Hamas slow-walks release of hostages’ bodies, reasserts itself in Gaza
Plus, remembering Rabbi Moshe Hauer
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In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on the evolving situation in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas forces are violently attacking rival clans following the implementation of the first phase of the Trump administration’s ceasefire plan, and look at how the White House’s moves to address campus antisemitism have morphed into broader efforts to regulate bias in academia. We report on the passing of the Orthodox Union’s Rabbi Moshe Hauer, and cover Gov. Josh Shapiro’s comments this week that antisemitism was a “motivating factor” in the Passover arson attack at the governor’s residence. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Joshua Kushner, Joel Mokyr and Amb. Sammy Revel.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Tamara Zieve with assists from Marc Rod and Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, former Israeli hostage Almog Meir Jan and Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to serve as antisemitism envoy, are slated to speak tonight at an event at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington commemorating the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks.
- In New York City, the Consul General of Israel is hosting its own commemoration ceremony this evening.
- Elsewhere in New York City, mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa will participate in a debate hosted by Politico, NBC 4 New York/WNBC and Telemundo 47/WNJU.
- In Israel, we’re monitoring the implementation of the Trump administration’s 20-point ceasefire plan, amid violations by Hamas over the release of bodies of deceased captives. Last night, Hamas returned the bodies of Inbar Haiman, the last remaining female hostage, and Muhammad el-Atrash, who was killed on Oct. 7 while serving in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.
- The Jewish Democratic Council of America is hosting a meet-the-candidate event tonight with New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ).
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S LAHAV HARKOV
Following the joy in Israel over the return of the remaining living hostages on Monday and President Donald Trump’s declaration that “the long and painful nightmare is finally over” came the letdown: Hamas, as of this morning, had returned only nine out of 28 bodies of the deceased hostages and started to execute rivals and reestablish itself in the areas of Gaza from which the IDF withdrew.
While Trump has repeatedly said the war in Gaza is over, when asked by CBS News if that’s the case, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel “agreed to give peace a chance,” and later in the interview said it still needs to “finish the war as speedily as possible.”
The future of Gaza remains unclear, despite Israel agreeing to Trump’s 20-point plan for the region. Hamas only agreed to the immediate steps in the plan: stopping the war, freeing the hostages in exchange for 1,950 prisoners, including those who killed Israelis in terrorist attacks, and Israel withdrawing to a specified line within Gaza.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday that the plan’s second phase, which entails Hamas’ disarmament and demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, “begins right NOW!!!” Yet, an Israeli official confirmed to Jewish Insider a report that, with Hamas withholding most of the remaining hostages’ bodies, negotiations to continue to the next phase of the plan are on hold.
Disarming Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza are meant to take place “under the supervision of independent monitors,” but those monitors have yet to be selected and sent to the region. The Peace Board announced — and led — by Trump, with the involvement of former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair that is meant to oversee Gaza’s administration by Palestinian technocrats has not yet been formed, nor has the temporary International Stabilization Force meant to train Palestinian police and be part of the “long-term internal security solution” for Gaza and Israel.
Meanwhile, Hamas has entered the vacuum and, in recent days, has tried to consolidate its power by killing members of clans that it accused of collaborating with Israel.
EDUCATION CONSTERNATION
With new higher ed compact, Trump’s antisemitism crusade broadens to fight academic bias
As the Trump administration ratchets up its efforts to influence higher education, the latest White House proposal for colleges and universities is being met with skepticism from academics — even as its authors say its implementation should be a no-brainer. That’s in reference to a White House document called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” a 10-point plan that the federal government is asking universities to sign in order to get preferential treatment for the federal funds upon which research universities rely. If they don’t agree to the terms in the compact — which include commitments to end race-based hiring and admissions, limits on foreign enrollment and a pledge to foster greater ideological diversity — they risk losing billions of dollars. Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch talked to professors from across the country about the compact, which says next to nothing about antisemitism.
Missing link: The compact reflects an evolution of a familiar Trump administration argument: that America’s preeminent educational institutions have strayed from their mission, letting politics interfere with their raison d’etre as centers of academic excellence. Combating antisemitism on college campuses — a cause the Trump administration has prioritized this year — provided President Donald Trump a foray into greater oversight of higher education. But there appears to be no direct line from that fight against antisemitism to the broad ideological framework in this compact, which makes only a passing reference to antisemitism.
Bonus: More than 450 employees of the Department of Education were laid off on Friday as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on the agency; among the offices most affected was the Office for Civil Rights, which has investigated dozens of antisemitic discrimination complaints.
MASSACHUSETTS MATCHUP
Seth Moulton challenging Markey, one of Israel’s leading Senate critics, in high-stakes Dem primary
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced Wednesday that he plans to challenge Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) for his Senate seat, grounding his campaign in an argument for generational change, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Differences: But unlike many of the younger challengers taking on older Democratic incumbents in the current election cycle, Moulton is generally more moderate, including on foreign policy issues, than Markey, an outspoken progressive. While Moulton has been strongly critical of Israeli operations in Gaza, his record as a whole leans more pro-Israel than Markey’s.
MTG MOMENTUM
As she emerges as populist GOP critic, Marjorie Taylor Greene amplifies antisemitic rhetoric
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) first became a household name for her embrace of a range of wild conspiracy theories — including antisemitic claims about the Rothschild family like the idea that space-based weapons controlled by the Jewish banking family were the cause of California wildfires. But as the congresswoman has emerged as an unlikely star in liberal circles and mainstream media after breaking with her party on the government shutdown, health-care funding and the Jeffrey Epstein files, her erstwhile critics have all but ignored her increasingly frequent use of antisemitic tropes and embrace of conspiracy theories targeting Jews, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What she’s saying: Earlier this week, the controversial Georgia congresswoman vowed on X, “No bar codes on me. I’ll never take 30 shekels. I’m America only! And Christ is King!” She has also repeatedly boosted claims that Israel and Jewish people were involved in last month’s killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and are seeking to co-opt his organization. And she has accused Israel of “meddling in campaigns and elections” and of “meddling in government policy — government of the United States policy — as well as dictating what America does in foreign wars.”
GUILTY PLEA
Gov. Josh Shapiro now says antisemitism a ‘motivating factor’ in arson attack at residence
Hours after the man accused of an arson attack on the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in April pled guilty to the attempted murder of Gov. Josh Shapiro, the governor appeared to publicly acknowledge for the first time that the attacker targeted him for his faith, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. Cody Balmer was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison for the attack, which took place hours after Shapiro and his family hosted a Passover Seder at the governor’s residence in Harrisburg. Balmer said after his arrest that he was motivated by the war in Gaza, and that he wanted Shapiro to know that Balmer “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.” Shapiro has avoided calling the attack a hate crime.
What he said: In a CNN interview on Tuesday, Shapiro was asked by anchor Jake Tapper if he believed he was “targeted just because you’re Jewish.” Shapiro responded: “Look, obviously, as governor of Pennsylvania I don’t have foreign policy in my job description. But clearly, the district attorney thought that this was a material fact. “Clearly this was a motivating factor.” Balmer did not face hate crime charges in the case. “Whatever is motivating this political violence in this country, it needs to stop. Whether it’s targeting me because of my faith, whether it’s targeting someone else because of their ideology, it is not OK,” Shapiro said on CNN.
IN MEMORIAM
Congressman blames ‘vandalism’ after swastika flag spotted at staffer’s desk
Rep. Dave Taylor (R-OH) blamed “vandalism” and requested a Capitol Police investigation after a flag showing a swastika overlaid onto the American flag was spotted in a staff member’s cubicle during a virtual meeting, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What happened: The flag was pinned up on the wall of the staffer’s cubicle alongside various other memorabilia including a copy of the U.S. Constitution and a congressional calendar. The incident was first reported by a local outlet. “I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” Taylor said in a statement issued Wednesday. “The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms. Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing. No further comment will be provided until it has been completed.”
in memoriam
Orthodox Union’s Rabbi Moshe Hauer remembered as ‘master teacher’ and ‘voice of Torah’
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, died suddenly on Monday evening after suffering a heart attack, his organization said, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. He was 60. Jewish communal leaders remembered Hauer as a friend, a faithful and committed leader and a source of wise counsel.
Remembering: “Rabbi Hauer was a true talmid chacham, a master teacher and communicator, the voice of Torah to the Orthodox community and the voice of Orthodoxy to the world. He personified what it means to be a Torah Jew and took nothing more seriously than his role of sharing the joy of Jewish life with our community and beyond,” OU President Mitchel Aeder and Chief Operating Officer Rabbi Josh Joseph said in a joint statement.
Worthy Reads
The Other Kushner: Colossus‘ Jeremy Stern profiles Thrive Capital’s Joshua Kushner, doing a deep dive into the Kushner family’s history, stemming from the survival of Kushner’s grandmother during the Holocaust. “Despite his success as an entrepreneur, his proximity to political power, his marriage to an American beauty icon, and his mastery of the nexus between capital and technology, there is in Joshua Kushner an enduring sense of Jewish apartness, and an inability to forget that he is two generations from Novogrudok. It shows itself in his compulsion to succeed, in his need to test himself, in the obvious ambivalence he feels about how he comes off, and perhaps in a determination to re-earn a right to a place in America for himself and his family—qualities also visible in the other first- and second-generation Americans who have built, alongside him, one of the more increasingly influential institutions in the country.” [Colossus]
Media Matters in Gaza: In The Wall Street Journal, Rob Satloff, the executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, raises concerns about the potential for unfettered media access to Gaza, which has been tightly regulated by Israel since the start of the war. “Many will seek out a local fixer to translate, arrange interviews, navigate the war zone and secure food and lodging. The bigger outlets will hire huge teams of local crew, including drivers and technicians, in addition to the support staff needed to care for star correspondents who will want to make a Gaza appearance. Even with the best intentions and oversight from headquarters, this will be a bonanza for Hamas’s well-oiled media operation, which has controlled virtually every word written or broadcast in Gaza since 2007. One can be sure Hamas is preparing for what will be both a huge jobs program and a chance to mold the message of powerful media operations.” [WSJ]
What Genocide?: The Free Press’ Eli Lake posits that accusations that Israel was committing a genocide were disproven by the ceasefire agreement inked earlier this week that resulted in the release of the hostages and an Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza. “This movement insisted for the duration of the war that Israel was not, in fact, conducting a war of defense to liberate its hostages, but committing a genocide to wipe out the Palestinian people. Sadly, once-credible institutions (and far less credible ones) latched on to the charge, providing the lie with the appearance of truthfulness. … The nation accused of wanting to wipe out — in whole or in part — the Palestinian population of Gaza was willing to end the war in exchange for 20 people. And when the fighting stopped and the hostages came home, the jubilation in Israel was palpable.” [FreePress]
The ADL’s New Fight: In eJewishPhilanthropy, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt explains the ADL’s approach to a post-Oct. 7 world and how the organization plans to address the antisemitism that exploded in the wake of the attacks. “It is affecting people of every denomination and every segment of our community — from the kippah-wearing grandfather walking to synagogue on a Saturday morning, to parents working in white-collar jobs at public companies, young adults enrolled in college, and teens simply watching videos on social media. … The issue is whether we can continue to live openly and proudly as Jews who support the existence of the Jewish state, or face the same fate of our ancestors in so many previous generations. Confronted by this metastasizing threat, the ADL will strive to remain true to our centennial mission statement: to stop the defamation of the Jewish People and secure justice and fair treatment to all.” [eJP]
Word on the Street
Vice President JD Vance has repeatedly rejected the idea of condemning a Young Republicans group chat where members praised Adolf Hitler and joked about the Holocaust. He described the response as “pearl clutching” and those involved as “kids” who “do stupid things” and were telling “edgy, offensive jokes.” Several of the individuals involved were well-established professionals in their 30s…
In the New York Post, Alex Witkoff reflects on how his father, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, “found purpose” following the 2011 death of his son Andrew, saying that “[e]very time he comforts a grieving parent or reunites a hostage with loved ones, he carries Andrew’s memory and President Trump’s directive with him”…
A Washington Post poll conducted last month found that nearly half of Jewish Americans perceive there to be “a lot” of antisemitism in the U.S., while 42% said that they had avoided wearing public clothing or items in the last year that would identify them as being Jewish…
U.S. Border Patrol posted and deleted an Instagram reel of agents on patrol set against antisemitic lyrics from Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us”…
JPMorgan Chase announced plans to contribute $10 billion over the next decade as part of a broader, $1.5 trillion effort to invest in companies “critical to national economic security and resiliency”…
The Wall Street Journal reports on efforts by Paramount CEO David Ellison to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery ahead of CEO David Zaslav’s implementation of a plan to split the company in two…
Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, shared social media posts mourning the death of Palestinian influencer Saleh al-Jafarawi, who posted content celebrating the Oct. 7 attacks, who was killed in clashes earlier this week between Hamas and local Palestinian groups…
Cornell University professor Eric Cheyfitz, who was suspended following the filing of a complaint alleging that the English professor asked an Israeli student to leave his course that covered Gaza, will retire amid a probe into the incident…
The New York Sun, which was acquired by Dovid Efune in 2021, will return to publishing a print edition for the first time since 2008…
The New York Times spotlights Vienna’s Café Centropa and its founder, photographer and archivist Edward Serotta, who for decades has worked to preserve the history of European Jews…
The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected the Israel Gymnastics Federation’s appeals to be allowed to compete in the upcoming International Gymnastic Federation championship in Indonesia; Jakarta refused to grant visas to members of the Israeli delegation, effectively banning them from competition…
Eurovision Song Contest organizers postponed an upcoming vote on Israel’s participation in next year’s competition, citing “recent developments in the Middle East”…
Israeli-American economist Joel Mokyr was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics alongside Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt for their work linking innovation to economic growth…
The Washington Post looks at the limited impact that some European governments’ banning or limiting of weapons sales to Israel have had on the country’s military capabilities…
Israeli diplomat Sammy Revel presented his credentials to Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Manama following his appointment to serve as Israel’s envoy to the Arab nation, with which Jerusalem normalized relations in 2020…
A 76-year-old Israeli man injured in an Iranian ballistic missile attack during the 12-day June war died of his injuries this week…
A French man and his partner who were arrested in Iran in 2022 on charges of spying on behalf of France and Israel were both given lengthy prison sentences…
Beth Oppenheim was named CEO of the Jewish refugee aid organization HIAS after previously serving as the organization’s chief advancement officer and chief external relations officer…
The International Legal Forum named Michal Cotler-Wunsh, the former Israeli envoy to combat antisemitism, as its new CEO, effective Nov. 1; Cotler-Wunsh succeeds outgoing CEO Arsen Ostrovsky, who is taking up a senior leadership role at the Australia & Israel Jewish Affairs Council in Sydney…
British clothier Derek Rose, whose eponymous luxury pajama company attracted a celebrity following, died at 93…
Pic of the Day
Matan Angrest, who was released from Hamas captivity on Monday, spoke on Wednesday during the funeral of his tank commander, Daniel Peretz, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose remains were returned to Israel this week, at Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel.
Writing in eJewishPhilanthropy earlier this month, Peretz’s father, Rabbi Doron Peretz, the executive chairman of the World Mizrachi movement, reflected on the loss of his son, the anniversary of the attacks on Israel and the country’s display of “courage, clarity and unmatched self-sacrifice and heroism” on that day.
Birthdays
Retired basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA, she has five Olympic gold medals, Sue Bird turns 45…
Israeli attorney, chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball, Shimon Mizrahi turns 86… Retired CFO of Amtrak, Midway Airlines and Airlines Reporting Corporation, Alfred Samuel Altschul turns 86… National president of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), Morton A. Klein turns 78… Film director, producer, screenwriter and creator of “The Naked Gun” franchise, David Zucker turns 78… Professor emeritus of economics at Smith College and author of 28 books, Andrew S. Zimbalist turns 78… Director of strategy in the policy and government affairs department at AIPAC, Dr. Marvin C. Feuer… Novelist, short story writer and essayist, Elinor Lipman turns 75… Chairman of Sela Capital Real Estate Ltd., he previously served as the director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Finance, Shmuel Slavin turns 72… Executive director of Clark University Hillel, Jeff Narod… Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 1999, David Linsky turns 68… Best-selling French novelist, one of whose books was made into Steven Spielberg’s “Just Like Heaven,” Marc Levy turns 64… President of the American Academy in Berlin, he was the coordinator for counterterrorism during the Obama administration, Daniel Benjamin turns 64… Otolaryngologist who also specializes in facial and reconstructive surgery, Howard David Krein, M.D. turns 59… Senior partner at Battery Ventures Israel’s office, Scott Tobin… Attorney in North Palm Beach, Fla., he served in the Florida House of Representatives, Adam M. Fetterman turns 55… Filmmaker, best known for directing “Monster House” (2006), Gil Kenan turns 49… Actress Kala Lynne Savage turns 47… Founder and chief strategy officer of BrightPower, Jeff Perlman turns 46… Founder and CEO at Social Studies, Inc., he is also the founder of The Gramlist, Brandon Jared Perlman… Three-time U.S. Army light-middleweight boxing champion, he boxed with a Star of David on his trunks, Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson turns 44… Group product manager for data and AI at The Washington Post, Jason Langsner… West Coast regional director at Foundation for Jewish Camp, Margalit C. Rosenthal… SVP for financial planning and analysis at Vibrant Emotional Health, Avi Fink… Senior director of communications at Mark43, Devora Kaye… Business analyst at LWF Group and project manager at Aqualinq, Sam Ginsberg…
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