ANALYSIS

When Holocaust remembrance leaves out Jews

Norman Goda, a Holocaust historian at the University of Florida, said that modern remembrances of the Holocaust that fail to mention Jews are 'a soft form of denial'

Jim Watson - Pool/Getty Images

U.S. Vice President JD Vance gives remarks following a roundtable discussion with local leaders and community members amid a surge of federal immigration authorities in the area, at Royalston Square on January 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

By

Gabby Deutch

January 29, 2026

A week after President Donald Trump took office for the first time in 2017, the White House ignited a political and media firestorm by releasing a statement commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day that failed to mention Jews.

The omission was covered in major media outlets like CNN and Politico; the Anti-Defamation League called it “puzzling and troubling.”

Nearly a decade later, Trump released another Holocaust Remembrance Day post this week, with a far more specific message: “Today, we pay respect to the blessed memories of the millions of Jewish people, who were murdered at the hands of the Nazi Regime and its collaborators during the Holocaust,” the statement read, “as well as the Slavs and the Roma, people with disabilities, religious leaders, persons targeted based on their sexual orientation, and political prisoners who were also targeted for systematic slaughter.”

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance’s post commemorating the day, which marks the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz by Allied Forces, did not mention Jews or antisemitism, leading political rivals on the left to pounce. (Democratic Majority for Israel called it “indefensible.”)

But despite the visibility of Vance’s tweet — which his defenders pointed out included pictures of him and his wife at Dachau, standing in front of a sign that said “Never again” in Yiddish — he was far from the only politician that failed to mention the fact that the Holocaust targeted Jews. Among them were: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA), both of whom pledged to remember the victims of the Holocaust without referring to Nazis’ targeting of Jews.

Multiple presenters at the U.K.’s BBC also failed to mention Jews in their coverage of Holocaust Remembrance Day — drawing backlash and a subsequent apology from the national broadcaster.

Does it matter that these politicians or media don’t reference Jews if they are still highlighting the significance of the Holocaust? It’s possible to argue that, definitionally, the Holocaust was about Jews, so one could assume that any reference to the Holocaust is itself a reference to the killing of Jews and the antisemitism that led to it.

“If I talk about the potato famine, do I have to say Irish? How many other potato famines were there?” asked Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust historian who served as President Joe Biden’s antisemitism envoy. “But this is part of a greater whole in an age of rising antisemitism.”

For years, Americans’ knowledge of basic facts about the Holocaust has been declining, particularly as fewer Holocaust survivors are alive each year to share their stories. A 2023 survey conducted by the Claims Conference found that 21% of Americans believed that 2 million Jews or fewer were killed. Eight percent of Americans, and 15% of 18- to 29-year-olds, said the number of Jews who were killed during the Holocaust has been greatly exaggerated.

“Holocaust history has the power to teach vital, timeless lessons about why our choices matter — but only when it is approached with the precision, historical integrity and respect it rightfully deserves,” the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum said in a statement this week that called for an end to “the abuse and exploitation of Holocaust memory.”

In the 81 years since the Holocaust, political leaders and movements have exploited the memory of the genocide to serve their own ends, particularly by shifting the focus of who its victims were.

In the former Soviet Union, where more than 2 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, memorials to those killed called them “peaceful Soviet citizens” — stripping them of their Jewish identity, as if their killers had targeted Russians rather than Jews. Some right-wing politicians in modern Poland have attempted to quash historical scholarship documenting that Poles were involved in Nazis’ killing of Jews, and that the Nazis targeted Jews, in particular, rather than just the Poles (though Poles were targeted, too).

Norman Goda, a Holocaust historian at the University of Florida, said that modern remembrances of the Holocaust that fail to mention Jews are “a soft form of denial.”

“The Nazis certainly knew who they were deporting. The Nazis certainly knew who they were gassing,” Goda told Jewish Insider on Wednesday. “The ignorance is such that you have to remind people that the Nazis called this Die Endlösung der Judenfrage, the final solution of the Jewish question. They weren’t just killing random people.”

The politicians posting about the Holocaust almost surely know that, as do most of their constituents. But rising antisemitism coupled with declining knowledge about a genocide that targeted and killed 6 million Jews means that reminding people of the facts — the specifics — remains crucial.

“Do we do this with any other mass catastrophe? Do we discuss the Armenian Genocide without mentioning the Armenians? Do we discuss slavery in the United States without mentioning who the slaves were?” Goda questioned. “We don’t do it, and anybody who would do that is engaged in an almost willful misunderstanding, either a profound historical ignorance, on the one hand, where you almost have to try to be that ignorant, or something that is simply more nefarious.”

IHRA ADOPTED

Chicago City Council unanimously passes antisemitism legislation without mayor’s involvement

One of the students who led the effort was attacked by masked assailants on DePaul’s campus in 2024

Getty Images

The City Hall

By

Haley Cohen

January 29, 2026

The Chicago City Council unanimously voted to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into the city’s declaration of human rights this week, an effort spearheaded by two local university students with no prior political experience.

For Jake Rymer, a junior majoring in biological sciences at University of Chicago, and Michael Kaminsky, a senior studying criminology at DePaul, the push to pass the antisemitism ordinance was personal.

“I had only been on campus for two weeks when [the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel] happened and people I thought were my friends those first two weeks turned out not to be. They turned their backs on me when I needed their allyship,” Rymer told Jewish Insider. “I also started to see flaws in the city of Chicago and that there were things that needed to get changed that we could actually accomplish.”

Kaminsky, a vocal pro-Israel voice on campus, was attacked and injured by masked assailants on school property in 2024 in an alleged hate crime. He filed an ongoing lawsuit against DePaul, claiming the university failed to protect Jewish students.

“We were tired of being told by Jewish organizations to ‘suck it up and deal with it’ or that ‘help would come eventually,” said Rymer. “We realized that we as students — even though we don’t have legislative experience — have the ability to make meaningful change, so we decided to go ahead with it.”

The pair quickly learned the City of Chicago had never provided a clear definition of antisemitism in its municipal code. They garnered support from Alds. Raymond Lopez and Debra Silverstein last spring to begin drafting legislation to implement IHRA.

On Monday, Ordinance O2025-0019984 passed unanimously in committee and at the city council meeting. Because the ordinance is an updated version of one that already existed and it passed without objection, it becomes official upon publication — even though Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson was not involved.

Section 6-10 of Chicago’s Municipal Code is now amended to include antisemitism as discrimination in the Chicago City Council’s declaration of general human rights. Antisemitism is defined by IHRA as a “certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” Progressive critics of the definition argue that its Israel-related examples risk conflating antisemitism with legitimate political criticism while conservative critics claim that the definition is anti-Christian because one of its affiliated examples states that it’s antisemitic to accuse Jews of killing Jesus.

“Chicago has taken a clear and historic stand against hate by officially adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism,” Silverstein, the city council’s only Jewish member, said in a statement. “At a time when antisemitic hate crimes are surging locally, this unanimous City Council action sends an unmistakable message that anti-Jewish hate has no place in Chicago.”

Chicago joins more than 1,200 entities worldwide, including 37 U.S. state governments and 98 city and county bodies that have adopted the definition.

Chicago’s adoption of IHRA was applauded by Alison Pure-Slovin, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s director of social action and partnerships, Midwest/South. “Jewish communities today feel the familiar chill of rising hostility, and the old game of blurring the line between honest debate and open hatred is once again underway. Chicago’s action is not a gesture for the cameras. It is a statement that antisemitism will not be explained away, softened or disguised in polite language,” Pure-Slovin told JI.

Rymer expressed hope that “college campuses in the city of Chicago will follow the lead of Chicago aldermen and this could be applied in college communities to help define what antisemitism is and properly characterize it in case future incidents happen.”

He also encouraged students and community members in other cities to pick up on the “sense of momentum,” adding that he has “been in contact with other students to discuss plans to introduce this bill in other cities.”

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has faced criticism from some Jewish leaders for repealing an executive order that implemented IHRA earlier this month. The revocation came as part of a blanket repeal of all of former Mayor Eric Adams’ executive orders following his September 2024 indictment on federal corruption charges.

“We want to set a standard for major cities in America that they can make initiatives like this happen,” said Rymer. “We can use the framework set here as support for any Jewish students interested in making a greater impact. We are very happy about the passing of this but it’s not the end of the work we’re doing. There’s a lot more change that can happen.”

DEVELOPING

Driver repeatedly crashes car into Chabad Lubavitch HQ; no injuries reported

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani: ‘Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously’; Chabad denies antisemitism motive

X/@ChabadLubavitch

A car drives into an entryway of the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters on Jan. 28, 2026

By

Will Bredderman

January 28, 2026

A man drove a Honda Accord sedan “intentionally and repeatedly” into an entryway of the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn Wednesday night, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed.

The NYPD responded to an 8:46 911 call on Wednesday at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, the home and center of leadership of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, now a major spiritual, symbolic and organizational hub for Chabad. No persons were injured in the incident, captured on video, and police took the driver into custody.

“We’re grateful to the Almighty that no one was hurt,” said Rabbi Motti Seligson, a spokesman for Chabad, adding that damage initially appeared limited. “It houses one of the most significant synagogues in the Jewish world.”

Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch went to the scene in the hours following the incident, and a Chabad source told Jewish Insider that the White House reached out and reported that it was monitoring the situation. Tisch said at a press conference outside 770 later Wednesday night that the incident is being investigated as a hate crime and that the NYPD bomb squad had searched the vehicle, finding no explosive devices.

“This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world. Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable,” Mamdani wrote on X shortly after the incident.

“I stand in solidarity with the Crown Heights Jewish community, and I am grateful to our first responders for taking swift action. I will keep New Yorkers updated as we learn more about the incident.”

Chabad’s social media editor, Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone, whose son was in the synagogue at the time of the incident, said “Antisemitism does not appear to be a factor in this.”

City Council Speaker Julie Menin also reached out to the institution, and many other New York officials shared concern and sympathy on social media. “This is horrific. These acts of violence against our Jewish communities, and any of our communities, need to stop. Now,” New York Attorney General Letitia James posted on X.

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine noted that the “frightening” incident took place on Yud Shevat, a date in the Hebrew calendar of great significance to the Chabad community, when “large numbers are gathering in the neighborhood.” An event taking place from 7:30-8:30 p.m., just before the time of the attack, was expected to draw thousands of young men to the site.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote on X that “while [a] motive cannot yet be confirmed, this incident contributes even further to a collective sense of anxiety for Jewish New Yorkers and Jews worldwide.”

Daily Overtime

Trump’s ‘massive’ armada puts Iran on notice

Plus, Biden officials don't hold back on criticism of Bibi

Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

Flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) May 10, 2019 in the Red Sea.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 28, 2026

Good Wednesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump indicated he’s losing patience with Iran: He posted a stark warning on Truth Social this morning that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran” and “it is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”

Trump encouraged Tehran to come back to the negotiating table where he demanded it have “no nuclear weapons” — a position that differs from Israel’s, which has said Iran must not be allowed to enrich uranium at all — but made no mention of the protesters Trump had pledged to protect…

Despite Trump’s threat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing today that the “armada” of military assets being moved to the Middle East is primarily defensive, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Rubio noted that 30,000-40,000 U.S. troops in the region are “within the reach of an array of thousands of Iranian” drones and missiles. “We have to have enough force and power in the region, just on a baseline, to defend against that possibility,” he explained.

In addition, “the president always reserves the preemptive defensive option — in essence, if we have indications that, in fact, they’re going to attack our troops in the region,” Rubio continued, as well as security agreements to defend allies such as Israel “that require us to have a force posture in the region.”

Rubio admitted the U.S. has little clarity on who would govern Iran if the regime collapses: “I don’t think anyone can give you a simple answer as to what happens next in Iran if the supreme leader and the regime were to fall, other than the hope that there would be some ability to have somebody within their systems you could work towards a similar transition” as the U.S. has supported in Venezuela…

Rubio was also questioned by senators about the Board of Peace: He clarified that “the primary and sole focus of that board right now is to administer Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the plan in Gaza,” despite broad language in the body’s charter, and acknowledged that some European allies have declined to join over their concern that the board is competing with the U.N. “This is not a replacement for the U.N. But the U.N. has served very little purpose in the case of Gaza,” Rubio said…

As their own response to Iran’s violent suppression of protests, several European countries changed their position to support the EU designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organization, a move they have historically opposed over fears of irreparably severing ties with Tehran.

Ahead of a Thursday meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels — where the bloc was already expected to approve additional sanctions on Iran — Italy, Germany and earlier today France announced they would support the designation, teeing up its approval, which must be unanimous, at tomorrow’s meeting…

The State Department found that the Palestinian Authority paid more than $200 million to terrorists and their families in 2025, the Washington Free Beacon reports, despite the PA claiming it had ended its “pay-to-slay” program last February.

The PA merely “transferred responsibility” for the payments to a new body “under the guise of social welfare,” a report provided to Congress laid out, with evidence from post offices, social media and Telegram “indicating clearly that the compensation in support of terrorism has continued”…

Biden administration officials jumped to the defense of the former president’s Israel policy after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged in a press conference yesterday that some IDF soldiers had been killed in Gaza due to a U.S. arms embargo that caused Israel to run out of ammunition during the Biden presidency.

Brett McGurk, Biden’s senior Middle East advisor, told Axios that Netanyahu’s comments were “categorically false” and that Biden’s “commitment to Israel’s security to include U.S. military assistance was unwavering”; diplomat Amos Hochstein slammed Netanyahu as “ungrateful to a president that literally saved Israel at its most vulnerable moment”; and former State Department antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt said that to ignore Biden’s support for Israel “is to ignore history”…

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited Moscow today where he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Russia’s continued military presence in the country, Syrian state media reported. Despite its historic backing of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Moscow did not oppose al-Sharaa’s ouster of the dictator, though Russia has sheltered Assad and his family since they fled Damascus.

Russia has begun pulling out from its position in northeast Syria in an area still controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as Damascus mounts a campaign to oust them, though Moscow reportedly hopes to keep its naval and air bases on the Syrian coast…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), as she seeks to reclaim her former seat and shore up support for Israel among her Democratic colleagues.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will speak at Washington’s Sixth & I synagogue in conversation with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) about the governor’s new memoir, Where We Keep the Light.

The Hudson Institute will host a conversation with Jacob Helberg, the under secretary of state for economic affairs, as he returns from a trip around the Middle East where he brought Qatar and the United Arab Emirates into the Pax Silica initiative and signed a joint AI strategic framework in Israel.

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ON THE AGENDA

White House religious liberty commission to hold first antisemitism hearing next month

The commission was formed by President Donald Trump last spring

Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Donald Trump speaks at the Museum of the Bible September 8, 2025 in Washington, DC.

By

Gabby Deutch

January 28, 2026

The White House’s Religious Liberty Commission, which was formed by President Donald Trump last spring, plans to hold its first hearing focused specifically on antisemitism next month.

The day-long public hearing will be held on Feb. 9 at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, and members of the public are able to testify.

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, an Orthodox rabbi from New York, is the only Jewish member of the commission, but its advisory board includes four other rabbis, all of whom are Orthodox: Tikvah Fund CEO Rabbi Mark Gottlieb; Rabbi Yaakov Menken, the Coalition for Jewish Values’ executive vice president; Princeton Chabad Rabbi Eitan Webb; and Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudath Israel. Alyza Lewin, president of U.S. affairs at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, is a legal advisor to the commission.

The commission is chaired by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Key priorities of the Commission, according to the White House, are “parental rights in religious education, school choice, conscience protections, attacks on houses of worship, free speech for religious entities and institutional autonomy.”

AI EVALUATION

ADL rates Anthropic’s Claude best AI model at detecting antisemitism

The ADL ranked the leading large language models based on their ability to identify and counter ‘anti-Jewish’ and ‘anti-Zionist’ theories

Philip Dulian/picture alliance via Getty Images

Several AI applications can be seen on a smartphone screen, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, Grok and DeepSeek.

By

Haley Cohen

January 28, 2026

Anthropic’s artificial intelligence system is strongest at detecting bias against Jews and Israel compared to its competitors, according to an evaluation of the leading large language models published by the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday.

In its first-ever AI index, the ADL evaluated how six models responded to antisemitic and extremist content, based on more than 25,000 LLM chats, 37 topical sub-categories and assessments conducted by both human and AI evaluators.

The index broke antisemitism into subcategories: “anti-Jewish,” which includes classic antisemitic tropes, as well as “anti-Zionist,” which analyzes antisemitism that targets Zionists or Zionism. Another category, “extremist,” looked at how LLMs engage with biases, narratives and conspiracy theories, which sometimes overlap with antisemitism. Models were generally better at identifying and discrediting tropes such as “Jews control the media” than anti-Zionist content or extremist theories.

The index assessed OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, the Chinese model DeepSeek, Google’s Gemini, xAI’s Grok and Meta’s Llama.

Claude received the highest overall score (80 out of 100) in detecting and responding to anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist theories. Across a range of testing methods, Claude responded that statements it was asked to analyze “contain antisemitic conspiracy theories and historically inaccurate claims.”

ChatGPT ranked second with a score of 57. Grok came in last among the models tested, with a score of 21.

Still, every AI model tested demonstrated at least some gaps in addressing bias against Jews and Zionists and all struggled with extremist content.

“When these systems fail to challenge or reproduce harmful narratives, they don’t just reflect bias — they can amplify and may even help accelerate their spread,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. He called on AI companies “to improve their detection capabilities.”

“While one model performed better than others, no AI system we tested was fully equipped to handle the full scope of antisemitic and extremist narratives users may encounter. This Index provides concrete, measurable benchmarks that companies, buyers, and policymakers can use to drive meaningful improvement,” said Oren Segal, ADL’s senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence.

The research follows several recent studies from the ADL scrutinizing extremist content generated by AI models. In December, it published a study that found that several leading AI LLMs generated dangerous responses when asked for addresses of synagogues and nearby gun stores.

ADL conducted research for the index between August and October 2025. The antisemitism watchdog said it selected models from leading LLM companies that were most widely available at the time of testing. Testing was designed to reflect how average users — not bad actors — interact with AI systems in realistic scenarios. Models were tested across five interaction types: survey questions, open-ended prompts, multi-step conversations, document summaries and image interpretation.

RIYADH REFLECTIONS

Saudi pivot could have implications on antisemitism globally, Lipstadt contends

‘If this is a real pivot, and not just a momentary detour, it'll be very disappointing,’ the former antisemitism envoy said

Noam Galai/Getty Images

Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, speaks during 'March For Israel' at the National Mall on November 14, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

By

Marc Rod

January 28, 2026

Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the former U.S. envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told Jewish Insider on Tuesday that she’s concerned by the increased pace of antisemitic rhetoric coming from Saudi Arabia, and warned that an extended change of course by Riyadh could have implications on the spread of antisemitism globally.

Lipstadt, who began in the role in May 2022, said that she saw the Saudi government initially very open to addressing antisemitism, but less willing to work with her toward the end of her term, which finished in January 2025. She said that the situation has appeared to deteriorate further since then.

“If this is a real pivot, and not just a momentary detour, it’ll be very disappointing,” Lipstadt said. If that’s the case, “then it’s very disturbing because there was a chance for a change in the culture and in the atmosphere of the Middle East.”

She said she sees antisemitic and extremist sermons recently delivered at Saudi holy sites and around the kingdom as particularly significant — noting the Saudi government also funds imams who preach around the globe. This support gives Riyadh a significant lever to “limit the amount of Jew hatred that is expressed in Muslim communities throughout the world.”

“This is more than just a geopolitical shift,” Lipstadt continued. “It’s that — and it’s certainly an important geopolitical shift — but it also has implications for the spread of hatred, Jew hate.”

The former U.S. ambassador said that she’s also seen a distinct shift in the tenor of translated articles from the Saudi press.

“It’s completely different from what I saw when I was there in July of 2022, and very different from the numerous conversations and interactions I had with Princess Reema, the Saudi ambassador to the United States,” Lipstadt said. “She could not have been more gracious and forthcoming, publicly so.”

The former envoy said that the timing of the Saudi shift is also troubling, noting that it comes as tensions in the region are otherwise easing, as the war in Gaza winds down and progress is made toward a longer-term ceasefire. The Saudi government, she noted, was subject to pressure from its public, which was upset over the war.

“It’s happening now, when things are quieting down — that’s worrisome,” Lipstadt explained. “I hope it can be turned around because it has very, very big implications. … At a time that we’re seeing the impact of radical Islamism, it’s even more troublesome.”

Lipstadt’s first trip abroad in her role in the Biden administration was to Saudi Arabia in June 2022, where she conveyed the “message that I saw real possibilities there.” She said that she came to believe that the Saudis were on a path to joining the Abraham Accords, and that she received “a very warm welcome,” including meetings with the minister of Islamic affairs, who is in charge of the country’s holy sites, and the Saudi deputy foreign minister.

“One high-ranking official, when I walked into his office, introduced himself to me. He said, ‘Hello, welcome. I come from a city of Jews,’ and he meant Medina,” Lipstadt recounted. “Mecca and Medina, where the prophet was, and grew up — that’s a pretty significant way of identifying yourself.”

Her second visit to the kingdom, toward the end of her term in office, “was less promising, less forthcoming on the part of the officials.”

She said it was difficult to gauge at the time whether that was due to a lack of interest in engaging with an outgoing administration or because of pressure from popular opinion in Saudi Arabia against the war in Gaza.

But she said she believes the situation has continued to worsen since she left office. And, she noted, Saudi Arabia has made no further public strides toward joining the Abraham Accords, which some expected the kingdom to do once President Donald Trump returned to office.

Daily Overtime

Riyadh’s new friends and new fights

Plus, Emory faculty revolt in defense of Iran official's daughter

MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (C) inspects a guard of honor during a ceremonial reception at the President House a day after the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 11, 2023.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 27, 2026

Good Tuesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Saudi Arabia’s shift away from its traditional alliances and towards Islamism is evoking more backlash: Asked about Riyadh’s growing rapprochement with Qatar and Turkey, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference this afternoon that he’s following the developments and that Israel “expect[s] from anybody who wants normalization or peace with us that they not participate in efforts steered by forces or ideologies that want the opposite of peace”…

Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where MBS conveyed that “the Kingdom considers any threat or tension against Iran unacceptable”…

That’s not stopping the U.S. from hinting at the continued possibility of strikes on Iran: U.S. Central Command announced it will be conducting a “multi-day readiness exercise” in order to “demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower” across its area of responsibility, which includes Iran…

And Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) slammed Riyadh for other nefarious actions in the region, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports, including its “attack” on the UAE and silence regarding the Syrian government’s campaign against the Kurds, demanding the kingdom use its influence to “keep the region from falling further into chaos.”

“Please understand that I am smart enough to know that Saudi Arabia has influence on the Syrian government, and I expect them to use it,” Graham said, adding that he is “trying to work with the administration and regional partners to prevent a bloodbath in Syria against our Kurdish allies”…

(President Donald Trump, meanwhile, had a markedly different take on Syria: He told reporters today that he had a “great conversation” with the “highly respected president of Syria” and that “all of the things having to do with Syria and that area are working out very, very well, so we’re very happy about it”…)

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh also held its first-ever International Holocaust Remembrance Day event, writing that “Today’s modest but meaningful commemoration reflects a universal duty: protecting our shared humanity across cultures, faiths, and nations”…

With Graham eyeing Damascus and Riyadh, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) took aim elsewhere, calling for the U.S. to arm protesters in Iran “NOW.” “For the Iranian people to overthrow the Ayatollah — a tyrant who routinely chants ‘death to America’ — would make America much, much safer,” he said…

Authorities in Azerbaijan arrested three people allegedly preparing an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Baku today; the men were affiliated with ISIS-K, the Afghani branch of the terror group…

The Board of Peace is attempting to formalize its processes and responsibilities, according to a draft resolution from the board obtained by The New York Times, which bestows expansive powers to its chairman — Trump — including naming the commander of the International Stabilization Force, which still has yet to be established.

The document also names White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and attorney Martin Edelman as members of the board, the first time they have been identified as such…

After a doctor who is the daughter of a senior Iranian government official departed from Emory University’s medical school, the professor who serves as head of Emory’s faculty leadership council criticized the school for letting her go, JI’s Haley Cohen has learned.

Noelle McAfee, a professor in Emory’s philosophy department, sent a scathing email to the university expressing concern that the school’s dismissal of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, was a politically motivated firing.

“It’s extremely disappointing to see that our leadership here at Emory are consistently caving to political pressure and never taking the side of faculty,” McAfee wrote, quoting an anonymous faculty member, expressing concern that Ardeshir-Larijani, whose father is responsible for the Islamic Republic’s national security, didn’t receive due process…

In the Garden State, Mussab Ali, the former Jersey City Board of Education president and champion of anti-Israel college encampments, officially launched his primary challenge to Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) today, hitting Menendez on day one for supporting Israel and being endorsed by AIPAC.

“Democrats need to step up and become the party where we abandon corporate PACs, we won’t take money from groups like AIPAC, and we need to be accountable to everyday people,” Ali told the New Jersey Globe. He also enters the race with the endorsement of former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who was unseated in part due to his sharp criticisms of Israel…

Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Chicago’s City Council voted unanimously to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into its municipal code…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with Republican Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, who’s hoping for a conservative shift among Jewish voters in South Florida to help him unseat Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).

“October 7: In Their Own Words,” a play drawn directly from testimonies of survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, will premiere at the Kennedy Center. Read JI’s interview with the show’s playwrights here.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be on the Hill, testifying at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy towards Venezuela in the aftermath of the ouster of former President Nicolás Maduro.

Stories You May Have Missed

PROBLEMATIC POST

Top Michigan Democratic fundraiser shared Veterans Day post honoring Nazi officer grandfather

Picture of Kelly Neumann’s grandfather, Albert Neumann, that she shared on Veterans Day in 2024

Kelly Neumann is serving as the fundraising co-chair for gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson and Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow and has fundraised for several other Michigan Democrats

Read more

Cataloging concerns

Why UPenn and the federal government are battling over lists of Jewish faculty members

The Ivy League school called the EEOC’s request for the personal information of Jewish employees as part of its antisemitism investigation ‘extraordinary and unconstitutional’

Getty Images

Exteriors of University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) located in Philadelphia

By

Gabby Deutch

January 27, 2026

A burgeoning legal battle between the University of Pennsylvania and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission escalated last week when the Ivy League university called the agency’s methods of investigating whether the school permitted an antisemitic work environment “extraordinary and unconstitutional.”

The EEOC subpoenaed the university to turn over lists of Jewish employees and members of Jewish organizations, along with detailed identifying and contact information, saying the information is needed for the agency to contact potential victims of antisemitic discrimination. The university’s president and trustees — with the support of Jewish campus organizations Hillel, Chabad and Meor, as well as the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia — refused to do so.

Handing over those names would disregard “the frightening and well-documented history of governmental entities that undertook efforts to identify and assemble information regarding persons of Jewish ancestry,” the university asserted in a legal filing last Tuesday.

What may appear to be an arcane legal issue illuminates the tension at the heart of the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to combating campus antisemitism, with even some of the victims of that discrimination concerned that the methods of countering it have gone too far. While the EEOC said it is committed to doing whatever it can to investigate antisemitism among faculty and staff of the elite university, Jewish faculty and students see something worrisome.

“We are deeply concerned that the EEOC is now seeking lists of individuals identified as Jewish, including their personal home addresses, phone numbers, and private emails, based solely on their affiliation with Jewish organizations on campus — and without their consent,” Hillel and Meor wrote in a social media post in November. “Across history, the compelled cataloging of Jews has been a source of profound danger, and collection of Jews’ private information carries echoes of the very patterns that made Jewish communities vulnerable for centuries.”

Why does the EEOC, which examines complaints of discrimination and civil rights violations at American workplaces, want Penn to provide the lists of Jewish university affiliates? And why are Jewish faculty members — including some who support the federal government’s efforts to investigate antisemitism at their place of work — urging their employer not to comply?

The dispute dates back to December 2023, when the EEOC pledged to investigate whether Jewish employees at Penn had been subjected “to an unlawful hostile work environment.”

The inquiry was opened the same week that then-Penn President Liz Magill testified before Congress about her handling of antisemitism at the Philadelphia university in the weeks that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel. The investigation continued quietly for nearly two years, overseen by EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas, who last year was appointed chair of the agency by President Donald Trump.

It spilled into public view in November when the EEOC filed suit against Penn, seeking to force the university to finally compile and hand over the lists of Jewish faculty members and students that the EEOC said are crucial to its investigation.

The sought-after lists would include the members of all Jewish clubs and student groups, the names of everyone who participated in confidential university listening sessions about antisemitism, faculty members who were criticized and doxxed in a social media post from an anti-Israel student group and all employees and faculty of the Jewish studies program. Karen McDonough, deputy director of the EEOC’s Philadelphia office, said in a legal filing that the university’s refusal to turn over the lists has “severely hampered” the investigation.

Penn disagrees. The university called the demand “not only disconcerting but entirely unnecessary,” pledging instead that it would send a message to all university employees telling them how to get in touch with the EEOC to share instances of antisemitism they experienced or witnessed. The university said it has “cooperated extensively” with the agency by turning over more than 100 documents.

A more typical investigation might involve agency officials interviewing people who issued complaints directly with the agency, then visiting the campus and publicizing their investigation, according to Samuel Bagenstos, a law professor at the University of Michigan with expertise in employment law.

“If there are those claims that should be followed up, they should definitely be followed up, and they should be followed up according to usual investigative practices and not this dragnet of, ‘Let’s compile a list of all the Jews at Penn,’” Bagenstos told Jewish Insider last week. “It’s an incredibly unusual, if not completely unprecedented, request. It’s not tailored at all to any particular allegations of discrimination.”

An EEOC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The agency appeared to follow a similar playbook last year when it investigated antisemitism among staff at Columbia University and the affiliated Barnard College. Employees from both institutions received text messages from the EEOC on their personal phones asking them to fill out a survey identifying whether they are Jewish or Israeli, and if they have faced antisemitic harassment.

In that case, university officials had agreed to hand over employee data. Columbia’s associate general counsel and deputy general counsel told the Columbia Daily Spectator, the student newspaper, that the university complied with a subpoena to share employee information with the EEOC. But because the dispute ended in July with a settlement — and not with legal action — the EEOC’s methods of information-gathering at Columbia and Barnard never became public. (Columbia agreed to pay $21 million to resolve antisemitism charges.)

The Penn faculty members and employees opposed to the efforts by the federal government to obtain the controversial lists are not saying that the university is free from antisemitism. The Penn Faculty Alliance to Combat Antisemitism, which formed after Oct. 7 in response to rising anti-Jewish antagonism on campus, filed a brief supporting the university, and its members said that while they want to see the EEOC’s efforts to combat antisemitism at Penn continue, they oppose the methods being used by the agency.

“While the Alliance supports the EEOC’s efforts to combat antisemitism at Penn, its members are gravely concerned that the scope of the EEOC subpoena, which effectively seeks full lists of Jewish individuals at Penn and their personal information, invokes the troubling historical persecution of Jews, and threatens the personal security of the Alliance’s members,” the group wrote in a legal filing last week.

As the case moves forward in federal court, Penn and the EEOC are poised to test the boundaries of how far a civil rights investigation can go in the name of protecting a vulnerable group.

Daily Overtime

Israel’s decade-long hostage crisis comes to an end

Plus, Kanye West claims he's 'not a Nazi' in full-page WSJ apology

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

Vehicle, carrying the body of the last Israeli hostage remaining in Gaza Ran Gvili, arrives the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute prior to the funeral ceremony in Tel Aviv, Israel on January 26, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 26, 2026

Good Monday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The IDF announced this morning it had identified the remains of the final deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, in Gaza and is returning them to Israel for burial, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports, marking the end of the hostage crisis that had gripped Israel and world Jewry for nearly 850 days in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

Beyond the hostages taken on Oct. 7, Gvili’s return means that no Israelis — living or deceased — are being held by terror groups in Gaza for the first time since 2014.

While the IDF uncovered Gvili’s body in a Muslim cemetery where Hamas had buried it, President Donald Trump told Axios that the terror group “worked very hard to get the body back. They were working with Israel on it. You can imagine how hard it was.”

“Now we have to disarm Hamas like they promised,” Trump continued, as the parties move into Phase 2 of his peace deal. For its part, Israel announced it will reopen the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a “limited” capacity later this week.

Remarking on Gvili’s return, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added at a press conference this afternoon that “more than 20 new, additional countries have also signed up to join the newly established Board of Peace,” without naming the additions…

The New York Times lays out the latest developments in U.S.-Iran tensions, as American military assets reach the region and Iranian officials, as well as Iranian proxy terror groups, intensify their threats against the U.S. and Israel.

Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, has warned Iraqi officials that if Iranian-backed militias in Iraq were to strike U.S. troops, the U.S. would retaliate, according to the Times…

Trump told Axios that the situation in regards to Iran is “in flux” but that the U.S. has “a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela.” Still, the president left the possibility of diplomacy with Tehran open: “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk”…

Despite the ongoing tensions, the Trump administration deported about a dozen Iranians back to Tehran yesterday, CNN reports. It’s the third such deportation flight to Iran during Trump’s second term, and the first since the regime began its violent crackdown on protesters…

Elsewhere in the region, Israeli and Lebanese officials were hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Jordan over the weekend to discuss “steps needed for a more peaceful and prosperous region,” according to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut…

Several leading Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy groups are expressing concerns about the impact of the recent rise in antisemitic and Islamist messaging out of Saudi Arabia, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports, as the Gulf kingdom’s rhetoric is increasingly raising questions about its standing as a reliable U.S. ally in the region.

Among other groups, the Anti-Defamation League said in a sharply worded social media statement last week that it was “alarmed by the increasing frequency and volume of prominent Saudi voices — analysts, journalists and preachers — using openly antisemitic dog whistles and aggressively pushing anti-Abraham Accords rhetoric, often while peddling conspiracy theories about ‘Zionist plots’”…

Turning to the U.S., progressive operative Waleed Shahid announced today that he will assume the newly created role of deputy communications director of economic justice in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, JI’s Will Bredderman, joining us to cover New York City Hall, reports.

Shahid, the former spokesperson for Justice Democrats, was also a leader in the 2024 Uncommitted movement, which sought to deny support to former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the Biden administration’s support for Israel following the Oct. 7 attacks, and served as an advisor to former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)…

After the fatal shooting of a man by ICE officers in Minneapolis this weekend, Gov. Tim Walz compared immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota to Anne Frank’s persecution by the Nazis, drawing condemnation from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Someone’s going to write that children’s story about Minnesota,” Walz said at a press conference yesterday.

Without referencing Walz or ICE, the USHMM responded in a statement today: “Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges”…

Israeli comedian Guy Hochman, whose New York City show was canceled last week amid protests by pro-Hamas groups, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about becoming an “international flashpoint” after his subsequent show in Beverly Hills, Calif., was also canceled and his visa to perform in Canada was revoked.

“I’m not a politician. I’m a comedian. A very Zionist comedian. But it’s terrible to see it happening. But I am not giving up and I’m not giving in. I will not give them the pleasure. But I am getting a lot of threats on my life. I know there’s a big difference between us, but I don’t want to be the Israeli Charlie Kirk,” Hochman said…

Rapper Kanye West took out a full-page ad in today’s print edition of The Wall Street Journal apologizing for his erratic, and often antisemitic, behavior in recent years, claiming his actions stemmed from a brain injury sustained years ago that amplified his bipolar disorder.

“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” West wrote in the ad. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people”…

The Washington Post reportedly informed its staff on a Zoom call today that up to half of employees will be laid off, with the biggest cuts to its foreign and sports desks…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a profile of Deni Avdija, the Israeli NBA star making his triumphant return to Washington tomorrow as his current team, the Portland Trail Blazers, takes on his former team, the Wizards, during their Jewish Heritage Night game.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new memoir, Where We Keep the Light, is out tomorrow. We’ll be taking a look at how Shapiro discusses Israel and Judaism in its pages, as the swing-state governor potentially seeks the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, representatives of the U.S. and Israel will speak at the United Nations, and the Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington will host “Enduring Music: Compositions from the Holocaust,” a concert of music composed in ghettos and death camps.

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli’s International Conference on Combating Antisemitism will continue with remarks from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (who addressed the Knesset today), former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and more.

In Berlin, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat will deliver remarks at the WELT Economic Summit, the annual European business and political confab organized by media conglomerate Axel Springer.

Stories You May Have Missed

HER WAY

Tahesha Way campaigns as close ally of Jewish community in pivotal N.J. special election

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha L. Way, speaks during a Naturalization Ceremony at Liberty State Park on September 17, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Way is touting her support for stalled legislation that would codify the IHRA definition of antisemitism into law

Read more

Daily Kickoff

As Neom stumbles, Saudi antisemitism surges

Plus, Jason Zengerle on Tucker's transformation

Chesnot/Getty Images

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 16: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) poses prior to a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Presidential Palace on June 16, 2023 in Paris, France.

By

JI Staff

January 26, 2026

👋 Good Monday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to journalist Jason Zengerle about his new book about Tucker Carlson’s political evolution, and look at the wave of antisemitic and anti-Israel messaging coming from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. We spotlight White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum’s position as a key player in U.S. diplomacy, and look at the role that the United Auto Workers union is playing in anti-Israel activist efforts. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Jennifer Mnookin, Morris Katz and Marc Shaiman.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.

What We’re Watching

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day tomorrow, Meta, UNESCO and the World Jewish Congress are convening a discussion at the U.N. today in New York focused on the role that technology can play in Holocaust preservation efforts.
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs is hosting the second annual International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem. Speakers at the two-day confab include Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, the Department of Justice’s Leo Terrell, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Jewish Federations of North America CEO Eric Fingerhut.
Elsewhere in Jerusalem, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will host the annual lecture of the Jabotinsky Institute at the President’s Residence tonight, delivered this year by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
The IDF, acting on new information from Hamas, is conducting an operation in northern Gaza to locate the remains of Ran Gvili, who was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
The Saudi Real Estate Future Forum kicks off today in Riyadh. Former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry are slated to speak, as is far-right commentator Tucker Carlson.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S LAHAV HARKOV

Anti-Israel and antisemitic messages from Saudi regime mouthpieces and state-sanctioned media have increased in recent weeks, as Riyadh has pivoted away from a more moderate posture to an alignment with Islamist forces, such as Qatar and Turkey.

Over the weekend, prominent Saudi columnist Dr. Ahmed bin Othman Al-Tuwaijri wrote an article in a Saudi news site attacking the United Arab Emirates, with whom Saudi Arabia has been at odds in recent weeks, as “an Israeli Trojan horse in the Arab world … in betrayal of God, His Messenger and the entire nation.” He also wrote that “Israel is on a path to a rapid downfall and the umma [community of Muslims] will remain, God willing.” The column, published after weeks of anti-Israel and antisemitic messaging from Saudi-backed channels, sparked an uproar from Western voices, including the Anti-Defamation League, which condemned “the increasing frequency and volume of prominent Saudi voices … using openly antisemitic dog whistles.”

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said on the “Ask A Jew” podcast earlier this month that the Trump administration needs “to have a serious talk with” the Saudis. “I’m ringing the alarm; I’m breaking the glass,” he said. “I’m saying, listen, these guys are changing.”

In the past, “you only got these crazy terrorist clerics, the al-Qaida types … would be inciting against the Jews,” Abdul-Hussain said. “But this week, the [Saudi] state-owned media was inciting against the Zionist plan to partition the region and to divide the region. This is very new.”

One possible reason for the turn in Saudi messaging is that Riyadh is “very afraid of Israel,” Edy Cohen, a research fellow at the Israel Center for Grand Strategy, told Jewish Insider, noting that it views recent Israeli actions as going against Saudi interests.

Cohen noted that “the Saudis and the Qataris led a campaign for Trump not to strike Iran. …[The Saudi leadership] heard [exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi] said the new Iran will normalize relations with Israel, and this drove the leadership crazy. Imagine Iran and Israel together … It’s their biggest nightmare.” Riyadh and Jerusalem are also at odds on Syria and Somaliland.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.

NEW ON THE SCENE

Josh Gruenbaum’s rapid rise from overseeing federal contracting to dealmaking on the world stage

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service Josh Gruenbaum during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 22, 2026. (Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Josh Gruenbaum’s Thursday started in Davos, Switzerland, at the signing ceremony to inaugurate President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. Gruenbaum walked onto the World Economic Forum stage where Trump sat, surrounded by world leaders, to hand the president the board’s first resolution — focused on the demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza — for him to sign. Hours later, Gruenbaum’s day ended at the Kremlin in Moscow, alongside White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner. Gruenbaum is a relatively new figure on the diplomatic scene. He started working with Witkoff and Kushner soon after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Trajectory: Since then, Gruenbaum has been spotted in meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Earlier this month, hewas named a diplomatic advisor to the new Board of Peace, which the Trump administration is reportedly envisioning as a replacement to the United Nations. It’s a somewhat surprising turn for Gruenbaum, whose expertise is not diplomacy or foreign policy but investment banking. But with his business background, Gruenbaum fits in with Witkoff and Kushner, both of whom come from the real estate world. His rise underscores how the Trump administration is reshaping the machinery of government by elevating loyalists with private-sector backgrounds and expanding their portfolios far beyond traditional lanes.

Read the full story here.

RIYADH REALIGNMENT

Antisemitism, anti-Israel rhetoric a key feature of Saudi Arabia’s regional realignment

Riyadh is increasingly aligning itself with Islamist-oriented countries, like Qatar and Turkey

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia listens U.S. President Donald Trump deliver remarks at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center on November 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

By

Lahav Harkov

January 26, 2026

Anti-Israel and antisemitic messages from Saudi regime mouthpieces and state-sanctioned media have increased in recent weeks, as Riyadh has pivoted away from a more moderate posture to an alignment with Islamist forces, such as Qatar and Turkey.

Over the weekend, prominent Saudi columnist Dr. Ahmed bin Othman Al-Tuwaijri wrote an article in a Saudi news site attacking the United Arab Emirates, with whom Saudi Arabia has been at odds in recent weeks, as “an Israeli Trojan horse in the Arab world … in betrayal of God, His Messenger and the entire nation.” He also wrote that “Israel is on a path to a rapid downfall and the umma will remain, God willing.”

The column, published after weeks of anti-Israel and antisemitic messaging from Saudi-backed channels, sparked an uproar from Western voices. The Anti-Defamation League condemned “the increasing frequency and volume of prominent Saudi voices … using openly antisemitic dog whistles and aggressively pushing anti-Abraham Accords rhetoric, often while peddling conspiracy theories about ‘Zionist plots.’”

The Saudi site then took the article down. But when there was a backlash in the Arab world, it went back online.

An editorial in the Saudi government newspaper Al-Riyadh earlier this month said that “wherever Israel is present, there is ruin and destruction,” and that Israel “do[es] not respect the sovereignty of states or the integrity of their territories, while working to exploit crises and conflicts to deepen divisions.”

A conspiracy theory that has gained steam on Saudi social media in recent weeks accuses the UAE of trying to push for a “New Abrahamic Religion” melding Judaism, Christianity and Islam, thus destroying Islam, an apparent reference to the Abrahamic Family House — meant to foster religious tolerance.

The shift in Saudi media comes after months in which imams at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, whose sermons are seen as reflecting official Saudi messages, have railed against Israel and the Jews. In a recent sermon, Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid said, “Oh Allah, deal with the Jews who have seized and occupied, for they cannot escape your power. Oh Allah, send upon them your punishment and misery.”

“I’m ringing the alarm; I’m breaking the glass,” Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said on the “Ask A Jew” podcast earlier this month. “I’m saying, listen, these guys are changing.”

Edy Cohen, a research fellow at the Israel Center for Grand Strategy, told Jewish Insider that the Saudi-backed Arabic news channel Al Arabiya is “very anti-Israel, they glorify the Palestinians,” though he stopped short of the characterization made by a prominent Israeli journalist last week that it has become worse than the Qatar-backed Al Jazeera.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said on the “Ask A Jew” podcast earlier this month that the Trump administration needs “to have a serious talk with” the Saudis.

“I’m ringing the alarm; I’m breaking the glass,” he said. “I’m saying, listen, these guys are changing.”

In the past, “you only got these crazy terrorist clerics, the al-Qaida types … would be inciting against the Jews,” Abdul-Hussain said. “But this week, the [Saudi] state-owned media was inciting against the Zionist plan to partition the region and to divide the region. This is very new.”

Hussein Aboubakr Mansour, a researcher for the Z3 Project, noted in a recent interview on the “Tikvah Podcast” that the Saudi “interest is colliding with that of Israel in many places,” while “the interests of the Israeli and the Emiratis are converging in a lot of places,” leading Riyadh to lash out against both at the same time.

He noted a rise in “the Arabist discourse of Arab sovereignty, Arab unity, the Emiratis and Israelis want to fragment us.”

“[The Saudi leadership] heard [exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi] said the new Iran will normalize relations with Israel, and this drove the leadership crazy,” Edy Cohen, a research fellow at the Israel Center for Grand Strategy, told JI. “Imagine Iran and Israel together … the Shi’a and the Jews together; it’s their biggest nightmare.”

One reason for the turn in Saudi messaging is that Riyadh is “very afraid of Israel,” Cohen said, noting that it views recent Israeli actions as going against Saudi interests.

Cohen noted that Saudi Arabia was mostly quiet about Tehran’s violent suppression of the recent nationwide demonstrations, but behind the scenes, “the Saudis and the Qataris led a campaign for Trump not to strike Iran.”

“[The Saudi leadership] heard [exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi] said the new Iran will normalize relations with Israel, and this drove the leadership crazy,” Cohen posited. “Imagine Iran and Israel together … the Shi’a and the Jews together; it’s their biggest nightmare.”

Before that, Cohen said, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, which put Jerusalem on the UAE’s side against Somalia, angered Riyadh, a move he said led a diplomatic push for Arab states to condemn Israel. At the time, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Saudi sources said Israel recognizing Somaliland threatened its chances of normalization with Riyadh.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have also staked out opposing positions on Syria, where Riyadh supports President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while Israel has been much more hesitant to embrace the new Syrian leader and has acted militarily to protect the Druze Syrian minority near its border.

Cohen said Saudi Arabia would still be willing to establish diplomatic relations with Israel if it brought them a defense pact with the U.S., but “at a price no [Israeli] prime minister would be willing to pay.”

Abdul-Hussain put Saudi’s pivot in the context of its failed regional ambitions. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, sought to move “from a country that has relied on oil for a living … to a country that looked like Dubai, where you have tourism and services, what they call a knowledge economy. … Israel is clearly one of the highest knowledge economies in the world.”

However, Abdul-Hussain said, “his experiment has just hit a wall and this transformation is not happening.” In an indicative development, MBS’ flagship project of a futuristic city on the Red Sea known as Neom has been scaled back following delays and budgetary limitations, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Now, Abdul-Hussain said, “the quickest tool that [MBS] can get is to reconnect with the Islamists. … Look at Turkey and Qatar using Islamism all the time to project influence, including in Gaza … Washington clearly likes them for some reason, so [MBS is] thinking, why not use Islamism … as a tool to project power at Saudi’s borders? This means they will have to bash the heck out of Israel.”

With the continued talk about a possible American attack on Iran amid the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters, Aboubakr Mansour’s prediction in JI last year after the Israeli and American strikes on Iran remains relevant: He argued that the success of the 12-day war would not bring Jerusalem and Riyadh closer together, nor would regime change in Iran. A less extreme government in Tehran could grow closer to Washington, threatening the Saudi-American relationship.

“They have an interest in Iran remaining the pariah that it is,” he said at the time. “The Saudis are in a place where they want to see neither the Israelis nor the Iranians win. [The Saudis] want them to put each other in check, which will give [the Saudis] more leverage.”

Aboubakr Mansour told the “Tikvah Podcast” this month that he was “still shocked” by the Saudis’ “unbelievable pivot in terms of rhetoric, domestically and regionally, against Israel and the UAE.”

“The easiest way for them to [pivot away from Israel] is to insist on a Palestinian state, but that did not entail that, all of a sudden, they will recall a lot of Muslim Brotherhood figures from abroad … using their online channels to denounce the Zionists … getting closer to Turkey and Qatar. That itself, I was definitely shocked by,” he said.

Now, Aboubakr Mansour said, after Saudi Arabia changed its messaging, “you saw a massive activation of this huge and colossal empire of narrative control that the Qataris run” — meaning Al Jazeera — “in favor of Saudi Arabia. …That’s a form of power, also, that has its own seduction, and I think the Saudis calculated that they have a very large symbolic comparative advantage that is best optimized to use this kind of populist anti-Zionist discourse in the Middle East.”

BOOKSHELF

Inside Tucker Carlson’s transformation, according to his chronicler

New Yorker reporter Jason Zengerle’s book, ‘Hated By All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling on the Conservative Mind,’ comes out Tuesday

Courtesy/Andrew Kornylak

Book cover/Jason Zengerle

By

Matthew Kassel

January 26, 2026

In his richly reported new book, Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind, Jason Zengerle tracks the evolution of the mainstream conservative journalist for The Weekly Standard, CNN and FOX News into a prominent figure in the far-right media ecosystem whose commentary increasingly descends into open antisemitism.

Zengerle, a veteran political reporter, ruminates over Carlson’s troubling transition from magazine writer to cable news pundit to his current position as a widely followed podcast host whose credulous interviews with Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers, among others, have done little to dampen his influence in the MAGA movement he helped build.

In a recent interview with Jewish Insider, Zengerle, whose book will be published Tuesday, warned that Carlson’s efforts to smuggle antisemitic views into mainstream discourse should not be taken lightly.

“Tucker has credibility, and he comes across as a credible person,” Zengerle said. “That he’s giving voice to these really pretty fringe and dangerous sentiments is not to be underestimated, because people trust him.”

Whether Carlson personally believes the “awful things” he promotes, Zengerle writes in his book, “matters less than that he says them at all, and that millions of people — members of Congress, titans of industry, the president and just everyday Americans — listen to and take their cues from him.”

“What matters is that by saying these things, Carlson has finally achieved the fame, power and influence that for so long eluded him,” he adds.

Zengerle, 52, was recently hired as a staff writer for The New Yorker, and has previously contributed to The New York Times Magazine, GQ and The New Republic, among other publications. His book on Carlson is his first.

Speaking with JI last week, Zengerle discussed Carlson’s professional ascent, his motivations for demonizing Israel and why conservative Jews are so frightened by his potential role in shaping the future direction of the Republican Party after President Donald Trump leaves office, among other topics.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Jewish Insider: This book has been in the works for a while. How did the idea initially come about?

Jason Zengerle: It’s been a bit of a roller coaster. The initial idea sort of came from a conversation I was having with my agent about a book I didn’t want to write, about the Republican civil war that was about to unfold. This is not long after [the] Jan. 6 [2021 Capitol riot]. The people who are going to be vying to inherit Trump supporters, because Trump was obviously a finished product, would never be coming back. And I was sort of talking to my agent about the various characters, and explaining why I didn’t think, no matter how many positions [Sens.] Josh Hawley (R-MO) or Ted Cruz (R-TX) or Tom Cotton (R-AR) took that would seem to appeal to Trump’s base, there was no way they’re ever going to inherit those voters, because they just lacked the charisma and entertainment value that Trump obviously has.

Offhandedly, I said something like, ‘You know, the only guy who really can do that is Tucker Carlson.’ That was the genesis of the idea. Then, obviously, when I started the book, Tucker was at the height of his powers. He had the highest-rated show on Fox. Trump had kind of exited the stage. And Tucker, in a lot of ways, had sort of replaced Trump, just in terms of the headspace he was occupying among both liberals and conservatives. You had this weird Tucker economy of liberal journalists and people on Twitter who would clip his show, sort of like outrage bait.

For the first couple years I was working on the book, Tucker was sort of occupying that space. And then he got fired from Fox, and everyone was predicting that he would basically suffer the same fate all Fox stars suffer when they leave Fox, which is irrelevance. Like, who thinks about Bill O’Reilly these days, right? But I thought that wasn’t going to happen. I thought Tucker was going to stay in the picture. That might have been some motivated self-reasoning on my part, because I wanted the book to be relevant. My original publisher definitely thought he was going to fade away because they canceled my contract.

JI: It certainly seems you were right in suspecting that he would continue to be not only relevant, but extremely influential during the campaign and in influencing hiring decisions for key roles in the Trump administration, as you detail in the book. He’s had a circuitous and occasionally rocky career from print journalism to cable news and now to an independent podcast. How do you view his evolution? Is there a moment where you see a clear turning point toward the type of demagogic commentator he would become, or do you think it was more gradual?

JZ: I think there are definitely inflection points in his career, and you can point to a number of them. I think one was certainly the war in Iraq. I think that had a pretty profound impact on his thinking. You know, I think he harbored some private doubts about the wisdom of going to war there, but was not really comfortable expressing them publicly, for a couple of reasons. Today, he talks a lot about how Bill Kristol and all these guys kind of misled him, and that’s why he hates them so much. At the same time, his best friend and now business partner was Neil Patel, who was working for Scooter Libby [chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney]. And if you want to look at the disinformation that was put out into the world that supported going into Iraq, that was coming from Dick Cheney’s office. And I think Neil played a role in that. The fact that his best friend was sort of making the case for war, I think, made it difficult for him to oppose it. Two, the job he had at CNN at the time, on “Crossfire,” was to represent the right and the Bush administration — so just from a practical standpoint, he had to kind of support the war.

But anyway, the fact that things went so badly for Tucker at CNN, I think, made him reexamine a number of his priors and a lot of his time in his early career, when he was at The Weekly Standard and even after he had started writing for Talk and Esquire. There was such an effort among people like Kristol to excommunicate Pat Buchanan from the conservative movement. I think what happened with Iraq made Tucker reconsider Buchanan a bit, and he sort of saw that, ‘OK, well, I actually think this guy was right about foreign policy, and maybe he’s right about some other stuff as well.’ I think that led him to become much more hawkish on immigration.

I think that what happened with Jon Stewart and CNN was a pretty big inflection point in the sense that the public humiliation he suffered, obviously, was difficult for him. But I also think he felt that his friends in the elite D.C. political and media circles didn’t come to his aid the way he would have liked. That started to breed a certain resentment he felt toward them that really grew as his career limped along. It made it a lot easier for him, when Trump came on the stage and started attacking the swamp and D.C. elites, to join in on those attacks, because I think he still nursed a grudge. So you can see things gradually, but you can also point to these crossroads moments, as well.

JI: You write that, while you didn’t know Carlson well, he often served as an “eager interview” subject and source for your stories over the years. Still, he didn’t agree to any interviews for your book. Why do you think that was?

JZ: I think it really is that Robert Novak expression: “a source, not a target.” I think he plays that game.

JI: There’s an interesting recollection in the prologue about your occasional interactions with Carlson when he would stop by the New Republic offices back in the late ’90s during your time as an intern there. You describe him then as a “hotshot young writer for The Weekly Standard,” and say he “seemed so much older, wiser and worldlier than we were.”

JZ: Maybe it didn’t take much to impress me. But the thing about him back then — and the thing I think others admired about him and looked up to him for — was that he was really courageous. The targets he picked, whether it was Grover Norquist or George W. Bush — it took guts to do that as a conservative journalist, and that was admirable.

JI: You write in the book that Carlson has “come a long way from the days when he described himself as a pro-Israel, Episcopalian neocon.” On his show now, he regularly promotes antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, incessantly attacks Israel and hosts neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers for friendly interviews. Do you have insight into what sparked this openly antisemitic streak?

JZ: It’s funny, someone who’s close to him was telling me that they thought this basically started with his conclusion that all the people who were opposed to him and Trump, post-2016, were big Israel supporters. So Tucker’s like, ‘Alright, I’m just going to piss these people off by going after Israel,’ and that’s kind of where it started. I don’t know if that’s the case.

I mean, Bill Kristol looms so large in his mind and in his own story. The story that he tells people, and the story I think he tells himself, is he was misled and used and kind of exploited by the neocons, that he was this young, naive, innocent writer who got just basically used to get us into a war and support free trade deals and do all these things that hurt the white working class in America, and that what he’s doing now is his penance. And I think that’s not a true story. I don’t think that’s what happened.

Kristol is just such a huge figure in his own mythology. Even before Tucker went in this direction, he was really close to Kristol. He really looked up to him. He was his first boss, and I think he had a real impact on Tucker’s career. But now, Tucker wants that all to be a negative impact. He did an interview recently with his brother, Buckley Carlson, where he talked about how Kristol hates Christians. Bill Kristol, who hired Fred Barnes and took vacations with Gary Bauer. He’s recast all this stuff.

JI: Do you think Carlson’s hostility toward Israel and descent into nakedly antisemitic vitriol, such as when he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “ratlike” and “a persecutor of Christians,” is motivated by more than just resentment of those he believes have spurned him? There’s been a lot of attention recently about a generational turn away from Israel on the right, which raises a question of whether he’s opportunistically tapping into that or directly influencing it.

JZ: I guess it’s both. I do think he’s making the calculation that that is where the energy is, and therefore he wants to make sure he stays out in front of it. He has a very good political radar and good professional radar. I think the Nick Fuentes episode was him recognizing he was in this feud with this guy, and he was losing, and him sort of deciding you cannot be successful in conservative media or conservative politics these days unless you have the support of these neo-Nazis. Unfortunately, it’s not going to work for you, and so he needed to get back on their good side. I think that’s part of the calculus.

At the same time, I think he is influencing some of these people, maybe not the hardcore Nick Fuentes supporters, but young conservatives who, you look at what happened or what’s happening in Gaza and had questions and qualms and concerns. And then Tucker is out there — and Fuentes is out there as well — making the argument about how Gaza is wrong, but taking it so much further than that, and going into these really ugly corners of anti-Israel sentiment and taking them to those places.

Now, I don’t want to get too far afield here, but that JD Vance talk at Ole Miss, where the frat boy asked that question about Israel persecuting Christians — that was a real light bulb moment for me. That this stuff had penetrated that deep that you have this guy who appears to be your regular old SEC frat boy saying this stuff. And I think Tucker is responsible for a lot of that, because that’s something he did at Fox, and he continues to do. He’s really good at taking ideas and arguments and even just stories from extreme, far-right fringy areas, often on the internet, and smuggling them into the mainstream. I think he’s doing that with the Israel stuff and with the Jewish stuff.

JI: His interview in 2024 with Darryl Cooper, the self-proclaimed podcast historian and Holocaust revisionist who has described Winston Churchill as the “chief villain” of World War II, seems an early instance of that effort.

JZ: That’s a perfect example. You have to be really steeped in this stuff to see what this individual is saying and doing and the rhetorical tricks they’re playing. Tucker just brings and vouches for these people, and I think that’s pretty dangerous. Tucker has credibility, and he comes across as a credible person. The fact that he’s giving voice to these really pretty fringe and dangerous sentiments is not to be underestimated, because people trust him, and it validates them.

JI: There’s been some intermittent speculation about whether Carlson will run for president. Do you have any thoughts on that?

JZ: I don’t think he just wants to be a podcaster. I don’t think that’s his goal here. I think he has a real vision for what he wants this country to be, and he wants to achieve that vision, and if it turned out that running for office was the way to do that, I could see him doing it. I don’t think it’d be his first choice. I think right now, he has a nice, nice setup where he obviously has a president who listens to him. Maybe even more importantly, he has a vice president who I think he’s even closer to and more in alignment with. Just sort of thinking through the steps, as long as he thinks JD Vance and he are on the same page ideologically, and as long as he thinks JD Vance is capable of being elected president, that he has the political talent to pull that off, I can’t imagine him doing anything on his own.

But if one of those two things changes, and I think it’s quite possible that the latter becomes a sticking point — if Tucker at some point were to conclude that JD Vance actually isn’t capable of being elected president and that his his ideological project is in jeopardy — I could certainly see him taking a shot at it. The way you would run for president now, it’s so different from how you had to do it before. He could probably do a lot of it from his podcast studio. But I think what’s more important is just understanding why he would do it, which is sort of the bigger point. He really does have a project he’s working on, and I think he’ll do what he thinks is necessary in order to bring that project to fruition.

JI: How would you characterize that project?

JZ: He wants the United States to look like it did in the 1950s. I think he’s very much in alignment with Stephen Miller. Beyond the immigration stuff and us being a much whiter country, I think he wants to return to traditional gender roles.

JI: While some Republican lawmakers have spoken out against Carlson, it seems notable that Trump and Vance have both so far refrained from explicitly distancing themselves from him.

JZ: There’s this weird thing going on where certain Jewish conservatives feel like, as long as Trump’s there, everything’s going to be fine. You know, his grandchildren are Jewish, he might say some stuff, he might do some things, but at the end of the day, the worst-case scenario will never occur. They view Tucker as this bad influence on Vance, and if they can just get rid of the bad influence, Vance will be OK. But they’re really terrified of Tucker. They’re really terrified of what comes after Trump. And they’re terrified that Tucker will have a major influence on whatever comes after Trump. They’re worried about the influence he has on Vance. They want to believe that Vance would be OK, left to his own devices. They think Tucker is leading him in a bad direction, and therefore they need to take out Tucker.

I think it goes beyond Israel. I think it’s genuine fear about what it would mean to be Jewish in the United States. I’ve been talking to some of these folks recently. I think it’s a real, deep-seated fear about, in Tucker Carlson’s America, what would it be like to be Jewish here?

UNSEALED

Newly released memos reveal State Dept. concerns about basis for student deportations

Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish student at Tufts University, was arrested by federal agents for co-authoring an anti-Israel op-ed in her college newspaper

Mel Musto/Getty Images

Rümeysa Öztürk speaks to the media after arriving at Logan Airport on May 10, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.

By

Gabby Deutch

January 26, 2026

State Department officials who were tasked with deporting foreign students accused of antisemitism and threatening American national security warned that the efforts may present free speech concerns, according to government documents that a federal judge released last week.

The several hundred pages of previously sealed federal documents are connected to the ongoing deportation cases against Mahmoud Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, Mohsen Mahdawi, Yunseo Chung and Badar Khan Suri, each of whom U.S. immigration authorities targeted because of their involvement in anti-Israel activity at American universities.

The Trump administration has said in public statements that the students were ordered to be deported because of their involvement in antisemitic and pro-Hamas activities, but little evidence was shared publicly at the time to back up the allegations.

The students have challenged the deportations with mixed results. Khalil — a protest leader at Columbia’s anti-Israel encampment in 2024 — was the first to be arrested, in March 2025. His detention, as a green card holder, became a cause célèbre on the left among activists who argued that President Donald Trump had overstepped his authority. Khalil was released from detention in June, but a federal appeals court last week paved the way for his deportation, potentially to Algeria.

In a series of memos last year sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio from John Armstrong, a senior State Department official who oversees visas, Armstrong made clear that Rubio would have to directly approve the students’ deportations, noting that they are likely to draw intense scrutiny, particularly after Khalil’s legal challenge against his own deportation. For cases where the reason to deport somebody is based on their “past, current or expected beliefs, statements or associations that are otherwise lawful,” the secretary of state must “personally” make a determination that their actions “would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest,” a March 8, 2025, memo to Rubio said.

One case concerned the visa status of Öztürk, a Turkish student at Tufts University who was ordered to be deported last March and was arrested by federal agents on her way to a Ramadan event. A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Jewish Insider last year that federal investigators “found Öztürk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans.” The only public evidence at the time connecting her to the anti-Israel protest movement was a 2024 op-ed in Tufts’ student newspaper that she penned with three other students calling for the university to divest from Israel.

One of the State Department memos unsealed last week revealed that this op-ed was the sole basis for the effort to deport her — and that department officials recognized it might face legal challenges.

The op-ed divulged that Öztürk was a member of Tufts Graduate Students for Palestine, which the immigration investigators noted was suspended by the university. Öztürk’s involvement with the group “may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization,” investigators concluded. The memo revoking her visa declared that she co-authored an op-ed “that found common cause with an organization that was later temporarily banned from campus.”

But in assessing the strength of DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators’ conclusions, Armstrong noted one potential weakness: “While Öztürk has been involved with actions protesting Tufts’ relationship with Israel,” he wrote, the investigators have not “provided any evidence showing that Öztürk has engaged in any antisemitic activity or made any public statements indicating support for a terrorist organization or antisemitism generally.” Nor did they prove that she was involved in the activities that led to the pro-Palestine group being suspended by Tufts.

For Khalil and Mahdawi, the case to deport rested on their leadership roles in anti-Israel protests at Columbia. Khalil “created a hostile environment for Jewish students,” officials wrote, as an encampment leader and “a key figure in the March 6 Barnard College library occupation, where protestors distributed Hamas-authored flyers.”

Mahdawi, “through his leadership and involvement in disruptive protests at Columbia University, has engaged in anti-Semitic conduct through leading pro-Palestinian protests and calling for Israel’s destruction,” authorities concluded. “The activities and presence of Mahdawi in the United States undermines U.S. policy to combat anti-Semitism around the world and in the United States, in addition to efforts to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States.”

The only person who was directly linked to supporting Hamas was Suri, a Georgetown researcher whose wife is the daughter of a former Hamas official.

“The type of intimidation and incitement attributable to Suri potentially undermines the peace process underway in the Middle East by reinforcing anti-Semitic sentiment in the regional [sic] and thereby threatening the U.S. foreign policy goal of peacefully resolving the Gaza conflict,” officials wrote. But they also noted the challenges the case might face on freedom of expression grounds.

“Given the reliance on Suri’s public statements as an academic, and the potential that a court may consider his actions inextricably tied to speech protected under the First Amendment, it is likely that courts will closely scrutinize the basis for this determination,” one memo reads.

These immigration cases, early in the first year of Trump’s second term, were heavily scrutinized. Even though fighting antisemitism was a stated reason for the Trump administration’s decision to remove the students, some Jewish leaders were concerned about the heavy-handed tactics and limited information shared about their arrests.

None of the five students is still in detention, and they are each challenging their deportation orders.

Daily Overtime

Kushner goes big on Gaza rebuild

Plus, Cornyn targets 'radical Islam' in heated TX-SEN primary

Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

Jared Kushner speaks at the "Board of Peace" meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 22, 2026

Good Thursday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Before officials departed from Davos, Switzerland, today, the Trump administration undertook a big task: laying out its complete vision for the demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Jared Kushner, speaking after President Donald Trump’s remarks at his founding ceremony for the Board of Peace, presented the administration’s “demilitarization principles” meant to be implemented in the next 100 days, including the destruction of “heavy weapons, tunnels, military infrastructure, weapons production facilities and munitions.”

The ultimate vision sees a completely overhauled Gaza including a port and a tourism zone along the Mediterranean coast, as well as large residential areas and industrial complexes, while retaining the IDF security perimeter.

But “this deal only happened because … we all worked together to make this happen,” Kushner said, urging countries, including Israel, to put aside their differences to bring the plan to fruition. “I see people criticizing Israel, or Israel criticizing Turkey and Qatar. Just calm down and work together for 30 days”…

Meanwhile, several of the highest-profile attendees of the Board of Peace ceremony hustled to a private lunch, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports, including Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who both spoke hopefully about the future of the Abraham Accords.

Also in the room: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and more…

The Wall Street Journal lays out the concerns of the Board of Peace holdouts — including China, Russia, France and Britain, who are wary of joining a body where they don’t hold a permanent veto and that seeks to replace the one where they do, at the U.N. Security Council. There’s also the issue of its broad mandate: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said today that European leaders could work with the board “if we narrow it down to Gaza like it was meant to be”…

The U.S. is weighing a complete withdrawal of its troops from Syria, the Journal also reports, shortly after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s forces carried out a campaign against the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, ultimately ordering it to disband.

The U.S. has around 1,000 troops in the country, many of whom are co-located with the SDF, where they carry out missions against ISIS (SDF forces were in charge of guarding ISIS prisoners until last weekend). Recent events have led the U.S. to question the viability of its mission in Syria, American officials told the Journal…

Elsewhere in the region, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a stark warning to the U.S. and Israel, even as Trump said this morning that he’s open to diplomatic dialogue with Tehran.

The IRGC and Iran “have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the orders and measures of” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “a leader dearer than their own lives,” Mohammad Pakpour said, as Iran issued its first official death toll of the protests, putting the number killed at 3,117…

Stateside, California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who is running for retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) seat, announced today that he is stepping down from his role as one of the co-chairs of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports, capping off nearly two weeks of controversy and frustration among Jewish leaders in the state after the San Francisco Democrat declared Israel’s actions in Gaza to be a genocide.

Wiener said in a statement, which was obtained by JI, that the decision was prompted in part by the fallout of his genocide comments. “My campaign is accelerating, and my recent statements on Israel and Gaza have led to significant controversy in the Jewish community. The time to transition has arrived,” Wiener said. He will remain in the role until Feb. 15.

In an interview with Politico this week, Wiener said he’s heard from unhappy Jewish voters and leaders in the days after his comments, but asked them to remember his record. “If you’re mad at me, if you feel betrayed, I respect and honor that. But just also remember how many times I’ve gone to the mat for this community, and the bullets I’ve taken for this community,” Wiener said…

In a new ad released today, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), facing a serious primary challenge from his right, calls “radical Islam” a “bloodthirsty ideology” that has influenced recent terror attacks targeting Jews, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports.

“It fueled the unspeakable crimes on Oct. 7,” Cornyn says in the 30-second ad, called “Evil Face,” before citing the mass shooting last month during a Hanukkah gathering in Australia that was allegedly motivated by ISIS. “It showed its evil face again at Bondi Beach.”

The ad comes as Cornyn’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has also made combating “radical Islamist terrorist groups” a priority, as he engages in a lawsuit with the Council on American-Islamic Relations…

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro further clarified the questions he was asked by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as he was vetted to be her running mate, in an interview airing this weekend on “CBS Sunday Morning.” “They actually asked if I was an agent [of the Israeli government] and if I had ever spoken to an undercover agent of the Israeli government,” he said, to which he pointed out that he wouldn’t necessarily be aware if he had spoken to someone undercover.

“I think it went beyond just checking a box on a questionnaire,” Shapiro said of his perception of the questioning. “I can tell you that it landed on me in an offensive way. I have dedicated my entire adult life to serving this country. … For someone to question my loyalty, particularly as someone who is as open about his faith as he is, was offensive to me”…

The Department of Homeland Security said Columbia University graduate student and protest leader Mahmoud Khalil could be deported to Algeria, JI’s Haley Cohen reports, shortly after a federal appeals court ruled Khalil could be rearrested.

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said on NewsNation yesterday, “it looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now. It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card. You are a guest in this country — act like it. It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that Khalil “is a New Yorker. He should remain in New York City.” He called the “attack” on Khalil “part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for Palestinian human rights. I will make that clear to everyone. He deserves to be in the city just like any other New Yorker”…

Australia’s main opposition coalition, composed of the Liberal and National parties, split yesterday — during the country’s day of mourning for the Hanukkah Bondi Beach massacre — over a disagreement about the government’s proposed hate speech laws, which were introduced as a response to the attack. The Liberal party voted with the government to adopt the reforms, which increase penalties for hate speech and ban groups who promote it, while the Nationals were opposed, citing concerns around free speech…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a rundown of the state of the race in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, where former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) is fending off far-left Israel detractors.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration’s focus will shift back from Gaza to Russia and Ukraine, as the countries hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, UAE, tomorrow and Saturday. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner headed from the Board of Peace ceremony to Moscow earlier today.

Diplomats and Jewish leaders will head to Jerusalem for the 2nd annual International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, hosted by Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, which kicks off Monday evening. Last year’s inaugural conference was mired in controversy over the inclusion of far-right European politicians, causing several leading Jewish figures to cancel their appearances (many of whom similarly do not appear on this year’s agenda).

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat Shalom!

Stories You May Have Missed

COGNETTI’S CAMPAIGN

Paige Cognetti running in Josh Shapiro’s footsteps in key Pa. swing district

From left: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, Scranton Tomorrow CEO Leslie Collins, and Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro chat while walking through dowtown Scranton on Friday, December 13, 2024.

The Scranton mayor is championing her support for Israel as she challenges GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan

Read more

Cognetti’s campaign

Paige Cognetti running in Josh Shapiro’s footsteps in key Pa. swing district

The Scranton mayor is championing her support for Israel as she challenges GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan

Jason Ardan/The Citizens' Voice via Getty Images

From left: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, Scranton Tomorrow CEO Leslie Collins, and Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro chat while walking through dowtown Scranton on Friday, December 13, 2024.

By

Matthew Kassel

January 22, 2026

Paige Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton, Pa., is staking out a pro-Israel platform as she seeks to unseat freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) in a northeast Pennsylvania swing district, emphasizing her support for continued military aid to the Jewish state in the wake of its war against Hamas in Gaza.

In a recent interview with Jewish Insider, Cognetti, who is favored to win the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, said “the Israel question,” as she called it, is “very simple” for her.

“I vehemently support Israel’s right to defend itself,” she explained, “and would take extremely seriously Congress’ role in ensuring they have the military aid that they need to defend themselves in a really dangerous neighborhood.”

To underscore her point, Cognetti, who was sworn into her third term as Scranton’s mayor earlier this month, touted a local munitions plant that she said continues to produce “the shells that we use for our own defense, but also that we ship to our allies, like Ukraine and Israel.”

“We’re very proud of that,” she said. “It’s really important to us in northeastern Pennsylvania that we defend ourselves, defend our military personnel at home and abroad. We’re very, very specific and deliberate about how we celebrate our veterans, and we feel the same way about supporting our allies.”

Even as some Democratic candidates have turned away from embracing such positions amid growing chilliness toward Israel within the party, Cognetti, for her part, said she did not feel compelled to join their ranks. “I understand that there has been a lot of rhetoric in the last couple of years — and a lot of folks that feel one way or the other,” she observed.

“But there has never been a question, to me, about what the U.S.’ role in supporting Israel should be,” she said, adding that she “will continue to support Israel as a member of Congress.”

In addition to calling for reauthorization of the current 10-year memorandum of understanding between Israel and the United States that is set to expire in 2028, Cognetti also stressed her support for ensuring humanitarian aid “gets to the people who need it” and backed a “diplomatic, two-state solution” to the conflict, which she acknowledged would be a “complicated and hard-fought” effort.

In her primary campaign to challenge Bresnahan, a first-term incumbent endorsed by AIPAC, Cognetti, 45, is seen by Democratic Party officials as well-positioned to win back the seat held by former Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), who fell last cycle after six consecutive terms in one of two upsets in the state that helped Republicans maintain their increasingly narrow House majority.

Now, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is eyeing the district as one of four possible pickup opportunities in the state, while targeting Bresnahan, 35, as “the poster-child of Washington corruption” due to scrutiny over his multiple stock trades as a congressman, despite a campaign vow to ban the practice among elected officials.

Speaking with JI last week, Cognetti reiterated those accusations, saying Bresnahan was “clearly profiting off of his votes,” and boasting of her own record “delivering results and putting an end to the corrupt machine politics that we’re far too familiar with here in northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Bresnahan’s campaign, for its part, has dismissed Cognetti as a “far-left extremist” who is in favor of open borders and defunding the police. But he may struggle to land those hits as Cognetti casts herself in a moderate light, particularly on sensitive issues relating to Israel and rising antisemitism on the left and right.

Cognetti, who launched her bid last September, has since raised more than $1.1 million, garnering over $640,000 in donations last quarter, her campaign recently announced. Cognetti is widely expected to prevail in the May primary, where she is facing Francis McHale, a retired state official. She has also reportedly claimed support from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a moderate pro-Israel Democrat.

Larry Ceisler, a public affairs executive based in Pennsylvania who is supporting Cognetti’s House bid, called the mayor a “top-tier candidate” with a “great profile” for the swing district. “At one time, I thought Matt Cartwright was a unique candidate to hold that seat, but Paige has really come on over the last several months,” he told JI, noting that she “will have the resources she needs to win.”

“The fact is Matt Cartwright lost because he was hampered at the top of the ticket,” Ceisler added. “Paige will have the opposite as Josh Shapiro has proven to have coattails and Paige is positioned to take advantage of them.”

Cognetti, the first woman mayor of Scranton, was elected in 2019 when she ran as an independent and defeated a crowded field in what was then viewed as a rebuke of the local Democratic machine.

During her tenure, Cognetti has spoken up in support of Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and sought to raise awareness about the rise of antisemitism on both sides of the aisle. “There is some really, really dangerous rhetoric, and we need to call that out,” she said, characterizing anti-Jewish prejudice as antithetical to “core American values.”

“Of course, here in Pennsylvania, we have a fresh and really horrific example of antisemitism with the arson attack on Gov. Shapiro’s home and his family just last year,” she told JI. If elected, she added, she hopes to be “part of a coalition that raises the issue of antisemitism and passes any legislation necessary to make sure” the subject “remains in the forefront of people’s minds.”

Cognetti, who has never visited Israel, said she had signed up for a trip that was canceled in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks but is “looking forward to getting there at some point.”

As she mounts her campaign, Cognetti said she is building “a broad coalition across the district” and describes forming “solid relationships” with Jewish community leaders as well as productive talks with “different groups that are focused on Israel.”

Democratic Majority for Israel’s political arm, which has not announced an endorsement in the race, “has had positive conversations with” Cognetti and is “keeping a close eye” on the primary, a source familiar with the matter told JI.

Despite internal divisions over Israel now roiling the Democratic Party, Cognetti argued that “some people have let themselves kind of get away from that simple answer, which is, Israel is surrounded by people who do not believe they should exist.”

“The United States,” she vowed, “has been and will continue to be its most staunch ally.”

campus beat

University of Washington to host radical anti-Israel activists at Palestinian advocacy conference

The event comes days after students who caused $1 million in damages during a protest against Israel’s war in Gaza were allowed to return to campus

GENNA MARTIN/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington.

By

Haley Cohen

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 22, 2026

A university professor who resigned from her position following a Title VI antisemitism investigation, and another who organized large-scale anti-Israel demonstrations, are among several controversial speakers scheduled to speak at an event on Friday hosted by the University of Washington.

The day-long conference, called “The World as Palestine: On Advocacy, Activism, and Justice,” is organized by the Middle Eastern Studies department and is scheduled to be held in the university’s student union building.

Andrea Brower, a former instructor in a “Solidarity and Social Justice” program at Gonzaga University in eastern Washington, is scheduled to speak during the program’s opening panel, “Reflections from Eastern Washington’s Palestinian Liberation Movement.” She resigned in 2024 after the school opened an antisemitism investigation into the protests she led on campus against Israel’s war in Gaza and her criticism of the university’s investment in companies with ties to Israel.

The panel will examine “academic dissent, critical thought, and resistance with reflections from Eastern Washington’s Palestinian liberation movement,” according to its registration page.

Another speaker on the panel will be Majid Sharifi, the director and professor of international affairs at Eastern Washington University. When Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in October 2024, Sharifi told CBS News Miami that Iran was “defending itself” after its “sovereignty was violated” by Israel’s assasination months prior of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The third speaker alongside Brower and Sharifi is Kathryn DePaolis, an associate professor and interim chair and director of the School of Social Work at Eastern Washington University. DePaolis helped create a new group called the Inland Northwest Coalition for the Liberation of Palestine two months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks. During Israel’s war in Gaza, the organization staged Palestinian “die-ins” in front of the Spokane courthouse.

“The event isn’t about the scholarship of activism, which would be different — it’s activism itself,” a Jewish faculty member at UW told Jewish Insider. “It’s using state resources to promote an ideology and worldview that contributes to antisemitism and anti-Zionism on campus.”

Other panel topics are “Lessons from the Palestinian and Filipino Struggles for Liberation” and “Activism and Civic Engagement in Washington State.” Laila Taji, an author speaking on the latter panel, has ties to the radical student group Students United for Palestinian Equality & Return (SUPER UW), which led a destructive protest on campus last year over the school’s ties to Boeing — and Boeing’s ties to the IDF — that caused more than $1 million in damages to the university’s engineering building.

The event will also screen “The Palestine Exception,” a documentary about “professors and students as they join calls for a ceasefire and divestment from companies that do business with Israel and face waves of crackdown from administrators, the media, the police and politicians,” according to the film’s synopsis.

Neither the UW administration nor Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson responded to requests for comment from JI about the selection of speakers for the event at the university, which is a public college.

The event comes days after students from SUPER UW who were suspended and arrested last spring for their participation in the engineering building vandalism were allowed to return to campus, Victor Balta, a spokesperson for the university, confirmed to JI. “The student conduct hearing process has been completed and the students have been found responsible for violations of the student conduct code and held accountable. The students were out of class and banned from campus for three quarters,” said Balta. Twenty-one students were suspended at the time.

“Suspensions also resulted in forfeiture of tuition paid or the repayment of tuition by any student who must remain in good standing in order to receive financial aid, such as tuition exemption grants for graduate students or work study. Once a suspension is concluded, any outstanding balances due must be paid in order to be eligible for re-enrollment,” Balta continued.

The students could still face criminal charges, though none have been brought in the nine months since the protest. The incident also led the Trump administration’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism to open a review into the university.

SUPER UW was suspended as an official student organization in December 2024 after its members were charged with “vandalism,” “unauthorized keys, entry, or use,” “failure to comply” and “disruption and obstruction” by the school’s administration, according to the group. As a result, SUPER UW does not have access to school resources but can still gather on campus.

In August, Secure Community Network, found that a manifesto released by SUPER UW — which the student group published on Medium shortly before its building takeover began — was inspired by a foreign terrorist entity.

The document praised Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel as a “heroic victory” and said the group looks to “the rich history of struggle in our university for strength and inspiration as we take action.” SUPER UW also released a statement of solidarity with the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, a fundraising arm of the terror group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine that was designated as a terror group by the U.S. Treasury Department in October 2024.

FACING SCRUTINY

Gov. Spanberger disappoints Va. Jewish leaders with appointment of Jim Moran to GMU board

Moran, a former longtime congressman now lobbying for Qatar, has an extensive record of using antisemitic tropes and hostility to Israel

ASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images

Former Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) speaks at a rally attended by supporters of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) in the village of Abraq, about 60 kilometers northwest of Khartoum, on June 23, 2019.

By

Matthew Kassel

January 22, 2026

Days after assuming office, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is facing scrutiny from Jewish leaders over her decision to appoint Jim Moran, a former congressman representing northern Virginia now working as a lobbyist for clients including Qatar, to the George Mason University board of visitors, despite his extensive record of using antisemitic tropes and hostility to Israel.

The appointment, which Spanberger announced on Saturday hours after she had been sworn into office, came as part of a broader leadership shake-up of the state’s three public universities — as the Democratic governor seeks to assert her influence in the wake of a Republican administration whose university board oversight she had criticized during the campaign as politically meddlesome.

But her nomination of Moran, whose incendiary rhetoric has long been a subject of controversy, is raising questions about her approach to countering anti-Jewish harassment at public universities such as George Mason, which last July was the subject of a federal Title VI investigation related to its handling of several high-profile incidents of antisemitism and anti-Israel extremism.

Moran, a Democrat who retired from Congress in 2015, faced widespread criticism as well as calls for his resignation over comments in 2003 in which he blamed the Jewish community for pushing the U.S. into war with Iraq, a remark he reiterated four years later while singling out the pro-Israel group AIPAC.

Even as he has voiced regret for some of his past remarks, Moran, who is now 80, has downplayed accusations of antisemitism and has continued to echo such rhetoric in recent years while appearing on panel discussions with a London-based NGO led by a former Hamas activist. In one virtual event in 2023, for example, Moran attributed Washington’s support for “apartheid” in Gaza to Jewish control of American politics.

“It’s about domestic politics and it always has been,” Moran insisted. “The majority of people who contribute to the Democratic Party in America have Jewish surnames. Now think about that,” he added, arguing that their “principal reason for contributing has been the sine qua non of support for Israel, and unqualified support for Israel.”

Moran’s recent lobbying for the Qatari government, meanwhile, has likewise drawn attention as the Gulf state has increasingly sought to burnish its image in the United States through funding higher education and ongoing outreach to federal lawmakers, among other efforts.

His work has included “outreach on Qatar’s higher education funding,” according to recent disclosures, pointing to possible conflicts of interest in his board appointment. Qatar, a major non-NATO U.S. ally that has frequently drawn criticism for hosting Hamas, has donated $5.9 million to George Mason.

Jewish leaders voiced befuddlement over the controversial appointment.

Cookie Hymer Blitz, a Jewish and Democratic activist in Northern Virginia, called Moran’s nomination “very concerning, disappointing and surprising.”

“His long history of anti-Israel bias and antisemitic comments seem to make his appointment to this board ill-advised at best,” she told Jewish Insider.

Another prominent Jewish leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing Spanberger, told JI: “It is concerning to hear of anyone who has shared, or continues to share, antisemitic tropes or messages being appointed to leadership roles. I imagine the vast majority of Virginians would take pause.”

The local organized Jewish community is currently weighing a response to Spanberger’s decision in order to help raise awareness about Moran’s views as he prepares to seek confirmation from the state legislature, where he could face questions about his rhetoric and lobbying, according to a Jewish leader involved in government outreach.

Spanberger’s office did not respond to a request for comment from JI on Wednesday regarding the new appointment.

In an email to JI on Wednesday, Moran said that “Qatar has asked only three things of me but they’re a prerequisite for representing them: 1) always tell the truth, 2) always obey U.S. law and 3) always do what you feel is right.”

George Mason University, he added, “is committed to maintaining a diverse student body where every student feels secure and valued, and it aspires to provide the highest possible quality of educational experience.”

As for his opposition to Israel, he called himself “a longtime supporter of Israel’s Labor Party, although it’s a mere shadow of its former self.” He said he had “shared many meals with” former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and was “confident” that his “views on Israel today specifically and the Middle East in general are wholly consistent with Shimon’s worldview.”

He did not address his past antisemitic rhetoric, only saying that, “for what it’s worth, I’m a subscriber to the Jewish Insider.”

During the gubernatorial election, Spanberger touted her efforts to combat anti-Jewish prejudice as a former congresswoman and said that working to confront antisemitism in higher education would be “a top priority” for her. “My administration will not tolerate antisemitism in any form,” she vowed.

But Kenneth Marcus, a leading expert on antisemitism and the founder and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, questioned Spanberger’s commitment to such pledges as she now moves to elevate Moran to a key role in Virginia’s public university system.

Marcus, whose appointment by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin to George Mason’s board of advisors was rejected by Democratic lawmakers last year, called the nomination “hardly an auspicious start for Gov. Spanberger.”

“Given the lengthy trail of antisemitism accusations that Mr. Moran has faced for a long period of years,” Marcus told JI, “it is surprising that Gov. Spanberger has tapped him for leadership at an institution where so many questions have arisen about antisemitism.”

SPOTTED IN SWITZERLAND

Davos fashion statement: Robert Kraft’s blue square pins on attendees’ lapels

The anti-hate symbol was worn by World Economic Forum Co-Chairman Larry Fink and Bank of America President Brian Moynihan

Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

BlackRock chairman and WEF co-chairman Larry Fink speaks before President Donald Trump's address during the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026.

By

Haley Cohen

January 21, 2026

Two prominent business leaders were spotted this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, wearing the blue square pins popularized by Robert Kraft’s foundation that have become a symbol in the fight against antisemitism.

“We are deeply grateful to World Economic Forum Co-Chairman Larry Fink and Bank of America President and CEO Brian Moynihan for wearing the blue square during events in Davos. Their visibility, and their decision to champion this cause on a global stage, sends a powerful message that standing up to antisemitism and hate of all kinds matters in every corner of the world and with every audience,” Adam Katz, president of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, told Jewish Insider. The anti-hate group rebranded in October from its previous name, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.

Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, wore the pin as he gave opening remarks before President Donald Trump took the Davos stage on Wednesday. Moynihan sported his pin during an appearance from Davos on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. Bank of America is a corporate partner of the Blue Square Alliance.

“Robert [Kraft] and the team have done a good job [combatting] that anti-hate which was around antisemitism, but it’s the social media piece that people don’t understand. They’re working to identify this very tough stuff,” Moynihan said during the CNBC interview.

Katz told JI that there are more than 5 million blue square pins in circulation worldwide, more than two years after the symbol’s launch in March 2023.

“When anyone wears their blue square, they are joining the fight against hate and becoming part of an alliance committed to building a stronger, more united country and world,” he said.

Daily Overtime

Trump to Hamas, at Davos: Disarm or ‘be blown away’

Plus, Pritzker defends Harris amid Shapiro antisemitism allegations

Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images

President Donald Trump delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 21, 2026

Good Wednesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump took center stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this morning, and while headlines were dominated by his proclamations of the U.S.’ intent to acquire Greenland (and subsequent announcement that he and the NATO secretary general are coming to an agreement on the issue), Trump also issued a stark warning to Hamas in his remarks, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

“Hamas has agreed to give up their weapons,” Trump told a packed room of attendees. “If they don’t do it, they’ll be blown away very quickly.”

The president has made similar statements since the adoption of the ceasefire in October, though he laid out a more concrete timeline for his expectation of disarmament: “They’ve got to do it, and we’re going to know over the next two or three days, certainly over the next two or three weeks, whether or not they’re going to do it,” said Trump…

Ahead of the signing ceremony for the Board of Peace that Trump is hosting in Davos tomorrow, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the UAE issued a joint statement accepting his invitation to join.

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Bloomberg News “20 or 25 leaders have already said yes” to attend the signing ceremony, despite other world leaders already having departed from Switzerland. “Everyone wants to be a part of this,” he said…

On the sidelines of the confab, Trump spoke with CNBC about U.S. relations with Iran amid heightened tensions and American military assets moving into the Gulf. “We hope there’s not going to be further [military] action, but they’re shooting people indiscriminately in the streets,” Trump said of the Iranian regime.

Asked by host Joe Kernen, “Should we stay tuned in Iran?” Trump was noncommittal: “I guess — I mean, look, it’s a rough place,” he said. But he added that if Iran continues to try to acquire nuclear capabilities, strikes like those the U.S. and Israel carried out in June are “going to happen again.”

Witkoff similarly told Bloomberg, “Iran needs to change its ways, they need to do that. And if they do, if they indicate they’re willing to do that, I think we can diplomatically settle this.” Asked if he has the sense that Iran wants to take the diplomatic path, Witkoff said, “We don’t have that sense yet”…

The Treasury Department issued sanctions today against six “Gaza-based organizations that claim to provide medical care to Palestinian civilians but in fact support the military wing of Hamas, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades,” the department said. “The fraudulent nature of these organizations, which use deception to raise funds from international donors, demonstrates Hamas’s perfidy and deprives innocent civilians of the medical care they need.”

The department also designated the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad as a terror group, a move that lawmakers have pushed, for “not only work[ing] with, and in support of, Hamas — it operates at Hamas’s behest.” The group, which claims to be a Palestinian advocacy organization, was designated as such by Israel in 2021 and was alleged to have organized recent anti-Israel flotillas…

Meanwhile in the Big Apple, divisions between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Mark Levine over their positions on Israel surfaced, as Mamdani pushed back on Levine’s recent statements that he remains committed to resuming the city’s investment in Israel Bonds.

“I’ve made clear my position, which is that I don’t think that we should purchase Israel Bonds. We don’t purchase bonds for any other sovereign nation’s debt. The comptroller has also made his position clear, and I continue to stand by mine,” Mamdani said at a press conference today…

While he is distancing himself from Levine, Mamdani is presenting a united front with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, The New York Times writes, as the two navigate their differences on policing, Israel and other issues…

Mamdani also said today that he was “sickened” by antisemitic vandalism found in Borough Park, which saw many swastikas painted around the predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. “I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable,” he said in a statement…

Not 24 hours earlier, a Manhattan comedy club canceled Israeli comedian Guy Hochman’s show last night after pro-Hamas groups protested outside of the venue, JI’s Haley Cohen reports. “The owner of the place was afraid and canceled the show,” Hochman told JI, referring to Broadway Comedy Club, located near Times Square. “So, I did an alternative show for my audience outside freezing to death”…

Some of the candidates competing for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District provided insight into their positions on Israel in a candidate questionnaire to receive the endorsement of the Working Families Party, Politico reports.

Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg and state Assemblymembers Alex Bores and Micah Lasher all said they would not support a resolution sponsored by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide; Bores and Lasher said they would not support the “Block the Bombs Act” placing sweeping restrictions on U.S. aid to Israel, while Schlossberg said he’s unsure; and Schlossberg said he would support a bill brought several years ago that sought to prohibit U.S. aid to Israel from being used for a variety of military operations, while Bores said he would not and Lasher was unsure…

After Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro alleged that Vice President Kamala Harris’ team asked if he had ever been an Israeli agent as he was being considered to be her running mate, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, told reporters yesterday that he didn’t think the questions during the vetting process were inappropriate. “The questions are tough. I think you’ve got to be tough during the process,” he said.

“I mean, what’s appropriate and inappropriate in the context of getting, as one pundit calls it, ‘an MRI for your soul,’ when you’re out there in the national political arena?” Pritzker, who was also vetted by the Harris team, asked. His comments are at odds with moderate Democrats on Capitol Hill, who told JI that Shapiro’s account was “totally insane,” “problematic” and “incredibly disturbing”…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with Paige Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton, Pa., seeking to flip a northeast Pennsylvania swing seat by emphasizing her pro-Israel bona fides.

President Donald Trump will hold the signing ceremony for his Board of Peace with several world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, tomorrow morning local time (around 4:30 a.m. ET).

Australia will hold a national day of mourning to honor the victims of the terror attack that took place at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced.

The Sundance Film Festival kicks off in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah: For the cinephiles keeping track, on the docket this year is a Hebrew coming-of-age film set in the ‘80s titled “Tell Me Everything,” a documentary about three doctors providing humanitarian care in Gaza, a panel by the Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema on combating antisemitism through film and more.

Stories You May Have Missed

‘A NEW NORMAL’

J Street hopes to capitalize on growing Democratic frustration with Israel

Ilan Goldenberg speaks onstage during the Zioness Action Fund DNC Kickoff Party on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

‘There’s going to be a new normal,’ the progressive Israel advocacy group told JI, as it endorses candidates who call Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide

Read more

Daily Overtime

Trump: Board of Peace might replace U.N.

Plus, Lawler calls on NY-17 opponents to denounce antisemitic ad

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

President Donald Trump gives a press briefing at the White House on January 20, 2026 in Washington, DC.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 20, 2026

Good Tuesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump continues to promote his Board of Peace ahead of its launch at the World Economic Forum later this week: In its charter sent to leaders around the world, the president laid out a vision for the body, which has grown into a U.N.-like institution that would mediate global conflicts and would require countries to pay $1 billion to secure a permanent seat, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Asked at a press conference this afternoon if he intends for the body to replace the U.N., Trump said it “might.” “Wish the United Nations could do more, wish we didn’t need a Board of Peace,” he said.

More than 10 countries have reportedly signed on to join the board, whose charter does not mention Gaza, including the UAE and Hungary. But its expanded mandate has made other countries wary: When told France does not intend to accept the invitation to join, Trump threatened to put a 200% tariff on French wines and Champagnes…

At the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent credited the U.S.’ “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran for the protest movement that wracked the country in recent weeks. “It’s worked because in December, their economy collapsed. … They are not able to get imports, and this is why the people took to the streets. … This is economic statecraft, no shots fired, and things are moving in a very positive way here,” Bessent said…

Asked about the remaining potential for U.S. military action in Iran over its violent crackdown on the protests, Trump said at this afternoon’s press conference, “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the future” and once again praised the regime for not proceeding with its plans to hang 837 protesters. “We’re just going to have to see what happens,” Trump said…

Israeli authorities began demolishing the compound that previously housed the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Jerusalem, a year after Israel passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in the country over the involvement of its employees in terror activities, including the Oct. 7 attacks.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry denied U.N. claims that the compound has diplomatic immunity, saying in a statement, “Even prior to the passage of legislation in January 2025, UNRWA had already ceased its operations at this site and no longer had any UN personnel or UN activity there. The compound does not enjoy any immunity and the seizure of this compound by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law”…

Several European countries have not sent their representatives back to the U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel after the holidays, Reuters reports, as the countries, including Germany, France and Britain, consider the value of engaging with the body that diplomats called “directionless” and a “disaster”…

In campaign news, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) condemned as antisemitic an ad running in New York’s suburban 17th Congressional District that targets him for his support for Israel and for receiving backing from pro-Israel donors, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

“This ad is a disgrace,” Lawler said in a statement. “This kind of politics has no place in the Hudson Valley. I am calling on every candidate running in NY-17 to publicly and unequivocally denounce this ad immediately. Silence is an endorsement.”

The ad, paid for by the anti-Israel Institute for Middle East Understanding, states in part, “Israelis enjoy universal healthcare, while Americans go bankrupt from medical bills. Lawler’s reward? Giant campaign donations from AIPAC and the pro-Netanyahu lobby.” The 17th District, one of Democrats’ top targets in November, has a sizable Jewish population and many pro-Israel swing voters, which have been key to Lawler’s past victories…

The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC with ties to Senate GOP leadership and one of the largest independent spenders in Senate races, announced an initial investment of $42 million to back Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in Maine. It’s the super PAC’s largest spend ever in the state, which will be rolled out in August, as Collins enters a general election likely facing either Gov. Janet Mills or oyster farmer Graham Platner…

Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) launched her bid to challenge Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) this morning, days after Trump endorsed her on social media. Cassidy, who already has several primary challengers, drew the ire of the president when he voted to convict during his 2021 impeachment proceedings, though Cassidy had told other senators privately that he believed Trump would stay out of the race…

The University of Pennsylvania, which is being sued by the Trump administration over its alleged failure to comply with subpoenas related to an investigation into antisemitism at the Ivy League school, is fighting back against the administration’s request for records about Jewish employees, calling it “disconcerting” and an “extraordinary and unconstitutional demand.”

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had reportedly sought information about university employees who submitted complaints about antisemitic discrimination and those who were members of Jewish campus groups; Penn said in its filing that the EEOC is “entirely disregarding the frightening and well-documented history of governmental entities that undertook efforts to identify and assemble information regarding persons of Jewish ancestry”…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a deep dive into J Street’s embrace of Democrats seeking to create distance between the U.S. and Israel.

The World Economic Forum continues in Davos, where President Donald Trump will give an address at 8:30 a.m. ET. Also appearing onstage tomorrow are Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi; governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Kevin Sitt of Oklahoma; Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud; Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang; JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon; and David Sacks, the White House AI and crypto czar.

Mark your calendars: AIPAC will host its Congressional Summit from Feb. 22-24, with a potential appearance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Jewish communal source confirmed to JI.

Stories You May Have Missed

RESILIENCE OVER RUINS

Mississippi’s Jewish community rallies after antisemitic arson

Beth Israel Congregation President Zach Shemper stands for a portrait in front of the synagogue’s closed entrance on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Jackson, Miss.

Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson has received support from churches and Jews all over the country, and has seen a revival of interest in membership

Read more

ANALYSIS

Shapiro’s memoir exposes tougher terrain for pro-Israel Dems amid rising party divisions

Shapiro’s decision to go public with allegations that the last presidential nominee’s team exhibited bigotry underscores just how deep the divisions are within the party

RYAN COLLERD/AFP via Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (L) speak to the press while making a stop at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024.

By

Josh Kraushaar

January 20, 2026

Concerns over rising antisemitism and growing hostility toward Israel within the Democratic Party have long been on a slow boil.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s blockbuster revelation in his upcoming memoir that he was asked by Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign during the VP vetting process if he was ever an agent of the Israeli government underscores just how fraught the political environment has gotten for Jewish Democrats who support Israel.

Shapiro’s decision to go public with allegations that the last presidential nominee’s team exhibited bigotry underscores just how deep the divisions are within the party, especially as he considers a 2028 presidential run. These rifts pit the party’s moderate wing — which is generally supportive of Israel and harbors zero tolerance for antisemitism — against an ascendant left wing, exemplified by the disruptive anti-Israel protesters that Harris was pandering to at the time of her veepstakes deliberations.

Shapiro, if he runs for national office, is planting his flag in the mainstream wing of the Democratic Party, willing to call out antisemitism when he sees it, including on college campuses in his state, and supporting Israel — even while strongly criticizing some policies of the Netanyahu government. In his book, he proudly discusses his personal connections to Israel and the role Judaism plays in his life.

These were uncontroversial views within the Democratic Party, until the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks against the Jewish state emboldened an ugly strain of extremism that has, all too often, been accommodated by party leaders. (Shapiro also revealed that Harris insisted he apologize for his condemnation of intimidation targeting Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania by anti-Israel protesters, which he refused to do.)

Anyone documenting the evolution of Democratic Party politics over the last few years can see the red flags. New York City, the epicenter of Jewish life in the United States, elected a mayor who refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Jewish Democrats running for office in progressive constituencies buckle under pressure to call Israel’s war against Hamas a “genocide” or decide to suddenly condemn AIPAC to showcase their progressive bona fides. A majority of Democratic voters, according to recent polls, now have an unfavorable view of Israel.

Indeed, Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Shapiro as her running mate — amid concern about backlash from anti-Israel forces within the party — is an example of how politically damaging it can be for Democrats to indulge such far-left activism. Outside of his folksy demeanor, Walz offered little for the national ticket and now is enmeshed in scandal in his home state. If he was tapped, Shapiro boasted the moderate record and swing-state success that at least could have moved the needle a bit more.

A Shapiro presidential candidacy would be a bet on a return to normalcy within the Democratic Party electorate. By calling out the Harris campaign’s behavior during the veepstakes vetting, Shapiro is drawing a red line between those who would tolerate bigotry in favor of those prioritizing electability by appealing to a middle-of-the-road normie voters. (He’s also reminding Democratic voters about the vulnerabilities Harris would bring to the table as a repeat presidential candidate as she mulls over another national campaign.)

For a short time after President Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Harris last November, it seemed like the moderates held the momentum within the party — and that a candidate with a proven record of winning over independents, like Shapiro, would be most appealing for a party desperate to win.

But as the resistance reasserted itself amid Trump’s governing excesses, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s brand of far-left, anti-Israel populism proved successful in New York City, the energy has shifted squarely to the left, to the point where it’s difficult for the silent majority to fight back.

It feels like ages ago that former Sen. Joe Lieberman, a proudly observant Jew and pro-Israel stalwart, was embraced by the Democratic Party at all levels and proved an asset to the party’s presidential ticket. Just two decades later, it’s an open question whether another pro-Israel moderate Jewish Democrat will receive the same warm reception.

SCOOP

Daniel Biss sought AIPAC’s support before turning against Israel in congressional bid, sources say

Biss now takes positions at odds with those advocated by AIPAC and decried its alleged involvement in the Illinois 9th District Democratic primary

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Evanston, Ill. Mayor Daniel Biss on March 6, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

By

Marc Rod

January 20, 2026

Evanston, Ill., Mayor Daniel Biss, running in the state’s 9th Congressional District on a platform deeply critical of Israel, sought support from AIPAC before he announced his run for Congress last year, Jewish Insider has learned.

One source familiar with multiple candidates’ outreach to pro-Israel political organizations intending to mobilize in the state’s 2026 Democratic primaries told JI that Biss had reached out to AIPAC in the spring of last year, before Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) had announced her retirement, to solicit AIPAC’s support for a prospective congressional bid should Schakowsky retire.

Niles, Ill., Mayor George Alpogianis, who owns a popular neighborhood diner, told JI he began hearing from multiple visitors to the restaurant that Biss had begun putting feelers out to AIPAC about a run around April of last year, weeks before Schakowsky announced her retirement.

Biss’ campaign denied having sought AIPAC’s support, alleging instead that the group had attempted to recruit him.

“Daniel has been clear that he has neither sought nor would accept AIPAC’s support in this race, and any suggestion that he ever solicited AIPAC’s backing is categorically false,” a Biss campaign spokesperson said.

“In the interest of open communication, Daniel met with AIPAC representatives to clearly lay out his positions on Israel, the need for a two-state solution, the humanitarian disaster the Netanyahu government has inflicted on Gaza, combating antisemitism, and related issues. After those conversations, AIPAC moved from attempting to recruit Daniel as their preferred candidate to labeling him a ‘dangerous detractor’ and backing state Sen. Laura Fine.”

AIPAC has not announced any formal endorsement in the race.

“While Daniel will always remain open to dialogue with those who disagree with him, his positions are guided by principle and not political pressure. And unlike other candidates, Daniel does not need the support of AIPAC or other outside special interests to win this race,” the spokesperson continued.

AIPAC declined to comment.

Biss, who is Jewish, has taken positions starkly at odds with those advocated by AIPAC since entering the race, including calling to block all offensive weapons shipments to Israel, supporting the “Block the Bombs Act” and calling for the U.S. to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.

He also wrote that, while he has deep familial connections to the state of Israel — his mother grew up in Israel, he spent significant time there and he had a cousin who served in the IDF after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks — “other families have stories that paint a dramatically different picture. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was itself a violent trauma for Palestinians. And I have also spent time in the West Bank, decades ago, witnessing first-hand the cruelty of the occupation — and the way, already then, that it warped Israeli attitudes.”

Biss additionally opposed Israeli and American strikes on Iran’s nuclear program during the 12-day war last June.

More recently, Biss signed a joint letter with several of the other candidates in the race alluding to and denouncing reported efforts by AIPAC to convince another candidate to drop out of the race. Opponents allege that AIPAC is quietly backing state Sen. Laura Fine in the race.

“Recent reports and conversations within our communities suggest that organized efforts are underway to pressure a fellow Democratic candidate to withdraw from the race,” the candidates wrote. “While vigorous persuasion and debate are part of politics, coordinated pressure campaigns aimed at forcing candidates out undermine the democratic process and erode trust among voters.”

Other candidates in the race, including influencer Kat Abugazaleh and Bushra Amiwala, an activist and a member of the Skokie Board of Education, have histories of anti-Israel activism and have staked out stances strongly hostile to Israel in the primary.

Biss is not the first Democratic candidate to shift his stance on Israel and AIPAC after failing to receive support from the group. JI reported in November that Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), running for Senate in Massachusetts, also sought AIPAC’s endorsement before launching his campaign with a focus on attacking the pro-Israel group.

Biss and other Democratic candidates’ changed views on their support of Israel have come as the party base has grown increasingly hostile to the Jewish state in recent years. Under pressure from party activists, earlier this month, California state Sen. Scott Wiener, running to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), called Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas a “genocide.”

EXCLUSIVE

Jewish groups meet with HHS civil rights office to confront antisemitism in medicine

Brandeis Center founder Kenneth Marcus indicated the administration is receptive to taking action on an ‘extraordinary surge’ in health care-related antisemitism

Getty Images

Nurses station in busy hospital

By

Marc Rod

January 20, 2026

Representatives from several Jewish groups met with Paula Stannard, the director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, last week to discuss potential action to counter antisemitism in health-care and medical education.

The meeting, organized by the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, also included representatives from the American Jewish Medical Association, Hadassah (The Women’s Zionist Organization of America), the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federations of North America and StandWithUs.

Kenneth Marcus, the founder of the Brandeis Center, told JI that the meeting was the second sit-down between the Brandeis Center and HHS leadership, given an “an extraordinary surge in health sector related antisemitism reports” to Brandeis and a “greater involvement by HHS in antisemitism and other civil rights issues than we’ve seen before, so meeting with HHS has become much more important.”

He said that, in the first meeting, which was just between Brandeis and HHS, his organization “made clear the nature and scope of the problem of antisemitism in health care,” particularly the “decolonizing therapy” movement in mental health spaces that has characterized Zionism as a mental illness to be treated.

The second meeting, last week, which lasted around an hour, brought in other Jewish communal groups to share additional information.

Eveline Shekhman, the CEO of AJMA, called the meeting “very productive.”

“We went in with the goal of coming collectively, and also to take a look at how we can use the government relations arm to work and partner with the government, so in that way, we could take a look at what’s going on in the workplace environment, as well as medical schools and all the other various stakeholders that would have a part in it, which includes the [medical] associations, the unions,” Shekhman said.

She said that the AJMA representatives sought to communicate the various forms and examples of antisemitism that providers and medical students have faced.

“This has a different level of gravitas because of the life and death nature of it. … When people are distracted in the ER and the OR by politics, and particularly by antisemitism, it really puts vulnerable people, patients at risk,” Andrea Wolf, AJMA’s director of advocacy added. “And then on top of that, if a patient comes in as an identifiable Jew, wearing a magen david or a yarmulke, or something like that, we’re not sure anymore that they can get the same level of care as someone who’s not identifiably Jewish.”

Dan Granot, senior director of government relations for ADL, said in a statement, “ADL’s data shows a troubling rise in antisemitism within health care settings. We must use all levers of government to respond to this crisis. Hospitals must remain places of healing, not hate.”

“As a member of the federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, the Department of Health and Human Services has a key role in confronting this scourge,” Granot continued. “We welcome HHS taking this challenge seriously and appreciate the opportunity to engage in a constructive discussion on what should be done to protect patients, providers, and future providers alike.”

Rachel Dembo, the director of policy and government relations for JFNA, said, “Nobody seeking medical care should be exposed to hate. Unfortunately, we have seen many disturbing instances of antisemitism creeping into medical settings, and too many instances where institutions failed to act or, worse, were permissive of antisemitism. We appreciate HHS OCR for taking this issue seriously and look forward to continuing to work with them and Congress to ensure Jewish Americans have access to hate-free health care.”

HHS is looking both at potential civil rights violations by individual institutions as well as at the possibility of broader policymaking to combat antisemitism in the field generally, Marcus said. He said that the problems in health care are wide-ranging, and come from patients, providers and healthcare students, in educational, hospital and medical association and conference settings.

“HHS has an extraordinarily wide jurisdiction. Since they fund such a high percentage of colleges and universities, they could certainly address many of the same sorts of situations that the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights is handling,” Marcus explained. “But they also fund medical practices, health care of various sorts, and some associations, such as the American Psychological Association, where there have been concerning reports of antisemitic activity.”

He said HHS could issue informal guidance in the form of a dear colleague letter on antisemitism, but added that he’s “concerned at the appearance that HHS continues to fund some decolonizing therapy activity,” which he said he would like to see addressed in guidance and in enforcement activities.

Wolf said that AJMA is also pushing for a “more robust and accurate reporting mechanism” for incidents of antisemitism, noting that “our biggest challenge right now is not having a clear sense of the pervasiveness and the facts on the ground.”

Wolf and Shekhman said AJMA would also support an HHS dear colleague letter — reminding entities of their legal responsibilities and duty to combat antisemitism — and further work across administrative agencies and with Congress to address antisemitism and expand scientific partnerships between the U.S. and Israel.

Wolf said AJMA is also working to track donations to medical schools by bad actors.

HHS was involved in, and announced the revocation of, funds from various university-affiliated medical programs as part of the administration’s crackdown on campus antisemitism in early 2025. But that activity tapered off and faded from the public eye in the latter part of the Trump administration’s first year.

“What we’re looking for is a second wave of Health civil rights enforcement,” Marcus said. He noted that much of that early action was undertaken by personnel in acting capacities who in some cases are no longer at the agencies, and was driven largely by initiative from the White House.

“Now we’re looking for something different,” Marcus continued, calling for “more activity of a more institutionalized sort, such as investigations by HHS career officials throughout their regional apparatus” by the Office for Civil Rights and a “more normalized effort through the HHS bureaucracy taking on the issue of antisemitism.”

He said his conversations with Stannard and HHS have made him “optimistic” that such efforts would be forthcoming from the administration.

Wolf emphasized that AJMA aims to take a more collaborative approach with both the government and with medical schools themselves, and to serve as a resource to both. She said that HHS does not “condone or encourage investigations” of medical schools by HHS, “but once they are open by HHS, there’s really no better source of facts than AJMA membership, and so we will work with the government to help them.”

She said AJMA is happy that the administration is now taking a “more thoughtful and more targeted” approach to addressing antisemitism “without threatening a lot of scientific funding.”

GETTING GRILLED

Jewish leaders condemn ‘classic antisemitism’ in Josh Shapiro’s account of Harris VP vetting

Shapiro writes in his new book that the Harris team asked if he had ever been a ‘double agent for Israel’

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (L) greets former Vice President Kamala Harris as she arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 2, 2024.

By

Gabby Deutch

January 19, 2026

In the summer of 2024, when Vice President Kamala Harris was vetting potential running mates for her expedited campaign for president, a senior member of her team asked Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro whether he had ever been a “double agent for Israel,” Shapiro writes in a new book that will be published later this month. “Was she kidding? I told her how offensive the question was,” Shapiro recounts in the book.

The exchange — which Shapiro describes in an outraged tone — has prompted sharp criticism from Jewish leaders, including some who served in the Biden-Harris administration.

“The more I read about [Shapiro’s] treatment in the vetting process, the more disturbed I become,” Deborah Lipstadt, who served as the State Department’s antisemitism envoy under President Joe Biden, said in a post on X. “These questions were classic antisemitism.”

Shapiro suggests in the book that he was being treated unfairly as a Jewish contender for the role of vice president: “I wondered whether these questions were being posed to just me — the only Jewish guy in the running — or if everyone who had not held a federal office was being grilled about Israel in the same way,” he writes.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called the line of questioning “barely veiled bigotry,” and said it is “a textbook invocation of one of the oldest antisemitic canards in politics: the smear of dual loyalty.”

The comments also earned criticism from Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who said in a statement that “that kind of insinuation and targeting is antisemitism, plain and simple. No one should be judged or discriminated against because of their faith.”

Shapiro’s Jewish faith and his support for Israel became the object of criticism among far-left activists, who agitated against his selection as Harris’ running mate. Harris has maintained that antisemitism played no role in her decision not to pick Shapiro.

Shapiro’s account of his interactions with Harris’ campaign suggests that his views on Israel did present a problem for Harris. According to Shapiro, Harris asked him to apologize for comments he had made denouncing the actions of some anti-Israel protesters at the University of Pennsylvania. He refused, writing in his book that he felt Harris wanted him to align “perfectly” with her on all issues.

“It nagged at me that their questions weren’t really about substance,” Shapiro writes. “Rather, they were questioning my ideology, my approach, my world view.”

Abraham Foxman, the former longtime leader of the Anti-Defamation League, called it “very disturbing” that Shapiro was asked about being an Israeli double agent. “Aides focused on Israel to the extent he found it offensive. Something very troubling about our current political culture,” Foxman wrote in a post on X.

Shapiro was not the first Jewish official to face a “double standard” during the vetting process, Aaron Keyak, the Jewish outreach director on Biden’s 2020 campaign who later served as Lipstadt’s deputy at the State Department, said in a statement.

“During my vetting process I faced questions in a classified setting that my fellow non-Jewish political appointees did not,” Keyak said. “These sort of antisemitic questions are anti-American and do not represent the best that the Democratic Party offers. Now and especially during the next Presidential campaign we must demand better.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was chosen as Harris’ running mate, was also asked a question about his own ties to foreign nations. The Harris campaign asked Walz — who had previously lived and worked in China — if he had ever been an agent of China, CNN reported.

The adversarial nature of Harris and Shapiro’s relationship during the 2024 campaign was the source of a great deal of speculation. Harris took aim at Shapiro, too, in a book she published in 2025, writing that before they even met, he was asking questions about furnishing and decorating the Naval Observatory, where the vice president resides, should he be selected.

A spokesperson for Harris did not respond to a request for comment.

This story was updated on Jan. 20 with additional comments.

CHECKS AND BALANCES

New York City Council Speaker Menin unveils playbook to fight antisemitism

Her legislative proposals could be opposed by New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani

Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council and Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, arrive for an announcement in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 (Photographer: John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

By

Matthew Kassel

January 16, 2026

Julie Menin, the recently elected speaker of the New York City Council, announced a comprehensive plan to confront rising antisemitism on Friday, unveiling several initiatives that notably include an emerging legislative proposal to establish buffer zones around houses of worship to keep protesters from harassing congregants.

The measure, which echoes legislation introduced last month by state legislators, comes in response to a recent series of anti-Israel demonstrations outside synagogues in New York City, including a protest in Queens last week where participants voiced support for Hamas — raising fears in the Jewish community amid a broader rise in antisemitic activity across the five boroughs.

But it could place Menin, the Council’s first Jewish speaker and a vocal defender of Israel, at odds with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, underscoring a tension in their new relationship on areas in which anti-Israel activism crosses a line into antisemitic behavior. In his statement addressing the Queens protesters, for example, Mamdani, a fierce critic of Israel who has long identified as an outspoken anti-Zionist, chose not to accuse them of antisemitism as several of his top allies on the far left had done, even as he made sure to call Hamas a terrorist group and denounce the slogans chanted by demonstrators as “wrong.”

While Menin has yet to confirm the exact distance of the barrier she hopes to impose around houses of worship, she has floated a possible perimeter of 100 feet, far surpassing a 25-foot zone proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in her State of the State address this week. Mamdani, who was in attendance during the governor’s speech in Albany, did not applaud when she mentioned buffer, stirring speculation over his support for implementing such restrictions.

Some critics have raised concerns that the efforts could run afoul of free speech protections, though one state legislator who introduced a bill to create buffer zones last month told Jewish Insider that the legislation had balanced those considerations with a need to safeguard congregants from intimidation in seeking to freely practice their religion.

“We’re not trying to stifle peaceful protests,” Menin said on Friday during a press conference held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan. “What we are trying to do is protect congregants for any house of worship, of freely being able to enter and exit without fear of intimidation or harassment.”

Jack Lobel, a spokesperson for Menin, told JI that the legislation “establishing a safe perimeter around schools and houses of worship is being drafted, and we will have more to share in the future.”

Mamdani, meanwhile, has voiced interest in exploring the establishment of buffer zones that some Jewish leaders have urged him to consider. The mayor signed an executive order on his first day in office to instruct the police commissioner and the Law Department to assess “proposals for regulation of protest activity” outside houses of worship, citing a possible buffer “of at least 15 feet and up to 60 feet from the entrance.”

In a statement shared with JI, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani, said the mayor “is committed to fighting antisemitism, and ensuring that New Yorkers continue to be able to worship freely as well as exercise their First Amendment rights.”

“On the first day of his administration, the mayor directed the NYPD and Law Department to review the legality of a range of proposals, including those like Speaker Menin’s buffer zones proposal, and he will wait for the outcome of that review,” she added.

Jewish leaders who spoke with JI provided mixed predictions about how Mamdani would respond to the legislation, which came in addition to a range of proposals Menin announced on Friday — including $1.25 million in funding for the Museum of Jewish Heritage and a new hotline to help report incidents of antisemitism that would be overseen by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

With the exception of Menin’s safety zones bill, one Jewish leader argued that there was “not much for” the mayor “to push back on,” calling the other new proposals “mostly monetary.”

The establishment of legally proscribed perimeters around houses of worship is “the only” issue where there is ongoing uncertainty, the Jewish leader told JI on condition of anonymity to address a sensitive topic. “But we don’t have her proposal yet,” he said of Menin’s effort, which marked the first legislative push of her new tenure.

Still, Josh Mehlman, the chairman of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition, an Orthodox group in Brooklyn, said he was optimistic that the legislation would pass, noting his conversations with Menin as well as other supportive Council members indicated Mamdani would ultimately be amenable to the final version of the bill.

“It’s not something they feel that the mayor would not be happy with,” he told JI.

EXCLUSIVE

NYC Jewish groups urge Mamdani to fill key post on combating antisemitism

The signatories said the mayor should choose someone to lead the Office to Combat Antisemitism who is ‘grounded in the day-to-day realities of Jewish communal life’

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

New York City Zohran Mamdani speaks on Sept. 15, 2025 in New York City.

By

Matthew Kassel

January 16, 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing pressure from a coalition of local Jewish groups to fill a major administration post related to countering antisemitism, one of the key pledges of his campaign.

In a letter the coalition sent to Mamdani on Friday that was shared first with Jewish Insider, the signatories conveyed their priorities with regard to the Office to Combat Antisemitism, which the mayor has vowed to retain.

Jewish leaders have been closely monitoring the administration for signs of the direction Mamdani will take in filling the role, which could help to shed some early light on his broader approach to fighting antisemitism, particularly as his strident opposition to Israel has continued to raise concerns within the mainstream Jewish community.

As his team weighs an appointment to lead the relatively new office, created under former Mayor Eric Adams, the signatories tell Mamdani that the unfilled role has assumed increased urgency amid “escalating threats” against the Jewish community, citing a recent anti-Israel demonstration near a synagogue in Queens where protesters chanted in open support of Hamas.

But even as confronting such “deeply unsettling incidents” is “essential,” the letter states, the office is also responsible for navigating a “more enduring challenge” that involves working “effectively” with a range of city agencies such as the police department as well as local educational and cultural institutions to ensure Jewish New Yorkers “can live openly and safely” while otherwise “free from bias and hate.”

“Ultimately,” the signatories say, “this role demands a leader who is grounded in the day-to-day realities of Jewish communal life and capable of engaging meaningfully with communities across all levels of observance, background and political belief. The individual selected must be able to command trust even among those who may not share their personal views.”

The coalition of signatories describes itself as a group of “grassroots, neighborhood-based” Jewish organizations across the city, representing “a broad spectrum of political and religious perspectives.”

It includes the NYC Public School Alliance, Parents Against Antisemitism, Safe Campus, Park Slope Jewish Affinity Group, End Jew Hatred, Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan Parents Alliance, Hannah Senesh Community Day School, NYC Jewish Parent Leadership Council and Progressives for Israel.

The signatories do not offer suggestions for who should fill the role but express their approval of Moshe Davis, the office’s inaugural executive director under Adams who is not expected to remain in the position.

Davis, the signatories write, earned their “trust and confidence” in his tenure, serving as a “capable and effective” executive director. “Appointing someone in the same mold would be welcomed by the Jewish community,” the letter says, “and would strengthen the office’s credibility and effectiveness.”

Mamdani has not yet indicated who he intends to hire to lead the office. A spokesperson for the mayor told JI last week that his team would have more to share on related appointments in the coming weeks and that such decisions “are still being worked out.”

Last month, the office released a comprehensive report including plans that Mamdani would likely oppose, such as training for all city employees on the working definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance — which labels some criticism of Israel as antisemitic. Mamdani has already rescinded an executive order that codified the definition, angering Jewish leaders who favor its application.

The signatories say they would “welcome the opportunity to advise” Mamdani “in the search for a qualified candidate” for the office, suggesting that “meaningful community input will help ensure the selection of a leader who is trusted, effective and prepared to meet this moment.”

Ramon Maislen, a Jewish community activist in Brooklyn and a member of the Park Slope Jewish Affinity Group, said his organization “represents a wide range of political views, including supporters of Mayor Mamdani.”

“Despite our political differences, we are united in the belief that no New Yorker should be targeted for who they are, and that the alarming rise in antisemitic hate crimes must be addressed,” he said in a statement to JI on Friday. “Given Mayor Mamdani’s pledge to protect Jewish New Yorkers, his appointment to lead the mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will be critical.”

Daily Overtime

Protest leader Mahmoud Khalil faces arrest — again

Plus, all the president's advice on Iran

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Demonstrators hold a rally and march to the national ICE headquarters to protest the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, April 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 15, 2026

Good Thursday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

U.S. officials advised President Donald Trump that a large-scale military campaign against Iran is unlikely to topple the regime and could spark a wider regional conflict, The Wall Street Journal reports, a message that coincided with the president dialing back his warnings to Tehran over its violent suppression of protests.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reportedly weighed in yesterday, asking Trump to postpone any strikes, and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have communicated similar messages.

U.S. officials told the Journal these developments have led Trump to hold off on strikes for now, though he directed military assets to be readied in case of action. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier strike group is reportedly being moved from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East.

In a similar vein, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited an Arrow missile defense battery site in Israel today and directed a drill simulating a missile attack, saying in a statement, “It is important that every citizen of Israel knows that the IDF is constantly prepared to defend the country”…

In the absence of military action, the U.S. is punishing Iran economically, issuing sanctions today against what it called “the architects” of the crackdown. The Treasury Department will “use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

Among the sanctioned Iranian officials are Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, who was “one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people,” according to the Treasury Department, and several commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces…

Turning to Gaza, American officials expressed their optimism about Phase 2 of the peace plan shortly after its launch yesterday, telling reporters, “For the first time in Gaza in almost a long time, there’s no Palestinian Authority and there’s no Hamas governing it.”

“We’ve talked to a number of Hamas people, and we’re hearing throughout the Arab world that people don’t want to be at war anymore. They want peace,” one of the officials said, claiming Hamas leaders “are indicating that there’s a real possibility” they will lay down their arms…

A new Emerson College poll released today shows the Republican primary for Texas Senate in a dead heat, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and his opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, polling at 26% and 27%, respectively. With Trump refraining from offering his endorsement to either candidate, it’s likely the race will head to a runoff.

On the Democratic side, state Sen. James Talarico is leading the primary over Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), 47-38%. Talarico has recently caused concern in the Texas Jewish community over his increasingly critical rhetoric on Israel, leading some to tell Jewish Insider that, without concerted outreach from his team, they’re likely to back Crockett…

A competitive Democratic primary is also underway in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, where surgeon Adam Hamawy entered the race today to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) with a profile that may help him break through the field.

Hamawy, of Egyptian descent, served as a trauma combat surgeon during the Iraq War, where he operated on Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who credits him with saving her life. In May 2024, he joined a delegation of American doctors to assist in health-care efforts in Gaza, where he was temporarily stuck during an Israeli border closure (he returned for a second mission in January 2025).

Though Hamawy has not run for office before, he has spoken extensively about his experience treating “mass casualties” in the enclave and condemning Israel and the U.S.’ role in the “indiscriminate killing and destruction there.” Watson Coleman, also an outspoken critic of Israel, brought him as her guest to Trump’s 2025 State of the Union address…

Asked about his views on Israel, Antonio Delgado, New York’s lieutenant governor who is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul from her left, said in an interview released Tuesday that the U.S. should not “fund, provide weapons or diplomatic cover to any military operation that causes catastrophic civilian deaths or mass starvation … Otherwise, we are complicit.”

Delgado pledged not to take money from AIPAC, though the pro-Israel group does not contribute to gubernatorial races, and Delgado took a 2019 trip to Israel as a member of Congress with the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation.

Delgado further described Netanyahu as “deeply problematic” and a “war criminal,” but when asked if Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, he largely demurred. “I can see how people would want to argue it both ways and I’m sensitive to this, candidly, based on my own relationships,” he said. Delgado’s wife is Jewish and they are raising their children Jewish. “It’s hard to argue against scholars. … [But] wherever you fall on that question, we can’t fund it. … We can’t be complicit in it, anymore”…

A federal appeals court ruled today that former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the school’s anti-Israel protest movement, could be rearrested, JI’s Haley Cohen reports. Khalil was released in June from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana, where he had been held for three months.

In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel decided that the federal district court in New Jersey that issued Khalil’s release did not have jurisdiction over the matter and that it should have been handled in immigration court, which is part of the executive branch overseen by the Justice Department, meaning Khalil is now liable to be rearrested.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani denounced the ruling, saying in a statement, “as the crackdown on pro-Palestinian free speech continues, Mahmoud is being threatened with rearrest. Mahmoud is free — and must remain free”…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a profile of Amy Acton, the Jewish public health expert hoping to become the first Democrat to win an Ohio governor’s race in 20 years.

The U.S. and Israel will sign a strategic framework on AI cooperation at the City of David tomorrow, led by Jacob Helberg, the U.S. under secretary of state for economic affairs, and Brig.-Gen. (res.) Erez Eskel, head of Israel’s National AI Directorate. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are also expected to be in attendance.

Also heading to Israel is Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who announced a last-minute trip this afternoon to meet with Netanyahu “at this crucial time in the history of the Middle East.”

Iran International will hold its second briefing of the week in Washington with former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus. Read JI’s coverage of Wednesday’s event here.

Honduran President-elect Nasry Asfura will travel to Israel over the weekend, where he is expected to meet with Netanyahu, Sa’ar and President Isaac Herzog, as well as visit Yad Vashem and the Western Wall. Asfura, who will take office later this month, met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington earlier this week and was hosted by AIPAC leadership.

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Tuesday. Shabbat Shalom!

Stories You May Have Missed

SEEING PURPLE

Marine vet Ryan Crosswell aims to flip GOP-held Pennsylvania congressional seat

Ryan Crosswell, former federal prosecutor who quit the Department of Justice in protest, speaks at a campaign event for his run for Congress, Dec. 4, 2025, in Allentown, Pa.

Crosswell, a former Republican who also served as a federal prosecutor, is touting his pro-Israel bona fides as he fights for the Democratic nomination against Rep. Ryan Mackenzie

Read more

ANALYSIS

Hasan Piker doubles down on Hamas support while maintaining progressive credibility

His remarks unequivocally siding with Hamas provide clarifying insight into Piker’s worldview, raising questions about the permission structure in the broader progressive movement that tolerates such views

Amy Sussman/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images

Hasan Piker speaks during The Hollywood Reporter Creators A-List Dinner presented by Facebook at Matsuhisa on October 15, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.

By

Matthew Kassel

January 15, 2026

Hasan Piker, a popular far-left influencer, has long withstood scrutiny for his antisemitic commentary and justification of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, continuing to boast millions of loyal followers while hosting prominent Democratic elected officials on his Twitch show.

But his recent remarks unequivocally siding with Hamas provide particularly clarifying insight into Piker’s extreme worldview, raising questions about the permission structure in the broader progressive movement that tolerates such views with little to no pushback.

In a social media post last week, Piker came to the defense of anti-Israel protesters who had explicitly expressed support for Hamas while demonstrating outside a synagogue in Queens that was hosting an event promoting Israeli real estate investment.

“Hamas is a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state and the real harm happening here is that another illegal stolen land sale is taking place at another synagogue!” he said on X, describing himself as “a lesser evil voter” who was simply repeating a “harm reductionist credo.”

While the protest drew belated criticism from progressive Israel critics such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), both of whom have appeared on Piker’s show, the streamer made clear he was not backing down.

In contrast with Ocasio-Cortez, who had accused the protesters of using “disgusting and antisemitic” language while targeting a “predominantly Jewish neighborhood,” Piker issued a defiant retort to his 1.6 million X followers. “‘Hamas is resisting against Israel because they’re antisemitic’ is the funniest lie people tell themselves,” he argued. “If Israel was a Christian nation managing the apartheid and ethnic cleansing they’d still fight. You’re just mad people are fighting back at all.”

“‘Can’t believe people are saying they support Hamas!’” Piker wrote in a separate post, feigning shock at the protesters’ chants. “Wait till you hear how you can openly support the IDF and Israel and still rub shoulders in polite society in spite of the livestreamed Holocaust we all witnessed,” he said. “We need to stop playing these games in 2026.”

Piker’s critics, however, often wonder how the controversial commentator has continued to thrive in the modern progressive movement in spite of his long record of antisemitic remarks. In addition to calling Orthodox Jews “inbred” and comparing Zionists to Nazis, Piker has forcefully denied some of Hamas’ atrocities, such as widespread reports of sexual violence, which he has dismissed as “rape fantasies” and “hallucinations.”

His new and unvarnished comments about Hamas helped lay bare his sympathetic views on the terror group — even as he has echoed such sentiments in previous remarks. “There’s no comparison between Israel and Hamas,” he said last May in one notable X post. “One is a militant resistance comprised of orphaned soldiers born into a 77 year occupation, the other is a ethnoreligious supremacist apartheid state w nukes doing a genocide backed by the USA!”

Though his views have stirred some controversy, Piker’s stature in progressive circles and beyond remains solid. He has drawn favorable profiles in mainstream media outlets that make little mention of his offensive statements. And he has received invitations to appear at such high-profile events as The New Yorker Festival and platforms including the “Pod Save America” podcast, hosted by a group of former Obama administration officials who have become influential voices on the left.

Meanwhile, Piker has attracted a range of leading progressive lawmakers to sit for interviews on his show — from Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ed Markey (D-MA).

With the exception of Khanna, none of those lawmakers responded to requests for comment about Piker’s latest posts on Hamas, nor did the “Pod Save America” hosts, including Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor.

“I have called Hamas a terrorist organization and strongly believe they have no place in the future of Gaza or a Palestinian state,” Khanna said in a brief text message to Jewish Insider on Wednesday, but he did not directly address Piker’s comments when pressed.

Jeremiah Johnson, the co-founder of the Center for New Liberalism who has written critically on Piker’s radicalism and expressed concerns about his rising popularity in progressive politics, speculated that “a lot of Democrats boosting” the Twitch commentator “aren’t even aware of how extreme he is, because he lies constantly.”

“In interviews, podcast appearances or events he will play the ‘I’m just a guy who wants people to have healthcare’ card,” Johnson explained to JI on Wednesday. “If confronted he’ll downplay, deny or walk back extremist comments he’s made. And then he’ll go back to his own audience and keep praising Hamas or the Houthis or the CCP, or mocking Iranian protesters with racist voices.”

Johnson also pointed to an issue with what he termed “the Democratic staffer class, where the median Democratic staffer is so progressive they have a ‘no punching left’ rule — especially when someone like Hasan is attractive and has a large audience.”

As Piker’s ideology remains largely unchecked by progressive lawmakers and activists, other critics warn that the left’s acquiescence to his troubling views has already hurt its ability to meaningfully counter growing hostility to Jews and Israel from the far right.

“Hasan Piker is the Tucker Carlson of the progressive left, just dumber and better looking,” Jamie Kirchick, an author and commentator who frequently writes about Israel and Jewish issues, told JI. “As long as figures like Khanna, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Markey pal around with him, they forfeit any credibility attacking the New Right’s vile antisemitism.”

Daily Overtime

Trump turns down the temperature against Iran

Plus, poll shows Stevens as most electable Dem in MI-SEN race

Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 14, 2026

Good Wednesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump indicated that his threats to Iran are making an impact; he told reporters this afternoon, “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, it’s stopped, and there’s no plans for executions,” referencing reports that an arrested protester was due to be executed today.

Trump later appeared to downplay protester deaths, calling it “one of those things … people were shooting at them with guns and they were shooting back.” It’s a notable change in tune from the president, who just yesterday told Iranian protesters to “save the names of the killers and abusers” and that “help is on its way.”

Asked if this means that military action against Iran is off the table, Trump responded, “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is, but we were given a very good statement” that the killing has stopped “by people that are aware of what’s going on”…

Others are still bracing for potential military action: Some personnel were told to evacuate the U.S.’ Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by tonight, Reuters reports. (Recall that Iran launched several missiles at Al Udeid after the U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites last June.)

A number of airlines have canceled or suspended flights to Iran; the Lufthansa group, in addition to avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace, said it will only operate day flights to Israel and Jordan through Jan. 19, avoiding overnight trips.

IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin warned on social media to avoid rumors and misinformation about the evolving situation, saying the IDF is “prepared for defense and on alert for surprise scenarios”…

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of Phase 2 of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan today, “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.” This phase “establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza … and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel,” Witkoff said.

“The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,” Witkoff added, though the U.S. has not taken action on Hamas’ failure to return the body of Ran Gvili, the final hostage, in the three months since the terror group was meant to at the outset of the ceasefire agreement.

It is still unclear how the U.S. and its partners will disarm Hamas or remove it from power, with the International Stabilization Force still not in place and foreign nations refusing to engage with Hamas militants…

Meanwhile, the midterms are picking up speed: New polling out of the Michigan Senate race shows Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) looking like the most electable Democrat against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), the expected GOP nominee.

In a Detroit News poll testing general election matchups, Stevens and Rogers were tied at 44% each, while physician Abdul El-Sayed, who has made criticism of Israel central to his campaign, fared the worst, losing to Rogers 48-42%. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, another critic of Israel, would also trail, 46-42%, the poll found…

In the Garden State, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) secured the endorsement of Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) today, a meaningful show of support from the progressive-minded senator as Menendez may face a primary challenge from his left from Mussab Ali.

Ali, who is expected to join the race shortly, is a vocal opponent of Israel and has been a champion for the anti-Israel protests and encampments that roiled college campuses in recent years; Kim has also been criticized by Jewish leaders for his support of measures blocking some arms sales to Israel…

Trump will not be endorsing three Republican senators facing competitive reelection campaigns: Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Politico reports. Cornyn and Cassidy are facing serious Republican primary opposition, while Collins is facing the likelihood of a hotly contested general election…

The State Department is indefinitely suspending immigration visa processing for individuals from 75 countries starting Jan. 21, building on the Trump administration’s total and partial immigration bans that already exist on nearly 40 countries. The pause will impact those looking to permanently immigrate who may “become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” the State Department said…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with Ryan Crosswell, the Marine veteran and former Republican looking to win the Democratic nomination in a key Pennsylvania swing district.

The technocratic Palestinian committee launched with Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan — which will be headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister for the Palestinian Authority — is expected to hold its first meeting tomorrow in Cairo, also attended by Nickolay Mladenov, the former U.N. envoy to the Middle East now leading the Gaza Board of Peace.

The Israeli American Council kicks off its annual summit tomorrow in Hollywood, Fla., with a plenary including Adm. (res.) Daniel Hagari, the previous IDF spokesperson; Boaz Levy, the CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries; and Betsy Korn, the chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Stories You May Have Missed

MAYOR’S M.O.

Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy: Reluctant to confront extremist threats while pledging to protect Jews

Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference during moving day at Gracie Mansion on January 12, 2026 in New York City.

The mayor’s comments responding to pro-Hamas protesters in Queens and an arson attack on a synagogue in Jackson, Miss., illustrate what Mamdani’s critics interpret as a core tension animating his assessment of antisemitism

Read more

Daily Kickoff

Mamdani’s antisemitism paradox

Plus, Saudi sets sights on Chinese-Pakistani fighter jets

Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Mayor Zohran Mamdani at his inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, United States on January 1, 2026.

By

JI Staff

January 14, 2026

👋 Good Wednesday morning!

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s approach to antisemitism, following multiple antisemitic incidents in his first weeks in office, and talk to experts about how Saudi Arabia’s efforts to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 jets could complicate its pursuit of U.S. F-35s. We report on the Trump administration’s designation of three branches of Muslim Brotherhood as terror organizations, and profile incoming University of Michigan President Kent Syverud. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sydney Sweeney, Bob Harvie and Sens. James Lankford and Jacky Rosen.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.

What We’re Watching

The Trump administration’s Board of Peace to oversee Gaza is expected to be announced as soon as today. The Times of Israel reports that roughly a dozen invitations to join the technocratic committee to administer Gaza went out this week to Palestinian officials.
We’re continuing to monitor events in Iran, a day after President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. “will take very strong action” if Iranian officials begin executing arrested protesters, while telling protesters that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
Death tolls have varied, with international phone and internet access largely cut off inside Iran, but vary from U.S. estimates around 600 to Iranian government estimates of approximately 2,000. Elon Musk’s Starlink provided internet access to some users on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Omar and Qatar are reportedly discouraging the Trump administration from taking military action in Iran.
The Tribe of Nova Foundation is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Netanya, Israel, today for UJA New York Beit Nova, a new facility for survivors of the Nova music festival attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and bereaved family members. Read more in eJewishPhilanthropy on UJA-Federation of New York’s effort to build the center.
Elsewhere in Israel, the family of Joshua Boone, a U.S.-born IDF reservist who died last week, arrives in the country today. Their arrival comes amid calls for Boone, who was not on active duty when he died after serving more than 700 days of reserve duty, to be given a military funeral, and a broader debate in Israel over the military’s treatment of off-duty soldiers whose deaths may be linked to their service.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Josh Kraushaar

The unlikely but plausible path for the Democrats to win back the Senate opened up Monday with former Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-AK) announcement that she’s running against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), giving Democrats an outside shot at flipping the red-state seat in the midterms.

Peltola isn’t your typical Democratic candidate. She won two separate statewide elections in Alaska in 2022 for the state’s at-large House seat, defeating the state’s former governor and onetime GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Despite compiling a moderate (and pro-Israel) voting record in the House, she narrowly lost her reelection bid to Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK), losing the 2024 general election by just two points.

In her launch video, she touted her campaign theme as “fish, family and freedom.”

Sullivan is a traditional conservative politician with a hawkish voting record, and will be favored to win a third term. But Alaska has become somewhat more competitive in the Trump era, with the president winning 55% of the state’s vote in 2024 and Sullivan tallying 54% in his successful 2020 reelection.

One point in Sullivan’s favor: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the independent-minded occasional Trump critic who endorsed Peltola in both of the Democrat’s previous statewide campaigns, quickly got behind the senator’s re-election campaign — before Peltola’s announcement.

Peltola’s candidacy matters because it gives Democrats four capable recruits to contest four GOP-held Senate seats — two in purple states, and two on more conservative turf. The path to a Democratic Senate majority — which remains a long-shot — increasingly is looking like it runs through North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Alaska.

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.

MAYOR’S M.O.

Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy: Reluctant to confront extremist threats while pledging to protect Jews

Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference during moving day at Gracie Mansion on January 12, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked an uproar among Jewish community leaders when, on his first day in office, he revoked an executive order that adopted a definition of antisemitism equating some criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish prejudice. But the mayor has yet to articulate which, if any, definition of antisemitism he will abide by, raising questions about his views toward escalating anti-Jewish hate in the city as he continues to weigh in on high-profile issues affecting the Jewish community. His recent comments responding to pro-Hamas protesters in Queens last week and an arson attack on a synagogue in Jackson, Miss., over the weekend illustrate what Mamdani’s critics interpret as a core tension animating his assessment of antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Breaking it down: While Mamdani released a statement on Sunday calling the arson a “violent act of antisemitism,” his comment on the demonstration outside a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills where protesters openly voiced support for Hamas was delayed and came only after he faced growing pressure from media outlets and Jewish community leaders to denounce the demonstration. The statements on two separate issues in different states helped distill how Mamdani has traditionally reacted to individual instances of antisemitism. He has unequivocally condemned as antisemitic recent incidents where Jews have faced violent attacks and have been targeted by vandalism, among other acts. But the mayor has been slower to react decisively on protests near Jewish institutions involving anti-Israel activism.

Read the full story here.

FIGHTER FAULT LINES

Saudi Arabia’s talks to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 jets could complicate its pursuit of U.S. F-35s

Pakistan’s Air Force fighter JF-17 fighter jets fly past during the multinational naval exercise AMAN-25 in the Arabian Sea near Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on February 10, 2025, as more than 50 countries participating with ships and observers. (ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Reports that Saudi Arabia may strike a deal with Pakistan to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder fighter jets are raising concerns in Washington, as Riyadh’s potential acquisition of the aircraft signals a continuation of its recent shift in alliances and could complicate its efforts to secure the U.S.’ F-35 jet. The discussions between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, first reported by regional outlets, would deepen defense ties between the two longtime partners while easing Karachi’s financial strain by wiping out its $2 billion in loans from the kingdom, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Risk assessment: “The fact that [the JF-17] has a Russian engine and Chinese avionics means it will very likely be viewed as a security risk if it’s co-located near U.S. forces,” said Grant Rumley, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who warned this arrangement could pose a danger to the protection of U.S. intel. “The F-35 is one of the crown jewels of American military equipment. Protecting that proprietary information and capabilities is a top priority across party lines in the U.S. national security apparatus.” Such a deal could create “undue turbulence” for Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of the F-35, potentially “complicating the discussion” around the deal and even putting it “into jeopardy,” Rumley said.

Read the full story here.

TERROR TITLE

Trump admin designates three branches of Muslim Brotherhood as terror organizations

Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarter after the announcement of banning the society in the country on April 23, 2025 in Amman, Jordan. (Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)

The Trump administration labeled three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations, including chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. The move follows an executive order President Donald Trump signed in November, which tasked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with identifying whether branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt should be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and which should be deemed Specially Designated Global Terrorists, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Distinctions: Those determinations were released on Tuesday: Jordanian and Egyptian branches were placed under the category of Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), with the State Department citing their provision of “material support to Hamas.” Meanwhile, the organization’s branch in Lebanon received the more stringent label of Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a stronger categorization that makes it a criminal offense to provide material support to the group. The organization’s leader in Lebanon, Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh, was named an SDGT.

Read the full story here.

WARM RECEPTION

Jewish leaders hail Kent Syverud’s appointment as University of Michigan president

Kent Syverud speaks on stage at Hollywood Bridging The Military Civilian Divide at Paramount Pictures on February 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Marc Flores/Getty Images for Syracuse University)

While several prominent university presidents famously refused to say that advocating for the genocide of Jews violates school policy when pressed by Congress two months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, Kent Syverud, the president and chancellor of Syracuse University, wrote a campus-wide email explaining that such rhetoric would not be tolerated on campus. On Monday, Syverud was tapped as the University of Michigan’s 16th president following a six-month search to replace President Santa Ono, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Welcoming the news: Syverud’s appointment was met with optimism from several Jewish leaders who said his strong ties to the Jewish community could benefit the Ann Arbor school, which experienced some of the most disruptive anti-Israel and antisemitic activity in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza. “Syverud’s appointment is very good news for the University of Michigan, which has faced numerous incidents of antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility in recent years,” Miriam Elman, who was a tenured associate professor at Syracuse before joining the Academic Engagement Network as its executive director in 2019, told JI.

Read the full story here.

Meanwhile at CCNY: City College of New York’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter remains a registered campus group following its participation in last week’s pro-Hamas protest in Queens that caused nearby schools and a synagogue to close early, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Pennsylvania pitch

In PA swing district, Democrat Bob Harvie pitches affordability — and unconditional support for Israel

Bob Harvie, commissioner of Bucks County, sits for a photograph in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In suburban Philadelphia, in one of the most hotly contested swing districts in the country, Democratic congressional candidate Bob Harvie is pitching a message of affordability. But not because of a certain big-city mayor 90 minutes north on I-95. The former high school history teacher and vice chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners who is hoping to unseat Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is not trying to mimic the campaign tactics of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who ran a populist campaign pledging to make the city affordable again. Instead, he said he’s looking for inspiration from two moderate Democratic governors elected last year: New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill and Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Affordability and allyship: “There have been others who have been talking about affordability. It’s not a Democratic hoax, as the president has said it is. It has a real impact on people, and we’re seeing it here at the county,” Harvie told JI in an interview last week. While Harvie may be leaning in on the affordability message that Mamdani popularized last year, he is taking a more traditional approach to foreign policy and to the U.S.-Israel relationship than the mayor. Harvie, who taught high school history for two decades, attributes the recent rise in antisemitism to a lack of education about Judaism and Israel. “I think what we’re seeing among younger people is just a lack of understanding about the history of Jewish people, especially in the 20th century, the history of Israel,” said Harvie.

Read the full interview here.

Garden State regrets: Two Democratic candidates running in the packed special election to replace New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), including the state’s current secretary of state and lieutenant governor, criticized the state Assembly for failing to pass legislation codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

ON THE HILL

Lankford, Rosen call on Senate leaders to move quickly to protect faith communities

Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) (U.S. Senate)

Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) are urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to move quickly to advance a legislative package that would address rising antisemitism and religious hate generally — something Congress has repeatedly struggled and failed to do since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

New tack: In a letter to the Senate leaders on Tuesday, Lankford and Rosen, who co-chair the chamber’s antisemitism task force, called for a bipartisan legislative package including funding increases for security assistance to religious institutions and improved training, prevention and prosecution efforts. The letter does not mention high-profile bills addressing antisemitism specifically — such as the Antisemitism Awareness Act — which have previously proven difficult to pass amid growing objections from both sides of the aisle. The letter takes a broader approach, focusing on faith communities generally and the attacks that both Jewish and non-Jewish religious institutions have faced.

Read the full story here.

Worthy Reads

Deserving of Recognition: In The Washington Post, the Hudson Institute’s Joshua Meservey argues that the U.S. should follow Israel’s lead in recognizing Somaliland. “Yet recognizing Somaliland is recognizing reality, which is a necessary foundation on which to build effective policy. Mogadishu’s protest that recognizing Somaliland destroys Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty relies on a mythical conception of Somalia. The country hasn’t been functionally unified since the 1980s. The government controls little of its territory and survives largely because foreign armies protect it and foreign governments fund it. While it is understandable that Mogadishu imagines a unified and sovereign country given Somalia’s long suffering, it demands that the rest of the world participate in the fiction.” [WashPost]

The Ayatollah’s Obsession: The New York Times’ Bret Stephens posits that the Iranian regime’s “singular obsession” with Jews, and, by association, with Israel, will be the root of its demise. “Iranian foreign policy freely mixes anti-Israel furies with anti-Jewish ones. … Earlier this month, the regime tried to mollify protesters by offering most of its citizens a pathetic $7 monthly stipend amid skyrocketing inflation and a collapsing currency. Yet the same regime managed to send an estimated $1 billion to help Hezbollah rebuild its military capabilities while refusing to make meaningful concessions over its nuclear portfolio, leading to European sanctions that have further crippled the economy. What ordinary Iranians are revolting against isn’t just economic mismanagement and corruption. It’s also a regime that would rather pursue a perpetual jihad against the Zionist enemy than feed its own people.” [NYTimes]

Iran on the Brink: The New Yorker’s Robin Wright suggests that the fall of the Iranian regime will likely be contingent on the sentiment within the country’s security forces. “In June of last year, Israel and the U.S. destroyed military installations and nuclear sites in Iran and killed key leaders and scientists, leaving the Iranian military feeling vulnerable. In addition, the rank and file share the same (increasingly existential) economic challenges faced by most Iranians. While the security forces are often lumped into an ideological monolith, there is a wide diversity among their members, as nearly all men are required to serve. Some opt to join the Revolutionary Guard because they get oﬀ earlier in the day than conventional soldiers, and thus can earn money at a second job. For others, having the I.R.G.C. on their résumés helps them later when applying for jobs in government or at government-funded universities.” [NewYorker]

Word on the Street

President Donald Trump has reportedly complained to aides about Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying that she is not effectively pursuing his agenda, including the prosecution of former federal investigators…

Israel’s Bar-Ilan University will award White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff with an honorary doctorate, citing Witkoff’s involvement in efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and secure the release last year of nearly all the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza…

Axios reports that Witkoff quietly met over the weekend with Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based exiled former crown prince of Iran who is leading one of the opposition factions against the regime in Tehran…

Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging the IRS to investigate the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations over its backing of anti-Israel encampments on college campuses in the state…

Congressional candidate Cameron Kasky, who made criticism of Israel a cornerstone of his campaign, is dropping out of the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 12th District, saying the decision came after his trip last month to the West Bank and that he is “not a politician” but “an activist”…

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat mounting a Senate bid in the Tar Heel State, announced a haul of more than $9.5 million, outpacing top GOP candidate Michael Whatley, who is believed to have raised just over $5 million…

A cryptocurrency token announced by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams crashed less than a day after its launch; in his announcement of the coin on Monday, Adams had said that the token would be used to fight antisemitism and anti-American sentiment…

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with Betar U.S. over what she described as a campaign of “fear, violence, and intimidation” targeting the group’s ideological opponents; Betar U.S. said it would discontinue its New York operations, though the move was unrelated to the settlement…

The New York Times spotlights the shaky launch of the revamped “CBS Evening News” program, amid broader media scrutiny of Bari Weiss’ oversight of the network and its flagship show…

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry is warning against the creation of a loophole in new hate-speech laws in the country that exempt those who read from or cite religious texts…

The Washington Post looks at shifting political winds in Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany party, already on the ascendance, is looking to win control in at least one of the five German states that are holding elections this year…

The Paulson Family Foundation announced a $19 million donation to Hebrew University to go toward expanding the school’s STEM-based research and teaching complex on the Edmond J. Safra Campus in Jerusalem; the gift comes three years after a $27 million donation from the foundation to the school for STEM education, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports…

CrowdStrike will acquire browser security company Seraphic Security, in a deal that is expected to net the Israeli startup $400 million…

Officials in Venezuela released a 72-year-old Israeli-Argentine man who had been imprisoned in the South American country for more than a year; Yaakov Harari was among 125 people, most of whom are Americans, who were released after being accused of being mercenaries operating on behalf of the United States…

Actor Sydney Sweeney met with freed Israeli hostages Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or, posing for a photo with the pair that began circulating on social media on Tuesday, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Israel that he could refer the country to the International Court of Justice if it doesn’t reverse “without delay” laws cracking down on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency that works with Palestinians; meanwhile, at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV met privately with UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini…

The Wall Street Journal reports on China’s reluctance to mount a strong defense of Iran, its top trading partner, as Tehran becomes increasingly isolated on the global stage as a result of continued protests in the country and economic pressure…

Adam Grimes, previously a legislative assistant in Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s (D-NJ) office, has been named the New Jersey Democrat’s national security advisor…

Philanthropist and real estate developer Nathan Landow, who served as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party from 1988-1992, died at 93…

Pic of the Day

Zach Shemper, the president of Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., visited the damaged building on Tuesday, days after an arsonist targeted the synagogue over what he told investigators were the synagogue’s “Jewish ties.”

Birthdays

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 08: Jamie Patricof attends the “Roofman” Washington D.C. Motion Picture Association Screening Q&A at the Motion Picture Association on October 08, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

Movie and television producer and co-founder of Electric City Entertainment, Jamie Patricof turns 50…

Chairman emeritus of the publicly traded Empire State Realty Trust, he is the father-in-law of Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter L. Malkin turns 92… Retired travel counselor, Barbara Singer-Meis… Washington Nationals baseball fan known as Rubber Chicken Man, he waves a rubber chicken over the Nationals dugout and is one of the few fans for whom Topps has issued a baseball card, Hugh Kaufman turns 83… Award-winning legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio since 1975, focusing primarily on the U.S. Supreme Court, Nina Totenberg turns 82… Screenwriter, director and producer, best known as co-writer of the films “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Return of the Jedi,” Lawrence Kasdan turns 77… Orthopedic surgeon, inventor and philanthropist, Gary K. Michelson, M.D. turns 77… Painter, editor, writer and book artist, Susan Bee turns 74… Co-founder and chairman of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, which he manages with his wife Penny Pritzker, Bryan Traubert turns 71… Shaul Saulisbury… Former president of the Sprint Foundation and Sprint’s 1Million Project Foundation, Doug Michelman… Former member of the Knesset for the Likud party, she holds a Ph.D. in criminology, Anat Berko turns 66… AIPAC board chair, he is a founding member of LA-based law firm, Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern, Michael L. Tuchin… Actress best known for her movie roles in the late 1980s in “The Goonies” and “Lucas,” she later became a film producer, Kerri Lee Green turns 59… Staff writer at The New Yorker, Susan B. Glasser turns 57… Venture capitalist, Adam R. Dell turns 56… Director of behavioral health at Mid-Atlantic Pediatric Partners and educational consultant, Ari Yares… Sales associate in the Montclair, N.J., office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, David Frey… Attorney at Toronto-based Sokoloff Lawyers, Aryeh Samuel…

MAYOR'S M.O.

Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy: Reluctant to confront extremist threats while pledging to protect Jews

The mayor’s comments responding to pro-Hamas protesters in Queens and an arson attack on a synagogue in Jackson, Miss., illustrate what Mamdani’s critics interpret as a core tension animating his assessment of antisemitism

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference during moving day at Gracie Mansion on January 12, 2026 in New York City.

By

Matthew Kassel

January 14, 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked an uproar among Jewish community leaders when, on his first day in office, he revoked an executive order that adopted a definition of antisemitism equating some criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish prejudice.

But the mayor has yet to articulate which, if any, definition of antisemitism he will abide by, raising questions about his views toward escalating anti-Jewish hate in the city as he continues to weigh in on high-profile issues affecting the Jewish community.

His recent comments responding to pro-Hamas protesters in Queens last week and an arson attack on a synagogue in Jackson, Miss., over the weekend illustrate what Mamdani’s critics interpret as a core tension animating his assessment of antisemitism.

While Mamdani released a statement on Sunday calling the arson a “violent act of antisemitism,” his comment on the demonstration outside a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills where protesters openly voiced support for Hamas was delayed and came only after he faced growing pressure from media outlets and Jewish community leaders to denounce the demonstration.

In contrast with several of his top allies on the left, Mamdani, who has long been an outspoken critic of Israel, ultimately chose not to the call the protesters antisemitic, even as he otherwise denounced Hamas as a “terrorist organization” and said that the chants heard at the demonstration “are wrong and have no place in our city.”

The statements on two separate issues in different states helped distill how Mamdani has traditionally reacted to individual instances of antisemitism. He has unequivocally condemned as antisemitic recent incidents where Jews have faced violent attacks and have been targeted by vandalism, among other acts. But the mayor has been slower to react decisively on protests near Jewish institutions involving anti-Israel activism.

Mamdani, who has long identified as anti-Zionist and refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, drew backlash last November after he admonished a Manhattan synagogue that was also targeted by anti-Israel demonstrators who chanted slogans including “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada,” a phrase he has declined to renounce.

Even as he distanced himself from the language used by protesters in objecting to an event about immigration to Israel, Mamdani said that “sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law,” a statement he later revised. He did not label the protest antisemitic, as other elected officials had done. On the recent Queens protest outside an Israeli real estate event, Mamdani used similar language when asked why he hadn’t condemned “both sides.” He answered, “I absolutely have an opposition to the sale of land in the West Bank. It’s a violation of international law and that comes from my belief in the importance of following international law.”

His ongoing reluctance to explicitly identify such protests as antisemitic underscores how his record of pro-Palestinian activism has long been central to his self-conception. While he moderated on several key issues in the election, Mamdani notably resisted softening even some of his most controversial views relating to Israel — such as a pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes.

“On an ideological level, it’s a very problematic issue to be a proud anti-Zionist — especially if you are the mayor of New York City,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who leads Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, said. “On a practical level, wherever anti-Zionism has been normalized,” he said, “as night follows day, it leads to antisemitism, in every single case, and it is the case today. There won’t be an exception simply because the mayor, at this time, insists on being an anti-Zionist and is proud of it.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who leads Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, said in an interview with Jewish Insider on Monday that he has spoken with Mamdani repeatedly about what he called a clear connection between anti-Zionism and antisemitism — which, he noted, the mayor has not acknowledged.

Even as Hirsch conceded “it’s not necessarily the case in every circumstance” that “anti-Zionism is, ipso facto, antisemitism,” he said such discussions are “completely divorced from reality,” disagreeing with Mamdani’s assessment of the Queens protest last week. “What Jews mean by anti-Zionism is not what Hamas means by anti-Zionism,” he explained. “If you are pro-Hamas, then you are, by definition, an antisemite.”

“On an ideological level, it’s a very problematic issue to be a proud anti-Zionist — especially if you are the mayor of New York City,” Hirsch argued to JI. “On a practical level, wherever anti-Zionism has been normalized,” he said, “as night follows day, it leads to antisemitism, in every single case, and it is the case today. There won’t be an exception simply because the mayor, at this time, insists on being an anti-Zionist and is proud of it.”

The working definition of antisemitism Mamdani rescinded, which is promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, has long been a target of anti-Israel activists and some progressives who believe it stifles legitimate criticism of Israel — even as it is widely accepted as useful guidance by mainstream Jewish groups.

A spokesperson for Mamdani did not respond to a request for comment from JI asking how he would define what he has frequently called “the scourge of antisemitism” while pledging to ensure the safety of Jewish New Yorkers.

Mamdani has yet to announce key administration hires for areas related to antisemitism, such as the office to combat antisemitism, which he has vowed to retain, and he has sent mixed messages regarding his efforts to fight antisemitism — voicing interest, for example, in a city curriculum embraced by leading Jewish groups that promotes a definition of Zionism seemingly at odds with his own views on Israel.

Shortly before his inauguration, Mamdani argued that a report issued by the Anti-Defamation League, which highlighted several members of his transition team who had used antisemitic tropes and justified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, ignored what he called “the distinction between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government.” He did not address some of the most extreme comments made by appointees, but said the ADL report “draws attention away from the very real crisis of antisemitism we see.”

Mark Goldfeder, the director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, said he suspects that Mamdani is now “gearing up to adopt” what he characterized as “one of the ‘IHRA-lite’ definitions” of antisemitism, citing those embraced by the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism and the Nexus Project — which he called “a little better than JDA,” though neither are widely accepted by mainstream Jewish organizations. Both definitions, he argued to JI, “provide more cover to those who wish to hide their antisemitism behind the curtain of anti-Zionism.”

Jonathan Jacoby, the president and national director of the Nexus Project, said in a statement to JI on Monday that Mamdani “and all public officials should be judged by the actions they take to protect Jewish communities — not by their adherence to any one controversial definition of antisemitism.”

According to Goldfeder, applying the Nexus definition to the recent incidents addressed by Mamdani “would mean that attacking Jews at a synagogue,” as in Jackson, “would be antisemitic — but harassing them, as long as no physical attack” took place, as in Queens, “would be fine.”

“I, for one, am not OK with either,” Goldfeder said. “Neither are the federal government, the majority of U.S. states and the vast majority of Americans both Jewish and non-Jewish.”

Jonathan Jacoby, the president and national director of the Nexus Project, said in a statement to JI on Monday that Mamdani “and all public officials should be judged by the actions they take to protect Jewish communities — not by their adherence to any one controversial definition of antisemitism.”

“Mamdani has expressed a clear commitment to engaging a wide range of Jewish voices in the fight against antisemitism and hate, and affirmed that the city will continue to operate an office to combat antisemitism,” Jacoby added. “Instead of getting hung up on fights over definitions like IHRA that were never intended to be enshrined into law, we need to see more security funding for vulnerable institutions, more support for more education about antisemitism and bias, and the enforcement of civil rights laws to prevent actual discrimination and harassment.”

Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said that the “biggest question” for her “is not whether the mayor personally adopts a specific definition but, rather, how he will respond to acts of antisemitism and invest in a comprehensive strategy to counter it.”

Rabbi Marc Schneier, who has spoken privately with Mamdani about issues concerning the Jewish community, said he was “pleasantly surprised” that Mamdani spoke out against the Queens protest and called Hamas a terror group, noting that the mayor had faced scrutiny for not even mentioning Hamas in his initial statement regarding the Oct. 7 attacks.

“We may be witnessing some evolution in terms of his understanding of Israel,” Schneier told JI, while adding that the Jewish community has “a long way to go.”

Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said that the “biggest question” for her “is not whether the mayor personally adopts a specific definition but, rather, how he will respond to acts of antisemitism and invest in a comprehensive strategy to counter it.”

“I’ve appreciated his willingness to engage with our community and evolve his position and I hope that he will continue to do so,” she told JI on Monday. “The pro-Hamas protests in Kew Gardens and the arson attack in Jackson are different examples of the many ways antisemitism is manifesting right now. All of it threatens Jews and our broader society and democracy.”

WARM RECEPTION

Jewish leaders hail Kent Syverud’s appointment as University of Michigan president

Syverud spoke out against antisemitism and boycotts of Israel while leading Syracuse University

Marc Flores/Getty Images for Syracuse University

Kent Syverud speaks on stage at Hollywood Bridging The Military Civilian Divide at Paramount Pictures on February 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

By

Haley Cohen

January 14, 2026

While several prominent university presidents famously refused to say that advocating for the genocide of Jews violates school policy when pressed by Congress two months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, Kent Syverud, the president and chancellor of Syracuse University, wrote a campus-wide email explaining that such rhetoric would not be tolerated on campus.

On Monday, Syverud was tapped as the University of Michigan’s 16th president following a six-month search to replace President Santa Ono. Syverud’s appointment was met with optimism from several Jewish leaders who said his strong ties to the Jewish community could benefit the Ann Arbor school, which experienced some of the most disruptive anti-Israel and antisemitic activity in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.

“Syverud’s appointment is very good news for the University of Michigan, which has faced numerous incidents of antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility in recent years,” Miriam Elman, who was a tenured associate professor at Syracuse before joining the Academic Engagement Network as its executive director in 2019, told Jewish Insider. University of Michigan’s undergraduate student body is 15% Jewish, according to Hillel International.

At Syracuse, Syverud supported the school’s large Jewish community, including engaging collaboratively with the campus Hillel and Chabad chapters, according to Elman. Syverud also met regularly with the leadership of the Jewish Federation of Central New York.

Last May, at the federation’s invitation, he provided introductory remarks for a community-wide screening of the documentary “October 8,” a film about the world’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks. “He provided an update on the campus response to antisemitism for the hundreds of attendees and made it clear that it will never be tolerated,” said Elman.

“He is committed to the principles of the academy, including unfettered free expression and academic freedom, as well as to community safety,” continued Elman. “While other university leaders equivocated and failed, since Oct. 7, the [Syracuse] administration, under his leadership, has consistently enforced the student code of conduct and reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on protests and demonstrations.

University of Michigan’s Board of Regents voted unanimously to appoint Syverud, an accomplished legal scholar, during a special session on Monday. Syverud is returning to his Ann Arbor roots; he served as the law school’s associate dean for academic affairs from 1995 to 1997. He then served as law school dean of Vanderbilt University from 1997 to 2005 and later as the dean of the law school at Washington University in St. Louis from 2005 to 2013 before coming to Syracuse.

University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker, who was the target of anti-Israel vandals at his home and law office near campus several times in 2024, told JI he is “proud that Kent Syverud is returning to his alma mater as president.”

“His time at Syracuse, [and] his leadership at Washington University and Vanderbilt show a deep commitment to students, their welfare, and creating an environment for all to learn. I have no doubt he will continue that legacy as Michigan’s new president,” said Acker.

Elman noted Syverud’s “steadfast rejection of BDS and the academic boycott of Israel and support for numerous educational opportunities for students and faculty to engage with Israeli universities and scholars.”

“Syverud also understands the threats facing the Jewish people and the campus, recently noting that nefarious external actors, including Iran, seek to manipulate students, stoke divisions and cause mayhem,” continued Elman.

Alums for Campus Fairness praised Syverud and said the organization “looks forward to continuing our strong working relationship” with the incoming chancellor, who in October participated in a panel on campus antisemitism hosted by the group.

Syverud also participated in a 2024 summit on campus antisemitism for university presidents hosted by the American Jewish Committee, Hillel International and the American Council on Education.

“AJC is heartened over the news that Kent Syverud will take on the presidency at the University of Michigan,” Sara Coodin, AJC’s director of academic affairs, told JI.” “Syverud brings a wealth of experience and measured, thoughtful and heartfelt engagement and commitment to fostering a positive campus culture and countering hate.”

In 2019, Syverud was recognized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center for suspending Syracuse fraternities that posted videos with antisemitic and racist statements.

The search for Michigan’s next president began last summer after Ono stepped down following a tenure marked by post-Oct. 7 turbulence — including a nearly month-long encampment — until his resignation last spring.

Ono, now inaugural director of the Ellison Institute of Technology, was generally seen as an ally of Michigan’s pro-Israel community who was quick to condemn acts of antisemitism — leading to pro-Palestinian vandals attacking his home on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Domenico Grasso, the former chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, currently serves as the university’s interim president. Syverud is expected to assume the position by July 1.

ON THE HILL

Lankford, Rosen call on Senate leaders to move quickly to protect faith communities

Their letter promotes a broad approach to tackling threats to faith communities generally, rather than emphasizing legislation to combat antisemitism specifically

U.S. Senate

Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK)

By

Marc Rod

January 14, 2026

Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday to move quickly to advance a legislative package that would address rising antisemitism and religious hate generally — something Congress has repeatedly struggled and failed to do since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

In a letter to the Senate leaders, Lankford and Rosen, who co-chair the chamber’s antisemitism task force, called for a bipartisan legislative package including funding increases for security assistance to religious institutions and improved training, prevention and prosecution efforts. The letter comes days after an arson attack at the largest synagogue in Mississippi, which is mentioned in the letter.

The letter does not mention high-profile bills addressing antisemitism specifically — such as the Antisemitism Awareness Act — which have previously proven difficult to pass amid growing objections on both sides of the aisle. The letter takes a broader approach, focusing on faith communities generally and the attacks that both Jewish and non-Jewish religious institutions have faced.

“As Senators committed to safeguarding Americans’ fundamental freedom to worship without fear, we write to express deep concern about the rising tide of violence, intimidation, and vandalism targeting faith-based institutions across our country,” Lankford and Rosen wrote. “As we begin the new year, threats to churches, synagogues, mosques, gurdwaras, temples, and schools have not abated. That is why we believe Congress must act swiftly to protect houses of worship, faith-based schools, and the communities they serve.”

The letter calls for legislation to increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and to make sure funds are disbursed quickly; to clarify eligible uses for grant funding to include security contractors, physical security measures, emergency communication tools and security cameras; and to direct the administration to process NSGP applications quickly and provide free technical assistance to institutions applying for grants.

These calls follow and come in response to a year of delays and frustration with NSGP implementation by the administration. Grants for 2025 still have not been awarded or disbursed and the timeline for doing so remains unclear, with lawmakers saying they’ve been left in the dark by the administration.

Lankford and Rosen also called for the proposed legislative package to direct federal law enforcement to improve information sharing with religious community security groups, including implementing channels for the government to quickly share threat information and for religious communities to report suspicious activity, as well as to fund “scalable training” for community professionals and volunteers.

They said the Senate should pass the Pray Safe Act — the only specific pending legislation mentioned within the letter. The bipartisan and largely noncontroversial bill, which has nonetheless languished for multiple congressional sessions, would create a federal database on security best practices, training information and potential federal funding opportunities.

And they urged the Senate to provide additional resources to prosecute violence and property crimes against religious communities, to improve federal coordination with state and local law enforcement and to improve data collection and sharing on such incidents.

Emphasizing the urgency to protect impacted communities, the lawmakers said that they are “prepared to work” with the Senate leaders’ teams “immediately to translate the items above into text that can move quickly.”

They also said that they want to see the package include “near-term funding and implementation directives” in addition to any longer-term policy and programmatic changes.

“This package of priorities reflects our shared obligation — rooted in the First Amendment and our national character — to ensure that Americans can pray, learn, celebrate, and mourn in safety,” the lawmakers said. “We also recognize that the federal government cannot substitute for local leadership, nor for the resilience and vigilance of faith communities themselves. But Congress can and should ensure that federal resources are timely, accessible, and proportional to risk, and that our national security enterprise treats attacks on houses of worship with the seriousness they warrant.”

A Lankford spokesperson praised Thune’s engagement on the issue. Before taking office as the Senate majority leader, Thune pledged to take action on antisemitism, though efforts to advance the Antisemitism Awareness Act stalled last year.
“The Senate, under Sen. Thune’s leadership, has been clear about the seriousness of the violence and intimidation facing Jewish Americans and other faith communities,” the Lankford spokesperson told Jewish Insider. “Sen. Lankford appreciates Leader Thune’s engagement on combatting antisemitism and ensuring Americans can worship without fear.”

Daily Overtime

Trump to Iranian protesters: ‘Help is on its way’

Plus, J Street plays both sides

Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump speaks to the press upon returning to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on January 13, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 13, 2026

Good Tuesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against Iran reached a fever pitch today, as reports indicate over 12,000 — and potentially as many as 20,000 — protesters have been killed by the regime amid nationwide demonstrations.

Trump posted on social media this morning that he has “cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS,” and said to the demonstrators, “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”

Trump ended his message promising, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” without specifying what actions the U.S. may take, though he told reporters in Detroit that “it’s not a bad idea” for U.S. allies “to get out” of Iran.

Administration officials held several discussions today on options for intervening in Iran; Vice President JD Vance, whose team has pushed back on characterizations that he is opposed to military strikes, led the major briefing with the National Security Council’s Principals Committee this afternoon. Trump was in Michigan for a speech on the economy and likely did not attend…

As the U.S. weighs its next steps, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar are advocating against strikes, warning the administration that destabilization of the Iranian regime could impact oil markets and hurt the American economy, The Wall Street Journal reports. Saudi officials told Iran that they will not allow the U.S. to use their airspace to conduct strikes…

While Trump blocks meetings with Iranian officials, his special envoy Steve Witkoff secretly met with the exiled former Iranian crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, over the weekend, Axios reports, in the first high-level meeting with the regime’s opposition since the protests began. It’s not clear how much support the son of the deposed shah has in Iran, though videos from recent protests show demonstrators chanting slogans associated with him and the monarchy…

Looking to the campaign trail, in a first, J Street endorsed Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) in his reelection race while also listing his opponent, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, as an “approved” candidate. It’s currently the only race where the group is supporting a challenger to an incumbent, in a district where the candidates’ differing stances on Israel are a key issue…

Roy Cooper, the former Democratic governor of North Carolina now running for the seat of retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), raised more than $9.5 million in the final quarter of 2025, The Hill reports, a major haul for a seat that Democrats view as one of their best chances to flip. His opponent, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, reportedly raised $5.1 million during the same time frame…

The Trump administration designated three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations today, including chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

The Jordanian and Egyptian branches were named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, with the State Department citing their provision of “material support to Hamas,” while the organization’s branch in Lebanon received the more stringent label of Foreign Terrorist Organization…

The U.S. is “closely monitoring developments in Aleppo,” Syria, and “urg[ing] all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement today, after days of fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces killed dozens and displaced over 150,000 people in the city.

SDF fighters were expelled from two neighborhoods they had held since 2011 over the weekend, leading to protests by thousands of Kurds and marking a setback for efforts to integrate the SDF into the armed forces and to unify the country’s diverse populations…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a profile of the new president of the University of Michigan, who Jewish leaders are optimistic will improve the climate on a campus that experienced some of the most disruptive anti-Israel and antisemitic activity in the aftermath of Oct. 7.

Trump will address the issue of Iran in an interview airing on “CBS Evening News” tonight.

Tomorrow, Iran International will host a town hall with Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Joel Rayburn, the former deputy assistant secretary for Levant Affairs and U.S. special envoy for Syria.

In Netanya, Israel, the Tribe of Nova Foundation will host a ribbon-cutting for Nova House, a center primarily funded by UJA-Federation of New York for survivors of the music festival massacre.

Stories You May Have Missed

SCOOP

Trump, Netanyahu at odds over Israeli plans to end reliance on U.S. military aid

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Two sources told JI the president pushed back on Netanyahu’s claims about the prudence of Israel’s proposal to end U.S. military assistance over the next decade

Read more

U.S. OVERSIGHT

2026 State Dept. funding bill leverages U.S. funding to combat antisemitism, anti-Israel bias in U.N.

The bill withholds 10% of the U.S. contribution for the U.N. or any U.N. agency until the State Department confirms to Congress that the agency is ‘taking credible steps to combat anti-Israel bias’

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Ambassadors and representatives to the United Nations meet at the U.N. Security Council to vote on a U.S. resolution on the Gaza peace plan at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City, Nov. 17, 2025.

By

Marc Rod

January 13, 2026

The finalized 2026 funding package for the State Department, released Sunday, leverages a portion of the U.S.’ contributions to the United Nations and its agencies to push for changes in what the U.S. has said is the institution’s anti-Israel bias and antisemitism.

The bill withholds 10% of the U.S. contribution for the U.N. or any U.N. agency until the State Department confirms to Congress that the agency is “taking credible steps to combat anti-Israel bias,” putting measures in place to inform donors of when funds have been diverted or destroyed, “effectively vet[ting]” staff for ties to terrorism and taking steps to address antisemitism, among a variety of other anticorruption and accountability measures.

The moves put new financial teeth behind longstanding U.S. efforts to combat antisemitism at the U.N., as well as to ensure stronger oversight following revelations that members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

However, the provisions relating to the U.N. in the final bill are significantly scaled back from the House’s draft of the legislation — which would have cut all U.S. funding for the U.N. regular budget and withheld funding for the U.N. secretariat pending a series of specific accountability steps relating to UNRWA personnel.

The explanatory report accompanying the bill includes a new requirement for relevant investigators general to provide a plan to Congress to conduct “risk-based investigations and related oversight of United States-funded implementing partners” of any aid provided in Gaza and the West Bank. It directs the administration to focus on reports of staff or contractors for such aid providers who have ties to or involvement in terrorism, and provide recommendations for addressing and preventing these issues.

The legislation maintains longstanding mechanisms governing U.S. aid to Gaza and the West Bank and the Palestinian Authority and new accountability measures implemented following the Oct. 7 attacks, as well as a ban on U.S. funding for UNRWA and a ban on funding for the U.N. Human Rights Council and its Commission of Inquiry investigating Israel.

It provisions limiting U.S. assistance to U.N. bodies if the Palestinians receive status equivalent to that of a state in any U.N. body.

The legislation provides the expected $3.3 billion in funding for military aid to Israel, as per the terms of the U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding. It includes a new $5 million allocation for historical, archeological and cultural initiatives to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. It also bans relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Jerusalem.

The bill includes cuts to a number of U.S. assistance programs in the Middle East, including cutting funding for the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act program from $50 million to $37.5 million, for Israeli-Arab scientific partnerships from $8.5 million to $7 million and the Middle East Partnership Initiative from $27.2 million to $20 million.

It holds funding for joint U.S.-Israeli development projects in third countries at $3 million.

The legislation provides a significant boost in funding for the office of the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism — $2.6 million, up from $1.75 million.

It also instructs the antisemitism envoy and the special envoy for Holocaust issues to work with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to prioritize efforts with U.S. partners to address Holocaust denial and distortion and antisemitism on social media and in artificial intelligence, and to brief Congress on a plan to tackle these issues. It directs the antisemitism envoy to consult with Congress on programs to combat antisemitism more broadly as well.

“At a moment when antisemitism is surging worldwide, the $2.6 million included in this minibus for the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism is both necessary and timely,” Lauren Wolman, the Anti-Defamation League’s senior director of government relations and strategy, told Jewish Insider. “Antisemitic hatred is spreading across borders and being supercharged online, with real-world consequences for Jewish communities everywhere. This bill will strengthen U.S. leadership in confronting global antisemitism and sends a clear signal that combating antisemitism and Holocaust distortion is an urgent national priority.”

The legislation requires the administration to report to Congress on the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran, as well as on U.S. efforts to eliminate Iranian oil exports to China — including the specific dates of communications between U.S. and Chinese officials about those imports.

The bill continues to bar the administration from revoking the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ terrorism designation, or entering into a nuclear deal with Iran in contravention of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. And it permits the use of funding to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, support democracy in Iran and otherwise combat Iranian malign activities.

It mandates that the State Department lay out a strategy, within 90 days, to expand the Abraham Accords, specifically including the possibility of providing arms transfers and other defense materiel to signatories.

The legislation includes $1.65 billion in funding for Jordan — $845 million in budget support funding for the government and $425 million in military aid.

The bill provides $1.425 billion in funding for Egypt, $1.3 billion of that in military aid, with $320 million conditioned on various human rights benchmarks, though those conditions can — and traditionally have been — waived.

For Lebanon, the bill provides $112.5 million, maintaining existing provisions and accountability measures emphasizing reforming the Lebanese Armed Forces and combatting Hezbollah.

The bill permits the provision of funding for nonlethal assistance in Syria, but bars the use of any funding to support Iranian, terrorist or Russian objectives and requires the administration to consult with Congress prior to providing any such funding.

It also requires the administration to report to Congress on the treatment of minorities in Syria and on whether the new Syrian government is taking “all sufficient actions” to protect them.

The bill allocates $20 million for the office of the special envoy for the Middle East, $2 million of that dedicated to activities in Lebanon, and $7 million for the office of the special envoy for Syria.

Several other provisions related to the Middle East that were included in the original House draft of the bill, including restrictions related to the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, preventing the establishment of additional diplomatic facilities in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy and a directive to treat the West Bank and Gaza as separate entities for budgeting purposes have not been included in the final version of the bill.

From the House’s explanatory report, the negotiated version of the bill adopts anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions provisions, as well as expanded vetting procedures to ensure political neutrality by aid recipients; new oversight requirements for U.S. aid to Syria; a report on antisemitism by foreign governments; a requirement for the State Department to report to Congress on efforts to end the PA’s terror payments program; and a report to the Congress on the possibility of a memorandum of understanding with Egypt on Security Assistance.

The legislation removes provisions included in 2024 appropriations legislation that prohibited military education and training funding for Saudi Arabia and that barred funding to support a Saudi nuclear program unless Saudi Arabia agreed to strict controls including renouncing uranium enrichment and reprocessing.

ON THE STAGE

Oct. 7 play lands at Kennedy Center during Trump-era overhaul

The show, from conservative Irish playwrights, had a six-week run off-Broadway in New York in 2024

October7theplay

Actors rehearse for 'October 7: In Their Own Words' play

By

Gabby Deutch

January 13, 2026

Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney, an Irish husband-and-wife playwright team, view theater as a way to correct the record. For these conservative artists, their creative mission is to fight liberal orthodoxies with what they deem to be a dose of reality. Their first production, taking a revisionist look at the 2014 killing of Black teenager Michael Brown by a white Missouri police officer, earned national media coverage — and sharp criticism, including from some cast members who quit.

McAleer and McElhinney don’t see their latest production as conservative, or political at all, though they fear it will still garner left-wing opprobrium. Titled “October 7: In Their Own Words,” the play offers an unvarnished look at the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas in Israel in 2023, told through the testimonies of Oct. 7 survivors. It premiered in New York in 2024 during a six-week run off-Broadway and will be performed at the Kennedy Center for one night this month, on Jan. 28.

The playwrights view their show as a natural fit for the newly rebranded Kennedy Center, now called The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

“It’s supposed to be the cultural epicenter of America. This is the perfect place for it … the center of power, the center of influence, and a place that seems to need the truth more than ever,” McAleer told Jewish Insider in an interview in December.

Since Trump took over the institution early in 2025, the Kennedy Center has faced protests and boycotts from some liberal critics. After the renaming in December, musician Chuck Redd abruptly canceled his annual Christmas Eve jazz concert in protest, earning threats of a lawsuit from Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell. “Wicked”composer Stephen Schwartz has since pulled out of a scheduled appearance at a May gala, along with a dance company, a string quartet, a jazz trumpeter and a folk performer. On Friday, the Washington National Opera said it would no longer perform at the Kennedy Center, the most high-profile cancellation yet.

Amid the Kennedy Center’s controversial overhaul this year, its new leaders have stood firm on a new branch of programming: shows and artwork focused on Israel and antisemitism. “October 7: In Their Own Words” is part of that effort, along with a visual art exhibit about the Hamas attacks that was displayed in the building in the fall.

The production of their show is not a formal Kennedy Center offering; McAleer and McIlhenney’s production company rented out the stage their team will be using. But Kennedy Center officials view the play as intertwined with other programming offered by the arts center under the Trump administration.

“This all figures into this effort at the Kennedy Center to combat antisemitism through the arts,” said Bonnie Glick, the Kennedy Center’s senior director of individual giving and corporate relations. “We are actively helping them to get the word out about what happened on Oct. 7 through eyewitness accounts.”

A journalist by training, McAleer previously worked as a reporter at the Financial Times and The Economist in Eastern Europe. He and McElhinney operate under the framework of what’s known as verbatim theater — productions modeled off real events, with the actors portraying real people and reciting, verbatim, their own words.

“It’s the world the way it is, not the way we’d like it to be,” McAleer said. “So that, I think, is why we went to Israel after Oct. 7, was because we saw people weren’t telling the truth. Or we saw that people were immediately pivoting away from Oct. 7 and pivoting to Gaza.”

Journalism is often described as the “first rough draft of history,” McAleer noted.

“We just felt that nobody was going to write this draft,” McAleer said. “They were all going to write the first draft of the Gaza war without mentioning Oct. 7.”

There is still a degree of editorializing, of course. McAleer and McElhinney had to choose which survivors to include, and to cut down their parts from hours of interviews. But everything spoken on stage in the production came from real conversations.

“Every word on stage was said by someone in our interviews,” McAleer said. “I was very determined that it would be their voices.”

Neither McAleer nor McElhinney had been to Israel prior to 2023. Soon after the Hamas attacks, they turned to Jewish friends in Los Angeles, where they now live, and began to ask around for people to talk to who had been affected by the attacks.

Within weeks, they planned a trip to Israel, and spent three weeks there interviewing Oct. 7 survivors for hours each day. The play starts with each speaker describing how they spent the day before the attack.

“It starts on Oct. 6, and that was very deliberate,” McAleer said. “They would be at peace now, still, if it wasn’t for Oct. 7.”

When the pair initially cast the show, they said some people opted not to audition for parts because they worried that being in a play so closely connected to Israel might damage their career. The theater community is a “very intolerant bunch,” McAleer noted.

“But then there were people who said, ‘I have to be in this play.’ That was unusual,” McAleer added. “For the first time ever, I saw an audition tape where they would say, ‘Just before I do the audition, I just want to say, this is the most important play I’ve ever auditioned for.’ They broke the rules of auditioning to address us.”

Since the initial run in New York, the play has been performed a handful of times on college campuses. The producers, along with the Kennedy Center, hope that it will serve as an educational tool for people in the area.

“It’s designed and timed to be when Congress is back in session, when schools and universities are back in session,” Glick said. “Their goal is to have this be something that sparks dialogue in a cordial manner, and that brings continued visibility to what happened on Oct. 7 through eyewitness accounts.”

For McAleer, the purpose of the show is straightforward. “All I wanted,” he said, “was to tell the truth.”

Daily Overtime

Jewish groups slam Scott Wiener for about-face on Israel

Plus, Trump favors strikes on Iran over diplomacy

Russell Yip/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

California State Senator Scott Wiener addresses the SF Chronicle Editorial Board on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 in San Francisco, Calif.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 12, 2026

Good Monday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The suspect in the arson attack that destroyed Mississippi’s largest synagogue early Saturday morning confessed to targeting the building because of its “Jewish ties,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

In an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Mississippi more than 48 hours after the attack, the FBI said the suspect, Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, admitted to starting the blaze at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., due to “the building’s Jewish ties” and referred to the institution as the “synagogue of Satan” in an interview with the Jackson Fire Department. Pittman was charged with “maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive”…

President Donald Trump said Iranian officials made contact with the U.S. over the weekend and proposed restarting nuclear negotiations, telling reporters, “A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting,” referring to the U.S. potentially taking military action in Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters around the country.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also spoke with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days about the protests, Axios reports; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today that an Iranian government official who spoke to Witkoff “express[ed] a far different tone than what you’re seeing publicly.”

Trump is currently leaning toward authorizing military strikes rather than engaging in diplomacy, The Wall Street Journal reports, and he is scheduled to hold a briefing tomorrow with advisors, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, to make a determination…

California Jewish communal organizations released a joint statement today condemning state Sen. Scott Wiener’s remarks on Israel, after the Jewish House candidate said in a video statement yesterday that he is changing his position and will now call Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide.

“We recognize that Senator Wiener has been a strong supporter of the Jewish community throughout the Israel-Hamas war and his many years of public service, and that he has directly experienced antisemitic attacks simply for being Jewish. Unfortunately, Senator Wiener’s newly stated position is both incorrect and lacks moral clarity. … We call on the Senator and our elected, civic, and education leaders to recognize and reflect on the consequences of their words in this fraught and polarizing environment,” the statement read…

In a major recruiting win for Senate Democrats, former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) announced her run against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today, JI’s Marc Rod reports, giving Democrats an outside chance of picking up the red-state Senate seat.

Peltola maintained a strongly pro-Israel voting record during her one term in the House, breaking on numerous occasions with a majority of her party to vote for measures supporting the Jewish state post-Oct. 7, including supporting a stand-alone Israel aid package opposed by many Democrats. Sullivan, for his part, has been a hawkish pro-Israel voice in the Senate, and has pushed for a more aggressive stance toward Iran…

Democratic Maryland state Del. Adrian Boafo is launching a bid to succeed his former mentor, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), as the former House majority leader retires. Boafo, who served as campaign manager for Hoyer, is expected to be the party favorite in the primary, Politico reports. Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who rose to prominence after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, is also considering joining the race…

In another race to watch, Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ) in New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District gained another opponent in Tiffany Burress, a Republican political newcomer and wife of former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress. On the first day of her campaign, Burress has already secured the backing of several GOP county chairs, as the party looks to flip the seat away from Pou after Trump unexpectedly carried the district in 2024…

Former Obama administration officials and Crooked Media hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Ben Rhodes are hosting a fundraiser in Hollywood, Calif., on Thursday for Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left, anti-Israel candidate running for Senate in Michigan, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

El-Sayed, a physician and former director of the Wayne County Department of Health, has made his criticisms of Israel a centerpiece of his campaign, blasting other candidates in the race as being insufficiently hostile to the Jewish state. Favreau, Lovett and Rhodes, on their “Pod Save America” and “Pod Save the World” podcasts, have also emerged as a vocal force against Israel and AIPAC in the Democratic Party, and have boosted prominent anti-Israel candidates in other hot-button primaries…

The future of the Israeli Lounge at the Trump-Kennedy Center is reportedly in peril, eJewishPhilanthropy‘s Judah Ari Gross reports, “unless a major donor from the Jewish community steps up and makes a large donation,” far-right commentator Laura Loomer said over the weekend. The center’s president, Richard Grenell, is seeking to renovate the space; Loomer has suggested Qatar may look to provide the funds for the room’s overhaul…

The New York Times reports on the brewing fight between states over the order of 2028 Democratic presidential primary elections…

Dina Powell McCormick, a banking executive, former deputy national security advisor to Trump and wife of Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), was named president and vice chair of Meta, reporting to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Axios reports. Zuckerberg said in a statement that Powell McCormick will focus on “partnering with governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta’s AI and infrastructure”…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for more details on the motives and background of the suspected arsonist who set fire to the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., over the weekend.

President Donald Trump will receive a major briefing on avenues for responding to Iran’s violent suppression of protests, including cyber, economic and military options.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver her State of the State address in Albany, where she plans to announce her proposal to create a 25-foot buffer zone around houses of worship and health-care facilities. (The legislation, while welcomed by major Jewish groups, would not have prevented the pro-Hamas protest that disrupted a Queens community last week, which took place approximately 300 feet away from the targeted synagogue.) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to be in attendance.

Stories You May Have Missed

VENEZUELAN VIEWS

After years in exile, Venezuelan Jews celebrate the fall of Maduro

Mural artist from Venezuela, Pedro Martin, pictured. A mural depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro portrayed as captured is seen in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami, Florida.

Some Venezuelan Jews see similarities in the response of far-left activists to Trump’s capture of Maduro and their criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza

Read more

Firebombing Probe

Jackson’s only synagogue targeted in arson attack

Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., was previously bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967

Beth Israel Congregation

Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., targeted in an arson attack on Jan. 10, 2026.

By

Haley Cohen

January 11, 2026

A suspect is under arrest for an act of arson that significantly damaged Mississippi’s largest synagogue early Saturday morning, authorities reported.

Local law enforcement arrested a suspect whom they believe purposefully set fire to Beth Israel Congregation shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Jackson Mayor John Horhn confirmed. The suspect’s name and motive have not been disclosed.

Beth Israel Congregation is the only synagogue in Jackson, the state’s capital and most populous city. The historic building also houses the offices of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which supports Jewish life in the region.

Located in a major hub of the Civil Rights Movement, Beth Israel was bombed in 1967 by the Ku Klux Klan over the rabbi’s support for racial justice — including providing chaplain services to activists incarcerated for challenging segregated bussing in the state.

No congregants were injured in Saturday’s blaze. Two Torah scrolls were destroyed in the fire, and five more were damaged. A Torah that survived the Holocaust, which was kept in a glass case, was unharmed. The congregation’s library and administrative office were ruined, and the congregation has canceled services indefinitely.

“We have already had outreach from other houses of worship in the Jackson area and greatly appreciate their support in this very difficult time,” the synagogue president, Zach Shemper, said in a statement. About 3,000 Jews live in Mississippi, comprising 0.1% of its 3 million residents. The southern state is home to around a dozen synagogues.

While police and the FBI have not yet determined the suspect’s motive, the arson comes as antisemitic hate crimes in the U.S. reached a record high in 2024 since the FBI started tracking data in 1991.

The incident drew condemnation from elected officials and Jewish leaders.

“Acts of antisemitism, racism and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as threats to our residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Horhn said in a statement. “Targeting people because of their faith, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation is morally wrong, un-American and incompatible with the values of this city.”

“I would hope that all Mississippians and all Jacksonians would commit themselves toward moving beyond such behavior and activity and find a way where we can all get together and get along,” continued Horhn, who said he remembers the 1967 attack, which occurred when he was 12.

“Our hearts are with the members of Beth Israel Congregation. We stand together with them as do all the caring people of Mississippi. We denounce violence and find attacks on places of worship especially despicable,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said in a statement.

“Regardless of the findings of the investigation, this is what it means to be Jewish in America right now: antisemitic violence and attacks on synagogues and Jews are so common that they barely register beyond local news, and the people most often naming it, mourning it, and sounding the alarm are Jews themselves,” Sheila Katz, chief Jewish life officer at Jewish Federations of North America, wrote on social media.

“It also means this: the Jewish community in Mississippi will come together. They will support one another and be supported by Jews they don’t know around the country and the world. They will rebuild. They will continue to celebrate Jewish holidays and live Jewish life with joy,” Katz continued.

“Waking to the news of an arson attack on a Mississippi synagogue feels all too familiar. This description is chilling. We stand with the Jackson community,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

“Grateful that law enforcement has apprehended a suspect,” Deutch continued. “Glad the Mayor has spoken out. Now will you touch base with your Jewish friends, neighbors and co-workers? Let them know that you understand this attack in Jackson is an attack on them as well. Tell them you stand with the Jewish community. It will mean more than you know.”

“The fact that this historic synagogue … has once again been targeted is particularly painful and disturbing. We will continue to monitor the situation closely,” said Lindsay Baach Friedmann, regional director of Anti-Defamation League South Central.

Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, called on leaders “to speak out, stand with the Jewish community in meaningful ways, and work to build strong coalitions and advance holistic approaches to counter hate, violence, and extremism wherever it exists. This crisis threatens Jews, all communities, and our democracy — and until it’s treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, none of us will be safe,” she said.

“Domestic terrorism against Jews never happens in a vacuum,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a staunch ally of the Jewish community, said in a statement. “Instead of extinguishing the fires of antisemitism, American politics is often guilty of fanning the flames.”

Deborah Lipstadt, the former State Department special antisemitism envoy, called the arson attack “another step in the globalization of the intifada.”

BILL BLOCK

Gov. Phil Murphy killed New Jersey antisemitism legislation, sources say

Murphy and other Democrats were reportedly concerned that support for the legislation would fuel primary campaigns against incumbents

AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy speaks during a press conference to announce that George Helmy will take the U.S. Senate seat that will soon be vacated by Senator Bob Menendez, in Newark, New Jersey, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024.

By

Marc Rod

January 9, 2026

A high-profile New Jersey bill adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism is not expected to pass in the current New Jersey Assembly session, four sources familiar with the situation told Jewish Insider.

Two sources familiar with the legislation said that Gov. Phil Murphy opposed the legislation and was a key obstacle to its passage.

Assemblyman Gary Schaer, the Democratic lead sponsor of the legislation, told Politico on Thursday that he had been told by the assembly speaker that the legislation would not be on the docket for the assembly’s final session next week because it did not have “the necessary votes to get where we wanted to.”

“Leadership in the assembly, in the Senate and in the governor’s office have tried significantly to get it done, but they have not been able to get it done,” Schaer told JI. “My office worked closely with any number of agencies and organizations, but the effort was just — cannot get it done. Do I think the bill can pass at some point? The answer is yes, but it requires a political will which does not seem to be evident.”

The legislation was cosponsored by a significant majority of the assembly, but — assuming any Democrats not cosponsoring the bill would have voted against it — it would not have been able to pass with Democratic votes alone.

The bill would have instructed law enforcement to take the IHRA definition into account when determining if violations of state or federal anti-bias law have occurred or whether criminal acts were motivated by antisemitism, and to use it for training public officials and responding to antisemitic incidents.

The legislation, which has been a priority for Jewish state leaders, became a flashpoint among Democratic gubernatorial candidates and in Democratic politics last year. After much debate, it moved through committee in the state Assembly, but hasn’t received a full-chamber vote in either the Assembly or the state Senate. The legislature’s session ends on Monday, and Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill will be sworn in the following week.

Two sources familiar with the legislation blamed Murphy, the outgoing governor, for its failure, alleging that he did not want to be forced to make a decision whether to sign it.

One source familiar with the situation emphasized that the legislation had the support to pass, but that Democratic leaders were reluctant to move the bill forward to a full vote — concerned that support for the bill would place some Democratic members in danger of progressive primary challenges in the future. Concerns about such primary challenges are already widespread, and leaders were concerned that the IHRA bill could give challengers additional ammunition against Democratic incumbents.

The legislation has been attacked by progressive Democrats as an attempt to silence free speech and criticism of Israel, despite provisions in the legislation protecting free speech and its narrow application in criminal matters.

The Murphy administration declined to comment on pending legislation, but emphasized that Murphy “unequivocally condemns all forms of violence and discrimination based on religious belief” and pointed to past statements and initiatives he has supported to combat rising antisemitism in the Garden State.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) told Politico that Murphy would have signed the bill had it passed the legislature.

Another source familiar with the situation said that there had been significant finger-pointing between Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, with each blaming the others for the legislation’s failure to pass. Scutari and Coughlin did not respond to requests for comment.

Assemblyman Mike Inganamort, the lead Republican sponsor of the legislation, told JI he’s “disappointed” the legislation has not made it into law.

“This has been going on for a long time now, preceding even my time in the legislature,” he said. “I think advocates are tired of getting jerked around. Frankly, what I’m hearing from them is they’re tired of the lip service … all we’re asking for is a simple up-or-down vote.”

He emphasized that the legislation is co-sponsored by approximately three-quarters of the Assembly but votes have repeatedly been postponed — “so does the majority rule or not?”

He said that he’s not involved in internal discussions among Democrats about the bill, but said, “the reality is, it’s highly likely that there is a very vocal fringe that is opposed to this legislation. And I sure hope they’re not the ones calling the shots.”

Inganamort said that he’ll work with his fellow sponsors to “fight again in the new term,” though he said that he’s not “terribly optimistic that we’re going to achieve more success in a new term under a new governor,” saying he had been “cautioned to re-read” Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s “exact words” on the subject.

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill told JI in February 2025 that she “supported the IHRA definition in the U.S. House, and would support the current state Senate bill to combat the alarming rise of antisemitism in New Jersey.” Some Jewish leaders told JI that she made comments later in the campaign that included caveats about free speech concerns — which is protected in the existing legislation — but ultimately clarified and strengthened her position.

Daily Overtime

Protests continue to test Tehran’s grip

Plus, New Jersey IHRA bill scuttled

Kamran / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 8, 2026

Good Thursday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Protests are escalating across Iran, with videos showing masses of demonstrators taking to the streets and security forces at times overwhelmed. Human rights groups estimate dozens of protesters have already been killed and reports indicate the country is experiencing an internet blackout. Storeowners are reportedly shuttering their businesses in an economic boycott, further deepening the economic crisis that spurred the unrest.

President Donald Trump reiterated his warning today that the Iranian regime will “have to pay hell” if “they start killing people, which they tend to do,” speculating that the deaths so far have been caused by stampedes and not law enforcement. Vice President JD Vance said at a press briefing that the Iranian regime “has a lot of problems” and that “the smartest thing for them to have done … is for them to actually have a real negotiation with the United States”…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced today that he is establishing a royal commission into antisemitism in the country, after the deadly terror attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney last month. The commission, considered a powerful tool in Australian governance, will investigate the scope and causes of antisemitism and make recommendations for law enforcement, in a report due on the year anniversary of the Dec. 14 attack…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain would send “peacekeeping troops” to the Gaza Strip “when the opportunity presents itself.” Speaking to a gathering of ambassadors in Madrid today, he said, “Of course, we have not forgotten Palestine and the Gaza Strip … Spain must actively participate in rebuilding hope in Palestine.” Many countries remain wary of contributing troops to stabilize Gaza over concerns of being required to engage with Hamas…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with Nickolay Mladenov, former U.N. envoy to the Middle East and soon-to-be representative of the U.S.-led Board of Peace in Gaza…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been silent thus far today about a protest taking place tonight organized by the radical anti-Israel group responsible for a similar protest outside the Park East Synagogue in November, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

The group posted the address of the real estate event they intend to protest, which is taking place at a synagogue in Queens’ heavily Jewish neighborhood of Kew Gardens Hills. The synagogue canceled prayer services and two nearby schools, Yeshiva of Central Queens and PS 165, announced early closures. Democratic state Assemblymember Sam Berger, who represents the area, told JI that local principals, staff and parents are “very concerned.” The surrounding area has been “completely upended,” he said…

The New Jersey Legislature will not give further consideration to a bill seeking to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into state law during this legislative session, the bill’s lead sponsor announced, after several years of the Jewish community’s urging for the measure to be adopted…

Rob Sand, the state auditor and Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa, announced he raised over $9.5 million in 2025, more than double the record for off-year fundraising for a gubernatorial election in the state. Sand told Jewish Insider in 2019, when he first took office as auditor, that he conducted what was “definitely the first audit” to ensure agencies were in compliance with a state anti-BDS law. “When you say [you are] willing to be supportive of your ally [Israel], you need to put your money where your mouth is,” he said at the time…

Far-left New York state Assemblywoman Claire Valdez joined the race to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) today in the progressive 7th Congressional District covering parts of Brooklyn and Queens. The Democratic Socialists of America and Mamdani are expected to endorse Valdez, a move that could prove consequential in the district that The New York Times said will “pit left against lefter.”

Valdez, who has already brought on several of Mamdani’s advisors, was a vocal critic of Israel’s war in Gaza and pro-Israel political groups; her opponent, Antonio Reynoso, takes similar stances but is viewed as a more “traditional progressive” and is expected to secure Velázquez’s support, the Times reports…

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) officially announced his retirement today after serving 23 terms, one of the longest-serving House members in U.S. history. Speaking on the House floor, the former majority leader and pro-Israel champion warned he was “deeply concerned that this House is not living up to the founders’ goals” and that the country “is heading not toward greatness, but toward smallness, pettiness, divisiveness, loneliness and disdainfulness”…

In his first State of the State address since 2020 — and final before his term ends next year — California Gov. Gavin Newsom heralded his state as a “beacon” and a “policy blueprint for others to follow.” He denounced Trump and laid out a policy agenda including clean energy, increased wages and lowered housing costs, in a speech seen as laying the groundwork for his potential 2028 presidential run…

The Qatar Investment Authority and Emirati-based MGX, linked to a UAE sovereign wealth fund, participated in the latest fundraising round for Elon Musk’s xAI, which raised over $15 billion total. Gulf investors including QIA and the Saudi and Omani sovereign funds have taken part in previous fundraising rounds for the company that owns the Grok AI chatbot on X…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at how legislation in New Jersey to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism was scuttled — and who was behind the bill’s demise.

The third season of the hit TV show “Tehran” will premiere in the U.S. on Apple TV tomorrow, after a delay of several years. The popular international thriller, which follows a Mossad agent operating undercover in Iran, was indefinitely postponed at the outset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The season ran in Israel in December 2024, and Apple has announced the fourth season is already in production.

On Saturday, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt will sit in conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe about the “golden age of American Jewry” at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat Shalom!

Stories You May Have Missed

SAUDI SPOTLIGHT

U.S. lawmakers weigh in on fears of Saudi Arabia accommodating Islamists

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud walks to his seat after speaking during the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center November 19, 2025, in Washington, DC.

The lawmakers downplayed reports of a serious Gulf rift, with Rep. Brad Sherman calling the increasing disputes between neighbors ‘tactical, not ideological’

Read more

Daily Overtime

Julie Menin makes history in Manhattan

Plus, Likud lawmaker calls out 'poison' on American right

Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Council member Julie Menin speaks during rally of 240 Holocaust survivors for 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas during terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 7, 2026

Good Wednesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Qatar is the top country donating foreign funds to American universities, and Cornell University is its leading recipient, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

According to a new dashboard from the Department of Education, Qatar holds the No. 1 spot for funds provided to U.S. universities at a whopping $6.6 billion — $2.3 billion of which has gone to Cornell, making up the vast majority of the school’s $3 billion in foreign funding. Qatar has provided significantly more funds than the next leading countries, bolstering criticisms of the Gulf state’s influence over American higher education…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud this afternoon “to advance ongoing bilateral cooperation” following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November. Rubio and Al-Saud discussed issues including Gaza, Yemen, Sudan and Syria, according to a State Department readout.

The Saudi foreign minister also met with lawmakers on the Hill, including Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the chair and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee…

Trump is expected to kick off the second phase of the Gaza peace plan next week, Axios reports, including announcing the formation of the Gaza Board of Peace. Among the countries expected to participate are the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, with former U.N. envoy to the Middle East Nikolay Mladenov at the helm…

In a Truth Social post this afternoon, Trump called for the U.S. defense budget to be raised to $1.5 trillion in 2027, an increase of approximately 50% from his 2026 request…

Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz, in a speech to the Knesset on Monday, warned the American right about the dangers of rising antisemitism within its ranks, JI’s Lahav Harkov reports.

“I stand here in Jerusalem to sound an alarm,” Illouz said. “We are used to enemies from the outside … but today, I look at the West — our greatest ally — and I see a new enemy rising from within.” Illouz, who was born and raised in Montreal, took the unusual step of speaking from the lectern in English.

The right-wing lawmaker called for American conservatives to reject what he called the “poison” of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, mentioning the podcasters by name. “They claim to fight the ‘woke left.’ They are no different than the woke left,” Illouz argued. “The woke left tears down statues of Thomas Jefferson, the woke right tears down statues of Winston Churchill … It is the same hatred of the West dressed up in a different costume”…

New York City Councilmember Julie Menin was unanimously voted speaker of the council today, as expected, after she announced in November that she had garnered enough support to secure the position.

Shortly after being elected, Menin, the first Jewish council speaker in the city with the largest Jewish population in the world, said she will look to codify legislation to protect the Jewish community, including establishing safe perimeters for protests around synagogues…

A new poll by the Honan Strategy Group found Jewish and non-Jewish New York voters split in their views about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Forward reports. Fifty-five percent of non-Jewish respondents said Jews who say they feel threatened by Mamdani’s views on Israel are overreacting, while 53% of Jewish respondents said they are justified to feel that way. Fifty-one percent of Jews said Mamdani’s election is a troubling sign that antisemitism is being normalized, while 61% of non-Jews see it as evidence of healthy debate and diversity…

The New York Times lays out an ongoing lawsuit in New York over redistricting that could see the 11th Congressional District redrawn, which could impact the boundaries of Rep. Dan Goldman’s (D-NY) neighboring district and further complicate his reelection prospects…

In New Jersey, congressional candidates are raking in donations for what’s shaping up to be one of the state’s most expensive primary cycles ever. In the special election in the state’s 11th Congressional District to replace Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) announced he’s raised more than $1 million in the two months since he launched his bid.

Three Democratic candidates vying for Malinowski’s old seat in the neighboring 7th District, now held by Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), have also raised over $1 million each, including former Navy pilot Rebecca Bennett. The large fundraising hauls are unusual for an off year, though Democrats see the 7th as a promising opportunity to flip a House seat, given that the swing district narrowly voted for Sherrill, a Democrat, in November…

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a far-right Republican, announced today he will not pursue a rematch against Gov. Josh Shapiro, to whom he lost decisively in the 2022 gubernatorial race, amid speculation that he would once again seek the office…

Warner Bros. rejected a hostile takeover bid from Paramount, in the latest development in the battle to acquire the media giant. The company’s board voted to maintain its existing deal with Netflix for $72 billion, calling Paramount’s amended $77.9 billion offer with a personal guarantee from Larry Ellison “inadequate”…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at the dynamics that may play out between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the newly inaugurated City Council Speaker Julie Menin as she plays a critical role in potentially providing a check against the mayor’s policy agenda.

Temple Emanu-El’s Streicker Center in New York City will host a screening of the documentary “The Road Between Us” about Gen. Noam Tibon’s historic rescue of his family amid the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, as well as a discussion with Tibon and director Barry Avrich. Read JI’s interview with Tibon and Avrich.

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REASONS AND RAMIFICATIONS

Why Israel recognized Somaliland — and what the rest of the world might do next

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Jan 6, 2026

After Israel announced it would recognize the secessionist region, the big question remains whether the United States will follow suit

Read more

ally’s appeal

Israeli lawmaker calls on American right to reject ‘poison’ of Carlson, Owens

‘We are the people of eternity. … We will be here long after your YouTube channels are forgotten dust,’ Likud’s Dan Illouz said in a Knesset speech

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Knesset building is seen in Jerusalem, Israel on March 19, 2025.

By

Lahav Harkov

January 7, 2026

Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz, in a speech to the Knesset on Monday, warned the American right about the dangers of rising antisemitism within its ranks.

“I stand here in Jerusalem to sound an alarm,” Illouz said. “We are used to enemies from the outside … but today, I look at the West — our greatest ally — and I see a new enemy rising from within.”

Illouz, who was born and grew up in Montreal, took the unusual step of speaking from the lectern in English.

The right-wing lawmaker called for American conservatives to reject what he called the “poison” of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, mentioning the podcasters by name.

“They claim to fight the ‘woke left.’ They are no different than the woke left,” Illouz argued. “The woke left tears down statues of Thomas Jefferson, the woke right tears down statues of Winston Churchill … It is the same hatred of the West dressed up in a different costume.”

He noted Carlson’s praise for World War II revisionism: “[Carlson] nods along when he’s told the Holocaust was a logistical error, a mistake by a camp that was unprepared. This is madness. He spits on the graves of American soldiers who stormed Normandy. … Why? To erase the line between good and evil.”

Owens, Illouz said, “spreads the sickest blood libels … claiming this state was founded by ‘pedophiles.’”

“She does not know history; she does not know the Bible,” Illouz added. “She only knows how to peddle hate.”

Illouz said that his message for Carlson, Owens and their ilk is that “we are the people of eternity. We buried the pharaohs who enslaved us. We buried the Greeks who tried to ban our Torah. We buried the Romans who burned our temple. We danced on the ruins of the Third Reich. And we will be here long after your YouTube channels are forgotten dust.”

“You think your lies can break the bond between America and Israel? You are small. This bond is giant,” Illouz stated.

The alliance between the U.S. and Israel is about shared values between “two nations who hold the torch of liberty while the rest of the world falls into darkness,” he said.

“Together we protect the values of freedom, democracy and the Bible against the barbarians at the gates,” Illouz added.

The Likud lawmaker implored American supporters of Israel not to accept defeat.

“The story of America and Israel is not over. It is just beginning. We have achieved miracles together, and we will achieve greater miracles yet,” he said. “Reject the lies. Stand with us, because when we stand together, Jerusalem and Washington, no force on earth can defeat us. Am Yisrael Chai.”

FLASHPOINT AHEAD

Mamdani tested by planned protests targeting Jewish communities

Democratic state Assemblyman Sam Berger said Mamdani’s recent revocation of the IHRA definition is ‘all the more concerning’ in light of the threats to Jewish communities

Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Anti-Israel demonstrators gather at 'No Settlers on Stolen Land' protest against a Nefesh b'Nefesh event at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan in November 2025.

By

Haley Cohen

January 7, 2026

A radical anti-Israel activist group responsible for the disruptive November protest outside of a historic synagogue in Manhattan announced it will hold a similar demonstration on Thursday, marking the first major test Mayor Zohran Mamdani will face in protecting the city’s Jewish community since he was inaugurated last week.

The group, called Palestinian Assembly for Liberation [PAL]-Awda, initially announced two demonstrations against Israeli immigration events in New York City this week. “Nefesh B’Nfesh settler recruitment fair on Wednesday at 7 pm in Manhattan and illegal Stolen Palestinian Land sale on Thursday at 6:30 in Queens,” it wrote Tuesday on social media, adding that it would disclose event locations on Wednesday.

The group, which never posted the location of the Nefesh B’ Nefesh event, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday evening, less than an hour before the event started, that “our planned action tonight to protest the settler recruitment event is being cancelled.”

“Although NBN is still holding their event, their reach and attendance has been diminished,” it wrote. “PAL-Awda NY/NJ and our allies will build on this win to ensure our community will always stand together in vocal opposition to zionist settler colonialism, to all settler recruitment, and genocide.”

Thursday’s demonstration, which PAL-Awda said it is still planning to hold, is protesting an event held by CapitIL, a Jerusalem-based real estate agency.

PAL-Awda led a mob of anti-Israel demonstrators in November in a protest outside of Park East synagogue as it was hosting a Nefesh B’Nefesh event providing information on immigration to Israel. Protesters shouted chants including “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch later called the protest “turmoil,” while Mamdani’s office said the event was promoting “activities in violation of international law.”

The planned protest comes as Mamdani is facing criticism for repealing antisemitism and Israel-related executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams, including one that saw the city adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, just hours after taking office on Jan 1. Coupled with Mamdani’s reaction to the November protest, Democratic state Assemblyman Sam Berger expressed concerns on Tuesday about how the mayor might handle this week’s protests.

“Without IHRA as a guiding standard, the city lacks a reliable framework to recognize when extremist language is being laundered as political discourse, leaving communities vulnerable in moments exactly like this,” Berger wrote on social media calling the mayor’s decision to repeal the executive order “all the more concerning” in light of the threats to the Jewish community.

Berger, an Orthodox Jew whose district includes the area where Thursday’s Israeli real estate event is being held, said that PAL-Awda also protested a similar event a year and a half ago. That demonstration “quickly descended into vile displays of antisemitism and open support for terrorist organizations whose stated goal is the complete destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. That context matters and it cannot be ignored,” said Berger.

“During that previous incident, protestors stood across the street, more than one hundred feet away, yet the distance did nothing to prevent a stream of antisemitic chants, tropes and harassment. Criticism of Israel is not the issue. The concern is when those arguments are used as a cover for blatant antisemitism, which is exactly what happened last time,” said Berger, adding that he’s “been in contact with the commanding officer of [NYPD’s] 107th Precinct and with Queens Shmira, and am assured they are taking this very seriously and that the community will be protected and public safety will remain the priority throughout this scheduled protest.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Tuesday she plans to implement a policy establishing “safety zones” around houses of worship.

Daily Overtime

Iran ramps up threats amid heat at home

Plus, New York candidates get in the midterm mood

Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

An anti-U.S. and Israeli billboard depicting symbolic images of coffins of U.S. and Israeli soldiers, alongside a statement from the Speaker of Iran's Parliament, Ali Larijani, that reads, ''Watch out your soldiers,'' hangs from a state building in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 6, 2026.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 6, 2026

Good Tuesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Bolstering concerns that Iran could attempt to strike Israel to rally domestic support amid nationwide protests, Iran’s Defense Council warned today that Tehran could act against its “long-standing enemies” over their “hostile behavior.”

The body, formed after the June war with Israel, said in a statement that “Iran’s security, independence and territorial integrity are an uncrossable red line, and any aggression or continuation of hostile behavior will be met with a proportionate and decisive response.”

“The long-standing enemies of this land” are “repeating and intensifying threatening language and interventionist statements in clear conflict with the accepted principles of international law, which is aimed at dismembering our beloved Iran and harming the country’s identity,” the statement continued, as President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene if Iran cracks down on the protesters…

Wrapping up a U.S.-mediated dialogue in Paris, Israel and Syria made progress towards improving relations as they agreed to accelerate the pace of negotiations going forward, considered a U.S. proposal to establish a demilitarized joint economic zone and agreed to set up a communication mechanism to facilitate coordination on military deescalation, intelligence sharing and diplomacy…

Domestically, midterm election year is in full swing: Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) officially launched his reelection bid today in New York’s 10th Congressional District, highlighting the date as the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and his role as the House’s lead counsel during Trump’s first impeachment.

Goldman came out of the gate against his opponent, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, with a slew of endorsements, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA).

Goldman told The New York Times that he understood his continued support for Israel “ran the risk of engendering a primary” in his progressive district but that he made his decisions based on “what I genuinely thought was best for the state of Israel, the people of Israel, Palestinian civilians and the future state of Palestine”…

Nearby in New York’s 12th Congressional District, George Conway, a former Republican lawyer and prominent critic of Trump who launched his run today as a Democrat, raised several concerns about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s approach to Israel and antisemitism in recent interviews, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Conway, who recently relocated to Manhattan in order to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), said in an interview with The New York Times that he was “disturbed” by Mamdani’s sharp criticisms of Israel, even as he called the mayor “a great politician” and voiced admiration for his “focus on affordability.”

Conway added in an interview with NBC News that he was “concerned about some of the language” Mamdani has “used in the past about Israel,” as well as the mayor’s recent decision to revoke a pair of executive orders related to Israel and antisemitism on his first day in office. “His focus really has to be on bringing people together,” Conway said of Mamdani, “not sending the wrong message to individual groups of people”…

In the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District to take on Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Peter Chatzky, the deputy mayor of Briarcliff Manor, injected $5 million of his own money into his campaign, Politico reports. Chatzky has stood out from the crowd in the competitive swing district in the northern suburbs of New York City with his comparatively critical stance of Israel.

Cait Conley, meanwhile, a national security veteran strongly supportive of Israel who is considered one of the front-runners in the seven-person race to take on Lawler, announced yesterday that she raised more than $560,000 in the last quarter of 2025 and has over $1.2 million in cash on hand…

Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) is considering mounting a run for Senate to challenge Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Axios reports. Peltola narrowly lost her seat in 2024 when Trump carried the state in the presidential election; if she does make a bid, she would give Democrats the opportunity to contest a red-state race, giving them an outside shot to win back the upper chamber…

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) died today at 65, Republican leadership announced. AIPAC mourned him as “an outspoken pro-Israel leader in Congress.” The congressman’s seat, a largely rural district he represented since 2013, was redrawn last year to be more favorable to Democrats, but a special election to fill his seat will be held under the old map friendlier to Republicans due to the timing of the vacancy…

Speaking at a press conference on the latest crime statistics out of New York City, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, standing next to Mamdani, said that antisemitic hate crimes in the city declined 3% from 2024 to 2025 but, at 57%, still make up the majority of all hate crimes reported…

In an interview released today on CNN commentator Scott Jennings’ podcast, Vice President JD Vance, asked about the rise of antisemitism in the conservative movement, said, “we need to reject all forms of ethnic hatred, whether it’s antisemitism, anti-Black hatred, anti-white hatred,” JI’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports.

“I think that’s one of the great things about the conservative coalition, is that we are, I think, fundamentally rooted in the Christian principles that founded the United States of America and one of those very important principles is that we judge people as individuals,” Vance continued…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a deep dive into the geopolitical ramifications of Israel’s choice to formally recognize the African nation of Somaliland — and whether the U.S. might follow suit.

The New York City Council will vote to elect its speaker tomorrow, which is widely expected to be Councilmember Julie Menin. Menin, who will be the first Jewish speaker of the council, has already begun to push back on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, expressing her concern to him over his repeal of former Mayor Eric Adams’ executive orders related to Israel and antisemitism.

In Washington, the Atlantic Council will host a discussion on the “future of humanitarian assistance,” including remarks from IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer.

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TORAH AND BENCH

The judge overseeing the Maduro trial blazed a trail for Jewish lawyers

Judge Alvin Hellerstein became a law clerk because firms would not hire an Orthodox lawyer; now, he cites Torah from the bench

Read more

DILUTING THE MESSAGE

Asked about antisemitism, VP Vance says ‘all forms of ethnic hatred’ should be rejected

Vance: ‘One of the great things about the conservative coalition, is that we are, I think, fundamentally rooted in the Christian principles that founded the United States of America’

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Vice President J.D. Vance speaks during a campaign rally at the Elite Jet at Contact Aviation facility on October 24, 2024 in Waterford, Michigan.

By

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 6, 2026

Vice President JD Vance, asked about the rise of antisemitism in the conservative movement, said “all forms of ethnic hatred” must be rejected and emphasized that the U.S. is rooted in “Christian principles.”

In an interview released Tuesday, CNN commentator Scott Jennings, on his eponymous podcast, asked the vice president about “certain kinds of views that have been espoused by certain kinds of people” in the conservative movement who “try to drag you into this conversation all the time.”

“Just for the record, does the conservative movement need to warehouse anybody out there espousing antisemitism in any way?” Jennings asked.

“No it doesn’t, Scott,” Vance answered. “I think that we need to reject all forms of ethnic hatred, whether it’s antisemitism, anti-Black hatred, anti-white hatred. I think that’s one of the great things about the conservative coalition, is that we are, I think, fundamentally rooted in the Christian principles that founded the United States of America and one of those very important principles is that we judge people as individuals.”

The vice president continued, “Every person is made in the image of God. You judge them by what they do, not by what ethnic group they belong to and I think that principle is important. It’s something we gotta hold onto in the conservative movement because, God knows, the left abandoned it a long time ago.”

SURVEY SAYS

Large majority of Jewish Israelis feel safer in Israel than abroad, survey finds

The Israeli Voice Index poll also found overwhelming support among Jewish Israelis for Israeli government involvement in protecting Jewish communities abroad

Getty Images

Tel Aviv and the coast from the airplane

By

Tamara Zieve

January 6, 2026

A significant majority of Jewish Israelis feel that it is safer for them to live in Israel than abroad, according to a new survey by the Israeli Voice Index, reflecting heightened concerns about antisemitism overseas.

While 76% of Jewish Israelis feel that their home country is the safest place for them, only 32% of Arabs feel the same, with 35% of Arab respondents answering that both are equally safe and 29% seeing life abroad as safer.

Researchers at the Israel Democracy Institute, which released the findings of the survey on Tuesday, said the gap in perceptions is likely linked to high levels of violent crime in Arab communities and what they described as an inadequate state response.

The survey also found overwhelming support among Jewish Israelis for Israeli government involvement in protecting Jewish communities abroad. Ninety percent said Israel should pressure foreign governments to ensure the security of Jewish communities, 80% supported sending Israeli emissaries abroad, 62% favored direct involvement in security arrangements for Jewish events and 50% backed financial support for Diaspora communities. Support for such measures was significantly lower among Arab Israelis.

The survey was conducted by the Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the end of last month, about two weeks after 15 people were killed in a terror attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.

The survey included 752 men and women with a ±3.57% margin of error.

MAMDANI MOMENT

Jewish leaders question Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy

One source said the mayor plans to replace Moshe Davis as NYC’s top antisemitism official

Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Mayor Zohran Mamdani at his inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, United States on January 1, 2026.

By

Matthew Kassel

January 6, 2026

Days into Zohran Mamdani’s first week as mayor of New York City, some Jewish leaders are privately raising questions about whether his fledgling administration is prepared to implement a clear strategy to counter rising antisemitism, one of the key pledges of his campaign.

Even as he swiftly moved to revoke two executive orders tied to Israel and antisemitism on his first day in office, Mamdani has yet to disclose how he and his team plan to substantively address what he has repeatedly called “the scourge of antisemitism” in remarks vowing to protect Jewish New Yorkers.

The mayor, a democratic socialist and outspoken critic of Israel, faced backlash from leading Jewish groups last week after he repealed executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams, including ones that adopted a working definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and banned city agencies from engaging in boycotts targeting Israel.

“He went from giving a speech about unity and collectivism to signing executive orders against the Jewish community,” one Jewish community leader said of Mamdani’s repeals.

Another Jewish leader in touch with Mamdani’s team echoed others who have emphasized that his advisers “need a plan” to counter antisemitism and that proposing a strategy is “important and should happen soon.”

The response so far has been limited. “A lot of ‘Yes, thanks for the feedback,’” the Jewish leader relayed. “I suspect they know and are working on it.”

While Mamdani also announced he would retain the office to combat antisemitism created last year by the Adams administration, he has otherwise not shared additional details about how it will be staffed or what specific issues it will prioritize.

Moshe Davis, who led the office under Adams, told Jewish Insider on Monday that he was “at his desk in City Hall,” but had not “heard much else” about the future of the office or his role in it. He said that on Friday he had distributed to officials an 80-page report produced by the office under Adams and publicly released last week.

The new report includes plans that Mamdani would likely oppose, such as training for all city employees on the IHRA definition, which labels some criticism of Israel as antisemitic.

One person familiar with the matter, who has spoken with Mamdani’s team, said that Davis will not be asked to continue on as the office’s executive director. Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of New York Jewish Agenda, a progressive Zionist group, is rumored to be a front-runner for the role, though no final decisions have been made, the source told JI.

Wisdom said that she was not familiar with the hiring process, but looks “forward to seeing how the Mamdani administration plans to tackle what he has rightly called the ‘scourge of antisemitism’ facing our city.”

“This will require a comprehensive strategy,” she told JI on Monday, noting that the office to combat antisemitism “can play a key role, coordinating between long-standing offices and agencies tasked with combating hate, and input from the diversity of New York’s Jewish community.”

A spokesperson for Mamdani did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Other Jewish community leaders said they were now waiting to learn more about Mamdani’s plans for the office — which could shed early light on his approach to antisemitism as he enacts his agenda.

“Haven’t heard anything beyond that he will retain the office but make some changes,” said one Jewish leader, who was unaware of what the changes would entail.

Mamdani, in defending his decision to revoke the executive orders, said last week his administration “will be relentless in its efforts to combat hate and division, and we will showcase that by fighting hate across the city.”

“That includes fighting the scourge of antisemitism by actually funding hate crime prevention, by celebrating our neighbors and by practicing a politics of universality,” he added during a Friday press conference.

Rabbi Joe Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis who served on Mamdani’s transition committee for emergency response, said he was taking a wait-and-see approach to the first few weeks of the administration. “No further details have been released so there is nothing more to add at this time,” he told JI. “Let’s wait and see if there are changes.”

Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said that the administration “has a real opportunity to not just signal its commitment to Jewish safety but to take real action.”

“From increased investment in hate crimes prevention to expansion of proven education tools, Mayor Mamdani can build this office into a hub to advance a comprehensive strategy to counter antisemitism and advance Jewish inclusion and safety,” she told JI.

DRAWING LINES

Bruce Blakeman outlines his approach to antisemitism if elected NY governor

Asked about right-wing antisemitism, Blakeman said that Tucker Carlson ‘is a big blowhard who has an issue with Jewish people’

Noam Galai/Getty Images

Bruce Blakeman announces his run for New York governor on "Fox & Friends" at Fox News Channel Studios on December 09, 2025 in New York City.

By

Marc Rod

January 6, 2026

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman suddenly emerged as the presumptive Republican nominee for governor of New York in December, with Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) unexpected exit from the race against Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Now, with the formal endorsement of President Donald Trump, Blakeman is preparing for an uphill battle in a reliably Democratic state.

Blakeman, 70, is Jewish and said he represents the greatest number of constituents of any Jewish Republican elected official — more than 1.3 million. He vowed to protect the Jewish community statewide against antisemitism, and pledged that under his leadership, the state would step in if New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani fails to do so.

Blakeman said that he has worked with the Nassau County police to deal with disruptive anti-Israel protests, setting firm rules for demonstrators, with prompt arrests if they stepped outside of those boundaries.

“If they got off the sidewalk, they would be given one chance to get back on it or they’d be arrested,” Blakeman said. “We didn’t take any nonsense. We didn’t allow them to do the things that they got away with in New York City. And that’s the same way I would approach it as governor.”

“Nick Fuentes is, in my opinion, a nut, but a dangerous one, and he has no place in the Republican Party,” Blakeman said. “Tucker Carlson is a big blowhard who has an issue with Jewish people, and it probably emanates from his chameleon-like personality. … He’s very unprincipled and I think he has biases that probably emanated from his youth.”

Blakeman said that if Mamdani fails to enforce the law, he would dispatch state police and national guard to do so. “We will not let any community be lawless, and I will not tolerate any acts of bigotry, antisemitism or racism in a state where I’m the governor.”

Asked about voices like Tucker Carlson and neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes who are working to mainstream antisemitic ideas in the Republican Party, Blakeman did not mince words in his condemnation.

“Nick Fuentes is, in my opinion, a nut, but a dangerous one, and he has no place in the Republican Party,” Blakeman said. “Tucker Carlson is a big blowhard who has an issue with Jewish people, and it probably emanates from his chameleon-like personality. … He’s very unprincipled and I think he has biases that probably emanated from his youth.”

At the same time, Blakeman argued that he sees most antisemitism in the United States coming from the left, pointing to the large-scale turn against Israel in the Democratic Party.

“We have a couple of nuts in our party, but certainly [they are the] vast minority, and in the Democratic Party, it seems to me that they have completely abandoned Israel and that they are a hotbed for antisemitic activities,” Blakeman said.

He predicted those trends will help his campaign capture a significant number of Jewish Democratic voters who “realize that the Democratic Party has become an extreme party that’s hostile to Israel and hostile to Jewish people.”

He said he feels it’s important for the Republican Party to have “a strong Jewish presence” and that he takes his responsibility in that role seriously, saying he wants to be a “role model” for other Jewish people to get involved in GOP politics.

“I am a strong supporter of Israel,” Blakeman said. “I am a Zionist and a proud Zionist.”

“It’s something that I don’t take lightly as being a leader and someone who is a Jew and in the Republican Party,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman said he’s established a strong record as an ally and supporter of Israel in Nassau County, building business ties to Israel, implementing anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions legislation and signing friendship agreements with what he called Judea and Samaria — the biblical term preferred by the Israeli government for the West Bank — and the Shomron Regional Council, a council of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“I am a strong supporter of Israel,” Blakeman said. “I am a Zionist and a proud Zionist.”

He said he’s currently under contract to buy an apartment in Beit Shemesh, as an investment.

Asked about the role his Jewish faith has played in his time in office and public life, the Nassau County executive responded, “Everything that I do emanates from the strength that’s given to me by Hashem, by God. So I am very mindful that it’s only with God’s blessings that I have the strength to do what I’m doing.”

“I ask for God’s blessings each and every day, and I pray every day, and I feel that having that spiritual connection with God is a very important part of my life,” he continued.

Blakeman said his campaign will focus on improving public safety, lowering prices for businesses and residents, making the state government more responsive and stopping the population flight from the state, issues he said are being driven by incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.

He framed Nassau County, under his leadership, as a counterpoint to those trends, pointing to the county’s low taxes and strong financial position. “If we can do that on the state level, I’m sure people will be happy. They’ll want to do business here. They want to live here, and they will flourish and prosper.”

“I want to make people happy. I want them to be proud of New York. I want them to want to raise their children and their grandchildren,” Blakeman said.

He said that his past victories in a Democratic-leaning county provide a model for winning statewide in deep-blue New York, arguing that he’s been able to reach populations that haven’t traditionally voted Republican, including Hispanic, Latino, Asian American, women and African American voters.

Asked about Mamdani’s victory in New York City, Blakeman said that Mamdani’s focus on affordability “struck a note with a lot of voters,” but New York City Republicans “didn’t have an adequate message with respect to that issue — and I do.”

Blakeman said he wants to create jobs and make the state more prosperous, rather than providing “a free bus ride or a handout,” spurring economic development and job creation in collaboration with the business community and unions.

Daily Overtime

Walz waltzes out, Klobuchar waits in the wings

Plus, the Harvard president's mea culpa

Bryan Dozier/Deadline via Getty Images

Amy Klobuchar, John Bessler and Tim Walz at the Residence of Ireland on April 27, 2024 in Washington, D.C.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

January 5, 2026

Good Monday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Dominating the headlines, deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to charges including narco-terrorism during their arraignment in New York City today. “I am still president of my country,” Maduro told the judge, who set their next hearing for March 17.

At the same time, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, whom the Trump administration has said it will work with, was sworn in as interim president in Caracas, though she insisted that Maduro is still president and that he is being held hostage by the U.S…

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced today that he will no longer seek reelection to a third term after facing weeks of criticism due to revelations of widespread fraud primarily among the state’s Somali diaspora population.

“I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” Walz, who has increasingly played to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, said in his announcement.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a moderate with a record of winning over independent voters, is considering running for governor in his stead, after she and Walz met yesterday. On the Republican side, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and Speaker of the Statehouse Lisa Demuth are already vying for the office…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani denied that his executive order altering the relationship between the NYPD and his office — which appeared to indicate that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch would no longer report to him but to a deputy mayor — will be meaningful in its impact, telling reporters today that the commissioner “will continue to report directly to me … The executive order is in terms of the question of coordination.”

The direct line between the mayor and NYPD head has been in place at least since the terror attacks of 9/11, after which the commissioner began to hold daily intelligence briefings for the mayor. The National Jewish Advocacy Center called the restructuring “unprecedented” in a letter to Mamdani and said that “The close relationship between the NYPD and the Mayor’s Office has been key to averting disasters for the Jewish community,” including during Hanukkah last month.

The move came as Mamdani revoked an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and an anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions order, which also drew backlash from Jewish leaders…

Meanwhile, in one of his final acts in office, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sent a letter today reminding all K-12 superintendents and school boards in the state of their obligation to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism into their codes of conduct and discrimination policies, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

“As part of your compliance with Federal and Virginia law, you must implement the IHRA definition and its contemporary examples into your codes of conduct and discrimination policies to assess unprotected activity,” Miyares wrote, referencing a law passed by the state legislature in May 2023 requiring use of the IHRA definition by all state agencies…

Harvard President Alan Garber said that the university was wrong to let professors express strong stances on controversial issues in the classroom, causing students to feel they couldn’t share their views, including faculty espousing anti-Israel views in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. “It did happen in classrooms that professors would push this,” he said in a live taping of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s “Identity/Crisis Podcast” last month…

Leslie Grinage, Barnard’s dean and vice president of campus life and student experience, left her position today, the Columbia Spectator reports, after she came under intense criticism for her role in disciplining students who had violated school rules during anti-Israel protests on campus. Dozens of protesters staged a sit-in outside her office last year to demand the reinstatement of two students who were expelled after they disrupted a History of Modern Israel class…

Speaking in the Knesset today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and President Donald Trump “will not allow Iran to rebuild its ballistic missile industry, and we certainly won’t let it renew its nuclear program” and that the two leaders agree that Iran must have no enrichment capabilities, all of its enriched uranium must be sent out of the country and there must be close oversight of its nuclear facilities…

Netanyahu also met with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) in Jerusalem today…

The Israel Defense Forces and Moroccan Armed Forces signed a joint work plan for 2026 during the third meeting of their Joint Military Committee in Tel Aviv this week…

A man was arrested for vandalizing the personal residence of Vice President JD Vance in Cincinnati this morning. Nobody was home at the time. “As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly,” Vance said on X…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at Judge Alvin Hellerstein, the 92-year-old Orthodox Jewish federal judge overseeing the trial of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The Academic Engagement Network is convening a three-day “boot camp” in Miami Beach this week for university faculty combating antisemitism and anti-Zionism on campus. Speakers will include Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal, the Atlantic Council’s Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, antisemitism researcher Miri Bar-Halpern and past president of the American Association of University Presidents Cary Nelson.

Tomorrow, former Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and commentator Dan Senor will speak about “Israeli strategy in war and peace” in West Palm Beach, Fla., for the Palm Beach Synagogue’s “Critical Conversation Series.”

Stories You May Have Missed

DOMINO EFFECT

Toppling Maduro may weaken Iran’s hold in Latin America

A woman carrying an Iranian flag and a Venezuelan flag participates in a march in Caracas on June 25, 2025.

Caracas served as the hub of Tehran’s operations in the Western Hemisphere

Read more

DAY ONE DOOZY

Mamdani slammed for repealing antisemitism executive orders

The repeal of former Mayor Eric Adams’ executive orders included walking back NYC’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff called ‘a troubling indicator’

Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Mayor Zohran Mamdani at his inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, United States on January 1, 2026.

By

Marc Rod

January 2, 2026

Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism for repealing executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams aimed at tackling antisemitism, including implementing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and an anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions order.

The revocation of those orders came as part of a blanket repeal of all of Adams’ executive orders following his September 2024 indictment on federal corruption charges, which Mamdani said “was a date that marked a moment when many New Yorkers decided politics held nothing for them.”

In a joint statement, the UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, American Jewish Committee of New York, Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey, Agudath Israel of America, the New York Board of Rabbis and the Orthodox Union said that the Jewish community “will be looking for clear and sustained leadership that demonstrates a serious commitment to confronting antisemitism and ensures that the powers of the mayor’s office are used to promote safety and unity, not to advance divisive efforts such as BDS.

“Singling Israel out for sanction is not the way to make Jewish New Yorkers feel included and safe, and will undermine any words to that effect,” the statement continued.

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that the repeal of the executive orders “is a troubling indicator of the direction in which [Mamdani] is leading the city, just one day at the helm.”

“Repealing [the IHRA definition] diminishes New York City’s ability to recognize and respond to antisemitism at a time when incidents continue to rise,” Daroff said in a statement. “New York City should lead with moral clarity and resolve in confronting antisemitism. This decision points in the opposite direction.”

The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey said it is “deeply troubled that on his first day in office Mayor Mamdani weakened protections to fight antisemitism by revoking executive orders adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and providing safeguards against Israel-related discrimination in city procurement and pension decision-making.”

“While the continuation of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism (MOCA) is welcome and important, revoking these executive orders removes key tools for addressing antisemitism, including BDS-driven efforts that seek to demonize, delegitimize, and isolate the world’s only Jewish state,” the ADL continued.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said that the Department of Justice “will be extremely vigilant … as to ANY AND ALL violations of religious liberties in NYC. We will investigate, sue, and indict as needed.”

New York State Assemblymember Sam Berger, a Democrat, said, “I find it highly concerning that on day one, under the cover of a sweeping EO, @NYCMayor repealed the IHRA definition from NYC law. Removing how a majority of Jewish New Yorkers define hatred towards us doesn’t exactly build trust.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X that the repeal shows Mamdani’s “true face.”

“This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire,” the statement continued.

Israeli Ambassador Ofir Akuns, the consul general of Israel in New York, called Mamdani’s moves “dangerous” and said they “pose an immediate threat to the safety of Jewish communities in New York City and could lead to an increase in violent antisemitic attacks throughout the city.”

Responding to a story about the executive order, Department of Justice senior counsel Leo Terrell said, “To Jewish Americans who voted for Mamdani! SHAME ON YOU!”

New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, a Republican, called for federal action to protect Jewish institutions in response to the repeal of another Adams executive order placing additional restrictions on protest outside of religious institutions.

“We need to enforce federal law that’s already in place here because the pro-Hamas antisemites emboldened by [Mamdani] are coming,” Vernikov said on X, tagging Dhillon and Terrell.

Mamdani issued a new executive order largely mirroring Adams’ order on the same issue.

He also announced on Thursday that he would keep the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, created by Adams, in operation, stating that he takes the issue “very seriously.”

Both of those moves were praised in the joint statement from the New York Jewish organizations.

His office, however, deleted multiple posts from the mayoral X account about a recent report on antisemitism in the city issued by that office under Adams, which also elicited criticism. Mamdani has not said what the office’s work going forward will entail or who will staff it.

Mark Goldfeder, the director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, said on X that it is “[h]ard to overstate how disturbing it is that one of the first acts of the new @NYCMayor was to delete official tweets and EO’s addressing the protection of Jewish New Yorkers,” a sentiment echoed in a letter he sent to Mamdani.

Adams, who attended Mamdani’s inauguration, also repeatedly criticized the new mayor.

“[Mamdani] promised a New Era and unity today. This isn’t new. And it isn’t unity,” Adams said on X, adding later, “To my knowledge, neither [former New York mayors Michael] Bloomberg, [Bill] de Blasio, nor Adams scrubbed antisemitism tweets on day one. I’ve been clear: I will be vocal in defending our Jewish brothers and sisters, just as they stood up for African Americans during the civil rights era.”

Daily Overtime

U.K. police foil ‘deadliest terror attack’ against Jews

Plus, Ben Sasse announces terminal diagnosis

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Members of the public pay their respects at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on October 20, 2025 in Manchester, England.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

December 23, 2025

Good Tuesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Two men in Manchester, England were found guilty of planning a terror attack on the city’s Jewish community, in the same area where two people were killed in a car ramming and stabbing attack at a synagogue on Yom Kippur.

Police warned it would have been the “deadliest terrorist attack in U.K. history”; the would-be assailants were affiliated with ISIS and had obtained guns and ammunition for an extended shooting spree, which they indicated was revenge for Israel’s actions in Gaza. One told an undercover officer, “We start with the Jews and if there any Christians caught in the act, that is a bonus, but we start with the Jews”…

At the same time, British police dropped a criminal investigation into Bob Vylan, the rap duo who led “death to the IDF” chants at the Glastonbury music festival in June, citing “insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction”…

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today pushing for additional information about Nonprofit Security Grant Program allocations, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports, as well as criticizing the $330 million funding allocation for the program proposed last week by Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“As I travel around Connecticut and hear from community leaders here and around the country, I am struck by the severely heightened anxiety and apprehension about physical threats to places of worship and community centers involving hate-based violence,” Blumenthal said.

The senator requested data on grant applications and acceptances, the reasons why FEMA has provided less funding than requested to some institutions and the resources FEMA provided to unsuccessful applicants for each year from 2023 to 2025…

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz walked back comments he made earlier today claiming Israel would reestablish settlements in the Gaza Strip; he said in a statement shortly after that “the government has no intention of establishing settlements” in the enclave and his comments were “made in a security context only.”

A U.S. official told Fox News about Katz’s initial remarks that “the more Israel provokes, the less the Arab countries will want to work with them”…

Israel covertly airdropped weapons and ammunition to a Druze militia in Syria shortly after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, The Washington Post reports, over concerns of then-nascent President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s allegiances. Israel stopped providing weapons to the Druze after Al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump in the White House earlier this year, though it continues to provide supplies including money, body armor and medical provisions.

“We were helping when it was absolutely necessary and are committed to minorities’ security, but it is not as if we are going to have commandos take positions next to the Druze or get in the business of organizing proxies,” one Israeli official told the Post…

At a meeting of the U.N. Security Council today, Iran accused the U.S. of violating its rights as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty by insisting that the country have no domestic uranium enrichment. (The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency declared Iran in violation of the NPT in June.)

U.S. deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus said in response, “We’d like to make it clear to the entire world: the United States remains available for formal talks with Iran, but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue. … We have been clear, however, about certain expectations for any arrangement. Foremost, there can be no enrichment inside of Iran, and that remains our principle”…

Estimated private funding of Israeli tech businesses reached $15.6 billion in 2025, according to early numbers from Startup National Central, a nonprofit that tracks and promotes the Israeli innovation ecosystem, up from $12 billion in 2024. “At the same time, deal volume declined to 717 rounds, the lowest in the last decade. This divergence tells a clear story: investors are doing fewer deals, but committing significantly more capital to each one,” the organization wrote….

Ben Sasse, the former Republican senator from Nebraska and previous president of the University of Florida, announced today that he has terminal Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. As UF president during the disruptive campus protests in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, Sasse was heralded for taking a uniquely firm stance against the protesters; he resigned from UF in July 2024 due to his wife’s failing health…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

This is the last Daily Overtime of 2025 — we’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, Jan. 5.

Until then, keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for reporting on Jewish communal organizations’ 2026 legislative agenda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Florida next week (read JI’s Lahav Harkov’s preview of the meeting here), Zohran Mamdani’s first days in office after being sworn in as New York City mayor on Jan. 1, and more.

Happy New Year!

Stories You May Have Missed

MILTARY MATTERS

Pentagon plan to reorganize military could undermine U.S.-Israel security, experts warn

Shifting U.S. resources out of the Middle East could impact the U.S.’ ability to counter Iran and send allies towards Russia or China, JINSA’s Blaise Misztal said

Read more

Good Monday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Over a dozen of the Heritage Foundation’s top legal and economic staff are departing the think tank to join former Vice President Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom group, in the latest sign of the continued internal dysfunction racking Heritage since its president, Kevin Roberts, embraced Tucker Carlson after he platformed neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes.

“Why these people are coming our way is that Heritage and some other voices and commentators have embraced big-government populism and have been willing to tolerate antisemitism,” Pence told The Wall Street Journal.

More than 30 of Heritage’s employees have reportedly resigned or been fired in the last several days, and at least three trustees have also dropped their affiliation with the group. Josh Blackman, who announced he’s stepping down as senior editor of The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, told Roberts in his resignation letter that his comments on Carlson “were a huge unforced blunder, and gave aid and comfort to the rising tide of antisemitism on the right”…

A straw poll conducted of attendees at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest summit found that the anti-Israel views of some of the event’s speakers were not largely shared by the audience — only 13% of respondents said they don’t view Israel as an ally of the United States (one-third thought Israel is a “top ally” while an additional 53% said it’s one ally of many).

Brent Scher, editor-in-chief of the conservative Daily Wire, wrote on X about the poll, “For those who think Tucker and Candace [Owens] are winning … they’ve convinced nobody.” The same poll found 84% of respondents would like to see Vice President JD Vance as the 2028 Republican presidential nominee…

A new report from the Anti-Defamation League finds that more than one-fifth of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s appointees to his transition team have extreme anti-Israel backgrounds, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Among the advisors, Youssef Mubaraz, who was appointed to serve on the committee on small businesses, dismissed a Facebook video about Hamas’ widespread use of sexual violence on Oct. 7 as “propaganda,” according to the report. Mohammed Karim Chowdhury, a member of the worker justice committee, previously shared a post claiming that “Zionists are worse than Haman of ancient times, the Inquisition, and the Nazis.”

Mamdani said about the report at a press conference today that “we must distinguish between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government” and that the “ADL’s report oftentimes ignores this distinction”…

George Conway, co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project group, filed paperwork today to join the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 12th Congressional District to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). The once decidedly conservative lawyer abandoned his affiliation with the Republican Party over his disagreements with President Donald Trump and became a significant donor of former President Joe Biden, though Conway’s decision to run as a Democrat himself is a step further than he’s gone before.

The New York Times reported last month that Conway told a group of donors he would aim to act as a “wingman” to Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Dan Goldman (D-NY), also both lawyers fiercely opposed to Trump, if elected to Congress…

Meanwhile Erik Bottcher, a New York City councilman, dropped out of the NY-12 primary in order to run for a state Senate seat…

Brad Lander, the outgoing New York City comptroller trying to unseat Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), received an endorsement today from anti-Israel City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, who has faced backlash from her sizable Jewish constituency for her refusal to explicitly condemn Hamas in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks and blaming Israel’s “unjust occupation of the Palestinian people” for the violence, her inaction on incidents of antisemitism in the district and her endorsement of calls to “globalize the intifada,” among other issues…

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee echoed warnings Jerusalem is reportedly providing to the Trump administration around Iran’s preparations for another military conflict with Israel while speaking at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies conference today.

“Iran, I don’t know that they ever took [Trump] seriously until the night that the B-2 bombers went to Fordow. I hope they got the message but apparently they didn’t get the full message cause … they appear to be trying to reconstitute and find a new way to dig the hole deeper, secure it more,” Huckabee said…

The Trump administration is recalling senior diplomats from at least 29 countries, State Department officials told the Associated Press, largely from Africa and Asia with several in Europe and the Middle East, as part of its continued effort to “advance the America First agenda”…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted the prime minister of Greece and president of Cyprus in Jerusalem today to “strengthen security, promote economic development and deepen the ties between our countries,” he said in a statement…

In the latest development in the bidding war over Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount amended its offer to acquire the company to include $40.4 billion of equity financing personally guaranteed by Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and father of Paramount’s CEO, David Ellison. Warner Bros. had previously advised shareholders to reject Paramount’s offer due to concerns over its ability to provide the financing…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a preview of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort at the end of the month.

Stories You May Have Missed

TALARICO TALK

Texas Jewish voters alarmed by James Talarico’s Israel rhetoric

Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally on September 09, 2025 in Round Rock, Texas.

Local leaders said that, without improved outreach from Talarico to address their concerns, they’re likely to vote for Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary

Read more

PERSONNEL PROBLEMS

ADL finds more than 20% of Mamdani transition team appointees have extremist backgrounds

Among the appointees, Kazi Fouzia called Oct. 7 justified and Mohammed Karim Chowdhury said Zionists are worse than Nazis

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 2025.

By

Matthew Kassel

December 22, 2025

A new report by the Anti-Defamation League highlights several members of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team who have used antisemitic tropes and justified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, among other issues the group flags as “deeply troubling” and that raise further questions about his vetting process.

The document, published on Monday, comes days after the ADL uncovered antisemitic comments by a top transition appointee, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who had denigrated Jews in a series of past social media posts. Da Costa resigned shortly after the posts were publicized amid backlash from critics.

Mamdani said last week that he was unaware of those comments and would hire an outside legal team to assist with the vetting process as he staffs his administration — noting “clear changes that need to be made” and are “underway.”

But the ADL writes in its new document that other appointees merit scrutiny as Mamdani prepares to assume office on Jan. 1. The ADL, which reviewed more than 400 transition appointees announced in November to help fill his administration, identified “many examples of individuals who have engaged in some type of antisemitic, anti-Zionist, or anti-Israel activities” and “have ties to” antisemitic groups and figures, according to the document.

The organization, which has closely monitored Mamdani’s ongoing transition, says that it “has long distinguished between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and antisemitism.”

“The swift action taken in the Da Costa case demonstrates that when clear antisemitic statements are identified, Mayor-elect Mamdani’s team can and will respond appropriately,” the ADL says. “This makes it all the more important to understand how other appointments with concerning backgrounds were made and what this reveals about the vetting standards that will be applied to actual administration positions.”

Among the transition team members the ADL singles out is Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, co-executive director of Alliance for Quality Education who was named to the youth and education committee and is one of several appointees who expressed support for or participated in anti-Israel campus encampments.

In one photo uncovered by the ADL, Shaakir-Ansari is pictured in front of a banner with an inverted red triangle — popularized by Hamas to identify targets — and the words “long live the resistance.” The ADL also flagged a cartoon that Shaakir-Ansari posted on social media that depicts “Israel as a dog pushing a person representing Palestine off a bed,” according to the document.

Meanwhile, a day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Kazi Fouzia, director of organizing at DRUM Beats and a member of Mamdani’s committee on worker justice, defended the violence in a social media post claiming “Resistance are Justified when people are occupied” above footage of an anti-Israel demonstration in Manhattan, the document shows.

Youssef Mubaraz, director of public relations for of the Yemeni American Merchants Association who was appointed to serve on the committee on small businesses, also dismissed a Facebook video about Hamas’ widespread use of sexual violence on Oct. 7 as “propaganda,” according to the ADL.

The ADL writes that more than 20% of Mamdani’s appointees “have a documented history of making or sharing anti-Zionist or anti-Israel statements.” Mohammed Karim Chowdhury, also a member of the worker justice committee, previously shared a post claiming that “Zionists are worse than Haman of ancient times, the Inquisition, and the Nazis” and that “Zionists are never Jews,” the document notes.

“It’s all about the benjamins!” Rocky Bucano, who serves on the committee on arts and culture, wrote in a 2019 Facebook post that promoted antisemitic tropes “criticizing Israeli and American leaders,” the ADL says.

At least four transition appointees have ties to Louis Farrakhan, the virulently antisemitic leader of the Nation of Islam, the ADL notes — citing Tamika Mallory, the former Women’s March organizer who was named to the community safety committee, and Jacques Léandre, who is serving on the legal affairs team, among others.

Other appointees have “connections to groups that openly promote terror and harass Jewish people,” the ADL says — including Within Our Lifetime, a radical anti-Israel organization that has engaged in antisemitic provocation.

In reviewing the transition team, the ADL writes in its document that many of Mamdani’s committee appointments “are inconsistent with his campaign commitments to prioritize the safety of New York’s Jewish community.”

“The composition of these transition committees will directly influence the administration’s policies and approach to Jewish community concerns,” the ADL states, “and the current appointments raise serious questions as to whether those concerns will not be adequately represented or addressed.”

A transition spokesperson, asked to comment on the report, referred Jewish Insider to Mamdani’s comments made during a press conference on Monday.

“We must distinguish between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government,” he said of the findings, arguing that “the ADL’s report oftentimes ignores this distinction, and in doing so it draws attention away from the very real crisis of antisemitism we see.”

analysis

The conservative movement’s Gen Z problem

We’re seeing a preview of where our country could be headed without a change in direction

Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images

CEO and Chair of the Board of Turning Point USA Erika Kirk introduces US Vice President JD Vance at the Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference, in Phoenix, Arizona on December 21, 2025.

By

Josh Kraushaar

December 22, 2025

The kids aren’t alright.

That’s the unmistakable takeaway from a weekend filled with shocking developments surrounding the views of young conservatives, punctuated by a Turning Point USA conference that turned into a proxy war between mainstream voices led by Ben Shapiro, looking to create guardrails against antisemites and conspiracy theorists within the MAGA movement, against a growing cadre of bad-faith right-wing influencers leading the charge to embrace extremist voices into the conservative coalition.

The conference concluded with Vice President JD Vance all but taking the side of the extremists, while offering fulsome praise to his friend, Tucker Carlson, as an essential part of the Republican Party coalition.

The last several days also featured news of an eye-opening Manhattan Institute focus group of Gen Z Nashville-area conservatives reluctant to offer any negative reaction toward Adolf Hitler and sharing numerous antisemitic stereotypes about Jews. (One 29-year-old woman offered this representative reaction about Hitler: “I think he was a great leader, to be honest. I think what he was going for was terrible, but I think he showed very strong leadership values.”)

The weekend ended with a Jewish Insider scoop that a Trump administration nominee for a senior position at the State Department has a long track record of making derogatory comments about the Jewish community, characterizing Jews as religiously incorrect and in need of conversion.

This moment was further underscored by the hideously antisemitic tirade that Candace Owens went on over the last few days, barely eliciting any serious pushback from conservative movement leaders. Meanwhile, former journalist Megyn Kelly, during her own speech Friday at the TPUSA conference, chose to go after Shapiro and CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss even as Kelly has publicly steered clear of criticizing Owens, citing the fact that she’s a young mother and a personal friend. (Shapiro, she said, is no longer a friend after he criticized her in his speech Thursday night.)

Shapiro, long one of the leading voices on the right, opened the conference with a warning that the conservative movement is in danger from “charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty, who offer nothing but bile and despair.”

He called out Tucker Carlson, Owens and Kelly by name. “We must not let fear of audience anger deter us from telling the truth; we must not let fear of other hosts deter us from telling the truth,” Shapiro warned. “The fact that Candace has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years on end while others fly cover for her is … cowardly.”

Shapiro received a characteristically warm reception for calling out the crazy, but the fact that he was outnumbered by voices whose extreme views would have long been marginalized by the conservative movement but are now tolerated, if not embraced, is a sign of our times — and a warning of where the MAGA movement could be headed without more leaders speaking up.

Outside of Shapiro, there weren’t many leaders following suit.

Vance, the favorite to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2028, sided with the extremists during his Sunday address to close out the conference. “President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeated purity tests,” Vance said to applause.

In an interview with Unherd’s Sohrab Ahmari, he offered fulsome praise to Carlson: “The idea that Tucker Carlson, who has one of the largest podcasts in the world, who has millions of listeners, who supported Donald Trump in the 2024 election, who supported me in the 2024 election — the idea that his views are somehow completely anathema to conservatism, that he has no place in the conservative movement, is frankly absurd. And I don’t think anybody actually believes it.”

He also appeared to defend both anti-Israel Democrats and Republicans for their antipathy towards the Jewish state, saying nearly of the critics were not motivated by antisemitism. “99% of Republicans, and I think probably 97% of Democrats, do not hate Jewish people for being Jewish. What is actually happening is that there is a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy.”

Culture is typically a leading indicator of where our politics is headed. The developments of the past week offer numerous real-life examples that back up the polling that shows that younger Americans hold overwhelmingly more critical views of the Jewish people than other generations, with antisemitic beliefs strongest among the most conservative cohort. One characteristic example: A recently-conducted Manhattan Institute poll found that over half of Republican men under 50 “believe the Holocaust was greatly exaggerated or did not happen as historians describe.”

We’re seeing a preview of where our country could be headed without a change in direction. And while that may sound pessimistic, the reality is there’s a lot more that can be done to deal with the growing Gen Z radicalism — like scrutinizing the social media platforms that incentivize hateful content and singlehandedly create a marketplace for such extremism.

CALL TO ACTION

AJC CEO calls for Jewish organizations to unify over communal security

Ted Deutch praised Sen. Ted Cruz as a particularly powerful voice standing up to the ‘horrific’ antisemitic conspiracy theories spread by right-wing extremists

Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, testifies about 'The Crisis on Campus: Antisemitism, Radical Faculty, and the Failure of University Leadership" during a US House Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 13, 2024.

By

Marc Rod

December 22, 2025

Following the terrorist attack at a Sydney, Australia, Hanukkah event in which 15 people were killed, American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch said that it is critical for Jewish communal organizations to join together around a campaign to protect the Jewish community worldwide and win over allies in that fight.

“The community organizations need to come together around an immediate effort to respond to Bondi Beach. This is urgent for us,” Deutch said. Even if various groups have different approaches to their work, “we’ve got to show the Jewish world” and the philanthropists who back them “that we can actually work together, all of us, in ways that will protect the Jewish community in response to what happened at Bondi Beach.”

He said all Jewish community organizations need to come together on “one campaign right now that seeks to help secure the Jewish community, to help the world better understand the Jewish community, to enlist allies in this fight, and to help everyone understand why fighting antisemitism is not just the right thing to do, but it is in everyone’s self interest, because our society will be strengthened as a result.”

And he said that the Jewish community needs to stand its ground and be clear that it has the right and expectation to have its concerns and security “treated as seriously as other communities” and the “expectation that when we’re at risk, there will be action, rather than asking that everyone please consider our plight.”

“We are a proud community that has experienced challenges for thousands of years. We’re not going anywhere. If you’re not going to take this seriously, then we’re going to keep ramping up the pressure until you do,” Deutch said. “We can’t just go from one of these tragedies to the next. At other moments in American history with rising antisemitism, the community came together in ways that forced policymakers to acknowledge what we’re going through. This is one of those moments.”

He said he’s begun reaching out to colleagues on the subject.

Deutch said that he sees a level of unified horror, “passion” and “resolve” following the Bondi Beach attack akin to that he saw after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, and said that the community and organizational leadership need to build on that.

He said it’s critical to make clear to non-Jews that the fear and horror they felt at the footage of the Sydney shooting is “what we think about every single day as a community” and whenever Jews gather together.

Asked how those efforts will be more successful and more durable than similar calls seen repeatedly since Oct. 7, Deutch responded, “because we have to.”

“One coordinated campaign … isn’t going to solve the thousands of years of antisemitism but it will help us in this moment and it will show that the Jewish community can actually work together on one effort in a meaningful way, which is what members of the Jewish community everywhere in America are desperate to see,” Deutch continued.

The AJC CEO said that lawmakers and leaders have a responsibility to mind their rhetoric, emphasizing that the Bondi attack has shown “yet again” that rhetoric can prompt violence against the Jewish community.

“The need for them to ratchet down the rhetoric, to focus on the dangers that spreading antisemitism and polarization is having on society, is something that they can do without passing legislation. That needs to be an ongoing topic of conversation,” Deutch said. “They need to lead by example.”

Deutch, a former Democratic member of Congress, said that antisemitic actors on both sides of the political aisle have “not been marginalized” in the way that they should be. He said he’d “like to see more from leaders across politics and throughout the country and in every part of our society.”

Calls to “globalize the intifada” and “casual accusations of genocide” lead people to “taking action against anyone they think is responsible,” Deutch said, pointing to the Capital Jewish Museum attack in which two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed outside an AJC event in Washington, perpetrated by an alleged shooter who witnesses said shouted that he had carried out the shooting in the name of Gaza and freeing Palestine.

“What the leaders need to understand in Australia and around the world is, this has always been about terrorism,” Deutch said. “It’s terrorism against the Jewish community. These are attacks against the Jewish community to terrorize us, to put us at risk. The motives have been clear throughout.”

Referencing comments from Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin calling the party a “big tent,” Deutch said that “both parties may claim to be big tents” but have the ability to decide “who’s in the tent and who’s outside of the tent.” He said that anyone targeting Jews should be excluded, regardless of which side they’re on.

Deutch praised Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as a particularly powerful voice standing up to the “horrific” antisemitic conspiracy theories spread by far-right voices like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes, calling him a “model” for other leaders.

“There has to be an acknowledgement in both parties that there will be no place for that, for those kinds of voices,” Deutch said.

He expressed frustration with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian government’s response to the Sydney attack, which he said has ignored and de-emphasized the fact that the attack targeted Jews.

He also highlighted Canberra’s failure to fully implement the recommendations of its own antisemitism envoy, which were presented over the summer, saying Albanese should have made such a commitment immediately after the attack.

“What the leaders need to understand in Australia and around the world is, this has always been about terrorism,” Deutch said. “It’s terrorism against the Jewish community. These are attacks against the Jewish community to terrorize us, to put us at risk. The motives have been clear throughout.”

Earlier in the year, Deutch had offered a mixed response to the administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism, particularly on college campuses. In the months since, those efforts have mostly fallen out of the headlines. But Deutch largely praised the administration’s ongoing efforts and the “serious way they’re approaching these issues.”

Of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon’s work on antisemitism, he said, “the way that she’s approaching this fight is serious and thoughtful and aggressive and that’s the way that every part of the administration should be approaching it.”

“When protesters come and stand and march and scream outside of a synagogue, it’s clear that there’s not a question of why they’re doing this. It’s antisemitism and the idea that every, every Jew is to be held responsible for whatever ills they see in Israel,” Deutch said. “It all starts with this fundamental belief that, just as it’s true for Christians and for Muslims and for Hindus and for everyone else: Jews should not be afraid simply for gathering together.”

Deutch recently sent a letter to Dhillon urging her to investigate whether there is coordination or foreign involvement in recent synagogue attacks across the country, and to enforce applicable laws to ensure access to religious institutions.

He said that AJC is open to working with the administration and supporting legislation, if necessary, to ensure that blocking access to a religious institution is banned — even if the institution is not hosting a religious service, currently a gray area in existing law.

“When protesters come and stand and march and scream outside of a synagogue, it’s clear that there’s not a question of why they’re doing this. It’s antisemitism and the idea that every, every Jew is to be held responsible for whatever ills they see in Israel,” Deutch said. “It all starts with this fundamental belief that, just as it’s true for Christians and for Muslims and for Hindus and for everyone else: Jews should not be afraid simply for gathering together.”

Deutch said that the Department of Education has made “significant steps forward in working toward a real plan” that he hopes the administration will put into effect. And he praised Justice Department senior counsel Leo Terrell for his efforts as well.

Looking at the year in retrospect, Deutch said that it brought many unexpected developments in the foreign policy realm, especially the strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel’s strengthened geopolitical position and the return of all but one of the hostages in Gaza.

“The administration’s leadership has been significant,” Deutch said. “The president’s decision about Iran and the president’s leadership on this peace plan have given us this opportunity to think about what comes next.”

He said the administration needs to continue to squeeze Qatar and Turkey to pressure Hamas to stand down and relinquish its arms, in accordance with the next stages of the ceasefire plan. He said key administration officials also need to stay focused on moving the plan ahead.

AJC has worked for decades to cultivate ties with the Gulf and pushed for greater regional integration and normalization. Asked about how he views the prospects for Saudi-Israeli normalization, Deutch said there have been some concerning developments, but said that the U.S. and other advocates “have to stick with this.” With progress on the peace plan, he said that movement toward normalization would also be possible, he argued.

Deutch also warned that, even after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran that included U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the Islamic Republic continues to pose a threat through its international terrorism and plots against the Jewish community, its repression of its citizens, its continued desire to destroy Israel and its global efforts to foment conflict.

“Their desire to destroy Israel has not changed as a result of the strikes,” Deutch said. “So the advice to policymakers everywhere is Iran continues to be a threat, not just to Israel, but to the Jewish community around the world and more broadly beyond that, and they have to be treated that way. That requires being vigilant, both in the military context and through using economic force.”

CANDIDATES CONDEMN

Michigan Dem Senate candidates condemn antisemitic incidents at MSU Chabad

Rep. Haley Stevens told JI, ‘Acts of blatant antisemitism, like what we just saw at Michigan State, are unacceptable in Michigan and everywhere else’

Leon Halip/Getty Images

An exterior view of Spartan Stadium on the campus of Michigan State University on November 18, 2013 in East Lansing, Michigan.

By

Haley Cohen

December 19, 2025

All three of the leading Democratic contenders hoping to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) condemned two antisemitic incidents targeting Chabad at Michigan State University this week, during the first days of Hanukkah.

The first incident took place on Tuesday night when an individual “intentionally threw a rock” through a window of the Chabad Jewish Student Center at MSU in Lansing, Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan, told Jewish Insider.

The following night, swastikas and the words “he’s back” were spray painted on the door of the same building. No one was in the building at the time of either incident. Law enforcement officials have confirmed that both incidents are being investigated as hate crimes.

The incidents, which occurred days after a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia left 15 dead — including a Chabad rabbi — prompted quick statements of condemnation from Democratic Senate candidates looking to replace Peters: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed, a Bernie Sanders-endorsed progressive candidate.

In a statement to JI, Stevens said, “Acts of blatant antisemitism, like what we just saw at Michigan State, are unacceptable in Michigan and everywhere else. Jewish students at MSU — and all our universities — deserve to feel safe on campus. We must ensure our campuses are free of harassment and violence targeting the Jewish community.”

McMorrow, whose husband is the former president of MSU Hillel, told JI that the “safety of Jewish students on our campuses and in our communities is something that hits home for us… I know how much this matters to our family and to this community.”

El-Sayed wrote on X, “Antisemitic violence like this has no place in Michigan. We stand together with our Jewish sisters and brothers against antisemitism and hate in all forms.”

Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) also denounced the incidents, as did university officials.

“I condemn the vile antisemitic crime targeted at MSU’s Chabad Jewish Center. This hatred has no place in Michigan or anywhere else. My thoughts are with the Jewish community and the MSU campus during this time that should be filled with light not hate,” Peters wrote on X.

Slotkin said, “As we see a rise in deadly acts of antisemitism around the world, this must be condemned left, right and center. Anti-semitism can start small and grow into something ever more dangerous.”

In a campus wide email, MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz wrote, “In the wake of unspeakable violence committed against the Jewish community in Australia, I was deeply troubled to learn of multiple incidents of antisemitism near our own campus in the form of vandalism against the university community’s Chabad Jewish Center. That this occurred during Hanukkah — a time centered on light, resilience and faith — only deepens the pain and concern felt by many.”

SCOOP

Senate education committee chair presses NEA over antisemitism complaints

Sen. Bill Cassidy told the largest teachers’ union in the country it has ‘lost sight’ of its congressionally chartered purpose

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) speaks to reporters following the weekly Republican Senate policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

By

Marc Rod

Emily Jacobs

December 19, 2025

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent a letter on Thursday to the National Education Association accusing the largest teachers’ union in the country of a “deeply troubling” pattern of antisemitism within its ranks.

“The Jewish people have suffered assaults on their identity, religion, culture, and lives for millennia. Disturbingly, we are witnessing a rise in antisemitic sentiment across the Western world, including in the United States,” Cassidy wrote. “Let me put it plainly: antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place within our society, especially at our K-12 schools, higher institutions of learning, workplaces, and within unions.”

Cassidy said that the NEA has “lost sight” of its congressionally chartered purpose, adopting a “misplaced” focus on “political activism, foreign policy, and environmental and social justice causes” and becoming “hostile” to Jewish NEA members.

The letter lists out a litany of incidents including a map sent in a mass email to three million NEA members describing the entire land of Israel as “indigenous” Palestinian territory and linking to resources from Hamas-supporting organizations, an attempted boycott of the Anti-Defamation League and reported harassment of Jewish delegates at the NEA’s national conference.

It also raises concerns about a series of provisions included in the 2025 NEA handbook, including language about Holocaust Remembrance Day that “significantly glossed over and failed to mention the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people under the Nazi regime”; one-sided language on the “Palestinian Nakba” that fails to acknowledge Arab attacks on Jews or the United Nations’ role in Israel’s founding; and language that aims to separate anti-Zionism from antisemitism.

Cassidy said that Jewish NEA members have informed the committee that they “are feeling increasingly threatened and ostracized” by the NEA’s “seeming indifference” to them, have been blocked from leaving the national NEA and have had no recourse to address these issues.

NEA representatives at schools have been “increasingly hostile” to Jewish teachers as well, Cassidy said, targeting them for supporting Israel, denying the Oct. 7 attacks and downplaying and denying antisemitism.

Cassidy said the NEA has repeatedly failed to properly and fulsomely apologize for these incidents. In one case, he said, “the NEA’s retroactive statement appears to be a sloppy, insincere, and reactionary attempt [to] move on from its unacceptable behavior.”

Cassidy put forward dozens of questions to the organization, including the process that allowed for the anti-Israel map to be sent out and whether those involved had been held accountable, the NEA’s response to Jewish members who were harassed and the approval process for the handbook language, and how and why it has responded — or not responded — to antisemitism, among various others.

POINTING FINGERS

House progressives introduce bill on antisemitism that criticizes Trump admin efforts to fight it

The legislation attacks the administration for its push against antisemitism, saying the White House is weaponizing antisemitism accusations for unrelated political aims

GETTY IMAGES

A general view of the U.S. Capitol Building from the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

By

Marc Rod

December 19, 2025

A new bill introduced by several prominent House progressives blasts the Trump administration’s agenda and actions on combating antisemitism, while also implementing new posts and requirements across a series of federal departments to fight Jewish hate.

The new bill, the Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act, is led by Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Becca Balint (D-VT) and Maxwell Frost (D-FL).

The legislation accuses the Trump administration, at length, of weaponizing antisemitism to “pursue ideological and partisan political objectives unrelated to protecting Jewish communities,” including attacking educational institutions, suppressing speech and enforcing “ideological conformity.”

Citing the Heritage Foundation’s Project Esther report, which the legislation describes as the framework for the administration’s strategy, the lawmakers link the Trump administration’s actions to a “Christian Zionism theology and beliefs that Jewish presence in the Holy Land will precipitate End Times.”

It claims the administration has used the “false pretext of antisemitism investigations” to undermine academic freedom on college campuses, eliminate diversity and Middle Eastern studies programs and silence criticism of Israel.

The legislators also allege the Trump administration “inappropriately appropriated the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a tool for immigration enforcement and deportation proceedings,” citing the administration’s efforts to deport students engaged in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity and scrutinize the social media activity of visa applicants.

They accuse the administration of holding Jewish institutions’ security “hostage” to political objectives through new conditions on Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding.

The legislation downplays the IHRA definition of antisemitism, describing it as one of “several definitions of antisemitism which serve as valuable tools to raise awareness and increase understanding of antisemitism,” despite widespread adoption by the mainstream Jewish community and its use by multiple administrations of both parties.

The bill describes various definitions, also naming the Nexus Document, as “valuable tools to raise awareness and increase understanding of antisemitism” which “should be utilized by Federal, State, and local agencies” and as “non-legally binding educational tools [which] should not be applied in punitive legal contexts.”

It further emphasizes that “criticism of Israeli government policies, when not motivated by or expressed through antisemitic tropes or discrimination against Jews, is a form of political speech protected by the First Amendment and does not constitute antisemitism.”

And it states that “the weaponization of antisemitism accusations to pursue partisan political agendas undermines genuine efforts to protect Jewish communities and breeds additional antisemitism.”

The legislation includes some provisions which have enjoyed bipartisan support, including several aspects of the Protecting Students on Campus Act: requiring universities to publicize to students how to file discrimination complaints and to report annually to the Department of Education on the complaints they have received and for the Department of Education to report to Congress monthly for a year on the complaints it has received and how long they remain open.

The Protecting Students on Campus Act was re-introduced by its bipartisan sponsors — Reps. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Don Bacon (R-NE), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Haley Stevens (D-MI) — on Thursday, the same day Nadler’s legislation was announced.

The Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act additionally requires the administration to create an office in the Department of Justice to combat antisemitism, to be headed by a career DOJ official as the full-time national coordinator to counter antisemitism, similar to a provision previously sought by the mainstream Jewish community and included in bipartisan legislation in the prior Congress.

The bill requires the Department of Education to reopen and staff all regional offices of the Office for Civil Rights that were closed earlier in the Trump administration, and prevents the department from closing such offices going forward. It proposes providing $280 million for the program annually.

It also requires colleges and universities to designate a Title VI coordinator to handle complaints.

Additionally, it requires the FBI to establish a hate crimes reporting center, to be led by a designated coordinator, for the purpose of collecting and overseeing hate crimes data. It proposes $50 million in funding annually for the office.

Regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the legislation requires the administration to ensure sufficient personnel to support the implementation of the program and prohibits the imposition of conditions on DEI, immigration, political advocacy or affiliation or protected characteristics for grant awardees. It mandates the administration provide specific detail to Congress on approved and rejected grant applications.

It proposes providing $500 million for the program annually.

The legislation makes repeated reference to the Biden administration’s national strategy on antisemitism, and is framed as an effort to build off of that approach.

“This bill shows that moderates and those aligned with the current Israeli government do not enjoy a monopoly over the fight against antisemitism and hate,” Nadler said in a statement. “I am proud to introduce, with my cherished colleagues, the Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act, which embodies a comprehensive and principled framework — one that steadfastly upholds and celebrates progressive values without compromise, diminution, or equivocation.”

DeLauro said the bill “lays out a national strategy for combating the rising threat of antisemitism while protecting freedom of speech, and calls out the Trump Administration’s co-opting of antisemitism for its own political agenda.”

Balint said the legislation would provide critical resources while also implementing “strong Congressional oversight and guardrails to prevent any administration from politicizing antisemitism to further attack their opponents.”

Frost said the legislation “creates a coordinated, whole-of-government response to confront antisemitism wherever it appears in our communities. Unity is our greatest strength, and when we act together, hate has nowhere to take hold.”

Daily Overtime

Mamdani official jumps ship after posts resurface

Plus, Trump contradicts Bibi on Mar-a-Lago meeting

ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Director of Appointments, speaks during a press conference with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (L) and Jahmila Edwards (C), Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, on December 17, 2025 in New York.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

December 18, 2025

Good Thursday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s newly tapped director of appointments, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, abruptly resigned this afternoon after her history of antisemitic online posts — including complaining about “money hungry Jews” — was unearthed, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Da Costa, who previously served as executive assistant to former Mayor Bill DeBlasio and was appointed by Mamdani yesterday, posted a series of antisemitic comments in 2011 and 2012, which were obtained by the Judge Street Journal.

Among other X posts — deleted along with her account today — Da Costa wrote in January 2011, “Money hungry Jews smh,” according to screenshots. “Woo! Promoted to the upstairs office today! Working alongside these rich Jewish peeps,” she posted in June 2011.

After outcry from the Anti-Defamation League and others, Mamdani’s team told JI that “Catherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and [Mamdani] accepted.” Da Costa said in her own statement that her posts were “not indicative of who I am” and had “become a distraction from the work at hand”…

In another incident of antisemitism proliferating online, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua garnered widespread backlash — including from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s foundation focused on combating antisemitism — for performing an antisemitic dance on social media on Tuesday, JI’s Haley Cohen reports, leading Nacua to issue an apology this afternoon.

During streamer Adin Ross’ livestream on Tuesday, he taught the wide receiver a touchdown celebration that ended with Nacua looking into the camera and rubbing his hands together — a stereotypical movement indicating greed that Ross’ fans refer to as his “iconic Jewish dance.” Ross then asked Nacua to perform the dance during the Rams’ game against the Seattle Seahawks tonight, to which Nacua agreed.

In his apology, Nacua stated that at the time of the livestream, he had “no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetrated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people”…

In response to the Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced today that his government will introduce new legislation to strengthen hate speech laws in the country and allow the government to cancel or reject visas of people deemed likely to spread hate.

The move comes after Australia ignored repeated warnings from local Jewish communities and Israel that rising antisemitism in the country posed a threat to Jewish safety; Albanese conceded the point in his announcement, claiming, “Governments aren’t perfect. I’m not perfect”…

Scott Singer, the Republican mayor of Boca Raton, Fla., announced a run for Congress today for the seat held by Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). The district, already competitive, is facing a possible redistricting effort by state Republicans which would further endanger the pro-Israel congressman’s hold on it. Singer, who sits on the U.S. advisory board of Combat Antisemitism Movement, has been a strong supporter of Israel as well…

NOTUS asked over 120 House Republicans if they intend to run for reelection amid rumors of a mass wave of retirements in the party. Several, including Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) and Mark Amodei (R-NV), gave noncommittal answers…

The State Department issued new sanctions today against dozens of ships and related companies involved in Iran’s “shadow fleet” used to evade existing oil sanctions, as well as against two International Criminal Court judges involved in prosecuting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing the judges’ votes against an Israeli appeal to drop arrest warrants for the two earlier this week…

President Donald Trump contradicted an announcement made weeks ago by Netanyahu’s office that the two have set a meeting at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., for Dec. 29, telling reporters in the Oval Office today, “We haven’t set [a meeting] up formally, but [Netanyahu] would like to see me. … He’ll probably come see me in Florida.”

Asked if Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will join them, as speculated by the signing of a major gas deal between Israel and Egypt yesterday, Trump said, “I’d love to have him. El-Sissi is a friend of mine”…

D.C. City Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist running for city mayor, committed to standing up for the Jewish community and taking proactive steps to ensure its security on a panel at a Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington breakfast this morning, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

Lewis George’s presence at the event and comments are particularly notable given that she’s a self-identified democratic socialist. (Many DSA-aligned elected officials across the country, including Mamdani, have had combative or nonexistent relationships with mainstream Jewish organizations in their cities and districts.)

“I learned at a very young age how important it was to loudly condemn and loudly stand up for our Jewish neighbors,” Lewis George said. She recalled that she realized through education programs in D.C. schools “how important it was that we support each other in solidarity, in our connected struggles, our connected history”…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with a longtime Jewish activist mounting a bid for Washington, D.C.’s congressional delegate seat.

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with the Qatari prime minister and Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers in Miami tomorrow to discuss implementation of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Turning Point USA’s AmFest continues over the weekend, including a debate over Israel on Saturday between political commentator Steve Deace and Christian nationalist leader Pastor Doug Wilson.

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat Shalom!

Stories You May Have Missed

FRIENDLY FIRE

At Heritage HQ, Ben Shapiro calls on think tank to draw red line against Tucker Carlson

Ben Shapiro walks the red carpet at the Turning Point USA Inaugural-Eve Ball at the Salamander Hotel on January 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

‘If the Heritage Foundation wishes to retain its status as a leading thought institution in the conservative movement, it must act as ideological border control,’ Shapiro warned

Read more

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Bob Kraft’s anti-hate group slams Los Angeles wide receiver Puka Nacua for antisemitic TD dance

After receiving widespread condemnation, Nacua apologized ‘to anyone who was offended by my actions’

Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Sofi Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Inglewood, CA.

By

Haley Cohen

December 18, 2025

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s organization focused on combating antisemitism condemned Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua for performing an antisemitic dance on social media.

After Kraft’s foundation and other leading figures spoke out, Nacua offered an apology Thursday afternoon.

“We must all reject the antisemitic tropes, dances and stereotypes shared between wide receiver Puka Nacua and [online streamer] Adin Ross,” Adam Katz, president of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, told Jewish Insider.

During Ross’ livestream on Tuesday, he taught the wide receiver an antisemitic touchdown celebration, which ended with Nacua looking into the camera and rubbing his hands together — a stereotypical movement indicating greed that Ross’ fans refer to as his “iconic Jewish dance.”

Ross then asked Nacua to perform the celebratory dance during the Rams’ game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, to which Nacua agreed.

After facing significant backlash, Nacua issued an apology on Thursday, stating that at the time of the livestream, he had “no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetrated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people.”

“I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”

The incident came as Jewish communities are still reeling after a mass shooting killed 15 at a Hanukkah celebration at Australia’s Bondi Beach.

“The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate recognizes the power of sports to bring people together across divides and around the world,” Katz told JI. “It’s imperative that we continue to use these moments to spotlight the best of humanity, and inspire, educate and create allyship within sports.”

APPOINTEE UNMASKED

Mamdani appointee resigns after complaining about ‘money hungry Jews’ on social media

The NYC mayor-elect had tapped Catherine Almonte Da Costa as director of appointments

ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Director of Appointments, speaks during a press conference with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (L) and Jahmila Edwards (C), Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, on December 17, 2025 in New York.

By

Haley Cohen

December 18, 2025

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s newly tapped director of appointments, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, resigned on Thursday afternoon after her history of antisemitic online posts — including complaining about “money hungry Jews” — was exposed.

“Catherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and [Mamdani] accepted,” Dora Pekec, the mayor-elect’s transition team spokesperson, said in a statement to Jewish Insider.

Da Costa, who previously served as executive assistant to former Mayor Bill DeBlasio and was appointed by Mamdani on Wednesday, posted a series of antisemitic comments in 2011 and 2012, which were shared by the Anti-Defamation League. Da Costa’s account — and the posts, which had remained online — was deleted once the antisemitism watchdog published her posts on Thursday.

“Money hungry Jews smh,” Da Costa posted on X in January 2011, according to screenshots.

“Woo! Promoted to the upstairs office today! Working alongside these rich Jewish peeps,” she posted in June 2011.

In June 2012, Da Costa wrote that the “Far Rockaway train is the Jew train,” a reference to the neighborhood’s sizable Jewish population.

Da Costa resigned on Thursday, saying that she “spoke with the Mayor-elect this afternoon, apologized, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am. As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused. As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation.”

Sara Forman, executive director of the New York Solidarity Network, praised “cutting ties” with Da Costa as” the right thing to do,” but added that “had she said ‘Zionist’ instead of ‘Jew’ the response from the incoming Mamdani administration and the outcome we just witnessed would likely have been quite different.”

“This is why we have been telling Mr. Mamdani all along that all anti-Jewish rhetoric, including anti-Zionist dog whistles, cannot just be ‘discouraged,’ it must be rejected and condemned outright,” Forman said in a statement.

The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey condemned the posts on X before Da Costa’s resignation, writing that they “echo classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people.”

“We appreciate Da Costa has relationships with members of the Jewish community, but her posts require immediate explanation — not just from Ms. Da Costa, but also from the Mayor-Elect,” the ADL said in a statement.

The recently unearthed posts come as several of Mamdani’s transition appointees have drawn scrutiny from Jewish leaders, who remain skeptical of the mayor-elect, who takes office on Jan. 1, and his commitment to fighting antisemitism.

Among the most controversial of his appointments is Tamika Mallory, a former Women’s March leader who stepped down from its board amid allegations of antisemitism, to a newly established community safety committee.

SCOOP

House resolution calls for safeguards to address antisemitism in artificial intelligence

Rep. Sara Jacobs told JI that the resolution is a ‘first step’ to highlight bipartisan consensus on the issue

Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Fair Share America

Rep Sara Jacobs (D-CA) speaks at the rally to Say NO to Tax Breaks for Billionaires & Corporations at US Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Washington, DC.

By

Marc Rod

December 18, 2025

A bipartisan group of House members is introducing a resolution that sets out recommendations for tackling the spread of antisemitism through artificial intelligence models and highlights the ways those programs have been used to spread a variety of forms of anti-Jewish hate.

The resolution, led by Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Don Bacon (R-NE), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Laura Friedman (D-CA), highlights that AI models can “generate, amplify, or normalize antisemitic content, deepfakes, synthetic media, and deeply anti-Jewish bias, and can be weaponized to target Jewish individuals and institutions, as well as American institutions, normalizing antisemitism and anti-Jewish bias en masse.” It also notes that there is an extensive history of AI models espousing antisemitic attitudes, dating back to at least 2016.

The resolution states that combating antisemitism is a national priority and that technology companies have a “responsibility to implement robust safeguards,” including transparency measures, working with antisemitism experts and taking steps to prevent the spread of antisemitism or violent content targeting Jewish people.

Jacobs told Jewish Insider this week that AI is accelerating conditions of rising antisemitism and danger for the Jewish people “with the rapid creation, spread and amplification of antisemitic content that makes us actively less safe.”

She emphasized that the public is increasingly turning to AI as an information tool with “no checks” to the antisemitic content AI is spreading.

The resolution encourages tech companies to implement standards to prevent antisemitism including “supporting enforcement technology, red teaming methodologies, and datasets to guide risk identification, measurement, mitigation, and governance of AI systems,” as well as expanded data data sharing and access for researchers to study antisemitic content and assess potential responses.

It additionally recommends periodic public reporting by technology companies on antisemitic content on AI platforms and how the platforms are responding.

It urges governments, civil society, academia and the business community to develop “effective interventions” against antisemitic content and harassment, including plans for responding to threats of violence.

The legislation also calls for efforts to improve education and digital literacy among young people to recognize and resist antisemitic narratives and AI-generated hatred.

“Corporations need to step up and maintain standards and safeguards for AI systems that protect human rights and the safety of all people, including the Jewish community,” Jacobs said. “I think there’s a lot more they could be doing, and that’s why we need a whole of society approach to antisemitism, which is what we call for in this resolution.”

Jacobs said that the resolution is a “first step” to highlight bipartisan consensus on the issue, and noted that while it’s nonbinding, it does set out specific standards and recommendations for the industry.

JERUSALEM'S CALL

Following Sydney attack, Israel urges Western governments to get serious about rising antisemitism

While Israel did not have intelligence pointing specifically to Sunday’s attack, it had provided information to Canberra about threats to the Australian Jewish community

GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during an event at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem on July 27, 2025.

By

Lahav Harkov

December 18, 2025

In the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday in which 15 people were killed, Israel is imploring Western governments to heed its warnings about the potential for violent acts of antisemitism.

In a video statement on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide. They would be well-advised to heed our warnings. I demand action from them now.”

One of the recurring themes in Israeli officials’ statements after the attack on Bondi Beach, following condolences to the community, was “we told you so.” While Israel did not have intelligence pointing specifically to Sunday’s attack, it had provided information to Canberra about threats to the Australian Jewish community.

In his initial public statement following the attack, Netanyahu said, “Four months ago, I wrote a letter to the prime minister of Australia. I told him: ‘Your policy encourages terrorism. It encourages antisemitism. You call for a Palestinian state, and you are essentially giving a prize to Hamas for the terrible massacre they carried out on Oct. 7. You are legitimizing all these rioters and you are not lifting a finger to eliminate these terror hotspots. This will lead to more murders.’ [Prime Minister Anthony Albanese] did nothing.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that “the Australian government, which received countless warning signs, must come to its senses.” President Isaac Herzog recalled that Israel “repeat[ed] our alerts time and again to the Australian government to seek action and fight against the enormous wave of antisemitism which is plaguing Australian society.”

American lawmakers and Jewish leaders also emphasized that Canberra had been repeatedly warned about a rise in violent threats to the local Jewish community.

In August, Netanyahu said that “history will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

At the time, the post seemed to be a response to Australia’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state. However, it was harsher and more personal than Netanyahu’s statements about the 10 other countries that did the same.

Days later, Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador, saying that intelligence services found Tehran was linked to arson attacks on a kosher cafe in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne in 2024. That intelligence reportedly came from Israel and included warnings that Iran was plotting more attacks.

Mark Regev, chair of the Abba Eban Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations at Reichman University and former diplomatic advisor to Netanyahu, who was born and grew up in Australia, told Jewish Insider that “it’s clear that despite the bad political working relationship between the two governments, at least the channel between security services was working well. As a result of the information received in Australia, that they verified themselves, they took a stand against the Iranians.”

Michal Cotler-Wunsh, CEO of the International Legal Forum and Israel’s former special envoy for combating antisemitism, told JI that she has met with former and current chiefs of police in Canberra, and found them to be “well aware” that, quoting former British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “antisemitism is the world’s most reliable early warning sign of a major threat to freedom, humanity and the dignity of difference.”

Regev said that usually, when Israel has reason to believe a Jewish community is in danger, it “expresses concern and talks to the relevant government.”

“Israel sees itself as the homeland of all Jewish people, so when Jews are under threat, it raises its voice,” he said.

Generally, “it is accepted that Israel has a say. Everyone understands it,” Regev said. “It’s not an accident that [Australian Foreign Minister] Penny Wong so quickly [after the attack] had a phone call with Sa’ar. That Israel has standing with Jews who are not Israeli citizens is commonly accepted in many parts of the world.”

There is little Israel can do beyond relaying warnings and intelligence, Regev said: “The Mossad can talk to local intelligence and give them information, and we can informally advise the Jewish community on how to protect synagogues, Jewish day schools and public events.”

“Ultimately, the job of protecting the Jewish community is the government” of the country in which the community lives, he added. “Israel is not in charge of law and order in Australia; that’s the Australian government.”

“Aside from saying ‘you have to do a better job,’ I’m not sure what else we can do,” Regev said.

Cotler-Wunsh argued on this week’s episode of the Misgav Mideast Horizons Podcast that Israel can be doing much more to combat antisemitism around the world. She resigned from her position as special envoy earlier this year in part because it remained voluntary and with little to no funding or ability to set policy. (JI’s Lahav Harkov cohosts the Misgav Mideast Horizons Podcast.)

“There needs to be some sort of authority, because it seems that there is no collaboration. … As Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism, different from many of my counterparts in the rest of the world, in the U.S., in Canada … I was not privy to the conversations that the security [establishment] was having, and I would say that is another testament to the lack of understanding of how severe an existential threat antisemitism is as both a symptom and a weapon in this eighth front of a raging war,” Cotler-Wunsh said.

“In no other war front would we say we have no strategy. We are just reacting,” Cotler-Wunsh lamented.

Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, told JI that the way Israeli leadership responded to the deadly terrorist attack did not take into consideration the particular concerns of Diaspora Jewry, and that their statements “go to the heart of Diaspora Jewry’s relationship with Israel and historic allegations of loyalties.”

Netanyahu and Sa’ar’s “immediate reaction is to attack the Australian government after this horrific terrorist attack for failing the Jewish community in relation to antisemitism … and I don’t disagree, but their first reaction should have been to convey condolences to the Australian government and the people of Australia,” he said.

“This is the greatest mass-casualty event [in Australia] since [1996] … This is an attack on Australia,” Leibler said. “It’s important to keep in mind, because the message you send otherwise is that the Jewish community is a fifth column. We’re not. We are passionately Zionist and that is completely consistent with being passionate Australians.”

“I don’t think people thought deeply about that, and it’s an important point,” Leibler added, saying that it may be a result of “politics in Israel [being] globally tough” and lacking “the same level of decency in the way people interact that perhaps there once was, and that does come out in the way some of the reactions were communicated.”

Regev recalled that when he was Israeli ambassador to the U.K. from 2016 to 2020, “the British Jewish community had nothing but praise for the seriousness with which [the government] took the safety of the Jewish community, and there were serious threats.”

This week, the police forces of London and Manchester said they would arrest people who chanted “globalize the intifada” in light of the Sydney attack.

“The Australian Jewish community is not in the same place in the way they look at the Australian government. … Jews were seen as whingers, overstating the threat, but obviously they weren’t,” he said.

“The general message [from Israel] is that Australia is not taking these things seriously enough,” Regev added. “What will [Canberra] do following this event? They say all of the right things, but are they taking steps?”

Leibler said that Albanese’s government has “absolutely, there is no doubt, failed since Oct. 7 to thwart the antisemitism that has exploded. They bear responsibility for an environment that has allowed antisemitism to thrive.”

He emphasized that “from a basic moral perspective, it is important to acknowledge the people responsible are the perpetrators and those who inspired, educated and financed them.”

“Had this government known about this attack, they would have tried to prevent it, but they are clearly not equipped to deal with it, and the response so far has been inadequate,” he said.

Leibler called on Australia to adopt its antisemitism envoy’s recommendations, made in July, and to acknowledge that the weekly anti-Israel protests on the streets have “crossed the line from criticism of Israel to full-blown antisemitism. … Ninety percent of the Jewish community has been demonized.” At the same time, he acknowledged that the government has increased funding for security Jewish sites and introduced hate speech laws.

“What they have not done is come to the defense of Israel’s legitimacy and model how one can criticize Israel’s policies of the day but vehemently come to its defense,” he said. “The Jewish community maybe would have disagreed with policy shifts, like recognition [of a Palestinian state] and changing [U.N.] voting patterns, but it wouldn’t have resulted in the same sense of isolation and demonization.”

Daily Overtime

U.K. police change tune on ‘globalize the intifada’

Plus, Dan Shapiro takes the Rhodes less traveled

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Members of the public and congregants seen as Police and other emergency responders attend the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, where multiple were injured after stabbing and car attack on Yom Kippur, on October 2, 2025 in the Crumpsall suburb of Manchester, England.

By

JI Staff

Danielle Cohen-Kanik

December 17, 2025

Good Wednesday afternoon!

This P.M. edition is reserved for our premium subscribers — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.

It’s me again — Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.

📡On Our Radar

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

In the wake of the Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney and the deadly Yom Kippur attack in Manchester, the heads of Britain’s Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police said they will change their policies on arrests in connection with the use of threatening slogans, including “globalize the intifada.”

“The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real world consequences. We have consistently been advised by [the Crown Prosecution Service] that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities don’t meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive,” their joint statement read.

“We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalise the intifada’ and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed — words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests,” they pledged. The Israeli Embassy in the U.K. welcomed the move but called it “disappointing” that it only came “after more Jews have been killed”…

Daniel Flesch, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, emerged as a critical voice raising the alarm on right-wing antisemitism from within the institution in a speech on Monday night, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports, as the think tank continues to grapple with fallout from its president’s embrace of Tucker Carlson after his controversial interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes.

“The last couple of years, really for longer than that, the threat of antisemitism has largely been the domain of the left,” Flesch said at a Hanukkah party hosted by the Young Jewish Conservatives. “Now, in some ways, the call is coming from inside the house.”

Flesch continued, “Right now, the issue we’re facing is a threat to the West. We see it on the left. Now we’re seeing it to the right. And those like Tucker Carlson and others present the greatest threat, I think, on the right. They are anti-conservatives in the conservative movement, seeking to destroy our movements, and in so doing, destroy the future of the United States”…

And on the left, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro called out his fellow Democrats in The Atlantic for their own turn against Israel, including his former Obama administration colleague, Ben Rhodes, who has emerged as one of the leading anti-Israel voices in the party.

“The story of the [Oct. 7] attack and its aftermath — so often ignored in commentaries about the past two years — affirms that what the United States was dealing with was not a genocidal nation out to destroy all Palestinians but a deeply imperfect democratic partner beset by enemies, actual genocidal enemies, and terrorists sworn to its physical destruction,” Shapiro wrote.

“But there is a darker danger to the approach that Rhodes and others endorse. … If the test of fealty for the Democratic Party becomes supporting international efforts to pressure Israel to define itself out of existence, or expressing indifference to the campaign of Israel’s enemies to destroy it, we will be in a much uglier place. That is not a policy that would meet any moral test … Those calling for an end to U.S. support for Israel need to be mindful that, perhaps inadvertently, they are abetting this camp”…

Brad Lander, the outgoing New York City comptroller challenging Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), told the anti-Israel publication Zeteo News and its host Mehdi Hasan that politicians including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump are “delighted to weaponize antisemitism, to weaponize Jewish fear, against Muslims especially but really against inclusive, multi-racial democracy” in the wake of the Sydney terror attack. He also pledged to support efforts to recognize a Palestinian state if elected to Congress…

The Senate passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act this afternoon, sending the bill to the president’s desk. Read JI’s coverage of the bill’s components, including the full repeal of Caesar Act sanctions on Syria and funding joint programs with Israel…

The Senate also finally confirmed Jared Isaacman to head NASA, after he was initially nominated last December but then pulled by the White House during a spat between Trump and Elon Musk, who backed his nomination, and renominated in November…

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Director Kash Patel’s right-hand, is contemplating leaving the bureau, multiple outlets report. Patel’s choice of Bongino for his deputy raised eyebrows at the time, given Bongino has no prior FBI experience — though he is a former Secret Service agent — and rose to prominence as a right-wing podcaster boosting claims that the 2020 election was “stolen”…

Israel signed its largest ever gas deal today with Egypt to the tune of around $35 billion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced. The White House had reportedly pushed Israel to finalize the deal to set the groundwork for a trilateral meeting between the three countries…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani today to “launch the seventh annual U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue,” working to “deepen cooperation on shared economic and strategic goals in the Middle East and across the world,” according to a readout from Rubio…

⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with a moderate New York Democrat hoping to reclaim the party’s pro-Israel bonafides in a state Senate race in the wake of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory, and coverage of a fiery speech by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro at the Heritage Foundation today on antisemitism on the political right.

Turning Point USA’s annual America Fest summit will kick off in Phoenix, Ariz.; Opening night will include speeches from Erika Kirk, now CEO of TPUSA after the killing of her husband; Shapiro; actor and activist Russell Brand; and podcast hosts Matt Walsh and Tucker Carlson. The organization’s attempt to navigate its messaging about the identity of the GOP, including its stance on Israel, in the wake of its founder’s death will be on full display as both pro- and anti-Israel commentators, including Shapiro and Carlson, take the stage.

In Washington, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington will hold the last in its series of “Lox and Legislators” breakfasts in D.C. with speakers including outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb.

The Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat NBA game taking place at the Barclays Center in New York will pay tribute to the victims of the Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney, including participation by the nephew of slain Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

Stories You May Have Missed

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Trump warns that Israel, ‘Jewish lobby’ have lost influence in D.C.

President Donald Trump arrives for a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

Speaking at the White House’s annual Hanukkah party, the president said Congress is ‘becoming antisemitic’

Read more

SELF REFLECTION

Amid Carlson controversy, Heritage staffer sounds alarm on right-wing antisemitism

‘The call is coming from inside the house,’ Daniel Flesch said on Monday

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC.

By

Gabby Deutch

December 17, 2025

Amid the fallout from the Heritage Foundation’s embrace of Tucker Carlson after his controversial interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, Daniel Flesch — a senior policy analyst at the conservative think tank — has emerged as a critical voice raising the alarm on right-wing antisemitism from within the institution.

On Monday, at a Hanukkah party steps from the White House, Flesch, who is Jewish, received the Young Maccabee Award from Young Jewish Conservatives, a political group founded in 2011 as a political home for Jewish conservatives in Washington. In a brief speech, Flesch warned of the dangers of growing antisemitism on the American right, and urged fellow conservatives to do more to take a stand against it. Otherwise, Flesch said gravely, the survival of America is at stake.

“The last couple of years, really for longer than that, the threat of antisemitism has largely been the domain of the left,” Flesch said. “Now, in some ways, the call is coming from inside the house.”

Flesch led the drafting of Heritage’s Project Esther report, a plan released in 2024 outlining ways to counter pro-Hamas antisemitism on the left. He also served as Heritage’s point person for the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, a coalition of conservative groups that were involved in writing the Project Esther report.

After Heritage President Kevin Roberts posted a video defending Carlson and his choice to host Fuentes, the task force disaffiliated from Heritage. Flesch remains both a Heritage staff member and a task force member, but he warned at a staff meeting days after the video was released, “We are bleeding trust, reputation, perhaps donors.”

“Right now, the issue we’re facing is a threat to the West. We see it on the left. Now we’re seeing it to the right. And those like Tucker Carlson and others present the greatest threat, I think, on the right,” Flesch said on Monday. “They are anti-conservatives in the conservative movement, seeking to destroy our movements, and in so doing, destroy the future of the United States.”

Roberts has apologized for the video, in which he called Carlson a “close friend” and said he would not give in to calls to “cancel” Fuentes. But he has not distanced himself from Carlson.

“Israel will be fine. The question is, will we be fine here?” said Flesch. “If you have the left captured, you’ll have the right captured. What is there? Jews, obviously, we’re always left in the middle, we’ve got the State of Israel. Thank God, Israel will be strong. But this is a moment to say hineni [“here I am”] for each and every one of us.”

Waltz's words

At Israeli mission’s Hanukkah reception, Mike Waltz vows to confront U.N. antisemitism

The U.N. ambassador pointed to the recent unanimous U.N. Security Council vote supporting Trump’s Gaza peace plan

Haley Cohen

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz at Mission of Israel to the U.N. Hanukkah reception, The Jewish Museum, Dec. 17, 2025

By

Haley Cohen

December 17, 2025

As Jews worldwide face a scourge of antisemitism — including the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Australia’s Bondi Beach over the weekend — U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said on Tuesday night that the U.S. “can and will confront antisemitism without apology, without hesitation and will do so everywhere around the world, including right here in the halls of the U.N.”

“We are taking real action on those who perpetuate their antisemitic actions,” Waltz said at a Hanukkah reception hosted by Israel’s U.N. mission, held at The Jewish Museum in Manhattan. He pointed to recent U.S. sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories who has frequently bashed Israel.

At the event, which was co-hosted by UJA-Federation of New York to mark the third night of Hanukkah, Waltz also lauded President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, calling it “not perfect,” but offering “a far better chance [at peace] than where we were just a few months ago.”

“The goal is to break that cycle of insanity where Hamas is allowed to survive, attack Israel once again, Israel responds and here we are all over again,” continued Waltz. “President Trump’s plan will break that cycle. We are going to see it through, and ultimately, he is determined — and put his name on it in a huge way, to the point that we have hundreds of soldiers on the ground in Israel — in moving all of that forward so that we never experience another Oct. 7.”

Last month, the U.N. Security Council voted 13-0 in favor of Trump’s peace plan, which Waltz called “the most positive council, probably ever.”

“We will work in partnership with Israel, not only to fight antisemitism, but to bring peace and stability to that region so the next generation isn’t experiencing what the previous generation did. We can expand the Abraham Accords,” continued Waltz. “Let’s bring light to the darkness we’ve seen these last two years.”

“We are determined to make the U.N. great again. We have a new term called ‘MUNGA’ — Make the U.N. Great Again,” Waltz said as the crowd erupted in laughter.

As guests noshed on festive hors d’oeuvres — bite-sized latkes and sufganiyot — remarks were also delivered by Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon and Eric Goldstein, the outgoing CEO of UJA-Federation.

“What happened in Australia on the first night of Hanukkah was an act of terror targeting Jews,” said Danon. Among the 15 killed in the attack were 10-year-old Matilda Britvan, Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman.

“Three generations targeted simply for being Jewish. Tonight we honor their memories,” continued Danon before — together with Goldstein and Chabad’s Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky — lighting a menorah made from shrapnel of Iranian ballistic missiles intercepted by Israeli and U.S. interceptors.

ON THE HILL

Australian Jews’ warnings about rising antisemitism were ignored, U.S. lawmakers say

‘Lives are at stake. This is not pretend. These enemies of the Jewish people are not playing games,’ Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said

Marc Rod

From left to right: Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), AJC CEO Ted Deutch, Laura Gillen (D-NY), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Dec. 16, 2025

By

Marc Rod

December 17, 2025

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, multiple Jewish lawmakers emphasized that the Sunday terror attack in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, came after warnings from the Australian Jewish community, and Jewish communities around the world, about the rising violent threats they face — warnings that have often gone ignored, the lawmakers said.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said that Australian Jews and others around the world have been warning “for far too long” about the “alarming, explosive rise in violent antisemitism.”

“That threat, those warnings, have fallen on deaf ears, and we are living with those consequences now,” Wasserman Schultz said. “I hope that this tragedy is the wake-up call that world leaders need to truly stand up and protect their Jewish communities from antisemitism, whether that manifests online or in person.”

She said that leaders around the world “must do better.”

“Lives are at stake. This is not pretend. These enemies of the Jewish people are not playing games. They mean to end our existence as a people,” she continued. “We will not allow that. Our allies and friends must help us make sure that never happens.”

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, emphasized that the attack was “not predicted” but “it was predictable.”

“For too long, the Jewish community in Australia was saying to the authorities, saying to the government, ‘Antisemitism is a cancer eating away at the soul of the nation, and it’s going to result in the death of Jews in the land,’ and that’s what we saw on Sunday,” Schneider continued.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) emphasized that Australia’s special envoy for antisemitism had in July offered a plan to combat antisemitism, but the plan had not been fully implemented by the Australian government.

The briefing was hosted by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) and the American Jewish Committee.

Gottheimer said that the public outcry he had seen since the Sydney massacre “is a sign to me that there is a recognition that we can do something if we stand together.”

“We should all be going after the root of the rising scourge of antisemitic hate around the world,” he added. “We must stand up to our foreign adversaries like the government of Iran, and the terrorist organizations that they support, for driving this hatred and violence for the Jewish people.”

Lawler said that the lawmakers had gathered “united in a bipartisan way to say that we will not tolerate this. We will not accept this as the norm that our Jewish brothers and sisters have to live in fear of being murdered while practicing their faith.”

AJC CEO Ted Deutch, who previously represented a South Florida House district, urged lawmakers to act promptly to confirm Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism and to provide adequate funding for the office, to strongly condemn the attack, to publicly stand with the Jewish community and to investigate foreign-backed antisemitism and influence operations targeting Jews globally.

“In the U.S. and with our allies, we’ve got to take concrete steps to strengthen our intelligence and counterterrorism cooperation, protect our communities, to preserve democratic stability and to prevent massacres like the one that happened on Bondi Beach,” Deutch continued.

William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said, “If there was ever any doubt that anti-Zionism and antisemitism are one and the same, the attacks since Oct. 7 erase it. Jews are being targeted not for policy, but for presence. Not for politics, but for being Jewish, visible and alive.”

Marina Rosenberg, the Anti-Defamation League’s vice president of international affairs, said that she and a global coalition of Jewish leaders had visited Australia just days before the massacre to “sound the alarm on the dangers of surging antisemitism, calling on officials to act before it was too late. Tragically, for our brothers and sisters in Australia, it is too late.”

Rosenberg also emphasized that the attack is part of a “global pattern targeting Jewish communities,” not an isolated incident. She said that Congress must boost security funding for religious institutions and confirm Kaploun.

Other lawmakers who attended the briefing included Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Jonathan Jackson (D-OH), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Grace Meng (D-NY), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Joe Wilson (R-SC) and George Latimer (D-NY).

SANDERS' STATEMENTS

Bernie Sanders pivots from sympathy toward Sydney shooting victims to criticizing Netanyahu

Netanyahu said on Sunday that Jerusalem had previously warned Australia’s PM that Palestinian statehood recognition endangered Jews in the country

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), joined by fellow senator Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (R), speaks at a news conference on restricting arms sales to Israel at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC.

By

Marc Rod

December 17, 2025

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, after Netanyahu linked the terror attack in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, to Canberra’s support for a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu highlighted in a speech on Sunday that he had warned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that Canberra’s recognition of a Palestinian state was fueling antisemitism and endangering Australian Jews. Netanyahu further accused Albanese of failing to take action against antisemitism.

Sanders issued a statement in response on Tuesday: “No, Mr. Netanyahu. Speaking out on behalf of the Palestinian people is not antisemitic. Opposing the disgraceful policies of your extremist government is not antisemitic. Condemning your genocidal war, which has killed more than 70,000 people — mostly women and children — is not antisemitic. Demanding that your government stop bombing hospitals and starving children is not antisemitic.”

He said that “we must continue to oppose antisemitism and all forms of racism and bigotry. At the same time, we must demand a world in which international law and human rights are respected by all governments, without exception.”

Sanders opted against signing onto a joint statement issued Monday by Jewish Senate Democrats condemning the Sydney attack. Asked about his decision not to join the collective statement from Jewish Senate Democrats, a Sanders spokesperson pointed JI to Sanders’ comment on Sunday mourning the attack, in which the Vermont senator called antisemitism “a disgusting and cowardly ideology” that is “growing worldwide” and added, “we must be equally committed to fighting all forms of” bigotry.

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