To mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the Jewish Insider team asked leading thinkers and practitioners to reflect on how that day has changed the world. Here, we look at how Oct. 7 changed American Politics
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Add JewishInsider on GoogleTo mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the Jewish Insider team asked leading thinkers and practitioners to reflect on how that day has changed the world. Here, we look at how Oct. 7 changed Jewish advocacy
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Members of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center met with Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday to discuss federal efforts to counter antisemitism and new legislation promoting school choice, Sept. 17th, 2025
To mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the Jewish Insider team asked leading thinkers and practitioners to reflect on how that day has changed the world. Here, we look at how Oct. 7 changed Israel’s relations with the world
NEW YORK — October 13, 2023: The Israeli flag flies outside the United Nations following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
To mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the Jewish Insider team asked leading thinkers and practitioners to reflect on how that day has changed the world. Here, we look at how Oct. 7 changed the U.S.-Israel relationship
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two flags: American and Israeli waving in the blue sky
To mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the Jewish Insider team asked leading thinkers and practitioners to reflect on how that day has changed the world. Here, we look at how Oct. 7 changed higher education
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Tents and signs fill Harvard Yard in the anti-Israel encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 5, 2024.
The ADL called Hamtramck, Mich. mayor Amer Ghalib as someone who ‘routinely traffics in antisemitism’ and ‘attempted to justify the 10/7 massacre’
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President Donald Trump introduces Democratic Muslim mayor of Hamtramck Amer Ghalib during his last campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced this week that the nomination of Amer Ghalib, the mayor of Hamtramck, Mich., as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait has been delayed.
Ghalib has faced scrutiny for his anti-Israel history, including questioning reports of Hamas atrocities on Oct. 7 and supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, and for liking antisemitic comments on social media.
Shaheen told Agence France Press last month that Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, had agreed to postpone consideration of Ghalib as lawmakers gathered additional information about his background.
Asked about the delay by Jewish Insider, Shaheen said that “there were some questions” about Ghalib to which committee members are awaiting written answers. She said she did not recall the subject of the pending questions.
“SFRC has worked at a historic pace to move President Trump’s nominees through our committee,” Risch said in a statement to JI on the nomination. “That pace continues along with our commitment to thorough vetting, and this vetting sometimes means that certain nominations will take longer to process.”
The Hamtramck mayor said in a Facebook post on Sunday that Trump called him to emphasize that he continues to support Ghalib’s nomination but acknowledged that there have been objections.
“He renewed his unlimited support to me” for the nomination, Ghalib said, but “admitted during his call that attempts by some parties have hindered this appointment, and assured me that he will not accept to stand before my appointment for this task that I am honored to do to serve this great country, any obstacle, from any party.”
Ghalib, who was born in Yemen, made history in 2021 when he was elected as Hamtramck’s first Arab and Muslim mayor. As mayor, Ghalib, a Democrat, led Hamtramck to pass a measure to boycott and divest from Israel. He also has a history of liking antisemitic social media posts.
Ghalib made waves nationally last fall when he endorsed President Donald Trump’s 2024 bid in September and campaigned on the president’s behalf with Arab and Muslim voters who had grown frustrated with Democrats over the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s wars with Hamas in Gaza and with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump went on to nominate Ghalib as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait in late March of this year.
The White House did not respond to JI’s requests for comment on the status of Ghalib’s nomination, which the Anti-Defamation League called for Trump to withdraw in March.
“Ghalib routinely traffics in antisemitism, actively supports the antisemitic BDS movement, attempted to justify the 10/7 massacre and refused to take disciplinary action against an appointee who attempted to justify the Holocaust,” the ADL said in a post on X at the time.
Ghalib visited Washington for meetings with White House officials in late August, when senators were in their home states for a monthlong recess. Ghalib met during the trip with James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. No senators posted anything about meetings with Ghalib during that time period or since then, and two Republicans who serve on the committee told JI that they had received no outreach about meeting with the nominee.
Ghalib’s confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Campaign website
Katie Wilson
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the rise of far-left Democratic candidates around the country, and report on former Rep. Cori Bush’s plans to challenge Rep. Wesley Bell for her old House seat in Missouri. We scoop the departure of General Motors’ head of philanthropy following the discovery of her anti-Israel social media activity, and report on the Anti-Defamation League’s deletion of its Glossary of Extremism following pressure over its entry on Turning Point USA. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Greg Landsman, Brad Parscale and David Zini.
Ed. note: In observance of Yom Kippur, the next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Monday, Oct. 6.Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- Hamas’ response to President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace proposal could come as soon as today, following Trump’s comments on Tuesday in which he said he was giving the terror group “three or four days” to respond to the proposal, threatening a “sad end” if it rejected the plan.
- We’re also keeping an eye on the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza as it nears Israeli maritime space. Last night, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, citing the delicate diplomatic situation following Trump’s proposal to end the war, called on the flotilla’s organizers to “stop now and accept one of the various proposals put forward for the safe delivery of the aid.”
- As the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks nears, Jewish organizations around the world will begin hosting memorials and ceremonies to mark the day. Read more in eJewishPhilanthropy about efforts to commemorate the anniversary of the attacks.
- In New York on Sunday, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is opening “Lessons from The Tree of Life: Lighting the Path Forward,” a traveling exhibition from Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life ahead of the seventh anniversary of the deadly synagogue attack.
- Also Sunday, Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania is holding its annual Defender of Democracy Event. This year’s event, which will include an appearance by Gov. Josh Shapiro, will honor Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’s Josh kraushaar
Zohran Mamdani isn’t the only far-left, anti-Israel candidate running for mayor in a city with a notable Jewish constituency in November. As we’ve noted in these pages, socialist Katie Wilson is vying to unseat Mayor Bruce Harrell in the Seattle mayoral race. (More below on that race.) And far-left challenger Omar Fateh is running competitively against Mayor Jacob Frey in a closely watched Minneapolis mayoral contest.
But one lower-profile race featuring a Democratic Socialists of America activist with involvement in anti-Israel groups has flown under the radar. In the progressive city of Somerville, Mass. — just outside Boston and bordering Cambridge — City Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. advanced to a runoff against another city council member, Jake Wilson.
In the city’s first round of balloting, which ousted the city’s sitting mayor, Katjana Ballantyne, Wilson finished first with 42% of the citywide vote, but Burnley wasn’t far behind with 34%. Ballantyne, facing a backlash to the city’s rising housing costs, lagged in third place with just 23% of the vote.
If Burnley prevails, he would be the city’s first Black, openly queer and polyamorous mayor, according to Axios.
But Burnley’s unconventional self-identification pales in comparison to his radical record. He’s been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, and has been active in the organization for at least the last several years. He has participated in anti-Israel protests, including one where he is standing in front of a protester holding a sign with a Nazi swastika flag next to an Israeli flag. At a Tufts University anti-Israel protest last year, he posed in front of posters reading “Glory to the martyrs.”
He has touted his endorsement from the anti-Israel group “Somerville for Palestine” and walked out on a Jewish constituent objecting to the city council’s consideration of a measure that would require Somerville to divest city funds business from companies that do business with Israel. In 2018, he was pictured being involved with the anti-Israel group IfNotNow.
SEATTLE SPOTLIGHT
Seattle Jewish leaders express concern with mayoral front-runner Katie Wilson’s Mamdani-esque views
As progressives have gained traction in local races across the country, Katie Wilson, a self-described socialist now mounting a formidable bid for mayor of Seattle, has increasingly drawn comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, the far-left Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City whose primary upset in June stunned the national political establishment, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Track record: While Wilson’s record of commentary on Israel and the war in Gaza is far more limited than Mamdani’s, who has long been an outspoken critic of the Jewish state, many Jewish leaders in Seattle are expressing concern over her statements about the conflict amid what they describe as a lack of outreach from her campaign with just five weeks until the election. In a handful of recent remarks, Wilson has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza — a characterization that Jewish leaders and community activists have found troubling as voter sympathy for the Jewish state, especially in the progressive Seattle area, has sharply declined. Meanwhile, Wilson has suggested that she is “open to divestment” if Seattle “has investments that are indirectly supporting Israel’s actions,” according to an email response to a person who asked about her stances on Israel that was posted to social media in July.
St. Louis Showdown
Ousted anti-Israel lawmaker planning comeback campaign in Missouri
Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), one of the most virulently anti-Israel members of Congress during her tenure in Washington, is expected to launch a rematch against Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO), who defeated her in 2024, according to political observers in St. Louis, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Bell, who garnered substantial support from the Jewish community locally and pro-Israel groups nationally, has remained a strong supporter of Israel in office, even amid criticism from local progressive activists.
The Lou-down: Braxton Payne, a St. Louis-based political strategist, said that this cycle, when Bell is still a freshman, would be Bush’s best chance of ousting the incumbent and reclaiming her seat. “Her strongest place is inside the city [of St. Louis] and you’re seeing… a strong pendulum swinging in regards to the conflict in Gaza and Palestine, and I think that is going to be probably one of her main narratives that she’ll lead with,” Payne told JI. “Among some of the progressive votes, especially among her base in St. Louis City, I think she’s going to do fairly well with those people.” But one of Bush’s biggest vulnerabilities, he continued, is that she failed, once in office, to engage with or show up for major local groups and organized labor.
prairie state politics
Wave of anti-Israel candidates hits Chicago’s Democratic congressional primaries
With numerous incumbent House members retiring or seeking higher office, the 2026 election will bring four open seats to the deep-blue Chicago area — a level of turnover unprecedented in recent history — each of which is being hotly contested by a series of diverse candidates. And in each of the districts — the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th — at least one viable candidate is staking out positions strongly critical of Israel, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Breaking it down: In the 2nd District, anti-Israel state Sen. Robert Peters, who converted to Judaism, has been critical of Israel’s operations in Gaza and joined at least one anti-Israel protest affiliated with the far-left Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. In the 7th District, Justice Democrats-affiliated Kina Collins, who has been opposed in past races by the AIPAC-affiliated United Democracy Project super PAC, is expected to make a third bid for the seat, after two primary challenges to retiring Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL). In the 8th District, Yasmin Bankole, a Hanover Park trustee, is vowing to co-sponsor the “Block the Bombs Act” and has accused the Trump administration of being complicit in potential ethnic cleansing, while Junaid Ahmed lists “Peace in Gaza and Palestinian self-determination” as a top campaign priority and describes the war in Gaza as a genocide. In the 9th District, prominent candidates Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and influencer Kat Abughazaleh have both been vocally critical of Israel.
HITTING THE ROAD
GM philanthropy head with history of anti-Israel tweets exits role
Sirene Abou-Chakra, the head of General Motors’ global philanthropy division with a history of posting anti-Israel messages on her public X account, is no longer in her role, a GM spokesperson confirmed to Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs. The spokesperson did not say if Abou-Chakra, who previously served as the chief development officer for the city of Detroit and also spent a decade with Google as an account executive, was fired or had left on her own accord.
Toxic tweets: Abou-Chakra, a native of Dearborn, Mich., took over the auto company’s mammoth philanthropy arm in June amid questions about how her extensive anti-Israel social media history would impact GM’s relationship with the Detroit-area Jewish community and its extensive business relationships with the Jewish state. From late 2019 through the summer of 2024, Abou-Chakra posted a series of tweets that were critical of the Jewish state and Republicans, accusing Israel of being “built on lies,” alleging the country “is not a democracy” and claiming the pro-Hamas protests in Washington during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress last July were “planted” by pro-Israel actors.
scoop
ADL deletes Glossary of Extremism under pressure from conservatives
Under pressure from Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr. and prominent right-wing activists in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Anti-Defamation League is removing from its website the Glossary of Extremism and Hate, one of the organization’s signature anti-hate resources, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs and Gabby Deutch report.
Scrubbing the site: The database identifies over 1,000 terms relating to extremist ideologies and groups, and it has faced scrutiny in recent days after viral social media posts revealed that the Glossary of Extremism included an entry about the slain Turning Point USA founder and his organization. An ADL spokesperson confirmed to JI that the organization removed the glossary entirely and that it does not consider TPUSA an “extremist group.” The glossary no longer appears on the ADL website. The ADL’s webpage about Kirk, which remains active, still says that Kirk “created a vast platform that was used by numerous extremists and far-right conspiracy theorists. A number of such individuals speak and attend his annual AmericaFest and other events sponsored by TPUSA.”
Reality check: Earlier this week, Musk and several prominent right-wing influencers falsely accused the ADL of attacking Christianity by misrepresenting the organization’s classification of the antisemitic Christian Identity movement as an extremist group, JI’s Emily Jacobs reports. The controversy, fueled by a partial, out-of-context screenshot of the ADL’s website, gained traction on X and other social media platforms.
Exclusive
Hollywood’s anti-Israel boycott against the law, according to Jewish civil rights group
The current boycott by Hollywood actors, directors and other industry workers against Israeli counterparts “violates federal and state civil rights laws,” according to a letter distributed on Wednesday by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law to major U.S. film industry leaders, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen has learned.
Legal liability: The letter was sent to top studios, distributors, platforms, talent agencies and film festivals — including Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Netflix, Amazon, MGM Studios and Apple Studios. It warns that participation in the “Hollywood Blacklist,” a boycott circulated last month by Film Workers for Palestine that calls for industry professionals to blacklist Israeli artists, companies and institutions, could result in legal consequences. Boycotting Israeli institutions would also jeopardize studios’ eligibility for film tax credit status, the letter said, noting that “a production that participates in the Hollywood Boycott may also violate its contractual obligations in connection with receiving state tax breaks.”
Worthy Reads
Rubik’s Cube of Diplomacy: The New York Times’ Tom Friedman posits that President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza could fundamentally reshape the region for the better. “In a lifetime of covering this conflict, I have never seen it broken into so many little pieces, each soaked in more distrust and hatred of the other than ever before. Aggregating these pieces together to implement this complex plan for a cease-fire, phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, hostage release, Palestinian prisoner release and then rebuilding of the Strip under international supervision will be a herculean task. It will require solving a diplomatic Rubik’s Cube every day — while all the enemies of the deal try to scramble it every day. … If, if, if this Trump peace plan can create a bridge back to a two-state solution, it will give enormous leeway for Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and even Iraq to consider joining the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.” [NYTimes]
Qatar’s New Calculus: In The Wall Street Journal, Amit Segal considers why Qatar is now applying pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed deal to end the war. “The regime, which thwarted the last hostage deal, changed its mind because the war has reached its home. After the Israel Defense Forces operated in five Muslim capitals — Gaza, Beirut, Damascus, Sana’a, and Tehran — it hit Doha. The attempted killing of senior Hamas officials in broad daylight in Qatar signaled to the natural-gas emirate that it couldn’t continue the double game it has played in recent years. Despite the threats against Israel, the Qataris are now working to make Hamas accept the demands from Jerusalem. Qatar had until recently defended Hamas’s efforts to remain in power and its demands for a full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for releasing the hostages. Now, Doha is among those threatening Hamas with destruction if it won’t accept a deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s telephone apology for violating Qatar’s sovereignty is lip service to divert attention from the emirate’s turnaround.” [WSJ]
The New Neo-Nazis: In his Substack “The Reset,” Yashar Ali reflects on the surge in antisemitism he has observed online since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. “Over the past two years I have tracked a stunning but not surprising shift: the ranks of Neo-Nazis and outright Jew haters were growing rapidly and becoming very diverse in a way that has not ever been seen in American history (including in the 1920s–30s). To be clear, I am not talking about the blanket antisemitism label that conflates various types of antisemitism and the mislabeling of criticism of the Israeli government and military as antisemitism. I am talking about unquestionable hatred of global Jewry and the embracing of some of the most dangerous and oldest conspiracies about Jews. The point is that I was seeing groups of people, by age, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, who traditionally would never have been attracted to Neo-Nazi ideology, suddenly becoming radicalized, believing in it, and becoming dedicated to the cause.” [TheReset]
Word on the Street
The University of Maryland Student Government Association is set to consider a resolution at the start of Yom Kippur on Wednesday evening calling on the university and its charitable foundation to implement a boycott of companies and academic institutions with ties to “Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), speaking in a webinar with Democratic Majority for Israel on Tuesday, emphasized that colleagues who push to block aid to Israel or recognize a Palestinian state risk emboldening Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran when they are on their back foot, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
President Donald Trump told reporters that the administration is close to reaching a deal with Harvard after a monthslong deadlock and legal battle that will see the university pay around $500 million to open and operate trade schools; “They’re going to be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things,” Trump said at an executive order signing…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Organization sued Apple on behalf of a Jewish employee in the company’s Reston, Va., location who said his manager made antisemitic remarks and refused his request not to be scheduled to work on Shabbat…
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and 18 other House progressives wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing Israel of genocide and demanding that the U.S. protect the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to breach the Israeli maritime blockade of Gaza…
A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration’s effort to deport international students who participated in anti-Israel campus activity was unconstitutional…
Following a court ruling, the Trump administration restored hundreds of grants from the National Institutes of Health that it had suspended from the University of California, Los Angeles over the summmer…
The Department of Justice opened an investigation into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ response to campus antisemitism…
Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale filed paperwork under the Foreign Agent Registration Act registering his work with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Parscale’s work through his Clock Tower X LLC is expected to focus on digital outreach to younger Americans…
Singer Cat Stevens, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam in 1978, postponed an upcoming book tour in North America, citing visa issues; Stevens, who has expressed support for Hamas, has previously backed a fatwa issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against writer Salman Rushie…
A new survey from the Council for a Secure America found high levels of support for the U.S.-Israel relationship among Israeli respondents…
Israel’s Cabinet unanimously approved David Zini as the new head of the Shin Bet, effective Oct. 5…
The family of Rabbi Dr. Mordechai “Mark” Steintzag, who was killed in a terror attack in Jerusalem last month, is working to complete the writing of a Torah scroll he commissioned before his death, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports…
The Associated Press reports on the sexual exploitation of Palestinian women in Gaza by aid workers affiliated with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency and other international groups…
A new survey found that 15% of Italians consider physical attacks on Jews to be “entirely or fairly justifiable,” while 18% said that antisemitic graffiti was legitimate…
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is launching its Program on Energy and National Security; the new program will be led by Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at FDD and former senior counselor on the White House National Energy Dominance Council…
Pic of the Day
Families of hostages with German citizenship who are still being held in Gaza met on Tuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. The families pressed Merz to leverage Germany’s relationship with Turkey to influence Hamas into accepting President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war.
Birthdays
Reality television personality, model and actress, Cynthia Dawn “Cindy” Margolis turns 60…
U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Lynn Steven Adelman turns 86… MLB second baseman who appeared in 18 straight All-Star Games, he is immortalized as Jewish in Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Song, Rod Carew turns 80… Senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Andrew David Hurwitz turns 78… Professor at the Technion, he won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry, Aaron Ciechanover turns 78… Tony Award-winning writer and lyricist for the musical theater, television and film, Lynn Ahrens turns 77… Former co-owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and co-founder of the publicly traded TechTarget, Bruce Levenson turns 76… Professor emeritus of Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Jacob Yuval turns 76… Copy editor at Politico since 2009, Andrew Goodwin… Film, stage and television actress and, since 2009, an ordained Jewish cantor, Lorna Patterson turns 69… Israel’s ambassador to the United States, a native of Scranton, Pa., Yechiel “Michael” Leiter turns 66… The first-ever Jewish chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, Steven C. González turns 62… Member of the Aspen City Council from 2011-2019, Adam Bennett Frisch turns 58… Retired in 2024 after 16 years as director of philanthropic partnerships at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert A. Rosen… Film director, screenwriter and producer, Stacie Passon turns 56… Partner at FGS Global, specializing in telecommunications, technology, consumer protection and privacy for companies in regulated industries, Robert Bennett Seidman… Former law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, now a nominee for a judgeship on the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Rebecca L. Taibleson turns 42… Director of investor relations and strategic engagement at FDD, Samantha J. (Greenberg) Weinberg… Chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum, Michael Koplow… Former consultant at Deloitte focused on critical infrastructure risk, now an MBA candidate at Georgetown, Samuel Koralnik… Account manager at Fiserv, Yossi Raskas… Scott Rosenthal…
The Ohio Democrat said that withholding aid from Israel would 'undermine' the country 'in a way that is really significant'
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) is interviewed by CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images in his Longworth Building office on Friday, November 3, 2023.
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), in a webinar with Democratic Majority for Israel on Tuesday, emphasized that colleagues who push to block aid to Israel or recognize a Palestinian state risk emboldening Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran when they are on their back foot.
Landsman also laid out what he sees as preconditions for rebuilding Democratic support for the Jewish state.
“Saying, ‘We’re going to withhold aid, we’re going to unilaterally call for a Palestinian state’ — which exists where? Is that all of Israel? What are you talking about? — that suggests to Hamas, ‘Maybe we should keep fighting,’” Landsman said. “I don’t think that’s their intent. I think that it’s entirely appropriate to be critical of the government and decisions … without abandoning our ally.”
“Witholding aid does undermine our ally in a way that is really significant,” Landsman continued.
He said he’s trying to push colleagues in that direction. He added later that he believes that the war in Gaza is a “just war,” even if “it needs to come to an end.”
Asked about the longer-term path toward rebuilding Democratic support for Israel, Landsman said that an end to the war and new leadership in Israel would likely be critical steps in that direction.
“Once we get on the other side of this and we have a government that’s really actively pursuing peace, then the path for a lot of these folks who have felt alienated, to come back. I think is pretty clear,” Landsman said.
He added that peace must also come alongside continued efforts to beat back threats. “You do have to take out these terror armies, and you have to marginalize and completely sideline Iran as a threat, which is going to require constant work.”
He said he was encouraged to see the deal put forward by the Trump administration on Monday, arguing that the war “needs to end for a whole host of reasons,” including freeing the hostages and surging aid into Gaza.
“Israel’s standing in the international community has been diminished, which is a key strategy for Hamas. And this is one of the reasons why I think Netanyahu has got to figure out a way to end this war, because Hamas is succeeding at delegitimizing Israel in a way that is really harmful, way more so than anything it could do militarily,” Landsman said. “I think you’ve got to take that off the table, and that means ending the war.”
Landsman also said that “there’s still limited pressure on Hamas to end this war” and called on the Trump administration to employ “maximum leverage, maximum pressure” on the group, including by detaining Hamas leaders in Qatar.
He added that surging aid is “the right thing to do, it’s the Jewish thing to do and it’s also just strategically what has to happen if Israel is going to maintain its standing in the world and continue to get support.”
He said that positive steps are being taken but added that there are “serious issues with UNRWA that the U.N. and the international community have not gotten serious about.”
He also emphasized the need for an Arab-nation compact to bring the war to an end and deradicalize and rebuild Gaza with a new government that seeks peace with Israel.
“Get all 22 of them involved in a very formal and committed, long-term, sustainable way,” Landsman said. “I think that helps achieve the goals that we collectively have for ending this war and getting Gaza to a place where Hamas is gone, the strip is deradicalized and we’re in a position to help them rebuild with a new governing authority that wants peace with the state of Israel.”
Landsman suggested that such an effort could also unlock Arab-Israeli peace.
“An Israel that’s seeking peace is quite popular. I think that’s what [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] would support. Once this war is over and there is a pathway to peace because these terror armies have been defeated … I think these folks do come back and say, ‘Okay, let’s be part of something,’” Landsman continued.
He said that the Trump administration needs a larger team, working full-time, on pursuing Middle East peace in the longer term. “You’ve got to get ironclad commitments from all of these countries. It’s got to be formal. They’ve got to come together in a formal, sustainable way.”
Without continuous White House pressure and attention, he warned that any peace that is reached is likely to crumble.
All of the open primaries in and around Chicago feature matchups between more mainstream candidates and anti-Israel opponents
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
Protesters gather in Chicago, United States on May 17, 2025.
With numerous incumbent House members retiring or seeking higher office, the 2026 election will bring four open seats to the deep blue Chicago area — a level of turnover unprecedented in recent history — each of which is being hotly contested by a series of diverse candidates. And in each of the districts — the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th — at least one viable candidate is staking out positions strongly critical of Israel.
Illinois’ Second District (of Rep. Robin Kelly, who is running for Senate):
The sizable Second District stretches from the south side of Chicago and runs nearly three hours south along the border with Indiana. It includes liberal, highly educated areas around the University of Chicago and Hyde Park, where anti-Israel state Sen. Robert Peters is likely to pull most of his support.
Peters, who converted to Judaism, has been critical of Israel’s operations in Gaza and joined at least one anti-Israel protest affiliated with the far-left Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, calling in mid-November 2023 for a ceasefire.
“I watched the unprecedented bombing campaign rain down on a densely populated community in Gaza — one that had no easy means to escape — and I saw that it was being done in our name, as Jews and as Americans,” Peters wrote in an op-ed. “I thought of the story of my own biological father’s family. I knew that the massive humanitarian crisis that is still unfolding in Gaza will not make the world safer for Jews, whether in Israel or anywhere.”
More recently, he condemned the “forced famine of millions of people in Gaza” and said on X, “No wonder the Trump administration supports the destruction of Gaza, Trump and his allies want to do the same thing to Black people here.”
Peters was adopted as a child, and discovered in 2022 that his biological father was Jewish; he went on to join a congregation and begin the process of formally converting. The state senator has the support of national anti-Israel activists.
“Robert is the only Jewish candidate in the race for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District, and this issue is deeply personal for him. Robert believes the U.S. must lead the effort to broker a diplomatic resolution that brings home the hostages, ends the war, and that ultimately leads to a solution where both the Israeli and Palestinian people can enjoy lasting security and self-determination,” a Peters campaign spokesperson told JI.
Peters, according to Frank Calabrese, a Chicago political analyst, has established himself as the favorite of the progressive class, raised substantial amounts of money and picked up an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). But Calabrese said he will struggle among the more moderate Black voters that live in the Chicago suburbs.
Calabrese said he sees former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. as the prohibitive favorite to win the seat, describing Jackson as someone with “universal name ID,” hailing from a family that is “as close to royalty as you get. It’s comparable locally to the Kennedy family, in the south side of Chicago.”
As a member of Congress from 1995 until 2012, Jackson visited Israel on trips organized by the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation and the Jewish United Fund — taking criticism from anti-Israel activists. He was the keynote speaker for a pro-Israel event in Chicago in 2009, saying at the time, “I am honored to stand in solidarity with you today as we stand in support of Israel.”
Jackson’s brother, Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, including supporting a call for the U.S. to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state and serving as an original cosponsor of the “Block the Bombs Act,” which critics describe as an effective permanent arms embargo on Israel for many critical weapons systems.
Jackson resigned from office under investigation for misuse of campaign funds. He later pleaded guilty to fraud and served 30 months in prison. Calabrese said he thinks voters will largely be forgiving of that history.
He said that it would be “mind-blowing” for Jackson to rack up less than 25% of the vote, which might not be enough to win if there were a small number of other competitors, “but when you put seven, eight, nine people in the race on the ballot — it’s going to be Jesse Jackson.”
Other candidates Calabrese predicted will be most competitive include Yumeka Brown, a member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, both of whom he suggested could siphon some of the suburban Chicago vote.
Illinois’ Seventh District (of retiring Rep. Danny Davis):
Justice Democrats-affiliated Kina Collins is expected to make a third bid for the 7th District seat, after two primary challenges to retiring Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL). She has been opposed in past races by the AIPAC-affiliated United Democracy Project super PAC.
Collins has a long record of taking anti-Israel stances, having described the war in Gaza as a genocide just nine days after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, called for conditions on U.S. aid to Israel and repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes.
She has also suggested Israeli training is the source of American police brutality against Black Americans.
Collins finished third in the 2024 primary, with 19% of the vote. Calabrese said her core base lies with white progressive voters.
Davis’ handpicked replacement is state Rep. LaShawn Ford. But due to Ford’s poor performance during his 2019 mayoral campaign — he received just 1% of the vote — Calabrese said it’s “hard to call him a [clear] frontrunner,” even with Davis’ backing.
Calabrese described the field in general as “chaotic” and said none of the candidates have yet to pull away from the pack.
Ford joined a statement on Oct. 11, 2023, condemning violence against both Israelis and Palestinians.
“Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed, and thousands injured,” the statement read. “We will not be able to achieve peace when millions of Palestinians are denied human rights.”
Facing criticism that the initial statement had suggested a moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas, Ford later offered his unequivocal condemnation of the “cowardly Hamas terrorists,” according to local media reports.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the city treasurer, is mounting her second bid for the seat, after challenging Davis in the 2024 primary, lagging well behind the congressman with just 21% of the vote. She ran on a strongly pro-Israel platform in 2024 and claimed Collins was antisemitic for accusing Israel of genocide.
Jason Friedman, a businessman who entered the race as a primary challenger to Davis, has a base in downtown Chicago and he may have a financial advantage, Calabrese said, but is an untraditional candidate for the majority-minority district, which has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker.
Friedman has been a member of the leadership of the Jewish United Fund and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and was a board member of the Jewish National Fund. He led at least one JUF trip to Israel for young business professionals, and was honored with JUF’s Young Leadership Award. He testified before the Chicago City Council in 2012, urging divestment from Iran’s energy sector
“Trump and the United States have a moral obligation to create an environment to end the war and this humanitarian crisis, bring the hostages home, and create a path towards a true two-State solution,” Friedman said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “Netanyahu and his government have inexcusably put their own self-interests over the interests of Israel and the U.S.-Israeli relationship, and it must stop.”
Others in the race include Richard Boykin, a former chief of staff to Davis, and Anthony Driver, a former leader of the Chicago police oversight board and the former state executive director of the Service Employees International Union, which is supporting his campaign.
Illinois’ Eighth District (seat of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Senate):
The suburban 8th District race is also up for grabs — a recent poll conducted by one of the candidates found over two-thirds of voters undecided — and features an ideologically diverse set of candidates, including at least two prominent antagonists of the Jewish state.
Yasmin Bankole, a Hanover Park trustee, is vowing to cosponsor the “Block the Bombs Act,” saying, “Our tax dollars are supporting an unjustifiable humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” She has accused the Trump administration of being complicit in potential ethnic cleansing.
“What’s happening in Gaza is immoral, unconscionable, and it is the responsibility of Congress to act,” Bankole said in a position statement on her campaign website.
Earlier this year, she shared a photo of an emaciated child in Gaza, later revealed to suffer from cerebral palsy, writing in the caption, “This heartbreaking and deeply alarming photo has stopped me in my tracks. We must not look away while this modern day tragedy rages on. We must continue to shine a light on ALL injustices. I call on the U.S., Israel, and those in the international community to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches and is safely distributed in Gaza.”
She also signed onto a Jan. 9, 2024, statement organized by JVP calling for a permanent ceasefire.
Bankole is a former staffer for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and has the senator’s backing in the race. Calabrese said she is “getting a lot of buzz” and has a similar profile and potential support base to Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), who represents a neighboring district.
Junaid Ahmed, a local small business owner, is making a second run for the seat, after attempting to challenge incumbent Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) in 2024, winning just 30% of the primary vote. Ahmed is aiming to capture the progressive lane, according to Calabrese.
On his campaign website, Ahmed lists “Peace in Gaza and Palestinian self-determination” as a top campaign priority and describes the war in Gaza as a genocide.
On the site, he called for a “comprehensive arms embargo and the ending of all military aid to Israel, demonstrating the U.S. stands with our fellow democracies in enforcing international law” and for the U.S. to realize “the self determination of the Palestinian people and an end to the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.”
Ahmed also said he supports “a multilateral effort [to] ensure equal protections for Palestinians under international law” and “[c]omprehensive strategies to tackle Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Palestinian discrimination here at home and across the globe.”
He said in September that “the United States has a moral duty to stop Israel from committing more [war] crimes” and that Israel’s actions “are hurting America’s standing in the world.”
“As humans, we have the moral obligation to stand up and speak out against these heinous and genocidal acts,” he said in August.
Ahmed’s advocacy against the U.S.-Israel relationship dates back well before the war in Gaza. In 2021, he said, “Your tax dollars are going towards oppressing the Palestinian people,” condemning government funding packages that included aid for Israel.
In 2022, he commemorated the “Nakba” — a term that translates to “catastrophe” and refers to the founding of Israel and exodus of Palestinians — describing it as a “a horrific tragedy that led to the ethnic cleansing of 800,000+ Palestinians from nearly 530 villages at the hands of settlers who would later found Israel in 1948.”
The leading moderate in the race is former Rep. Melissa Bean, who served in the House from 2005 to 2011. The district is significantly different than it was when Bean first ran, Calabrese noted, and she has been less active in local Democratic politics since she retired, meaning she’ll have to re-introduce herself to many voters.
Bean, in a 2016 story, was described as close with Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) when he was a pro-Israel advocate before his time in office, and she has spoken out in support of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
In addition to Bean, Bankole and Ahmed, other candidates include Kevin Morrison, a Cook County commissioner, businessman Neil Khot and Dan Tully, a former JAG officer who has donated a significant sum to his own campaign and could be a strong fundraiser.
In the case of Morrison, Calabrese said the Cook County Commission, where he serves, has traditionally served as a launching pad for officeholders including Johnson and Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL) — but the district is split between Cook County and DuPage County, where Morrison’s support is weaker.
Calabrese said that Khot could rally support from the sizable local Indian-American community, and that he has been a strong fundraiser, supplemented by his own personal funds.
Illinois’ Ninth District (seat of retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky):
The Ninth District, which has one the largest Jewish constituencies in the state, has been the most-watched of the open Chicagoland seats, with prominent candidates including state Sen. Laura Fine, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and influencer and anti-Israel activist Kat Abugazaleh.
The race in the “very liberal district” which includes “the most liberal parts of Chicago” is turning into a sprint to the left, Calabrese said. The district also includes a large Middle Eastern population unfriendly to Israel, in addition to a sizable Orthodox Jewish community.
Fine represents the wealthier areas of the district and the more mainstream side of the Democratic Party. In an interview with Jewish Insider in May, Fine, who is Jewish, touted her pro-Israel platform and described herself as a staunch defender of the Jewish state who has long been outspoken against rising antisemitism fueled by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.
The 58-year-old state lawmaker, who served in the state House before rising to the state Senate in 2019, is a co-chair of the legislative Jewish Caucus and calls herself a “proud Jewish woman,” noting that her bat mitzvah was held in Israel. “I have been on the front lines of the fight against antisemitism,” she told JI.
Calabrese said he believes Abugazaleh, despite widespread skepticism over her lack of political experience and short period of residence in the district, stands a serious chance of winning because “this [is a] very transient part of [the Chicago area]. It’s a lot of renters, it’s a lot of single people, it’s a lot of young people and they’re very activist. It’s people like Kat. … She’s raising money, she’s getting volunteers and she represents a good part of what the district’s like.”
Biss has also leaned into criticizing Israel on the campaign trail, calling for the U.S. to stop all offensive weapons shipments to Israel and unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. A campaign spokesperson said he would support the “Block the Bombs Act.”.
“Years of experience have taught us that stern words from allies mean nothing to Netanyahu,” Biss said in a recent Substack post.
He added that recognizing a Palestinian state “would help lay the groundwork for a free and democratic Palestine, with a government that has no place for and provides no material support to Hamas or any other terrorist organization.”
He also wrote that, while he has deep familial connections to the state of Israel — his mother grew up in Israel, he spent significant time there and he had a cousin who served in the IDF after Oct. 7 — “other families have stories that paint a dramatically different picture. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was itself a violent trauma for Palestinians. And I have also spent time in the West Bank, decades ago, witnessing first-hand the cruelty of the occupation — and the way, already then, that it warped Israeli attitudes.”
Biss also criticized Israeli airstrikes on Iran and said the U.S. should “work to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon through diplomatic means, not reckless military strikes.”
Biss, as mayor of Evanston, represents the largest political entity in the district — a large potential pool of votes — is well known from a past run for governor and is politically well-suited to the district, Calabrese said.
“He’s liberal but not really leftist …. So he’s a really good compromise between what I consider establishment and activists,” Calabrese continued, though Biss has leaned more into an activist posture on the campaign trail, participating in heated protests in the area against ICE.
There are other candidates in the race, including Bushra Amiwala, an activist and member of the Skokie Board of Education and the first Gen Z woman elected to public office in the country and the youngest Muslim elected official as of when she was elected.
Amiwala also has a history of anti-Israel activism. She opposes all military aid to Israel, said the U.S. should “demand reparations” from Israel and urged senators to support legislation blocking certain arms transfers.
“To have so much of our taxpayer dollars funding a humanitarian crisis in Palestine is not OK. And I don’t think we need to spend any more money on this. We need to leverage the money we’ve already given Israel to force them to sit at the table and come to a ceasefire,” she told Chicago magazine.
She also accused Israel of deliberately starving Palestinians and said opponents unwilling to describe the war in Gaza as a genocide should drop out of the race.
“This is the new litmus test for Democrats and it doesn’t take a focus group or opinion poll to find the right answer,” Amiwala wrote in a fundraising email. “If you are so morally and ethically compromised on this issue, you are no better than a MAGA Republican and are undeserving of even calling yourself a Democrat.”
Amiwala also said that “we’ve seen AIPAC buy our elected officials,” referring to the group’s political spending, and suggested that U.S. aid to Israel is the reason Americans lack access to education and universal healthcare.
And she has condemned Israel’s “continuous illegal bombing of sovereign nations. Israel has caused countless bloodshed and ignored international law while bankrolled by the U.S. every step of the way.”
But Calabrese said he’s skeptical that anyone other than Abugazaleh, Biss and Fine stands a realistic chance of winning the seat.
Former Rep. Cori Bush, one of the most extreme critics of Israel, is planning to run against Rep. Wesley Bell for a second time
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
Rep. Cori Bush at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol to call for a ceasefire in Gaza on November 13, 2023.
Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), one of the most virulently anti-Israel members of Congress during her tenure in Washington, is expected to launch a rematch against Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO), who defeated her in 2024, according to political observers in St. Louis.
Local Jewish leaders expect the primary campaign to be a bitter repeat of the 2024 campaign, which focused heavily on Israel. Bell, who garnered substantial support from the Jewish community locally and pro-Israel groups nationally, has remained a strong supporter of Israel in office, even amid criticism from local progressive activists.
Braxton Payne, a St. Louis-based political strategist, described Bush’s intentions as “the worst-kept secret” and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported she may launch as early as this week, citing sources close to her campaign.
Payne said that this cycle, when Bell is still a freshman, would be Bush’s best chance of ousting Bell and reclaiming her seat.
“Her strongest place is inside the city [of St. Louis] and you’re seeing… a strong pendulum swinging in regards to the conflict in Gaza and Palestine, and I think that is going to be probably one of her main narratives that she’ll lead with,” Payne told Jewish Insider. “Among some of the progressive votes, especially among her base in St. Louis City, I think she’s going to do fairly well with those people.”
But one of Bush’s biggest vulnerabilities, he continued, is that she failed, once in office, to engage with or show up for major local groups and organized labor.
“That still seems to be the case. … And Wesley has made a conscious effort to do so, not only with organized labor that may have backed him, but people and organizations that did not back him,” Payne continued, “which I think is obviously important to currying favor among voters — and obviously large groups that have power, influence and, of course, money.”
Payne said that the race is likely to be close, and that there will likely be similar interest in the race from outside groups, like AIPAC, that invested heavily in 2024. Primary turnout could be impacted by other referenda on the ballot, which could fuel Democratic primary turnout.
Missouri recently redrew its congressional maps and, while Bell’s district was not changed significantly, the redrawn map includes a few additional precincts that may be more favorable to Bell, according to Payne, though the impacts will likely be minor. The maps also face various legal challenges.
Bush’s campaign is also $13,000 in debt, and she’ll need significant grassroots support and/or backing from a group like Justice Democrats to fill her coffers, Payne noted.
Her husband is facing a federal indictment for COVID relief aid fraud, a controversy Payne said has garnered public attention. Bush herself faced House Ethics Committee and Department of Justice investigations during her time in office.
At the same time, Payne noted, the strategy for groups backing Bell, including organized labor and AIPAC, is unknown. If AIPAC gets involved in the race, “even if they spend a bunch of money, does that actually end up hurting him with voters more than it does helping him?”
Bell’s supporters are signaling that they’re ready for a fight.
“Cori Bush spent her scandal-ridden time in Washington looking out for herself, while hiding from her constituents and ignoring their needs,” a Democratic strategist familiar with the Bell campaign’s thinking said. “As a result, Missouri voters kicked her out of office, and elected Wesley Bell, who promised to deliver better and more accountable representation. St. Louis is better off with a congressman who is focused every day on delivering for them, than someone who is more interested in furthering her personal agenda.”
Jewish leaders who supported Bell’s campaign also say that they are preparing for the campaign ahead, and a retread of the ugly 2024 race.
“The mainstream Jewish community is very much united in supporting Wesley Bell, and obviously not supporting Cori Bush for all of the same reasons we were not going to support her last time,” Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham, who helped organize a coalition of rabbis to oppose Bush in the previous campaign, told Jewish Insider. “The Jewish community, I’m confident, is going to rally again to support Wesley and hopefully make sure that he wins.”
He said he’s hopeful that leaders who did not get involved in the previous race might get involved to back Bell this time. “Jewish community leaders are ready to jump back in however we’re needed.”
Stacey Newman, a former state lawmaker who led Jewish outreach on Bell’s campaign team, agreed that the “mainstream Jewish community has remained organized and united” — in addition to feeling the impacts of antisemitism hit home in a recent firebombing incident.
“We won’t have to start from scratch,” Newman continued. “We still have 30-plus rabbis willing to go to work. I know the Orthodox community who typically do not vote Democrat are very thankful for Wesley’s leadership. He’s one of the few Democrats in St. Louis who are willing to support our community publicly.”
At ArabCon, several panelists laughed at the notion of condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and defended the terrorist group as ‘Palestinian resistance’
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) leaves the U.S. Capitol on March 13, 2024 in Washington.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) distanced himself from some speakers and attendees at the ArabCon conference that he attended in Dearborn, Mich., while defending their First Amendment right to free speech.
The conference, held last week, included a series of speakers who had previously expressed support for terrorism and made antisemitic comments. Several panelists laughed at the notion of condemning the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, defended Hamas as “Palestinian resistance” and said the group should not be condemned and defended convicted terrorists and terrorist financiers, according to excerpts of the event shared online.
In another video circulating online, an audience questioner is met with cheers and applause from other audience members for urging speakers to stop condemning Oct. 7 and Hamas. And another speaker claimed that law, medicine and engineering are “Zionist-controlled fields.”
During his own separate panel at the event, Khanna dismissed the notion that there were any “pro-terror radical[s]” speaking at the event or attending the conference, referencing criticism he faced prior to the event.
“I don’t agree with everyone who spoke at the conference, but I do believe in free speech. You can’t just be for free speech when it’s convenient. I’ve unequivocally condemned the Oct. 7 attacks and called for the release of the hostages,” Khanna said in a statement to Jewish Insider on Monday, when pressed about whether he considered the comments of other speakers and attendees to constitute pro-terror radicalism.
Online, Khanna pushed back against critics of his appearance at the conference for intercutting his comments with offensive remarks by other speakers. “You know I spoke on a different panel and wasn’t there for this and I have condemned Hamas attacks and Oct 7. Attack my ideas, but play it straight,” he said.
The California Democrat has said he was unaware of any other remarks made at the conference, and that he was “in and out for my panel from 10-11 on Saturday. It was a 3 day conference.”
Plus, new study suggests X is safe harbor for antisemitism
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Donald Trump, right, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, during a news conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.
Good Monday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
In a press conference this afternoon at the White House, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had agreed to sign onto the White House’s 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza.
The plan, which has not yet been agreed to by Hamas, would see the release of all of the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for an immediate end to the war and the release of 2,250 Palestinians in Israeli jails, including 250 serving life sentences. Hamas would be removed from power in Gaza with its members offered amnesty if they “commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons.”
Netanyahu and Trump weren’t in lockstep on the future of Gaza, though. The Israeli PM said in his remarks that “Gaza will have a peaceful civilian administration that is run neither by Hamas nor by the Palestinian Authority,” while the White House’s plan says that the PA will control Gaza once the body has reformed (a process that could take years).
Even if Hamas rejects the plan, humanitarian aid operations will continue to be scaled up, and terror-free areas of Gaza will be handed over from the IDF to an international stabilization force. But Trump said that Israel will have the “full backing” of the U.S. to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not accept.
“If Hamas rejects the deal — which is always possible, they’re the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it. But I have a feeling that we’re going to have a positive answer. But if not, as you know, Bibi, you’d have our full backing,” said Trump. Read JI’s coverage of the press conference here…
During their meeting beforehand in the Oval Office, Netanyahu and Trump held a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, where Netanyahu apologized for killing a Qatari serviceman in an attempted strike on Hamas leadership in Doha and promised not to violate Qatari sovereignty again.
The conversation came after Trump has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with Israel’s decision to strike a major non-NATO U.S. ally without providing sufficient notice to the White House.
The apology was met with frustration and scorn from Netanyahu’s right-wing political allies and left-wing opponents in Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich compared the apology to U.K. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Adolf Hitler during World War II. Netanyahu’s “groveling apology to a state that supports and funds terror is a disgrace,” Smotrich said on X…
A New York Times/Siena College poll released today found dramatic declines in American support for Israel, with slightly more American voters saying they sympathize more with Palestinians (35%) than with Israelis (34%) for the first time since the Times started asking the question in 1998, though there remains a large segment of the population that is unsure or that sympathizes with both equally (31%).
Around 60% of voters said that Israel should end the war in Gaza “in order to protect against civilian casualties” even if the remaining hostages are not released and even if Hamas is not fully eliminated. Among Democrats, that figure is an overwhelming 81%.
The majority of the shifting sentiment against Israel comes from Democrats: 59% also think that Israel is intentionally killing Gazan civilians. Within the party, the biggest shift is coming from white, college-educated, older voters. In a similar poll two years ago, Democrats ages 45 and older “sympathized with Israel over Palestinians 2-to-1. That is now reversed, with 42% saying they sympathize more with Palestinians, compared with 17% who feel more sympathetic toward Israel”…
Among Israel’s detractors, New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani declined to denounce Hamas on Friday, when asked if he agreed with Netanyahu’s remarks at the U.N. General Assembly that Hamas is a terrorist group that needs to be destroyed.
“I’m not going to echo the words of Benjamin Netanyahu,” Mamdani said. “I can, however, share my own words and say them right here, which is that my politics is built on a universality. I can think of no better illustration of that than from the words of the hostage families themselves: Everyone for everyone.”
“What has been so infuriating to me and so many New Yorkers, frankly, is Benjamin Netanyahu’s use of the hostages as a justification to continue a war that has only continued to endanger the lives of those very hostages, as well as of so many Palestinians,” Mamdani said…
A new study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs found that antisemitism is “thriving” on the social media platform X in an analysis of over 679,000 posts. The study found that X took action on only 36 out of the 300 most-viewed posts espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories and only four of them received community notes, which X owner Elon Musk has touted as the antidote to harmful content instead of increased moderation…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for the latest reporting and analysis of the White House’s Gaza peace plan and a breakdown of the anti-Israel candidates running for all four open Chicago-area House seats in hotly contested Democratic primaries.
Tomorrow evening, Democratic Majority for Israel will host a virtual briefing with Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Jacob Magid, The Times of Israel‘s U.S. bureau chief, on the implications of today’s White House meeting, the status of the war, political developments in Jerusalem and Landsman’s reflections from his recent trip to Israel.
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Plus, Mamdani rings in new year at anti-Zionist synagogue
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Good Thursday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Asked about reports that he had told Arab leaders this week he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters in the Oval Office this afternoon, “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, nope, I will not allow it. It’s not gonna happen.”
Pressed if he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue, Trump said, “Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it. Whether I spoke to him or not — I did — but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough, it’s time to stop now”…
The comments came shortly after Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House today, where Trump suggested that he may permit Ankara to purchase F-35 fighter jets, which it has been prohibited from doing since it acquired a Russian S-400 missile defense system in 2017.
Trump said without mentioning the F-35s or the less-advanced F-16 jets by name that he expected Erdogan would “be successful with buying the things” he would “like to buy.” “He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to a conclusion. You’ll know by the end of the day,” Trump said.
The prospect of the sale has sparked concern from lawmakers: Bipartisan groups have urged the administration on several occasions not to change policy on the issue, including in a new letter today…
Elsewhere in the White House, one of the architects of the Trump administration’s negotiations with universities said that the large financial sums being extracted in the settlements are meant to bring attention to the administration’s aggressive approach to tackling discrimination in higher education, rather than punish the schools financially.
May Mailman, a conservative attorney who until last month served as a senior White House strategist, told The New York Times that “These are small dollar figures compared to the amounts that they are getting every year from the federal government and from their donors — but I think it provides a seriousness and a focus on these in ways that promises only wouldn’t.”
“When you see numbers like that, then you pay attention, and you look, and then you’re able to learn a little bit more, something maybe you wouldn’t normally learn,” Mailman said…
Getting in the holiday spirit, New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani joined Rosh Hashanah services on Monday night at Kolot Chayeinu, a Brooklyn synagogue known for its anti-Zionist activism, where the rabbi spoke extensively about Israel carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza.
The congregation, one of the first to call for a ceasefire just weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks, faced criticism last year for promoting anti-Israel views in its Hebrew school curriculum. One of its rabbis, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace’s Rabbinical Council, was kicked out of a White House event for disrupting former First Lady Jill Biden to call for an arms embargo on Israel.
Two of Mamdani’s challengers also spent time in NYC synagogues over the holiday: Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined the Park East Synagogue for its services and Mayor Eric Adams spoke to the Sephardic Lebanese Congregation.
Mamdani also plans to join Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) for Yom Kippur services next week, where Nadler said some of the congregants will be “frankly very upset to see” Mamdani. It remains unclear which synagogue they will attend; the B’nai Jeshurun synagogue on the Upper West Side, which Nadler frequents, told Jewish Insider that Mamdani “will not be joining services with our community”…
Also in New York, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the U.N. General Assembly by video today after the Trump administration revoked his visa to attend in person. He called Israel’s actions in Gaza “war crimes” and said the PA would be willing to govern the enclave, which he said is an integral part of a future Palestinian state…
Elon Musk’s xAI announced today it has reached a deal with the Trump administration to allow federal agencies to use its AI chatbot Grok, just months after the bot went rogue on X proclaiming itself to be “MechaHitler” and espousing extreme antisemitic rhetoric…
Over 1,200 celebrities including Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing, Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel, Haim Saban, Gene Simmons and Liev Schreiber have signed on to an open letter urging over 4,000 of their Hollywood colleagues to reconsider their signatures on a recent pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions. “We cannot stay silent when a story is turned into a weapon, when lies are dressed up as justice, and when artists are misled into amplifying antisemitic propaganda,” the letter reads…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for reporting on Microsoft’s decision to restrict the IDF’s use of its software after repeated protests by its employees and on what the sale of TikTok’s U.S. business may mean for the platform’s algorithm, which has been accused of promoting antisemitic and anti-Israel content.
This evening, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk will speak on Jews United for Democracy & Justice’s “America at a Crossroads” series about President Donald Trump’s approach to higher education. Read JI’s interview with Frenk here.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the first world leader to speak at the U.N. General Assembly tomorrow morning, after many of the week’s speeches by world leaders included condemnations of Israel and recognition of a Palestinian state. On Monday, Netanyahu will meet with Trump at the White House.
Also tomorrow, the Nova Music Festival Exhibition opens in Boston.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
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Q&A
Post-Paramount sale, Shari Redstone is ‘full speed ahead’ on addressing antisemitism
The media mogul told JI she’s excited to show the world a different view of Israel through the Sipur production company, which she joined as chair
EYE ON UNESCO
Concern mounts in Jerusalem as Qatar, Egypt set to take key roles in UNESCO
‘It’s bad for Israel and bad for America,’ an Israeli diplomat told JI this week
Looking at where the three architects of President Joe Biden’s Middle East policy team have positioned themselves publicly, without the constraints of government service, is a sign of the options available to Democrats right now
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Former Secretary of State Tony Blinken, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk, Biden’s coordinator for the Middle East at the White House.
In Washington, whether a public official or their spokesperson is speaking honestly is usually not fully known until much later. Take Israel’s attack on Qatar last week: the Trump administration claimed not to have known about it ahead of time, but Israeli officials told Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had given President Donald Trump a heads-up.
When a president leaves office, his former staffers tend to get rather loose-lipped — an opportunity for them to rehabilitate their reputation and, perhaps, tell the truth about their views (or at least the narrative they’d like to put forward on their own terms, not those of their boss).
The past few months have provided such an opportunity to the three architects of President Joe Biden’s Middle East policy team: Secretary of State Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk, Biden’s coordinator for the Middle East at the White House. All of them played a crucial role in shaping American policy toward Israel and Gaza after Oct. 7. Each has in recent months written op-eds and made lengthy appearances on podcasts and cable news to comment on developments in the Middle East.
Looking at where Blinken, Sullivan and McGurk have positioned themselves publicly, without the constraints of government service, is a sign of the options available to Democrats right now, at a moment when the party’s future is up for grabs — with an ascendant anti-Israel wing that is exerting stronger influence than ever, though it remains in the minority.
Sullivan, a measured foreign policy hand with a keen eye for politics, has in recent weeks begun saying that the U.S. should consider withholding weapons to Israel, a position he said he did not support one year ago. Whether Sullivan’s shift to the left represents a genuine change of heart or a response to shifting political winds within the Democratic Party, it’s a sharp departure from the way Biden governed.
McGurk, meanwhile, has been more willing to give the Israelis leeway in their prosecution of the war in Gaza and actions elsewhere in the Middle East. McGurk, used to being the behind-the-scenes negotiator who traveled regularly to Doha, Jerusalem and Cairo after Oct. 7, is now a commentator on CNN. That’s where he said in June that he gives “extremely high marks” to Trump for the way he handled Israel’s 12-day war with Iran and Washington’s brief entry into that conflict — while Sullivan has said the U.S. strikes weren’t necessary.
Helming the State Department, Blinken was Biden’s chief diplomat. And now, he finds himself in the middle of McGurk and Sullivan: navigating the party’s leftward pull while also sticking by his pro-Israel bona fides. He wrote in The New York Times in June that Trump shouldn’t have struck Iran — but now that Trump did so, “I very much hope it succeeded.” When many Democrats last month came out in support of European efforts to recognize a Palestinian state, a unilateral move that Israel opposes, Blinken wrote in The Wall Street Journal that he thinks it’s the right thing to do — but that France, Canada and the U.K. are “doing it too hastily,” and without needed conditions.
None of these men are aligned with the party’s far-left wing that seeks to sanction and isolate Israel on the world stage. Even Sullivan, in his commentary saying the U.S. should withhold weapons to Israel, is quick to point out the horrible toll of the Oct. 7 attacks two years ago and to praise Israel for weakening other threats in the Middle East, like Iran and Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon.
But keep an eye on the subtle yet shifting ways each of them approaches Israel and the Middle East to better understand the paths open to Democrats, as the party considers how to move forward and rebuild its battered brand in the era of Trump.
Plus, NY Dem party chair rejects Mamdani
Leon Neal/Getty Images
President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hold a press conference at Chequers at the conclusion of a state visit on September 18, 2025 in Aylesbury, England.
Good Thursday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
President Donald Trump said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today that the recognition of a Palestinian state, which the U.K. plans to do this weekend, is “one of [the] few disagreements” between the two leaders.
“We want [the war] to end. We have to have the hostages back immediately. That’s what the people of Israel want, they want them back. And we want the fighting to stop,” the president continued.
Asked why he couldn’t recognize a Palestinian state next to Trump at the press conference — the British PM delayed the announcement of recognition until after Trump departs — Starmer said, “Let me be really clear about Hamas. They’re a terrorist organization who can have no part in any future government in Palestine.” Trump patted Starmer on the back and said, “That’s good”…
One of Starmer’s predecessors, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was authorized by Trump to develop a plan for postwar Gaza; a draft of that plan, obtained by The Times of Israel, would create a Gaza International Transitional Authority and guarantee Gazans the right to return to properties they vacate voluntarily in the enclave…
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was on Capitol Hill today lobbying lawmakers to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, the remaining congressionally mandated sanctions on Syria. The move has bipartisan support in both chambers.
Shaibani, fresh off a visit to London where he met with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to discuss Israel-Syria security arrangements, met with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) and Treasury Department officials, among others, and is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio tomorrow. It’s the first visit of a Syrian foreign minister to Washington in more than 25 years…
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told reporters yesterday that Syria and Israel could reach such a security agreement “within days”…
French President Emmanuel Macron told Israel’s Channel 12 that, despite European attempts at negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, U.N. Security Council snapback sanctions will be implemented at the end of the month, likely on Sept. 27…
i24 News reports it has obtained recent audio of Macron speaking to former French parliament member Meyer Habib where Macron is heard saying, “I will not recognize a Palestinian state without the release of the hostages,” contrary to his reported plan to do so next week…
Two Israelis were killed today at the Allenby Crossing between Jordan and the West Bank by an assailant driving a truck of humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip…
Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) called on the House today to advance the long-stalled Antisemitism Awareness Act in response to New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s stated plans to revoke the city’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.
The lawmakers, in a joint statement, called Mamdani’s effort “shameful, dangerous, and completely disgusting”…
Jay Jacobs, the chair of the New York Democratic Party, said in a statement today that he will not be endorsing Mamdani because he “strongly disagree[s] with [Mamdani’s] views on the State of Israel, along with certain key policy positions,” including the Queens assemblyman’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America…
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, facing backlash to her own endorsement of Mamdani, is still trying to “please the hyper-engaged hard-left, protect vulnerable House members and still win reelection with a statewide electorate that is far more moderate than in New York City,” per Politico.
“Behind closed doors, Hochul has pledged to anxious private sector leaders that she will use her power to act as a check on Mamdani’s agenda — much of which relies on state approval”…
Former President Barack Obama said that the firing of Karen Attiah — the anti-Israel Washington Post columnist who justified the Oct. 7 attacks and was let go from the Post earlier this week over social media posts on Charlie Kirk’s killing — is “precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent”…
The board of directors of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, unanimously named Erika Kirk, his widow, as its new CEO and board chair…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for a look at how three Biden administration officials’ views have diverged over Israel since leaving the White House.
The Atlantic Festival continues in New York City through Saturday.
Also in New York, an event on “Breaking the Chain: Global Action Against Hostage-Taking” will take place tomorrow and feature the first public remarks from former Israeli hostage Na’ama Levy. Also speaking are a Yazidi survivor of ISIS captivity; Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N.; Dorothy Shea, acting U.S. representative to the U.N.; and Ibrahim Olabi, Syria’s ambassador to the U.N.; among others.
Chabad at Vanderbilt University will honor Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier with Chabad’s Lamplighter award tomorrow. Read JI’s interview with Diermeier and Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Andrew Martin here.
On Saturday, the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream is opening with its flagship exhibition, the “American Dream Experience,” in Washington.
On Sunday, Charlie Kirk’s memorial will be held at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona, where speakers will include President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and far-right podcast host Tucker Carlson, who has advanced conspiracy theories in the aftermath of Kirk’s murder claiming the conservative activist was being pressured by Israel.
The high-level meetings of the U.N. General Assembly are set to begin next week, with several countries expected to announce their recognition of a Palestinian state.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
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BITING THE BULLET
New York Jewish leaders reckon with a potential Mamdani win
Several leaders in the community told JI they continue to have concerns about his record, while others are quietly engaging
EXPLAINING SNAPBACK
What to expect from snapback sanctions on Iran
If sanctions return, the Iran nuclear deal ‘is dead, we’re sitting shiva, it is over. That is an unpredictable reality for the regime, for its economy and its financial stability,’ Rich Goldberg said
The Antisemitism Awareness Act has been stalled in Congress despite its bipartisan support
Anna MoneymAaker/Getty Images/Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Reps. Mike Lawler and Josh Gottheimer
Citing New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s stated plans to revoke the city’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) called on Thursday for the House to pass the long-stalled Antisemitism Awareness Act.
The bill has seen no movement in the current congressional session in the House and faces significant hurdles in the Senate after a series of poison-pill amendments were added to the legislation. But Jewish groups are continuing to push for the bill’s passage, a top priority issue since Oct. 7, including in lobbying efforts this week.
“Zohran Mamdani’s reckless attempt to roll back New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism is shameful, dangerous, and completely disgusting,” Lawler and Gottheimer said in a joint statement.
They went on to condemn as antisemitic the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which Mamdani supports, “efforts to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist” and Mamdani’s refusal to “outright condemn the violent call to ‘globalize the intifada.’”
“Given the sharp spike in antisemitic violence, families across the Tri-State area should be alarmed. Leaders cannot equivocate when it comes to standing against antisemitism and the incitement of violence against Jews,” Lawler and Gottheimer said. “This is exactly why Congress must pass our bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act.”
The two vowed to “continue working together, across party lines, to make sure our communities are safe, our values are clear, and antisemitism is confronted head-on.”
The Michigan Democrat said that ‘a lot of young people’ who don’t know better are coming to college campuses and hearing and repeating antisemitic narratives
Chip Somodevilla/Sipa USA via AP
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) questions witnesses during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 17, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), speaking to a gathering of Jewish activists on Capitol Hill, highlighted concerns about rising left-wing antisemitism and the ways that antisemitic narratives are being spread to and by college students.
“We’re used to the right-wing side. What is new and what I think has so many in the Jewish community on our heels is that new left-wing antisemitism and how to approach it,” Slotkin said at a pre-High Holidays security briefing organized by several Jewish communal organizations. “How do we counteract it? How do we protect against it? How do we educate?”
“And certainly, we’re watching, on many college campuses, a lot of young people who actually maybe didn’t grow up with the Jewish community at all, get to campus and maybe repeat what they’re hearing, sometimes not even understanding or knowing,” she continued. “I would just say that one of our responsibilities as Jewish leaders and Jewish activists is to try and really parse through how to deal with antisemitism on the left, since antisemitism on the right isn’t good, but it’s more of a well-known threat.”
The freshman Michigan senator, who is working to establish herself as a leader in the chamber on national security issues, recently backed efforts to stop at least some offensive weapons shipments to Israel and emphasized that she hadn’t accepted endorsements from “Jewish group[s],” naming AIPAC and J Street.
Slotkin said at the Wednesday event that she “[doesn’t] think there’s been a more complicated and dicey time to be Jews in America, period, maybe since World War II.”
Speaking in support of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, Slotkin said that one of the “most powerful moments that I had” during her time as a member of Congress was when a mosque in her district faced threats, and she worked with the local Jewish federation and her synagogue to help the mosque apply for an NSGP grant.
An emotional Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) referenced the killing of her friend, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the mass shooting at the Annunciation Church in Minneapolis as she discussed the rise of violent extremism across the country, including various incidents targeting the Jewish community.
“We have been through this each and every time, but the babies keep dying,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar said that in conversations with administration officials immediately after the Annunciation shooting, her top priority was pushing for increased NSGP funding, in addition to gun control measures and action to address extremism and incitement on social media platforms.
She highlighted that the Annunciation Church shooter had left a manifesto spreading hate against a range of targets including Jews, Muslims, Black people and Hispanic people, and emphasized that he and other mass shooters have been “performing for the internet.”
While she noted that data shows that political violence has been coming more from the right than the left, “I don’t want to go tit-for-tat. I care about what we’re doing now and going forward, and words matter right now for bringing America together,” Klobuchar said.
Speaking about threats to the Jewish community specifically, Klobuchar noted the rise in antisemitic hate crimes nationally, saying that “something is seriously wrong in our country.” She said that 25 Jewish facilities had received bomb threats in Minnesota in the past year.
“This has completely shattered people, kids are scared,” Klobuchar said.
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said, referring to a string of recent antisemitic attacks, “I don’t care what fringe it comes from. This kind of extremism, hate and violence is unacceptable and needs to be condemned. … Foreign policy debates are complicated. Condemning antisemitism is not.”
She added that, as the generation that survived and witnessed the Holocaust shrinks, “we have to decide as a country if we will let their lessons pass.”
Hassan continued, “We can’t afford inaction. We can’t afford indifference, nor should we feel the need to offer qualification or apology, to simply say that the world’s oldest hate should be denounced as loudly as any other.”
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) also delivered remarks at the event, as did Rev. Russ McDougall, a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who was invited in part to discuss the Annunciation Church attack. Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) delivered video remarks.
The session also featured a panel with Jewish Federations of North America CEO Eric Fingerhut, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations CEO William Daroff, Secure Communities Network CEO Michael Masters, Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Moshe Hauer and Anti-Defamation League director of government relations Carmiel Arbit.
Fingerhut told Jewish Insider there is “a domestic terror crisis” in the country “and we need comprehensive, strong action.”
“[Members of Congress] didn’t create the COVID problem either, but they responded with a crisis-level response, and that’s the level of response we need,” Fingerhut said.
He emphasized the need not only for increased NSGP funding but stronger funding for local law enforcement, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to fight domestic terrorism. He said that resourcing and funding at those agencies for the counterterrorism mission isn’t sufficient.
“We’re in an era now of a trillion-dollar defense budget that is aimed at fighting terror and protecting America all over the world,” Fingerhut said. “We have a domestic terror crisis here, and it needs the level of attention and coordinated leadership by the federal government that we get in national defense.”
Plus, Iron Beam laser system ready for action
Paul Sancya/Pool/Getty Images
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) rehearses the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.
Good Wednesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
In a moment of Democratic soul-searching, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) said in remarks at a security briefing hosted by Jewish groups on Capitol Hill today that she’s grown concerned with left-wing animus towards the Jewish community.
“We’re used to the right-wing side. What is new and what I think has so many in the Jewish community on our heels is that new left-wing antisemitism and how to approach it. How do we counteract it? How do we protect against it? How do we educate?” she said.
“And certainly, we’re watching, on many college campuses, a lot of young people who actually maybe didn’t grow up with the Jewish community at all, get to campus and maybe repeat what they’re hearing, sometimes not even understanding or knowing. I would just say that one of our responsibilities as Jewish leaders and Jewish activists is to try and really parse through how to deal with antisemitism on the left, since antisemitism on the right isn’t good, but it’s more of a well-known threat,” Slotkin continued…
On the other side of the aisle, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told a group of pro-Israel leaders in a private meeting today that he’s attempting to push back on the isolationist wing of the GOP in the House and in his candidate recruiting efforts, but that the party is likely bound for a major debate on the issue after President Donald Trump leaves office, attendees told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod…
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) separately accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza today, the first Jewish lawmakers to do so…
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delayed his announcement to recognize a Palestinian state until this weekend, after Trump has departed from his state visit to London…
On the campus beat, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said this morning at the Federalist Society and the Defense of Freedom Institute’s annual Education Law & Policy Conference that the Trump administration is hopeful in reaching a settlement with Harvard and seeing changes in its approach to antisemitism implemented on the elite campus without a protracted legal battle.
“Harvard has already started to put in place some of the things we wanted them to do. They reassessed their Middle East policies. They actually fired a couple of their professors. They are looking at having safe measures on campus, and so without even admitting any guilt in any way, they have started to change their policies, and that is the ultimate goal of our investigation, of making sure that things are proper on campus,” McMahon said.
A federal court recently ruled in favor of Harvard in its First Amendment lawsuit against the Trump administration; McMahon said they intend to appeal…
Engaged in its own negotiations with the Trump administration over hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen federal funding, regents of the University of California met today in San Francisco; this month, UC Berkeley notified 160 people connected to allegations of antisemitism that it had given their information to the federal government as part of the investigation into the school, sparking community uproar at the meeting…
The New York Times spotlights the upcoming governors’ races in New Jersey and Virginia, considered predictive for the 2026 midterms. Yesterday, the Democratic National Committee announced it was doubling its support of Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) in the Garden State to a total of $3 million, the most it’s ever contributed to a New Jersey gubernatorial election, in a sign of tightening polls in the Democratic state…
Meanwhile in New York, The Gothamist reports on growing tensions between Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander, just months after they cross-endorsed each other in the primary race.
Lander is reportedly insinuating behind closed doors that he’ll be appointed first deputy mayor, the mayor’s right hand, should Mamdani win the election, while Mamdani is said to have told him to back off and insists no personnel decisions have been made…
Billionaire pro-Israel philanthropist Ronald Lauder injected $750,000 to the Fix the City PAC, which is backing former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his bid to defeat Mamdani as an independent, despite Cuomo’s recent turn away from his full-throated support of Israel…
The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced today that it has completed the development of the Iron Beam laser missile interception system, which will be operational by the end of the year. Each laser interception costs less than $5, while Iron Dome interceptions cost around $40,000-$50,000 each…
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance several nominees out of committee for consideration of the full Senate, including Sergio Gor for ambassador to India, Mike Waltz for U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Michel Issa for ambassador to Lebanon and Richard Buchan for ambassador to Morocco…
Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas announced plans today for the EU to impose tariffs on Israel and sanction Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, following on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s call last week for the EU to suspend free trade measures with Israel.
The tariffs on Israeli imports, which currently receive preferential access to the EU under existing free trade initiatives, would require a majority of EU countries’ support, while the sanctions would have to be unanimous, neither of which currently has the requisite support from European capitals to pass. While Kallas’ proposals are more limited than some European leaders have called for, the move is another sign of the increasing demand for action against Israel in Brussels…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for a rundown of what to expect from the reimposition of U.N. Security Council snapback sanctions on Iran.
Tomorrow morning, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing on the state of K-12 education.
The Atlantic Festival begins in New York City tomorrow, opening with a session including former Vice President Mike Pence and former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.
In the evening, the Israeli Embassy will host its Rosh Hashanah reception in Washington.
United Hatzalah will hold its 2025 Los Angeles gala with honorary guest Gal Gadot. Israeli Eurovision performer Yuval Raphael will receive United Hatzalah’s Hero Award and American venture capitalist Shaun Maguire, fresh off a visit to Israel, will receive its Am Israel award.
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KARP’S CALL
Palantir’s Alex Karp says Jews need to ‘leave their comfort zone’ to defend community
The Palantir CEO was honored at the American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) annual Lamplighter Awards in Washington, D.C.
scoop
Fifty Senate Republicans call on European foreign ministers to hold firm on snapback, enforce Iran sanctions
‘The regime has abused diplomatic processes for years to avoid penalties. Sanctions relief should only be negotiated after snapback is fully implemented,’ the lawmakers wrote
Plus, Shari Redstone's new Israeli venture
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025.
Good Tuesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that President Donald Trump invited him to the White House on Sept. 29, after the prime minister’s Sept. 26 speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. This will be Netanyahu’s fourth visit to the White House during Trump’s second term…
At the same press conference, Netanyahu attempted to walk back comments he made yesterday about Israel needing to look towards a self-sufficient, or “autarkic,” economy after the Israeli market reacted negatively, saying that it was a “misunderstanding.”
Netanyahu pointed out the performance of the Israeli stock market and the shekel, unemployment numbers and foreign investment into the country as signs of economic strength, and said he had specifically been speaking about the Israeli defense industry, which has been impacted by western European arms embargoes…
As the IDF begins its takeover of Gaza City, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF’s chief of staff, responded to concerns about the safety of the remaining hostages, many of whom are thought to be held in the city, in a statement on the operation, saying, “I want to emphasize: the return of our hostages is a war aim and a national and moral commitment.”
Noa Argamani, a former hostage whose boyfriend, Avinatan Or, remains held in Gaza after they were kidnapped together on Oct. 7 from the Nova Music Festival, said on X, “I cannot breathe watching the fighting inside Gaza City. As a former hostage, I know exactly what these moments feel like. The booming blasts, the gunfire, the walls shaking, the helplessness and despair that take over. The emotions come rushing back all at once, and it is unbearable. Right now, I fear deeply for Avinatan’s life”…
In a view from the U.S., former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said that as of May 2024, concessions that the U.S. would make to Saudi Arabia in exchange for Saudi-Israel normalization were “all but finished,” having continued to be negotiated even during the Israel-Hamas war, but that the deal cannot be finalized until the war ends.
Speaking at a briefing hosted by the Democratic Majority for Israel, he characterized Netanyahu’s “autarky” comments as the opposite of the goal of the Abraham Accords and regional integration.
Shapiro also called Hamas leaders in Doha “legitimate targets” and said it’s “appropriate” for Israel to eliminate them, but that the “who and the how and the where matters” and the Israeli strike in Doha has “backfired” for Israel.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who spoke after Shapiro, encouraged Israel to let Western press into Gaza to see that the issue with humanitarian aid is the U.N.’s failure to distribute it, rather than a lack of it. Shapiro said the humanitarian situation is “not nearly as dire” now as a few months ago but that international reporting hasn’t reflected that…
On the domestic front, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in an address at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit today in Pittsburgh that “we need to create more opportunities for peaceful and respectful dialogue, respecting each other’s fundamental rights as Americans.”
He invoked the Priestly Blessing, sent to him by a chaplain of a local fire department after his residence was attacked by an arsonist last Passover, which he said he recites to his children every night. “Those are words of healing, words of hopefulness to me. They are also words that again remind us of our shared humanity.”
After his address, Shapiro, who is seen as a Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential election, answered questions from reporters about Israel’s campaign in Gaza City, saying, “I’ve been very outspoken about the fact that these children in Gaza need to be fed, that the violence needs to end, the hostages need to come home, and this war needs to be over.”
“I’ve also been very clear that I think Benjamin Netanyahu is taking Israel down a very dark and dangerous path, isolating Israel in the world even more than they were before, which I think threatens Israel’s security,” Shapiro continued, following on comments he made last month calling Netanyahu’s claim that there is no starvation in Gaza “quite abhorrent”…
Meanwhile in New York, Carl Heastie, the Democratic speaker of the New York State Assembly, is expected to endorse New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani this week, The New York Times reports, one of several state leaders in the party who have thus far resisted doing so. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is reportedly also set to do so on Monday…
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) introduced a bill that would “prohibit state and local law enforcement from arresting foreign nationals within the United States” solely based on warrants from the International Criminal Court, as Mamdani has threatened to do to Netanyahu…
After selling Paramount to Skydance Media, Shari Redstone has taken on a new venture: The media mogul was named chair of the Israeli production company Sipur, which she called a “hands-on investment” to build a “global production powerhouse”…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for an analysis of a new poll of Gen Z conservatives’ views on Israel and antisemitism.
This evening, Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) will join Fox News’ “Special Report” to discuss political civility.
Tomorrow morning, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a markup of bills aimed at reorganizing and reforming the State Department. Read JI’s breakdown of the legislation here.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote to advance a series of nominees out of committee — including Michel Issa to be ambassador to Lebanon; Richard Buchan to be ambassador to Morocco; Ben Black to lead the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation; and a second vote on the nomination of Mike Waltz, the former national security advisor, to be U.S. ambassador to the U.N., in order to prevent a procedural challenge from Democrats.
Also on the Hill, the U.S. Helsinki Commission will hold a briefing on “conspiracy theories, antisemitism and democratic decline.”
The annual Defense of Freedom-Federalist Society Education, Law & Policy Conference begins in D.C. tomorrow, including featured speakers Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Brandeis Center Chairman Ken Marcus.
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FIELD FRACTURES
Jewish social workers warn of growing antisemitism in the field: ‘Counter to everything that we learn in social work school’
A new report details the ‘exclusion, isolation and public targeting’ that Jewish social workers have faced — particularly since Oct. 7
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
Rubio looking to move past criticism of Israel after Qatar strike
At a press conference with Israeli PM Netanyahu, Rubio said an agreement with Hamas to end war ‘probably won’t happen’ because ‘savage terrorists don’t often agree to disarm’
Mamdani’s unyielding approach to opposing Israel underscores just how central the issue is to his self-conception as an activist and an elected official long involved in such causes
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City.
As Zohran Mamdani wins support from a growing number of Democratic leaders in his bid for mayor of New York City, he has notably walked back some of his most polarizing views on several key issues — with one major exception: Israel.
In recent days, the Democratic nominee, who has long been an outspoken critic of Israel and its war in Gaza, has doubled down on his campaign vow to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if elected, even as legal experts cautioned such a move could be illegal.
Mamdani, a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, also said that he would seek to divest city holdings in Israel bonds and terminate a program established by Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, to foster business partnerships between companies in Israel and New York City.
Meanwhile, Mamdani has refused invitations to explicitly condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” even as he has acknowledged concerns from Jewish voters who see the phrase as provoking antisemitic violence. He has said he will instead discourage use of the slogan, which he himself has not used publicly.
The 33-year-old democratic socialist and Queens assemblyman has otherwise declined to denounce Hasan Piker, a far-left streamer who has said that “America deserved 9/11” and has used antisemitic rhetoric in commenting on Israel. Mamdani sat for a lengthy interview with Piker during the primary.
Mamdani’s unyielding approach to opposing Israel underscores just how central the issue is to his self-conception as an activist and an elected official long involved in such causes. “This is something that I will never stray from for the rest of my life,” he explained in a Zoom discussion in 2020 with a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. “This is kind of, in many ways, the founding battle for justice that I’ve had.”
But it also functions as a broader test of how far he can push an avowedly anti-Israel platform in a place that is home to the largest Jewish population of any city in the world. A survey released last week by The New York Times and Siena College showed that more New York City voters held sympathetic views toward Palestinians than Israelis, a trend seen in other national polls.
Still, more than 70% of Jewish New Yorkers surveyed said they sympathized with Israel, while 20% of Jewish respondents sympathized with Palestinians, according to the poll.
Those numbers suggest Mamdani could alienate Jewish voters receptive to his focus on affordability but critical of his positions on Israel — including his renewed pledge to honor a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest from the International Criminal Court, which has accused the prime minister of war crimes in Gaza.
“This is something that I intend to fulfill,” Mamdani told the Times in an interview published on Friday, saying he would order the police to arrest Netanyahu at the airport if he steps foot in the city, a directive that some legal experts said could violate federal law.
Mamdani’s hostility toward Israel has sharpened even as he has otherwise moderated on some views that faced pushback from key voting blocs and party leaders.
The Democratic nominee recently said he would apologize for comments in 2020 in which he called the New York Police Department “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety.” He has backed away from his skepticism of casino development as well as pledges to eliminate specialized high school admissions tests. And he has sought to distance his campaign from some extreme policies promoted by the Democratic Socialists of America — insisting his “platform is not the same as national DSA,” even as he is closely aligned with the organization on Israel.
On Sunday, Mamdani won a crucial endorsement from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who had been among the most prominent holdouts in New York Democratic leadership. While Hochul, an outspoken supporter of Israel, cited “disagreements” with Mamdani, she made no mention of Israel in her announcement — indicating that top party officials could be avoiding reckoning with his hardline views on such issues as he dominates the divided race less than two months until the November election.
Hochul said that she and Mamdani had “discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally,” adding that she has been “glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders across the city, listening and addressing their concerns directly.”
Sara Forman, the executive director of New York Solidarity Network, a local pro-Israel group that aligns with Democrats, took issue with Hochul’s endorsement. “As we have long appreciated Gov. Kathy Hochul’s support for the Jewish community, we disagree with her decision to endorse Zohran Mamdani, who does not share those same values,” she said in a statement shared with Jewish Insider on Monday. “Gov. Hochul noted the need for Mr. Mamdani to work alongside her in the fight to combat antisemitism, and we will continue to wait for Mr. Mamdani’s actions to match his words.”
As the election nears, it remains to be seen how other Democratic leaders in New York — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — are planning to address the race as they continue to withhold endorsements. Both Democrats have met with Mamdani but have yet to confirm if they intend to support his campaign.
Some New York Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who represent swing districts on Long Island, have said they will not be backing Mamdani, as the GOP seeks to tie his far-left views to the party’s national brand.
Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), a pro-Israel Jewish Democrat, has withheld his endorsement of Mamdani until he takes “concrete steps” to address concerns raised by Jewish voters over his anti-Israel rhetoric — a caveat the nominee’s recent statements on Israel seemed unlikely to satisfy.
Plus, anti-Israel WaPo columnist fired over Charlie Kirk commentary
ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference at the Prime minister's office in Jerusalem on August 10, 2025.
Good Monday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted that Israel will have to become increasingly self-reliant as countries call for embargoes and sanctions against the Jewish state. Speaking at a Finance Ministry conference in Jerusalem today, Netanyahu said, “We will increasingly need to adapt to an economy with autarkic characteristics.”
“I am a believer in the free market, but we may find ourselves in a situation where our arms industries are blocked. We will need to develop arms industries here — not only research and development, but also the ability to produce what we need,” the Israeli PM said…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem today, where they gave remarks on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords. “Imagine, despite the difficulties the region has confronted over the last few years, how much more difficult it would have been had the Abraham Accords not been in place,” Rubio said…
Elsewhere in the region, after an emergency summit of Arab states convened in Qatar to discuss last week’s Israeli strike in Doha, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries today directed the GCC defense ministers to hold an “urgent meeting” to “assess the defense situation of the Council states.”
The countries also issued a communique calling on states to “review diplomatic and economic relations” and “initiate legal proceedings” against Israel…
At the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual conference happening now in Vienna, Iran is circulating a resolution to censure the U.S. and Israel over their strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. Iran was unexpectedly elected by other Middle Eastern countries to serve as vice president of the gathering.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said in an interview that “if [participating countries] want to obey the law of the jungle and the rule of coercion and force” by blocking the motion, “it’ll end in chaos”…
Stateside, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) announced he will not be endorsing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor, on the heels of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement that she’s supporting the candidate.
Suozzi, who represents a swing district on Long Island, said that, “While I share [Mamdani’s] concern about the issue of affordability, I fundamentally disagree with his proposed solutions. Like the voters I represent, I believe socialism has consistently failed to deliver real, sustainable progress.”
On Hochul, Suozzi said that he did not discuss his decision with her and is “not in a position to give the Governor political advice considering the fact that when I ran against her she beat me soundly”…
In another high-profile New York race, Micah Lasher, a state assemblyman and former aide to Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), officially launched his campaign for his former mentor’s congressional seat today, joining a Democratic primary that’s likely to become crowded in the heavily Jewish Manhattan district. Nadler is expected to offer Lasher his support, a key endorsement in the race…
The New York Times investigates a series of trade and business dealings over the UAE’s access to AI chips that appear to be connected with cryptocurrency windfalls for the Witkoff and Trump families.
When David Feith, then senior director for technology on the National Security Council, attempted to change AI chip policy, which would have inhibited that access, he was fired by President Donald Trump, after a conversation with his influential advisor Laura Loomer…
The fallout from Charlie Kirk’s killing continues: Semafor’s Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith writes about Kirk’s legacy on Israel within the GOP and how both the isolationist and pro-Israel camps of the party are now claiming him as their own.
“A bereft White House official told me that Kirk functioned as something like a Republican chairman and Rush Limbaugh ‘rolled into one.’ Clips of his speeches and debates are everywhere, but movement-building is a subtler thing, and Kirk’s public statements, friends said, often reflected attempts at intraparty diplomacy,” Smith wrote…
Karen Attiah, an opinion columnist at The Washington Post who regularly espoused anti-Israel views, was fired from the paper over her posts on social media about Kirk’s death, including mischaracterizing some of his positions and positing that her “journalistic and moral values” prevented her from “engaging in excessive, false mourning” for Kirk.
Attiah, the Post’s founding Global Opinions editor, retweeted social media messages justifying the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel as they were taking place and wrote a piece on Oct. 13, less than a week after the attacks, headlined, “We cannot stand by and watch Israel commit atrocities”…
Also in the media, Jewish influencer Hen Mazzig reacts to Jewish actress Hannah Einbinder’s pro-Palestinian commentary at the Emmys last night in The Hollywood Reporter: “Hannah should know there is no such thing as a ‘good Jew’ who can launder antisemitism. The ‘good Jews’ trope — the ones who sign boycott pledges or reassure progressives that this isn’t about hatred — are always used as cover. They are never enough. And at the end of the day, the people demanding ‘good Jews’ don’t actually believe there is anything good about being Jewish”…
After the Vuelta a Espana bike race in Madrid was called off during its finale on Sunday due to anti-Israel protests on the route, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called today for Israel to be banned from sports events due to its military campaign in Gaza, despite the team being protested, Israel-Premier Tech, not being an official Israeli team.
The international union of cyclists voiced its disapproval of Sánchez’s stance, saying in a statement that it “strongly condemns the exploitation of sport for political purposes in general, and especially coming from a government”…
Lynn Forester de Rothschild is exploring a sale of a minority stake in the parent company of The Economist magazine, according to Bloomberg, which would mark the publication’s first ownership shake-up in over a decade…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for an interview with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, on his new book about Oct. 7 and an interview with Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), a rising national security voice on Capitol Hill.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver a major address on political violence at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh tomorrow, nearly a week after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk and several months after the firebombing of Shapiro’s residence over Passover.
Also speaking at the summit will be KIND Snacks founder and former CEO Daniel Lubetzky alongside Lonnie Ali, founder of the Muhammad Ali Center with her eponymous late husband.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow morning on oversight of the FBI with FBI Director Kash Patel.
Democratic Majority for Israel will host a live briefing tomorrow with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Gottheimer’s recent trip to Israel, next steps for the Abraham Accords and the latest in the Israel-Hamas war.
The Center for a New American Security will hold a live fireside chat tomorrow with Adam Boehler, the U.S. special envoy for hostage response.
Alan Dershowitz, a former Harvard Law School professor and prominent defense attorney and Israel advocate, will speak tomorrow at the JFK Jr. forum at Harvard at the first “Middle East Dialogues” event of the academic year, hosted by professor Tarek Masoud, who invites polarizing speakers to debate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In the evening, American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) will host its Lamplighter Awards at D.C.’s Union Station. This year’s honoree is Palantir CEO Alex Karp, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will receive a leadership award.
Magen David Adom will host its 2025 New York City Gala in Manhattan, where political commentator Meghan McCain will receive its Champion of Israel Award.
Stories You May Have Missed
INTERVIEW TACTICS
Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker’s interrogator out to trip up Israel supporters
Chotiner recently devoted six consecutive Q&A interviews with guests about Israel, many of them contentious and combative
HAWKEYE STATE RACE
Ashley Hinson emerges as odds-on favorite to succeed Ernst in the Senate
The former TV news anchor boasts a consistently conservative, pro-Israel voting record, and has a history of winning tough races
State Rep. Chris Rabb’s extreme views are alarming Jewish leaders and voters in a Philadelphia-based district with a sizable Jewish constituency
Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb speaks during a protest outside of the Pennsylvania Capitol.
The wide-open primary race for the most Democratic district in the country is highlighting stark divisions in Israel policy among the leading candidates.
The candidates for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District — which includes western Philadelphia, Center City and parts of north Philadelphia — include a host of prominent local officials, as well as some outsider candidates, including state Sen. Sharif Street, who recently resigned as state Democratic Party chair, progressive state Rep. Chris Rabb, state Rep. Morgan Cephas and physician Dr. David Oxman.
Dr. Ala Stanford, a local surgeon and activist who gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, is also seen as a likely candidate, and former City Councilman Derek Green may also join the race.
A Rabb victory would be cause for significant concern for pro-Israel voters in the district — which includes some heavily Jewish areas of Philadelphia — and national pro-Israel groups. The state senator has an extensive history, particularly since Oct. 7, of anti-Israel activism, and has accused Israel of genocide.
He posted on social media in Sept. 2024 in support of a Philadelphia teacher who was suspended following a complaint from Jewish parents about threatening social media posts directed toward them.
“I’m here in solidarity with the educators and students who have shown the discernment to understand that discomfort is not the same as danger, animus or even harm. Quite the contrary, without discomfort, we cannot truly learn, grow or heal,” Rabb said on Instagram. “I do not believe that being critical of any political ideology — be it neo-liberalism or Zionism — is being against an entire people or ethnic group. … We must not allow students and educators to be attacked for discussing critical global issues or other international struggles … And there should be no instance when a mere reference to any sovereign nation is reflexively viewed as a proxy for hate or bias.”
Rabb was the only elected official to attend a recent anti-Israel “People’s Tribunal” hosted by a range of far-left groups, which aimed to present a case that U.S. officials including Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) are guilty of complicity with genocide and war crimes by Israel.
Rabb described the event as a generational moment that would reverberate far into the future.
He called on his state to divest from and cease any investments in Israel until the end of the war in Gaza, and said that advancing a proposed anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions bill would “cause a s*** show of epic proportions that no Democrat wants to see — especially in an election year where the policy choices we make are being scrutinized by a highly skeptical, but vigilant and well organized subset of the electorate.”
Rabb also spoke at a February 2024 protest led by anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace at which he indicated support for protests blocking traffic and opposed arrests of demonstrators at the Pennsylvania Statehouse, comparing anti-Israel protests to the Civil Rights Movement. “This is a radical expression of one’s First Amendment rights,” he said.
He visited and praised anti-Israel encampments at multiple colleges in Pennsylvania and indicated support for BDS efforts targeting the colleges, participated in events with the local Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter and spoke out against detentions and attempted deportations of student activists.
He also condemned school leaders out-of-state, in Maryland, for suspending teachers for anti-Israel, antisemitic or pro-Palestinian comments, one of whom he said was a personal friend.
“I’m irate about how these pro-#censorship folx have maliciously targeted these teachers,” Rabb said. “Being pro-#Palestine is neither a crime, nor anti-Jewish.”
Rabb on Oct. 18, 2023, 11 days after the Hamas attacks, called for a ceasefire as well as the release of “the more than 200 civilian hostages taken back into Gaza and Palestinian political prisoners.”
“I grieve the loss of lives in Israel and Palestine. I condemn Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7th … I also grieve the thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, including hundreds of children, who have been killed by Israeli bombs since then. It is never acceptable to cause the deaths of civilians. All human life is sacred,” Rabb said. “I join my colleagues in Congress who have called for immediate de-escalation, ceasefire, adherence to International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian aid to Palestine commensurate with the devastation wrought upon Gaza.”
Rabb was one of several Democratic state lawmakers who signed onto a Nov. 21, 2023, letter to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation which delivered a similar message. The chief of staff for the state senator who led that letter had reposted several X posts on Oct. 7 indicating support for the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Street, who is Muslim, has long-standing ties to members of the state’s Jewish community and has spoken out in support of Israel’s right to exist and against antisemitism. He traveled to Israel in 2017 on a trip for Muslim legislators organized by the American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange, a source familiar with the campaign told Jewish Insider.
“As a Black man and a Muslim, I’ve spent my entire political career fighting for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. That’s why I have stood strong against the growing tide of anti-Semitism in this country,” Street said in a statement to JI. “In Congress, I will work hard for peace in the Middle East based on mutual trust and grounded in Israel’s right to exist and the right of the Palestinian people to live without fear.”
In a November 2023 statement responding to the Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza, Street emphasized the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to peace and freedom, and mourned civilian deaths on both sides, while emphasizing the importance of U.S. support for Israel.
“We must affirm the right of Israel to exist. We must affirm the right of the Jewish people to have a sovereign state and we must also affirm the right of the Palestinian people to live in a place where their children are safe and their families are secure,” Street said. “A place where their hospitals and schools are not compromised by Hamas commingling military facilities with hospitals and schools.”
He said that the U.S. “must not abandon its calling to protect the children of the Holocaust” and “must remember why the modern state of Israel was created in the aftermath of World War II. We must remain vigilant in our support of Israel and its right to defend itself.”
Street added that “does not disavow us from having an obligation to the Palestinian people as well,” and ensuring that “food flows plentifully into the land of Palestinian people,” that hospitals and schools are rebuilt and that both Israeli and Palestinian children can live in peace.
He went on to condemn hate crimes in the United States targeting both the Palestinian and Jewish communities, as well as Christians.
Street also offered his condemnation and condolences following the shooting earlier this year of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.
“As the highest-ranking Muslim elected official in Pennsylvania, I am heartbroken by the senseless act of violence that took the lives of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, D.C.,” Street said. “I extend my deepest condolences to the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, and to all who are grieving this horrific tragedy. No one should fear for their lives simply because of who they are or where they work.”
“I unequivocally condemn this shooting—and all acts of gun violence, antisemitism, and hatred. We must all stand against violence, wherever it occurs and whoever it targets,” Street continued. “I support the right of Israel to exist in peace and security, just as I support the rights of Palestinians to live with dignity and freedom. A just and lasting peace in the region will never be built on bloodshed. We must do better—here at home and abroad.”
As the Pennsylvania Democratic chair, Street spoke out against the Uncommitted movement that urged voters to oppose President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential primary over his position on the war in Gaza. “As a Muslim American, I know that President Biden has my back and will fight for our community,” Street said. He also emphasized the need for Democrats to appeal to both Jewish and Muslim voters.
Street did not vote last year on an anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions bill when it passed either the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee or the full Senate.
Cephas does not appear to have much of a public record of speaking out about the conflict in the Middle East, though in the days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, she was an advocate for increased state-level funding for nonprofit security funding.
Larry Ceisler, a public affairs executive in Philadelphia, told JI that the race is likely to be highly competitive — a rare opportunity for a Philadelphia elected official to potentially secure a long tenure in higher office.
He described the race as essentially a toss-up and said he could see a scenario for each of Street, Cephas and Rabb to win. Ceisler said that the race could break down, to some extent, along geographic lines.
Street, Ceisler said, has strong name recognition as the son of a former Philadelphia mayor, and represents north Philadelphia. Cephas represents west Philadelphia, and Rabb represents northwest Philadelphia, an area that is very politically active, leans left and usually has high voter turnout in primaries.
Ceisler predicted Rabb will present himself as the furthest-left candidate in the field and noted that he previously beat a candidate backed by the local party apparatus, while Street is likely to lean on more traditional support bases including local party and ward leaders and some organized labor groups.
He said Cephas’ youth, gender and leadership in the Statehouse could also make her an attractive candidate for some voters. And he said that Stanford enjoys high name recognition and goodwill from the COVID-19 era, though she is untested and unscrutinized as a political candidate.
Ceisler noted that he is a Rabb constituent and former supporter who wrote to Rabb to express his disappointment early in the Israel-Hamas war about his post-Oct. 7 positions, saying he felt Rabb was “uninformed” and had accepted false and misleading information, though he said that Rabb should not be “vilified.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the name of public affairs executive Larry Ceisler.
The Democratic House minority leader is also endorsed by AIPAC
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during the March for Israel on the National Mall November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.
The progressive Israel advocacy group J Street endorsed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Friday, marking the first time the top Democratic congressional leader accepted an endorsement from the group.
With Jeffries endorsed by J Street, the group has now thrown its support behind the entire House Democratic leadership team: Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA).
Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar have all also been endorsed by AIPAC, and they have each traveled to Israel on AIPAC-affiliated trips.
“J Street is proud to endorse the House Democratic leadership team at such a critical moment in the US-Israel relationship,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement Friday. “After 23 months of war, it is important to endorse Democratic leaders who understand the time has come for a just and lasting peace that brings the remaining hostages home and immediately and permanently surges aid to the people of Gaza.”
In recent months, J Street has taken an increasingly critical line toward Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza. The organization has supported measures to withhold or condition American military aid to Israel, a position AIPAC vehemently opposes. Ben-Ami said last month that he has been convinced Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to a genocide.
“Hakeem Jeffries is a pro-Israel leader and a champion for strengthening and expanding America’s partnership with our democratic ally, none of which J Street supports,” AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told Jewish Insider on Friday.
A spokesperson for Jeffries did not respond to a request for comment.
The former TV news anchor boasts a consistently conservative, pro-Israel voting record, and has a history of winning tough races
Scott Olson/Getty Images
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson speaks to guests during her Ashley's BBQ Bash fundraiser on August 23, 2025 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The event was the fifth annual, which she holds to support Iowa Republican causes and candidates.
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) has emerged as the front-runner in the contest to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), with national Republicans swiftly coalescing around her bid for the GOP nomination as they look to avoid a messy primary battle.
Hinson, a politically tested lawmaker who has long been viewed as a potential successor to Ernst, launched her Senate campaign within hours of Ernst’s announcement last Tuesday that she would not seek a third term.
Hinson, in her candidate announcement, said that she would be President Donald Trump’s “strongest ally” in the Senate and would work to “deliver the America First agenda.” She also praised Ernst for her military service and time in public office, saying that, “Our country and state are better off because of Joni’s selfless service.”
Hinson, a prolific fundraiser who entered the race with a $2.8 million war chest, began racking up endorsements shortly after her campaign launch. Trump endorsed Hinson on Friday, as did Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senate Republicans’ campaign arm.
Trump described Hinson as “a wonderful person” whom he knows “well,” and praised her devotion to her family before touting her commitment to “our incredible Iowa workers.”
“She is working hard to Create Jobs, Cut Taxes, Promote Products and Services MADE IN AMERICA by our incredible Iowa Workers, Support our Great Farmers and American Agriculture, Champion Innovation, Continue to Help Secure our now very Secure Southern Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote of Hinson on his Truth Social platform.
“From a foreign policy perspective, or even culturally with respect to antisemitism and all that sort of thing, I don’t think that you’re going to see a lot of difference between Joni Ernst, who’s been a strong supporter of Israel and who I think has been a really effective leader on the national stage, and Ashley,” David Kochel, a veteran GOP campaign operative, told JI.
Ernst and Hinson are close professionally and personally; in addition to being friends, the two have long been aligned on foreign and domestic policy and worked together on scores of bicameral legislative efforts.
Both lawmakers have been repeatedly endorsed by AIPAC and the Republican Jewish Coalition, though neither organizations have officially gotten behind Hinson’s Senate bid yet. While Ernst hasn’t endorsed in the race either, Hinson is the candidate she is most aligned with ideologically.
“From a foreign policy perspective, or even culturally with respect to antisemitism and all that sort of thing, I don’t think that you’re going to see a lot of difference between Joni Ernst, who’s been a strong supporter of Israel and who I think has been a really effective leader on the national stage, and Ashley,” David Kochel, a veteran GOP campaign operative, told Jewish Insider.
“On issues of concern to Jewish Americans, Ashley Hinson has been an absolute stalwart,” Sam Markstein, who serves as national political director for the RJC, told JI.
Markstein described Hinson as “an incredibly strong voice in Israel’s defense,” citing her “calling Hamas’ terror attack ‘evil,’ and affirming Israel’s right to defend itself immediately” after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel as examples. He also noted that she has “consistently voted for vital military aid to Israel and Iron Dome defense systems,” and pointed to her cosponsoring legislation “to pressure the Biden administration to deliver critical aid that they were holding up as the Jewish state was fighting a seven-front war.”
“She has stood strongly against the Iranian regime by supporting measures to reinstitute maximum pressure and reimpose crippling sanctions. Ashley Hinson also has a very strong record on combating antisemitism. Notably, unlike some on the neo-isolationist far right, when Ashley Hinson says, ‘America First,’ for her, and for the RJC, that means standing strongly with our allies, like Israel, peace through strength, using decisive military action when necessary and rejecting forever wars,” Markstein said.
The swift action on Hinson’s part in launching her campaign and locking down major endorsements has propelled her campaign to front-runner status in the race, and a smooth primary contest could benefit what are already strong general election chances for Republicans in the Hawkeye State.
“Ashley’s been pretty good on the Trump record,” Kochel said. “I think things are going to consolidate pretty quickly around her.”
“She is definitely going to be the leading candidate in the Republican primary, and she’s going to be a very tough candidate in the general election as well,” he told JI.
Thus far in the primary, Hinson is facing Jim Carlin, a Republican former state senator who initially entered the contest to challenge Ernst from the right after winning 27% of the vote against Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in a 2022 primary, and Joshua Smith, a former libertarian and podcast host who is a sharp critic of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Smith has espoused virulently anti-Israel beliefs on social media, posting in March of this year on X that Israel is a “fake state of anti Jesus heathens who are fine with killing children” and claiming in a post last May that Jewish people suffer from a “Jewish victim complex.”
Hinson began her career in local television as a broadcast journalist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and went on to win two Midwest regional Emmy Awards and become a health reporting fellow for the Radio Television Digital News Association. She entered politics in 2016, when she won a competitive seat in the Iowa state House of Representatives representing the purple Cedar Rapids area by a two-to-one margin.
Hinson was elected to the House in 2020 after defeating former Rep. Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat who flipped Iowa’s 1st Congressional District blue in 2018, by more than two points.
The other rumored candidate looking at the race is U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker, Trump’s former acting attorney general during his first term who lost to Ernst in the GOP primary for her Senate seat in 2014. But with Trump and leading Republicans rallying behind Hinson, the prospects of Whitaker running has dimmed.
The Democratic side of the aisle has a crowded field of candidates competing for the party’s nomination, including state Rep. Josh Turek, state Sen. Zach Wahls and Jackie Norris, chairwoman of the Des Moines Public Schools board.
“Whoever wins the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Iowa will have a very, very strong chance of succeeding Joni Ernst,” Sam Markstein, who serves as national political director for the RJC, told JI. “Regarding Ashley Hinson specifically, ask yourself what the telltale signs of a well-run operation are, and you’ll see she is clearly checking all of the boxes: the speed and efficiency of her campaign launch, announcing support from President Trump, as well as House and Senate leadership.”
Democrats have expressed an interest in contesting the open Senate seat in Iowa, a now reliably Republican state that was a battleground before Trump’s political ascendance.
The party has some renewed confidence in their political standing in the state, after Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in a special election last month. The state currently has one state elected official that’s a Democrat: State Auditor Rob Sand.
Whether national Democrats will allocate resources to the Hawkeye State remains to be determined, but winning statewide as a Democrat in deep red Iowa will be a difficult challenge. Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in Iowa since 2008, when former Sen. Tom Harkin handily won a fifth term, prompting Republicans to dismiss the notion that this race will be competitive.
“Whoever wins the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Iowa will have a very, very strong chance of succeeding Joni Ernst,” Markstein told JI.
“Regarding Ashley Hinson specifically, ask yourself what the telltale signs of a well-run operation are, and you’ll see she is clearly checking all of the boxes: the speed and efficiency of her campaign launch, announcing support from President Trump, as well as House and Senate leadership. This, and more, illustrates that she’s focused, organized, and has an excellent team around her, all of which is needed to win,” he continued.
The NRSC sent a memo to donors last week expressing confidence that Democrats would face an uphill slog in Iowa, and touted Hinson as a “formidable contender” who “would be exceedingly difficult for any Democrat to challenge.”
A source familiar with how the NRSC is viewing the contest told JI that, “Democrats are trying really hard to say that Iowa is in play and that it is a competitive race. That’s just not electorally where we view it.”
“It’s also just not ultimately what the field on their side signals. They have a very messy, competitive primary right now. It does not appear that [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer is going to be able to clear the field. That is obviously a direct contrast to what we’re seeing so far on our side,” the source said, noting the growing support for Hinson on the GOP side of the aisle.
Kochel noted that, “Iowa historically was a swing state. [Former President Barack] Obama won it twice and Trump’s won it three times, but certainly the registration advantage that Republicans have has been growing. As the electorate has changed in the last 10 years, more non-college [educated], white, working-class voters are becoming more and more Republican. We’ve got a lot of those in Iowa.”
“Demographically, Iowa is kind of getting away from the Democrats a little bit,” he continued, predicting, “We’ll see this race settle into a pretty familiar framework.”
Plus, Paramount Skydance looks to merge with Warner Bros
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Good Thursday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Lawmakers, candidates and officials from across the political spectrum continued to reel in the aftermath of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah yesterday, with many changing their planned appearances.
Vice President JD Vance went to pay his respects to the Kirk family in Salt Lake City instead of attending a 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero in New York. Kirk’s casket will be flown back to his home state of Arizona on Air Force 2 along with his family and friends.
In addition, President Donald Trump moved a Pentagon 9/11 memorial event to a more secure location, as his team was especially shaken by Kirk’s death; Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico devoted his campaign kickoff speech in San Antonio last night to memorializing Kirk; right-wing media personality Ben Shapiro, a close friend of Kirk, canceled an event tonight at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in California; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced she is postponing a rally in North Carolina this weekend out of respect for Kirk and security concerns; and more…
The fallout continues from Israel’s strike against Hamas leaders in Doha this week, with Democratic Majority for Israel accusing Trump in a new scathing statement of betraying Israel by coming out publicly against the strike and potentially foiling its effectiveness by tipping off Qatar (though U.S. and Qatari officials have said that the warning call from Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff came as the strike was already underway).
The statement puts the group at odds with many Democratic lawmakers, who have come out against the strike.
“After years of criticizing Democrats — despite our party’s 75-year history of supporting Israel — President Donald Trump yesterday broke with our vital ally in an unprecedented manner,” DMFI CEO Brian Romick said. “The White House must answer whether their pre-warning of the attack in any way compromised Israel’s ability to eliminate Hamas’ terrorist leadership”…
Doubling down in its displeasure, the Trump administration joined a unanimous U.N. Security Council statement today that condemns the strike, though it does not mention Israel nor Hamas.
“Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar. They underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, in line with the principles of the UN Charter. Council members recalled their support for the vital role that Qatar continues to play in mediation efforts in the region,” the statement read…
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will travel to Washington tomorrow to discuss the incident, Israeli media reports, meeting with senior Trump administration officials and potentially the president himself, and Qatar will host an emergency summit beginning Sunday with Arab states.
Al Thani said in an interview that, prior to the strike, a meeting had been scheduled for Friday between himself, Egyptian and Turkish intelligence officials and Witkoff, but Israel’s attack “destroyed the mediation efforts” for a ceasefire with Hamas and “extinguished the last glimmer of hope”…
Back in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized a plan to build the long-disputed E1 settlement project, which would make a contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible, at a signing ceremony today at the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, where the new units will be added.
“We said a Palestinian state will not be established — and indeed, a Palestinian state will not be established,” Netanyahu said at the event…
The New York Times’ Jerusalem bureau announced that David Halbfinger is returning to Israel to serve as the paper’s bureau chief, and Isabel Kershner was named senior correspondent.
The newly merged Paramount Skydance is now preparing a bid to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, The Wall Street Journal reports, including its cable networks and movie studio. The bid is backed by the Ellison family — Paramount owner David Ellison is the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reporting on the belated passage of a K-12 antisemitism bill in the California Legislature that pitted Jewish Democrats and their allies against teachers’ unions in the state.
The Capital Jewish Museum in Washington will host a gala Sunday evening honoring Esther Safran Foer, the former executive director of D.C.’s Sixth & I Synagogue, and David Rubenstein, chairman of the Carlyle Group.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to land in Israel early next week, with a planned appearance at the opening of the Pilgrimage Road at the City of David archaeological site on Monday. (Read JI’s coverage of the Pilgrimage Road excavation here).
A bipartisan delegation of 250 U.S. state legislators will also land in Israel for a trip next week.
The Climate Solutions Prize Tour, in partnership with the Jewish Climate Trust, will begin in Israel on Sunday, after several days in the UAE.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
Stories You May Have Missed
IN MEMORIAM
Charlie Kirk remembered as a bulwark against antisemitism on the right
Josh Hammer told JI: ‘He was really holding back some really nasty stuff in some very young, far-right online circles. … Part of me kind of worries, frankly, about what that energy does from here in his absence’
DEFIANT DEFENSE
Amb. Leiter defends Doha strike, amid Trump criticism
Leiter compared Israel’s campaign against Hamas to the U.S. pursuing the perpetrators of 9/11
Plus, Netanyahu links 9/11 to 10/7
George Frey/Getty Images
Law enforcement responds to the scene where political activist Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah.
Good Wednesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk died this afternoon after being shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”
Kirk, 31, was a highly influential right-wing leader, co-founding Turning Point USA, one of the most prominent conservative youth organizations in the U.S. The Republican Jewish Coalition said in a statement, “Charlie has been a shining light in these troubled times for the American Jewish community, and we are deeply saddened at his passing. All people of good will must condemn this horrific murder and demand justice for Charlie.”
Law enforcement officials told CNN that there is no suspect in custody. Prior to news of Kirk’s death, the shooting was condemned by lawmakers and activists across the political spectrum…
Ahead of the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks tomorrow, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement today that Israel “also [has] a Sept. 11,” comparing it to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and drawing parallels between Israel’s strike yesterday targeting senior Hamas officials in Doha, Qatar, to the U.S. killing Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Netanyahu highlighted the U.S. resolution at the U.N. Security Council, passed two weeks after 9/11, that said “governments cannot give harbor to terrorists,” accusing Qatar of providing “terrorist chieftains” with “sumptuous villas” and safe haven.
“And I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will,” Netanyahu concluded.
The Israeli PM’s remarks seem to contradict the White House, after Trump made clear yesterday that he’s “very unhappy with every aspect” of the strike and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president had assured Qatari leaders “that such a thing will not happen again on their soil”…
Netanyahu’s opposition was busy on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, with Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid spotted walking into House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) office — Lapid declined to tell reporters what they discussed — and MK Benny Gantz meeting with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), the two of whom covered “the importance of leaving no stone unturned in eliminating terrorist Hamas; in Gaza or abroad.” Lapid and Gantz are both attending the MEAD Summit in Washington this week…
Nearby at the White House, Trump met with a delegation of former hostages, including Ohad and Raz Ben Ami, and hostage families, including Ilay and Yeela David, siblings of Evyatar David…
Another former hostage, Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli-Russian academic held captive by an Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq since 2023 and released to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad yesterday, has landed in Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office and Mossad announced…
On the campaign trail, Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is reportedly interviewing staff for a potential bid against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Punchbowl News reports. Mills would be a strong contender in the race, likely overshadowing Democratic candidate and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who has made his anti-Israel stance a focus of his bid thus far…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the body would propose suspending EU free trade measures with Israel, in an annual state of the union speech to the European Parliament today. The move is unlikely to be put into effect as it would need broad support from EU countries, which remain divided on the issue, but it’s a concerning step from the EU, which is Israel’s largest trading partner…
In an excerpt from former Vice President Kamala Harris’ forthcoming book, 107 Days, released in The Atlantic, Harris remarks on those in the Biden administration who were worried her visibility as VP would negatively impact President Joe Biden’s standing.
She writes about her appearance in Selma, Ala., in March 2024 where “I gave a strong speech on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. … It was a speech that had been vetted and approved by the White House and the National Security Council. It went viral, and the West Wing was displeased. I was castigated for, apparently, delivering it too well”…
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison surpassed Elon Musk as the world’s richest person today after the software giant reported higher quarterly earnings than expected, largely due to significant AI contracts…
Also getting in on the AI rush is Jared Kushner, whose AI firm Brain Co., co-founded with Israeli angel investor Elad Gil and former Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, came out of stealth today with an announcement that it raised $30 million in its first funding round…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for news on a surprising congressional endorsement of Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
On the Hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a nomination hearing tomorrow for several diplomats including Sergio Gor, former head of the Presidential Personnel Office, to be ambassador to India. Read JI’s coverage of Gor’s departure from the White House here.
In Jerusalem, the Jewish National Fund and U.S. Embassy will be hosting a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.
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SOMEBR DAY
‘We won’t normalize it’: Friends of Ziv and Gali Berman mark twins’ 28th birthday in Hamas captivity
As the Israeli twins spend their second birthday in captivity in Gaza, their close-knit circle from Kibbutz Kfar Aza continues a grassroots campaign to keep their story alive — and push for their release
TALARICO TALK
Texas Democratic Senate recruit James Talarico takes critical view of Israel
The newly minted candidate casts himself as a moderate, but called out his party for not criticizing Israel more in the 2024 election
The swing-district Democrat is the first New York lawmaker outside of NYC to endorse the far-left mayoral nominee
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) speaks during a Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), a swing-district Democrat representing parts of the Hudson Valley, announced his endorsement on Wednesday of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.
With the endorsement, Ryan becomes the first New York Democratic lawmaker outside of New York City to support the 33-year-old democratic socialist and Queens assemblyman.
“Public service is all about one thing: who do you fight for?” Ryan said in a social media post. “Zohran Mamdani fights for the PEOPLE.”
He also took a swipe at former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was soundly defeated by Mamdani in the June Democratic primary and is now running as an independent, calling him “a selfish POS who only fights for himself and other corrupt elites.”
“I know whose side I’m on,” Ryan added. “I’m with the people. I’m with Zohran.”
Mamdani, who is leading all polls in the divided race, returned the compliment in a social media post, saying Ryan “fights for the people, too: he’s stood up to the utilities ripping off his constituents and taken on monopoly power in Congress.”
He called it “a true honor to earn” Ryan’s support.
The two-term congressman, who had initially been reluctant to comment publicly on Mamdani’s candidacy, joins a handful of Democratic House colleagues in New York who have endorsed the nominee since the primary, including Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY).
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), whom Ryan has also praised, had endorsed Mamdani before the primary.
Even as pressure has recently been mounting for Democrats to get behind Mamdani as the November election nears, the party’s leaders — including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — have all so far withheld endorsements.
Other holdouts include Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who have raised concerns about Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric.
Shortly after Ryan publicized his endorsement Wednesday, the House Republican campaign arm, which is targeting the congressman in the election next year, quickly pounced on the news, providing an early glimpse of how the GOP is seeking to link Mamdani’s far-left views to the broader Democratic brand.
“Pat Ryan made it official: His agenda and Zohran Mamdani’s are one and the same,” Maureen O’Toole, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. “Together, they want to destroy New York City, making it unsafe and unaffordable for anyone to live, work or travel there. Let that sink in.”
A spokesperson for Ryan did not immediately return a request for comment.
The newly minted candidate casts himself as a moderate, but called out his party for not criticizing Israel more in the 2024 election
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally on September 09, 2025 in Round Rock, Texas.
James Talarico, a Democratic state representative in Texas seen as a rising star in his party, launched a campaign for Senate on Tuesday, joining a crowded primary to claim the seat held by veteran Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
The 36-year-old former public school teacher, who has studied to become a Presbyterian minister, has drawn national attention for openly embracing his Christian faith to connect with voters. In his launch video, he referred to Jesus, invoking him as “a barefoot rabbi who gave two commandments: love God and love neighbor.”
“Two thousand years ago, when the powerful few rigged the system, that barefoot rabbi walked into the seat of power and flipped over the tables of injustice,” Talarico added. “To those who love our country, to those who love our neighbors: It’s time to start flipping tables.”
Talarico, who is calling for a generational shake-up in a party he sees as largely out of touch with voter concerns, until this week had no apparent record of public commentary on Middle East policy, a subject that is likely to stir debate in the upcoming election cycle amid Democratic divisions over Israel’s war in Gaza.
In interviews published on Tuesday, he indicated that he would adopt a more critical approach to Israel, calling the war a “moral disaster” that his party has failed to address. “One of the primary reasons that the Democratic Party lost young voters in particular last election was our party’s failure to recognize the moral disaster in Gaza, and I hope that we have leaders who recognize that mistake,” he said in comments to Punchbowl News that were echoed in an interview with The Washington Post.
He also declined to say, in an interview with HuffPost, if he believes that Israel’s military conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide, dismissing the question as a debate “within elite political circles” that distracts “from the immediate goal, which is stopping the human suffering in Gaza.”
And on specific legislation, Talarico passed on commenting on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) recent resolutions seeking to block U.S. military aid to Israel, saying he was unfamiliar with the measures, which won support from a majority of the Democratic caucus. He said broadly that the party’s approach to Israel “needs to entail action,” but did not elaborate further.
His comments, notable for a Senate candidate in a solidly conservative and deeply evangelical state, underscore how the party is now shifting away from its long-standing support for Israel as it reckons with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and declining Democratic Party voter sympathy for the Jewish state, according to polls.
Talarico’s campaign said he was unavailable for an interview with Jewish Insider on Tuesday to expand on his new comments about Israel and the direction of the party.
His views could draw attacks from Republicans — who are already highlighting his favorable remarks regarding Zohran Mamdani, the far-left Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City and vehement critic of Israel.
In next year’s primary, Talarico, whose profile rose over the summer after he appeared on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast, is facing former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), who unsuccessfully opposed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) last election, and Terry Virts, a former astronaut, among other Democrats.
While Allred has previously voiced strong support for Israel and its alliance with the United States, he argued last year that Israel’s military aims in its war in Gaza could not achieve any further practical goals and that the U.S. should consider withholding some aid to pressure Israel to finalize a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Even as he has railed against billionaire Republican donors, Talarico has previously accepted campaign donations from a super PAC in Texas funded by the pro-Israel GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson, thanks to his support for legalizing casino gambling within the state.
Adelson, who was one of President Donald Trump’s biggest donors in the last election, has also donated to Cornyn, now seeking to fend off a challenge from Ken Paxton, Texas’ attorney general.
A representative for Adelson did not respond to a message from JI seeking comment on Tuesday.
Plus, Elizabeth Tsurkov released from captivity
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2025.
Good Tuesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
President Donald Trump was unhappy with Israel’s surprise strike this morning on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt conveyed in a statement on behalf of the president today.
Leavitt said Trump was made aware of the strike by the U.S. military, without specifying whether Israel had alerted it or if the operation was detected independently, and “immediately directed” Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to notify Doha about the impending attack.
(The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said reports that Qatar was informed in advance are “baseless” and the “call from a U.S. official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack.”)
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Leavitt said. “The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States and feels very badly about the location of this attack.”
The White House spokeswoman said Trump had spoken with Qatari leaders and assured them “that such a thing will not happen again on their soil” and conveyed his displeasure about the location of the strike to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…
The president’s reaction puts him at odds with many senior Senate Republicans, who told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod that they view the attack as justified and unsurprising. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “I think Hamas has got to be destroyed, and there’s no sense in doing half measures.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) posted on X, “To those who planned and cheered on the October 7 attack against Israel, the United States’ greatest ally in the region: This is your fate.”
Senate Democrats, meanwhile, described the strike as “aggressive,” “provocative” and “unfortunate,” saying it jeopardized ceasefire negotiations and was an insult to Qatar, a longtime U.S. ally.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the move “extremely disruptive, provocative and dangerous” and a “great strategic mistake.” (Read comments from more lawmakers here).
The only Democrats to publicly break with the partisan line were Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who told JI that “anything done to destroy Hamas’ leadership or its terrorist capability or military capacity is a step in the right direction,” and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)…
Also condemning the strike are several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron who called it “unacceptable, whatever the reason,” and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said it “violate[s] Qatar’s sovereignty and risk[s] further escalation”…
Hamas released a statement claiming Israel failed to assassinate its top leadership in the strike but killed five of its members, including the son of the group’s chief negotiator…
In another hostage crisis, Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Russian-Israeli academic from Princeton University, has been released from captivity of the Kata’ib Hezbollah Iraqi militant group, Trump announced on Truth Social this afternoon.
Tsurkov was kidnapped while doing research in Baghdad in March 2023 and was “tortured for many months,” Trump said.
Tsurkov’s sister, Emma, said on X that their family is “so thankful to President Trump and his Special Envoy, Adam Boehler. If Adam had not made my sister’s return his personal mission, I do not know where we would be”…
Meanwhile, the IDF ordered the first full-scale evacuation of Gaza City in preparation for Israel’s impending takeover, after several days of issuing limited evacuations before targeted strikes and demolitions of buildings in the area. Leaflets dropped by the IDF in the city instructed residents to follow a coastal road to designated humanitarian zones in the south of the enclave…
In Jerusalem, Netanyahu appeared at a belated U.S. Embassy Fourth of July celebration at the Museum of Tolerance where he said in remarks that he convened the heads of Israel’s security organizations earlier today to authorize “a surgical precision strike” on Hamas leaders in Doha after the terror group took responsibility for the death of four IDF soldiers in Gaza and six civilians at a bus stop in Jerusalem yesterday.
“These are the same terrorist chiefs who planned, launched and celebrated the horrific massacres of Oct. 7 … They were meeting in exactly the same place where they celebrated this savagery almost two years ago. At the beginning of the war, I promised that Israel would reach those who perpetrated this horror. And today, Israel and I have kept that promise,” Netanyahu continued.
The event was later briefly interrupted by a missile fired by the Houthis, with rocket sirens causing guests to move temporarily into bomb shelters.
The celebration continued with a musical performance, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on guitar and philanthropist and major Republican donor Paul Singer playing the keyboard, as captured by JI’s Lahav Harkov…
Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman is also in Jerusalem this week, meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog today and reportedly attending Jefferies TechTrek, Israel’s largest institutional investor technology conference.
Also attending Jefferies are Singer, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, venture capitalist Shaun Maguire, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides…
The MEAD Summit in Washington is lacking some punch this year with no Saudi representation, as opposed to years past, Israeli journalist Yaakov Katz said during an on-record panel with Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) at the convening…
Down south, Texas state Rep. James Talarico, seen as an up-and-coming leader in Texas politics, jumped into the Democratic primary to run against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) today. Talarico will face a competitive race against former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), also a former NFL player. Cornyn faces his own high-stakes primary against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Talarico, 36, is pitching himself for Senate as a Washington outsider coming to shake up the system. When asked by HuffPost today if Israel’s war in Gaza constitutes a genocide, Talarico answered, “I worry that some of these debates happening within elite political circles tend to be a distraction from the immediate goal, which is stopping the human suffering in Gaza. And so getting into discussions about particular legal terms, or, you know, history from, you know, a century ago, to me, feel like more like playing politics than actually trying to get something done”…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for an interview with friends of twins Gali and Ziv Berman who are turning 28 tomorrow, the second birthday they’ve marked in Hamas captivity.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” a documentary about retired Israeli general Noam Tibon’s historic rescue of his family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival tomorrow, after the festival initially canceled the screening due to the film’s usage of Hamas footage from the attacks, saying the terror organization had not approved it for use.
The House Committee on Education and Workforce’s Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education will hold a hearing tomorrow morning titled “From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools.”
Also on the Hill, the American Jewish Committee will host an event marking the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords including remarks from Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and co-chairs of the House and Senate Abraham Accords caucuses: Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Craig Goldman (R-TX).
Around Washington, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) will give remarks at the National Press Club at a Brandeis University event on “Reimagining Liberal Arts Education: A National Conversation on Real-World Readiness,” and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) will speak at the Heritage Foundation on “the Muslim Brotherhood Threat, National Security, and America’s Global Leadership.”
In Pittsburgh, Talya Lubit will be sentenced on charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging a religious building for vandalizing the Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh in July 2024.
Abroad, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is heading to London on a trip his office said was organized to deliver speeches at Jewish organizations’ conferences and to “show solidarity with the Jewish community, which is under severe attack and facing a wave of antisemitism.” His office did not say if he would meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer or other officials; though Starmer hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday.
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BOOK SHELF
In new book, former Obama speechwriter calls on Jews to stand proud for their values
Sarah Hurwitz said she hopes her second book, As a Jew, resonates with progressive Jews who have distanced themselves from Zionism
ONLINE FOOTPRINT
Newly appointed GM head of global philanthropy has long record of anti-Israel hostility
Sirene Abou-Chakra claimed that pro-Hamas protests during Netanyahu’s D.C. visit were part of a pro-Israel op
Many prominent Senate Democrats have criticized the strike
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Fair Share America
Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks at a rally at the Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Breaking with many of his Senate Democratic colleagues, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sounded a supportive note on the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar on Tuesday.
“I strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas,” Blumenthal told Jewish Insider. “I want to know more about the details of this particular strike — I’m learning about it in real time and anything done to destroy Hamas’ leadership or its terrorist capability or military capacity is a step in the right direction.”
Many prominent Senate Democrats have criticized the strike, saying it undermines negotiations for a ceasefire and that it should not have been carried out in Qatari territory. The White House expressed a similar view, breaking with top Senate Republicans who have been supportive of the Israeli attack.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the only other Senate Democrat who has publicly been supportive of the Israeli action.
Plus, Hamas rejects Trump’s Gaza deal
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
US Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) (L) and US Senator John Thune (R-SD) (R) listen as US President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for Republican US Senators in the State Dining Room of the White House July 18, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s comments that the Israel rhetoric employed by some Democratic officials has stoked antisemitism, and talk to former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz about her new book that focuses on Jewish identity. We have the scoop on a call from Sen. Bernie Moreno for Ohio universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, and report on a senior Hamas official’s rejection of the Trump administration’s ceasefire proposal. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Bruce Pearl, Ken Weinstein and Amb. Charles Kushner.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Marc Rod and Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- Jeff Blau, Aby Rosen, Laurie Tisch and Gregg Hymowitz are convening a meeting of associates this morning to strategize over how to boost Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral election, as a new Siena/New York Times poll shows the former governor trailing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani by four points in a head-to-head matchup.
- In Virginia, voters in the 11th Congressional District head to the polls today to vote in the special election to succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who died earlier this year. James Walkinshaw, who for years served as a top aide to Connolly, is the heavy favorite in today’s race.
- On Capitol Hill, the House Committee on Education & the Workforce’s HELP subcommittee is holding a hearing on “Unmasking Union Antisemitism.”
- Elsewhere in DC, the MEAD conference kicks off today, and the National Union for Democracy in Iran is holding its fourth annual Iran conference.
- The U.S. Embassy in Israel is hosting a belated Fourth of July celebration tonight in Jerusalem.
- The Hili Forum continues today in Abu Dhabi.
- And in Cairo, Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, is slated to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi for the first time since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH jI’S HALEY cohen and josh kraushaar
Over the weekend, The New York Times published a story contending that the momentum for settlements with elite universities was stalling amid divisions between those in the Trump administration looking to make a deal and those looking for more meaningful reforms in combating antisemitism.
The story glossed over the related development we’ve been hearing from officials involved in the negotiating process: that a zeal for dealmaking from some officials is overshadowing the main reason the Trump administration was playing hardball with these schools in the first place — the rampant antisemitism that has been festering on campus.
In fact, the word “antisemitism” was hardly mentioned in the lengthy Times story, a sign in itself of the administration’s flagging focus.
Indeed, many of the deals struck — along with the outlines of potential future deals — have focused on the dollar amounts in the settlement, without requiring many significant reforms that would deal with antisemitism at the elite schools.
WAR TALKS
Hamas official says disarmament not negotiable, rejects Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan
A senior Hamas official publicly rejected any deal requiring the terrorist organization to lay down its arms, after Israel said it would support such a deal proposed by the Trump administration. In response to the Trump deal, Bassem Naim, a Turkey-based senior Hamas official, released a statement on his Telegram channel on Monday calling the proposal a “humiliating surrender document” and not a serious offer to end the war, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.
What he said: Naim told Middle East Monitor, a pro-Hamas, Qatar-funded site, that the terrorist group would agree to a long-term ceasefire and would release all of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but the Palestinians “right” to weapons and to fight Israel “cannot be relinquished.” He also said the terrorist group would only agree to a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza. The Trump administration’s deal, according to Israel’s Channel 12, would require Israel to stop its military operation in Gaza City and start a 60-day ceasefire. In the first 48 hours, Hamas would release all 48 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Then, the sides would negotiate the end to the war.
SPEAKING UP
Gillibrand says that some Democrats’ rhetoric is inadvertently stoking antisemitism
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said in comments to Jewish leaders in New York City on Monday that anti-Israel protesters and, in some cases, fellow Democratic lawmakers are fueling antisemitism through the rhetoric and slogans they use, though she said that in many cases it is unintentional, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Notable quotable: “Some of the rhetoric that comes out of various protests globally, various protests on college campuses is so damaging. When they say words like ‘river to the sea,’ whey they say words like ‘globalize the intifada,’ it means end Israel. It means destroy Jews,” Gillibrand said in a video from a roundtable with Jewish leaders in Borough Park shared by The Forward. “No matter what words they intend to be saying, that is the meaning of these simple phrases.” She said some Democratic colleagues, “don’t know how to articulate political disagreement [with Israel], and sometimes it comes out as anti-Israel.”
ALABAMA RACE
Auburn University basketball coach Bruce Pearl leaning against Senate run
Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl is leaning against running to replace outgoing Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and will make a final decision on entering the race by the end of the month, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs has learned.
Status update: Pearl, 65, spent the summer meeting with GOP campaign operatives and Republican senators as he considered whether to enter the race following Tuberville’s announcement in late May that he would not seek a second term in the Senate to run for governor of Alabama. At the beginning of the summer, Pearl had just finished the academic year coaching Auburn’s basketball team, which he joined in 2014 and where he has led the SEC team to six NCAA tournament appearances, including this year’s Final Four. Two sources familiar with Pearl’s thinking told JI that he has not officially decided against running yet and has given himself until the end of September to make a final call, though he is unlikely to enter the contest.
BOOK SHELF
In new book, former Obama speechwriter calls on Jews to stand proud for their values
After debuting her first book Here All Along, about rekindling her Jewish faith, in 2019, former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz’s follow-up work comes out today. In As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us, Hurwitz speaks to progressive Jews grappling with identity, Zionism and belonging. In an interview with Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch, she explained how the book — pitched before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks — has taken on new urgency in the wake of rising antisemitism. “This book was very much my journey to stripping away all those layers of internalized antisemitism, anti-Judaism, all of that internalized shame from so many years of persecution, and just saying, ‘You know what, no, I’m a Jew,’” said Hurwitz.
Post- Oct. 7: Hurwitz said the events of the last two years have only furthered her argument that Jews throughout history have felt the need to separate from parts of their community to earn the approval of the rest of society. “Oct. 7 did not change the overall argument at all. It unfortunately, in many ways, gave this devastating, heartbreaking, new evidence from the argument,” Hurwitz said.
CHANGING TACK
Hudson Institute’s Ken Weinstein tapped as CBS News ombudsman
Ken Weinstein, the former president and CEO of the pro-Israel Hudson Institute think tank, has been named ombudsman of CBS News, where he will be tasked with reviewing complaints about editorial bias from consumers and employees, Paramount announced on Monday. The hire represents a shift for the news organization, which has faced accusations of anti-Israel bias in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Following through: The creation of the new role also follows through on a pledge that Skydance Media had made as it sought approval from the Federal Communications Commission for its merger in late July with Paramount, CBS’ parent company. Weinstein will report to Jeff Shell, the president of Paramount. “I’ve known him for many years and have great respect for his integrity, sound judgment and thoughtful approach to complex issues,” Shell said in a statement on Monday. “Ken brings not only a wealth of advisory experience in media and beyond but also a calm, measured perspective that makes him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our ombudsman.”
SCOOP
Bernie Moreno urges schools in Ohio to adopt IHRA definition of antisemitism
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) is asking the presidents of the largest colleges and universities in Ohio to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and ensure that their respective institutions have plans in place to combat campus antisemitism during the upcoming school year, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs has learned.
What he wrote: Moreno sent letters on Tuesday to the presidents of The Ohio State University, Miami University, Kent State University, Cleveland State University, Youngstown State University, the University of Cincinnati, Central State University, the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Akron University, Ohio University, Wright State University, Northeast Ohio Medical University and Shawnee State University. In the letters, the Ohio senator requested information on how each school was responding to “the unacceptable and disgusting rise in antisemitism” and the ways each plans to “protect students’ safety while on campus from antisemitism and/or other religiously motivated crimes.”
Worthy Reads
JD and Rand: Poles Apart: Politico’s Ian Ward spotlights the growing ideological divide in the Republican Party, underscored by recent clashes between Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky over U.S. strikes targeting international drug cartels. “The exchange gets to the heart of the question dividing the two factions of restrainers: Should U.S. military action be evaluated based on its respect for the separation of powers and civil liberties? (A bar that blowing up a boatful of alleged drug smugglers without congressional approval or any due process likely does not meet — even as the White House has defended the legality of the strike.) Or should it be judged based on its ability to advance U.S. interests — at least its interests as defined by Trump and his allies? That question may sound academic, but it matters for the long-term political efficacy of the restraint camp. For now, Vance’s populist faction seems to have the upper hand over the libertarians. But try as Vance might to define the ‘Trump Doctrine’ in terms that are favorable to the anti-interventionist camp, the core of Trump’s foreign policy remains whatever Trump says it is.” [Politico]
‘Golden Dome’ Domination: The New York Times’ Sheera Frenkel looks at efforts by tech companies to develop technology for potential use in President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” defensive system. “Mr. Trump promised during his campaign last year to build a U.S. system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, which protects the country against missile attacks. In January, Mr. Trump signed an executive order to create the defense shield. … Many have flocked to defense conferences and conducted exercises to display everything from sonars that monitor incoming threats to lasers that shoot missiles from space. Companies chosen for Golden Dome are likely to become the new cornerstones of U.S. defense, military officials involved in the project said. Larger tech firms including Palantir, which builds advanced data processing systems, and Anduril, which makes A.I.-backed weapons systems, have already been in discussions to get involved, two military officials briefed on the conversations said.” [NYTimes]
Word on the Street
Jared Kushner and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met yesterday in Miami with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to discuss ceasefire and hostage-relief efforts and day-after plans for Gaza…
Former Iran envoy Rob Malley, whose security clearance while serving in the Biden administration was suspended in the spring of 2023 amid an investigation into his handling of classified documents, said he would have resigned from the Biden administration but was not allowed to because of the status of his clearance…
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat, who is mounting a Senate bid in the state, told Punchbowl News that part of the reason the Democratic Party is losing young voters is due to “our party’s failure to recognize the moral disaster in Gaza”…
Following a fight with New York City’s Board of Elections over his ability to appear on multiple ballot lines in November, Mayor Eric Adams, who is mounting an independent reelection bid, withdrew himself from the “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line…
A suspect in the vandalism of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia turned himself in to authorities, and is expected to face charges related to two separate incidents last month in which he spray-painted walls of the museum…
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations held a hearing on antisemitism on Monday that included the testimonies of a Chicago Public Schools student who faced antisemitism from both classmates and a teacher, as well as a Jewish man who was shot while walking to synagogue…
In a recently unearthed joint op-ed written in the Bangor Daily News while he was a high school student, Graham Platner, who is mounting a bid for Senate in Maine, suggested that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” while lamenting that in media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “a sometimes-oppressive Israeli state can be, and often is, portrayed as a victim”…
The New York Times spotlights the efforts of the Jewish Theological Seminary in Budapest to recover tens of thousands of Jewish texts seized by the Nazis before and during World War II…
A letter authored by U.K. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who until last week was serving as the country’s foreign secretary, stated that London’s position was that Israel had not committed genocide in Gaza; Lammy wrote the letter prior to his reassignment within Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government…
French lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou after nine months in office, collapsing the country’s government…
U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner posted a video of himself and his staff participating in what he called the “Ambassador Plank Challenge,” modeled after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “Physical Fitness Challenge”; Kushner won, holding the plank for nearly eight minutes…
Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, met in Abu Dhabi with Ali Al Nuaimi, the chairman of the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee…
The Wall Street Journal interviews hostage families tied to the Tikva Forum, who support continued IDF action in Gaza and oppose the widespread Israeli public pressure on the government to cut a deal to secure the hostages’ release before Israel’s strategic aims in Gaza are accomplished…
Israel banned two far-left Spanish legislators from entering the country following Madrid’s announcement that it would formalize a de facto weapons ban to Israel and ban ships carrying fuel bound for Israel from docking in Spain…
Syria accused Israel of conducting airstrikes near the cities of Palmyra, Latakia and Homs…
Israel’s soccer team fell short in its World Cup qualifier match to Italy 5-4; the Israeli players wore black armbands in recognition of the Jerusalem terror attack earlier in the day in which six people were killed…
Tunisian authorities denied a claim from the Global Sumud Flotilla that one of its vessels attempting to reach Gaza had been struck by a drone; a spokesperson for Tunisia’s National Guard said the allegations “have no basis in truth”…
International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said that if Iran allows nuclear inspectors into the country, “the possibility of further military action will be diminished”…
More than 1,800 actors, entertainers, producers and other film industry workers signed a pledge not to screen films or work with Israeli film institutions “that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”; signatories include Emma Stone, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Ayo Edebiri and Olivia Colman…
AIDS activist Michael Seltzer, who raised millions to fund treatment and prevention of the virus, died at 78…
Pic of the Day
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met in Jerusalem on Monday with the families of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were killed in a May terror attack outside an American Jewish Committee event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.
Birthdays
President of Israel from 2014 to 2021, Reuven “Ruvi” Rivlin turns 86…
Beverly Hills resident, Barbara Schechter… Senior fellow emeritus in the foreign policy program at The Brookings Institution, Kenneth G. Lieberthal turns 82… Former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald M. Berwick turns 79… President of the Middle East Forum and publisher of its Middle East Quarterly journal, Daniel Pipes turns 76… President emeritus of Yeshiva University, Richard M. Joel turns 75… A founder of the Shas party, he served in the Knesset for 16 years, Nissim Mordechai Ze’ev turns 74… Founding president of Shalem College in Jerusalem, he has been a visiting professor at University of Chicago, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown, Martin Seth Kramer turns 71… Brooklyn educator, Steven Elworth… Retired editorial director of Schocken Books (the Judaica imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which is part of Penguin Random House), Altie Karper… Israeli businesswoman and philanthropist, Shari Arison turns 68… Israeli businessman and president of Limmud FSU, Aaron G. Frenkel… Suzanna Stone… D.C.-based communications strategist and tactician, Jeffrey Weintraub… Crisis management consultant, author and founder of D.C.-based PR firm Dezenhall Resources, Eric B. Dezenhall turns 63… Founder and managing member of Alternative Asset CFO Services, Lloyd Eric Appel… U.S. senator (D-DE), Chris Coons turns 62… Professional golfer formerly on both the PGA Tour and then on the Champions Tour, Jules Ira “Skip” Kendall turns 61… Actor, comedian, screenwriter, film producer and musician, famous for “The Chanukah Song,” Adam Sandler turns 59… Author and former senior national correspondent at HuffPost for 10 years, now a correspondent and podcast host for The Bulwark, Jonathan Cohn turns 56… Former member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, Dov Lipman turns 54… Former partner and associate director at Boston Consulting Group, now an independent consultant, Sacha Frédéric Litman… Features writer and political columnist for New York magazine, David Freedlander… Israeli entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Lightricks, Zeev Farbman turns 46… Global head of financial innovation and digital assets at Amazon Web Services, Michael B. Greenwald… Program specialist at USC’s school of architecture, Carla Hashley… Former head of Google Cuba, now an investor and strategist, Brett Perlmutter… Managing director at Alums for Campus Fairness, he is also the D.C. chair of B’nai B’rith Connect, Trey Meehan… Co-founder of International Hummus Day in 2012, now an angel investor, he served in the IDF’s signals intelligence group, Unit 8200, Ben Lang… Fourth overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL draft, he is the son of hockey star Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, Luke Hughes turns 22…
Plus, Gillibrand cautions Dems over anti-Israel rhetoric
Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Kenneth Weinstein, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hudson Institute, speaking at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC.
Good Monday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
We’re watching developments in ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations after President Donald Trump called for Hamas to accept the latest U.S.-sponsored deal over the weekend, which would see all the hostages, living and dead, released on the first day of the ceasefire.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and former Trump Mideast advisor Jared Kushner met with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Miami today to discuss developments in Gaza, Axios’ Barak Ravid reports.
Hamas had claimed it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table” in response to Trump’s statement, but sources for the terror group told a Saudi newspaper today that a complete hostage release would not be possible immediately, claiming a ceasefire would have to go into effect first to reach all the bodies…
In other national security news, The New York Times spotlights the race between defense firms to develop technologies for a future “Golden Dome” missile-defense system.
“Companies chosen for Golden Dome are likely to become the new cornerstones of U.S. defense, military officials involved in the project said,” and firms including Palantir and Anduril as well as innovative startups have been in discussions with the Trump administration, the Times reports.
Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center for Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said, “There are more than 100 companies out there with a sensor, satellite or other devices they want to sell to Golden Dome. This is the Wild West, and this is a massive opportunity for whoever is selected”…
Diplomatic tensions are rising between Israel and Spain after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced today that his country would be formalizing an existing de facto arms embargo against Israel and banning anyone who has participated in “genocide” in Gaza from entering Spain as well as ships carrying fuel for the IDF from Spanish ports.
“This is not self-defense, it’s not even an attack — it’s the extermination of a defenseless people,” Sanchez said of Israel’s war in Gaza.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel had banned two anti-Israel Spanish ministers from entering the country; Spain then summoned its ambassador in Tel Aviv, all shortly after a young Spanish immigrant to Israel was killed in this morning’s terror attack on a bus stop in Jerusalem…
The U.K. has come to a different conclusion about Israel’s actions in Gaza, according to a letter sent last week by former Foreign Secretary David Lammy before he was replaced in a reshuffling of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet.
Lammy wrote to the chair of the U.K.’s international development committee that the Foreign Office had found in an assessment that Israel was not committing a genocide as it was missing “intent” to do so. It’s the first time the U.K. has said so explicitly, previously holding that the matter of genocide was up to international courts to determine, just weeks before the country is expected to recognize a Palestinian state…
Former Hudson Institute CEO and President Kenneth Weinstein will serve as CBS News’ ombudsman, a new role that oversees editorial concerns from employees and viewers, Paramount announced Monday. Alongside reports that Paramount is expected to purchase Bari Weiss’ Free Press and bring her into an editorial role at CBS, the moves mark a new era for the network that has been accused of systemic anti-Israel bias…
Embracing their anti-Israel bona fides, hundreds of actors, filmmakers and film industry workers recently signed a pledge to boycott Israel, which says it was inspired by filmmakers who refused to screen their films in apartheid South Africa.
The signatories, including Hollywood stars such as Alyssa Milano, Mark Ruffalo, Anna Shaffer, Ayo Edebiri, Cynthia Nixon, Hannah Einbinder and Ilana Glazer, promised “not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions — including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies — that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”…
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said in comments to Jewish leaders in New York City today that some of her fellow Democratic lawmakers are inadvertently fueling antisemitism through the rhetoric and slogans they use, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
“When they say words like ‘river to the sea,’ whey they say words like ‘globalize the intifada,’ it means end Israel. It means destroy Jews,” Gillibrand said. Intifada, she continued, is “not a social movement. It’s terrorism, it’s destruction, it’s death.”
The New York senator had previously offered strong condemnation of NYC Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani for his refusal to condemn the “globalize the intifada” slogan and has not endorsed his bid for mayor…
Mamdani’s opponent, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, meanwhile, officially dropped the ballot line “EndAntiSemitism,” running only on the “Safe & Affordable” line, after the New York City Board of Elections said he couldn’t run on both. Adams’ campaign spokesperson said he intends to pursue legal options over the issue…
Graham Platner, an anti-Israel Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, wrote in a high school op-ed shortly after 9/11, during the Second Intifada in Israel, that the media provides an “incomplete story” of terrorist acts and writes “incomplete coverage” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “where a sometimes-oppressive Israeli state can be, and often is, portrayed as a victim.”
Platner and his co-authors argued in the article in a local Maine outlet, unearthed by the Free Beacon, that ending terrorist acts would be “best achieved by understanding the circumstances under which they were committed”…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for an interview with former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, whose new book As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us, comes out Tuesday.
It’s a busy week in Washington, where the 2025 MEAD Summit will kick off tomorrow. The high-profile but elusive gathering will bring together top American and U.S. security officials, diplomats, lawmakers, philanthropists, CEOs and journalists. If you’re attending, make sure to say hello to JI’s Josh Kraushaar and Gabby Deutch!
The Iran Conference, hosted by the National Union for Democracy in Iran, will also begin in Washington tomorrow for analysts, policymakers and activists to discuss Iran policy, just two months after U.S. and Israeli strikes decimated Tehran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
On the Hill, the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing on “unmasking union antisemitism.”
Virginia’s 11th Congressional District is holding its special election tomorrow to fill the seat of the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). James Walkinshaw, Connolly’s longtime former aide, is the heavy favorite to win. Read JI’s interview with Walkinshaw here.
Looking to New York City, The MirYam Institute will hold an international security benefit briefing tomorrow featuring former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett; nearby, the Soufan Center will begin its Global Summit on Terrorism and Political Violence, meant to honor the memory of 9/11 victims and address emerging global threats.
The Florida Holocaust Museum is reopening tomorrow with a ribbon-cutting ceremony after an extensive period of renovation.
Abroad, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will host its belated July 4 party tomorrow, and the Hili Forum will convene its last day in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, covering trade, tech and governance. DSEI U.K., a large defense trade show, is starting up in London, where protests are expected against the dozens of Israeli firms that are participating.
Stories You May Have Missed
CANDIDATE CRITIQUE
Lawler challenger Peter Chatzky says Israel violating U.S. arms sales laws
The Democratic candidate also said he does not believe that far-left NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is ‘taking actions I would claim to be antisemitic’
ACROSS THE POND
U.K. Cabinet shake-up not likely to change British position on Israel, experts say
On Sunday, British Jews marched to protest against rising antisemitism in the country
She also doubled down on her condemnation of the slogan ‘globalize the intifada,’ over which she previously criticized mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks at a news conference following a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on October 31, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said in comments to Jewish leaders in New York City on Monday that anti-Israel protesters and, in some cases, fellow Democratic lawmakers are fueling antisemitism through the rhetoric and slogans they use, though she said that in many cases it is unintentional.
“Some of the rhetoric that comes out of various protests globally, various protests on college campuses is so damaging. When they say words like ‘river to the sea,’ whey they say words like ‘globalize the intifada,’ it means end Israel. It means destroy Jews,” Gillibrand said in a video from a roundtable with Jewish leaders in Borough Park shared by The Forward. “No matter what words they intend to be saying, that is the meaning of these simple phrases.”
Intifada, she continued, is “not a social movement. It’s terrorism, it’s destruction, it’s death.”
The New York senator has been particularly outspoken about the “intifada” rhetoric in the context of the New York City mayoral race. She previously offered strong condemnation of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani for his refusal to condemn the “globalize the intifada” slogan and said that Jewish constituents were alarmed by his past comments.
Gillibrand also claimed Mamdani had made “references to global jihad,” but later apologized. She has not endorsed Mamdani’s mayoral bid.
The New York senator said she would work with Democratic colleagues “who sometimes, in my opinion, don’t use the right words or aren’t sensitive to the impact of those words” and explain to them how their comments are being received and contributing to antisemitism, and to rally them to support efforts to fight antisemitism.
“Nine times out of 10, they aren’t trying to be antisemitic or even trying to be anti-Israel. They just think they’re fighting for human rights,” Gillibrand continued, “but the words they often choose to use are very hurtful and harmful and are undermining.”
“It is very hurtful and it makes people feel like sometimes the members of our party do not have their back, and I think that’s very disruptive and damaging for our community, for our state, for our brothers and sisters,” Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand added that leaders and individuals have to “understand the impact of their words in all contexts,” including to the Muslim community and other faith and immigrant communities.
She also insisted that “nine out of 10 Democrats are pro-Israel and want peace in the Middle East,” though a majority of the Senate Democratic caucus recently voted in favor of blocking some arms sales to Israel.
Gillibrand argued that many of her colleagues’ concerns are driven by the political leadership in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right members of the Israeli government.
“They don’t know how to articulate political disagreement, and sometimes it comes out as anti-Israel,” she said. “I try very hard to explain that your intentions are one thing, but how you’re received is another, and that’s where we get the disconnect.”
Plus, United resumes Washington, Chicago routes to TLV
Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images
(L-R) Mr. Michael Schill, President, Northwestern University, Dr. Jonathan Holloway, President, Rutgers University and Mr. Frederick Lawrence testify at a hearing called "Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos" before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Good Thursday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Kicking off the new school year, embattled Northwestern University President Michael Schill announced today he is stepping down as president, remaining in an interim role until his successor is chosen.
Schill’s tenure coincided with a period of antisemitic turmoil on the Chicago-area campus and he was accused of handling the issue poorly, leading some lawmakers to call for his resignation.
A brief recap of Schill’s troubled tenure: He acceded to several demands of an anti-Israel encampment on campus in the spring of 2024, drawing condemnation from Jewish leaders and leading several Jewish members of Northwestern’s antisemitism advisory committee to step down. He then defended the move in a heated House Education and Workforce Committee hearing as being in the interest of Jewish students and was recalled by the committee this spring due to his alleged failure to live up to his own commitments from the previous hearing.
Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) said in a statement today that “President Schill will leave behind a legacy of not only failing to deter antisemitism on campus but worsening it. … Northwestern’s next president must take prompt and effective action to protect Jewish students.”
In his resignation announcement, Schill said that “from the very beginning of my tenure, Northwestern faced serious and often painful challenges. … I was always guided by enduring values of our University: protecting students, fostering academic excellence, and defending faculty, academic freedom, due process and the integrity of the institution”…
Columbia University, meanwhile, hired Jonathon Kahn as its senior associate dean of community and culture, a new position created to “build and lead initiatives that cultivate curiosity, civic purpose and meaningful dialogue” and “reimagine what a liberal arts and sciences education can be in the next century,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Kahn signed a 2021 letter supporting the Palestinian “indigenous resistance movement” and rejecting “the fiction of a ‘two-sided conflict,’” accusing Israel of carrying out “settler colonialism, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing”…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called an Israeli proposal by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to annex parts of the West Bank “wholly predictable” in response to European countries’ planned recognition of a Palestinian state.
Rubio said, “We told all these countries. We said, if you guys do this recognition stuff — it’s all fake, it’s not even real — if you do it, you’re going to create big problems. There’s going to be a response from Israel … and it may even trigger these sorts of actions that you’ve seen, or at least these attempts at these actions. So we’re watching it closely.”
Rubio, who was asked about the issue today at a press conference in Quito, Ecuador, continued, “What you’re seeing with the West Bank and the annexation, that’s not a final thing. That’s something that’s being discussed among some elements of Israeli politics. I’m not going to opine on that today.”
“And by the way, let me tell you something. The minute, the day that the French announced their [intent to recognize a Palestinian state], Hamas walked away from the negotiating table. … We also warned that that would happen, and it did. Sometimes, these guys don’t listen,” Rubio said.
The issue of West Bank annexation was due to be discussed in a high-level meeting convened by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today but was reportedly removed from the agenda after the UAE warned such a move would be a “red line” for regional normalization…
Israeli officials told The Wall Street Journal that Mossad Director David Barnea and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have joined IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in expressing hesitation to Netanyahu over the IDF’s plan to expand its offensive into Gaza City. They have also argued in favor of reaching a partial hostage-release deal with Hamas as an alternative to the comprehensive deal Israel is currently seeking…
A viral accusation that the IDF killed an 8-year-old Palestinian boy at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid site in May was proven false when the boy was found to be alive and safely extracted from the Gaza Strip. The claim had been made by Anthony Aguilar, a former GHF contractor and Green Beret, who repeated the story on far-right and far-left media outlets.
Johnnie Moore, head of the GHF, said in a statement today, “When this lie was brazenly, cravenly shared from the press to the halls of Congress, our team set out to find this little boy — whatever it took.” He attributed the success to “veterans who never stopped working to find him and bring him to safety in the most complex environment imaginable”…
A report by the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency, obtained by the Associated Press, found that, as of one day before Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities began, Iran had escalated its nuclear enrichment and increased its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium to where it could soon produce at least one atomic bomb…
On the Hill, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked the FBI to investigate the Palestinian Youth Movement as a “threat to U.S. national security” after one of its leader, Aisha Nizar, called for Palestinian activists to “disrupt” the supply chain for F-35 fighter jets at the recent People’s Conference for Palestine in Michigan…
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), who is running for Senate in Georgia, filed a resolution today to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for “promoting and cheering on terrorism and antisemitism” at the same conference…
Semafor’s David Weigel reports from this year’s National Conservatism conference, which is winding down in Washington today and featured a host of high-level right-wing personalities from Trump administration officials to lawmakers and influencers.
Conference speakers and attendees were jubilant over what they view as conservative successes in President Donald Trump’s second term, but there was one “possible future sore point that conference organizer Yoram Hazony acknowledged openly: Israel.”
“Hazony was upset by the ‘depth of the slander of Jews as a people’ that he saw in corners of the online right. The Israel critics in their fold could make the nationalist ‘revolution consume itself,’ he added, and risk everything,” Weigel wrote…
In long anticipated news, United Airlines announced today it’s restarting direct flights to Tel Aviv from Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles in early November…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reporting on a new cross-faith initiative to address antisemitism led by Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
This weekend, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be campaigning with New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani in the next installment of Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy tour, after an appearance in Maine last weekend with anti-Israel Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
Stories You May Have Missed
ENVOY INTERVIEW
Amb. Leiter: Nature of U.S.-Israel aid may change in coming years
‘It’s a very partisan atmosphere in Washington right now. Strong support for Israel in the [Trump] administration almost drives the Democratic opposition into opposing very close support for Israel,’ the ambassador said
EYE ON ANKARA
Lawmakers take aim at Turkey in 2026 defense bill
House lawmakers introduce series of amendments seeking to place further restrictions on U.S. aid on Ankara over its support for Hamas and hostility toward Israel
The freshman New York congressman also said that Israel must do more to pursue an end to the war, make its case to the world and provide aid in Gaza
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks to supporters after winning his race against Democratic incumbent Representative Jamaal Bowman in the 16th Congressional District of New York's Democratic primary.
Having recently returned from a trip to Israel, Rep. George Latimer (D-NY) is emphasizing that Israel’s critics in the United States and around the world are overlooking Hamas’ key role in perpetuating the conflict and contributing to the humanitarian issues in Gaza, strengthening the terrorist group’s position and insulating it from external pressures.
At the same time, the New York Democrat also said that Israel must do more to pursue an end to the war, make its case to the world and provide aid in Gaza.
Latimer, speaking to Jewish Insider last week, said that the trip, organized by the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation for Democratic freshmen and leading Democratic lawmakers, had reinforced his view that the situation on the ground is more complicated than the more simplistic narratives demonizing Israel that have been spread by some critics and media.
“When you see on the ground, you understand it is not a simple black-and-white situation,” Latimer, a first-term congressman from Westchester County, N.Y., who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said. “People come up to me and say, ‘Israel is practicing genocide. What they’re doing is evil and we need to stop it.’ And then you get on the ground and you realize how much more complicated it is than that.”
He said that American critics of Israel fail to acknowledge Hamas’ “role in all of this and its contributory actions.” He said he sees a “lack of appreciation here in the United States that Hamas is committed — has shown no signs to want to sit, talk peace, have a cessation of hostilities. … That makes it very, very hard to plot a strategy, if the other side is completely intransigent.”
Latimer said the situation is comparable to overlooking the fact that the U.S. entered World War II because Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, or that the U.S. invaded Afghanistan because of the 9/11 attacks. He said that the “mindset” that motivated such attacks doesn’t disappear overnight, and can take protracted conflict to address.
At the same time, he said that “there’s a gap between what [the Israeli government] needs to be doing and what it is doing, and it’s a serious gap.” He said he doesn’t see proposals to relocate the population of Gaza out of the enclave, discussed during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as “workable” or “humane.”
He addressed friction within Israeli society over Israel’s war plans in Gaza, and said that Netanyahu’s decision-making may be shaped by his far-right coalition members, adding that “if there’s no movement from Hamas, what can you ask Israel to do unilaterally?”
“So Netanyahu’s strategies present as intransigent in the face of intransigence on the other side,” Latimer continued. “You need some joint breakthrough where both sides step back from the path that they’re on, and both sides have to be willing to do that, if you can expect the other side to also then do that.”
He noted the difficulty of forcing a dug-in enemy like Hamas to surrender, comparing it to the challenge of forcing a Japanese surrender during WWII.
Latimer unseated Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), a vocal Israel critic, in the 2024 Democratic primary, boosted by significant support from his district’s Jewish community as well as national pro-Israel groups.
Latimer told JI he thinks Israel has not done enough to try to win over or influence global opinion in its favor. Latimer said he believes that the Israeli government views such efforts as a lost cause and not worth attempting.
“There’s a case to be made [for Israel]. But in lieu of that, the rhetoric is all what Israel is doing and not doing, and how evil they are, when, in fact, all of this came from an attack that was horrific on Oct. 7,” Latimer said.
He said that there have been “atrocities” on the Israeli side, pointing broadly to settler violence in the West Bank, but said that “the question is, overall, are you weighing all of these things together, or as the world opinion, and much of the United States opinion, particularly among younger people, has been framed completely around ‘Israel bad,’” ignoring the “evil that’s been done on behalf of the other side of this. That is a contributing reason why we’re in the situation we’re in.”
“The fact that people are starving is horrific. But as long as the world blames Israel for it solely, Hamas is winning. Why would they change any strategies?” Latimer said. “The leaders of Hamas are not sitting in the tunnels. … They’re sitting in the safety of the protection of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan or over in Qatar. Therefore, they’re not under the pressure.”
Latimer said that the food supply in Gaza was a key issue he examined on the trip, calling starvation in Gaza a “legitimate” problem.
He said that the current four Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution sites are “nowhere near enough,” given the “massive number of people that need to be fed and housed.”
But he added that Hamas being “unwilling to cooperate” in the safe delivery of aid is an impediment to efforts to improve the humanitarian situation and that the United Nations “in the eyes of the Israelis, has lost credibility.”
He said that the best path forward would likely be for a coalition of Arab countries to take the lead of a humanitarian aid distribution entity: “We need to have a third party that has credibility.”
“Israel is not doing enough to solve the problem, and Hamas is doing things to prohibit the problem from being solved,” Latimer said, calling on Israel to work to increase the number of food distribution centers and strengthen supply lines and on Hamas to stop attempting to intercept food and sow chaos at distribution sites.
“The fact that people are starving is horrific. But as long as the world blames Israel for it solely, Hamas is winning. Why would they change any strategies?” he said. “The leaders of Hamas are not sitting in the tunnels. … They’re sitting in the safety of the protection of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan or over in Qatar. Therefore, they’re not under the pressure.”
“What I saw in September 2005 gave me hope. What I see when I go back 20 years later is, you shake your head and you go, ‘Why did it turn out this way?’” Latimer said. “Did it turn out this way because Israel wanted it to turn out this way? Israel didn’t want Oct. 7. Israel didn’t want all of its young men in the reserves and active duty, constantly on a wartime footing.”
He declined to weigh in definitively — citing the limited information at his disposal and his limited power as a lone congressman — on whether the U.S. needs to increase pressure on its allies in Turkey or Qatar to expel or detain those Hamas leaders, but said that “clearly there has been insufficient pressure on Hamas” because its leaders have shown no urgency to return the hostages, negotiate in good faith or participate in un-corrupted food distribution.
Latimer said he first traveled to Israel two decades ago, just after the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, and that there was hope at the time that the Israeli withdrawal would “allow the opportunity for Gaza to experience peace and some kind of growth.”
“What I saw in September 2005 gave me hope. What I see when I go back 20 years later is, you shake your head and you go, ‘Why did it turn out this way?’” Latimer said. “Did it turn out this way because Israel wanted it to turn out this way? Israel didn’t want Oct. 7. Israel didn’t want all of its young men in the reserves and active duty, constantly on a wartime footing.”
He said that if Gaza’s leaders had pursued growth and development over the past 20 years, “we could be in a very different place today,” but instead Hamas seized power and used Gaza as a platform to attack Israel.
Asked about recent decisions by European countries to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, which came around the time of Latimer’s trip, the congressman said that he supports a two-state solution, but one that “comes out of a negotiated process,” noting the many outstanding issues to be worked through.
“You cannot expect Israel to survive with a hostile entity interspersed with its borders, and yet be its own country. And there has to be a sense that this country can function and provide its services to its people and maintain civil control. None of those things are automatically in place yet, so I don’t know what we’re recognizing in substance,” Latimer said.
“I think what we’re recognizing in symbolism is European countries that basically are saying, ‘We need to have a two state solution,’ and probably their population is reacting to what’s happening in the moment and putting pressure on their governments to do this,” he continued.
“The Palestinian Authority certainly has a steep mountain to climb, but right now, they’re the best hope that you have of a presence — and certainly it’s not Hamas, it’s certainly not coming out of any of the groups that Iran is backing or has backed,” Latimer said.
Based on the delegation’s meeting with Palestinian Authority leaders, Latimer said that he believes there is an “intent” and “willingness” in the PA to pursue needed reform and bolster credibility with the Palestinian population.
“How much success they’re going to have with the civilian population to accomplish those things — it’s going to be a tall task,” he said.
At the same time, he noted that some Arab governments such as those in Jordan and Egypt maintain cooperative relationships with Israel even as many of their citizens remain hostile.
“The Palestinian Authority certainly has a steep mountain to climb, but right now, they’re the best hope that you have of a presence — and certainly it’s not Hamas, it’s certainly not coming out of any of the groups that Iran is backing or has backed,” he continued.
In the long term, Latimer added, the Abraham Accords represent a path forward for the region, and said that moderate Sunni Arab states want to see a viable and demilitarized Palestinian Authority government that can credibly govern the Palestinian people.
Plus, former Sen. Sununu considers a New Hampshire comeback
Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Adrienne Adams, New York City mayoral candidate, from left, Brad Lander, New York City mayoral candidate, Jessica Ramos, New York City mayoral candidate, Zellnor Myrie, New York City mayoral candidate, Andrew Cuomo, New York City mayoral candidate, Whitney Tilson, New York City mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, Michael Blake, New York City mayoral candidate, and Scott Stringer, New York City mayoral candidate, during a mayoral Democratic primary debate in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Good Wednesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Advisors to President Donald Trump have discussed giving New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa positions in the president’s administration, sources tell The New York Times, in order to consolidate New York City voters behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, as a bid to block far-left Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s path to Gracie Mansion.
Adams has already been offered a position at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Politico reports.
Cuomo told a group of donors last month that he anticipated Trump would get involved in the race and help bolster his prospects…
Turning internationally, Trump appeared to support Israel’s desire for a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza, as he posted this morning on Truth Social, “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!”
The figure of 20 hostages likely refers to the hostages thought to still be alive; there are a total of 50 hostages being held in Gaza…
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee held a closed-door briefing for members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee this morning on issues including the hostages and developments in the West Bank, lawmakers told Jewish Insider.
“Given the insistence on the part of the French and other Europeans to recognize a Palestinian state, I thought it was important for my colleagues to have a greater understanding of what we’re actually talking about with respect to Judea and Samaria, or the West Bank, and how it is actually governed post-Oslo,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who organized the briefing, said.
Asked whether the group had discussed a potential declaration of Israeli sovereignty in that area, Lawler responded, “No, we had a broad discussion on the entirety of the situation there”…
On the campaign trail, former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) is considering a bid for Senate to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), telling a local outlet he will make a decision by the end of the month.
Sununu would be a formidable candidate in the race, given his name recognition and family connections. (His brother, Chris, served as the state’s popular governor from 2017-2025, and his dad was both the state’s former governor and former President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff.)
But in a year that’s shaping up to be favorable for Democrats, Sununu would face a challenging race against Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), the expected Democratic nominee with a history of winning tough races in a swing district. Pappas launched his candidacy in April shortly after Shaheen announced her retirement…
In academic news, a federal judge ruled today that the Trump administration broke the law in freezing billions of dollars of Harvard’s research funding.
The government had argued that Harvard was no longer deserving of the funds due to antisemitism on campus, but Judge Allison Burroughs wrote, “We must fight against antisemitism, but we equally need to protect our rights, including our right to free speech, and neither goal should nor needs to be sacrificed on the altar of the other … Harvard is currently, even if belatedly, taking steps it needs to take to combat antisemitism and seems willing to do even more if need be.”
The ruling strengthens Harvard’s position in settlement talks with the administration, which were expected to result in a $500 million fine for the university…
After the International Association of Genocide Scholars adopted a resolution accusing Israel of committing genocide, pro-Israel activists made a mockery of the organization by registering to become members online, highlighting that anyone could join the respected academic and professional organization by paying a nominal fee, not necessarily by having recognized expertise.
IAGS took down its member profiles on its website and shut down its X account after the issue was made public…
Yair Rosenberg chronicles the rise of Hitler apologists among far-right media personalities, including Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, in The Atlantic, highlighting several guests on Carlson’s podcast who have sought to recast Hitler’s actions as misunderstood.
“Carlson and his fellow travelers on the far right correctly identify the Second World War as a pivot point in America’s understanding of itself and its attitude toward its Jewish citizens. The country learned hard lessons from the Nazi Holocaust about the catastrophic consequences of conspiratorial prejudice. Today, a growing constituency on the right wants the nation to unlearn them,” Rosenberg writes…
In a move exciting political junkies and congressional watchers around the nation, C-SPAN announced it will be coming to YouTube TV and Hulu this fall…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for an interview with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter on the future of U.S. aid to Israel and reporting on a leading Democratic candidate for Senate in Iowa’s support for conditions on Israel’s fight against terror.
Tomorrow, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to meet with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican (after a brief diplomatic kerfuffle over who initiated the meeting) to discuss the hostages and the war in Gaza. Herzog was meant to meet with the pope’s predecessor, Pope Francis, before his death.
Stories You May Have Missed
SUCCESSION IN MANHATTAN
Nadler’s handpicked successor drawing scrutiny over Mamdani endorsement
Like the retiring congressman, New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher endorsed the anti-Israel mayoral nominee
MILITARY MUSCLE
China uses WWII memory to project power in military parade and international diplomacy
The parade was an example of how Beijing has used WWII not only to encourage nationalism, but to project power internationally, from Jerusalem to Taipei and beyond
At the same time, the legislation cuts funding for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by nearly $50 million
David Ake/Getty Images
U.S. Department of Education headquarters building in Washington, DC.
The House Appropriations Committee’s proposed funding bill for the Department of Education includes sweeping new provisions cutting off funding for colleges and universities that fail to address campus antisemitism, but would also cut $49 million in funding for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in 2026.
New language included in the bill states that no federal funding may be provided to institutions of higher education “unless and until such institution adopts a prohibition on antisemitic conduct that creates a hostile environment in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in all documents relating to student or employee conduct.”
The bill also bans funding to schools that have “failed to take administrative action against any student, staff member, or student group that commits acts of antisemitism while utilizing the facilities, grounds, or resources of such institution.”
The former provision would require schools to specifically implement anti-discrimination policies regarding antisemitism as a precondition of federal funding, while the latter could give the Department of Education additional latitude to cut funding to schools that have allowed antisemitic conduct to go unaddressed or unpunished.
At the same time, the bill would provide $91 million in funding for the Office for Civil Rights, down from $140 million provided in several previous years. The Trump administration, in its budget request to Congress, requested the same cut, as it looks to slash the size of the Department of Education while winding down the department.
The Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Programs voted along party lines to advance the bill to the full committee on Tuesday evening.
The funding proposal sets up a clash with the Senate, which proposed consistent funding at $140 million for the office in its own appropriations legislation, which the Senate Appropriations Committee passed at the end of July. The Senate bill does not include the new language relating to antisemitism.
A large coalition of Jewish community groups across the ideological spectrum previously urged the “highest possible funding” for the Office for Civil Rights, though others in the Jewish community have argued that the office does not require additional funding, instead needing only to better-prioritize resolving antisemitism cases.
House Democrats have frequently pointed to Republicans’ efforts to cut funding for the office as evidence that Republicans are not serious about confronting campus antisemitism. Key Republicans expressed support for the Trump administration’s proposal to cut funding for the office earlier this year.
“The Office for Civil Rights is on the front lines of the fight against rising antisemitism at universities and K-12 schools. It’s absurd to cut their budget when complaints are at an all-time high,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “Republicans have no interest in the hard work of enforcing protections for Jewish students on campus.”
Lauren Wolman, the senior director of government relations and strategy for the Anti-Defamation League, expressed support for the new provisions on campus antisemitism while warning about the OCR cuts.
“We appreciate the committee’s focus on the crisis of antisemitism in education and commitment to ensuring there are consequences when antisemitism occurs. The Appropriations Committee underscores this point forcefully and urgently,” Wolman said. “But if Congress simultaneously defunds the very office charged with investigating and enforcing Title VI, those consequences may never be realized. Jewish students need real accountability, backed by resources, enforcement, and monitoring.”
A spokesperson for the Jewish Federations of North America said, “This is the first step in a long process of appropriations, and we look forward to working with Congress to ensure that OCR has the resources necessary to effectively fulfill its mission.”
Like the retiring congressman, New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher endorsed the anti-Israel mayoral nominee
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) speaks to the media before as closed door meeting at Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) surprise decision on Monday to retire at the end of his current term has set off what is expected to be a crowded primary to succeed the long-serving Jewish Democrat — with a growing number of candidates weighing bids for the coveted Manhattan House seat he has held for more than three decades.
The looming open-seat primary has also raised questions about whether candidates will embrace Nadler’s increasingly skeptical views on Israel, and how the issue will shape the race. The 78-year-old lawmaker, who represents one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the nation, has long identified as a pro-Israel progressive, even as he has vocally criticized Israel’s conduct during its ongoing war in Gaza and drew scrutiny from some Jewish community leaders over his early endorsement of Zohran Mamdani, the far-left Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.
In an interview first announcing his retirement on Monday, Nadler, the dean of New York’s congressional delegation, told The New York Times that he believed Israel was committing mass murder and war crimes in Gaza “without question,” and said he would back efforts to withhold offensive weapons transfers to Israel during the rest of his term — in a sharp break from his previous stance on continued military aid to the Jewish state.
It remains to be seen how Nadler’s approach will influence the race. The list of potential candidates includes Micah Lasher, a Jewish assemblyman who is expected to claim Nadler’s blessing, according to people familiar with the situation. Lasher, a former aide to Nadler, has built strong ties to the pro-Israel community, but he faced backlash from local rabbis over his similarly quick choice to support Mamdani, in spite of the nominee’s hostile views on Israel.
One Jewish leader said it was premature to draw conclusions about Lasher’s positions on Israel, while voicing confidence that he “makes up his own mind” on tough issues, regardless of where his allies may stand.
“Lasher is center-left but has always been relatively moderate on Israel,” a pro-Israel strategist added in assessing the assemblyman’s stances on the Middle East.
Still, “the Zohran thing threw a lot of people off,” another Jewish leader said of Lasher, 43. “I do worry with Micah that, because of the political pressures, he could end up turning himself into a Jerry.”
Lasher did not respond to a request for comment from Jewish Insider on Tuesday.
Despite speculation about his approach, Jewish activists and some Democratic strategists broadly suggested that the pro-Israel community would, by varying degrees, likely be comfortable with Lasher, in addition to other lawmakers from state and local office who are said to be mulling campaigns of their own in Nadler’s district, which covers Manhattan’s Upper West and East Sides.
Among them are two City Council members, Erik Bottcher and Julie Menin, who are also eyeing bids for state Senate and Council speaker, respectively. Menin, a Jewish Democrat, was among some local elected officials who chose not to attend a meeting with Mamdani this summer that had been organized by Nadler, a person familiar with the matter told JI. Keith Powers, a city councilman who recently lost a bid for Manhattan borough president and is looking at another open state Senate race, is also weighing a bid, sources said, as is Alex Bores, an assemblyman on the East Side.
“I commend Congressman Nadler for his years of public service,” Bores said in a statement shared with JI on Tuesday, indicating he is exploring a bid for the open House seat. “Rep. Nadler has always led with his convictions and cared deeply about his constituents; that is the exact kind of representation that the people of the 12th Congressional District deserve.”
Pro-Israel strategists indicated that they had more urgent concerns about another possible candidate, Lina Khan, the former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission and a progressive icon who now lives in Harlem and has been “shopping around for a district for months,” according to a source familiar with the situation.
Khan, whose name has been floated as a potential candidate, could be a prolific fundraiser in a campaign, sources speculated. While she does not appear to have publicly addressed key Middle East questions, the anti-monopoly advocate has praised Mamdani’s campaign, raising early concerns that he would have a close and powerful ally in Congress if both are elected. Khan did not respond to a request for comment about her plans.
In addition to Khan, another prominent figure whose name has been privately mentioned in the days after Nadler’s unexpected announcement is Chelsea Clinton, according to people familiar with the conversations. Clinton has not confirmed her interest in the race to succeed Nadler but is actively considering a campaign after debating a run for an open City Council seat last cycle, said one person informed of her thinking. Her mother, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, voiced appreciation for Nadler in a social media post on Tuesday, after he officially announced his departure from the House.
Chelsea Clinton, 45, has been outspoken against antisemitism and would bring considerable name recognition to the race, though pro-Israel activists said they were largely unfamiliar with her views on Israel’s war in Gaza.
The primary is likely to draw outside spending from pro-Israel groups including AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel, both of which have engaged in a number of House races where divisions over Middle East policy have fueled mounting tensions amid the war in Gaza.
Brian Romick, chairman of DMFI’s political arm, DMFI PAC, said the group “will be watching closely as the field takes shape and look forward to meeting with the candidates.”
A spokesperson for AIPAC declined to comment on Tuesday.
Two potential candidates who would likely align most closely with AIPAC and are currently weighing bids include Natalie Barth, a philanthropist who has previously served as the president of Park Avenue Synagogue, and Elisha Wiesel, son of the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel, people familiar with their plans told JI.
Wiesel, who has been critical of Mamdani’s approach to Israel and antisemitism, had endorsed former Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) when she ran against Nadler in a bitterly contested primary three years ago.
Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund executive who ran a failed campaign for New York City mayor as a moderate pro-Israel Democrat, is also considering a bid to replace Nadler, writing in a social media post on Tuesday that residents of the district, which had narrowly favored Mamdani in the primary, “have a special responsibility to lead the” fight against President Donald Trump, “defend the rule of law” and “support our allies, especially Israel and Ukraine.”
Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish campus activist who has celebrated Trump’s crackdown on antisemitism, also confirmed to JI on Tuesday that he is weighing a campaign, saying he has been “encouraged to run by a group of New Yorkers from a broad ideological spectrum.”
“I am actively considering it,” he said. “If I can make a positive difference to my city and community, I would be foolish not to. There is a strong desire amongst New York Democrats for a return to normalcy. The party has steered too far to the left and I will help in any way I can, including running for office.”
Some observers have suggested that Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), a moderate Jewish Democrat whose deeply progressive district includes Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, could potentially jump over to Nadler’s race — where he could face a more friendly electorate and forestall challengers to his left.
But a spokesperson for Goldman, Simone Kanter, dismissed such speculation. “No truth at all, no idea where that’s coming from,” he told JI on Tuesday.
As the field takes shape, Nadler is already facing a younger challenger, Liam Elkind, who in his launch video in July called on the veteran congressman to retire to make room for a new generation of party leadership.
But Elkind, a 26-year-old nonprofit leader who is running on a broadly pro-Israel platform, is likely to face an uphill battle with the primary now expected to draw more well-known rivals with establishment credentials.
Plus, Platner doubles down on anti-Israel fixation
Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images
A general view of Jerusalem on June 13, 2025.
Good Tuesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is unusually focused on anti-Israel attacks in his bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Jewish Insider‘s Marc Rod reports. Every one of Platner’s active ads on Facebook and Instagram, as well as many of his written advertisements, include a repudiation of AIPAC and around half accuse Israel of genocide…
In another Senate race to keep an eye on, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) hinted she’ll be running to replace Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who this afternoon officially announced her retirement from the Senate at the end of her current term. Hinson said she would be President Donald Trump’s “strongest ally in the Senate” and “will have an announcement soon”…
Meanwhile in Foggy Bottom, a State Department cable sent to U.S. embassies on Aug. 18 indicated the department has suspended approvals for almost all Palestinians seeking to enter the U.S. on visitor visas, The New York Times reports, shortly before the department revoked visas for Palestinian Authority officials ahead of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York this month. The suspension could prevent Palestinians from entering the country for medical treatment, attendance at American universities, business travel and more…
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced today that they will co-chair another conference on the two-state solution on Sept. 22 on the sidelines of the UNGA, where several European countries are expected to announce their recognition of a Palestinian state.
Macron called the U.S.’ decision to revoke the visas of PA officials “unacceptable” and said it must be reversed.
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly asking him to reconsider the revocation of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ visa to attend the UNGA, arguing it was made on “false pretenses,” according to Axios…
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee recently told Israeli officials the Trump administration is concerned about the security implications of a potential economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. “If the Palestinian economy completely collapses, it will not be a victory for anyone. … Desperate people do desperate things,” Huckabee told Israel’s Channel 12…
Rubio is expected to visit Israel the week of Sept. 14 where he will reportedly attend the Sept. 15 inauguration ceremony for the “Pilgrimage Road” at the City of David archeological site, a recently discovered path that led to the Temple Mount during the Second Temple Period. (Read JI’s coverage of the Pilgrimage Road excavation here)…
Also making the long flight, several high-profile venture capitalists, including Palantir co-founders Peter Thiel and Joe Lonsdale as well as Elad Gil and Keith Rabois, were in Israel this past weekend where they attended the wedding of VC investor Zach Frenkel. Some of the attendees reportedly met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while in town…
Michael Velchik, the Department of Justice’s lawyer defending the Trump administration in its battle against Harvard in federal court, called Hitler’s Mein Kampf his favorite book and wrote a paper from the dictator’s perspective during his time as a Harvard undergraduate, which “so unnerved the instructor that he was asked to redo the assignment,” The Boston Globe reports. Velchik said in court in July that Harvard no longer deserved federal funding based on its “wanton” and “deliberate indifference to antisemitism”…
Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, called the International Association of Genocide Scholars’ declaration that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza “one of the most egregious examples of the dereliction of scholarly responsibility in recent history.”
The IAGS resolution, approved by less than a third of its members over the weekend, “reflects not one iota of original or independent research,” Satloff wrote, instead relying on findings from the U.N., Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and anti-Israel human rights organizations…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reporting on China’s shifting rhetoric on Israel amid its aggressive posturing on the international stage, as well as an interview with Rep. George Latimer (D-NY) about his recent trip to Israel with a delegation of freshman Democratic members.
We’re tracking the many potential candidates who may join the race to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), after he announced his retirement last night.
Though Nadler is expected to support his former aide, state Assemblyman Micah Lasher, as his successor, politicos speculate other contenders for the Manhattan district could include high-profile New Yorkers from Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who represents a neighboring district, to Lina Khan, the former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission.
Liam Elkind, a 26-year-old Jewish nonprofit leader who launched his bid in July to unseat Nadler in a generational challenge, is also still in the race. Stay tuned to JI for coverage as the field develops.
Tonight, the House Appropriations Committee‘s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Programs Subcommittee will vote on a funding bill for the Department of Education that includes sweeping new provisions restricting federal funding for universities that fail to address antisemitism but also cuts funding for the Office for Civil Rights.
Also tonight, the Senate will begin the process of finalizing the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which may include votes on several amendments relating to Middle East defense programs in the coming days.
Tomorrow, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a members-only virtual briefing with Huckabee focused on the West Bank.
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MOU MINEFIELD
Negotiations for next U.S.-Israel aid deal faces uphill battle with changing political tides
The next U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding will need to be secured in a political environment much more hostile to Israel than 10 years ago
WISDOM CARRIED FORWARD
New Humash features Rabbi Sacks’ posthumously published translations
English translation, commentary by former U.K. chief rabbi seeks to ‘make Torah relevant to us today’
Every one of the ads the Maine Democratic Senate candidate is running on Facebook and Instagram states his opposition to AIPAC, and several accuse Israel of genocide
Graham Platner for Senate
Graham Platner
Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is putting anti-AIPAC and anti-Israel messaging front-and-center in fundraising appeals he’s circulating on social media.
Platner is currently running a series of Facebook and Instagram advertisements soliciting donations for his campaign that highlight his opposition to AIPAC and accuse Israel of committing genocide. The pitches indicate that Platner is treating the issue as central to rallying support for his campaign.
“My opponent has already been endorsed by AIPAC — an endorsement I will never get. Because what is happening right now in Gaza is a genocide,” Platner says in one direct-to-camera video ad focused specifically on his opposition to AIPAC. “I need your help because we refuse to take money from AIPAC, and we refuse to take money from the billionaires who support it.”
Every one of the eight active ads that Platner is running on Facebook and Instagram, according to Meta’s political advertising library tool, includes a repudiation of AIPAC, and around half accuse Israel of genocide. In most of Platner’s other ads, that language comes alongside comments on a range of other issues.
Some of the written advertisements being circulated by Platner’s campaign on Facebook and Instagram include language such as “there is a genocide happening in Palestine,” “why are we funding Netanyau’s genocide in Palestine?” and “I won’t kowtow to AIPAC or billionaires.”
Platner’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Platner, in the days since launching his campaign, has been repeatedly and vocally critical of Israel and of AIPAC, including calling the group “weird.”
Platner’s potential general election opponent, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has been a vocal supporter of Israel in the Senate, as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. It’s not clear yet how Platner’s stance on Israel will play in the election, but Collins is already attacking him for his views.
The candidate’s advocacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears to date back to his high school days — a page from his yearbook that Platner’s campaign shared on X shows him holding a sign that appears to read “Free Kosovo Chechnya Kashmir Palestine Kurdistan Tibet.”
The progressive stalwart's retirement announcement opens up a recently redrawn Manhattan district that the congressman has held for over three decades
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) arrives to view proceedings in immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on June 18, 2025 in New York City.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), a progressive stalwart and a longtime Democratic pillar on the House Judiciary Committee, announced his retirement Sunday evening, opening up a recently redrawn Manhattan district that the congressman has held for over three decades.
Nadler, whose district has one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the country, has long positioned himself as a progressive pro-Israel advocate, even as he broke with the organized Jewish community on some issues — most notably his support for former President Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement in 2015.
But in recent months, he has emerged as being at odds with the New York Jewish community on some high-profile issues. Even as most of the leading New York state Democratic voices have held back any endorsement of far-left New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, Nadler was one of the first House Democrats to offer the anti-Israel candidate his support — and has worked to secure support from a deeply skeptical Jewish community towards Mamdani.
Nadler has also lately become a sharp critic of the Jewish state, in contrast to his pro-Israel Jewish Democratic colleagues from his home state. In a New York Times interview announcing his departure, he accused Israel of committing mass murder and war crimes in Gaza “without question.” He told the paper that when he returns to Congress, he will support legislation withholding offensive military aid to Israel, joining a growing roster of progressive Democrats in doing so — a move that could give cover for other colleagues to follow suit.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, Nadler saw his national profile grow when he led the first House impeachment hearings against the president as Judiciary Committee chairman, sharing the spotlight with then-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). He came across as a partisan fighter during the process, and played a much more low-profile role during Trump’s second impeachment.
The impeachment fights enhanced his political profile in his solidly liberal district, helping prepare him for a heated primary in 2022 against a longtime colleague, former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, after redistricting put the two Democrats in the same district. Despite the contentious campaign, Nadler comfortably prevailed by 31 points.
And while there are plenty of ambitious New York City Democrats that could run to succeed Nadler, the congressman told the New York Times that he plans to support state Assemblyman Micah Lasher, a former aide, who represents parts of the upper West Side in the state legislature.
Former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor this year, is also from Nadler’s district and could decide to run for Nadler’s seat.
Plus, pro-Israel lawmakers criticize Israel on Syria strikes
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Good Thursday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
A bipartisan group of pro-Israel lawmakers — Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) — released a statement today criticizing Israeli strikes in Syria overnight.
The lawmakers, who recently returned from Syria, said that the message they heard during their visit “was clear: Syria needs a chance to succeed and move past the violence and strife that consumed the country for over 14 years. Last night’s destabilizing strikes on Syria by Israel make that goal more difficult to achieve.”
“The Syrians are prepared to move forward with Israel to advance peace. It is unclear how long the door to this opportunity will remain open. We call on Israel to seize the moment and immediately cease hostilities,” the group said.
The statement is one of the most public signs yet of friction between even staunch supporters of Israel in Congress and the Israeli government over its approach to the new Syrian government, which has included repeated rounds of strikes on Syrian targets even amid diplomatic engagements. Many U.S. lawmakers, meanwhile, are urging a more optimistic approach.
Syrian state media reported that the strikes also included a ground raid by the IDF near Damascus, which would be the first reported instance of an Israeli ground incursion so far into the country’s territory since the fall of the Assad regime. Syrian forces had reportedly recently uncovered surveillance equipment at a military base in the area…
The IDF also carried out strikes today on Houthi military targets in Sanaa, Yemen, after several Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israel in recent days. Israeli media reported that the strikes, one of which targeted a gathering of top Houthi leaders, may have eliminated the terror group’s minister of defense and chief of staff…
Back in Washington, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer reportedly participated in President Donald Trump’s roundtable on Gaza at the White House yesterday, according to Axios, as he made a last-minute visit to the capital.
A source told the outlet that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Trump Mideast advisor Jared Kushner got the green light from the president to develop a post-war plan for Gaza, though few details were hashed out at the meeting.
Dermer reportedly stressed that Israel doesn’t want to occupy Gaza in the long term and wants to see alternative options for parties that could govern Gaza that are not Hamas. “Dermer’s message was: As long as our conditions are met, we will be flexible about everything else,” the source told Axios…
France, Germany and the U.K. sent a letter to members of the U.N. Security Council this morning announcing they are triggering snapback sanctions on Iran, as anticipated after recent diplomatic talks to roll back the Iranian nuclear program yielded little progress.
The move triggers a 30-day timeline before the sanctions go into effect, during which the European countries said they are open to continuing negotiations with Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will work with the UNSC to “successfully complete” the reinstatement of sanctions. “At the same time,” he said, “the United States remains available for direct engagement with Iran … Snapback does not contradict our earnest readiness for diplomacy, it only enhances it.”
Iran has threatened previously to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if snapback sanctions were imposed, which could have wide-ranging consequences, including a potential regional nuclear arms race…
The UNSC was also busy today with a vote to extend the mandate of UNIFIL, the U.N.’s forces in southern Lebanon, whose mission was due to expire on Sunday. The body voted unanimously to extend the mandate one final time until Dec. 31, 2026, when UNIFIL will have one year to withdraw from Lebanon completely.
Dorothy Shea, acting U.S. representative to the U.N., said in a statement supporting the vote, “The United States notes that the first ‘I’ in UNIFIL stands for ‘Interim.’ The time has come for UNIFIL’s mission to end. This is the last time we will support an extension of UNIFIL”…
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) threatened Norway and its officials with retaliatory tariffs and visa restrictions in response to the decision by Norges Bank Investment Management — the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund — to sell its stake in the American machinery company Caterpillar in response to the Israeli military’s use of its products against Palestinians.
“To those who run Norway’s sovereign wealth fund: if you cannot do business with Caterpillar because Israel uses their products, maybe it’s time you’re made aware that doing business or visiting America is a privilege, not a right,” Graham said on X…
Back in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain shared a joint statement after meeting in Jerusalem today, where they agreed that “every effort must be made to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the most vulnerable people where they are, and that humanitarian aid is provided exclusively to civilians”…
Meanwhile, the Boulder chapter of the group “Run for Their Lives,” which hosts weekly marches to advocate for the release of the hostages held in Gaza, announced it will no longer publicly advertise its walking route, after participants faced continued threats and harassment in the wake of a firebombing attack on one gathering several months ago.
In recent weeks, protesters have stalked and shouted slurs at participants, such as “genocidal c**t,” “racist” and “Nazi,” and have threatened organizers’ children, according to the Colorado Jewish Community Relations Council…
No industry is safe: The Wall Street Journal reports on the tech worker “revolt” over Gaza and how companies are responding, including moderating internal message boards by deleting content and closing discussion threads.
Anti-Israel activists have recently escalated their protests against Microsoft, setting up an encampment at the company’s Redmond, Wash., headquarters, occupying President Brad Smith’s office and rowing kayaks up to the waterfront homes of top executives (Microsoft has asked the FBI for help in tracking and combating these activities)…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for reporting on the obstacles Israel and the U.S. may face in negotiating a new memorandum of understanding as the current MOU nears its expiration in 2028.
On Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will host a campaign event with Graham Platner, the anti-Israel Democrat challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), as Collins has been facing increasing antagonism from crowds at home.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Kickoff and the Daily Overtime on Tuesday. Shabbat shalom and happy Labor Day weekend!
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SULLIVAN SAYS
Jake Sullivan says he now supports withholding weapons from Israel
In an interview with ‘The Bulwark,’ the former national security advisor argued that the argument in favor of restricting military aid is ‘much stronger’ than it was a year ago
BELL CURVE
Contentious Wesley Bell town hall portends a potential primary challenge
Former Rep. Cori Bush or a political ally could attempt to unseat the first-term congressman
Then-Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speaks at the "Just Majority" Supreme Court press conference on June 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. / Then-Louis County Prosecutor, Wesley Bell gives remarks at the Urban League Empowerment Center on June 17, 2020.
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on the prospect of Rep. Wesley Bell facing a rematch against anti-Israel former Rep. Cori Bush, and talk to national security experts about potential Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plots against Jewish communities in the U.S. We cover the ADL’s assessment that the Minneapolis Catholic school shooter used weapons inscribed with antisemitic and anti-Israel messages, and report on France’s walkback of its call for the “right of return” for Palestinians as part of Paris’ Palestinian statehood push. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jake Sullivan and Michael Anton.Ed. note: The next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Happy Labor Day Weekend!
What We’re Watching
- We’re keeping an eye on Washington following yesterday’s White House meeting — which included Jared Kushner and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair — aimed at winding down the Israel-Hamas war, securing the release of the remaining hostages and laying out “day-after” plans for Gaza. Israeli Strategic Minister Ron Dermer scrapped a planned meeting in Israel with World Food Program head Cindy McCain to travel to Washington for the meeting.
- The E3 — the U.K., Germany and France — are set to trigger snapback sanctions against Iran today, following talks between the countries’ foreign minister that failed to yield significant progress. Read more from JI’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik here.
- The Atlantic Council is hosting an event this morning titled “Understanding IMEC: A pathway to connectivity amid global uncertainty,” focused on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor project. Read our 2023 coverage of the IMEC project here.
- We’re also monitoring the U.N. Security Council’s expected vote on extending the UNIFIL peacekeeping force’s mandate along the Israel-Lebanon border. The initial vote, slated for earlier this week, was postponed and could take place as soon as tomorrow.
- On Sunday, Jewish sports fans in Washington are taking part in Jewish Community Day at Nationals Park, when the Nats take on the Tampa Bay Rays.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
Last year’s election cycle marked a high point for pro-Israel groups, buoyed by the ouster of two virulently anti-Israel House Democrats (former Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman in New York), the defeat of a House Republican who opposed funding to Israel (former Rep. Bob Good of Virginia) and the success of mainstream Democrats in numerous contested primaries.
But the political environment for next year’s midterms is looking somewhat choppier in the Jewish world, amid growing anti-Israel sentiment in the Democratic Party, an anti-establishment, transgressive mood in both parties and the reticence of moderate voices to speak up.
In this less hospitable landscape, pro-Israel groups will be playing more defense than offense — ensuring like-minded incumbents are able to avert serious primary challenges, while working to prevent virulently anti-Israel voices from emerging as nominees in key races.
One of the biggest potential showdowns is developing in St. Louis, where Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) faces the prospect of a rematch against Bush, whom he comfortably defeated by six points in last year’s primary. With the benefit of incumbency, Bell would be favored in any rematch, but he is facing an organized campaign by anti-Israel protesters who disrupted his recent town hall after he returned from a trip to the Jewish state.
AIPAC’s super PAC spent over $8 million against Bush in the 2024 race, and would be expected to prioritize Bell’s reelection as a top priority if she ran again. Bush, for all her celebrity in leftist spaces, has numerous vulnerabilities that haven’t gone away since her last defeat — from her calls to defund the police, lackadaisical constituent service and ethical improprieties involving the use of campaign funds in paying her husband to provide personal security.
Still, in a sign that advocating against Israel can get far-left candidates some traction in deep-blue districts, a Bush comeback will be worth monitoring closely. Indeed, any pro-Israel Democrat running in an urban district with a distinct progressive bent will have to pay attention to any real or prospective primary challenges.
bell curve
Contentious Wesley Bell town hall portends a potential primary challenge
A town hall organized by Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) last week in St. Louis turned contentious as a large group of demonstrators turned out to heckle the freshman congressman — fresh off a trip to Israel — over his support for the Jewish state, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. A scuffle later broke out between security guards and some of the demonstrators.
Looking ahead: The situation highlights the ongoing antagonism from the local far left against Bell, which could foreshadow a primary challenge to the congressman from former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), whom Bell unseated, or one of her political allies. Braxton Payne, a St. Louis-based Democratic strategist, told JI he recognized some of the individuals involved in the demonstrations as longtime backers of Bush. He said that the political coalitions supporting and opposing Bell in 2024 have remained largely unchanged since Bell took office. “You’re still seeing the same bases, cohorts of support” as in the 2024 race, Payne said. “I do think there is a sentiment for someone to run against [Bell] in a primary” with support from the “de-facto Cori Bush base.”
minneapolis attack
ADL: Minneapolis school shooter’s gun featured antisemitic, anti-Israel writings
The alleged gunman who opened fire on a Catholic school in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring at least 17 people, most of them students at the school, used a gun that had antisemitic and anti-Israel writings across it, according to the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Gunman’s inspiration?: The assailant’s gun also included praise for mass killers “across the ideological spectrum,” including white supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government actors, the ADL stated. Two of the names that appeared on the gun were Natalie Rupnow, who killed a staff member and a student at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., last December, and Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019.
community concerns
National security experts warn of Iranian threats to Jewish communities around the world
National security experts are warning that Jewish communities around the world could face increased Iranian threats following the recent accusation by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps orchestrated attacks last year on a synagogue and kosher restaurant in the country, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Threat level: “We’ve seen Iranian penetration in many Westernized countries, with Australia now being the latest. Though to see direct evidence of a linkage to actual violence — not just disinformation campaigns or cyber campaigns — is very frightening,” Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said. “The FBI and NYPD have had live investigations that have resulted in arrests of Hezbollah operatives in New York City casing out institutions,” Mitch Silber, executive director of the Community Security Initiative, which works to safeguard Jewish communities, told JI. “Iranians have a long timeline. Just because [an attack] hasn’t happened in the last six to eight weeks [since the Israel-Iran war] doesn’t mean that the Iranians haven’t stopped plotting.”
PARIS PIVOT
France walks back call for Palestinian ‘right of return,’ but not recognition
France plans to remove a call for the “right of return” for millions of Palestinian refugees to Israel from its declaration, made alongside 60 other countries, for a Palestinian state, Ofer Bronchtein, an advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov on Wednesday. Article 39 of the declaration calls for “a regional and international framework offering appropriate support to resolving the refugee question, while reiterating the right of return.”
About-face: Bronchtein told JI that opponents of the declaration are nitpicking to undermine it, and said that the declaration “is almost 20 pages long, and those are two words.” Still, he acknowledged that the wording of Article 39 “could be problematic” and that Paris is “working with the Saudis to find a way to make it clear that was not our intention at all. Macron will say this is our stance. We are not planning to force the return of Palestinian refugees anywhere.”
view from south florida
Wasserman Schultz: Trump admin not concerned with antisemitism, only about ‘maintaining power’
Speaking to members of the Florida Democratic Party Jewish Caucus over Zoom on Wednesday, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) accused the Trump administration of not working in good faith to combat antisemitism, discussed recent Democratic National Committee votes on Israel and offered a strong defense of Israel against a growing chorus of critics, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Power grab: Wasserman Schultz argued that a series of moves by the Trump administration — attempting to place new conditions on Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding, gutting the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and eliminating Justice Department programs focused on hate crimes — show that the administration’s focus on antisemitism isn’t genuine. “None of that makes us safer, and all of it demonstrates that they don’t really care about taking care of our community. They aren’t concerned about antisemitism, they are concerned about maintaining power,” she said. “Let’s not let our community members believe the rhetoric and the BS.”
sullivan says
Jake Sullivan says he now supports withholding weapons from Israel
Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday that the “case for withholding weapons from Israel today is much stronger than it was one year ago,” adding that he now backs such efforts, Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss reports.
Situation shift: “The thing that we were grappling with throughout all of 2024, which is not the case today, is that Israel was under attack from multiple fronts,” Sullivan, who served under President Joe Biden, told The Bulwark’s Tim Miller. “It was under attack from Hezbollah, from the Houthis, from Syria, from Iraq, obviously from Hamas and from Iran itself. So the idea of saying, ‘Israel, we’re not going to give you a whole set of military tools’ in that context was challenging.”
Worthy Reads
Podhoretz’s Path: In The Free Press, Norman Podhoretz, who is 95, reflects on the “double life” he has led as a child of Brooklyn who was welcomed into Manhattan’s aristocracy before falling out of favor with the city’s elite. “In a peculiar way, my journey began when I escaped death at 6 years old, which I learned later was a very close call. It makes me laugh to think about how many people, how many of my former friends, might have reacted if they knew about my early brush with death. Damn, they might have said. If only. But I was, after all, rather good at escaping dire situations. The trauma of falling from the precipice of New York’s intellectual aristocracy in 1967 — a kind of social death — has stayed with me ever since. But over time, as I sat with and bore it, refusing to apologize for its truth or hide it from public view, the immediacy of the pain softened. In its place came opportunity.” [FreePress]
Get Tough on the Quad: In the Jewish News Syndicate, William Daroff and Betsy Berns Korn, respectively the CEO and chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, call on universities to take a strong stance against campus antisemitism as the academic year begins. “Rules against disruption and harassment must be applied evenly, not bent by politics. Online harassment and doxxing against Jews should be treated with the same seriousness as other threats and harassment on campus. … Campuses must recognize that for most Jews, support for the State of Israel is not a political slogan but an expression of identity. Treating Zionism as illegitimate means treating Jewish identity itself as suspect. Administrators and student-life offices must apply the same clear standards to safeguarding Jewish students as they do for all others. To that end, organizations and their members who target Jewish students must face consequences. Universities must clearly and broadly communicate their rules regarding protests and harassment, and then enforce them vigorously and consistently.” [JNS]
Word on the Street
Michael Anton, who serves as the director of the secretary of state’s policy planning staff, is departing his post in Foggy Bottom this fall…
A new Quinnipiac survey found that 60% of Americans do not support sending additional military aid to Israel; half of those surveyed — 77% of Democrats and 20% of Republicans — said they believed Israel was commiting genocide in Gaza…
The New York Times does a deep dive into the federal investigation into former National Security Advisor John Bolton, following last week’s FBI raids of Bolton’s home and office; the investigation centers around the interception by a foreign country of emails sent by Bolton to individuals assisting with his 2020 memoir…
xAI, the parent company of the social media platform X and creator of the Grok artificial intelligence chatbot, said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month that the antisemitic and violent rants posted by the chatbot last month were the results of an “unintended update” to Grok’s code, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
Microsoft fired two employees who participated in a sit-in in the Washington state office of the company’s president, Brad Smith, and demanded the company cut ties with Israel…
The Beverly Hills Unified School District, in a 3-2 vote, approved a proposal to fly the Israeli flag inside all schools and district buildings; the proposal also designates Oct. 7 as a day of remembrance and recognizes May as Jewish American Heritage Month…
State legislators in California are weighing new legislation that would establish an Office of the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator and would prevent the use of learning materials “that would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination”…
Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix and Jonathan Glazer signed on as executive producers of an upcoming film about the death of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl alleged to have been killed by IDF fire in January 2024…
Authorities in Argentina raided a Buenos Aires villa in search of the “Portrait of a Lady,” a 17th-century portrait by Italian artist Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi that was believed to have been looted nearly a century ago from its Jewish owners by a Nazi official who took the artwork to South America after the war…
A group of policy experts from the N7 Initiative — a joint project of the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation — met with senior Syrian officials, including Syria’s minister of defense, in Damascus this week. “We heard [a] real desire to find a way to not just have a ceasefire, but to have a security deal with Israel,” William Wechsler, the senior director of Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council, told Jewish Insider. He said a security deal is the first step on the path toward Israel-Syria normalization — which, he said, is not likely to come soon, but “there’s so many things that can be done in the interim”…
The International Atomic Energy Agency assessed that no enriched uranium has been moved from Iran’s nuclear site in Isfahan since the country’s 12-day war with Israel in June…
Florida businessman and philanthropist Stephen Muss, who saved both the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach and the Alexander Muss High School in Israel from closure, died at 97…
Pic of the Day
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Wednesday in Washington during Sa’ar’s first trip to the capital since becoming foreign minister.
Birthdays
British actress, known professionally as Emma Samms, she is best known for her soap opera roles, Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson turns 65…
Artist and chemist, he survived the Holocaust by living in a hole in the ground for seven months, Tibor Spitz turns 96… Independent international trade and development professional, Bernard Kupferschmid turns 94… Professor emeritus of quantum physics at Tel Aviv University, now on the faculty of Chapman University in Southern California, Yakir Aharonov turns 93… Honorary president of the Israel Policy Forum and the immediate past president of American Jewish Committee (AJC), Robert H. Elman… Filmmaker and the founder of Brave New Films, Robert Greenwald turns 80… Retired general counsel of Queens College of the City University of New York, Jane Denkensohn… Founder and CEO of retail chain Indigo Books & Music and co-founder and past chair of Kobo, Heather Maxine Reisman turns 77… Psychoanalyst and author of a 2019 memoir about her father Norman Mailer, Susan Mailer turns 76… Chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees and former chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, Merryl Hiat Tisch turns 70… CEO of the Consumer Technology Association and author of the New York Times best-seller “Ninja Innovation,” Gary J. Shapiro turns 69… Senior rabbi of B’nai Jeshurun on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Jose Rolando Matalon… Actor, best known for his roles in two “Home Alone” films and two “City Slickers” films, Daniel Jacob Stern turns 68… Professor at George Washington University, he was deputy counsel in the Biden administration and the National Security Council legal advisor, Jonathan G. Cedarbaum turns 64… Television writer and producer, he is best known as the original showrunner and executive producer of the animated comedy series “Family Guy,” David J. Zuckerman turns 63… FCC commissioner from 2002 until 2009, then CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, Jonathan Steven Adelstein turns 63… CEO and founder of PharmStars and managing partner and co-founder of Ambit Health Ventures, Naomi Fried, Ph.D…. COO of Meta / Facebook from 2008 until 2022, Sheryl Sandberg turns 56… Actor, comedian and musician, in 2018 he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Thomas Jacob “Jack” Black turns 56… Early pioneer of contemporary Jewish rock music, Richard Samuel “Rick” Recht turns 55… General counsel of The Guardian US, she is a lecturer at Columbia Law School, Kai Falkenberg… First VP in the Hunt Valley, Md., office of Newmark Valuation & Advisory, Daniel “Doni” Greenwald… Olympic gold medalist in four-man bobsleigh in 2010, he is the co-founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, Steven Michael Mesler turns 47… Israeli soldier held captive for over five years by Hamas, released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal, Gilad Shalit turns 39… Offensive lineman for five different NFL teams since 2017, he was cut by the San Francisco 49ers earlier this week, Michael Dunn turns 31… Ari Willner…
Plus, Minneapolis shooting echoes Tree of Life
Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images
Ron Dermer speaks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington, DC.
Good Wednesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer made a last-minute visit to Washington today, according to Israeli media, while President Donald Trump convened a meeting on a “comprehensive plan” for postwar Gaza, as Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News last night. It’s unclear if Dermer participated in the meeting himself.
Also in attendance at the White House were former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law and former Mideast advisor Jared Kushner, according to Axios, who have been working with Witkoff on the issue for several months…
Dermer canceled a meeting with World Food Program head Cindy McCain, who is in Israel for the first time since Oct. 7, as he headed to Washington. McCain did meet with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the head of COGAT, the IDF unit that facilitates humanitarian aid in Gaza. Recall that a whistleblower recently alleged that the WFP had rejected security coordination with the IDF, hampering aid distribution efforts in Gaza…
The alleged gunman who opened fire today on a Catholic school in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring at least 17 people, most of them students at the school, used a gun that had antisemitic and anti-Israel writings across it, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Unverified images of the alleged shooter’s gun, taken from a video posted to a YouTube account believed to be associated with the shooter, show scrawlings on the gun and related paraphernalia that say “6 million wasn’t enough,” “Burn Israel,” “Israel must fall” and “Destroy HIAS,” a reference to the Jewish refugee organization.
HIAS, which was also invoked by the Tree of Life synagogue shooter in Pittsburgh in 2018, told Jewish Insider that because of the organization’s focus, it is “sadly often the subject of hateful antisemitic conspiracy theories”…
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is in Washington today as well, meeting this afternoon with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Foggy Bottom. Sa’ar said the two had “a productive meeting on mutual challenges and interests for both our nations” and discussed the Iranian nuclear threat in the aftermath of the U.S. and Israeli strikes in June, among other issues…
Rubio held a call with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the U.K. today, during which all of the officials “reiterated their commitment to ensuring that Iran never develops or obtains a nuclear weapon,” as the European nations gear up to trigger snapback sanctions at the U.N. Security Council in the coming days…
a16z Speedrun, a startup accelerator program backed by the Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm, is in Israel this week. Last night, the program convened a dinner of 20 budding startup founders from elite IDF units…
Hollywood heavyweights including Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix are joining the production team of “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a film about the killing of a six-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza in January 2024. Jonathan Glazer, who made headlines for using his Oscar acceptance speech last year to equate Israel’s actions in Gaza with the Holocaust, is a director of the project…
Variety spotlights a new film in production starring Jon Voight and directed by the controversial Bryan Singer, which a source described as set in the Middle East during the First Lebanon War. “It makes Israel look really bad and could be polarizing,” the source said…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reporting on how security experts are viewing the threat of Iranian influence and attacks in the U.S. in the aftermath of disturbing revelations of Iranian attacks in Australia, and on how the replacement of Sergio Gor with Dan Scavino as head of the Presidential Personnel Office may impact national security personnel decisions in the administration.
Also tomorrow, the Atlantic Council will host an event in Washington on the “past, present, and future” of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, an initiative launched at the G20 Summit in 2023.
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MINNEAPOLIS MOMENT
Jewish Democrats sound encouraging note on DNC Israel resolution votes
Democratic insiders told JI that DNC chair Ken Martin withdrew his Israel resolution largely to avoid a disruptive floor debate over Israel on Wednesday
THE CENTER SHIFTS
Leading moderate House Democrat calls for ‘leveraging’ arms sales to Israel
Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he recognizes restricting offensive weapons to Israel could ‘embolden Hamas’ but it is ‘time to try something else’
Democratic insiders told JI that DNC chair Ken Martin withdrew his Israel resolution largely to avoid a disruptive floor debate over Israel on Wednesday
Audrey Richardson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee , speaks during a news conference in Aurora, Ill., on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.
Pro-Israel Democrats expressed cautious optimism about the unexpected decision by Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin to withdraw his resolution pressing for humanitarian aid to Gaza and for the release of hostages held by Hamas, which was unanimously approved by party members on Tuesday at the DNC’s annual summer meeting held in Minneapolis.
Martin, in a sudden reversal, announced he would pull the resolution after DNC members rejected a dueling measure, opposed by pro-Israel groups, that had endorsed an arms embargo and a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel. Instead, he said he would create a task force “comprised of stakeholders on all sides” of the Israel debate to pursue what he called a “shared dialogue” on an increasingly divisive issue.
“This was a surprise ending to this meeting,” Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, which helped draft the pro-Israel measure and privately advocated for its passage, told Jewish Insider on Tuesday.
Despite Martin’s 11th-hour reversal, Soifer said she was satisfied with the outcome, noting the DNC also passed a resolution condemning antisemitism that, coupled with its rejection of the arms embargo proposal, “reflects where the party stands” on major issues concerning Israel and the Jewish community.
“It’s my sense,” she added of Martin, “that he introduced and ensured passage of this resolution to defeat the other resolution,” which she said “was completely out of step with the views of the party.”
Soifer said she hopes to join the proposed task force “to discuss the path forward” on approaching Israel, acknowledging internal tensions that have roiled the party in recent years. Martin “clearly recognized that there are a range of strongly held views on this matter, and he wants to make sure that those voices are heard,” she told JI.
Martin has not yet shared additional details on the task force, and the DNC did not return a request for comment from JI. Latonya Reeves, a DNC member in Minneapolis, told JI on Tuesday that she had not been further informed of the task force — which she called “the best way to move forward” on the issue.
Sara Forman, who leads the New York Solidarity Network, a local pro-Israel group that aligns with Democrats, said she was broadly “encouraged” that the DNC had chosen “not to recommend” what she dismissed as a “one-sided resolution against Israel,” arguing that the party “represents far more than its progressive base.”
“I’m always one for conversation, and think that talking about things is an important step, so I’m going to offer grace to Martin in this regard,” she said of his announcement. Still, she added of the failed resolution, “I think it’s a bigger concern overall that the Democratic Party seems to be uniquely singling out Israel for rebuke or scrutiny in a way that no other U.S. ally is rebuked or scrutinized.”
A spokesperson for Democratic Majority for Israel, which released a statement praising the DNC’s votes before Martin revealed he would pull the resolution, said it was “pleased that the anti-Israel measure was decisively defeated by the committee,” but declined to comment more broadly on what transpired at the end of the meeting.
Brian Romick, DMFI’s president and CEO, said in an interview with JI that he viewed the outcome on Tuesday as “a win” for the pro-Israel community, in light of the potential for a more hostile debate. “The bad resolution was rejected and Ken’s compromise resolution also passed the committee,” Romick said. “That all happened publicly” and “reaffirmed where the party stands on Israel,” he said. “Anything else beyond that is just inside baseball.”
Some Democratic insiders familiar with internal party dynamics indicated that Martin had chosen to change course because he anticipated a disruptive floor debate over his resolution, which was poised to face broader scrutiny during the DNC’s general session on Wednesday.
“He’s worried about what would happen at the meeting,” one party source informed of the matter said on Tuesday. “On one hand, viewed from there, it makes sense and seems like a rational move,” the source reasoned, while also noting that it has “some real downsides.”
On the other hand, “when you punt something to a task force you actually continue the debate, because now it’s going to be a big fight” over who is included in the committee, the source said. “Then it becomes hard to move past.”
Manny Houle, a Democratic pro-Israel strategist in Minneapolis, said Martin’s maneuver was tactically smart — as DNC leadership seeks to avoid “internal proxy fights and focus messaging on pushing back against” the Trump administration in advance of the upcoming elections. “It is often a tactic to give your most ardent detractors busy work so you can focus on the work that matters,” he explained.
The party’s pro-Israel wing knows it has “the power to push back,” Houle told JI. “It’s not worth giving more air to the extremist factions.” The debate over Israel “is not going away anytime soon,” he added. “But we’ve shown where we stand and hopefully there are more pressing things that we need to give oxygen to.”
Whatever Martin’s intentions, Susan Turnbull, a former DNC vice chair, said she was excited by the prospect of a task force, suggesting that it would be well-timed to take place between the conventions.
“What I think is the case is that this, of all issues, needs to have consensus and that what he wanted in his first meeting is not to have winners and losers,” she told JI. “He wanted to come to a good result for collaboration.”
“I’m giving him a lot of credit because we have a hard enough time within the Jewish community dealing with this issue,” she said, adding that it will be “important that every perspective be considered” as the DNC hones its approach to the Middle East.
It remains to be seen if Martin, who on Tuesday acknowledged a “divide” in the party over Israel, will find partnership on the opposing end of the issue. Allison Minnerly, the 26-year-old DNC member who had introduced the failed measure on Gaza, which faced criticism for not mentioning Hamas, voiced disappointment with his decision and said he was “prolonging” the conversation rather than taking a position to align the party with a base she views as amenable to her views on Israel.
Still, as the DNC moves to reach a tenuous detente on Israel, some pro-Israel Democrats said that any future resolution on the issue should reflect values that have long been espoused by the party, even as they have faced ongoing pushback from the activist left.
“The vast majority of American Jews, and Americans more broadly, understand the complexity of the conflict — wanting to see Israel’s security protected and the remaining hostages released, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza truly addressed, and all parties work toward a future in which both Israelis and Palestinians are safe and free,” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonpartisan Jewish Council for Public Affairs, told JI. “Any resolution on Gaza should reflect those widely-held values.”
Amanda Berman, CEO of the Zioness Action Fund, a progressive pro-Israel advocacy group, said on Tuesday that “there is legitimate critique and concern about this devastating war dragging on — and Democrats should stand staunchly with the Israeli public as it models dissent, protest and a pro-democracy movement the American left should emulate.”
“To the extent that any fringe element of the Democratic Party is willing to abandon Israel and the American Jewish community,” Berman said, “they will be abandoning true progressive values, liberation for persecuted minority communities, our historic alliances and America’s national security.”
Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he recognizes restricting offensive weapons to Israel could ‘embolden Hamas’ but it is ‘time to try something else’
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Adam Smith, (D-WA), is seen in the Capitol Visitor Center after an all members briefing on the attack on Israel on Oct.11, 2023.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement on Tuesday that he “believe[s] it is time for the United States government to stop the sale of some offensive weapons systems to Israel as leverage to pressure Israel” into implementing a ceasefire, increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza and stopping the expansion of West Bank settlements.
Smith, a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition who has played a leading role in Democratic foreign policy, was careful to emphasize that he supports Israel and “recognize[s] both the threats they face and the reality that the actions of Hamas and their supporters have driven this conflict.”
He also affirmed that, “Yes, the hostages must be returned. It is outrageous that Hamas took the hostages and has continued to hold them.”
“But,” Smith said, “six months of war since the end of the last ceasefire has done nothing to bring the hostages home” and it is “impossible to see how further military action in Gaza could degrade Hamas … further than what has already occurred.”
The Washington state Democrat, who has served his Seattle-area district since 1997, said he changed his position on blocking weapons sales to Israel because the “situation in the Middle East has changed dramatically in recent months.” He acknowledged that the weakening of Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria “might not have happened if the U.S. had reduced its support to Israel prior.”
“But these developments also mean that Israel faces little if any risk to its security if the U.S. blocks the sale of some weapons now,” Smith continued.
He recognized that attempts to pressure Israel into ending the war could “simply embolden Hamas to keep fighting. I believe this has happened throughout the war as various international groups have consistently failed to hold Hamas accountable.”
“I am not naive that this approach is somehow guaranteed to work, but simply continuing the war has clearly failed to completely eliminate Hamas or gain the return of the hostages. It is time to try something else,” Smith said.
He said the world should not “blindly trust” how Hamas conveys the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but the “scale” of the crisis “cannot be denied.
“I also believe that if Israel does not end the war in Gaza, they run the risk of being ostracized globally in a way that is a far greater threat to the long-term security of Israel than anything their adversaries are now capable of doing,” Smith said.
Smith also spoke out against the far-left elements of his party, saying he “remain[s] concerned that so many people advocating for the U.S. to stop supporting Israel believe that Israel does not have the right to exist as a country.
“Opposing the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza to stop the war and end the suffering of the Palestinian people is very different from opposing the Israeli government out of a desire to wipe it off the map,” Smith said.
Plus, the clock keeps ticking on snapback sanctions
Audrey Richardson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), speaks to members of the media during a news conference in Aurora, Illinois, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.
Good Tuesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Shortly after members of the Democratic National Committee passed a resolution today introduced by DNC Chair Ken Martin that voiced support for humanitarian aid to Gaza and a two-state solution, called for the release of hostages and condemned Hamas, Martin announced he was withdrawing the measure and instead forming a task force to continue discussing the issue.
The surprise reversal came after a competing resolution that called for an arms embargo and suspension of U.S. aid to Israel was voted down. Upon huddling with the co-sponsors of the failed measure, Martin said at the meeting of the Resolutions Committee where the votes took place, “There is a divide in our party on this issue. This is a moment that calls for shared dialogue and calls for shared advocacy.”
“And that’s why I’ve decided today, at this moment, listening to the testimony and listening to people in our party, to withdraw my amendment resolution to allow us to move forward in a conversation on this as a party,” Martin continued. He said that he would “appoint a committee or a task force comprised of stakeholders on all sides of this to continue to have the conversation, to work through this, and bring solutions back to our party”…
Overseas, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack, ending their visit to Damascus, traveled to Beirut today where they joined Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Along with diplomat Morgan Ortagus and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, the delegation met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and head of the Lebanese Armed Forces Gen. Rodolph Haykal, with whom they discussed U.S. support of the LAF.
Barrack and Ortagus have been shuttling between Lebanon, Syria and Israel over the past several months in an effort to improve security relations in the region.
During a press conference the lawmakers held in Beirut, Graham announced his support for the United States signing a defense agreement with Lebanon, where the U.S. would commit to defending Lebanon militarily.
“How many nations have a defense agreement with the United States? … The number of nations that America is willing to go to war for is very few. Why do I mention Lebanon being in that group? You have one thing going for you that is very valuable to me. Religious diversity,” Graham said.
The South Carolina senator continued, “Christianity is under siege in the Mideast. Christians are being slaughtered and run out of all over the region, except here. So what I am going to tell my colleagues is, ‘Why don’t we invest in defending religious diversity in the Mideast? Why don’t we have a relationship with Lebanon where we would actually defend what you’re doing?’ I think it’s in America’s interest to defend religious diversity.”
Though it’s been discussed in Israeli and American administrations for decades, the U.S. does not have a mutual defense agreement with Israel, another Middle East country with a large Christian population and religious diversity…
Meanwhile, a meeting of the E3 — France, Germany and the U.K. — and Iran in Geneva today ended with reportedly little progress on scaling back the Iranian nuclear program, leaving the European countries to decide if they’ll follow through on a recent threat to reinstate snapback sanctions at the end of the month…
The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, announced it’s selling its shares of the U.S. machinery company Caterpillar over Israel’s use of its bulldozers, which the fund said had contributed to Palestinian suffering, as well as its shares in four Israeli banks, including the country’s two largest.
The fund has already liquidated its holdings in over a dozen Israeli companies and cut ties with Israeli hedge fund managers over concerns with the country’s war in Gaza and treatment of Palestinians…
On the Hill, leading Jewish organizations are set to send a letter to Senate leadership today urging the body to confirm the Trump administration’s nominees for special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, and international religious freedom ambassador, former Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC), Jewish Insider has learned. Schumer currently has a hold on dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reactions from Jewish Democrats on Martin’s decision to withdraw his resolution at the DNC and an interview with Democrat Maura Sullivan, the Marine veteran and former Defense Department official running to succeed Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH).
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DOWN UNDER DICTATE
Australia expels Iranian ambassador, three diplomats over attacks on synagogue, kosher restaurant
PM Anthony Albanese blasted the ‘extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil’
Plus, University of Florida's new (interim) leader
ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference at the Prime minister's office in Jerusalem on August 10, 2025.
Good Monday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an IDF strike today on a Gaza hospital that reportedly killed 20 people, including at least four journalists, a “tragic mishap” that Israel “deeply regrets.”
“Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” Netanyahu said in his statement. “The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Our war is with Hamas terrorists.”
President Donald Trump, asked by reporters in the Oval Office this morning about the strike, said he was “not happy about it. I don’t want to see it.” Trump said at a press conference later he believes that in two to three weeks “you’re going to have … a pretty conclusive ending” to the war in Gaza…
Also turning up the pressure on Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Sunday that the IDF has met its objectives in its war in Gaza, “including deeply damaging Hamas,” and “as a result of the military pressure, we created the conditions for the release of the hostages.”
Zamir reportedly advocated for Netanyahu to accept the deal that Hamas said it agreed to last week and reiterated his concern that the IDF’s impending takeover of Gaza City will imperil the lives of the remaining living hostages…
Lawmakers are making the most of their August recess with several in the Middle East this week.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem today, after several meetings with Qatari officials in Doha last week.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is in Lebanon today, where he visited a memorial at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut for fallen service members, including the 241 Americans killed in the bombing of U.S. Marine barracks by Hezbollah, under the direction of Iran, in 1983.
Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus, where they met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to “discuss a bright, unified, and stable future for Syria.”
Wilson and Shaheen also met with Syria’s minister of social affairs and labor, religious clerics and a leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Both lawmakers have led efforts in Congress to repeal congressional sanctions on Syria in order to aid reconstruction and stabilization…
Barrack also visited Israel on Sunday and met with Netanyahu, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to discuss security arrangements between Israel and Syria as well as Israel and Lebanon, according to Axios…
France requested to delay a U.N. Security Council vote on a French proposal to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon until Friday, due to disagreements with the U.S. — which holds veto power — over a sunset date for the extension.
The current French proposal would allow the force to remain in place indefinitely, while the Trump administration wants an extension of only one year before UNIFIL disbands and withdraws from Lebanon, sources confirmed to Jewish Insider. If no consensus is reached, France could request another delay until Aug. 31, when the current mandate expires…
On the domestic front, the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Donald Landry as interim president of the school, after Florida’s Board of Governors rejected Santa Ono, the former president of the University of Michigan, for the job.
Landry, a renowned physician and chair emeritus of Columbia University’s Department of Medicine, will replace current UF interim President Kent Fuchs, who said the process of choosing a new president had become “more challenging” after Ono’s rejection…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reporting on how the University of Michigan is becoming an epicenter of anti-Israel activism to start the new school year, and Jewish groups’ response to European officials targeting Katharina von Schnurbein, the EU antisemitism coordinator, for her defense of Israel.
Tomorrow morning, the Democratic National Committee’s Resolution Committee is expected to take up two Israel-related resolutions, including an anti-Israel measure that calls for an arms embargo and a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel. The resolutions will then be brought to the general session on Wednesday. We’ll be paying close attention to how much support that anti-Israel resolution receives.
Also tomorrow, the Treasury Department will officially remove Syria from its sanctions list for the first time since 2005.
Added to our calendar for next week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is slated to appear at a rally with Graham Platner, a Democrat running against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who has emerged as a harsh critic of Israel during his nascent campaign.
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Vermont’s democratic socialist senator is on a campaign swing as part of his ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to guests during the first stop on his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, Midwest swing, at the RiverCenter on August 22, 2025 in Davenport, Iowa.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is slated to appear with Graham Platner, a Democrat running to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), at a rally in Portland, Maine, on Labor Day, as the progressive leader from Vermont steps up his efforts to boost left-wing candidates who have been outspoken in their criticism of Israel and its ongoing war in Gaza.
Platner, a first-time candidate and Marine veteran who launched his campaign last week, has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and backed Sanders’ recent resolutions to block arms sales to Israel. Platner’s rhetoric has faced criticism from Collins, a moderate Republican seeking her sixth term.
Sanders, who announced the rally on Monday, has not officially endorsed Platner, a 40-year-old oyster farmer whose past social media activity indicates he is a longtime admirer of Vermont’s democratic socialist senator.
The Portland event on Sept. 1, the next stop on Sanders’ nationwide “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, follows a rally in Michigan on Saturday at which the senator sought to boost Abdul El-Sayed, a staunch critic of Israel who is vying to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in a crowded primary next year.
In remarks over the weekend, Sanders, an early backer of El-Sayed’s campaign for the Democratic nomination, highlighted his efforts to restrict U.S. military aid to Israel and spoke out against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, claiming that Washington is “way out of touch with where the American people are” on what he called “clearly a moral issue.”
“We are paying for the starvation of children in Gaza,” Sanders said to the crowd gathered at the Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
El-Sayed, for his part, echoed those remarks, saying that party leadership “is still pulling its punch on the fact that we are subsidizing a genocide in Gaza.”
“Maybe we should be using our taxpayer dollars, I don’t know, to build schools for our kids, rather than sending blank checks to foreign militaries who drop bombs on other kids,” El-Sayed said in his speech last weekend.
El-Sayed, a former health director in Michigan, is facing progressive state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), a leading pro-Israel voice in the House who is favored by party leaders.
Plus, Texans do the electoral shuffle
MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands amid debris outside the Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba, after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran on June 19, 2025.
Good Thursday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on “Triggernometry,” a conservative podcast based in the U.K., in an episode released yesterday, where he was pressed by co-hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster about inflammatory comments made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich about settling Gaza and “things that sound like ethnic cleansing.”
Netanyahu dismissed the comments as democratic disagreements, saying, “In a parliamentary system, people are free to say, sometimes they say things they don’t quite mean. … To the extent that we have these conversations around the Security Cabinet, that is actually not being discussed by these people.”
Netanyahu distanced himself from his ministers who have advocated for reestablishing an Israeli civilian presence in Gaza, clarifying, “It’s not my policy. I don’t intend to build settlements or communities in Gaza, not Israeli ones.”
The prime minister disagreed that the comments from Smotrich may be exacerbating Israel’s “PR problem”: “They ask me, you know, ‘Your minister of finance says this, and what do you say?’ Well, I say I disagree with him, and I say that, you know, he’s entitled to say these things. That’s not ethnic cleansing. It’s a view, a legitimate view, which I happen to disagree with”…
And today, Netanyahu announced that he is working “to approve the plans that the IDF presented” to him and Defense Minister Israel Katz for the impending IDF takeover of Gaza City. “In parallel,” he said, “I have instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and the end of the war, on conditions that are acceptable for Israel.”
Netanyahu made no mention of the latest deal reportedly agreed to by Hamas, which only includes the release of some of the 50 remaining hostages…
Israel is also facing increased diplomatic ire over its actions in the West Bank, after Smotrich announced last week his approval of plans to build the E1 settlement, which were previously frozen for decades due in part to U.S. disapproval of its controversial location, which would make a contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible.
Twenty-two countries, including the U.K., Australia, France and Japan, issued a statement today condemning the move as “unacceptable and a violation of international law,” and the U.K. Foreign Office summoned Israeli Ambassador to the U.K. Tzipi Hotovely in further protest.
Asked about the settlement approval, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told the Associated Press that a two-state solution is not a “high priority” for the Trump administration and that there are too many unanswered questions about a potential Palestinian state…
On the campus beat, a New York Times report published yesterday on the hurdles international students are facing entering the U.S. this academic year opened with the line, “Many Iranians are not going to American universities this fall.”
The article, largely sympathetic to the plight of students attempting to enter the U.S., highlighted the revocation of more than 6,000 student visas by the State Department, the majority of which were due to breaking U.S. law and support for terrorism; Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement that the department would review visas of students who participated in disruptive campus anti-Israel protests; and new social media vetting of visa applicants, particularly “for expression of pro-Palestinian sentiment,” as barriers to international student enrollment…
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), on a visit to Doha, met today with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Ernst has previously led efforts to pressure Qatar into forcing Hamas to release the hostages held in Gaza…
In the Lone Star State, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a prominent member of the Freedom Caucus and a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), announced a bid for Texas attorney general today, seeking to replace Trump ally AG Ken Paxton, who himself is running for U.S. Senate against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in a highly competitive primary.
The Texas game of electoral musical chairs comes as the state is in the midst of a contentious mid-decade redistricting process, which will likely see its Legislature turn even deeper red.
One high-profile Democrat in the Texas Statehouse, James Talarico, was backed by Miriam Adelson’s Texas Sands PAC, Politico revealed today, despite Talarico’s public stance against GOP billionaires‘ influence in politics. The group was his largest donor last year and one of his largest ever…
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, no stranger to scandal, is facing more electoral trouble of his own as he runs for reelection as an independent, facing off against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Yesterday, reports alleged that Adams’ former advisor and current campaign volunteer, Winnie Greco, surreptitiously gave a reporter an envelope of cash, stashed inside a bag of potato chips. Today, the Manhattan district attorney unsealed four indictments against Adams’ former chief advisor, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, accusing her of receiving more than $75,000 in bribes, and six other individuals, most of whom are associates or supporters of Adams…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider for reporting on a trip of young MAGA influencers to Israel that changed hearts and minds and an interview with Rep. John McGuire (R-VA) on his reflections from his own recent trip to the Jewish state.
The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany will speak with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by phone tomorrow, sources tell the Substack Diplomatic, to discuss their recent threat to reinstate snapback sanctions on Tehran if it does not sufficiently roll back its nuclear program by the end of this month.
An Iranian delegation will also travel to Vienna tomorrow to meet with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a week after IAEA Deputy Director General Massimo Aparo visited Iran in a bid to restart the agency’s cooperation with Tehran.
On Sunday, the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus will host its annual “Summer Simcha” event. Among the attendees will be state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, Abdul El-Sayed and, appearing by video, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) — all of whom are vying for Michigan’s open Senate seat. State Sen. Jeremy Moss, who’s looking to claim Stevens’ seat in the House, and University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker, who had his home and office vandalized by anti-Israel attackers, will be in attendance. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) will also appear by video.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Kickoff and the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
Stories You May Have Missed
MORAN’S MORASS
Qatar’s Washington lobbyist invokes old antisemitic tropes in push for influence
Former Rep. Jim Moran and his team have held dozens of meetings with members of Congress since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in 2023, mainly to talk about the Qatari role in the Middle East peace process
WEIRDING OUT
Susan Collins hits newly minted challenger over his anti-Israel rhetoric
Democrat Graham Platner entered the race accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Democratic senate candidate, then-Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), addresses volunteers at a campaign office on November 4, 2024 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
It’s notable that Democrats are still relying on experienced, brand-name candidates a bit past their political prime as top recruits for key Senate races.
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, now 72, is seeking a political comeback after losing his reelection bid last year in Ohio. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is pursuing a career change to the Senate at 68 years old. Maine Gov. Janet Mills is being recruited into the Senate race against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) even though she’s 77.
To be sure, these are the strongest challengers Democrats could muster in these three must-win battleground states. All are popular statewide officials with a history of winning support from outside the party base. It’s hard to name any other Democratic candidate more capable of flipping these GOP-held seats than the aforementioned recruits.
But there’s another more uncomfortable reality that is drawing the Democrats towards their stars of yesteryear. In today’s fractured media environment, it’s incredibly hard for a new face to emerge and get the type of publicity rising stars would generate from “earned media” on television and in the press, as was common in the recent past.
And given the declining influence of such mainstream platforms, the best way to get attention is by playing to the party’s activist base on social media. It’s how Zohran Mamdani broke through a comparatively dull field of challengers in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Going viral is becoming a prerequisite in today’s politics, and the best way to go viral is to play to the extremes — or to, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, emulate President Donald Trump’s online bullying and trolling.
If you don’t have name identification built up from a career in politics, it’s hard to register any other way these days. And it’s exceptionally hard to break through the noise if you’re a thoughtful moderate.
It’s why we’re seeing a slew of Democratic candidates popping up who are looking to capture the anti-establishment mood within the party amid the desire for a younger generation of leadership. At the same time, most of these change-focused candidates also hold political views that are well out of the mainstream.
Take Democrat Graham Platner, the 40-year-old Maine oyster farmer and former bartender who is disrupting the party efforts to recruit Mills into the Senate race. He exudes authenticity, and is a political outsider who has never run for elective office before. But his support for government-run health care and apparent hostility towards Israel, to name a few issues, would certainly make it harder for him to win over the moderate-minded voters that Collins has easily secured in past elections.
That would be the case in any battleground state or district: Nominate a candidate who captures the imagination of the progressive base, and odds are they’ll be less electable in a general election.
The 2020 Democratic presidential primary was a case study in this dynamic. There were a handful of talented center-left candidates running, like Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar or then-South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg. But given the party’s alarm about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) electability, only the universally known Joe Biden had the profile to become the mainstream standard-bearer, even though he was 77 at the time.
At a certain point, the party’s bench of baby boomers will run out and the more progressive-minded Gen Zers will be stepping into political office. Whether this new generation can capture the public’s attention without being beholden to the ideological extremes will be one of the most consequential tests for the party’s future.
The Ohio Democrat, who visited Israel last week, also called for pressure on Qatar to push Hamas officials in Doha to end the war and release the remaining 50 hostages
President Isaac Herzog on X
Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets a delegation of House Democrats in Jerusalem on August 11, 2025.
Following his recent trip to Israel, Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) says he believes that the Jewish state is “as close as I’ve understood it to be to ending” the war in Gaza.
“The language around aid has changed. [Israel talks] about surging aid and they talk about ending this war quickly,” Landsman, who discussed his trip on Wednesday with Jewish Insider, said. “They talk about getting the hostages back no matter what, and whether there’s a deal or not, they’re getting them home. So, they obviously can’t speak to what that looks like or what that means, but I got the sense that this should and hopefully will be the end.”
He made a similar comment in a statement on his trip shared with JI, which stated: “The end of the war appears close, and G-d willing it ends very soon. With it, rebuilding of Gaza can begin. The first glimpses of this ‘day after’ plan can be seen, and the Arab nations that have declared the end of Hamas must play a huge role in what happens next.” His comments came as Israel weighs the most recent ceasefire proposal, and as the IDF prepares to call up tens of thousands of reservists ahead of plans to take over Gaza City in the coming months.
Regarding next steps, Landsman wrote in the statement, “This is a moment of truth for Qatar, to be sure. With senior Hamas leaders in their midst, detaining them – if negotiations continue to falter – may be necessary. This could hasten the end of the war and the release of the hostages. They must do everything in their power – now.”
Landsman told JI that he believes “everyone should be putting pressure on all parties to end the war. I think it is entirely appropriate to put pressure on the Israeli government to end this war. I also think it is necessary for people to put pressure on Qatar and Egypt to end this war, to use all of the leverage they have, particularly with the senior Hamas leaders that are in Qatar.”
“I believe that’s true to some extent, to a lesser extent, for folks in Egypt to say we’re done, you have to accept a return, a deal that ends this war and returns hostages. The pressure also needs to be placed on these 22 Arab countries, and I believe Egypt and Qatar are on that list, but the other 20 who have said, in an unprecedented move, that Hamas needs to disarm and disband. Now they’ve got to turn that into action and establish a coalition with the United States and Israel and Europe to end this war,” he continued.
The Ohio congressman was one of 14 House Democrats who took part in a delegation to the Jewish state last week. The trip was organized by the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation, which organized a similar visit to Israel for House Republicans the week prior that overlapped for several days with the Democrats’ trip.
Landsman told JI that he viewed the trip as an opportunity to accomplish three main objectives: to be available as a resource to answer questions from Israeli leaders and build relationships with newer members of Congress like himself; to get fully briefed on the work being done to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza; and to engage with stakeholders in the broader peace process in the region. “Going sort of allows me to do all three of those things,” he said.
Landsman said that this trip highlighted the similarities between the American and Israeli people and as citizens of liberal democracies where citizens are free to air frustrations about their respective governments.
“The frustration with the government is something that many Israelis feel. They are frustrated with this government, especially as it relates to Gaza,” Landsman said. “And I appreciate that because it’s a liberal democracy. Israelis are just as critical of this government, if not more, than folks around the world or here in the United States.”
Landsman told JI that the Israeli officials and citizens he spoke with urged him and others on the trip to continue supporting a strong U.S.-Israel relationship during moments when they took issue with some of the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“They remind you that they would never want anyone to abandon them, as we would never want anyone to abandon us. It’s an important reminder that being critical of the government when you disagree is part of democracy, it’s why democracy and freedom are so important,” he said. “There’s a line. In terms of having the strength and courage to both stand up to and criticize your partners, while also having the strength and courage to not abandon them, especially a partnership like this one and in an existential moment such as this.”
The Ohio Democrat offered a similar thought in his official statement, in which he wrote: “Instead of abandonment, many of us have chosen to visit the region, to show up, and to support the Israeli government when we agree and to push back when we don’t. We know that abandonment may be politically expedient, but it is strategically wrong. It will render our country unreliable to those who we need to ensure global security and global prosperity.”
“We must always remain a reliable partner for democracy and peace. The United States of America does not abandon its allies, nor will we do so here,” the statement continued.
Landsman told JI, “We should not abandon Ukraine and our European allies. We should not abandon, and I don’t believe we will, one of our strongest partners in peace and democracy and freedom, and that’s the state of Israel.”
“We want people to stick with us. That’s why I used the word ‘reliable’ in my statement. We need people to stick with us for our economic prosperity, for national security. If we’re not sticking with others, people will stop sticking with us, and that is very bad for the United States,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
“This is why we worry about [President Donald] Trump or any president that starts to undermine our relationships with folks across the world. It becomes very, very costly and very dangerous to the United States. We wouldn’t want anyone to look at this government [in the U.S.] and say, ‘Well, we’re gonna back away from our commitment, our investments in America.’ That would be terrible,” he continued.
Landsman said he believed his worldview was shared by the majority of the American people.
“When I come home and have these conversations, I get a very common-sense position. It’s where I believe most people are when I talk to them. They worry about the humanitarian situation. How can you not? They want this war to end. How can you not? They get frustrated with a government that has people like [Israeli National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich. Of course, they should,” Landsman explained.
“But they also know that Hamas can’t stay, and Israel has to figure out a way to win this war or end it so that folks can rebuild without a terrorist organization in their way. They know that Iran is the barrier to everything good in the region. They know if you start to undermine the partnership with Israel, the only people who win are folks associated with the regime and the terror networks they fund,” he added.
Former Rep. Jim Moran and his team have held dozens of meetings with members of Congress since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in 2023, mainly to talk about the Qatari role in the Middle East peace process
YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images
Former Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) arrives to address a rally attended by supporters of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) in the village of Abraq, about 60 kilometers northwest of Khartoum, on June 23, 2019.
During Jim Moran’s 24 years in Congress, the Virginia Democrat had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, particularly when it came to his Jewish constituents.
In 2003, he blamed the Jewish community for President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, prompting several local rabbis to call for his resignation. Four years later he blamed AIPAC for the war. The blowback was so strong that when then-Sen. Barack Obama accepted Moran’s endorsement of his presidential campaign in 2008, he stated plainly that he disagreed with Moran’s views of the Jewish community.
Moran retired from Congress in 2015, but the 80-year-old still walks the halls of Capitol Hill. Now, he’s there as a lobbyist — primarily as a registered foreign agent lobbying on behalf of the government of Qatar.
He is a regular in the offices of high-ranking members of Congress and senators. And last month, during a House Education Committee hearing about antisemitism in higher education, Moran was conspicuously seated directly behind Robert M. Groves, the president of Georgetown University, which has a campus in Doha and has received more than $1 billion from the Gulf monarchy.
“Jim is one of these guys that people seem to like on both sides of the aisle. He’s been able to keep in contact with a lot of members when needed,” Tom Davis, a former Republican congressman from Virginia who Moran hired to help represent Qatar, told Jewish Insider.
A Georgetown source said Moran was not working with the university or sitting in one of Georgetown’s three allotted seats at the hearing. Still, there’s no doubt he is a highly influential foreign policy voice in Washington on behalf of a country with which America has a complicated relationship.
Qatar is a major non-NATO ally of the U.S., an official designation conferred by President Joe Biden, and is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. But it also has financial and diplomatic ties with Hamas and other terror groups. Qatar’s leaders say that is necessary so the country can maintain its role as a trusted mediator, while its critics say Qatar’s close relationship with Hamas makes it unlikely to put real pressure on the terror group to make a deal with Israel or to release the hostages. Some on Capitol Hill and in the pro-Israel community have expressed concerns that Qatar’s massive investment in American universities has fueled anti-Israel activism and antisemitism on campuses.
With a Boston accent leftover from his childhood, Moran has a penchant for talking tough — and acting tough, too. In the 1990s, at the start of his time in Congress, he occasionally threatened to brawl with fellow lawmakers, and once shoved another member of Congress off the House floor.
Moran was an early and consistent critic of Israel, long before the wave of anti-Israel sentiment that has exploded on the far left over the past two years. He has kept up ties with Jewish leaders in Northern Virginia, but those relationships grew strained as Moran repeatedly criticized pro-Israel advocates and Jewish activists.
“Jim is an extraordinarily compassionate man. He has trouble with suffering. His judgment about what constitutes suffering and who’s causing it is not always accurate, and so that has gotten him in a considerable amount of trouble over the course of his long political career,” said Rabbi Jack Moline, who served for 27 years as the rabbi at Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria. Moline met regularly with Moran until the rabbi called for Moran’s resignation in 2003, after Moran blamed Jews for the Iraq war, a comment the former congressman later said he “deeply regret[s].”
“His relationship with the Jewish community fell apart,” Moline told JI. “It didn’t surprise anybody when, after he finally did retire from Congress, he was offered and accepted work lobbying for Qatar.” He first registered as a lobbyist for Qatar in 2017. His firm, Moran Global Strategies, has been paid more than $2 million by Qatar in the last two years, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets. A spokesperson for the Qatari Embassy did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Moran Global Strategies.
Though Moran expressed contrition for his antisemitic remarks during the lead-up to the Iraq war, his rhetoric toward the Jewish community has only grown more inflammatory in the decade since he left Congress. In recent years, he has appeared on several virtual panel discussions held by the Arab Organization for Human Rights in the U.K., a London-based NGO led by Mohammad Jamil Hersh, a former Hamas activist who has been sanctioned by Israel and was deported by the country more than three decades ago. In those conversations, he regularly blasted the influence of American Jews and the “pro-Israel lobby.”
During a February 2023 AOHR event, Moran tried to explain Washington’s support for “apartheid” in Gaza by pointing the finger at American Jews and suggesting that they are unduly involved in the American political system.
“It’s about domestic politics and it always has been. The majority of people who contribute to the Democratic Party in America have Jewish surnames. Now think about that,” said Moran. He described them as people “whose principal reason for contributing to the political system in America has been the sine qua non of support for Israel, and unqualified support for Israel.”
In this and several other interviews, Moran recognized that his language was rather impolitic.
“I don’t want to sound antisemitic, and Palestinians are a Semitic people,” Moran said. “I’m just saying that let’s deal with the political reality in the United States that’s driving and reinforcing the injustice that’s occurring within Palestine.”
Moran and his team have held dozens of meetings with members of Congress since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in 2023 that spurred the ongoing war in Gaza, mainly to talk about “Qatar’s role in the Middle East peace process,” according to documents he filed with the Justice Department as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act. At the same time, he has continued to question Jewish involvement in the American political system — including just days after Oct. 7, in a call hosted by the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
“The reality is that campaign contributions have corrupted the United States Congress. One of the motivating factors is, ‘How do I please my political supporters, particularly my financial supporters?’ The reality is that the Jewish community, and frankly to their credit, is deeply engaged in the American political process,” Moran said in the MPAC call. “That’s one of the motivating factors that causes the Congress to look the other way where the Middle East is concerned.”
Although he expressed skepticism about the supposed influence of American Jews in electoral politics, he encouraged Muslim, Palestinian and Arab Americans to increase their own influence. But his prognosis for their potential efficacy was grim. “I’m not sure they’re ever going to be able to successfully catch up,” Moran said.
Even as Moran took aim at Jews’ participation in the political process, he routinely downplayed accusations of antisemitism that have been lobbed at him directly and at the broader anti-Israel movement.
In September 2024, in another AOHR virtual briefing, Moran acknowledged that he would likely be called antisemitic for his comments accusing Israel of committing war crimes “daily” and for describing the situation in Gaza as “comparable to the Holocaust.”
“Foreign aid going into committing war crimes on a daily basis because of the politics, because of the campaign financing, because of the control of the media — it’s inexcusable. It’s an indictment of what has become of this democracy,” said Moran, without saying who, exactly, he thinks controls the media. “It’s an indictment of the fact that our foreign policy has been Israeli-centric, and let me say one other thing so that people don’t particularly accuse me of being antisemitic, although I’m sure many will: Many of those protests across the country were led by Jewish students.”
This spring, after President Donald Trump returned to office and began targeting universities, Moran was dispatched to Capitol Hill to talk to Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about Qatar’s funding of American higher education, which has come under the microscope.
It is notable that one of the people tasked with advocating for a country that is close to both America and Hamas seems to have a deeply rooted hostility to Israel and even to American Jews, particularly at a moment when Qatar’s dealings in the U.S. are facing greater scrutiny — such as when Trump said earlier this year that the U.S. would accept a Qatari gift of a luxury jet to use as Air Force One.
But Qatar has a suite of lobbyists who span the political spectrum. Moran primarily deals with Democrats. Qatar has in the past also targeted hundreds of conservative “influencers” to reach Trump’s inner circle, and employs several Republicans as lobbyists. Partisan politics is at play, too; Democratic lawmakers blasted the Air Force One move, while Republicans fell in line behind Trump.
Several prominent Trump administration officials have ties to Qatar, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said in her January Senate confirmation hearing that she remains “very proud” of the lobbying work she did for Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy and chief negotiator, has a history of business dealings with the country.
“If you take a look at the folks they’ve got representing them, they’ve been all over the lot on that issue. It’s certainly not a pro-Arab versus Israel issue,” said Davis, the Virginia Republican who works with Moran on the Qatar file. “There’s nothing there to indicate that their lobbyists have any kind of ideological bent on that issue.”
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that Moran began lobbying for Qatar in 2017, not 2023.
Democrat Graham Platner entered the race accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza
Mark Makela/Getty Images
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) addresses the press on Nov. 6, 2022.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is criticizing Graham Platner, a Democrat running against her in next year’s election, for singling out AIPAC as a “weird” interest group in new remarks to a local newspaper published on Tuesday, where he pledged to decline support from the pro-Israel lobbying organization.
“Sen. Collins is a strong supporter of AIPAC, a bipartisan organization that promotes stronger ties between the United States and Israel,” Shawn Roderick, a spokesperson for Collins’ campaign, told Jewish Insider on Wednesday. “Nothing about their work is ‘weird’ — in fact, it has never been more important given the aggressive antisemitism that we have seen around the world since the appalling Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.”
In his comment to the Midcoast Villager, Platner, a 40-year-old oyster farmer and Marine veteran who announced his bid to challenge Collins on Tuesday, noted that his campaign would reject backing from corporate super PACs and donations from interest groups such as AIPAC that he dismissed as “weird.”
“My view here is very simple,” Platner told JI on Wednesday when asked to elaborate on his initial comment, which had not been quoted in full. “What is happening in Gaza is a genocide, I refuse to take money from AIPAC or any group that supports the genocide in Gaza.”
In other interviews this week, Platner, a political newcomer, has similarly accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and also endorsed efforts to block U.S. arms sales to Israel.
AIPAC’s political action committee is backing Collins, in keeping with its commitment to defend friendly incumbents who are up for reelection. Collins, who is now seeking her sixth term, has been among her party’s leading moderate voices, pushing to maintain a bipartisan consensus on support for Israel.
Marshall Wittmann, a spokesperson for AIPAC, questioned Platner’s recent comment about the group in a statement to JI on Wednesday. “More than 12,000 Maine voters are members of AIPAC and advocates for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship who don’t think it’s ‘weird’ for Americans to engage in the democratic process,” he said. “We are proud to support Sen. Collins who is a stalwart champion of an alliance that benefits Maine and America.”
Still, Platner’s seemingly off-handed remark more broadly underscores a growing disconnect between AIPAC and the Democratic Party, where even some of the staunchest supporters of Israel have been put on the defensive amid an international uproar over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In recent weeks, two Democratic House members who have received financial backing from AIPAC’s super PAC in their primaries, Reps. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) and Valerie Foushee (D-NC), both said they would support efforts to block transfers of offensive weapons to Israel. Foushee, for her part, also said earlier this month that she would not accept further support from AIPAC in her reelection campaign next year.
Meanwhile, Mallory McMorrow, a top Democratic candidate running for Senate in Michigan, revealed on Wednesday that she is urging AIPAC to refrain from engaging in the primary, where she is facing a strong pro-Israel advocate, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), and a prominent left-wing critic of Israel, Abdul El-Sayed, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
The group declined to comment on McMorrow’s request.
Even as AIPAC has been under attack, it has continued to maintain friendly relationships with Democrats and Republicans, hosting a number of freshman lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on trips to Israel this month.
Plus, Bibi faces coalition chaos
Gage Skidmore
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum hosted by United for Infrastructure at the Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Good Wednesday afternoon.
This P.M. briefing is reserved for our premium subscribers like you — offering a forward-focused read on what we’re tracking now and what’s coming next.
I’m Danielle Cohen-Kanik, U.S. editor at Jewish Insider and curator, along with assists from my colleagues, of the Daily Overtime briefing. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback by replying to this email.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) rebuked antisemitic comments made by Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh’s campaign staff in a statement to Jewish Insider today, after initially declining to comment when JI unearthed the statements last week.
Klobuchar’s spokesperson said the senator “strongly and immediately condemned the Hamas terrorist attack, and condemns any statements to the contrary.” She called Fateh’s staffers’ comments “outrageous” and said they “have no place in our politics.”
Klobuchar reiterated her endorsement of Mayor Jacob Frey in the race; Frey’s other supporters, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and other state Democratic officials have thus far refrained from commenting on the situation…
Staying in the Midwest, protesters interrupted Rep. Wesley Bell’s (D-MO) first in-person town hall last night in St. Louis over Bell’s support for Israel, shouting over the congressman and getting into altercations with police.
In response to a question about “the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” Bell said, “Let’s talk about the word genocide, because we see that differently.” He repeatedly asked protesters to stop shouting and listen.
“There’s a lot of folks who don’t want to have the conversation,” Bell said. “They just want to spew what they think is important, but they don’t want to have an actual debate because these are tough issues. So, now we’re going to have the conversation — whether you like it or not”…
Meanwhile on the campaign trail, Politico reported this morning on Rep. Chris Pappas’ (D-NH) new competitor in the Democratic primary for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat, political activist Karishma Manzur.
Manzur said she would have supported recent resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) — which the moderate Pappas said he would have opposed — seeking to block some arms sales to Israel, saying she “will be against any money to any country to kill people” and that the U.S. should take “concrete actions against the harrowing acts of torture of Palestinians” by the IDF …
President Donald Trump called in to Fox News host Mark Levin’s radio show yesterday and said that, at the time of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, he believed Iran “would have had nuclear weapons in a period of four weeks.”
“If we didn’t [strike Iran], they would probably by this time, just about this time, have a nuclear weapon and they would have used it,” the president said.
Trump also told Levin that the U.S. Air Force pilots who conducted the strikes told him that they and their predecessors had been practicing the flight to Iranian airspace for 22 years…
The New York Times published an analysis on the damage inflicted by U.S. strikes on the Iranian nuclear site Fordow based on the site’s structure and the munitions used…
The State Department responded today to a bipartisan congressional letter led by Pappas last month expressing lawmakers’ concerns that the administration was considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey in a reversal of U.S. policy, which currently bans the sale of the jets in light of Turkey’s purchase of an S-400 missile defense system from Russia.
Paul Guaglianone, senior bureau official in the department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs, wrote in a letter to Pappas that the “U.S. position on Turkey’s acquisition and continued possession of the Russian S-400 system has not changed, and the requirements for Turkey to acquire U.S. F-35 aircraft are well-known”…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced this morning that the U.S. is sanctioning four additional officials from the International Criminal Court, two judges and two prosecutors, in addition to the four judges sanctioned by the U.S. in June, over the ICC’s continued “efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, and prosecute American and Israeli nationals”…
In Israel, coalition politics are heating up over a potential ceasefire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas, which reports indicate the terror group recently accepted but Israel has not yet responded to.
Israeli media reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told hostage families he would resign if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire, and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir is likely to do the same, as he did in January when Israel agreed to a previous ceasefire deal.
Meanwhile, opposition MK Benny Gantz, whose Blue and White-National Unity party is currently hemorrhaging in the polls, is reportedly considering rejoining Netanyahu’s coalition to help bolster support for a deal…
Back stateside, Israeli scholar and dance instructor Yael Nativ is suing the University of California, Berkeley, alleging that the university denied her a teaching position because she is Israeli. Nativ had previously taught at Berkeley and was encouraged to apply to teach another course.
When Nativ’s application was rejected shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, according to the suit, the dance department chair wrote to her, “My dept cannot host you for a class next fall. Things are very hot right now and many of our grad students are angry. I would be putting the dept and you in a terrible position if you taught here”…
⏩ Tomorrow’s Agenda, Today
An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead
Keep an eye on Jewish Insider tomorrow morning for reporting on Graham Platner, the oyster farmer turned Democratic challenger to Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who called AIPAC “weird” in a recent interview.
Tomorrow afternoon, the American Jewish Committee will host a briefing on “Justice for Victims of Hamas’ Sexual Violence: The U.N. Blacklist and What Comes Next,” referring to the U.N.’s recent decision to “blacklist” Hamas as a group that uses sexual violence as a weapon of war.
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FOREIGN POLICY FEID
Seb Gorka slams Tucker Carlson as ‘Pat Buchanan in a new guise’
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TRIP TALK
Rep. Laura Gillen returns from Israel doubly committed to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship
The New York Democrat told JI ‘the majority of people see the value and the special nature of our relationship with our ally Israel’
