Daily Kickoff
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview President Donald Trump’s bilateral meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan slated for this morning, and report on the potential collapse of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas following Hamas’ announcement that it will not release three hostages this weekend. We also look at how USAID funding has been disbursed in the Middle East, and talk to legislators about the Palestinian Authority’s plan to reform its ‘martyr payments.’ Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Justin Brannan, Ric Grenell and William Daroff.
What We’re Watching
- King Abdullah II of Jordan is in Washington today. He’s slated to meet with President Donald Trump this morning, alongside his son, Crown Prince Hussein. More below.
- Israel’s security cabinet will meet today to discuss Israeli negotiators’ approach to ongoing cease-fire and hostage-release talks, a day after Hamas said it will not move forward with future hostage releases. More below.
- Vice President J.D. Vance, in Paris for the AI Action Summit, is having a working lunch today with French President Emmanuel Macron.
- The World Government Summit begins today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Spotted at the conference: Trump senior advisor Jason Miller, who spoke to The National about the administration’s approach to the Middle East. Tomorrow morning, Oracle’s Larry Ellison and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair are slated to speak at the summit. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson will give a keynote address later in the morning. In the afternoon, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will speak on the subject of “Creating leaders of tomorrow.” Later on, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Goldman Sachs’ Jared Cohen will speak at separate sessions focused on the future of the digital space.
- The Senate could vote as soon as this evening on Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation to be director of national intelligence. The upper chamber voted along party lines last night to advance Gabbard’s nomination in a procedural vote. More below on last night’s vote.
- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will be the keynote speaker at today’s Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day, being held this evening in Annapolis.
What You Should Know
King Abdullah II of Jordan will today face one of his most consequential meetings since ascending to the throne of the Hashemite Kingdom more than 25 years ago: a White House sit-down with President Donald Trump. The meeting comes amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to upend the U.S.’ traditional approach to Middle East policymaking, Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss reports.
Trump said on Monday that he could “conceivably withhold aid” from Jordan — to the tune of approximately $1.5 billion — as well as Egypt, if the countries do not agree to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, part of the president’s broader suggestion that the entire population of the enclave be removed from the area.
As one of the more moderate Arab countries, more closely aligned with Western interests than many of its neighbors — and also more reliant on U.S. aid than other, oil-rich Arab states — King Abdullah has long been forced to walk a fine line as Jordan has worked to maintain its relations with Washington as well as placate its civilian population, the majority of which is of Palestinian descent.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiropointed out the laundry list of items concerning King Abdullah as he heads to Washington — many of which are expected to come up in his conversations today at the White House.
Shapiro noted the stoppage of USAID grants — which provide support to Jordanian health and economic development programs, as well as Trump’s stated plans to take over Gaza. More below on how the USAID cuts are affecting projects in the region.
Despite the massive shifts that have fundamentally reshaped the Middle East over the last 16 months, Israel and Jordan have largely prioritized their strategic needs over the types of disagreements that have broken other alliances and efforts at cooperation across the region.
Jordan’s problems in recent years have also been compounded by the influx of Syrian refugees — more than a million — to the Hashemite Kingdom over the last dozen years.
Jordan has carefully watched the rapid collapse of the Assad regime in neighboring Syria, which triggered concerns that the spillover from the rebel takeover of Damascus could destabilize Jordan.
Part of King Abdullah’s longevity is the lower-key role he and Amman play in regional politics — eager to keep tensions under control, and reticent to deeply involve the country in regional conflicts. But the king could use this moment and this meeting to his advantage by impressing upon Trump the kingdom’s value in obtaining the president’s lofty regional goals.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was in Washington last week, where he met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and laid the groundwork for the king’s visit. Shapiro said that he himself had met with Safadi many times, “but have also had many, many tough conversations, urging Jordan to show more flexibility and creativity on Palestinian issues, not just say no.”
Trump has said what many are hesitant to acknowledge: that the status quo in a range of Middle East conflicts is proving unsustainable, and resolutions must be reached. If King Abdullah brings a less-rigid approach to Washington today, he could position Jordan to play a role in the rebuilding of the region. But if he finds himself at odds with Trump, the king may find himself on the outside looking in.
spending in the spotlight
The good, the bad and the ugly of USAID’s Middle East funding
In the name of shrinking the federal workforce and cutting off U.S. dollars going abroad, President Donald Trump and top deputy Elon Musk have all but shuttered USAID, whose $40 billion annual budget supports humanitarian projects internationally. All recipients of USAID funding have been affected by an across-the-board funding freeze. Organizations such as Project Rozana, which had to cancel a long-planned diabetes training for Israeli and Palestinians nurses at Sheba Medical Center, are left scrambling. “It’s had a devastating impact on us,” said Kenneth Bob, chair of Project Rozana’s U.S. affiliate. Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch and Lahav Harkov report on what the changes at the U.S. Agency for International Development mean for the Middle East.
Under a microscope: USAID has for decades supported both Israeli and Palestinian organizations in the Middle East. But some in both the public sector and civil society have raised concerns that, while USAID does support important institutions and legitimate peace-building efforts, U.S. taxpayer dollars may be reaching other organizations with ties to terror or with an anti-Israel agenda. One organization that received USAID funds then directed $2 million to another group that arranged meetings between Palestinian teens and convicted terrorists. Another USAID grantee produced a documentary criticizing U.S. anti-BDS laws. “I thought that the USAID procedures for vetting participants were poor and that they made some mistakes,” said Elliott Abrams, the Republican foreign policy mainstay who until January sat on the advisory board that weighed in on Middle East Partnership for Peace Act grants.
seeing is believing
PA’s claim of reforming ‘martyr’ payments policy meets skeptical reception
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Monday claiming the PA would be restructuring its payments to the families of killed and incarcerated terrorists, an announcement that some observers have framed as the end of the long-controversial “martyr payment” program, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report. But others, including U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, are not taking the announcement at face value, arguing that the PA cannot be trusted to actually end the program, also known as “pay-for-slay.”
What they’re saying: “It would be naive to think that after years of facilitating terrorism against Israelis and Americans the Palestinian Authority would suddenly have a change of heart,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who has sponsored legislation to impose additional sanctions to stop the martyr payments, told JI. “They should also be held accountable for their past actions.” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said it “remains to be seen” whether the announcement is “credible.” Moskowitz said, “While I hope it’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Liberation Organization have been incentivizing the murder of Israeli civilians for decades through these martyr payments.”
Read the full story here.
deal on ice
Trump suggests Israel set ultimatum after Hamas suspends hostage deal
President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Israel set an ultimatum for Hamas to release all of the hostages by Saturday, after the Palestinian terror group announced on Monday that it was indefinitely suspending the hostage releases, Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve reports. “That’s Israel’s decision but as far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I think that’s an appropriate time, I would say cancel it, and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump told reporters. “I’m speaking for myself — Israel can override it,” the president clarified.
Hamas’ statement: Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida, whose real name is Hudhaifa Kahlout, claimed that “Israeli violations” were the reason for the pause, JI’s Lahav Harkov reports. He referred to the delay in allowing Gazans to return to northern Gaza, which Israel pushed off for a day because Hamas postponed a previous release of hostages. He also claimed Israel blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for “retroactive compensation.” Read the full story here.
New hostage intel: For the families of several hostages, the reassurance of receiving first signs of life from their loved ones in Gaza in recent days was mixed with distress at hearing of the conditions in which they are being kept – and for some, the abuse to which Hamas subjected them. The families of twins Gali and Ziv Berman, 27, of Kibbutz Kfar Aza; Nova festival survivors Eliya Cohen, 26, and Alon Ohel, who turned 24 on Monday; and IDF soldier Nimrod Cohen, 20, learned from recently released hostages that their loved ones were alive. Read the full story from JI’s Lahav Harkov here.
forging alliances
New York City comptroller candidate courts anti-Israel support as he seeks higher office
During his tenure as a New York City councilman in a southern Brooklyn swing district, Justin Brannan has carved out a distinct profile as a moderate Democrat with populist instincts, building support among both Jewish and Arab-American voters who make up a sizable part of his constituency by carefully navigating tensions over Israel and its war in Gaza, among other divisive issues. But as he now seeks higher office in the citywide race for comptroller, Brannan is notably courting support from a range of far-left activists and elected officials whose hostile positions toward Israel have differed from the more balanced views he has expressed on the Middle East, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Coalition concerns: The shift has raised concerns among some Jewish leaders who say Brannan is forming a coalition at odds with the organized Jewish community as it continues to face a surge in antisemitism fueled by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Brannan’s newer alliances, some observers say, also conflict with his reputation as a center-left Democrat who quit the council’s Progressive Caucus two years ago. Even as Brannan has not indicated he will change his rhetoric or positions, some Jewish community activists who have confronted him about his endorsements from far-left figures and recent donations to anti-Israel council members, among other sources of contention, say the emerging web of affiliations has stirred growing speculation over his continued commitment to key issues.
comeback kid
Senate votes along party lines to advance Gabbard’s confirmation
The Senate voted along party lines on Monday to advance Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be director of national intelligence, with all Republicans coalescing around the effort to move to a final floor vote despite past concerns about her qualifications and background, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
GOP turnaround: Every Democrat that was present voted against the motion to invoke cloture on Gabbard’s nomination, while 52 Republicans voted in favor, teeing up a final floor vote later this week. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) were both absent, making the final vote tally 52-46. A final vote on her confirmation can take place as soon as 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, unless Democrats agree to speed up the vote. The unified GOP support for Gabbard marks a striking turnaround from just weeks ago, when she was seen as one of Trump’s most endangered nominees, with multiple Republicans publicly skeptical of her nomination due to her controversial views on a range of issues.
Read the full story here.
scoop
Georgetown Law event with PFLP terror group member postponed
A discussion scheduled for Tuesday at Georgetown University Law Center featuring a convicted member of the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is being postponed so that the university can “conduct a serious investigation,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen has learned.
Conveyed concerns: The postponement came after both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) condemned the event, which was organized by Georgetown Law Students for Justice in Palestine. In a Monday evening email to a member of Torres’ team who reached out to the Law Center to express concern, a university official said that the administration conveyed to LSJP on Sunday that its event would “have to be postponed so that the University could conduct a thorough investigation into serious safety and security concerns that had arisen in connection with the event.”
Worthy Reads
Trump’s Expansionism: In The Wall Street Journal, Amit Segal posits that President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy upends a century-old way of thinking that does not fit the modern paradigm. “Those shocked by Mr. Trump’s seemingly imperialist threats to take over Greenland, intervene in Panama, unilaterally rename the Gulf of Mexico and build American hotels in Gaza are using 20th-century principles to interpret 21st-century policy. Mr. Trump recognizes that the old rules don’t apply in a world of trade wars and terrorist organizations. What he proposes isn’t imperialism but a new line of Western defense against insidious forces. [Former President Woodrow] Wilson believed that when authoritarian countries are given self-determination, democracy can emerge. George W. Bush and Barack Obama clung to this doctrine, advocating democratic elections in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Egypt. Instead, fundamentalist Islam rose, endangering the region. Thousands paid with their lives. Where would you rather live, ‘democratic’ Gaza or authoritarian Dubai?” [WSJ]
Eerie Echoes in Germany: The Washington Post’s Leon Hockstader raises concerns about the long-term effects of the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany as the country heads to federal elections later this month. “The more plausible danger looms in the next elections, probably in 2029. By then, all bets will be off if Germany’s traditional centrist parties — the ones likely to govern together for the coming several years — have not lifted Germany from its morass. Meaning the AfD could have the inside track to take or share power in just a few years. That idea rests on a last-party-standing pattern that has spread across Europe in recent years. As establishment politicians have serially failed to set things right — in Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and elsewhere — fed-up voters have turned to extremists. None have been so extreme as the AfD, nor in a country so consequential as Germany. If Germans become so frustrated that they again fall for the siren-song of ethno-nationalism, then the rhyme of history will be impossible to ignore. And the project of constructing a new Europe, risen from World War II’s ashes — integrated, tolerant and mindful of the 20th century’s lessons — will have suffered its gravest defeat.” [WashPost]
Trouble at Treasury: In The New York Times, five former Treasury secretaries — Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Timothy Geithner, Jack Lew and Janet Yellen — weigh in on Trump administration’s department shakeups in its first weeks in office. “During our collective 18 years at the helm of the Treasury, we never were asked to stop congressionally appropriated funds from being paid out in full. Not since the Nixon administration has this type of executive action been contemplated. At that time, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the president did not have the power to withhold federal funds that Congress had authorized. The Trump administration may seek to change the law and alter what spending Congress appropriates, as administrations before it have done as well. And should the law change, it will be the role of the executive branch to execute those changes. But it is not for the Treasury Department or the administration to decide which of our congressionally approved commitments to fulfill and which to cast aside. No Treasury secretary in his or her first weeks in office should be put in the position where it is necessary to reassure the nation and the world of the integrity of our payments system or our commitment to make good on our financial obligations.” [NYTimes]
Word on the Street
President Donald Trump named Ric Grenell, the administration’s special envoy for special diplomatic missions, as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center, days after Trump dismissed the cultural institution’s board and installed himself as chairman…
The Trump administration levied sanctions against International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan…
Department of Justice officials told federal prosecutors in New York to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams…
A group of investors led by Elon Musk made a $97.4 billion bid for the nonprofit that controls OpenAI; CEO Sam Altman rejected the offer from Musk, with whom he created OpenAI a decade ago, telling employees, “Our structure ensures that no individual can take control of OpenAI…These are tactics to try and weaken us because we are making great progress”…
The Wall Street Journal reports on Elliott Investment Management’s acquisition of a $2.5 billion stake in Phillips 66 as it pushes the company to make operational changes…
Mark Halperin’s new 2WAY media startup announced the hiring of Meghan McCain and Michael Moynihan, as well as former Free Press audio and video head Alex Chitty…
The backup dancer who was removed from Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show for unfurling a Palestinian/Sudanese flag will not face criminal charges, but received a lifetime ban from NFL stadiums and events…
33 & West music agent Daniel McCartney announced he was no longer representing Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, following dozens of antisemitic, homophobic and racist social media posts from the artist; Ye’s website is now selling one item: a T-shirt with a swastika emblazoned on the front…
The Financial Times spotlights the German city of Pforzheim, where the far-right German party AfD has made significant inroads…
Calcalist looks at security concerns around the navigation app Waze, which provides coordinates for Israeli military bases and other strategic installations…
An official working in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office was reportedly employed by a Qatar-funded company to do public relations work on behalf of Doha related to hostage negotiations even as he maintained his role as a military spokesman for the PMO…
In an interview with The Times of Israel, William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that while some American Jewish leaders are concerned by Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza, they are generally satisfied with the Israel-U.S. relationship under the new administration…
The U.N. announced the suspension of humanitarian operations in a Houthi stronghold in northern Yemen over the detention of eight of its staffers; the Houthis have arrested two dozen U.N. staffers in recent years…
Pic of the Day
Thousands attended an event yesterday evening at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, marking the 24th birthday of hostage Alon Ohel — the second birthday he is marking in captivity in Gaza. Musicians Ivri Lider, Yoshi, Dana Berger, Dudi Levy, Shlomi Shaban and Keren Peles performed at the event in a show of solidarity with the family of Ohel, who is a pianist.
Birthdays
Assistant general manager for MLB’s Baltimore Orioles, Eve Rosenbaum turns 35…
Journalist, writer, political commentator and author of a Passover Haggadah co-written with his late wife Cokie Roberts, Steven V. Roberts turns 82… NYC-based gastroenterologist, he is the past president of American Friends of Likud, Julio Messer, M.D. turns 73… Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007, John Ellis “Jeb” Bush turns 72… Former Knesset member for the Jewish Home, Likud and Ahi parties, Eliyahu Michael “Eli” Ben-Dahan turns 71… ProPublica’s editor-in-chief since 2013, Stephen Engelberg turns 67… Victorville, Calif., resident, Tricia Roth… Hospice and palliative care physician, Gary E. Applebaum, MD… Principal at Gallagher Benefit Services, Alan Vorchheimer… U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) turns 63… Admin and special project coordinator for Jewish Renewal programs at JDC, Debbie Halali… Founder and president of RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, Scott Berkowitz… Governor of Hawaii, Joshua B. Green turns 55… CEO at Baltimore-based real estate firm, Quest Management Group, Jason Reitberger turns 51… Elected as a member of the Broward County (Fla.) School Board in the months following the death of her daughter at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Lori Alhadeff turns 50… Director and executive producer of the broadcast team at Salesforce, Rob Hendin… Ilana Ozernoy… Executive at City Winery, he was also a pitcher for Team Israel in qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, Shlomo Lipetz turns 46… Tight end on the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for four seasons ending in 2006, Mike Seidman turns 44… Executive director of Merkos 302 and the International Conference of Shluchim at Chabad HQ, Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky… Republican strategist and president of Somm Consulting, Evan Siegfried… Entrepreneur, pilot and commercial astronaut, he is pending Senate confirmation to serve as the next administrator of NASA, Jared Taylor Isaacman turns 42… VP of global healthcare banking at Bank of America, David B. Stern… Senior program director at WillowTree, Michelle Zar Beecher… Former director of account management at State Affairs, Rachel Kosberg… M&A partner at Kirkland & Ellis, Alix Simnock… Associate attorney at EarthJustice and author of two books on origami, Scott Wasserman Stern… and his twin brother, a VP for Technicolor Political, Eric Wasserman Stern, both turn 32… Data scientist at CAST AI, CY Neuberger Twersky… Master chef, Yisroel Neuberger…
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