Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference in Jerusalem today, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel “can and must bear a growing responsibility for its own security, develop military and economic independence and stand up for its own interests,” and that Jerusalem “respect[s] the right and the duty of the United States to put the American people at the top of its policy priorities”…

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Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said similarly at the conference that, “if Americans put America first, like Israelis put Israel first … we can stand up to this new threat and, bound firmly together, toss red-green leftism into the ash heap of history”…

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Roberts told The New Yorker in an exposé on the right-wing think tank released yesterday that he now believes far-right commentator Tucker Carlson is “exacerbating antisemitism in America,” after having previously released a video defending Carlson amid backlash over his friendly interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes — a move that fractured the organization…

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The Telegraph reports that the Green Party member who proposed the “Zionism is racism” motion recently adopted at the party’s conference is a self-described close friend of an al-Qaida terrorist jailed for a foiled 2011 plot to bomb travelers arriving at Heathrow from Israel.

Lubna Speitan had offered to testify in defense of Minh Quang Pham — now serving a 44-year sentence for the plot — and confirmed to the outlet that the two remain friends, suggesting he had been wrongly “targeted” by “the system”…

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Meanwhile, the European Green Party said the British Green Party’s “Zionism is racism” policy runs counter to its support for a two-state solution and that it would immediately seek clarification from the British party’s leadership. German Greens co-leader Felix Banaszak separately called the policy “intolerable and unacceptable”…

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British counterterrorism police arrested a seventh suspect today in connection with the alleged plot targeting the U.S.-run RAF Fairford air base, detaining a 22-year-old British man in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. The other six suspects have been released on bail as the investigation continues…

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The Cook Political Report changed its ratings of three key Senate races further in favor of Democrats: Kansas switched from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up,” New Hampshire changed from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democratic” and North Carolina shifted from “Lean Democratic” to “Likely Democratic.” The three races will be critical to deciding which party takes control of the upper chamber…

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Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore would not commit to serving out a full second term if reelected in November, amid speculation that he plans to run for president in 2028: Asked at a gubernatorial debate today if he would serve the entirety of his next term, Moore said, “I would not be running for reelection if I was not committed to the people of Maryland,” and declined to comment further when pressed for a yes or no answer…

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Member of Knesset Zeev Elkin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today as part of an Israeli delegation to Ukraine marking the 85th anniversary of the widespread extermination of Jews by the Nazis at Babyn Yar. Zelensky said the two discussed Iran’s cooperation with Russia as well as regional issues, and stated, “Strong relations between Ukraine and Israel could certainly contribute to our shared security”…

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

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a special edition of the Daily Kickoffhighlighting stories from former hostages, college students and the security sector marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

Others around the world will be marking the anniversary by protesting against the Jewish state, including on several college campuses and at New York City Hall, where anti-Israel groups including PAL-Awda, Within Our Lifetime and the youth chapter of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America are promoting a rally with a flyer that features the phrase, “Glory to the martyrs, victory to the resistance.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch vowed today at a press conference alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that “Jewish institutions will not be left to protect themselves without a strong partner in the NYPD” amid the demonstrations.

Elsewhere in New York, Jaser AbuMousa, a father from Gaza who lost several family members to Israeli airstrikes during the Israel-Hamas war, and Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of former Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, will sit in conversation at the 92nd Street Y.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and her Democratic challenger Troy Jackson will face off tonight in their first debate, one of four to be held in the next two weeks, after Jackson was selected to replace Graham Platner as the state’s Democratic Senate nominee in July.

The National Conservatism Conference continues tomorrow in Jerusalem with speakers including former Polish President Andrzej Duda; Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli; former Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat; and Sebastian Gorka, senior director for counterterrorism at the U.S. National Security Council.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will speak at an event tomorrow hosted by the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake about the third anniversary of Oct. 7 and his commitment to combating antisemitism. The event will also feature a screening of the documentary “Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets,” about the clashes in New York City as pro- and anti-Israel activists put up and tore down the “kidnapped” posters raising awareness about those taken hostage by Hamas.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) argued during her first joint campaign appearance with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed that the Jewish vote is not a monolith and that some Jewish voters are prioritizing issues other than Israel and antisemitism in the state’s upcoming competitive Senate race, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

“There’s no such thing as the Jewish voters, just like there’s no such thing as the Muslim voters or the Black voters. People have their own views and the things that they prioritize are going to drive their vote,” she said during a joint appearance on MS NOW, after participating in a town hall with El-Sayed over the weekend. “But I think frankly … people want to see a Jewish woman and a Muslim man being able to get along, debate, push and pull each other, and move the state forward”…

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Appearing on Fox News this afternoon, El-Sayed declined to answer directly when asked if he supports U.S. terror designations for Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. “I will support a terrorist designation for any organization that is engaged in or committed to political violence,” he said.

He also praised the Israelis who thwarted the attack on the FlyDubai flight last week, calling terrorism “awful and terrible”…

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Also lending a hand to El-Sayed on the campaign trail is former President Barack Obama, who is set to campaign with the Senate candidate, as well as Michigan Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, in Detroit on Oct. 24…

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Turkey and Pakistan will deploy troops to Saudi Arabia, the three countries said in a joint statement today, as the Kingdom continues to battle the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. The activation of the countries’ trilateral mutual defense pact “demonstrates the credibility of the commitment to collective defense” and “strengthens the effectiveness of deterrence,” the statement said…

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Speaking today at a memorial in Jerusalem for those killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “settle accounts” with the remaining “human beasts” who planned and carried out the attacks; Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that 4,000 of the terrorists who entered Israel on Oct. 7 have already been killed, while 2,000 remain at large…

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Asked if he thinks Iran was responsible for the attack on FlyDubai FZ1073, President Donald Trump told reporters today, “I personally do,” even as investigators have not officially determined Iranian involvement…

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Trump also said that the U.S. moved its B-1 bombers out of the RAF Fairford air base in the U.K. due to “some threats, and rather than tempting the enemy, we’ll capture the enemy and beat the enemy.” Vice President JD Vance said similarly today that the planes were moved “out of an abundance of caution, trying to protect our guys” from an unspecified threat from Iran…

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Netanyahu while en route to Iceland today, according to a State Department spokesperson…

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British National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell reportedly visited Israel last week in an effort to prevent the closure of the British consulate in east Jerusalem; Israel ordered the consulate closed in response to British sanctions on West Bank settlements, and an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said it will shut Thursday as planned…

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A Kuwaiti national who attempted to attack the Israeli Embassy in London last year was sentenced today to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years after being convicted of preparing a terrorist act. Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 34, was arrested outside the embassy armed with two knives and carrying a note indicating he was prepared to die as a “martyr”…

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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is continuing his travels in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, where he met today with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, of whom he’s been a vocal critic. In a video update, Murphy said he pressed MBS about Gulf investments with the Trump family and freedom of political speech and discussed the Iran war and Palestinian statehood.

Murphy also visited the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, which was struck by Iranian drones early in the Iran war. He claimed, based on the damage, that the strikes would have caused a “mass casualty event” if they had occurred while the building was occupied…

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Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun, the State Department’s antisemitism envoy, said at a press conference today that countries including the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Chile are considering adopting or have already decided to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, as several Latin American countries have recently shifted more favorably towards Israel and prioritized combating antisemitism…

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

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a dispatch from the Israeli Embassy in Washington’s Oct. 7 memorial event taking place this evening.

The National Conservatism conference kicks off tomorrow in Jerusalem with speakers including Israeli scholar Yoram Hazony; Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts; writer Rod Dreher; Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich; and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

National security veteran Brett McGurk’s new book, Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages, about his experience negotiating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas during the Biden administration, will hit bookshelves tomorrow.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The co-pilot who attacked his captain yesterday during a FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Fox News this morning based on initial findings from the investigation, and had asked his crewmates after being captured to “kill me.”

Netanyahu acknowledged concerns about how the assailant was able to serve as a co-pilot on a flight to Ben Gurion Airport as an Omani national, given that the Abraham Accords bar pilots from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Jerusalem from flying into Israel…

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While Netanyahu cautioned that investigators have not yet determined whether the attacker had ties to Iran or other foreign actors, President Donald Trump told reporters today that, “based on what I’m hearing,” the pilot was in fact linked to Tehran and “could have been” associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps…

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Netanyahu also said on CBS yesterday that Israel provided the U.K. with intelligence about an “Iranian-sponsored attack” on British soil, “and pretty much the next day they slapped sanctions on us,” referring to the new British sanctions regime targeting Israeli settlements.

Meanwhile, British counterterror officials arrested a 27-year-old dual British-Iranian national in London today on suspicion of plotting a terror attack in connection with the security incident at the U.S.-run RAF Fairford air base over the weekend. Five British men who were initially arrested near the base on suspected explosives and terror offenses have since been released on bail…

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Trump told Time magazine in an interview published this morning that he “can’t imagine” Netanyahu ignored warnings from both the UAE and Egypt in weeks ahead of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, after reports emerged that the prime minister had been notified of the threats ahead of time.

“You know, I think if he would have known, he would have done something about it. Certainly, he would have had people at least alert,” Trump said…

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Democratic Majority for Israel released a proposal today for a “modernized U.S.-Israel relationship,” with a focus on reimagined ties between the countries following the end of the current memorandum of understanding on military aid, set to expire in 2028, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

The group urged focusing on “more joint development and production in missile defense, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies” but did not fully rule out the potential for “some” continued military aid and missile-defense funding past 2028 — though the group suggested that such aid would likely be phased out “over time, and by mutual agreement”…

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Roughly 20 empty Iranian oil tankers have been stranded off Sri Lanka’s coast — drifting with idled engines as food, fuel and water run low — since July, when the U.S. reimposed its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has since pressured Sri Lanka into barring local ships from resupplying the vessels and their crews, according to The Wall Street Journal…

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The Pentagon is reportedly sending a third aircraft-carrier strike group and additional Marine Corps ships to the Middle East — adding roughly 9,000 to 10,000 troops — which are set to arrive in the region in November, as Trump publicly weighs renewing strikes on Iran after the midterms. The buildup could bring the U.S. to three carrier-strike groups in the Middle East for the first time since April…

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio waived human rights conditions on $320 million in U.S. military aid to Egypt, citing national security interests and Cairo’s “helpful role” following the start of the war with Iran, according to a State Department memo…

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A CNN investigation found that Jared Kushner‘s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, is the largest shareholder in an Israeli financial group, Phoenix Financial, that holds stakes in Elbit Systems and at least eight other companies supplying the Israeli military — even as Kushner has served as a lead U.S. negotiator in the Gaza war.

Critics say his envoy status — which lets him avoid financial-disclosure requirements — blurs the line between his public role and private profit, though CNN found no sign that Kushner’s diplomacy affected the investments and his attorney said he has never directed Phoenix’s decisions…

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While hundreds of students gathered at the University of Texas at Austin last night to hear far-left streamer Hasan Piker speak about the future of progressive politics, former Israeli hostage Maya Regev was across campus recounting her 50 days in Hamas captivity at a counter-event organized by campus pro-Israel groups in response to Piker’s appearance, JI’s Haley Cohen reports…

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The superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools acknowledged today that the district needs to do more to combat antisemitism, responding to a letter earlier this week from more than 40 local rabbis and cantors who warned that school leaders have failed to adequately address a rise in antisemitic incidents, JI’s Haley Cohen reports.

In his reply, Thomas Taylor called the school district’s response after a swastika was drawn on a student’s desk last month at Walter Johnson High School a “misstep,” and pledged to address concerns about staff training, student education and harmful social media behavior…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a look at how Jewish voters in Texas are viewing the state’s hotly contested race for U.S. Senate between state Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico, as community leaders say neither candidate has made a meaningful effort to engage with the local Jewish community.

Israeli carriers El Al, Israir and Arkia will begin repatriation flights tomorrow to bring Israelis stranded in the United Arab Emirates back to Tel Aviv after FlyDubai suspended its 8-10 daily flights to the Jewish state. Meanwhile, we’ll be watching developments in the investigation into the attack as authorities work to officially determine whether the assailant had ties to Iran or other actors.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) will appear on Saturday with Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a town hall in Macomb County, Mich.

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Details continue to emerge about the suspected terror attack this morning on a FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, where a co-pilot stabbed his captain and attempted to crash the plane.

Upon landing safely back at Ben Gurion Airport — after making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, where video showed Saudi attendants offering medical assistance to the Israelis — a group of passengers met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One man, Yaniv Hayoun, described how he burst into the cockpit to subdue the attacker; watch the video of his account with English subtitles here.

The injured captain was identified as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national who has 13 years of experience as a pilot, who is reported to be in stable condition. One passenger was also lightly injured and treated by Magen David Adom in Israel…

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Israel will now ramp up security checks on pilots flying into the country, the Prime Minister’s Office said, including verifying the identities of pilots on both Israeli and foreign carriers…

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Netanyahu spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed following the attack and was expected to speak with President Donald Trump about the matter afterward, according to Hebrew media…

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FlyDubai said it is temporarily suspending all flights to Israel as the incident is under investigation, while El Al announced it expects to restart its Tel Aviv-Dubai route in November…

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U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a BBC interview today that there are “strong indications” Tehran was involved in the suspected terror plot near a British air base housing U.S. military assets for operations against Iran…

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The New York Public Library is coming under scrutiny from Jewish leaders after it hosted author Benjamin Moser at an event where he mocked Jewish fears of antisemitism, ridiculing what he called the “poor me thing that all these Jews are suddenly having,” according to a recording of the event obtained by Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen.

During an event promoting his new book lauding anti-Zionism, Moser also accused “almost all of the main Jewish institutions” in America of having “supported this genocide” — referring to Israel’s war in Gaza — and said “nothing has made Jews look worse in history” than Zionism…

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Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today defended his administration’s strategy to combat antisemitism by spending heavily on nonprofit-based hate crime prevention, while keeping up his fierce criticism of Israel.

Pressed by JI’s Will Bredderman about the effectiveness of allocating tens of millions of dollars to his Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, which has already seen a boost in funding while antisemitic hate crimes in New York have increased, Mamdani pivoted to discussing his experience learning about the Holocaust as a teenager and pointed to declining public awareness of it…

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The Democratic National Committee announced the launch of a new Jewish constituency council in order to organize and engage Jewish Democrats in advance of the 2028 election, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Adam Goldwyn, a North Dakota state representative who will chair the Jewish American Council, said it is intended to “support critical organizing needs to win elections and ensure Jewish Americans know that a vote for their Democratic candidate is a vote for their values,” as a growing number of Jewish Democrats have felt unwelcome in the party amid rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment…

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Senate Democrats told JI’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs that they’d plan to use federal funding authorities to force the Trump administration to negotiate with the Iranian regime and end the Iran war if their party regains the majority in the next Congress.

In addition to potentially blocking funds for military operations undertaken without congressional authorization, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said Democrats could threaten White House operations funding to put pressure on Trump…

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new four-star military command dedicated to drone and robotic warfare, aimed at speeding up how the Pentagon buys and deploys unmanned systems. The “Autonomous Warfare Command,” set to be running by October 2027, is meant to give the U.S. a homegrown supply of cheap drones…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a look at the Los Angeles mayoral race, after Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidate Nithya Raman said during a Jewish forum last night that she continues to back the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

The Senate is expected to depart this evening for recess until after the midterm elections. When the chamber returns, it will have to confront a series of pressing challenges, including the National Defense Authorization Act and government funding, which have already led some senators to warn that they’re preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas recesses to be canceled.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood will host a “Fiesta Sukkot” tonight, marking the holiday of Sukkot during Hispanic Heritage Month. Speakers are set to include outgoing Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and other Hispanic elected officials alongside Jewish community groups including UJA-Federation of New York and the New York Board of Rabbis.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

In a video address this morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Jerusalem has received “indications that, ahead of the [Israeli] elections, our enemies will try to attack us,” and warned such adversaries, “Don’t mess with us — not now, and not ever. Our long arm will reach you anywhere, at any time.”

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said he had requested an “urgent security update” from Netanyahu’s office regarding his statement, which the PMO said it would provide…

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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a separate video today that Hamas leaders living abroad are “also in [Israel’s] crosshairs,” after the IDF eliminated the commander of the terror group’s northern brigade in Gaza last night…

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Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and former top Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, who currently serves as an advisor to Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, have agreed to run in a coalition in the upcoming Palestinian elections, a PIJ official confirmed to the Associated Press.

The coalition could challenge the dominance of Fatah, the party that governs the Palestinian Authority, if the Nov. 28 elections take place, which is far from certain — PA President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly delayed elections in the past…

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President Donald Trump said in the Oval Office yesterday that he was “surprised” British authorities released on bail the five men who were arrested for a potential attempted terror attack at a U.K. air base housing U.S. military assets. “I wouldn’t have done that,” he said, adding that the incident “might be” linked to Iran but that he didn’t want to say definitively. “I know the answer, I could be very specific, but I’d rather not say. I would not have released them,” he added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly said yesterday that many people were “disturbed” the individuals had been released and that the “very serious situation” over the weekend “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor,” without specifying further. Rubio indicated there’s “a lot more news that’ll come out on this in the days to come”…

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration today released its delayed municipal strategy to combat antisemitism, a 30-page plan that provides $7.4 million for security grants but declines to adopt a definition of antisemitism and does not address Israel-related hate, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Jewish leaders offered a mixed response to the strategy, with some welcoming increased security funding and other measures while also arguing that the plan fails to address what they see as a key driver of anti-Jewish hostility — rhetoric targeting Israel and its supporters, some of which they noted has been driven by Mamdani himself…

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The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights concluded, following a yearlong probe, that campus antisemitism is a “serious and growing civil rights concern,” but also suggested the Trump administration’s efforts to combat it “sometimes represented a departure from established practice” and went against statute, JI’s Marc Rod reports…

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Democratic Majority for Israel’s PAC unveiled a nearly $1 million digital ad buy in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District targeting Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) over her support for Trump’s policies, in a bid to boost former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA)…

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The State Department announced sanctions today on 13 individials and entities tied to Iran’s military procurement and proliferation, marking the one-year anniversary of the “snapback” provision that restored U.N. sanctions on Iran and calling on all U.N. member states to fully enforce those measures…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a look at the effectiveness of U.S. efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and how long Washington may be able to sustain them.

The Senate is expected to hold a vote this evening on a bill requiring the State Department to produce a report for Congress on violence by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank, including killings and detentions of Americans. If the resolution passes and the State Department does not produce a report in 30 days, most U.S. security assistance to Israel would be cut off. Any senator would also be able to force a vote on cutting off aid to Israel after such a report is delivered.

Far-left influencer Hasan Piker will speak at the University of Texas at Austin tomorrow, though in front of a smaller audience than planned; University Democrats, the group hosting Piker, said the university declined to provide them with a larger venue and other off-campus venues “pulled out” of discussions with the group. “We will not cancel because if we allow them to win, they will not stop until every semblance of left-wing speech is prohibited,” the Democratic Party-affiliated student organization said in a statement.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — along with the State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, the Romanian Embassy and Moment magazine — will host an event honoring the late Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, with remarks to be delivered by his son, Elisha Wiesel.

U.S. forces are set to withdraw from their last bases in Iraq by tomorrow, ending a military presence that has spanned more than two decades. The withdrawal, agreed to in 2024 under former President Joe Biden, comes as Iraqi security officials warn that the departure could allow Iran-backed militias to gain a stronger foothold in the country and ISIS cells to regroup.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump is willing to release frozen Iranian funds and provide some sanctions relief to Tehran in return for concessions on Iran’s nuclear program, Axios reports, as Qatari and Pakistani mediators met today with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York to continue negotiations. Qatari officials are expected to meet with Trump today or tomorrow…

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The official state news agency of the United Arab Emirates confirmed reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi yesterday, where the two leaders discussed “bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them.” It was a rare public acknowledgment by Abu Dhabi of its ties with Jerusalem, after having denied a reported Netanyahu visit earlier this year…

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The State Department postponed a memorial event for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that was scheduled for Sept. 30, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports, without specifying reasons for the delay or plans for rescheduling…

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Five men arrested in connection with a possible attempted terror attack at a British air base on Sunday were released on bail today, Laurence Taylor, the head of Britain’s counterterrorism police, announced, though he said they would be “subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others.”

Taylor said the U.K. is investigating the plot “from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state”…

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More than 40 rabbis and cantors in Montgomery County, Md., warned in a letter today that public school leaders have failed to address a rising tide of antisemitism in local classrooms, urging officials to implement new teacher training and stricter social media rules, JI’s Haley Cohen reports.

In the letter addressed to Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor, the clergy — representing dozens of Montgomery County synagogues across denominations — wrote that they are “alarmed that the lack of a meaningful response by MCPS has led to an increase in the normalization of antisemitic attitudes, language and behaviors in our schools”…

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the State Department today to discuss regional developments including ongoing Israeli-Lebanese negotiations. Also in attendance were Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, State Department Counselor Dan Holler, Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa…

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Rubio also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud today amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The two were expected to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments, according to Saudi state media…

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Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman invited UAE Vice President Mansour bin Zayed to visit Riyadh tomorrow, the Saudi Defense Ministry announced, in a sign of warming ties between the two Gulf powers after months of visible strain…

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Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani is joining Vine Ventures, a venture capital firm backing Israeli startups in AI, cybersecurity and defense tech. Argamani told Business Insider she intends to use her experience and the global connections she established after her time in captivity to “do something with more impact — to make a change in the world”…

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The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier departed from San Diego to relieve the USS George Washington in the Middle East while U.S. forces continue to enforce a naval blockade on Iran and facilitate the movement of oil through the Strait of Hormuz…

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Dozens of countries joined the U.S. and Israel today in boycotting an event hosted by the U.N. to mark the 25th anniversary of the Durban Conference, the 2001 gathering in South Africa meant to fight global racism that instead became deeply controversial over extreme antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric…

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Francesca Albanese, the U.N.’s special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, apologized on X for claiming in a recent interview that antisemitism originally meant hatred of all “Semitic peoples” rather than Jews, and that Jews taken to the Nazi gas chambers were “called ‘the Muslims.’”

Critics accused her of distorting the Holocaust, noting that the camp term “Muselmann” described starving prisoners near death, not a racial category. Albanese conceded she had “misread” the term and that antisemitism “was coined specifically to denote hatred of Jews”…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a look at the silence from Texas Democrats over far-left influencer Hasan Piker‘s speaking engagement at the University of Texas later this week, even as the historically conservative state remains one of the most consequential battlegrounds in the upcoming midterm elections.

The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and other local groups will host a mayoral forum with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman, Bass’ progressive challenger in the Nov. 3 runoff who has taken a critical stance against Israel.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will receive a briefing on the status of the Golden Dome missile-defense project.

President Donald Trump will headline an event in Washington on innovation with guests including Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Energy Secretary Chris Wright; NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman; SpaceX CEO Elon Musk; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang; Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown; and Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, among others.

analysis

Capitol Hill Democrats expected to crack down on Israel in next Congress

By Marc Rod

If Democrats take control of Congress next year — or even if they win back a majority in only the House of Representatives — expect a legislative agenda that’s a lot tougher on Israel than it has been in a long time.

With growing support among House Democrats for legislation restricting U.S. aid and arms sales to Israel, bills such as the Block the Bombs Act, the Ceasefire Compliance Act or measures similar to this summer’s vote on cutting aid to Israel could come to the House floor, and continued fights over the U.S.-Israel relationship in funding bills and other legislation seem likely.

But the top target for senior Democrats at the moment is targeting settlement activity and settler violence in the West Bank. Asked by Jewish Insider at a press conference on Wednesday what Israel-related legislation Democrats might bring forward for a vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — who has generally been a reliable supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship — pointed to a bill imposing sanctions related to West Bank violence.

Read more here →

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In attendance at President Donald Trump’s state dinner last night for Chinese President Xi Jinping: First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance; Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Ivanka Trump and Arabella Kushner; Tiffany Trump and Michael Boulos, Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, NYU President Linda Mills, Larry Fink, Sam Altman, Stephen Schwarzman, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon, Michael Dell, David Solomon, David Ellison, Albert Bourla, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Rich McCormick (R-GA).

Musk, Cook and Huang were among those seated at the president’s table…

The Committee to Protect Journalists removed the names of 22 individuals it had listed as media workers or journalists who were killed during the Israel-Hamas war due to their ties to terror groups; among those removed from the list was Abdallah Iyad Breis, who was the lead photographer for the Hamas Education Ministry’s TV channel when he was killed in January 2024. Read more here…

Alex Soros attended a breakfast hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion on Wednesday titled “Building an Economy for the Many” that featured an address from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez… 

A federal court ruled that a Jewish charter school in Oklahoma can operate amid an ongoing legal battle with the state’s charter school board that had rejected the institution’s application earlier this year…

The University of California, Berkeley will honor its long-delayed agreement to rehire an Israeli dance professor whom it declined to reappoint over her nationality…

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is moving forward with talks to sell a 20% stake in Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix, part of Ross Sports & Entertainment, to Otro Capital…

French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send “soldiers, radars and defense systems” to Saudi Arabia in an effort to help Riyadh protect energy facilities amid ongoing attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen…

The Washington Post spotlights the fighting taking place in Yemen between the Houthis and forces aligned with the country’s internationally recognized government…

Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen was named the president of Quantum X Labs’ Scientific Advisory Board…

Former Israeli hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana celebrated at the wedding of Ben Ami’s daughter on Thursday night; also in attendance were former hostages Bar Kupershtein and Segev Kalfon, as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal…

The IDF said two reservists were killed in the Gaza Strip after the first-person view armed drone they were operating crashed into their base…

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Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.

Malaysia’s Meddling: In The Wall Street Journal, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Mark Wallace, respectively the chairman and CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, call on the Trump administration to crack down on Malaysia over the support that entities in the country are providing to Iran. “While the focus has been on the Strait of Hormuz, a lower-profile maritime front thousands of miles away affects how much control Iran retains. The site is the Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone of the South China Sea, 100 nautical miles offshore from the Singapore Strait and Malaysia in the Eastern Outer Port Limits. Here lies a floating city of more than 200 tankers, cargo ships and bulk carriers, nearly all of which are linked to Iran. Many of these ships trade energy products in defiance of U.S. sanctions and serve as a lifeline for the regime.” [WSJ]

The ‘Fauda’ Factor: In The Atlantic, Palestinian British writer John Aziz considers the cross-cultural appeal of “Fauda,” the newest season of which — which grapples with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks — has gained traction in Arab audiences. “Drama is a universal language; in its own way, it can bring people together even if they drastically disagree with one another. Viewers don’t need to share Doron’s politics or nationality to understand his grief, loyalty, recklessness, fear, or love for his family. The same is true of the Palestinian characters. We all share the same vocabulary of human emotions and mistakes.” [TheAtlantic]

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Argentine President Javier Milei — pictured wearing a yarmulke with his name written in Hebrew — on Thursday visited the Ohel, the burial site of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens, N.Y., where he met with Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, the executive director of Chabad World Headquarters. Chabad Global Networks

2001 Ben Haim Merlot

Opening any aged bottle of Israeli wine is a wager. The cork comes out, the glass fills, and in an instant the wine declares itself: spoiled, merely drinkable or something closer to a revelation. Last Friday night, over a spectacular Shabbat dinner with dear friends from Rome and New Hampshire, we scored twice, and I was urged to share the highlights with my dear readers. The first bottle was a 2001 Ben Haim Merlot, a masterpiece on release and only more extraordinary for the quarter century it has spent quietly composing itself in the cellar. All port all the time, was the thought that crossed my mind as it touched my palate: deep, plummy, warm, its edges rounded by patience into something almost confectionary. Few of us will ever hold this bottle again. Take heart. The second wine on the table that evening remains within reach.

The Tulip Fingerprint 2014 is a work of art in a bottle. Five grapes married over 36 months in oak, it opens with a certain hauteur, rigid and demanding, presenting all five varietals for inspection in a single nanosecond, and every one arriving in full dress. The mid-palate yields to wild berries, and the finish unfolds at leisure into dark chocolate and hot fudge. For all its age, this wine will hold another 15 years with grace. Serve it alongside sautéed short ribs over a bed of farro, and give it the evening it deserves.

Jonathan Goldsmith, stage, film and television actor, he is best known as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” appearing in Dos Equis beer commercials, turns 88 on Saturday

FRIDAY

Vivien Stern, former member of the U.K.’s House of Lords, turns 85

Yehuda Lancry, former member of Knesset, he also served as Israel’s ambassador to France and then the United Nations, turns 79

Dvora Millstone, Lakewood Ranch, Fla., resident, turns 78

Yardena Arazi, Israeli television anchor and popular singer, turns 75

Ruth Calderon, founder of ALMA, which seeks to acquaint secular Israelis with Hebrew culture, she served as a member of Knesset for Yesh Atid from 2013 to 2015, turns 65

Boaz Levy, chairman and former CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, turns 65

Marc Benioff, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, he acquired Time magazine in 2018, turns 62

Marissa Levin, best-selling author and serial entrepreneur

David Friedman, director and co-creator of the award-winning HBO series “Game of Thrones,” known professionally as David Benioff (Benioff is his mother’s maiden name), turns 56

Rabbi Pinchas Eliezer “Pini” Dunner, son and grandson of leading British rabbis, he is the senior rabbi at the Beverly Hills Synagogue, turns 56

Inbal Gavrieli, former member of the Knesset for Likud, she has appeared on multiple Israeli reality television shows, turns 51

Tamara Keith, White House correspondent for NPR, turns 47

Jesse Gabriel, member of the California State Assembly where he serves as chair of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, turns 45

Carmiel Arbit, nonresident senior fellow for Middle East programs and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council

Lila Shapiro, features writer at New York magazine and its culture magazine Vulture

Zach Woods, actor and comedian, best known for his role as Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom “The Office,” turns 42

Mitch Malasky, former videographer for the State Department

Daniel Yadron, assistant appellate federal defender at Federal Defenders of San Diego

Jacob Greer Cohen, former center and power forward for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague, turns 36

Yanky Rodman, asset manager for Capital Realty Group

Destiny Albritton, creative director at BZ Media

Adam Basciano, strategic director at Laurel Strategies

SATURDAY

Robin Rosenblatt, CEO of Israel Longhorn Project, dedicated to bringing Texas Longhorn Cattle to Israel, turns 78

Barry Mandel, Five Towns (N.Y.) resident

Patrick Kron, former chairman and CEO of the French engineering conglomerate Alstom, he is the son of Holocaust survivors, turns 73

Doug Sosnik, senior political advisor to President Bill Clinton during his second term and co-author of a New York Times best-seller on the future of politics in the U.S., turns 70

Gary Torgow, chairman of Huntington National Bank, he is also the chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, turns 70

Paul Lustiger, Teaneck, N.J., resident with a Jersey City dental practice

Robert Kagan, historian, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, turns 68

Mark Isakowitz, chief of staff to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), turns 60

Josh Arieh, professional poker player with seven World Series of Poker bracelets, turns 52

Josh Pastner, men’s basketball head coach at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, he was the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year, turns 49

David G. Greenfield, CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, a major charity in NYC, turns 48

Risa Beth Heller, former communications director for N.Y. Gov. David Paterson, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Jane Harman, she now heads a NYC-based PR firm, turns 47

Yaniv “Nev” Schulman, television host and producer, in 2020 he came in second on “Dancing with the Stars,” turns 42

Henry Seltzer, NYC-based editor at Bloomberg LP

Joshua Nason, senior director of political affairs at the Jewish Federations of North America

Joanna Weiss DiMarco turns 36

Alec Deer, senior director of development at Tamid Group

Marvel Joseph, director of strategic initiatives at the National Black Empowerment Council

SUNDAY

Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, turns 84

Stephen J. Landes, of counsel at the Jaszczuk law firm, turns 81

Ellen Sandler, board member of the Milken Family Foundation

Ralph Toledano, former chairman of the Victoria Beckham fashion brand, turns 75

Dan Raviv, longtime Washington correspondent, he is the author of books on Israel’s defense, intelligence and diplomatic services, turns 72

Jeffrey M. Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond until 2017, he was a chair of the Richmond Jewish Foundation, turns 71

Jeffrey Birnbaum, president of public relations firm BGR (Barbour, Griffith & Rogers), turns 70

Frank Hornstein, former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, he is married to a Minneapolis rabbi, turns 67

Marc Maron, comedian and author, turns 63

Rabbi Haïm Korsia, chief rabbi of France since 2014, turns 63

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005, she was chairperson of the Democratic National Committee until 2016, turns 60

Judy Tashbook-Safern, literary and film publicist based in Israel, she is also the publisher of Intelligentsia Books

Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, turns 60

Rebecca Blumenstein, president of NBC News Editorial, turns 60

Elliotte Friedman, hockey reporter for Sportsnet and as an insider for the NHL Network, turns 56

Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, chief rabbi of Morocco, advisor to many leading businessmen and political figures in both Israel and the U.S., turns 53

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel’s special envoy for innovation, turns 53

Joseph Braude, author of four books on North Africa and the Middle East and president of The Center for Peace Communications

Carrie Rachel Brownstein, musician, actor, writer, director and comedian, turns 52

Josh Mandel, state treasurer of Ohio from 2011 to 2019, turns 49

Marc Kushner, architect, entrepreneur and author, turns 49

Daniel Isaac Helmer, member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the D.C. suburbs, turns 45

Rabbi Rori Picker Neiss, SVP and rabbi-in-residence at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Alexa Wertman, advisory manager for cyber and strategic risk at Deloitte, she was previously a Hebrew teacher and coordinator of Jewish programs at Zeta Beta Tau

Sam Lerner, actor best known for his role as Geoff Schwartz in 161 episodes of ABC’s “The Goldbergs,” turns 34

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against criticism of Israel over the Gaza war and settler violence in the West Bank in his address to the U.N. General Assembly this afternoon, taking aim at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, French President Emmanuel Macron, Qatar and Turkey, Jewish Insider’s AJ Rodriguez reports.

The prime minister accused foreign actors of spending “untold billions” to spread anti-Israel messages through traditional and social media — singling out Qatar for “massively funding American universities and toxic media outlets” in what he alleged was an effort to “brainwash young minds to hate Israel, hate America, hate the West” — and called Turkey the latest “superspreader of antisemitic lies”…

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During Netanyahu’s speech, several far-left Democrats expected to be elected to the House of Representatives in November attended a protest organized by Jewish Voice for Peace that blocked the streets outside U.N. headquarters.

Dozens of demonstrators, including NY-13 nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier, were detained by the NYPD for refusing to comply with an order to disperse. Also in attendance were NJ-12 nominee Adam Hamawy, PA-3 nominee Chris Rabb, CO-1 nominee Melat Kiros and streamer Hasan Piker…

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While in the U.S., Netanyahu is set to meet with the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama and Ethiopia; the vice president of Colombia; and the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea, his office said…

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In his UNGA address earlier in the day, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the lack of progress on President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan while calling for the implementation of a two-state solution and warning that prospects for Palestinian statehood are at a “low point.” Abbas delivered the address by prerecorded video after the U.S. denied him a visa to attend the gathering in person…

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The Saudi-backed government in Yemen said it shot down six ballistic missiles today fired by the Houthis deep into Saudi Arabian territory…

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Pressed during a town hall at the University of Michigan yesterday to condemn the Iranian regime’s massacre of tens of thousands of protesters earlier this year, Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed declined to do so, focusing his answer on criticizing the U.S. war in Iran, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

“Here’s my point: one can disagree with the governance of a foreign country. One can stand in solidarity with freedom and democracy movements, but my worry is one when one decides that we are going to go in and take out the leadership of a foreign government,” El-Sayed told a student, who had said his own family was targeted by the Iranian regime…

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A new New York Times/Siena poll of Senate races in battleground states found Democrats leading in Michigan — where El-Sayed was up 49%-44% over his opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) — and in New Hampshire, where Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) led former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) 50%-45%. In Maine, however, Democratic nominee Troy Jackson was trailing Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) 49%-46%…

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Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) joined Democrats and a handful of Republicans in voting today for a war powers resolution demanding an end to the war in Iran, JI’s Marc Rod reports. But, despite growing calls from vulnerable Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, most of the GOP continued to vote against the war powers effort, and the measure failed by a 50-49 vote…

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The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, a federal advisory body to the Department of Education, voted today to recommend that DOE suspend the American Psychological Association’s ability to accredit graduate programs, based on its failure to address antisemitism in such programs…

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The University of California, Berkeley intends to honor its long-delayed agreement to rehire an Israeli dance professor whom it declined to reappoint over her nationality, the school told J. The Jewish News of Northern California.

The school acknowledged its wrongdoing and vowed to correct the situation in a settlement with Yael Nativ in December 2025; the administration said the delay had been caused by an “internal miscommunication” and that it would provide Nativ with a job offer by Monday…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a look at what legislation a Democratic majority in the next Congress may use to put pressure on Israel.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will sit for an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier this evening.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) will campaign tomorrow in Miami Beach with House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (D-WA) along with Hispanic community leaders as Moskowitz attempts to fend off a challenge from former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer in his reelection race.

The Jewish Detroit Expat Reception will be held at the start of the Sukkot holiday tomorrow evening, where Rebecca Blumenstein, president of NBC News editorial, will discuss her new book, The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America.

On Sunday, the New Jersey Globe and Rider University will host the only debate of the New Jersey 7th Congressional District race between Democratic Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett and Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ).

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

analysis

Attack on Ambassador Leiter’s son casts pall over Netanyahu’s abbreviated UNGA visit

By Gili Cohen

For a few hours, Israel’s deeply polarized political arena, just a month before the elections, found rare unity following the news that Neria Leiter, son of Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, was critically injured in a car-ramming terror attack in the West Bank.

But even before the attack, which could affect the content of Netanyahu’s speech, the prime minister’s trip to New York was set to be entirely different from prior UNGA appearances. The prime minister’s brief video message about his speech on Tuesday referenced only one individual: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Not Iran, not Hamas, nor Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Sources close to the prime minister claim Mamdani is the reason for Netanyahu’s unprecedented brief visit. The concern, his aides claim, stems from potential protests or political posturing by Mamdani, despite him admitting he has no authority to arrest Netanyahu, a key campaign pledge of the mayor’s. However, a former official involved in coordinating prime ministerial trips offered a different explanation: As long as Netanyahu remains in New York for only a few hours, the absence of a meeting with President Donald Trump becomes far less conspicuous.

Read the full analysis →

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● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on the app (on Apple and Android) and website.

Oman and Azerbaijan halted flights to and from Iran, in accordance with a deadline set by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as part of the Trump administration’s Operation Economic Outcast; Iraq, whose president pledged last week to crack down on Iran-backed militias operating in the country, also suspended flights from Baghdad.

Tehran, meanwhile, threatened to paralyze the airports of countries in the region who comply with the U.S.’ block on flights to and from the Islamic Republic…

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged President Donald Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to the White House this week on Chinese companies’ provision of satellite imagery to Iran that helped the regime target American military installations in the Middle East, and China’s continued evasion of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil…

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the war with Iran needs to be brought “to a resolution,” arguing that the U.S. has achieved its objective of preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear capability and pointing to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as driving up gas, fuel and grocery costs…

American Priorities PAC, which backed several successful Democratic socialist congressional campaigns, said it plans to target nine House Democrats in 2028; the group will focus on challenging Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), George Latimer (D-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), as well as current candidates Melissa Bean, Adrian Boafo and Ben McAdams, all of whom won their primaries and are expected to join the next Congress…

Florida’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against The New York Times on behalf of a group of shareholders alleging that the newspaper’s board of directors failed to hold the Times newsroom to its own editorial standards regarding its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war; the lawsuit claims that the paper’s editorial standards were “weaponized within the company to serve the personal agendas of unchecked editors”…

The attorney general of Missouri launched an investigation into Students for Justice in Palestine’s fundraising activities in the Show-Me State, saying, “We will use every tool the law allows to expose deceptive fundraising, trace where the money goes, and stop any effort to channel charitable donations to violent or terror-linked actors”…

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the repatriation of three dozen antiquities to Syria, more than a dozen of which had been housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art…

A federal judge sentenced a Massachusetts man to nearly 10 years in prison for making interstate threats targeting Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) and his family in August 2024…

Alina Habba, a former lawyer for Trump who briefly served as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey last year, is reportedly set to marry Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, whose company has overseen projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Venezuela…  

A Philadelphia educator and anti-Israel activist who claimed to be Black and Palestinian publicly acknowledged that she was Jewish, with family living in the West Bank, prompting local activist groups with which she was affiliated to distance themselves from her…

Sunkist Fruit Gems, a staple at many a Jewish simcha for the last half century, has been discontinued, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports…

A 19th-century Albert Lang painting was restituted to the descendants of the German-Jewish art collector who owned the work, which was determined by authorities in Germany to have been looted by the Nazis, before she fled the country in 1938…

The Netherlands will rejoin the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, after its Avrotros public broadcaster refused to take part in this year’s competition as well as the one slated for next year over Israel’s participation; the umbrella body of Dutch broadcasters determined that the NOS will provide coverage instead of Avrotros, while a Dutch contestant will be selected by an independent panel…

Longtime Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, who played for D.C. United after leaving Manchester United in 2017, said in a new docuseries, which includes a trip with his wife and sons to Auschwitz, that his Polish-born maternal great-grandmother was Jewish…

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Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.

Iran’s BFF: The Wall Street Journal’s Rory Jones, Jon Emont, Vera Bergengruen and Summer Said look at how China is quietly assisting Iran as it faces crippling sanctions spearheaded by the U.S., even as the White House prioritizes good relations with Beijing. “Washington has launched hundreds of sanctions targeting Iran since the war began on Feb. 28, including penalties against companies and individuals in China it believes are helping Tehran. Those steps, along with an embargo of Iranian trade, have caused a contraction of Iran’s economy. But the White House has proven reluctant to more seriously confront Beijing over its support for Iran, which has continued launching attacks on U.S. forces and oil infrastructure in the Middle East.” [WSJ]

Regional Realignment: In an excerpt from his new book The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East, published in The Atlantic, Simon Sebag Montefiore considers the evolution underway in the Middle East. “The United States, Russia, and China still intervene in the Middle East, but in a manner that is Olympian, erratic, and inconsistent. Behind them lurks a deeper conflict of entire systems: the open world, still (just) led by America, versus the closed world that is the axis of China and Russia. A parallel, simultaneous battle, centered within the Middle East, rages among different versions of, or attitudes toward, the practice of Islam and its complex relationship with the West.” [TheAtlantic]

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Nova music festival survivor Shalev Biton (right) appeared onstage at yesterday’s rally against antisemitism near the U.N. headquarters in New York alongside Yunes Alkarnawi (left), a Bedouin from southern Israel who saved Biton and dozens of others during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks. Read more about Alkarnawi’s rescue of Biton here. Michael Priest Photography

Marc Guggenheim, screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer and novelist, turns 56

Joanne Greenberg, author of 26 books, best known for the semi-autobiographical novel I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, turns 94

Judith Margolis, artist working visually in paintings, drawings, artist’s books and multimedia collages, turns 82

Rafael Eldad, retired Israeli diplomat who served as Israel’s ambassador to Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Chile, turns 77

David Pecker, former CEO of American Media, publisher of celebrity and health and fitness magazines, turns 75

Franz Lidz, feature writer for Sports Illustrated for 27 years, he is a 2015 inductee into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, turns 75

Michael Weiss, attorney and former judge advocate

Jeffrey Hecktman, founder, executive chairman and CEO of Hilco Global, turns 73

William Gross, lead public safety success manager at FirstNet by AT&T

Christopher L. Eisgruber, president of Princeton University since 2013, in his mid-40s he discovered that his mother was Jewish, turns 65

Alan Popovsky, co-founder and principal at DC-based PRG Hospitality

Chanina Sperlin, EVP of governmental affairs at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council

Noreena Hertz, economist, best-selling author and a great-granddaughter of former British Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz, turns 59

Yael Goldman-Pfeffer, Israeli television host, actor and model, turns 48

Jessica Schumer, Yale Law graduate and head of New York policy and community engagement at Amazon

Alexandra Jaffe, former White House reporter at the Associated Press, now editorial manager at Elastic

Ben Platt, actor, singer and songwriter, turns 33

Benjamin David Goldberg, rap musician, known professionally as Token, turns 28

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Neria Leiter, the son of Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, was seriously wounded today in a car-ramming terror attack at a West Bank checkpoint, the ambassador confirmed.

Leiter, an IDF reservist in his 30s, was stationed at the Maccabim checkpoint on Route 443 when an assailant accelerated his vehicle and ran him over, Jewish Insider’s AJ Rodriguez reports. Leiter underwent emergency brain surgery at Shaare Zedek Medical Center this afternoon but his “life is still in danger,” said the head of the hospital’s trauma unit.

Leiter’s older brother, Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed during reserve duty in northern Gaza in November 2023…

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Addressing the U.N. General Assembly this morning, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian cast Tehran as a peaceful victim of American and Israeli aggression and claimed Iran is only interested in a civilian nuclear program for energy and medical research purposes, JI’s Matthew Shea reports…

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Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, threatened to disable the airports of neighboring countries if they stop Iranian flights, as American sanctions targeting aviation service providers cooperating with Iran kicked in today…

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In his UNGA address, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa blasted Israel for its military actions on Syrian territory and said “the opportunity for peace and security is available to those who wish to live in peace”…

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Nineteen Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), introduced a bill today that would impose wide-reaching sanctions on companies, individuals and others involved in the construction and development of Israeli settlements in the controversial E1 area in the West Bank, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

Coons’ leadership on the legislation is especially notable as he has historically been seen as one of Israel’s strongest allies on Capitol Hill and is in line to be the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the next Congress. As potential chair of the influential panel, if Democrats take the majority, he’d have significant latitude to advance the bill and other similar measures…

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Appearing on the “Raging Moderates” podcast hosted by Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed refused to tone down his hostile rhetoric toward Israel, including his repeated accusations of genocide, invoking the Holocaust to justify his position, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports.

“The word genocide was created to explain what that was,” El-Sayed said of the Holocaust, “but the whole point of creating that word isn’t that you have to wait until the crime is that big again to be able to use it.” Throughout the exchange, Galloway and Tarlov, both of whom are Jewish, warned El-Sayed that his views are “disqualifying” for some Jewish voters…

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Florida’s public pension fund and the National Center for Public Policy Research think tank sued The New York Times, seeking internal records related to its Israel-Hamas war coverage and citing allegations from a former Jewish employee who repeatedly raised concerns about antisemitism and anti-Israel bias in the newsroom…

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The Board of Peace convened a meeting of diplomats and advisors on the sidelines of the UNGA today where officials including White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, BoP head Nickolay Mladenov and advisor Aryeh Lightstone laid out 66 projects necessary to help rebuild Gaza, and urged countries to help contribute to the $2.45 billion needed to kick-start the effort.

They noted that the enclave’s long-term recovery could require as much as $71 billion. “We have no Plan B,” Witkoff told the crowd, and urged them to come up with innovative ways to support the effort, including a new measure to allow countries to fund the International Stabilization Force through the World Bank…

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A group of survivors of antisemitic attacks across the nation visited Capitol Hill today to lobby in favor of legislation aimed at protecting Jewish community institutions from future attacks.

“I want to use my story and my voice and show firsthand how federal funding that we did receive through grants actually made the difference between life and death,” Cassi Cohen, the director of strategic development at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich., told JI’s Marc Rod ahead of the meetings…

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A 26-year-old man from Florida was sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison and a $15,000 fine for threatening to harm Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) and his two young sons. The perpetrator’s search history was found to have antisemitic and anti-Israel content, including “israel should burn in hell”…

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Argentine President Javier Milei visited Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway, Queens, yesterday ahead of his UNGA address this afternoon. He was presented with the school’s “Lover of Israel” award and delivered a speech to the students…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for a preview of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly tomorrow and the stakes for him on the world stage a month before Israel’s elections.

Netanyahu has said that during his remarks he will “tell the truth” about the Israeli military and take aim at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and added today that viewers should “expect surprises” during his speech. His trip to the U.S. is expected to be brief — less than 24 hours — and he is not expected to meet with President Donald Trump.

Trump will meanwhile host a state dinner tomorrow for Chinese President Xi Jinping, with a guest list including several tech and finance executives. The dinner comes even as Beijing remains the biggest obstacle to Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Iran, as Tehran’s largest trading partner and oil customer.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly this morning, President Donald Trump said he faces a “big decision” regarding Iran: “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before … or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic?”

But Trump quickly made clear he believes that a deal will be reached “right after the [midterm] election, because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports…

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Trump later said during a press availability with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had a “very good meeting” with Iranian officials today on the sidelines of the UNGA that lasted for three hours, while Trump has reportedly told his advisors he’s open to meeting with the Iranians himself “if the conditions are right”…

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will be provided a security detail from the State Department while attending the UNGA, Axios reports…

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Speaking on Fox News about recent Houthi and Iran-backed attacks on Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. has “a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. We intend to live up to our commitments on it. We will,” though he said Washington is “working to see if this thing can be fixed” first…

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reupped his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with CNN yesterday, calling him “a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people.” Netanyahu responded in a video message today accusing Mamdani of supporting Hamas and inciting riots against Jews…

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The Trump administration is discussing with Middle East partners a $10 billion investment fund, with $5 billion from the U.S. and matching contributions from the other countries, to rebuild energy infrastructure damaged in the Iran war and develop new oil and gas routes that reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz…

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his address to the UNGA, accused Israel of having a “genocidal mindset that can never get enough of killing” and called on more world leaders to recognize a Palestinian state…

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that she is endorsing the state’s Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, after having previously voiced reservations over his views on Israel and antisemitism, JI’s Emily Jacobs reports. In a joint podcast appearance with El-Sayed, Nessel, who is Jewish, acknowledged that “people are going to call me a traitor to my people” and a “kapo,” but said, “I can’t be true to my values if I even consider voting for [GOP nominee] Mike Rogers. Yes, I’ll be voting for Abdul.”

El-Sayed, for his part, vowed to support the Jewish American Security Act but said he would work to expand the legislation to provide similar protections for people of other faiths. He also answered in the affirmative when Nessel asked if Jewish Zionists have a place in the Democratic Party…

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Meanwhile, Michigan Jewish leaders called on former Vice President Kamala Harris to appeal to El-Sayed, whom she campaigned with in Michigan today, to accept their five “nonnegotiable” demands including Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, noting Harris’ own history of fighting antisemitism and standing with the Jewish community, JI’s Marc Rod reports. In their appearance today, Harris and El-Sayed did not address foreign policy…

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Vulnerable Republican candidates in high-profile races, including Rogers, Iowa Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Michigan gubernatorial candidate Rep. John James (R-MI), have urged a prompt end to the Iran war in recent days, citing rising costs ahead of the midterm elections, JI’s Marc Rod reports…

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A new CNN poll found that 61% of Americans view Israel as an “ally” or “friendly” country, down from 73% who said the same in March 2025, while 15% view it as an enemy, the highest in any CNN poll since 2000 and double the amount who said the same last year. The figure who see Israel as an enemy is even higher among Americans under 45, at 23%…

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Several airlines are canceling flights to and from Iran as U.S. sanctions kick in tomorrow, targeting any entity that offers Iranian airlines fuel, landing services, ticketing or other services…

Weekend Recap

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for an interview with author Zibby Owens on her latest book, Between Chapters: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the U.N. General Assembly tomorrow morning. It remains unclear if Pezeshkian will hold a meeting with President Donald Trump while in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Jewish organizations including UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, American Jewish Committee New York, Anti-Defamation League New York/New Jersey, the New York Board of Rabbis and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations will hold a rally against antisemitism outside U.N. headquarters.

In Washington, ADL will bring survivors of antisemitic attacks — including the June 2025 firebombing of an Israeli hostage awareness march in Boulder, Colo., the deadly May 2025 shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum and the March 2026 terror attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich. — to Capitol Hill to lobby for the Jewish American Security Act and the Right to Worship Act.

The Senate Armed Services Committee will receive a classified briefing on CENTCOM operations from its commander, Adm. Brad Cooper.

American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) will host its Lamplighter Awards reception, this year honoring Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Jeff Miller, chair of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. The event will be co-chaired by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Norm Brownstein, founder and chair of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; and Eli Miller, senior managing director of Liberty Strategic Capital.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump told Axios today that he has “a big decision coming up” regarding Iran: “Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It’s a big decision.” Trump also said he “may” meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he comes to New York for the U.N. General Assembly next week…

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The State Department announced it has approved “a possible foreign military sale” to Saudi Arabia for 48 F-35 advanced fighter jets and “related equipment,” including engines, at an estimated cost of $24.3 billion. The proposed sale “will not alter the military balance in the region,” the department said, in a potential reference to Israel’s qualitative military edge, which the U.S. is required by law to uphold…

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Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats introduced a resolution today to block the U.S. nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports, citing the lack of safeguards in the deal applied in previous agreements with other U.S. allies and arguing that the deal paves the path toward a Saudi nuclear weapon.

Under procedural rules, the Democrats should be able to force votes on the resolution, which seems likely to pick up support from most Democrats and potentially a handful of Republicans…

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Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution at the U.N. Security Council today to renew the mandate of a panel of experts meant to monitor Iran’s nuclear program and efforts to evade sanctions…

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In another clip released by Axios of Alex Thompson’s interview with Hasan Piker, the far-left streamer defended his lenient views on China as compared to Israel: Asked by Thompson why he cares more about Israel’s treatment of Muslims than China’s, Piker responded, “Israel is murdering not just Muslims, but Christians as well, with my tax dollars,” and made a distinction between what Israel is doing in Gaza as an “actual genocide,” whereas he said China’s actions against the Uyghur Muslim minority are a “cultural genocide”…

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Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Michigan Senate nominee for whom Piker has acted as a campaign surrogate, distanced himself from comments Piker made in another clip claiming that the U.S. had “pound for pound” committed more acts of terror than al-Qaida. “I do not agree with this statement [on al-Qaida], nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer,” El-Sayed said in a statement to Axios…

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A group of Jewish Democrats in Michigan published an open letter today urging voters to support El-Sayed, despite acknowledging they remained concerned about some of his views, “including aspects of his approach to Israel and the language used by some of his allies.”

Among the 500 signatories were Eli Savit, the Democratic nominee for Michigan attorney general; former Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) and his son, former Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI); Alicia Chandler, the past president of the Detroit chapter of the American Jewish Committee; and Decky Alexander, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus…

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Hedge-fund manager Clifford Asness, a major Jewish GOP donor who is outspoken against antisemitism, took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on X over a report that Schumer’s Senate super PAC had put another $10 million behind El-Sayed: Sharing the cover of Schumer’s book Antisemitism in America: A Warning, Asness wrote: “by ‘warning’ I think he might’ve meant something a bit different than we were told”…

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A new poll from The Hill and Emerson College found the Texas Senate race in a dead heat less than two months from Election Day: Democratic state Rep. James Talarico barely edged out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 47%-46%. In Alaska, another battleground state, an AARP poll found former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) with a more sizable lead over Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), 46%-41%…

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The Harvard Kennedy School announced this week the launch of a new program focused on Israel, set to examine issues including Israeli politics and society, U.S.-Israel relations, Jewish-Arab relations and Israel’s place in the region. Barak Sella, a Kennedy School graduate who is spearheading the initiative, spoke with JI’s Haley Cohen about the program’s goals…

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Automaker General Motors has begun building missile parts for Lockheed Martin’s Patriot missiles, in an effort to boost production of the critical interceptor whose stockpiles have been depleted by the Iran war and heavy demand from allies…

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

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for an interview with former State Department antisemitism envoy Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt on her newly founded institute at Emory University to combat antisemitism.

Axiosis expected to air its full-length interview with Hasan Piker tomorrow, after releasing several clips today.

World leaders will converge this weekend in New York ahead of high-level week at the U.N. General Assembly, which will see speeches from global heads of state and many diplomatic sideline events and meetings.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press conference today that they are expecting “multiple protests every day” of the event, but that there are “no known, specific or credible threats against the United Nations General Assembly or our city,” JI’s Will Bredderman reports.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and Anwar Gargash, a senior diplomatic advisor to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, will sit for a conversation on Sunday hosted by Al-Monitor.

On Monday evening, as Yom Kippur comes to an end, former U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus and Lebanese banker Antoun Sehnaoui will host a break the fast and UNGA welcome reception in New York.

In observance of Yom Kippur, we’ll be back with the Daily Overtime on Tuesday. Shabbat shalom and g’mar chatima tovah!

SCOOP

El-Sayed met with Temple Israel rabbis in closed-door sit-down

By Matthew Kassel

In the most significant sign of his efforts to make inroads with skeptical Jewish voters in Michigan’s Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee, recently met with rabbis at Temple Israel for a closely guarded conversation, according to two people familiar with the meeting.

Two rabbis who were said to have participated in the conversation, details of which were unclear, declined to comment when reached on Wednesday. El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

The covert nature of the meeting, which neither party has publicized, underscores the sensitivities felt among some Jewish leaders who have remained wary of publicly associating with El-Sayed because of their continued discomfort with his positions on Israel and remarks about antisemitism.

Read the full story →

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