report from the Henry Jackson Society found that officials in Gaza significantly inflated the number of civilian fatalities in the Israel-Hamas war to create a narrative that Israel deliberately targeted civilians…
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel will close its embassy in Dublin, Ireland, citing the country’s “extreme anti-Israel policies”…
Private investment firm AE Industrial Partners is buying Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions, co-founded by formerIsraeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former commander of the elite IDF 8200 intelligence unit Brig. Gen. (res.) Ehud Schneorson…
Ribbons, the symbol used to support the hostages held in Gaza, were drawn in the Israeli sky by a pilot or pilots whose identity has not yet been revealed…
The Ayalon highway was briefly blocked in Tel Aviv earlier today after a grenade was found on the side of the road…
The Wall Street Journal reports on efforts to track down billions of dollars in hidden assets that had belonged to the Assad regime in Syria…
An Iranian singer who held a virtual concert on YouTube was arrested for violating the country’s strict modesty laws by performing without a hijab…
The Iranian rial hit an all-time low against the dollar over the weekend, amid threats from Trump to resume his maximum-pressure campaign against Tehran and tensions between Iran and European powers over the advancement of its nuclear program…
Hezbollah head Naim Qassem acknowledged that the fall of the Assad regime in Syria severed the terror group’s most important supply route from Iran…
Mango founder Isak Andic, born to a Sephardic Jewish family in Istanbul, died at 71…
Pic of the Day
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (right), with Devorah Halberstam, announced a $4.5 million grant to complete the fifth floor of the Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, which will be named for Halberstam’s son Ari, who was killed in an antisemitic attack on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994.
Birthdays
Astrophysicist and professor at Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute, he was a winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, Adam Guy Riess turns 55…
CBS News journalist who has won 13 Emmy Awards, she has reported for CBS’s “60 Minutes” since 1991, Lesley Stahl turns 83… Numismatist specializing in ancient Jewish and Biblical coins and their archaeology, David Bruce Hendin turns 79… British chemist and research professor at the University of Nottingham, Sir Martyn Poliakoff turns 77… Attorney, professor and author, she was the first woman to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review, Susan Estrich turns 72… Litigator in Denver, Craig Alan Silverman… Novelist, journalist and lecturer, Allen Kurzweil turns 64… President and co-founder of The New Agenda and general partner of Causeway Investments, Amy Siskind… First OMB director in the Obama administration, now CEO of Lazard, Peter R. Orszag turns 56… Senior official at AIPAC until recently, now a consultant for the Anti-Defamation League, Rabbi Eric Stark… Director of public affairs at Charles Schwab, Adam Bromberg… Mexican singer, she has toured individually and in bands in Central America, the U.S. and Europe, Alix Bauer Tapuach turns 53… Activist, writer, farmer and punk rock musician, Sascha Altman DuBrul turns 50… Director of lifelong learning at Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany, N.Y., Shara Siegfeld… Principal at Elm City Strategies, Melissa Wisner… Chief of staff for U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Matthew Bennett Klapper turns 42… Middle East analyst at Christians United For Israel, Kasim Hafeez turns 41… Founder of Punchbowl News, Jake Sherman… Actress best known for her role on The CW’s teen drama “Gossip Girl” and more recently ABC’s General Hospital, Amanda Setton turns 39… Congressional reporter at Bloomberg Tax, Zachary C. Cohen turns 33… Senior technology consultant at the Ignyte Group, Drew Liquerman…
