Bell vs. Bush primary push
Plus, Cruz champions bipartisan buffer zone bill
Add JewishInsider on GoogleIn today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the state of play in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in the final days of the race, and have the scoop on plans by Sen. Ted Cruz and Reps. Brad Knott and Tom Suozzi to introduce federal buffer zone legislation. We talk to Israeli officials and regional experts about the Trump administration’s newly released Gaza disarmament roadmap, and report from the Israel on Campus Coalition’s National Leadership Summit in Washington. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Dean Kremer, Alex Ryvchin and Balaji Srinivasan.
We also have a new on-demand Live Briefing that you can access throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and on our website.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- The Middle East remains on edge after President Donald Trump called off plans to launch “the biggest attack since World War II” targeting Iran, saying on Sunday that he was persuaded by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to again attempt to reach a diplomatic solution with Tehran. Trump said that talks with Iran are slated to restart today, while the Islamic Republic denied that talks were set to take place.
- Jay Clayton assumes his role today as director of national intelligence, following his confirmation vote last week to replace ODNI interim head Bill Pulte, who briefly served as acting director following Tulsi Gabbard‘s resignation.
- The Israel on Campus Coalition is holding its annual National Leadership Summit in Washington. More below.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
Michigan will take center stage this week as it holds its marquee Senate primary and consequential down-ballot races that showcase the divide between the Democratic mainstream and its left-wing, anti-Israel activists.
But Missouri is playing the role of the must-watch undercard, with the rematch between Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) and Democratic Socialists of America-aligned former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) marking another significant bellwether contest between the center and the left.
Bell, a stalwart supporter of Israel who was championed by AIPAC in both of his congressional campaigns, is facing a changed political environment within the Democratic Party with public opinion turning against the Jewish state.
Bell defeated Bush by five points in 2024, but the race could end up being closer this time around given the ascendance of socialist candidates in urban, deep-blue districts like Missouri’s First District.
Bush, however, has myriad other vulnerabilities beyond her far-left policy views, from missed votes during her time in Congress to ethical questions surrounding her handling of campaign funds.
Bell is also being boosted by outside groups, led by the AIPAC-affiliated United Democracy Project super PAC, which has spent over $2.6 million in the race hitting Bush, along with the New Democrat Coalition-affiliated super PAC, which has poured in just over $1 million on Bell’s behalf. Bell has also outspent Bush on the airwaves by about a ten-to-one margin, according to the Cook Political Report.
MICHIGAN MOVES
Republicans betting Jewish voters swing Rogers’ way if El-Sayed wins primary
As Abdul El-Sayed pulls ahead in the final days of Michigan’s bitter Democratic Senate primary race, Republicans are eyeing a chance, in the general election, to peel support from disaffected Jewish Democrats anxious about their party’s sharp turn to the left on Israel and its tolerance for actions they view as antisemitic. If Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) loses, Republicans are eager to present former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), the GOP’s presumptive nominee, as a safe alternative to El-Sayed for Jewish Democrats in the general election who may not be able to stomach voting along party lines,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Shifting tide: “I think that Jewish voters and many Democrats in general feel” the party “has moved away from them,” Bobby Schostak, a former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party who sits on the Republican Jewish Coalition’s board, told JI, calling Rogers “unconditionally and unapologetically pro-Israel and part of the fight against antisemitism in America.”
Called out: In a late-night tweet five days before Michigan’s high-stakes Democratic Senate primary, Stevens explicitly accused her opponent, El-Sayed, of trafficking in antisemitism, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports. Despite that, Stevens said, when asked in an MS NOW interview if she could commit to backing El-Sayed if he wins Tuesday’s primary: “You bet … I am on the team, alright. And I am gonna link arms and do whatever’s needed.”
SCOOP
Lawmakers preparing to introduce federal buffer zone legislation
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rep. Brad Knott (R-NC) and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) are preparing to introduce federal legislation that would establish a 100-foot buffer zone around religious institutions, within which conduct that disrupts religious services or interrupts access to the place of worship would be banned during religious services, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.
Negotiations: The Right to Worship Act aims to address demonstrations around synagogues and other houses of worship that have become a growing concern for the Jewish community following anti-Israel and antisemitic protests outside synagogues that have turned violent. Several states have pursued similar legislation. Cruz and Knott have been working on the bill for some time, and two sources familiar with the situation said that “intense negotiations” had been ongoing between Cruz and Suozzi’s teams to reach a bipartisan compromise balancing the desire to protect religious worship and free speech rights. A source said a deal was reached on Sunday evening.
PEACE PROSPECTS
Deep skepticism surrounds viability of Trump’s proposed Gaza peace plan
Israeli officials and regional experts are expressing deep skepticism over the Trump administration’s newly unveiled Gaza disarmament roadmap, warning that public disagreements between Israel and Hamas over the timing of weapon surrenders and troop withdrawals threaten to unravel the agreement before it even begins, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.
Israeli concern: Doron Spielman, a spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, told JI that Jerusalem conveyed to Washington that the plan “does not reflect Israel’s concerns.” Spielman said that Israeli intelligence has shown that Hamas “has been regrouping, digging additional tunnels, rearming and resupplying and have plans to attack Israel again.” For that reason, he said it is difficult for Israeli leaders to justify any decision to withdraw prior to Hamas’ complete disarmament.
BOILING POINT
Suspected arson at Montreal kosher restaurant is latest alarm amid rising antisemitism in Canada
A popular Montreal kosher restaurant was destroyed in what police are investigating as a possible arson attack early Saturday morning, the latest in a worsening pattern of antisemitic attacks across the city and throughout Jewish communities in Canada, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Caught on camera: First responders were called to Nöam Restaurant in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood around 3:15 a.m. Saturday to find the building engulfed in flames. Despite the efforts of roughly 80 firefighters, the two-story building suffered extensive damage. No injuries were reported, and no arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon. The Montreal Gazette reported that the blaze was set by a single individual who appeared to be a young man, perhaps in his early 20s, according to video footage of the incident.
On the soccer pitch: Amid chants of “Death to Israel,” Israeli striker Dor Turgeman scored a goal for his New England Revolution team during a Saturday night Major League Soccer match against CF Montréal.
CAMPUS CLIMATE
Not better, just different: Students seek tools to address changed campus environment at ICC summit
As close to 1,000 pro-Israel students from around the country gather in the nation’s capital for the Israel on Campus Coalition’s annual National Leadership Summit, they’ll do so against a backdrop of seemingly quieter campus antisemitism than in the years immediately following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel. But students are still seeking tools to navigate a campus climate they’ve come to see as permanently changed, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Campus concerns: “My main concern [on campus today] is every time I sit down with a classmate I have to wonder whether the person next to me was at the [anti-Israel] encampment,” Noah Lederman, an incoming senior at Columbia University majoring in philosophy and Jewish ethics, told JI. In February 2024, Lederman said he was shoved and pinned against a wall by an anti-Israel protester as he donned a shirt with an Israeli flag on it during a pro-Israel demonstration right outside of the Morningside Heights campus. More than two years later, Lederman still feels wary on campus.
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Melat Kiros backtracks from conciliatory tone on Israel, antisemitism after far-left backlash
Far-left Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros backtracked on Sunday from her conciliatory tone in a PBS interview on the need for progressives to formulate a policy on Israel that does not engage in antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports.
U-turn: Appearing on “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” on Saturday morning, Kiros said her “greatest concern right now is that the State of Israel is losing support all across the political spectrum” and that progressives are “leaving a vacuum” for far-right commentators like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens to fill by “pretending to care about Palestinian safety when really it’s just masking their overt hatred for Jewish people.” The 29-year-old doctoral student, who was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America in her campaign, quickly reversed course after the interview aired. Responding on Sunday to criticism on X from Al Jazeera producer Sana Saeed, Kiros said she “fumbled this line, plain and simple.”
Mounting pressure: Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) publicly accused Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), his former son-in-law, of domestic abuse on Sunday and said Miller is unfit for office. Moreno’s comments came in response to a video address by Miller denying wrongdoing amid growing scrutiny of the allegations of domestic violence and abuse by his ex-wife Emily Moreno, the senator’s daughter, JI’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.
Worthy Reads
History Lesson: In The New York Times, Mehrzad Boroujerdi reflects on his father’s 1978 killing by Iranian revolutionaries, some of whom are now among the Islamic Republic’s top officials. “The United States and Israel have yet to learn that the Iranian regime is not made of papier-mâché, and the Islamic republic’s confrontational ideology is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. The men in uniform showed no hesitation in killing thousands of their compatriots in January — a national trauma that Iranian society has yet to fully process. They will continue to practice a politics of performance for domestic audiences even as they recognize that the regime’s social contract is both morally bankrupt and fiscally unsustainable.” [NYTimes]
Threat to the West: In The Wall Street Journal, Lorenzo Vidino, the head of The George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, warns of the dangers of political Islam’s impact that have largely been misunderstood by successive U.S. presidential administrations. “Save for the years immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, there has been no concerted effort within U.S. law-enforcement and policy communities to acquire a deep institutional understanding of Islamist networks worldwide. A particular lack of understanding exists on how Islamists are using the American political and educational systems to advance their aims — dynamics that have become apparent in the past few years.” [WSJ]
Rise of the Far Right: Politico’s Kathy Gilsinan does a deep dive into concerns among Republicans over the rise of “groypers” in the party, who are beginning to gain professional footholds in Washington and in the conservative space. “If, as the adage goes, personnel is policy, the stakes are significantly higher than intergenerational trash talk, given the degree to which government staffers, across branches, effectively run the country. Student government types become interns become policy aides become senior advisers, chiefs of staff and even heads of agencies. If the conservative personnel pipeline is changing, Republican government will change with it.” [Politico]
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our new app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Word on the Street
A new survey of K Street leaders from Punchbowl News focused on the war with Iran and memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran found that 65% of respondents believed that Israel’s involvement in the war with Iran had a negative impact on its outcome…
The New York Times looks at the cyberattacks targeting water facilities in at least seven states, finding that evidence indicates potential Iranian involvement…
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) introduced a resolution condemning the Iranian government’s human rights abuses…
Senate Appropriations Committee leaders finalized a stopgap funding bill that would, at least temporarily, prevent the Trump administration from putting political appointees in charge of approving federal grants, a plan that had raised concerns on both sides of the aisle…
A district court judge dismissed a complaint filed against The George Washington University by alumni of the school alleging that the school allowed “pervasive and severe” antisemitism on campus, citing the length of the complaint; the judge gave the plaintiffs until the end of August to refile an amended complaint…
The New York Times reports from a national meeting of the Democratic Socialists of America, finding an invigorated activist base that struggled at times to find consensus on issues regarding policy and organizing…
Boy George split from his manager, Paul Kemsley, after the latter pulled the performer from a two-week West End run of “Jesus Christ Superstar” after Boy George posted a reggae song with pro-Israel lyrics…
The Minnesota Twins acquired starting pitcher Dean Kremer, the first Israeli player drafted by a Major League Baseball team and a great-nephew of Haim Saban, from the Baltimore Orioles…
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting criticism from the governing bodies of European, North American and Central American football leagues following his proposal to privatize FIFA — which originated last year with secret talks between Infantino and Josh Kushner; Bloomberg reports that Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chairman of Qatar Sports Investments and president of the Paris Saint-Germain team, has the backing of some European sports officials…
The New York Times reports on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s decision to feature an exhibition on designer John Galliano and honor him at its annual Met Gala despite a 2011 outburst in which he proclaimed, “I love Hitler”; the Times notes that Galliano participated in a May meeting with former Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and New York City Jewish leaders over the decisions…
The Washington Post follows up on a May story about a trove of WWII-era love letters written by a Jewish soldier Louis “Speedy” Weber to his eventual wife, Frances, after finding the couple’s nephew…
The people’s choice award of the Archibald Prize, Australia’s top portraiture honor, was given to artist Michael Zavros for his portrait of Australian Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin following the December 2025 terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights tech entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan’s effort to create an incubator for new countries in a sparsely inhabited Malaysian city that fell apart after the project faced government scrutiny following a social media post alleging that the incubator included participants with Israeli citizenship in violation of Malaysian laws…
CNN does a deep dive into increasing incitement in Israel against journalists, who accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political allies of stoking animus toward reporters in the country…
Ugandan officials unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of the Israeli prime minister, at the airport in Entebbe where the elder Netanyahu was killed during the 1976 hostage-rescue operation following the hijacking of a passenger plane by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine…
Former Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), the first Republican woman from Texas elected to serve in the House, died on Sunday at 83…
Find on-demand Live Briefing updates throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Pic of the Day
Members of Israel’s lacrosse team celebrated on Sunday after scoring a goal during the bronze medal match between Israel and Haudenosaunee, made up of Native American nations, during the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo. Israel came in third in the tournament overall after its win over Haudenosaunee.
Birthdays
Retired head coach of both the NFL’s KC Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, the oldest-ever living member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Marv Levy turns 101…
English actor, author, playwright and theatre director, known for his roles as the villain in both “James Bond” and “Rambo” films, Steven Berkoff turns 89… EVP emeritus of the UJA-Federation of New York, John S. Ruskay turns 80… Retired regional director in the Cleveland office of the ADL, she serves on the board of trustees of the Cleveland Federation, Anita Gray… Former chairman and CEO of the North America office of commercial real estate brokerage firm Savills, he is a past member of AIPAC’s Real Estate Division Executive Council, Mitchell S. Steir turns 71… Voice actor in dozens of Disney films, video games and television programs, known professionally as Corey Burton, Corey Gregg Weinberg turns 71… Former chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and board member of JFNA, Orna Amir Wolens… CEO and co-founder of D.C.-based Freedman Consulting, LLC, Thomas Z. Freedman turns 63… Co-founder of Pushkin Industries, a podcast company, Jacob Weisberg… Israeli filmmaker, producer and director, Ilan Moskovitch turns 60… Canadian entrepreneur and former commodities trader, Alexander Shnaider turns 58… Executive director of public affairs at the Jewish Federation of Broward County (Florida), Evan Goldman… Emmy Award-winning sportscaster, she sometimes serves as a fill-in for her husband, Rich Eisen, Suzy Shuster turns 54… Managing editor of Vital City, Josh Greenman… U.S. senator (D-CT), Chris Murphy turns 53… Chief advancement and communications officer at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Joshua Cherwin… Senior vice president of public policy at Riot Platforms, Brian Morgenstern… Senior editor of Commentary magazine, Seth A. Mandel turns 44… Managing partner and head of global government affairs at SoftBank Group International, Jeffrey A. Dressler turns 42… Director of strategic partnerships and senior development officer at JDC (the “Joint”), Erica Greenblatt… Caroline “Carrie” Keller-Lynn… Director of member engagement at Christians United For Israel, she was born in Lutsk, Ukraine and raised in Sacramento, California, Liliya Maskovcevs… Executive director of The Natan Fund, Adina Poupko … Executive director of the Reducetarian Foundation (a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing meat consumption), Brian Kateman… Fashion model and entrepreneur, founder of the “Kode with Klossy” nonprofit and founder and CEO of Bedford Media, Karlie Kloss turns 34… U.S. news editor at the Financial Times, Emily Goldberg… First-round pick of MLB’s Atlanta Braves in the 2020 draft, he made his MLB debut in 2023, now in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Jared Shuster turns 28… Ariana Kaufman… Founder-director of Meeting Your Mission, Leslie Rosen Stern… Leigh Bonner Levine… Co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Washington Reporter, Matthew Foldi…
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