Plus, previewing today's Bibi-Trump meeting
Ron Adar / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP Images
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander speaks at the American Legion Boulevard Gardens Post 1836 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony in the Queens borough of New York City.
Add JewishInsider on Google👋 Good Wednesday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview today’s White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and have the scoop on the social media activity of the highest-paid consultant to Brad Lander’s congressional campaign, who has shared conspiracy theories about Israel and lauded Hamas. We report on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s pledge to stand by Israel and confront antisemitism, and spotlight Team Israel’s newly announced 2026 roster ahead of next month’s World Baseball Classic. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noah Pollak, Matthew Segal and Jarrett Moreno.
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
- President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet at the White House at 11 a.m., following Netanyahu’s meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 9 a.m. at Blair House. More below.
- Vice President JD Vance is wrapping up his two-country trip to Armenia and Azerbaijan in Baku. Traveling with the vice president are Aryeh Lightstone, a key player in the Trump administration’s effort to negotiate a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan last year, and Jacob Helberg, the under secretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment.
- American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch is speaking at New York’s Temple Emanu-El tonight to discuss the organization’s annual report on antisemitism in America, which was released yesterday.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MELISSA WEISS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will sit down with President Donald Trump at 11 a.m. today at the White House for a meeting largely focused on Iran that, in a twist of fate, coincides with the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The meeting — their seventh since Trump resumed office — comes amid a tense political backdrop, with the White House outwardly signaling it prefers diplomacy with Tehran while moving military assets to the Middle East. As recently as yesterday, Trump teased the possibility of sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
Joining Netanyahu on the trip is Roman Goffman, the military secretary to the prime minister who was nominated to be head of the Mossad; Gil Reich, the acting head of Israel’s National Security Council; and Israeli-American venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg, who is working with Jerusalem on the Gaza portfolio. Reich and Goffman are among the Israeli officials, including Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Military Intelligence chief Shlomi Binder, who have taken on portions of former Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer’s portfolio.
Netanyahu, Goffman, Leiter and Reich met last night at the Blair House with White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who updated the Israeli officials on last Friday’s negotiations with Iran, ahead of this morning’s White House meeting.
But what began more than a month ago as White House concern over Iran’s violent crackdowns on protesters — recall Trump’s message to Iranians that “help is on its way” — has morphed into nuclear talks that appear to leave out Tehran’s domestic situation.
Despite the ongoing crackdown, which mollified protests and left tens of thousands dead, video circulating on social media and messaging apps believed to be from last night featured some residents of Tehran taking to their balconies to chant, “death to Khamenei,” “death to the dictator” and “death to Islamic Republic” ahead of today’s anniversary of the fall of the shah.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who spent the weekend golfing with Trump in Florida, posted on X last night, “To the brave people of Iran: President Trump has always heard your cries and demands for justice. The regime has proven yet again it’s incapable of real change. If this regime continues the course they are on, then I believe President Trump’s statement that help is on the way is becoming more real by the day.”
Vice President JD Vance, who is traveling to Armenia and Azerbaijan this week, said today that “if the Iranian people want to overthrow the regime, that’s up to the Iranian people. What we’re focused on right now is the fact that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s National Security Council, spent Tuesday in Oman for high-level meetings about the next round of talks with the U.S. Larijani’s meetings included a sit-down with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaid, who served as the mediator for last week’s talks in Muscat. Iranian state media reported after the meeting that al-Busaid “handed over a letter” to Larijani, but did not elaborate on the letter’s contents or who it was from.
As Netanyahu departed for Washington yesterday, he emphasized that the negotiations with Iran would be the priority. “I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.
For Israel, one of those essential principles is significantly limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program. After today’s meeting, it should become clearer whether Trump and Netanyahu are on the same page.
PROBLEMATIC POSTS
Lander campaign operative shared Israel conspiracy theories, pro-Hamas content
The highest-paid consultant for former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s congressional bid is the founder of the “Hot Girls for Zohran” campaign — and a prolific X user who has shared posts lauding Hamas and insinuating Israeli involvement in 9/11 and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, all while attacking police and Democratic elected officials, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
Follow the money: Among the 21 payments appearing in the first campaign finance filing from Lander — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsed candidate against Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) — the largest is $15,000 disbursed to a company called Brain Child LLC for “Website and social media.” State corporation records reveal that the two-and-a-half-month-old firm belongs to Kaif Gilani and is based out of his triplex Brooklyn apartment. Gilani gained attention, often using the name Kaif Kabir, during the 2025 mayoral campaign as one half of the team behind “Hot Girls for Zohran”: a viral merchandising, social media and volunteer canvassing effort backing the insurgent democratic socialist. But amid all the fanfare, Gilani’s X account — from which he tweeted as @chunkyfila, after formerly using his own name as a handle — passed unnoticed, despite numerous extreme views he expressed or amplified on the platform.
MEJIA MOMENTUM
Top N.J. Democrats line up behind Mejia, as moderate Jewish assemblymember mulls challenge
Top New Jersey Democrats lined up behind far-left, anti-Israel activist Analila Mejia on Tuesday in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District — even as a moderate Jewish state assemblymember publicly is mulling a bid against Mejia in the June regular election primary, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Prominent backers: Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who previously held the seat, and Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) all endorsed Mejia, the surprise winner of last week’s special election primary race. Former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), who conceded the race to Mejia Tuesday morning, also backed her, as did several members of New Jersey’s House delegation. Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Rosaura Bagolie, who is Jewish and an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, told Politico on Monday that she was considering a challenge to Mejia in the June primary, with few if any of the candidates who ran against Mejia in the February primary likely to run.
Exclusive: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is speaking out against the leader of the state Democratic Party’s Muslim Caucus, Elyas Mohammed, who recently described Zionists as “modern day Nazis” and as a “threat to humanity,” among other incendiary social media posts drawing criticism from the local Jewish community, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
RICHMOND RESOLUTIONS
Spanberger tells Jewish advocates she’ll stand by Israel and confront antisemitism
Less than a month after taking office as Virginia’s first female governor, Abigail Spanberger told a group of 250 Jewish advocates that she would work to combat antisemitism, celebrate the Jewish community and stand by Israel in her new role, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports from Richmond, Va.
What she said: “As governor, I will continue to stand up to antisemitism, to work to protect our Jewish neighbors, friends and family, and I will show up for the Jewish community in times of commemoration, remembrance and, importantly, celebration,” Spanberger said in a speech on Tuesday at Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, an annual event organized by the state’s four Jewish federations that brought activists from across the state to Richmond for lobbying meetings with state lawmakers. “I remain a strong supporter of the relationship between the United States and Israel, and that support comes from a background in the intelligence community, where I understand that Israel is our strongest security partner in the region,” she said.
TRUSTEE TAPPED
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami elected as trustee of Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, has been elected as a new trustee of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a leading philanthropic backer of anti-Israel causes, the foundation announced this week. In joining the board, Ben-Ami is drawing closer to a foundation that has long been a top contributor to J Street, a progressive Israel advocacy group that has recently sought to capitalize on growing Democratic frustration with the war in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Philanthropy and policy: But the foundation’s approach to philanthropy has not always been comfortably aligned with J Street’s mission, which is officially opposed to the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement seeking to isolate Israel. For its part, RBF has provided funding to a range of pro-BDS groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights and Palestine Legal. Such giving came under scrutiny amid a surge of anti-Israel protests that arose in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks — particularly as JVP emerged as a leading organizer of some demonstrations.
crackdown singals
DOJ aims to ‘dismantle’ groups behind synagogue protests, Harmeet Dhillon says
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said the Justice Department intends to pursue and ultimately shut down groups that have engaged in disruptive protests at synagogues and other antisemitic activities, as well as those supporting those groups, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Investigation action: “We are investigating, prosecuting, and we will bring these groups and these individuals to justice,” Dhillon said. “We intend to bring strong cases that dismantle these groups at their very root so that these unlawful attacks can be stopped once and for all.” She said her division’s work includes pursuing those funding, training and supporting groups such as American Muslims for Palestine and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which she said are engaging in “acts of domestic terrorism.”
Notable quotable: Speaking alongside Dhillon at an antisemitism conference organized by the George Washington University Program on Extremism, former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares laid out what he said is a coordinated network funneling U.S. funds to terrorist groups abroad and bringing foreign money into the U.S. to incite anti-Israel protests.
BASEBALL DIARIES
Team Israel’s World Baseball Classic team unveils its 2026 roster
Team Israel unveiled its roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, assembling a mix of major leaguers, high-level minor league players and homegrown Israeli talent as it prepares to return to baseball’s biggest international stage in March — a moment that carries added weight for players and staff amid high levels of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment worldwide, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports from Rockville, Md.
On the field and beyond: The team, managed by Brad Ausmus, will once again feature Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer, along with Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs and offensive contributions from first baseman Spencer Horwitz of the Pittsburgh Pirates and outfielder Harrison Bader of the San Francisco Giants. Officials involved with Team Israel say the roster is more talented and balanced than that of the previous tournament in 2023. But for many within the organization, the meaning of representing Team Israel extends far beyond the field. Simon Rosenbaum, Team Israel’s general manager and director of player programming for the Tampa Bay Rays, told JI at the team’s roster reveal at the Woodmont Country Club in the Washington suburbs that representing Israel on the world stage is deeply personal.
Worthy Reads
Oil Change: Former Wall Street Journal Managing Editor Karen Elliott House, reflects on her recent trip to Saudi Arabia and the challenges facing Riyadh as it scales back its Vision 2030 plans. “These are tough times for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Some of his grandiose projects are being scrapped as unworkable and unaffordable with oil prices around $65 a barrel. The risk of a U.S. war with Iran puts all his other big developments — and the oil that funds them — at risk of retaliation. And the death of his elderly, infirm father, King Salman, could soon bring succession issues to the fore. … The kingdom seems confused about what it wants. Officials are disquieted by Mr. Trump’s on-again-off-again threats to strike Iran. The Saudi defense minister recently warned in Washington that a failure to strike would ‘embolden’ the Iranian regime. Yet his government insists it wants no strike.” [WSJ]
Ukraine’s Iron Dome: The Atlantic’s Simon Shuster spotlights Ukraine’s Sunray missile-defense system that employs laser technology. “The Ukrainian response has been a race to build a bootstrapped version of the Iron Dome, Israel’s short-range air-defense system, which is thought to be the most effective in the world. (Lockheed Martin is now at work on a comparable system for the United States, which President Trump has dubbed the ‘Golden Dome.’) But the task of shooting projectiles out of the sky — or, as ballistic-missile defense is often described, ‘hitting a bullet with a bullet’ — has bedeviled engineers at least since the invention of ballistic missiles during World War II. Even in the case of Israel, which has nearly 30 times less territory than Ukraine, the construction of an effective air-defense shield took about four years. A single battery of Iron Dome interceptors cost as much as $100 million in 2012.” [TheAtlantic]
The Unfavorables: In the Liberal Patriot, John Halpin examines why world leaders tend to have low favorability numbers. “A few themes do emerge to help explain why so many leaders are unpopular. One, they are polarizing figures who split electorates. [President Donald] Trump and Turkey’s [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan most come to mind here; their supporters really like them, and their opponents fervently despise them. Two, they are viewed by voters as either corrupt (like South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa) or as out-of-touch elites failing to bring about changes that many voters demanded (like [French President Emmanuel] Macron or {U.K. Prime Minister Keir] Starmer). Three, they are not addressing voters’ long-standing economic concerns that have been mounting for decades.” [LiberalPatriot]
Word on the Street
The Treasury Department announced sanctions on the Hezbollah-linked gold exchange company Jood SARL and a series of business entities tied to the Lebanese terror group and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps…
A draft plan for the rehabilitation of Gaza viewed by The New York Times would allow Hamas to keep some small arms even as it would be required to relinquish weapons that are capable of striking Israel…
A group of eight leading Senate Democrats released a statement on Tuesday evening urging President Donald Trump to “clearly reinforce the opposition of the U.S. government to Israeli government actions that set the conditions for irreversible annexation” of the West Bank when he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House today, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…
House members on both sides of the aisle raised concerns about the new Syrian government’s recent moves against minority groups, particularly the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, in some cases questioning whether Damascus is complying with lawmakers’ expectations after the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria were lifted, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
Republican lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee urged their Democratic colleagues on Tuesday to work with them on legislation to update the Internal Revenue Service’s 990 forms used by tax-exempt organizations to include disclosures for donations from foreign actors, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…
Columbia University is considering expanding and refocusing how its Middle Eastern studies department teaches about Israel, the provost’s regional review committee announced in a set of recommendations this week, marking a pivot in a field and at a school that have come under immense scrutiny from the federal government and Jewish leaders following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…
Noah Pollak, a senior advisor at the Department of Education, offered a series of recommendations, including broader cultural changes and vigorous disciplinary action, on how universities can and should reform to better address antisemitism on campus, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) officially launched her reelection bid in what is expected to be her toughest reelection campaign to date in a state considered by Democrats to be a potential flip in the midterms…
Analilia Mejia, the presumptive winner of the special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, said she wouldn’t commit to voting for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) if she is in Congress in January 2027 for the next House leadership vote…
Neighbors of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro are suing him over his family’s moves to make security upgrades to their property following an arson attack directed at the governor’s mansion last year…
A synagogue in Montgomery County, Md., a suburb of Washington, was defaced with antisemitic graffiti on Tuesday. A swastika, the word “genocide” and the phrase “AZAB,” an acronym standing for “All Zionists Are Bastards,” were spray-painted on street signs and banners outside of Shaare Tefila, a Conservative congregation in Olney, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…
Candle Media sold a majority stake in ATTN: back to co-founders Matthew Segal and Jarrett Moreno, after previously acquiring the startup in 2022 for $150 million; investors in the acquisition include former Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone and Andell Holdings Chair Andrew Hauptman…
Paramount is making additional offers to Warner Bros. Discovery in its hostile takeover bid, including paying the $2.8 billion fee Warner Bros would owe Netflix if it were to terminate its agreement in favor of moving forward with Paramount; the offer comes as activist investor Ancora Holdings, which has an approximately $200 million stake in Warner Bros., is expected to oppose the Netflix sale…
Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman is planning to grow his foundation to become one of the 10 largest foundations in the country; last month, his foundation hired a new executive director, and plans to continue to prioritize education, culture and medical advancements as it scales up its work…
Former General Atlantic President and co-chair Anton Levy is launching Layer Global, an investment firm focused on investing in early-stage startups…
Venezuela is shipping crude oil to Israel for the first time in nearly six years, just over a month after the arrest of then-President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces…
The New York Times looks at efforts in Syria to cater to Jewish visitors as the country increasingly opens up to tourists, as some members of the Syrian Jewish diaspora seek to reclaim property that had belonged to them decades ago…
Jonah Kaplan was tapped as a correspondent by CBS News, joining the network from WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, where he was an investigative reporter…
Holocaust survivor Gabor Boritt, who after coming to the U.S. as a refugee became one of the country’s preeminent scholars on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, died at 86…
Pic of the Day
Newly announced National Council of Jewish Women CEO Jody Rabhan was on Capitol Hill yesterday, giving challah to Jewish legislators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, ahead of the organization’s annual Shabbat focused on reproductive rights.
Birthdays
Tight end on the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for four seasons ending in 2006, Mike Seidman turns 45…
Journalist, writer, political commentator and author of a Passover Haggadah co-written with his late wife Cokie Roberts, Steven V. Roberts turns 83… NYC-based gastroenterologist, he is a past president of American Friends of Likud, Julio Messer, M.D. turns 74… Governor of Florida from 1999-2007, John Ellis “Jeb” Bush turns 73… Former Knesset member for the Jewish Home, Likud and Ahi parties, Eliyahu Michael “Eli” Ben-Dahan turns 72… ProPublica’s editor-in-chief since 2013, he was previously at The New York Times for 18 years, Stephen Engelberg turns 68… Victorville, Calif., resident, Tricia Roth… Hospice and palliative care physician, Gary E. Applebaum, MD… Retired consultant, Alan Vorchheimer… U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) turns 64… Admin and special project coordinator for Jewish Renewal programs at JDC, Debbie Halali… Founder and president of RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, Scott Berkowitz… Governor of Hawaii, one of three current Jewish governors that are named Josh, Joshua B. Green turns 56… Managing principal at Baltimore-based real estate firm, Quest Management Group, Jason Reitberger turns 52… Elected as a member of the Broward County (Florida) School Board in the months following the death of her daughter at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Lori Alhadeff turns 51… Director and executive producer of the broadcast team at Salesforce, Rob Hendin… Ilana Ozernoy… Executive at City Winery, he was also a pitcher for Team Israel in qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, Shlomo Lipetz turns 47… Executive director of Merkos 302 at Chabad World Headquarters, Mendy Kotlarsky turns 44… Republican strategist and president of Somm Consulting, Evan Siegfried… Administrator of NASA since December 2025, Jared Taylor Isaacman turns 43… Senior relationship manager at Bank of America’s Transformative Healthcare Group, David B. Stern… Senior program director at TELUS Digital, Michelle Zar Beecher… Manager of account management at FiscalNote, Rachel Kosberg… Assistant general manager for MLB’s Baltimore Orioles, Eve Rosenbaum turns 36… M&A partner at Kirkland & Ellis, Alix Simnock… Senior associate attorney at EarthJustice and author of two books on origami, Scott Wasserman Stern… and his twin brother, SVP at Fight Agency, Eric Wasserman Stern, both turn 33… Forward deployed engineer at a stealth startup, CY “Joy” Neuberger Twersky… and her masterchef brother, exactly one year younger, Yisroel Neuberger…
The team is anchored by its pitching ace Dean Kremer of the Orioles, while Harrison Bader and Spencer Horwitz are among its best known hitters
Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Dean Kremer #17 of Team Israel pitches during Game 3 of Pool D between Team Nicaragua and Team Israel at loanDepot Park on Sunday, March 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
ROCKVILLE, Md. — Team Israel unveiled its roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, assembling a mix of major leaguers, high-level minor league players and homegrown Israeli talent as it prepares to return to baseball’s biggest international stage in March — a moment that carries added weight for players and staff amid high levels of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment worldwide.
The team, managed by Brad Ausmus, will once again feature Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer, a longtime fixture of the team, along with Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs and offensive contributions from first baseman Spencer Horwitz of the Pittsburgh Pirates and outfielder Harrison Bader of the San Francisco Giants.
Officials involved with Team Israel say the roster is more talented and balanced than that of the previous tournament in 2023. But for many within the organization, the meaning of representing Team Israel extends far beyond the field. Simon Rosenbaum, Team Israel’s general manager and director of player programming for the Tampa Bay Rays, told Jewish Insider at the team’s roster reveal at the Woodmont Country Club in the Washington suburbs that representing Israel on the world stage is deeply personal.
“For me, it starts with my family,” said Rosenbaum. “My grandfather was born in Germany in the 1930s and was able to survive the Holocaust. His mom and one of his sisters were not as fortunate, and he came to Israel, which became his home and where our family started. So to be able to represent Israel and blend that with baseball — which is another thing that I’m passionate about — it means a lot.”
Rosenbaum said he’s “proud to represent Israel,” calling it a “huge honor.” He said wearing the Israeli uniform comes with a responsibility.
“It’s the only Jewish country in the world,” said Rosenbaum. “Anything that we can do to represent that in a positive light and let people know that we’re here — that we’re proud to be here — is a responsibility that we don’t take lightly.”
That sentiment was echoed by Nate Fish, CEO of Israel Baseball Americas and a former Team Israel manager and player, who has been involved with the program for nearly two decades.
“It’s always special every time we go out and stand on the first or third baseline, wearing our uniform, and ‘Hatikvah’ plays,” Fish said, referring to the Israeli national anthem. “And you know you’re on an all-Jewish team, and the families and friends and fans are in the stands. It’s always a powerful experience.”
Fish said that experience has taken on new meaning since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, recalling heightened security concerns during international competitions last year.
“We played in Holland in the European Championships this past year in September of 2025 and there were such serious security concerns for us that we couldn’t leave the hotel for two weeks,” said Fish. “So the team was not allowed to leave the hotel, except to go to the field to play in the games.”
“There were fans who were having trouble getting into the stadium,” he added. “They had to consider canceling the tournament.”
Fish said the experience made playing for the team “that much more meaningful, because you’re doing it in an environment where people openly don’t want you there, and you still have to be proud, put the uniform on, go out on the field and represent your people with even more pride.”
On the field, Israel will face one of the tournament’s toughest paths, kicking off play in Pool D in Miami in March, where the team will square off against juggernauts Dominican Republic and Venezuela, as well as the Netherlands and Nicaragua — a grouping widely referred to as the “group of death.” The top two teams from each of the tournament’s four groups advance to the next round.
“Obviously, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela rosters are littered with Major League All-Stars,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s going to be a massive test. That being said, the Netherlands are a really good team, especially offensively. Nicaragua added some players who are really good, and there’s no team that we’re going to take lightly.”
Fish also noted that the Dominican Republic is “the toughest roster that we’ll face,” with Venezuela “damn near as good.”
“You don’t want to be playing those guys because it’s like a team of Hall of Famers, and it’s horrifying,” said Fish. “If you look objectively at the tournament and the matchups and the way that the rosters match up, our must-win games are Nicaragua and the Netherlands if we want to advance into the second round.”
Still, Rosenbaum said the team is “happy with the roster that we were able to put together,” noting the acquisition of Bader to the team as a “big addition” to the team’s outfield.
Israel is looking to rebound from a difficult 2023 tournament, when it went 1–3 in group play and was outscored 25–1 in its three losses, failing to advance beyond the opening round. Rosenbaum expressed confidence that this year’s team is better positioned to compete, telling JI he believes Israel can go “toe to toe against all of them.”
“I don’t put a ton of stock in four games that we played a couple years ago,” said Rosenbaum. “Our team is really talented. In baseball, anything can happen, especially in one game.”
Meanwhile, Fish framed the setback as part of a longer cycle for the program, which has experienced both highs and lows over the years. In 2012, Team Israel failed to qualify for the competition. Five years later, the team proceeded to finish first in the group stage, sweeping the competition and setting up an underdog run that resulted in a sixth place finish — the highest in Team Israel’s history at the competition.
“We’ve failed plenty of times before, and we’ve also succeeded,” said Fish. “We’re not scared of the cycles. You learn what you can learn, put the best team together and hope the guys go out and perform.”
A central figure in Israel’s effort will be Kremer, whom Fish described as the unquestioned ace of the team. Rosenbaum called Kremer the “ultimate professional,” adding that he expects the Orioles pitcher to have a “great outing.”
Fish, who has known Kremer since he was 14, traced the pitcher’s rise from an unheralded teenager to a dependable major league starter.
“He’s not just a random big leaguer you’re renting for the weekend,” Fish said. “He speaks Hebrew. He spends time in Israel. His family is Israeli. He’s been part of the program for 10, 15 years. Rolling into 2026, there’s no doubt he’s our ace.”
“As far as what we expect from him is that he goes out there and gives us just really quality innings and our best chance of winning a game,” Fish added.
Despite Israel’s progress, expectations remain measured. The team has never finished within the top three at a World Baseball Classic competition, a feat Rosenbaum said would be “incredible.”
“That’s the goal,” said Rosenbaum. “We have a lot of players who are fighting for their careers in Major League Baseball, trying to make an opening day roster, and so they’re going to be motivated. We have other players who are motivated because of their family’s connection to Judaism or Israel. I think the common thread is we want to win.”
Win or lose, Rosenbaum hopes to use the platform to inspire the next generation of Israeli baseball players and continue the growth of the game in the Jewish state. Doing so, he said, would be a “huge success for the longevity of Israeli baseball.”
“I’ve had a lot of great experiences playing for Team Israel in the European championships before, and I would like to give back, especially to the kids who are growing up in Israel who want to play baseball,” said Rosenbaum. “I think someone like Dean [Kremer] and Harrison Bader can be amazing role models for them, to let them know what’s possible.”
First Look – Meet the Ted Cruz of Israel – Danny Danon is driving Bibi – and just about everyone else – crazy, by Ben Birnbaum in the New Republic: “Many Israelis, even some of his ideological allies, wished Danon would disappear. “Whenever I see him representing my views, I am a little bit embarrassed,” one prominent right-wing figure told me. But over the past year, Danon has parlayed his headline-making power into actual power. He finished fifth in Likud primaries (ahead of many veteran ministers) and was named deputy defense minister after the January election. Then, in a surprise coup, he became chairman of Likud’s central committee, making it impossible for his detractors to just write him off. He’s basically Israel’s Ted Cruz: a 42-year-old media hound doing everything he can to push his party— and his country—to the right.” [New Republic] (more…)
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