Plus, today's showdown in South Carolina
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference on Aug. 12, 2026 in New York City.
Add JewishInsider on GoogleGood Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the response by Democratic officials to antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker’s recent comments suggesting that Jewish supporters of Israel are inciting antisemitic violence against themselves, cover the Trump administration’s new economic sanctions against Iran and report on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s response to recent antisemitic comments by a local elected Democratic official. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Dan Snyder and Roman Gofman.
Curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
Today’s Agenda
South Carolina Republicans head to the polls today to cast their ballots in the special primary runoff between Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) as the two vie to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who won the primary before his sudden death last month.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi is in Iran today for ongoing talks between the countries on the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting comes a day after Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met in Tehran with senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an effort to reopen the Strait and ease tensions with Washington.
One Thing To Know
analysis
Trump’s Senate endorsement streak tested with Graham-Norman runoff
Today’s special election GOP runoff for Senate in South Carolina between appointed Sen. Darline Graham and five-term Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) will be a clear test over just how much juice President Donald Trump’s endorsement carries within the Republican Party, at a time when his overall political standing has been on the decline.
Graham has struggled through the shortened campaign to fill the seat of her late brother, dodging the media spotlight (unlike her brother) and sticking to generic talking points in discussing the issues. She faced blowback after admitting she didn’t know enough about foreign policy to answer a debate question about Taiwan — underscoring how much of a novice she is on an issue that defined Lindsey Graham’s legacy.
But Trump has been a loyal backer, holding a rally last Friday for her campaign, which featured appearances from the state’s Republican leadership, including Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who is also the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Norman also hardly fits the profile of the up-and-coming challenger. He’s 73 and would be one of the oldest freshman senators in recent memory. And for more-moderate Republicans, his record of antagonism towards House Republican leadership and support for declaring martial law in the days leading up to President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration make him a deeply flawed choice.
The Big Reads
PIKER PROBLEMS
Jeffries condemns Piker’s rhetoric as many Democrats remain mum
The Democratic Party’s debate over antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker, who has been embraced by elements of the left, played out in a series of statements on Monday — even as a number of high-profile political figures avoided directly naming Piker, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) issued a strong rejection of Piker’s comments, made last week, that Jewish supporters of Israel are inciting antisemitic violence against themselves, but did not name Piker personally. Meanwhile, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed attempted to distance himself from Piker, after Piker attacked Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss. But aside from an X post titled, “My statement on Hasan Piker’s comments regarding Jeremy Moss,” El-Sayed didn’t name either man, and didn’t directly address Piker’s comments.
Naming names: Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) was more direct, JI’s Marc Rod reports, writing in an X post, “Hasan Piker’s calls for violence against American Jews, and directly naming a Michigan elected official (and future Congressional colleague) Jeremy Moss are unacceptable. Full stop.”
STAYING MUM
Mamdani silent on calls for antisemitic Brooklyn pol’s resignation
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani refused on Monday to answer questions about a local Democratic official who promoted Henry Ford’s The International Jew and blamed a property dispute on “Zionists,” Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports. Mamdani repeatedly refused to answer when pressed about recently elected Brooklyn District Leader Carmella Charrington. In a statement released by his office later in the day, Mamdani said, “Suggesting that an alleged deed theft in Brooklyn is part of a global conspiracy involving Jewish people is blatant, reprehensible antisemitism.” However, the administration did not answer a follow-up question about whether the mayor believed Charrington should step aside from her district leader role.
Read the full story and watch a video of Mamdani’s silence here →
SANCTIONS REGIME
Bessent announces Operation Economic Outcast targeting Iranian economy
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday that the Trump administration is launching “Operation Economic Outcast” against Iran, outlining a targeted effort aimed at severing Tehran’s global economic ties in order to “collapse every last option” for Tehran, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. The directive targets five economic sectors: digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping. At Bessent’s direction, the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Monday designated over 60 entities, individuals and vessels worldwide “that enable the Iranian regime to procure illicit nuclear and missile technology, conduct cyber operations and generate oil revenue.”
Tehran’s take: Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, vowed to retaliate against any country that cooperates with the new U.S. sanctions regime.
The Rundown
ruffling feathers
Jewish leaders speak out against actor Mark Ruffalo’s ‘antisemitic’ attack against Ellison family
INTERNET AGE
Bipartisan group introduces bill to make influencers register under FARA
On Our Radar
● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on the app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism; Rubio also said that the Trump administration was revoking the Specially Designated Global Terrorist designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham — the group led by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa until he assumed the presidency in January 2025…
The Treasury Department redesignated Hezbollah, already a Foreign Terrorist Organization, for acting as a proxy of the Iranian regime under the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; the department also sanctioned 10 individuals who were part of a network to transfer funds to Hezbollah utilizing couriers on commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the UAE and Iran…
A dozen Senate Democrats called on Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) to hold a hearing on reports of deteriorating conditions for troops involved in the campaign against Iran…
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) rejected party criticism over his recent meeting with Jared Kushner, saying in a video that Kushner had requested the meeting, during which, according to The New York Times, the two discussed areas where Democrats and the Trump administration could find common ground should Democrats retake the House in the midterm elections…
Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) attended three AIPAC-hosted fundraisers in Los Angeles over the weekend and another on Monday; the events come following reports of an apparent dispute between Rogers and the pro-Israel group’s involvement in the race as he runs for U.S. Senate…
Front Office Sports looks at former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder’s gradual disappearance from the limelight and NFL circles, three years after selling the team amid a slew of controversies and moving to London…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights watchmaker Vanguart, as the company fulfills an order from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for seven custom timepieces with OpenAI branding…
Greenwich Village’s Chabad Loft is facing potential eviction amid a dispute with the landlord of the property that has housed the community for the last six years…
Russ & Daughters is partnering with West Elm on a dinnerware collection inspired by Jewish events and holidays…
The Montreal City Council passed a watered-down version of a resolution that had initially called for the suspension of diplomatic and institutional ties with Israel and included references to genocide and apartheid; the amended resolution, which passed 54-6, expressed support for Palestinians as well as all civilian victims of hostilities in the region…
Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros withdrew from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, alleging that Israel’s participation violated the neutrality of the annual singing competition; following Avrotros’ withdrawal, the country’s coordinating body for broadcasters will now be able to select a different Dutch broadcaster to take its place…
Mossad head Roman Gofman attended Selichot prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Monday night…
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Knesset member Zvi Sukkot after the release of footage of the lawmaker destroying a monument to Palestinian terrorists in a village near Nablus; the statement from the PMO came shortly after the IDF condemned Sukkot’s actions, saying that the Religious Zionist party lawmaker deliberately misled IDF troops who were assigned to protect him…
Worthy Reads
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Help With the Houthis: In The Wall Street Journal, Jamila Ali Raja, Yemen’s ambassador to Washington, argues that the country is “well-positioned” to counter the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen if it has the support of the U.S. “Most Americans had never heard of the Houthis until they began firing missiles and drones at oil tankers. But the world should understand what they are: nonstate actors affiliated with Iran. It’s also important to understand what they aren’t: a legitimate governing force. They hold territory without carrying the obligations that come with it, and they answer to no one. Yemeni safety and security and the future of the country don’t figure in their calculations.” [WSJ]
Raskin’s Rationale: In The Free Press, former Attorney General Bill Barr questions the political motivations behind Rep. Jamie Raskin’s (D-MD) announcement last week that the lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, plans to launch a probe into the Trump administration’s campus antisemitism investigations. “Partisan oversight investigations are nothing new in Washington. But this one is uniquely cynical. … What appears to have changed, then, is the direction in which the political winds are blowing. From New York to Michigan, anti-Zionism and antisemitism have paid good dividends for political candidates in Democratic primaries. Raskin may be trying to catch a tailwind into a House leadership position after November.” [FreePress]
Iran’s Hired Hands: In The New Yorker, Cora Engelbrecht does a deep dive into Iranian efforts to recruit local actors — from career criminals to teenagers — to carry out attacks on dissidents around the world. “The plot against [Iran International’s Pouria] Zeraati is part of a widening campaign by the Iranian government which involves hiring criminals — Russian mobsters, Hells Angels bikers, and even Swedish teen-agers — to attack its detractors and sow fear among Iranians in exile. … ‘Hired criminals are cheap, and they know how to blend in,’ Colin Clarke, the executive director at the Soufan Center, a global-security think tank, told me. ‘And Iran doesn’t seem to care if these guys get caught or can’t get the job done.’” [NewYorker]
Picture of the Day
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (right) met in Jerusalem on Monday with North Macedonian Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski.
Birthdays
Howard Jacobson, British novelist known for writing comic novels that revolve around the dilemmas of Jewish characters, turns 84
Gene Simmons, bass guitarist and co-lead singer of Kiss, his birth name is Chaim Witz, known professionally as “The Demon,” turns 77
Deborah “Debbie” Matz, former chair of the National Credit Union Administration, she now serves on the board of directors of Stewart Title Co., turns 76
Lorin Fife, former chair of the board at the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
William Seth Hochman, president of The Joel Paul Group, a division of Merraine Group, specializing in executive recruitment for the nonprofit sector, turns 71
Elazar Stern, former head of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate, he resigned from the Yesh Atid party earlier this month to join the Yashar party, turns 70
Manfred “Fred” Haeusler, former program director at the St. Paul, Minn., Jewish community center
Michael Cohen, former Trump fixer, he was the key prosecution witness in the 2024 Trump criminal trial brought by the Manhattan DA, turns 60
Noam David Elkies, professor of mathematics at Harvard University (tenured at age 26, the youngest ever), pianist and chess national master, turns 60
Jon Husted, U.S. senator (R-OH), appointed in 2025 to fill the seat of VPOTUS JD Vance, turns 59
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy, musician, singer songwriter, author and record producer best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Wilco, turns 59
Richard Marceau, former Canadian MP, now SVP for strategic initiatives and general counsel at Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, turns 56
Ronn D. Torossian, author and founder of NYC-based 5W Public Relations, turns 52
Suzanne Schneider, regional marketing director at UJA-Federation of New York
Alicia Post, executive director at the Religious Zionists of America
Jaclyn Tohn, actor and musician best known for playing Melanie “MelRose” Rosen on the Netflix series “Glow,” turns 46
Sarah Schreiber, director of development for South Florida’s JVAC – Jewish Volunteer Ambulance Corps
Nate Loewentheil, founder and managing partner at Commonweal Ventures
Evan Hoffman, director of state and local government relations at multinational conglomerate Philips
Daniel Barash, managing director in the D.C. office of SKDK
Stacey Farber, Canadian actor, turns 39
Samuel Michelman, director of product marketing at LinkedIn
Ryan Kuhel, founder and CEO of DLP Labs
Jackie Rotman, founder and CEO at the Center for Intimacy Justice
Neal Rothschild, senior director of editorial strategy and operations at Axios
Jane Wasserman
Jenna Lifhits, investigative counsel for the House Education and the Workforce Committee
Adam Friedman, Talmudic scholar, he is an operations and accounting specialist at HealthSource Distributors
Eden Hason, Israeli singer-songwriter, turns 32
Carina Grossmann
Robert Cohen
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Melanie Pell, chief engagement officer of the American Jewish Committee
Plus, Barrack hikes back Golan Heights claim
AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File
Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers speaks during an election night watch party, Nov. 5, 2024, at Suburban Showplace Collection in Novi, Mich.
Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack’s recent comments on control of the Golan Heights, talk to Palestinian analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib about his new book about Hamas’ hold over Gaza and cover Hasan Piker’s suggestion that Jews who support Israel are inviting violence. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Josh Harris, Avi Nesher and Artem Dolgopyat.
Curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.
Today’s Agenda
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to hold a press conference today on Iran, days after announcing that the U.S. planned to impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on the Islamic Republic. In a post on X last night, Bessent said, “We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day — the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.”
Ahead of Bessent’s speech — which came as the Iranian rial hit another record low — China’s Foreign Ministry released a readout on Sunday of a previously undisclosed meeting last week between China’s vice foreign minister and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in which Beijing said it was “closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and is actively committed to promoting peace talks.”
In Aspen, Colo., the Democratic Governors Association wraps up its annual two-day summer policy conference and board retreat this week. Speakers include Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
The Montreal City Council is slated to hold a vote this evening on a resolution that would declare a genocide in Gaza and “recognize and denounce the apartheid regime in Palestine.” The resolution, being promoted by the opposition Projet Montréal party, has stirred controversy in the city and drawn pushback amid an uptick in antisemitic crimes.
One Thing To Know
analysis
Unpacking the tactical dispute between Mike Rogers’ campaign and AIPAC
The debate over AIPAC’s involvement in the high-stakes Michigan Senate race is drawing renewed attention after an Axios report outlined a request from allies of former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) for the pro-Israel group’s super PAC to lay low for the general election. The Rogers campaign advisors suggested instead that the group transfer money for the race to a separate pro-Rogers entity so as not to make its outside spending a major issue in the contest.
The episode has touched a lot of raw nerves in both the pro-Israel world and the Republican political landscape. Rogers, a longtime supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship, is highlighting his relationships with Michigan’s Jewish community, and has made attacking Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s anti-Israel virulence and his relationship with antisemitic figures like Hasan Piker a central element of his campaign message.
AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, spent about $32 million in the Democratic primary to try to defeat El-Sayed, and there’s little doubt its money — in the absence of any moderate group willing to spend similar resources to stop a far-left candidate like El-Sayed from winning — made the race more competitive than it otherwise would have been. But it also gave El-Sayed a talking point in attacking outside money in the race that diluted the impact of the aggressive advertising campaign, especially at a time when support for Israel itself is diminishing within the Democratic Party.
The Big Reads
BARRACK’S ROW
Barrack walks back claim that Israel occupies Golan
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack on Sunday reaffirmed the U.S. policy on the Golan Heights, days after suggesting on a livestream that the Israelis “still occupy the Golan against the [United Nations] resolutions,” despite the Trump administration’s 2019 recognition of the area as Israeli territory, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. In a statement to JI after facing pushback on his initial comments, Barrack said, “The reference to the United Nations was offered as evidence of the point I was making — that territory taken by force remains contested for generations, in this case for more than fifty years and still unresolved at the UN — which is why I argue that negotiated understandings, not maps, are what endure.”
BOOKSHELF
In new book, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib argues Hamas has held Palestinian population hostage for 20 years
During the war between Israel and Hamas sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, dozens of relatives of the Atlantic Council’s Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib were killed in Israeli airstrikes. But ultimate blame for their deaths, the author of Hamas and Its Two Million Hostages argued to Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea, is with the terror group and not Israel. In his first book, Alkhatib said he sought “to weave in elements of my personal story with Gaza’s contemporary history, and add a human dimension to what I felt was Hamas’ devastating impact on the Palestinian people, their destructive role in setting back the Palestinian national project and the radicalization of the society.”
VEILED THREAT
Hasan Piker says Jews who support Israel are inviting violence
Antisemitic social media influencer Hasan Piker, who has campaigned with a number of progressive Democratic candidates this year, said on his Twitch stream last week that American Jews who express support for Israel are inviting violence against themselves, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. In his commentary, Piker added that Jews who tie their “entire identity” to Israel, which he referred to as “Jewish ISIS,” are “making antisemitism worse.” Two hours into his nearly seven-hour stream last week, Piker said, “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone’s going to come around and take action, not against the State of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.”
The Rundown
EDUCATION IMPACT
New ADL study: One antisemitism education lesson reduces belief in anti-Jewish conspiracy theories
TURKEY TROUBLE
Sen. Rick Scott takes aim at Turkey over Israel tensions
MONEY MOVES
UAE deals major blow in cutting Iran financial ties — but experts warn Tehran has work-arounds
On Our Radar
● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on the app (on Apple and Android) and website.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) met privately with White House advisor Jared Kushner in recent weeks to discuss policy issues as Democrats look poised to retake control of the House in the midterm elections…
The U.S. canceled an upcoming joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea, with Washington reportedly citing constraints due to the Iran war…
Mossad Director Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met on Sunday in an effort to lower tensions after Israel struck a Syrian air base last week…
U.K. power companies were put on high alert following a successful effort by hackers with suspected Iran ties to shut down a small British energy plant, weeks after Iran-linked hackers were suspected of targeting water systems in at least seven U.S. states…
Iranian authorities are increasingly cracking down on coffee shops that are serving as gathering spots for young Iranians to socialize, often citing the country’s restrictive modesty laws…
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is planning to introduce legislation amending the Foreign Agents Registration Act that would require influencers to disclose funding from foreign governments to push political messages; the legislation has the backing of Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)…
The New York Times spotlights Powerus as the Florida-based startup, which makes 3D-printed drone interceptor components, begins production in a newly opened facility in the United Arab Emirates in its first foray into the Middle East; the expansion is part of a broader effort to quintuple production by 2027 to match growing needs from the U.S. and its allies…
Blackwater founder Erik Prince launched Vectus Air Defense Systems, which will provide “layered air-defense networks” in partnership with Ukrainian drone software group Swarmer, for which he serves as non-executive chair…
Paramount condemned Mark Ruffalo’s use of “antisemitic tropes … in purported service of a business dispute” after the actor and activist, who has opposed Paramount’s bid to takeover Warner Bros. Discovery, accused CEO David Ellison and his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, of “powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world”…
Josh Harris, a minority owner of the Crystal Palace Football Club, told Sportico that the team is “trying to look at whether there are investors that might want to join us” as the owners of the English Premier League club consider a potential sale…
City & State NY looks at the NYPD’s continued relationship with Israeli law enforcement — including a full-time liaison stationed in Israel — despite New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric, finding that “[n]owhere has the gap between Mamdani’s views on Israel and his actual policy been greater than his management of the NYPD”…
Variety interviews Israeli filmmaker Avi Nesher about his new film “Our Loves,” inspired by the real-life relationships of survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, which is set to premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival…
Seven anti-Israel protesters who were convicted last month of shutting down traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge during a 2024 demonstration were sentenced to 30 days in jail and six months probation, with the imposition of jail time on hold until the defendants file appeals…
A Jewish camp in Belgrade, Maine, is seeking a protective order from a neighbor with whom camp officials have clashed for years; the camp alleged that Nathan Hewett has sought to disturb campers and staff, and said that earlier this month he fired nearly two dozen gunshots nearby, sending the camp into lockdown…
The Wall Street Journal looks at the Alternative for Germany’s attacks on the Bauhaus art and design school, as the far-right party seeks to portray the art movement — which was banned by the Nazis — as “inhumane” and anti-German…
AirMail and Politico profile Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, as the latest poll from Israel’s Kan network shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with 51 seats — short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a coalition…
Military officials from Burundi and Uganda met with officials in Israel last week to discuss the deployment of troops from both countries to join the international security force in Gaza…
Israel announced that it had discovered the wreckage of the Altalena, nearly 80 years after the vessel, which had been carrying arms to the Irgun when those aboard clashed with the IDF after the ship ran aground in Tel Aviv, was sunk on the orders of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in June 1948…
Peter Berkowitz was named the next James R. Schlesinger distinguished professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs…
Worthy Reads
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.
What Bernie Wrought: In The Free Press, Joel Rubin, the former Jewish outreach director on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) 2020 presidential campaign, argues that Sanders and his political infrastructure have helped bring about the Democratic Party’s turn against Israel and a broader rise in antisemitism. “No longer are there any guardrails within the Sanders team that take the broader Jewish community’s sensitivities into account. … Rather, for the past several years, Sanders has helped build a political infrastructure on the American left in which hostility toward Israel has increasingly become a marker of ideological authenticity.” [FreePress]
That Other King: In The Washington Post, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer reflects on the upcoming High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the context of the “No Kings” protests that have taken place across the U.S. over the last year. “At the emotional center of both holidays is a word that recurs in their liturgies: king. … But 2,000 years before anyone printed a protest sign, the ancient rabbis who composed these words wrestled with the same discomfort we feel today. Indeed, the rabbinic approach to God as King can be summed up simply: Whatever you think a human king is, God is the opposite.” [WashPost]
Base Running: The Financial Times’ Jacob Judah does a deep dive into the debate over how — or whether — to rebuild U.S. military facilities in the Middle East that were damaged by Iranian fire. “As Pentagon planners have reimagined how to fight against advanced adversaries, large and fixed bases have been losing favour as the staging and supply hubs for military operations. The preference in Washington has been to move towards a more dispersed deployment model that makes it harder to target American forces.” [FT]
Picture of the Day
Israeli Olympic gold medal gymnast Artem Dolgopyat won his third European Championship title for his floor routine during last week’s competition in Zagreb, Croatia. MARKO LUKUNIC/PIXSELL/MB MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
Birthdays
Meital Dohan, Israeli actor and musician, turns 50
Meir Stern, rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic, N.J., turns 91
J. David Bleich, professor of Jewish law and ethics at Yeshiva University, he also teaches at Cardozo Law School, turns 90
Lois Tager, author, speaker, geriatric care manager and online counsellor for seniors in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Mel Karmazin, former president of Infinity Broadcasting, he eventually became the CEO of CBS and of Sirius Radio, turns 83
Joe Manchin, former U.S. senator (I-WV), turns 79
Dakota Jackson, celebrity furniture designer known for his eponymous furniture brand, turns 77
Lawrence Bacow, former president of Harvard and Tufts universities, turns 75
Jonathan Romain, rabbi emeritus of the Maidenhead Synagogue in Berkshire, England, turns 72
Ricki Seidman, senior counselor to the secretary of Homeland Security during the Biden administration, turns 71
Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, turns 71
Phil Rosen, retired in 2024 as head of the real estate practice at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, he is the vice chair of Birthright Israel Foundation and chair of World Jewish Congress-American section
Adam Gopnik, author of nine books, essayist and longtime staff writer for The New Yorker, turns 70
Steve Guttenberg, actor, producer and director, turns 68
Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University, turns 66
Jonathan Aviv, professor of otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, turns 66
Marc Terrill, president emeritus of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore
Donna Barwald, professional organizer
Marlee Matlin, 1986 winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for her role in “Children of a Lesser God,” she is the first deaf performer to have won the award, turns 61
Nick Denton, founder and CEO of Gawker Media until it was bankrupted by Hulk Hogan and Peter Thiel, turns 60
Andrew Romanoff, former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, he is now executive director for Disability Law Colorado, turns 60
Lonnie Nasatir, president of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
David Gregory, CNN political analyst, he is the former host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” turns 56
Todd Young, U.S. senator (R-IN), turns 54
Avigail Sperber, Israeli cinematographer and film and television director, turns 53
Miriam Shaviv, content marketing lead at Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, turns 50
Jon Daniels, former GM of MLB’s Texas Rangers, now a senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays, turns 49
Emily Cherniack, Boston-based, founder and executive director of the group New Politics
Michael M. Rosen, counsel at Irell & Manella and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
Jenn Hyman, co-founder and former CEO of Rent the Runway, a company focused on the renting of high-end clothing and accessories, turns 46
Jon Scheyer, head coach of the Duke men’s basketball team after serving as assistant to the legendary Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), turns 39
David Perelman, CEO of the JCommerce Group, an e-commerce enterprise that services the Jewish community
Galia Slayen, VP of strategic communications at The Lede Company
Samantha Feinstein, owner of Sustayne and co-owner of Peabody Group
Natalie Short, SVP at Edelman Smithfield
Griffin Gluck, film and television actor, turns 26
Plus, Darline Graham says natsec 'not my thing'
Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill on Sept. 8, 2025.
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we break down the results of yesterday’s primaries in Florida, and talk to foreign policy officials wary of the Trump administration’s Gaza diplomacy. We report on Sen. Darline Graham’s admission during last night’s South Carolina Senate debate that national security was “not my thing,” and cover a new report from the Anti-Defamation League and the Academic Engagement Network about anti-Israel activists’ efforts to exert control over higher education unions. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Ehren Stenzler, Jeremy Moss and Yossi Cohen.
Curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
Today’s Agenda
We’re keeping an eye on the remaining races to be called in yesterday’s primaries in Florida and special election runoff in California’s 14th Congressional District, where state Sen. Aisha Wahab maintains a 1,300-vote lead over Melissa Hernandez with 62% of precincts reporting.
A number of the Florida races were called shortly after polls closed, with Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Randy Fine (R-FL) fending off challengers from the more extreme wings of their respective parties. More below.
One Thing To Know
Florida voters reject political extremes
Florida Democrats and Republicans fended off extreme challengers against pro-Israel incumbents in Tuesday night’s primaries, indicating that the state’s older, moderate and notably Jewish electorate was uniquely inhospitable towards the anti-Israel left and the antisemitic right.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) handily defeated socialist challenger Oliver Larkin by nearly a 2-to-1 margin (64-36%), while Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) easily prevailed in a newly drawn district against a crowded field of challengers. Elijah Manley — the candidate running against Wasserman Schultz on the Democratic Socialists of America, anti-Israel platform — lagged in third place, with just 13% of the vote.
On the Republican side, Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) dominated over a neo-Nazi podcaster who made hatred of Jews the central message of his campaign. Fine won renomination with 57% of the vote, while the antisemitic Dan Bilzerian tallied 17% of the GOP vote. And in the governor’s race, James Fishback, who used racist and antisemitic messages as part of his campaign, lagged well behind the Trump-endorsed winner, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), finishing in third place with just 10% of the vote.
The Big Reads
DISARMAMENT DOUBTS
Pro-Israel foreign policy officials wary of Trump administration’s Gaza diplomacy
A diplomatic push by Jared Kushner to revive the stalled Gaza peace plan was met with widespread skepticism from Middle East analysts, who warned that the envoy’s timeline for Hamas disarmament is unrealistic, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. “What Hamas wants is what Hezbollah has had in Lebanon: someone else runs schools and collects garbage, while they remain in charge behind the scenes. In my view, Kushner’s meeting with Hamas was a terrible mistake that helps to legitimize them,” said Elliott Abrams, who served as special envoy for Iran during the first Trump administration.
game changer
Sen. Darline Graham, at debate: ‘National security is not my thing’
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) said at the final GOP primary debate on Tuesday to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that she is “not that informed on national security,” Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. Graham made the comments after being asked at Tuesday’s debate if she believed Taiwan and the South China Sea were national security issues for the United States. “My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years, so I will do everything I can to support the military. My dad was in the army. I’m not a polished politician up here. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise,” Graham said.
campus beat
ADL-AEN report highlights unions being hijacked by anti-Israel activists
Dysfunctional union governance is leaving some Jewish faculty and graduate students marginalized and unrepresented by the labor organizations meant to advocate for them, a report released Wednesday by the Academic Engagement Network and the Anti-Defamation League documents. The report, “A Crisis of Representation: Antisemitism and Inclusion in Higher Education Unions,” highlights how activist factions have used low-turnout union elections to push anti-Israel positions without broad member buy-in — often at the expense of Jewish members who say they have faced targeted attacks, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
The Rundown
sunshine state socialism
Florida Democrats nominate DSA candidate for Senate race
a whole new ballgame
Amar’e Stoudemire details journey to Israel and Judaism in Hall of Fame induction speech
investigating the investigators
Raskin claims administration’s campus antisemitism probes were ‘fake,’ schools were framed
wolverine warriors
Democrats can retake the Senate without winning Michigan, Schumer suggests
campaign controversy
Michigan Dem nominee Jeremy Moss denounces ‘disinformation’ peddling dual loyalty tropes
sephardi spotlight
Sephardic leaders argue their tradition serves as a model for the future of diaspora Jewry
mixed messages
U.S. accuses Israel of striking Syrian air base
On Our Radar
● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on the app (on Apple and Android) and website.
The State Department announced sanctions against Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer at the court, as part of the Trump administration’s recently announced campaign to target the body; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two individuals “have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction”…
The Department of Defense is demanding that 30 U.S. academic institutions, including Georgetown, UC Berkeley, Harvard, UCLA, USC, Cornell, Duke, Johns Hopkins and NYU, conduct comprehensive reviews of their ties with “foreign entities of concern,” threatening future Pentagon funding for research projects…
A new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) with a 14-point lead over his primary opponent, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), among likely voters…
Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is facing misdemeanor charges tied to her participation in an anti-Israel protest at Washington University in St. Louis in April 2024, during which she allegedly assaulted a police officer…
LionTree co-founder Ehren Stenzler is joining Moelis as a managing director, alongside Jake Donavan, who served as LionTree’s president of Europe…
Lawyers for Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss are contesting efforts to sell the Buss family’s stake — approximately 17.8% — in the team to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger; Kushner and Iger are still proceeding with their purchase of Mark Walter’s majority stake in the team…
Senior German lawmakers are calling on the EU to sanction Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over his comments earlier this week that Israel should conduct “targeted killings” to “remove 30, 40 [people] every night” in Gaza…
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the country will expel two Iranian diplomats after members of the Islamic Republic’s security service interrogated and allegedly assaulted two French Embassy employees, including the cultural attaché, who were posted in Tehran…
The Israel Football Association withdrew its support for FIFA head Gianni Infantino in what IFA President Moshe Zuares, citing an “unprecedented crisis of confidence” in the FIFA chief, said was a unanimous vote; the move came after Infantino fired FIFA’s COO over his opposition to Infantino’s proposal to sell off portions of the World Cup…
Azerbaijan is suing CNN for defamation, accusing the network of endangering the country by falsely reporting that Baku had allowed Israel to operate from Azerbaijani territory as it mounted attacks against Iran during the war earlier this year…
The United Arab Emirates said it would be cutting off all trade and commercial ties with Iran due to “regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security,” after Tehran fired two ballistic missiles at the Gulf state on Tuesday…
Lebanon transferred an Assad-era Syrian military official to Damascus after he was questioned in Beirut earlier this month over crimes he allegedly committed in Syria in 2011; Maj. Gen. Adel Issa, who fled to Lebanon after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, is expected to face trial in Syria…
Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen, who joined SoftBank in 2021 as head of the company’s Israel operations, was appointed to the additional role of senior advisor to SoftBank founder, chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son…
Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch and The Forward’s Talia Zax are joining The Atlantic as a staff writer and senior editor, respectively…
Israeli businessman and investor Shmuel Harlap, the former chairman of Israeli auto importer Colmobil, died at 82…
Worthy Reads
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Damage Control: In The Times of Israel, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew considers how Jerusalem can strengthen its relations with Washington amid a generational shift in the U.S. that threatens to derail the decades-long ties between the countries. “As a powerful but small country, Israel’s security depends on continued strategic cooperation with the United States. After fall elections in both countries, it will be urgent for a new government in Israel to take quick action to begin repairing this vital relationship. … This requires difficult decisions, and at least some humility, not a trait typically rewarded in Israeli political life.” [TOI]
Vilified on the Vineyard: The Atlantic’s Marc Leibovich travels to Alan Dershowitz’s home in Martha’s Vineyard to see how the lawyer has adjusted to life in the enclave after his public fallout with Larry David and what he alleges is ostracization from local events over his politics. “The week before our conversation, he had returned to the hallowed cultural battleground of the Pierogi Wars, the West Tisbury farmers’ market. He was wearing his U.S.-Israel shirt (or ‘my Zionist T-shirt,’ of which he has two — one red, one blue) and saw a guy wearing a Free Palestine shirt. ‘I walked up to him. I said, “Can we take a picture together?”’ The man refused. ‘He said, “No, no, no Israel,” and he walked away.’” [TheAtlantic]
EEOC Woes: In The Wall Street Journal, Ken Marcus, the founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, argues in favor of a proposal to end a requirement for large employers to submit race, sex and ethnicity employment data to the federal government. “Many employers and institutions have leaned on demographic frameworks to drive diversity and inclusion programs, sorting employees into broad categories of advantage and disadvantage. Within this schema, Jewish Americans are often folded into racial categories that have little or nothing to do with Jewish identity, meaning they are excluded from conversations about workplace discrimination entirely, even as antisemitic harassment has surged.” [WSJ]
Picture of the Day
Tadesse Getahon, Haimro Alame and Gashau Ayale — members of the Israeli men’s marathon team — showed off their gold medals (with Ayale also holding his individual bronze medal), after arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Lod following the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England.
Birthdays
Adam Arkin, actor and director, turns 70
Arthur Rock, one of the earliest Silicon Valley venture capital investors with positions in firms like Intel and Apple, turns 100
Gabriela Shalev, retired as president of Ono Academic College in Israel, she was Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2008 to 2010, turns 85
Neal Slavin, photographer and director of television programs and movies
David Novak, professor emeritus of religion and philosophy at the University of Toronto, he is the author of over a dozen books, turns 85
Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, turns 80
Miriam Baum Benkoe, retired reading teacher for the NYC Department of Education, she co-founded the kosher pantry at Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla.
Mark C. Rifkin, managing partner at Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz
Marc J. Rowan, chairman and CEO of Apollo Global Management, he is the board chairman of the UJA-Federation of New York, turns 64
Julius Genachowski, chairman of the FCC in the Obama administration, he is now a senior advisor at the Carlyle Group, turns 64
Joseph Kahn, executive editor of The New York Times, turns 62
Dan Aloni, managing partner and talent agent at William Morris Endeavor, he is active in the contemporary art world as a collector, turns 62
Omri Sharon, former member of Knesset, he is the son of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, turns 62
Carolynn Wotman, executive administrator of Ventura, Calif., accounting firm, Morgan, Daggett & Wotman
Kyra Sedgwick, actor and producer, known for her role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama “The Closer,” turns 61
Melinda R. Katz, district attorney of Queens, turns 61
Ezra Friedlander, founder and CEO of NYC-based government advocacy firm The Friedlander Group
Eric Louis Zinterhofer, private equity financier and a founding partner of Searchlight Capital Partners, he is on the board of Estee Lauder, turns 55
Yehuda Neuberger, chair of the Orthodox Union and past chair of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore
Molly Jong-Fast, writer and MS NOW commentator, turns 48
Brett Icahn, businessman and investor, he and a partner successfully managed a hedge fund for his father, Carl Icahn, turns 47
Ross Hinkle, managing partner of Handmade Capital
Nufar Edelman, laser radial sailor, she represented Israel at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, turns 44
Aaron Yechiel Hirtz, founder and principal at Aron’s Kissena Farms and Cedar Market
Isaac Gortenburg, president at Kansas City-based Eighteen Capital Group
Steven Markowitz, rapper, singer and songwriter, known by his stage name Hoodie Allen, turns 38
Cassandra Federbusz, digital marketing and PR consultant, she is a team manager at HubSpot
Former Trump special envoy Elliott Abrams: ‘Kushner’s meeting with Hamas was a terrible mistake that helps to legitimize them’
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images
Weapons on display as the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, hand over on Saturday two Israeli hostages in Rafah on February 22, 2025.
A diplomatic push by Jared Kushner to revive the stalled Gaza peace plan was met with widespread skepticism from Middle East analysts, who warned that the envoy’s timeline for Hamas disarmament is unrealistic as the group continues to hide behind a smokescreen of diplomacy rather than follow through on its commitments.
Following a series of meetings in Cairo and Jerusalem this week with Hamas and Israeli officials, Kushner expressed optimism that initial progress on Hamas surrendering its weapons could begin “in as little as 30 days,” and filling in Hamas’ terror tunnels within “60 to 90 days.” Additionally, Israel and the Board of Peace established two working groups to address key issues in the plan.
However, regional experts told Jewish Insider that Hamas is unlikely to fully disarm, warning that Kushner’s timeline faces significant operational and political hurdles.
“It may feign disarming and may turn in some guns, but full disarmament means they will lose power in Gaza,” said Elliott Abrams, who served as special envoy for Iran during the first Trump administration. “What Hamas wants is what Hezbollah has had in Lebanon: someone else runs schools and collects garbage, while they remain in charge behind the scenes. In my view, Kushner’s meeting with Hamas was a terrible mistake that helps to legitimize them.”
Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama and deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East under President Joe Biden, similarly questioned whether Hamas would genuinely comply with the roadmap, characterizing the talks as “a lot of misdirection, spinning, time-buying, and politics by all parties involved.”
“[Hamas’] ideology has not dimmed, and they have a long history of seeming to reach agreements, and then asserting caveats to wriggle out of them,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro also argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has incentives of his own to present the negotiations as making progress, describing the Israeli prime minister as performing a “familiar two-step” — reassuring the Israeli public on a sensitive issue ahead of an upcoming election while attempting to keep Washington appeased with the progress of the plan.
Beyond the political dynamics, Shapiro pointed to significant operational obstacles. The technocratic Palestinian government has yet to deploy to Gaza, its 5,000-member police force remains untrained and international stabilization forces are not prepared to seize Hamas’ weapons.
“Kushner is trying to bridge these unbridgeable gaps,” Shapiro said. “The result is different, and at times contradictory, statements and understandings by all parties on timing and sequence… In the best case, it will take many months to make even modest progress, and U.S. officials will need to stay engaged daily to keep the road map from collapsing.”
Hamas has an incentive to remain at the negotiating table even without having intent to fully comply, analysts said.
“Observers should evaluate Hamas’ commitments in the context of their total war against Israel,” said Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “They can position themselves as the reasonable party and Israelis as rejectionists if it advances Hamas’ goal to delegitimize Israel. They don’t have to fire a shot. In this case, lying is politically profitable.”
Kushner warned following his meetings in Israel on Monday that if Hamas fails to fulfill its disarmament pledge, Washington would allow Israel to “finish the job” militarily.
Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the threat is “intended to press Hamas to follow through.” But he cautioned that it “must have teeth” to prevent Hamas from using the negotiations to gain international legitimacy without surrendering its weapons.
“At the end of the day, Hamas cannot be allowed to prioritize holding on to its weapons at the expense of Gaza’s reconstruction,” Levitt said. He described the newly established working groups as a “significant” step toward “holding Hamas to full disarmament” and “addressing the very real sanitation crisis in Gaza.”
Jonathan Ruhe, a fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said the timeline will have little meaning without a credible force on the ground capable of disarming Hamas if the group refuses to surrender its weapons voluntarily.
“By saying all the right things, Hamas hopes to aggravate existing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem,” Ruhe said, arguing that the group is playing for time as U.S. and Israeli attention is pulled toward upcoming elections in both countries and other regional flashpoints.
“It’s almost impossible to foresee real progress on the Gaza peace plan until there’s a viable and ready option to forcibly disarm Hamas, since Hamas is not going to voluntarily surrender control over its part of the Strip,” Ruhe said. “The agreed timeline doesn’t mean much in the absence of any viable disarmament option.”
Ruhe added that Hamas could “play for time” and “hope Gaza continues to fall down the list of U.S. and Israeli priorities as tensions flare in [the Strait of] Hormuz, the West Bank and Syria, and as Trump and Netanyahu focus on upcoming elections.”
“Israel may have the U.S. blessing to finish the job, and ultimately it is willing to do so, but that doesn’t mean it’s ready or eager to resume intensive and draining ground operations in the near future,” he said.
Jason Greenblatt, former Middle East envoy in the first Trump administration, struck a more supportive tone toward the administration’s effort while expressing continued distrust of Hamas.
“I remain deeply skeptical of anything Hamas says. Hamas’ defining objective remains the destruction of Israel, and I am aware of no evidence that this has changed,” Greenblatt said. “Yet President Trump and his team secured the release of hostages held by Hamas in brutal conditions when almost no one thought it could be done.”
“President Trump, Jared and others on the team also created the Abraham Accords, which most experts believed could never happen, and they are uniquely qualified to take on this extraordinarily difficult task,” he continued. “The administration is right to pursue every possible path while making clear that, if Hamas refuses to comply, Israel will have America’s support to finish the job.”
Plus, Central Synagogue attacker faces federal charges
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) speaks during the House Administration Committee hearing on June 10, 2026.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning that “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” directly contradicting a statement from Jared Kushner yesterday that dialogue between the White House and “different areas of the Iranian government” is “probably more robust than it’s maybe ever been”…
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said on X this morning that he’s “deeply concerned” over what he called “confirmed Israeli airstrikes” on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase overnight, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strikes.
“The United States has in the past, and will continue in the future, to host discussions to encourage diplomatic cadence over kinetic frustration for both nations,” Barrack said, calling the incident an “unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.” Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who has been a pro-Israel stalwart, also condemned what he called “one-sided aggression”…
U.N. inspectors visited some nuclear sites tied to the deposed Assad regime in Syria this week, the first time that International Atomic Energy Agency officials have been given full access to the sites. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at a press conference with IAEA head Rafael Grossi that nuclear material found at the locations, including several tons of uranium, will be placed “under IAEA safeguards”…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions today against Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer, as part of the Trump administration’s recently announced campaign to target the body.
Rubio said the two individuals “have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” likely in reference to Israeli leaders…
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, claimed today that the Trump administration’s probes into campus antisemitism were “fake” and that schools found to have violated federal civil rights law were effectively framed, pointing to whistleblower reports that claimed the administration had manipulated evidence to show violations of law despite lacking sufficient evidence.
Raskin announced that he is launching an investigation of the alleged “misconduct” of the Department of Justice and intends to assess potential changes to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act “in light of this Administration’s shockingly reckless and unethical actions,” JI’s Marc Rod reports…
The DOJ charged a New York man, Larry Montes, with two federal hate crimes charges and one count of destruction of religious property for disrupting Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan over the weekend, where he struck a congregant, damaged synagogue property and spat on and headbutted a security guard. Montes has already been charged with hate crimes by local prosecutors…
The DOJ also charged 17 members of the Mabna Institute — an Iran-based company that federal prosecutors say ran a state-sponsored cyber campaign on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since at least 2013 — with hacking 144 U.S. and 178 foreign universities, dozens of private companies and several U.S. government agencies to steal research, academic data and intellectual property…
The Department of Defense instructed 30 U.S. academic institutions to conduct reviews of their ties with “foreign entities of concern,” threatening future Pentagon funding for research projects if they fail to do so and terminate “problematic partnerships”…
Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, pushed back today against what he alleged was a doctored audio clip circulating online designed to portray him as more loyal to Israel than the United States, JI’s Marc Rod reports.
“There is a manipulated and unsourced audio, with things I never did and never would say, that is nothing more than political disinformation intended to portray me as anti-American,” Moss, who is Jewish, said on X…
Rebecca Weininger, senior regional director of Anti-Defamation League Midwest, called out the Chicago branch of the Democratic Socialists of America’s “fixation on Israel” after the group’s 2027 city council endorsement questionnaire asked local candidates to explain whether they consider themselves anti-Zionists and if they support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
The group’s outsized focus on the Jewish state, Weininger said, is “not only far removed from the responsibilities and priorities of an alderman, but also risks fueling anti-Jewish sentiment, harassment, and ultimately, violence against Chicago’s Jewish community”…
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) suggested in an interview with The Washington Post that he believes Democrats can still win the Senate even if far-left Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, whom Schumer has endorsed, loses in November, JI’s Marc Rod reports. “A path to winning back the Senate clearly goes through Michigan, but we have a whole bunch of different paths,” Schumer said.
The Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, is spending $3 million on a new ad campaign to defeat Republican nominee Mike Rogers, portraying him as a career politician who enriched himself while in Washington…
⏩ 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 results from today’s key races in Florida and California. Polls close in the Sunshine State at 7 p.m. ET, and in the Golden State at 11 p.m. ET.
Hannan Lis, Brian Hermelin and Rob Orley, three prominent Jewish Democratic bundlers in Michigan, are hosting a fundraiser tonight for the state’s Republican Senate nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), as some Jewish Democrats in the Wolverine State consider flipping their votes against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Read Lis’ comments to JI here.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) will face off in a debate tonight hosted by the South Carolina GOP, a week ahead of their runoff election.
Stories You May Have Missed
HATE BY THE NUMBERS
Nearly two-thirds of 2025 religious hate crimes in U.S. were antisemitic, FBI data finds
Anti-Jewish hate crimes also constituted the second-largest category of reported hate crimes of any kind in 2025
BLAME GAME
Brooklyn Democratic leader who promoted infamous antisemitic tract rips ‘Zionists’ in new video
After pushing Henry Ford’s The International Jew, Democratic district leader Carmella Charrington said her ongoing housing dispute is the ‘same thing they’re doing in the West Bank’
Plus, a Brooklyn pol blames the ‘Zionists’
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
California state Sen. Aisha Wahab attends a press conference in Hayward, Calif., on March 2, 2026.
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview today’s primaries in Florida and a special election runoff in California, report on comments by Brooklyn Democratic official Carmella Charrington accusing “Zionists” of being behind a personal property dispute and cover yesterday’s meeting between Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Justin Ishbia, Ariel Levy and Stefan Zweig.
Curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod.
Today’s Agenda
It’s primary day in Florida. We’ll be watching a number of races around the Sunshine State, including the Democratic primaries in South Florida, where Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel are facing challenges from their left.
We’ll also be awaiting the results of the state’s GOP primaries, where fringe elements of the party, including gubernatorial candidate James Fishback and congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian, are mounting bids that are unlikely to succeed but will be instructive as to the extent of the far-right’s reach in the state. More below.
In California, voters in the state’s 14th Congressional District will cast their ballots in the special election runoff between state Sen. Aisha Wahab and former Dublin, Calif., Mayor Melissa Hernandez to succeed former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — a race in which the United Democracy Project has invested heavily. More below.
King Abdullah II of Jordan is kicking off a weeklong visit to China today, where he’s slated to meet with President Xi Jinping in Beijing and travel to Shanghai and Shenzhen.
In New York, the two-day Sephardic Rabbinic Conference wraps up this afternoon. Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York, is slated to address the gathering today.
One Thing To Know
AIPAC closes a rocky primary season with a California gamble
By Matthew Kassel
As primary election season comes to an end, AIPAC is closing out its involvement in a dramatic cycle with an unexpected foray into a low-profile California House race on Tuesday where Israel has not been among the top issues.
In the last two weeks, AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project, has spent nearly $2.5 million in an effort to defeat Aisha Wahab, a progressive state senator competing in a special election runoff against Melissa Hernandez, a moderate Democrat who is the president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit board and the former mayor of the East Bay city of Dublin.
The aggressive maneuver, which appears to be AIPAC’s last investment before the general election, has raised eyebrows among some Jewish leaders and Democratic strategists in the state, who see Wahab as favored to replace disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) in California’s 14th District, despite the flood of recent attacks against her from UDP and other allied groups.
The Big Reads
READING THE RIGHT
Florida primaries pose a test for far-right candidates
Today’s Republican primaries in Florida will be a critical test for far-right candidates who have built their campaigns on open antisemitism, providing hard data on how popular those views have become in the GOP, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Neither gubernatorial candidate James Fishback nor Dan Bilzerian, who is challenging Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, is expected to win. But the extent of the support they’re able to pick up will be instructive.
blame game
Brooklyn Democratic leader who promoted infamous antisemitic tract rips ‘Zionists’ in new video
Brooklyn Democratic politician and housing activist Carmella Charrington, who has a history of pushing century-old antisemitic conspiracy theories, blamed the property dispute that launched her to prominence on “Zionists” in a recent interview with an Egyptian podcaster, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports. In the interview, Charrington raged against the Jewish investors who had acquired the building at the heart of the dispute. “They’re Zionists that basically did this,” Charrington said. “Same thing that they’re doing in the West Bank, it’s the same thing.”
PEACE PROSPECTS
Israel, Board of Peace establish working groups on Gaza disarmament and public health
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Monday, following his meeting with Jared Kushner, that Israel and the U.S.-led Board of Peace will launch two working groups to address key issues in the board’s plan for disarming Hamas and reconstructing the enclave, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. One group will focus on disarmament and demilitarization in Gaza, the PMO said, while the second will focus on “sanitation, clean water and other public health issues for the people of Gaza and which also impact the people of Israel.”
The Rundown
HATE BY THE NUMBERS
Nearly two-thirds of 2025 religious hate crimes in U.S. were antisemitic, FBI data finds
SPEECH CONTROVERSY
Reps. Jayapal, Goldman continue to spar over Hasan Piker speech cancellation
On Our Radar
● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on the app (on Apple and Android) and website.
President Donald Trump threatened to “bomb the s— out of” Oman if the Gulf state’s talks with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz interfere with U.S. efforts to reach a deal with Tehran…
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency said that a vessel transiting through the Strait of Hormuz earlier Tuesday was struck by a projectile; one casualty was reported in the attack, which caused damage to the ship’s engine room…
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) said that she told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, when the Israeli leader was in Washington for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) funeral, that, like her brother, “I will stand with Israel as well”…
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) criticized the “ongoing siege of Palestinian homes in the West Bank by violent, lawbreaking settlers” and called on the Trump administration to “compel the Israeli government to protect the lives, property and livelihood” of residents.
Jeffries’ comments came as the Ohio-based Palestinian American owner of a West Bank property that has been targeted by settlers returned to the home on Monday night…
U.S. defense technology firm Ondas is acquiring Israeli company Aran Defense in its first acquisition of operations from a company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange…
The Federal Railroad Administration approved more than $600 million in federal grants for Amtrak to relocate from its facility in Chicago’s South Loop to a new location in nearby Bridgeport; the 47-acre South Loop site is being considered by Chicago White Sox owner-in-waiting Justin Ishbia as the location for a possible new stadium…
The New York Post spotlights incoming Duquesne University freshman Chaim Galbut, who this fall will become the first observant Jewish player in Division I men’s basketball in 25 years…
The New York Times looks at a dispute between the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, the granddaughter of the woman who betrayed the survivor’s family and an author seeking to write about the women’s connection…
The Salzburg, Austria, home that belonged to Stefan Zweig before the writer fled the country in 1934 for England and then Brazil, where he died, was put on the market for $14.5 million…
The Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh, Scotland, acknowledged that it had discriminated against a Jewish performer whose stand-up show at the venue during last year’s Fringe festival was canceled over his social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war; comic Philip Simon said the venue had canceled his show “just for being Jewish”…
The IDF said that a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad who participated in the abduction of an Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks was killed in a strike in southern Gaza…
Israel has located the remains of Yehuda Katz, who was declared missing after the Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War in 1982; the remains of two other soldiers who were declared missing following the battle were returned to Israel in 2019 and 2025…
Six Thai migrant workers were injured, two seriously, after an old unexploded ordnance detonated near the northern Israeli town of Metula…
The New Yorker’s Ariel Levy is joining CBS’ “60 Minutes” as a contributor…
Sarah Golabek-Goldman, who served as chief of staff to the Justice Department’s Leo Terrell, is joining the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law as director of legal initiatives…
Worthy Reads
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Weaponizing the Waterways: In The Washington Post, Elise Labott looks at how the Iran-backed Houthis are using their control over strategic maritime choke points in the Red Sea to disrupt global shipping lanes. “Washington long assumed that if these vulnerabilities were weaponized, it would be by China or Russia. Instead, the Houthis got there first. Washington is still treating them as a military threat and missing their strategic evolution — under the mistaken assumption that insurgent groups don’t develop interests of their own, or the patience to act on them.” [WashPost]
Two Trump Cards: In The Wall Street Journal, former State Department official Ludovic Hood, now at the Hudson Institute, considers how President Donald Trump can address the stalemate with Iran without delivering a win to the Islamic Republic. “Mr. Trump is caught between political constraints that prevent using adequate military force to change Tehran’s behavior and a defiant regime willing to risk severe economic pain to rebuff Washington’s demands. … Slicing through this Gordian Knot and arriving at a satisfactory outcome, namely a subdued or new government in Tehran, depends on two lines of effort: waging economic warfare against the regime’s revenue sources and rallying partners to undermine Iran and its proxy network in the region.” [WSJ]
Song of the Day
British-Israeli pianist Mendy Portnoy, who is one half of the Portnoy Brothers, released his new solo piano album “Elul” — a piano cover of Hanan Ben Ari’s “Hashiveinu” — six years after the release of Portnoy’s album “Introspection.”
Birthdays
Jessi Ruth Klein, writer, actor and stand-up comedian from NYC, turns 51
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP
Sonia Wolff Levitin, Holocaust survivor, novelist, artist and producer, turns 92
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul, art collector, museum trustee in Chicago, Aspen, Colo., and Orange County, Calif., and former member of Cultural Property Advisory Committee to the State Department, turns 86
Jerome Seaman, Baltimore resident
Rabbi Noam Gordon, Ph.D, retired teacher of Talmud at Jerusalem’s Yeshiva Torat Shraga
Susan G. Golding, former two-term mayor of San Diego, the first Jewish mayor of the city, turns 81
John D. Goldman, businessman and former chair of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, turns 77
Cindy Chazan, partner in Chazan-Leipzig Consulting
Gary Silow, retired judge of the Montgomery County (Pa.) Court of Common Pleas, turns 75
Winnie Holzman, dramatist, screenwriter and poet, turns 72
Raphael Schwartz, president at Wyckoff, N.J.-based Benefit Connections
Alan H. Kadish, M.D., president of Touro University, turns 70
Stuart Tochner, employment law attorney in the Los Angeles office of Ogletree Deakins
Timothy Geithner, treasury secretary in the Obama administration, now chairman of Warburg Pincus, turns 65
Jules Polonetsky, CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum, a D.C.-based think tank and advocacy group focused on issues of data privacy, turns 61
Kenneth Goldin, auctioneer, television personality and sports card collector, he is featured on the Netflix TV series “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,” turns 61
David Brog, executive director of the Maccabee Task Force established by Haim Saban and the late Sheldon Adelson, turns 60
Dayvid Figler, criminal defense attorney and media personality in Las Vegas, turns 59
Brian Michael Bendis, award-winning comic book writer and artist for both Marvel and then DC Comics, turns 59
Jason Furman, professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School, he served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, turns 56
Andrew Wilkow, conservative political talk radio host on the Sirius XM Patriot channel, turns 54
Gabriel Naddaf, Greek Orthodox priest, he serves as a judge in Israel’s religious court system and encourages Christians to enlist in the IDF, turns 53
Nicole Krauss, best-selling author, her novels have been translated into 35 languages, turns 52
Roger Zakheim, director of the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, he was previously a partner in the law firm of Covington & Burling and general counsel of the House Armed Services Committee
David A.J. “Andy” Samberg, actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician, turns 48
Zachary Iscol, former commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, turns 48
Noah Slepkov, fellow at The Jewish People Policy Institute and managing partner of theMadad website
Sarah Breger, editor of Moment Magazine
Sadie Gurman, reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering the Justice Department and federal law enforcement
Laurie Segall, founder and CEO of Mostly Human, a New York-based entertainment media company, turns 41
Olga Rubin, mixed martial artist, she competes in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions, turns 37
Or “Ori” Sasson, Israeli judoka who won Olympic bronze medals at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, turns 36
Plus, Trump puts Oman in the crosshairs
Shalev Shalom
Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with Jared Kushner at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Aug. 17, 2026.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
President Donald Trump confirmed to Fox News this morning that the White House is communicating directly with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and said that Tehran should “raise the white flag of surrender,” as the 60-day memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran — which was intended to lead to the creation of a permanent peace agreement but was quickly deemed moot by both parties — officially expired today without a deal in sight.
Jared Kushner separately told Fox News about the status of talks with Iran that Trump is “focused on economic pressure” but is still open to reaching an agreement, adding that dialogue between the White House and “different areas of the Iranian government” is “probably more robust than it’s maybe ever been” and that the conversations are “positive”…
Trump also threatened in his interview to “bomb the sh*t out of” Oman if the country “gets in the way,” amid Muscat’s negotiations with Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking later to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he doesn’t think Oman “behave[s] very well” and that the U.S. would “handle them very easily.” He also reaffirmed his recent claim that he intends to declare the strait a U.S. territory, saying he “think[s] it’s a great idea”…
Responding to Trump’s threat, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced he intends to introduce a war powers resolution when the Senate returns from recess to prohibit U.S. military action against Oman…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had “deep and constructive discussions” with Board of Peace head Nickolay Mladenov and Kushner in Jerusalem today, where the parties agreed to establish two working groups: one on the “disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza,” which they agreed should happen before “any reconstruction,” and a second on sanitation and public health concerns in the enclave.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also met with the group and said he was “impressed that Israel’s security interests are an important and central element of their plan”…
After the meetings, Kushner told Fox News that he predicts there will be progress in starting to demilitarize Gaza “in as little as 30 days” and beginning to fill in Hamas’ terror tunnels “in the next 60 to 90 days.”
Despite Trump stating in his interview that Israel should not be conducting any more strikes in Gaza, Kushner said the Board of Peace would “not restrict Israel’s right to defend itself” and that if Hamas doesn’t follow through on its commitments, Israel will “have a lot more support from the U.S.” to “finish the job.” He called his Sunday meeting with Hamas leaders “cordial” and said they “said all the right things” but that they are “hard to trust”…
Trump said today it’s “most appropriate” that he “stay out of” Israel’s upcoming elections but added that he “may endorse somebody” anyway….
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disputed claims by Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the region of Kurdistan, that his office was attacked by Iranian drones: “Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow discord between neighbors,” Araghchi said on X, claiming that Iran has historically “protected” the Kurds. It was a striking characterization given that Iran has repeatedly struck Kurdish opposition bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, including during the current war, and has a decades-long history of suppressing its own Kurdish population…
New York City leaders are condemning a series of inflammatory posters opposing a new housing development in Chelsea that use antisemitic, racist and homophobic language, including a call to “stop Zionist occupation of Manhattan,” tying the project to “foreign wealth dirty zionist money” and claiming that “Talmudists are trained to cheat.”
City Hall called the posters “vile” and claimed the rhetoric “has absolutely no place in our city’s political discourse,” while Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, said, “Disagreement over housing policy is legitimate. Dehumanizing your neighbors is not”…
Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Dan Goldman (D-NY) continued to spar this week over the University of Washington’s decision to cancel a planned speech by antisemitic influencer Hasan Piker, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
After Goldman argued initially against Jayapal’s denunciation of the school, the congresswoman said she “completely disagree[s] with [Goldman’s] analysis of free speech”; Goldman responded that students have ample access to “Piker’s racist and anti-American views,” but the university has a responsibility to prevent discriminatory conduct or a hostile environment for Jewish students that could interfere in their ability to participate on campus…
⏩ 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 a look at AIPAC’s involvement in tomorrow’s special election in California’s 14th Congressional District, where state Sen. Aisha Wahab is facing off against former Dublin, Calif., Mayor Melissa Hernandez, who is backed by the pro-Israel group.
Florida will also hold its primary elections tomorrow, where several pro-Israel and Jewish candidates are facing off against far-right and far-left extremists. Read more on the races and their implications here.
The Sephardic Rabbinical Conference will conclude in New York with speakers including Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis; Daniel Rosenthal, vice president for government relations at UJA-Federation of New York; Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of programs at the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center; and rabbis from around the world.
Stories You May Have Missed
SENATOR SITDOWN
Rick Scott: We have to ‘fight, fight fight’ antisemites running in the Republican Party
The senator told JI he was worried that fringe ideas could gain momentum if Republicans don’t aggressively push back
SEPHARDIC SUMMIT
Sephardic rabbis and leaders gather in New York to build a stronger voice in Jewish institutional life
The second annual Sephardic Rabbinic Conference, backed by the Orthodox Union and UJA-Federation, will bring together around 150 participants from a dozen countries to address leadership gaps and Diaspora institution-building
Plus, Andy Baker to leave Vance's circle
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) speak to the media before a visit to the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport on July 12, 2025 in Ochopee, Florida.
Good Monday morning.
Welcome to our new and fresh Daily Kickoff. Let us know your thoughts on our new and improved format by replying to this email.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how the GOP’s generational divide over Israel has been bolstered by social media, talk to Sen. Rick Scott about antisemitism within the Republican Party and spotlight the South Florida Democratic primaries where Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz are facing DSA-aligned opponents. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Lance Stroll, Andy Baker and Rizy Horowitz.
Curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
Today’s Agenda
Jared Kushner is in Israel today, where he is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The sit-down comes a day after Kushner met with Hamas officials in Cairo.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov and Board of Peace senior advisors Aryeh Lightstone and Liran Tancman, who participated in the Cairo meetings, are also attending the meeting with Netanyahu, JI has learned.
Netanyahu’s Likud party is holding its primary today to select the slate for the upcoming Oct. 27 election.
In New York, the annual two-day Sephardic Rabbinic Conference kicks off today. Read more here.
Australia’s royal commission into antisemitism in the country began its final hearings today, following weeks of testimony from hundreds of witnesses including government officials, Jewish community leaders, Holocaust survivors, college students and faculty and relatives of victims of last year’s terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
One Thing To Know
Florida primaries to test antisemitism’s reach in both parties
Tuesday’s Florida primaries are shaping up to be the starkest test yet of how widespread the scourge of antisemitism and extreme anti-Israel views are within both parties.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), one of the remaining pro-Israel stalwarts within his party, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), a pragmatic Jewish lawmaker who is running in a new district after GOP redistricting chopped up her old seat, are both facing serious primary threats from their left flank.
Moskowitz is facing the more direct threat, going up against a Democratic Socialists of America-backed challenger in Oliver Larkin, who is running as a far-left candidate hostile to the U.S.-Israel relationship in a GOP-leaning district with one of the biggest Jewish constituencies in the country.
Larkin’s decision to run on a platform hostile to the district’s Jewish voters would typically be politically problematic. Deciding to campaign with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) during the primary’s final stretch, as Larkin did on Friday, is a curious campaign choice, to put it mildly. The blowback was intense enough that several Fort Lauderdale venues declined to host the socialist shindig.
But if there is a surge of left-wing, anti-establishment anger — and latent anti-Israel sentiment from the district’s non-Jewish Democratic voters — it’s worth keeping a close eye on the election results. Even a respectable 40-45% Larkin showing, short of victory, would raise eyebrows about how widespread the far-left ideology has penetrated the party.
The Big Reads
GENERATIONAL DIVIDE
Republicans face the implications of a fractured media world
At the National College Republicans convention earlier this month in Tampa, Fla., exchanges between lawmakers and student activists captured a broader tension within the Republican Party that was on display throughout the conference, which focused on recruiting, building chapters, training leaders and working on campaigns. But lawmakers and students kept coming back to simpler questions around where young Republicans get their news and whom they trust to give it to them, Sloan Rachmuth reports from Tampa for Jewish Insider.
SENATOR SIT-DOWN
Rick Scott: We have to ‘fight, fight, fight’ antisemites running in the Republican Party
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) expressed confidence ahead of Florida’s primary elections on Tuesday that voters will reject the Republican candidates who have embraced blatantly antisemitic messages as part of their campaigns. “The Republican Party is a broad coalition of people that care about this country, but we’re not going to allow antisemites into our party, period,” he said in an interview with Jewish Insider‘s Emily Jacobs. “Our party is not run by antisemites and will never be run by antisemites as long as I have any power to stop it,” he continued. “We have to fight, fight, fight.”
red line
Randy Fine’s primary opponent pushes openly antisemitic, pro-Hitler messaging
Rep. Randy Fine’s (R-FL) primary opponent, influencer Dan Bilzerian, is pushing blatantly antisemitic and pro-Adolf Hitler messaging in the closing days of Florida’s primary season. Bilzerian has made no secret of the openly antisemitic tenor of his campaign, having said from the outset that he is challenging Fine because he is Jewish and pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories about Fine, the Jewish community and Israel, Jewish Insider‘s Marc Rod reports.
The Rundown
PRIMARY COLORS
Florida Jewish Democrats look to fend off DSA-aligned primary challengers
PALMETTO STATE POLITICS
Both candidates in S.C. Senate runoff chase the pro-Israel vote, with very different records
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Andy Baker, one of Vance’s closest foreign policy advisors, to depart White House
ON THE HILL
Lawmakers worried over NSGP’s ‘concerning new compliance requirements’
ANOTHER ANTISEMITIC ATTACK
Man charged with hate crimes for Manhattan’s Central Synagogue attack
On Our Radar
● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on the app (on Apple and Android) and website.
In what appeared to be a contradiction to Vice President JD Vance’s suggestion last week that the White House’s “goal No. 1” in the war with Iran was lowering gas prices for Americans, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social site Monday morning that “The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon”…
Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to scale down its joint military exercises with South Korea, citing in part Seoul’s decision not to join in the “Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran“; the president added that the scale of previous annual exercises with South Korea had sent a “signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea…
Axios reports that the Trump administration engaged in back-channel talks with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier this year, using Nechirvan Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, as an interlocutor.
Meanwhile, Kurdistan’s prime minister, Masrour Barzani, said on Monday that his office in Erbil was targeted in an Iranian drone attack…
The New York Times does a deep dive into the virality of a fabricated quote from a senior Iranian official indicating that Iran intended to become a nuclear state, which appeared to originate from an anonymous Indian social media account before gaining traction, eventually being referenced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…
The Wall Street Journal looks at Iran’s “secret plan” to use the downtime of negotiations to prepare for an eventual escalation against the U.S., including expanding the powers of the IRGC and increasing production of missiles and drones…
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz marked the 14th anniversary of American journalist Austin Tice’s abduction in Syria, saying that former President Bashar al-Assad “is gone. His prisons have been opened. But Austin is still not home. President Trump has made clear that America does not forget its people”…
Jewish leaders and local officials in Philadelphia are expressing concern following the vandalism last week of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, the second time in a year that the building has been vandalized…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights Florida’s exclusive Indian Creek Country Club, where both Jeff Bezos and Jared Kushner have yet to gain membership…
The New York Times reports on the efforts of Rizy Horowitz, the program manager at Nachas Health and Family Network, as the organization assists Holocaust survivors and adapts to the evolving needs of the dwindling community…
Canadian Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll posted a photo of himself wrapped in tefillin as part of a recent Instagram roundup that also included a photo with his girlfriend, Israeli model and actress Yael Shelbia…
CF Montreal banned two fans of the soccer club following an investigation by Major League Soccer into the recent harassment of New England Revolution player Dor Turgeman, who is Israeli…
A new plan to build an apartment complex on top of a World War II-era Nazi bunker in Berlin is drawing debate over whether to continue with construction or to preserve the area as a historical site…
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, speaking on the podcast of former Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski, suggested killing “30-40 each night” in “targeted assassinations” in Gaza…
The New York Times spotlights “Azad,” an Iranian YouTube program that hosts debates on hot-topic issues in the Islamic Republic and provides a platform for both supporters and critics of Tehran’s policies…
Nuclear physicist and engineer Yehonathan Hazony died at 94…
Worthy Reads
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Opportunity Knocks: In The Wall Street Journal, Lt. Col. (ret.) Or Horvitz posits that Israel is “missing a strategic window” to engage with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa as Damascus looks to reintegrate with the West. “A comprehensive peace treaty isn’t currently realistic. But Israel’s strategy need not run only through the barrel of a gun. In Mr. al-Sharaa’s Syria, an opportunity is emerging for limited cooperation against the Shiite axis, which could lay the groundwork for broader arrangements, foremost a security agreement in southern Syria.” [WSJ]
Can El-Sayed Win?: The New York Times’ Nate Cohn considers the degree to which Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is a liability for Democratic efforts to take back the upper chamber. “He may not be a self-identified democratic socialist, but he’s an unapologetic ally of democratic socialists like [Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez and the influential Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. He’s defined in part by his support for progressive causes, like opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza. To this point, he has campaigned as a firebrand, often with the language to match.” [NYTimes]
Picture of the Day
Rep. John James (R-MI), fifth from right, the GOP nominee for governor of Michigan, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), sixth from right, on Thursday visited Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich., the site of an attempted attack earlier this year, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Courtesy
Birthdays
Gail Berman, co-owner and founding partner of The Jackal Group, a television and film production firm, turns 70 Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images
Rabbi Baruch Dov “Berel” Povarsky, leader of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel, turns 95
Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corporation, one of the wealthiest people in the world, turns 82
Millard “Mickey” S. Drexler, head of Drexler Ventures and 16-year board member of Apple until 2015, turns 82
Norm Coleman, former U.S. senator from Minnesota, his family name was originally Goldman, turns 77
Eliot Lauer, partner in Katten Muchin Rosenman, he represented Jonathan Pollard
Louise Citron, audiologist and disability activist in the Boston area
Barry Ted Moskowitz, senior U.S. district court judge for the Southern District of California, turns 76
Sharon Taksler, retired special education teacher with an interest in Holocaust studies and human rights education
Jeffery Alan “Jeff” Smisek, former chairman, president and CEO of Continental Airlines and then United Airlines, turns 72
Lee A. Solomon, associate justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey until 2024, turns 72
Jordan Levy, founder and managing partner of venture capital firm SBNY, he is a past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo
Deborah Kessner Peskin, communications coordinator at Temple Beth El in Longmeadow, Mass.
David Harold McCormick, U.S. senator (R-PA), turns 61
Revital Swid, former member of Knesset for the Zionist Union and Labor parties, she is a leading Israeli criminal defense attorney, turns 59
Brian Kowitz, former MLB baseball player, now an insurance advisor in Baltimore, turns 57
Zvi Yehezkeli, Arab affairs correspondent on Israel’s i24 News, turns 56
Judd Milo Ehrlich, Emmy Award-winning documentary film director and producer, turns 55
Glen Caplin, special assistant for baseball operations at Major League Baseball
Hadassa Robyn Waxman, partner in the white-collar and securities litigation groups at Proskauer Rose
Jon Lovett, former Obama White House staffer, now a podcaster and comedian, turns 44
Elyse Cohen, chief impact officer at Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Raphael Bob-Waksberg, comedian, writer, producer and actor, turns 42
Ben Brody, technology reporter at Punchbowl News
Ari Meyerowitz, one of the Sprout Brothers from Great Barrington, Mass.
Aaron Taxy, executive director of California Jewish Action Network
Amanda Horwitz Langer, project manager of real estate at BDT & MSD Partners
Marhu Teferi, Israeli marathon and half marathon runner who represented Israel at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, turns 34
Eli Diamond
Gabriel Berger
John Kohan
Plus, Pelosi panned for silence amid ally’s anti-Israel rhetoric
Andrew Roth/Sipa USA via AP Images
Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers attends President Donald Trump's rally in Warren, Mich., on April 29, 2025.
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how Rep. Mike Rogers is calibrating his Jewish outreach as he builds a broad coalition against Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race, and report on efforts by Bay Area Jewish leaders to push outgoing Rep. Nancy Pelosi to address the anti-Israel rhetoric espoused by Connie Chan, whom Pelosi endorsed in the race to succeed her. We cover the local response to a Vermont synagogue’s fundraiser for Columbia anti-Israel activist Mohsen Madawi, and report on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s announcement that the city plans to soon release a municipal plan to combat antisemitism. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Tamar Rothstein and Omer Shem Tov.
We also have a new on-demand Live Briefing that you can access throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and on our website.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: Jewish leaders build up local grassroots organizing to counter radical forces in politics; New AJC regional director looks to business community for allies in Mamdani’s New York; and ‘Shabbat with training wheels’: Sabbath app offers a modern take on unplugging. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
- While Washington is quiet during the August recess, the campaign season is kicking into high gear — both for the few remaining states to hold their primaries, and for general ballot candidates who have less than three months before Election Day.
- In Nassau County, N.Y., President Donald Trump will campaign today with N.Y. GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.
- In Florida, where voters will cast their primary ballots on Tuesday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is campaigning on behalf of several left-wing candidates, including Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin. Manley and Larkin are respectively challenging Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), two of Congress’ most pro-Israel lawmakers, following a redistricting that has scrambled both lawmakers’ districts. Tlaib is set to participate in several events today, including a rally this evening that was relocated after the initial venue canceled the event amid pushback from area residents.
- On Sunday, voters in California’s 14th Congressional District will head to the polls for the special election to replace Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA). More below.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MELISSA WEISS
A quarter century ago, when the late Sen. Joe Lieberman was tapped by Al Gore, the Democratic nominee for president, to be his running mate on the 2000 ticket, the question around many a Shabbat table was, “Is he too Jewish to be in the White House?”
There’s a different question being asked, largely in Democratic circles, of today’s potential Jewish presidential candidates: “Is he the ‘right’ kind of Jewish candidate to be president?” — a question that is almost entirely centered around a candidate’s position on Israel and how openly he identifies with his religious faith.
A long list of Jewish candidates are considering a presidential campaign or are being touted as credible contenders, ranging from moderates including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to progressives such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and those who straddle the ideological divide, like Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
In both 2026 and 2028, the debate over Israel is on the ballot: Congressional primaries are pitting pro-Israel candidates against those who don’t acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and already a clear divide is emerging in the prospective 2028 presidential field over the issues of the U.S.-Israel relationship and dealing with rising antisemitism.
Even in races where Israel policy is not front-and-center, invoking AIPAC has become something of a catch-all slur for progressives attacking the role of outside money in Democratic primaries. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a likely 2028 hopeful, proudly proclaimed in February that he’d never taken AIPAC money — which of course he hasn’t, given that AIPAC and its affiliated super PAC historically focus on federal, not state, races.
MR. ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD
Mike Rogers calibrates Jewish outreach as he builds broad coalition against Abdul El-Sayed
More than a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly clinched the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s bruising Democratic Senate primary, his Republican opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), is working to fine-tune his campaign’s outreach and messaging to disaffected Jewish voters who could play a decisive role in the closely contested race, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Sign of the times: In one of the first major signs of those efforts now materializing, three prominent Jewish Democratic bundlers in Michigan are hosting a fundraiser for Rogers next Tuesday, according to an email invite sent to Jewish community members on Thursday. “This is something that none of us has ever done,” said Hannan Lis, who is leading the fundraiser with Brian Hermelin and Rob Orley. “But we feel this is a departure in the direction of the Democratic Party,” he told JI of El-Sayed’s staunch opposition to Israel and refusal to recognize its right to exist as a Jewish state. “We’re taking a stand here,” he added. “This is beyond politics.”
Survey says: Rogers starts off the Michigan Senate general election race with a narrow advantage over El-Sayed, according to a new Fox News poll, aided by a lead with independents and making inroads with a small but significant number of Democrats willing to cross party lines, JI’s Josh Kraushaar reports.
PLEA TO PELOSI
Bay Area Jewish leaders urge Pelosi to address ally Connie Chan’s anti-Israel rhetoric
Leaders in the Bay Area Jewish community are urging former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to speak out or otherwise address her endorsed successor Connie Chan’s decision to lean into Israel and AIPAC-related attacks on her Jewish Democratic opponent, state Sen. Scott Wiener, which some in the Jewish community view as antisemitic, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Weighing in: Tyler Gregory, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area and executive director of Bay Area Jewish Action, told JI he hopes Pelosi will “educate [Chan] about where the line is between criticizing the Israeli government and amplifying antisemitic tropes.” Tali Klima, a spokesperson for Bay Area Jewish Coalition-Action, a separate grassroots group, urged Pelosi to speak out publicly. Both described Pelosi as an ally of the community.
PIKER PROTECTION
Rep. Pramila Jayapal rails against university decision to cancel Hasan Piker speech
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said on Thursday that she had been “communicating [her] concerns” to the University of Washington over the school’s decision to cancel a planned appearance by antisemitic influencer Hasan Piker, and pushed student groups to engage with the streamer, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.
What she said: The University of Washington “informed me that they are doing an internal review to ensure this never happens again,” Jayapal wrote in a post on X. “I encourage student groups who want to hear from Mr. Piker to work with the University to ensure that they can proceed.” She linked in her post a Seattle Times article on Piker claiming he was silenced over his views on Israel.
CASE DISMISSED
Ruling for Harvard clouds picture for future campus antisemitism cases
A federal judge in Boston dismissed the Trump administration’s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard University on Thursday, ruling that the incidents were “too isolated and episodic” to show an ongoing violation of civil rights law, Jewish Insider‘s Haley Cohen reports. Judge Richard Stearns pointed out that while the government’s amended complaint cited three March 2025 incidents, it still focused almost entirely on the 2023–2024 school year.
Pushback: The Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which filed its own lawsuit against Harvard in 2024 alleging failure to address antisemitism, said that Thursday’s ruling will make other Title VI cases harder. “This ruling, if broadly adopted by the courts, would add an unprecedented higher bar: the government now has to prove not only that the institution refused to resolve the issue at hand in an agreement with the government but also that additional subsequent violations occurred,” the Brandeis Center said in a statement.
MAYOR’S MOVE
Mamdani promises municipal plan to combat antisemitism
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani followed up his meeting with a group of rabbis earlier this week by touting a plan to battle antisemitism in the five boroughs — without committing to making changes in his rhetoric toward Israel that the group of Jewish religious leaders demanded, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
What he said — and what he didn’t: “I had a candid and productive conversation with rabbis representing a wide swath of New York’s Jewish communities and affiliations, and I appreciated hearing from them,” Mamdani said after an unrelated event in Manhattan on Thursday. But Mamdani did not explicitly state on Thursday that he would act on their recommendations, instead touting his increased spending on groups that run anti-hate crime initiatives and a plan his Office to Combat Antisemitism will release next month to tamp down on the anti-Jewish bias incidents that have risen on his watch.
CONGREGANTS’ CRITICISM
Vermont synagogue’s fundraiser for Columbia anti-Israel activist draws criticism
A synagogue in the capital of Vermont co-sponsored a fundraiser last Sunday for Mohsen Mahdawi, a former Columbia University anti-Israel activist who has voiced sympathy for Hamas, drawing sharp criticism from some congregants, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The event took place at Unitarian Church of Montpelier, which co-sponsored it with Beth Jacob Synagogue, according to a flyer posted on the synagogue’s website and distributed to all members. The congregation is unaffiliated with a denomination.
Details: Some synagogue members reportedly pushed back against the fundraiser before it took place. The synagogue’s board of directors declined to comment to JI. In a statement to JI, the Jewish Communities of Vermont said the “questions surrounding Mohsen Mahdawi, including statements and actions attributed to him, have raised concerns deserving serious and rigorous consideration and prompted strong, deeply felt disagreements. We recognize that the pain is acute. At the same time, a Jewish community intending to practice tikkun olam by creating space for engagement with a specific focus does not necessarily constitute endorsement of everything that person has said or believes.”
Worthy Reads
Pray or Prey?: In The Wall Street Journal, Moshe Davis, who served as the inaugural executive director of the New York Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism under former Mayor Eric Adams, makes the argument for the federal Right to Worship Act, which he helped to craft. “While existing laws cover harassment and obstruction, they don’t reach the organized disruption that actually makes Americans feel afraid to enter their houses of worship. Courts have repeatedly upheld buffer-zone protections for funerals, polling sites and other places where people deserve to be left in peace; a law addressing disruptive behavior at houses of worship is on solid constitutional ground.” [WSJ]
No Deal is a Good Deal: The Washington Post’s editorial board argues that a policy of containment vis-a-vis Iran is a better approach than making a deal with the Islamic Republic. “The U.S. should adapt its blockade to be more sustainable, lowering the number of ships conducting direct interdictions while sanctioning anyone who buys Iranian oil that gets through. The regime’s frozen assets should also stay frozen. And Iran’s proxies should be relentlessly suppressed in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza. Crucially, Trump needs to keep the threat of significant escalation on the table, especially if Iran takes even the smallest step toward reconstituting its nuclear program.” [WashPost]
How DSA Does It: The New York Times’ Charles Homan does a deep dive into the Democratic Socialists of America’s resurgence, as the group seeks to reshape the Democratic Party. “Offline communities built around shared interests — the sort once found in bowling alleys, all-ages punk-rock venues, church basements or radical bookstores — are rare now, and D.S.A. chapters fill this role. They offer not just a different politics but a different model for what participating in politics means. Chapter operations are heavily D.I.Y. affairs, which adds a giddy unreality to their victories, as if a group of college friends started a record label in their dorm room and somehow ended up using it to unseat an eight-term congressman.” [NYTimes]
Find more Worthy Reads in our Live Briefing via our new app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Word on the Street
White House advisor Jared Kushner is expected to travel to Israel next week with Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, where the two will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials to discuss the Hamas disarmament deal; Kushner is also expected to travel to Cairo to meet with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators…
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that the U.S.’ primary goal in the war with Iran is to “keep oil and gasoline cheap for Americans,” while “goal No. 2 is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon”…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the Trump administration planned to apply economic tactics “that have never been seen on Iran,” as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that the U.S.’ naval blockade of Iran would remain in place “indefinitely”…
CENTCOM announced a new effort to establish the “first-ever multi-domain, multinational attack drone task force,” including consulting with and inviting regional partners to join, that will work to utilize unmanned, one-way attack drones “from above, on, and below the sea” in the Middle East…
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) penned a letter to Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao raising concerns about the deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on extended deployment in the Middle East; Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a former Marine, said he was seeking an oversight visit to the vessel for a bipartisan Senate delegation…
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is preparing to send the USS George Washington from the South China Sea to the region to relieve the Lincoln; the move will leave a U.S. void in the Pacific, where Beijing has positioned a carrier…
The United Arab Emirates condemned what it said was a “hostile Iranian attack” targeting two boats linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as the vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz…
Behnam Ben Taleblu, the senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program, warned on Thursday of potential Iranian escalation — military or otherwise — in the run-up to the midterms, with the goal of disrupting the elections, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
Semafor looks at the U.S.’ stalled sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey as Ankara remains in possession of the S-400 Russian air-defense system, the offloading of which is a requirement to move forward with the F-35 sale…
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC), facing a runoff special election to be the GOP nominee for her late brother’s Senate seat, announced she is co-sponsoring several bills in support of the Jewish community and the U.S.-Israel relationship, including the Jewish American Security Act, the U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act, a bill on Iran sanctions and a bill on Iranian human rights and internet access…
Politico profiles Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) as the former Democratic National Committee chair faces a challenging reelection campaign — fighting headwinds from both local activists and the Congressional Black Caucus as she runs in a historically Black district following Florida’s GOP-led redistricting effort…
Former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is slated to headline a Labor Day rally for the Hancock County Maine Democrats next month, his first public appearance since dropping out of the race last month after he was accused of sexual assault by a former romantic partner; a state party official said the event was not a sanctioned party event but hosted by the local activist groups Hancock County Activists and Acadia Action Peacemakers…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights Hasan Piker’s rising popularity on the far left, despite concerns from moderate Democrats that the antisemitic streamer’s brand of progressivism will taint the party in the midterms…
J Street Action Fund, the super PAC affiliated with the progressive Israel advocacy group, on Thursday spent $108,000 on digital advertisements to boost progressive California state Sen. Aisha Wahab in the special election in California’s 14th Congressional District, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
The California state Legislature is considering a bill to require state agencies to include “Jewish” as an ethnicity option on all forms that collect demographic data; the move would make California the first state to officially consider Judaism as more than a religion for identification purposes…
The National Council for Jewish Women is rolling out a new strategic plan, in which local chapters who want to maintain their affiliation with the group need to align with the national organization’s shift away from community service to focus more on advocacy, eJewishPhilanthropy‘s Jay Deitcher reports…
An Illinois man who attacked two Jewish students at DePaul University in November 2024 pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime and was sentenced to 600 days in jail; a second assailant who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges was sentenced to two years’ probation…
Tel Aviv University has removed the name of the Sackler family from its Faculty of Exact Sciences, the final department on its campus that was still named for the family tied to the U.S. opioid crisis, eJewishPhilanthropy‘s Justin Hayet reports…
Tamar Rothstein is now communications director for Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY)…
Former Air Force Secretary James Roche, a member of the advisory board of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a board member of the Friends of the Jewish Chapel at the U.S. Naval Academy, died at 86…
Former South Dakota lawmaker and philanthropist Stan Adelstein died at 94…
Find on-demand Live Briefing updates throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Wine of the Week
JI wine columnist Yitz Applbaum reviews the Charley Winery Romi 2021:
This week I marked one of the in-between birthdays. My plan had been to go about my business and let the day pass quietly, like any other. But as the morning wore on, birthday wishes began arriving from friends scattered across the world, and nearly every one carried the same question: What amazing bottle of wine will you crack open tonight to celebrate? Something in me shifted. I wanted a bottle new to me, something vibrant, something I would remember. My hand reached for the Charley Winery Romi, grown in the Judean Hills.
The Romi is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah. The petite came out of the gate crashing into my front palate in a way I will not soon forget: bold, brash and utterly alive. The cabernet followed on the mid-palate with a beautiful infusion of berry, and the finish gathered the two into a genuinely serene moment, the kind of quiet that only a great glass of wine, in the right hour, can bring. The Romi is mevushal, and it would grace any simcha. Serve it with a rich risotto. It will hold beautifully for at least five years.
Pic of the Day
Former hostage Omer Shem Tov, who spent 505 days in Hamas captivity, escorted his sister Dana down the aisle at her wedding to Daniel Saportas on Thursday.
Birthdays
Filmmaker and producer, she is the executive director of DOC NYC, a major documentary film festival in NYC, Raphaela Neihausen turns 50 on Friday…
FRIDAY: Social media influencer, she appears regularly on both Instagram and TikTok, Dorothy Katz Wiggins turns 101… American-born British novelist, biographer, journalist and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Frederic Michael Raphael turns 95… Former attorney general of New Jersey and chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, David Samson turns 87… President of the Hampton Synagogue until 2024 and former board member of the UJA-Federation of New York, Carol Levin… Historian and VP of alumni relations for MLB’s New York Mets, the press box at Citi Field is named in his honor, Jay Edward Horwitz turns 81… Member of the New York State Assembly since 2005, Charles D. Lavine turns 79… Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Ester R. Fuchs turns 75… Professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, Henry Brem, M.D. turns 74… U.S. district court judge in South Carolina, he is the co-author of a book on the early Jews of Columbia, S.C., Judge Richard Mark Gergel turns 72… Turkish-born economist and professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Dani Rodrik turns 69… U.S. senator (R-TN) since 2021, Bill Hagerty turns 67… Home fragrance and décor guru, Harry Slatkin turns 66… Lecturer at Purdue University, Martin J. Sweet turns 56… Winner of three Pulitzer Prizes as a journalist, Adam Goldman turns 53… VP at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, he was an AIPAC and Republican Jewish Coalition staffer who ran for Congress in 2018, Jeremy Scott Wynes… Professional tennis player for 15 years, primarily a doubles specialist, now an assistant athletic director, Scott Lipsky turns 45… Personal counsel to President Donald Trump, Boris Epshteyn turns 44… Ukrainian-born actor, she moved to Los Angeles at age 7 and has appeared in dozens of films, Mila Kunis turns 43… Opinion editor at eJewishPhilanthropy, Rachel Kohn turns 42… Internet entrepreneur and former CTO at Facebook, he is the co-founder and CEO of Quora, Adam D’Angelo turns 42… President of Anthropic, sister of the CEO, Daniela Lily Amodei turns 39… Retired lacrosse player, he played for ten seasons in Major League Lacrosse and for Team Israel in 2018, Maxwell “Max” Oren Seibald turns 39… Managing director at Marcus & Associates Executive Recruiters, Jacob Lefkowitz… Member of Knesset for Otzma Yehudit, he serves as the minister for the development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, Yitzhak Shimon Wasserlauf turns 34… Ryan Smith… Dylan Cooper… Tim Carney…
SATURDAY: Philadelphia resident, Irvin Farber… Retired associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Stephen Breyer turns 88… Former CFO of The Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg turns 79… Founder and chairman of the Executive Committee of Limmud FSU, he has also served as treasurer of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, Chaim Chesler turns 77… Professor emeritus of Jewish education and leadership development at Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Samuel K. Joseph turns 76… Economist, CPA, investment advisor and founding member of wealth advisor RVW Wealth LLC, Selwyn Gerber… Colorado resident, he is an artist and avid mountain biker, William Crary “Bill” Weidman… Chairman of Benj. E. Sherman & Sons, he is the immediate past chair of Israel Policy Forum, David A. Sherman turns 66… Orthopedic and trauma surgeon in Rome, Dr. Dario Perugia turns 64… Co-founding rabbi of Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, Ga., Rabbi Mario Karpuj… Emmy Award-winning actor, she played Grace Adler on the 11-season sitcom “Will & Grace,” Debra Messing turns 58… Immediate past board chair of Holocaust Museum Houston, Elyse Spector Kalmans turns 57… Chief development officer for the Birthright Israel Foundation, Margot Ettlinger… U.S. senator (D-PA) since 2023, John Fetterman turns 57… Co-CEO and chairman of the entertainment production company Propagate, Benjamin Noah Silverman turns 56… Associate justice of the California Supreme Court since 2019, Joshua Paul Groban turns 53… Member of the House of Representatives (D-VA) for four years ending in 2023, Elaine Goodman Luria turns 51… Real estate and business law attorney in the Baltimore law firm of Rosen Neuberger Lehmann, Meir Neuberger… Senior director at Teva Pharmaceuticals, he was an international model for Armani and appeared in the Israeli versions of “The Amazing Race” and “Dancing with the Stars,” Raz Meirman-Baruch turns 49… National college football reporter for ESPN, Adam Rittenberg turns 45… Chief of staff at Los Angeles-based Bedrock, Rachel Sterne Haot turns 43… Computer scientist at MIT and podcaster, he interviews notable figures from science, technology, sports and politics, Lex Fridman turns 43… Career counselor, Rachel Spekman… Member of the Alaska House of Representatives until 2023, now mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Grier Hayden Hopkins turns 43… Chief communications officer at AI-native cybersecurity company Tenzai, Yael Wissner-Levy… Contemporary jazz and classical recorder player, vocalist, composer and educator, Tali Rubinstein turns 42… Co-founder of Irenic Capital Management, Adam Jason Katz… Freelance designer, Talia Siegel… MLB pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and 2016, he played for Team Israel in the 2020 Summer Olympics, he is now a VP at a private equity firm, Jon Moscot turns 35… VP of technology policy at Retail Industry Leaders Association, Justin Goldberger… Founder and managing partner at Ezra Venture Group, Ezra Mosseri… Joe Farry… David Summer…
SUNDAY: Solicitor general of New York, Barbara Dale Underwood turns 82… Retired judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, she is currently of counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner, Shira Ann Scheindlin turns 80… Sportscaster known as the “voice of the Dallas Cowboys,” Brad Sham turns 77… President and CEO of the Business Roundtable, he was previously the White House chief of staff in the Bush 43 administration, Josh Bolten turns 72… Secretary of the Maryland Department of Aging from 2015 to 2023, Rona E. Kramer turns 72… Gerald Platt… Media consultant, Sol Levine… Former commander of the Israeli Air Force and later CEO of El Al, Eliezer Shkedi turns 69… Shareholder in the Denver office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and an AIPAC board member, Steven C. Demby… Founder of Value Retail Plc and co-owner of the NHL’s New York Islanders, his sister is married to Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Scott David Malkin turns 68… Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Associated Press, Martha Mendoza turns 60… Founder of Walk Swiftly Productions, she spent 17 years on-air at ESPN/ABC and CBS covering the Super Bowl, NBA playoffs and MLB playoffs, Bonnie Bernstein turns 56… Johannesburg, South Africa-born model, actor and singer-songwriter living in NYC, Caron Bernstein turns 56… Award-winning journalist, currently an opinion columnist for The New York Times, Michael Grunwald… Former lieutenant governor of Vermont, David E. Zuckerman turns 55… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, Vladimir Beliak turns 53… Mayor of Ramat Gan, Israel, he served as a member of the Knesset and as Israel’s ambassador to the OECD, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, Carmel Shama-HaCohen turns 53… Board member of the Torah School of Greater Washington, Kami Troy… Senior advisor at Boston Consulting Group, Sarah Hofstetter… Co-founder and co-CEO of The Creative Counsel, South Africa’s largest advertising agency, Gil Oved turns 51… Political and public relations consultant based in Albuquerque, N.M., Jonathan Lipshutz… Producer with Reuters News Agency, Matthew J. Silverstein… Chief political analyst for “The Upshot” at The New York Times, Nathan David “Nate” Cohn turns 38… VP at BlackRock, Julian Olidort… Studio manager at Barre3 Bethesda and founder of Atom, LLC, Anna Dubinsky… Founder and CEO at Project Healthy Minds, Phillip Schermer… Argentine former professional tennis player, he has ranked as high as No. 8 in the world, Diego Schwartzman turns 34… Rachel Berman… Associate in the D.C. office of Eversheds Sutherland, Katherine Dolgenos O’Donnell… Member of AJR, an indie pop multi-instrumentalist trio, together with his two brothers, Jack Metzger turns 29… VP at Tier One Rankings, she was the executive assistant to the ambassador at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Galit Tassi Imbo… Director of public affairs at J Street, Cooper Boyar… Ellen Weissfeld… Marshall Cohen… Dave Jacobsen…
Plus, CA considers making Jews an ethnicity
Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP via Getty Images
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives for a news conference at Gracie Mansion in New York City on March 9, 2026.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced today that his Office to Combat Antisemitism will be releasing a municipal plan to combat antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
The mayor marketed the plan as the “first-in-the-nation,” even as former Mayor Eric Adams already released a “blueprint” for combating antisemitism on his last day in office, which included the city adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism — a policy that Mamdani repealed on his first day.
The move comes days after Mamdani hosted a roundtable with rabbis in the city who asked the mayor to back off his attacks on Israel, a request that Mamdani did not reference or commit to addressing in his remarks…
The California state Legislature is considering a bill to require state agencies to include “Jewish” as an ethnicity option on all forms that collect demographic data. The move would make California the first state to officially consider Judaism as more than a religion for identification purposes…
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit yesterday brought by the Trump administration against Harvard University alleging that the school showed “deliberate indifference” to antisemitism on campus in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks.
The judge ruled that the few campus incidents cited by the administration were “too isolated and episodic” to find “any institutionalized noncompliance with Title VI persists at Harvard to this day”…
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said on X today that she had communicated her “concerns” to the University of Washington about its decision to cancel an appearance by far-left, antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker, and encouraged student groups who “want to hear from Mr. Piker to work with the University to ensure they can proceed.”
Piker had earlier this week denounced Democrats who didn’t “speak out against this clear violation” of the First Amendment due to his “position as a prominent critic of Israel”…
Former Democratic Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner is expected to headline a Labor Day rally for the Hancock County Maine Democrats next month, his first public appearance since dropping out of the Senate race after he was accused of rape by a former romantic partner…
White House advisor Jared Kushner is planning a trip to Israel next week with Board of Peace head Nickolay Mladenov to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials to discuss the Hamas disarmament deal, Axios reports…
CENTCOM announced today it is undertaking efforts to establish the “first-ever multi-domain, multinational attack drone task force,” including consulting with and inviting regional partners to join, that will work to utilize unmanned, one-way attack drones “from above, on, and below the sea” in the Middle East…
The U.S. has lost roughly a quarter of its fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones in the war with Iran, sources told The Washington Post, as the armed drones have been targeted by Tehran and its proxies in Yemen and Iraq…
The Pentagon is sending the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, as reports and lawmakers indicate that conditions aboard the ship are deteriorating after a record 200 days without a port call; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the concerns about the Abraham Lincoln today as “completely misrepresented”…
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC), facing a runoff special election to be the GOP nominee for her late brother’s Senate seat, announced she is co-sponsoring the Jewish American Security Act, the U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act, a bill on Iran sanctions and a bill on Iranian human rights and internet access…
⏩ 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 a look at how Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is avoiding contending with the anti-Israel turn of her preferred successor, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, in her race against state Sen. Scott Wiener.
President Donald Trump will appear with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the GOP candidate for New York governor, at an event on Long Island honoring law enforcement officials.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a member of the Squad, will appear at a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., alongside anti-Israel progressives running against Jewish Democrats Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), as well as socialist Colorado Democratic congressional nominee Melat Kiros.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
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SCOUT’S HONOR
Scouting America offers ‘safe space’ for Jewish campers to hold Shabbat services
The group’s new national chair, Ricky Mason, is believed to be the first national chair to receive an aliyah at the Scouts’ Torah service
Plus, Vance alleges Israeli influence campaign to extend Iran war
Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images
The sun sets behind the U.S. Capitol Building on July 8, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
More than 100 House Democrats, about half of the caucus, voted in favorof Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) amendment to strip all U.S. aid to Israel out of the State Department appropriations bill this afternoon, including several leaders of the caucus such as Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), the No. 2 House Democrat, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
While the amendment was overwhelmingly defeated, 314-104, the large segment of Democrats supporting the measure indicates a growing shift away from the party’s historic support for Israel…
Vice President JD Vance, in an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” released today, stated repeatedly that Israeli actors are engaged in a “very discreet, very well-funded” influence campaign to extend the war in Iran: “There are some people within their system we know beyond a shadow of a doubt who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely. Again, not towards any objective, but just indefinitely,” he alleged.
Vance also said that the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein “clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence” and to “elements of the Israeli deep state that were left of center”…
The U.S., Israel and Lebanon, wrapping up talks in Rome this week, agreed on the structure and guidelines for implementing the two pilot zones the parties agreed to create in southern Lebanon, a State Department official said today, without specifying a timeline for the IDF’s withdrawal. The parties will now engage in expanded technical talks to implement the trilateral agreement reached in the last round of negotiations…
CENTCOM began another round of strikes against Iran this afternoon; coming after strikes earlier in the day, the pace of the operations appears to be gaining momentum. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering expanding U.S. military efforts to include more airstrikes, utilizing ground forces and targeting nuclear sites again, according to The Wall Street Journal…
Three senior U.S. officials connected to the Board of Peace, the Trump-led body created to resolve the conflict in Gaza, have been meeting with congressional offices this week to request $200 million for the International Stabilization Force, two people with knowledge of the meetings told Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch. The meetings mark the first time that Board of Peace representatives have approached Congress with a funding request…
Ahead of today’s deadline, candidates have begun releasing their fundraising reports for the second quarter. In Georgia, where some in the Jewish community have felt torn between two less-than-ideal options in Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and his opponent, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), Ossoff holds a commanding fundraising advantage: The senator reported raising$20 million this quarter with $42 million in the bank, while Collins raised $2.1 million, leaving him with $2.2 million in cash on hand…
Meanwhile, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed released his 2025 tax returns, which he is not legally obligated to do but was pressured to do by his opponent in the Democratic primary, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). El-Sayed’s reported total income was over $680,000, nearly $300,000 of which was unspecified as to its source…
The anti-Israel American Priorities super PAC made an initial investment of $375,000 to boost El-Sayed in the race; El-Sayed has repeatedly railed against super PAC involvement in politics — particularly that of AIPAC’s United Democracy Project, which is spending heavily in favor of Stevens…
Rep. Hilary Scholten (D-MI), speaking to Semafor about electability concerns in the Democratic Party, criticized progressives who “prop up other candidates who have said really problematic things.” The moderate congresswoman added that El-Sayed, who has been criticized for comments about Stevens seen as misogynistic, “has a problematic record with women”…
A new Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvania voters found Gov. Josh Shapiro leading his Republican opponent in his reelection race by 13 points, 53-40%, with a 56% overall approval rating. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) had a 77% approval rating among Republicans, but only 19% among voters in his own party. Nearly half (49%) of voters said the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left, while 42% said the Republican Party has moved too far to the right…
Former White House senior official Brett McGurk is releasing a book, Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7 Hostages, on his role leading U.S. efforts under former President Joe Biden to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, due out on Oct. 6 to coincide with the third anniversary of the attacks…
The New York Times examines the role that Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel could play in the potential presidential run of his brother, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, as politicians increasingly seek access to media as part of their campaigns; among those close to Ari Emanuel are the UFC’s Dana White, commentator Joe Rogan, pundit Stephen A. Smith as well as Elon Musk…
⏩ 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 a look at what this afternoon’s vote on Massie‘s amendment to cut all U.S. aid to Israel means for the future of Israel policy in the Democratic Party.
At least eight Democratic candidates vying to replace former nominee Graham Platner on the ballotfor U.S. Senate in Maine will take the debate stage tomorrow evening in their first chance to pitch themselves to voters, ahead of the state Democratic Party’s nominating convention later this month.
President Donald Trump will give an address to the nation in the evening, which he has said will largely focus on American election security.
The American Federation of Teachers’ annual convention will kick off in Washington. The second largest teachers’ union in the U.S., the AFT has previously featured anti-Israel resolutions at its gatherings.
The Aspen Security Forum continues with several panels on the Middle East, including speakers such as Akif Çağatay Kılıç, top advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee; Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel; Rahm Emanuel; Anne Neuberger, former deputy national security advisor; and Salam Fayyad, former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
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Plus, Dem leaders split on Israel aid
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) questions U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as he testifies before the House Armed Services Committee April 29, 2026.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iranian leaders, as military hostilities escalate between Iran and the U.S.: “Do not count on there being calm if you attack us,” Netanyahu addressed Tehran, while speaking today at a conference in southern Israel. “Do not expect a repeat of what happened before, because there will be no repeat. … Any further attempt to harm us will be met with a different response — far more powerful”…
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump walked back his announcement that the U.S. would institute a 20% toll on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying in a post on Truth Social that Middle East leaders had agreed to additional trade and investment deals with the U.S. to replace the fee…
CENTCOM announced it began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran this afternoon “to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the strait, and officially reinstated a blockade on Iranian ports. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched missile and drone attacks in retaliation against bases in Kuwait and Bahrain…
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said he would oppose an amendment led by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to strip all aid to Israel out of the 2027 State Department appropriations bill, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. But Jeffries also argued for “urgent change” to the U.S.-Israel relationship, including suggesting that direct U.S. military aid to Israel should end when the current memorandum of understanding expires.
Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), on the other hand, said he plans to vote yes on Massie’s amendment, writing in a “Dear Colleague” letter that the “American people are crying out for an end to US tax dollars subsidizing Israel’s military”…
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced today that the U.S. will only be permitted to station 20 military refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, while the rest must be parked at Israeli Air Force bases, in order to facilitate commercial travel for Israelis over the summer…
U.N. official Ramiz Alakbarov accused Hamas forces of interfering at a humanitarian aid distribution site in Gaza, saying armed men had entered a warehouse and “endangered humanitarian personnel,” leading the organization to suspend its operations at the site. “These incidents are not isolated. They are completely unacceptable and reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction,” Alakbarov said…
Trump asked Netanyahu in a phone call last week to pull IDF forces back from Syria and Lebanon, Axios reports; the Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu in turn emphasized Israel’s need for security zones along its borders…
The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area issued a statement today on Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-CA) recent encounter in the West Bank, where he claims he was detained by violent settlers as well as the IDF. The group said it has “conveyed our concerns to the Congressman in how he is representing the district and our community on foreign policy issues” and called on Khanna “to exercise the same urgency he has brought to criticizing Israel to address the hostile climate many Jewish Americans face every day”…
Pressed repeatedly by writers with the Hamas-sympathetic outlet Drop Site News to offer support for the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and Palestinians’ “right to kill Israeli soldiers,” Khanna said he is “not for violence in any way”…
Asked about legislation imposing sanctions on Russia that was championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Trump said in the Oval Office today that lawmakers “may be adding Iran to it … They may add Hezbollah, too.” He said there’s a “good chance” it will pass “in honor of Lindsey”…
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were spotted in the Senate chamber during the swearing-in this afternoon of Darline Graham Nordone to fill Graham’s seat…
The AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project super PAC sent direct mail to voters in Michigan highlighting far-left Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s refusal to condemn extreme rhetoric from antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker and El-Sayed’s efforts to “rationalize” the attack on Michigan’s Temple Israel earlier this year…
Columbia University anti-Israel protest leader Mahmoud Khalil filed a civil rights lawsuit against Trump administration officials, the Heritage Foundation and pro-Israel groups Canary Mission and Betar, alleging they “sought to terrorize” him to “intimidate and silence the growing movement for Palestinian rights”…
⏩ 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 an interview with Avi Loeb, the Israeli Harvard scientist leading Trump’s search for answers that may be out of this world.
Trump will headline the last day of Sen. Dave McCormick’s (R-PA) Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College, with additional remarks from Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
The Aspen Security Forum in Colorado will feature fireside chats with former Navy Secretary John Phelan and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Also on tomorrow’s agenda: a live taping of the “What the Hell is Going On?” podcast hosted by the American Enterprise Institute’s Danielle Pletka and Marc Thiessen, in conversation with former National Security Advisors Stephen Hadley and Robert O’Brien as well as Michèle Flournoy, former under secretary of defense for policy.
Jay Clayton will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for his confirmation hearing to be director of national intelligence, after Trump abruptly canceled his hearing originally scheduled for last month.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) will speak at the Hudson Institute on the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East..
Stories You May Have Missed
MICHIGAN MATTERS
Mainstream Democrats rally to block far-left candidate from nomination in swing Mich. district
William Lawrence, who has won support from progressive lawmakers and groups, has been under fire for his comments attacking Kamala Harris and denigrating Black political leadership
PEACH STATE PROBLEMS
In Georgia’s Senate race, tough choices ahead for the state’s Jewish community
Top contributors to Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback are also bankrolling Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Abdul El-Sayed and Andre Carson
Plus, Graham's Senate seat kept in the family
Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images
Commercial vessels and oil tankers preparing to transit through the Strait of Hormuz maintain their wait in the Gulf of Oman, on June 17, 2026.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
President Donald Trump declared today that the U.S. will take control of the Strait of Hormuz and will institute a 20% fee on all cargo passing through the waterway “for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” Jewish Insider’s Christina Sher reports. The move comes after Trump and his administration insisted for months that no country is permitted to charge fees to transiting ships…
Trump also announced he is reinstating a blockade of Iranian ports, which was lifted when the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding last month. CENTCOM said the blockade will resume tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET and will be enforced “against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.”
CENTCOM also revealed that it successfully deployed sea drones in combat operations for the first time yesterday, using the unmanned vessels to strike an Iranian submarine at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base…
Trump notified Congress on Friday that fighting with Iran officially resumed last week, further stoking tensions between the executive and legislative branches as lawmakers already approved a war powers resolution calling for an end to American operations in Iran.
Trump’s letter to congressional leadership said U.S. “ground forces are not involved in these strikes” — which he described as “limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties” — and said he is acting “pursuant to [his] constitutional authority as Commander in Chief”…
The Mossad spent years grooming former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset to be installed as Iran’s leader after a post-Khamenei regime change, including paying for his housing and travel and arranging a meeting with then-Mossad chief David Barnea under cover of a climate conference in Budapest in 2024, American and Iranian officials told The New York Times.
As the Iran war broke out on Feb. 28, Mossad operatives rescued Ahmadinejad from an Israeli airstrike on his Tehran compound and took him to a safe house, but he balked and left — Ahmadinejad is now reportedly under house arrest by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps…
The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Yemen’s international airport today, with a spokesperson saying the action “will not go unanswered,” threatening a tenuous truce enacted several years ago between the terror group and the Saudis. A spokesperson for the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which is backed by Riyadh, said the Houthis subsequently fired ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia…
U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced on Monday that the country designated the IRGC as a terror organization, with those found guilty of supporting the group facing up to 14 years in prison. The government also banned the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, which No. 10 Downing St. said was behind a number of attacks on British Jewish sites…
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced at a press conference this afternoon that he is appointing Darline Graham Nordone, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) sister, to serve out the rest of Graham’s term. Trump had voiced his support for Nordone, who shared an exceptionally close bond with her brother, as “a fabulous tribute to Lindsey.” Fox Newsreported that Nordone could be sworn in as soon as Wednesday…
The Trump administration plans to launch a major diplomatic offensive against the International Criminal Court, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced today, the latest move in the White House’s longtime battle against the international organization.
The push appears to be rooted in concerns that the ICC will seek to prosecute American servicemembers, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports. Such actions would not only be “a grave overreach of its purported authorities,” Rubio wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, “it would mean the death of the U.S. as a sovereign and independent nation”…
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed that he would maintain ties with Morris Katz, the controversial political operative behind Mamdani’s own victory as well as the imploded campaign of former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, JI’s Will Bredderman reports, despite calls from members of the Democratic Socialists of America to boycott the consultant’s services…
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), a member of the Squad and a vocal detractor of Israel, endorsed far-left Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed today, joining fellow Squad members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Summer Lee (D-PA) and Delia Ramirez (D-IL) in backing him less than a month before the primary…
⏩ 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 a look at the surging anti-Israel candidate in the Democratic primary for Michigan‘s swing 7th Congressional District.
The sixth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon are slated to begin tomorrow in Rome, despite Beirut’s reported threat not to attend if the IDF did not vacate two pilot zones in southern Lebanon before the discussions. Israeli media reported that this week’s talks will focus on the timeline for the withdrawal.
The Aspen Security Forum, the high-profile annual gathering of national security leaders, policymakers and foreign policy experts, begins tomorrow afternoon in Colorado. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker will speak on a panel on the “state of the world.”
The two-day Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, hosted by Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), will kick off at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., with a keynote address from Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.
Some House Republicans were invited to a dinner tomorrow night with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Punchbowl News, as the Trump administration is seeking more than $67 billion for the Pentagon in its supplemental funding request.
Stories You May Have Missed
REMEMBERING
Tributes pour in after death of Lindsey Graham, Israel’s staunch defender in the Senate
Trump, Cruz, Fetterman, Coons and Jewish organizations remembered the South Carolina Republican, who died suddenly at 71
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Radical GOP governor hopeful got cash from backers of far-left Dems
Top contributors to Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback are also bankrolling Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Abdul El-Sayed and Andre Carson
Pennsylvania Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman also spoke together at a session
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (L) attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference at the Sun Valley Lodge on July 9, 2026 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Jared Kushner, United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba and former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett participated in an off-the-record discussion on Thursday morning at Allen & Company’s annual Sun Valley conference, Puck News reported.
The closed-door conversation, held before the conference’s invite-only audience of business, media and technology leaders, took place months after Israel assisted the UAE during the war with Iran, sending an Iron Dome battery and operators to the Gulf state, which faced more rocket, missile and drone attacks from Iran than another country in the region.
Later in the morning, Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) appeared together for a wide-ranging discussion.
Meta COO Dina Powell McCormick, who is married to the Pennsylvania senator, is also in attendance at Sun Valley this week alongside Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other senior Meta executives.
Plus, Labour's leftward turn on Israel
Israeli Ministry of Defense/Anadolu via Getty Images
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz holds a security situation assessment meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior commanders in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 07, 2026.
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by JI U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
Appearing on CNN this morning, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said Jerusalem is “supportive of the position of the United States” regarding renewed strikes on Iran, and said Israel would “fly alongside U.S. aircraft” if called on to do so.
He added that Iran had violated its “only obligation” under the memorandum of understanding — to keep the Strait of Hormuz open — and that if the Iranians “persist in their malign intentions,” the war could resume “in full swing”…
Israeli military leaders are also hinting at potential Israeli involvement: At an Israeli Air Force graduation ceremony, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF is prepared to carry out independent strikes “to remove threats” in Iran. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF’s chief of staff, told the graduates that “new plans” are “on the drawing board” and that “major operations are still expected to lie ahead of us. Be prepared”…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he spoke with President Donald Trump today and was updated by the president “on American moves in the Gulf.” According to a statement from the PMO, Netanyahu again raised the issue of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan‘s hostile rhetoric toward Israel…
The Wall Street Journal examines the “root of the dispute” over the Strait of Hormuz — the “poorly worded” fifth article in the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that says Tehran will “make arrangements” to restore shipping in the waterway and then work with Oman on a plan to administer it going forward.
“Notably, the paragraph says nothing about the U.S. making arrangements for the safe passage of vessels, which Iran has seized on to attack ships that use a U.S.-coordinated route,” a U.S. official told the outlet…
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is in Israel and the West Bank this week while Congress is in recess, according to two individuals with knowledge of the trip. Khanna has not posted publicly about his visit, which is scheduled to conclude tonight, JI’s Melissa Weiss reports…
While wrapping up his trip, Khanna, who was one of Senate candidate Graham Platner’s most vociferous defenders until a rape allegation was made against the Maine Democrat earlier this week, told MS NOW that he’s endorsing former state Sen. Troy Jackson to take Platner’s place on the ballot. Jackson, who previously ran for governor, is a progressive seen as aligned with Platner…
But Platner’s potential replacements will have to wait a few more days: The candidate told campaign staff he intends to wait until the very last day — Monday — to officially file his paperwork to drop out of the race, Axios reports…
The Journal profiles Cheyenne Hunt, the progressive influencer and activist who played a key role in bringing to light the sexual assault and misconduct allegations that ultimately saw the ouster of Platner and the resignation of former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)…
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) withdrew as co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus due to what he called Madrid’s “escalating, hostile crusade” against Israel…
Andy Burnham, widely expected to become Britain’s next prime minister, told The Guardian that the response of his Labour party to Israel’s military actions in Gaza “has too often not been good enough” and that the U.K. has “got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government,” including sanctions and potentially banning trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Burnham also said there is “increasing evidence” that Israel committed war crimes, though he did not use the word genocide, and said the determination should be left to international courts. His comments mark a shift to the left of Labour’s outgoing leader, Keir Starmer, who was slower than other European leaders to back a ceasefire and recognize Palestinian statehood…
Among those speaking at the closed-door Allen & Company retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho, today were Jared Kushner, UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) as well as Ken Griffin, the hedge fund manager and GOP megadonor.
Asked whether he would support Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the 2028 presidential election, Griffin said he’d be inclined to back Rubio…
⏩ 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 a look at Platner’s potential replacements, as a handful of Maine Democrats are already jockeying for the position less than 24 hours after Platner announced he intends to drop out of the race for U.S. Senate.
We’ll be watching to see if U.S. and Iranian strikes continue into the weekend, or if the current flare-up has run its course. Prior to the outbreak in hostilities, Saudi media had reported that talks between Washington and Iran would restart on July 11, after the dayslong funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wraps up today. Trump said this morning that the Iranians had called and “want to make a deal so badly,” but it’s unclear whether the two sides intend to meet.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat shalom!
Stories You May Have Missed
SCOOP
New Ted Cruz-aligned organization takes aim at right-wing antisemitism
Allies of the Texas senator are launching The Front Line, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit aimed at making antisemitism ‘disqualifying’ for GOP candidates
BELL BOUY
Wesley Bell sees surge of outside spending ahead of rematch with Cori Bush
As of this week, UDP has reserved $865,000 in ad time for the race and New Democrat Majority has reserved $500,000, ahead of the Aug. 4 primary
Plus, Maine Dems back to square one
Meg Kinnard/AP
Former U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks to voters as he participates in the South Carolina Democratic Party's "On the Road" series on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Abbeville, S.C.
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s remarks yesterday in Tel Aviv on Israel and the Democratic Party, and have the scoop on a new 501(c)(4) launched by allies of Sen. Ted Cruz with the goal of combating antisemitism among Republicans. We report on the influx of cash from the United Democracy Project and another super PAC boosting Rep. Wesley Bell ahead of his rematch against former Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri, and spotlight the media moguls and tech titans attending the annual Sun Valley conference in Idaho this week. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Ed Case, Jillian Segal and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
We have also launched a new on-demand Live Briefing that you can access throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and on our website.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- President Donald Trump is back in Washington today following the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The president, who traveled to Ankara earlier this week aboard the plane recently gifted to him by Qatar for use as a new Air Force One, told reporters before he departed that he would be traveling on one of the older aircraft, while the new plane will be flown to a U.S. airbase in the U.K. The change-up came amid questions about the plane’s security features, as well heightened concerns regarding Iran following the resumption of strikes between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic.
- Before departing Turkey, Trump reiterated his threat to Iran that he would “finish the job,” telling reporters that he was no longer sure if he was interested in a peace deal with Iran and was questioning if the country’s leadership was rational enough to work with. The comments came as the U.S. and Iran traded strikes in the region, with CENTCOM saying it struck approximately 90 new military targets across Iran on Wednesday night — including air-defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities and military logistics infrastructure. Iranian media reported additional explosions in the Bushehr province this morning. Read more here.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to meet at noon today at the White House with Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud.
- Elsewhere stateside, we’re keeping an eye on Maine Democrats as the party looks to pick a new candidate to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) following Graham Platner’s announcement last night that he was suspending his campaign after a former girlfriend accused him earlier this week of having raped her. More below.
- The Contemporary Antisemitism conference at the University of Haifa wraps up today with a keynote speech from philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S emily jacobs
Allies of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are launching a new political organization aimed at countering antisemitism within the Republican Party, Jewish Insider has learned, led by Arielle F. Klepach, a former assistant U.S. attorney and senior counsel for the National Jewish Advocacy Center.
The Front Line (TFL) will operate as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, meaning the group will not have to disclose its donors and can spend unlimited sums toward political activity, provided campaign finance is not its primary purpose and it does not contribute directly to campaigns.
A source familiar with the matter told JI that those behind the organization, which Cruz is not directly involved with, raised several million dollars to fund the operation. Klepach will run the operation as executive director.
“There has been a surge of antisemitism across America, which first engulfed the left and is now threatening the moral integrity and political unity of the conservative movement and the Republican Party,” Klepach said. “I am excited to lead The Front Line’s efforts to defeat right-wing antisemitism before it takes conservatives down the same path of anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and pro-Sharia advocacy that has taken the left.”
RAHM’S RHETORIC
Rahm Emanuel, in Tel Aviv, says he is ‘not impressed’ by far-left wing of the Democratic Party
Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, speaking in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, criticized the “moral bankruptcy” of “those that paraded, celebrated and cheered” in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff from 2009 to 2010 in the Obama administration, made the comments as part of a broader address on his vision for the future of U.S.-Israel relations as he mulls a potential presidential bid, Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss reports.
What he said: Speaking to JI prior to his speech at Tel Aviv University, Emanuel responded to a question about Democrats, including Darializa Avila Chevalier, the presumptive winner in New York’s 13th Congressional District, who attended a Times Square rally the day after Hamas launched its attacks on southern Israel. “I have no place for the moral bankruptcy of those that found Oct. 8 as the day to cheer 1,200 people not only killed but sexually abused, and for taking hostage 250 people. They’re morally bankrupt.”
Tough talk: In his speech, Emanuel called for a reassessment of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. “American policy towards Israel operated under the assumption that the best thing Washington could do for Jerusalem is to blindly, to silently stand behind your government without conditions, without demands, without consequences, even when we disagree,” Emanuel said. “That has been our mistake, and it’s been not a favor to you.”
In the room: In his Substack, Michael Granoff, who attended Emanuel’s talk at TAU, said he was “disappointed” by Emanuel’s remarks. “You spoke of Israel’s growing isolation. As someone who runs a venture capital fund based here, with investors from the US, Europe and Asia, I would contend that you did so in a greatly exaggerated way. But worse, you said this: ‘Your scientists face exclusion from international conferences and research networks. Your artists and academics are shut out of exhibits and meetings.’ Rahm, you are describing discriminatory boycotts by anti-Zionists. And your implication is that we are to be blamed. You think those trying to exclude Israeli performers from Eurovision are protesting building homes in East Jerusalem?”
CALLING IT QUITS
Platner suspends campaign, blames organized conspiracy for forcing him out
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, the scandal-plagued progressive insurgent, announced on Wednesday evening that he plans to drop out of the race amid intense pressure, two days after a former romantic partner accused him of rape. Even as he announced his withdrawal, Platner remained defiant, claiming that the allegations against him were a conspiracy aimed at forcing him out of the race, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch and Marc Rod report.
Blame game: “We live in a political system that is not built for normal people,” Platner asserted. “It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish, that if they begin to succeed, they can be crushed. … We did it the way that we were told we are supposed to make change, and we won, and now they are not going to let us have it, not if it’s me.”
Bonus: The New York Times does a deep dive into the slow unraveling of Platner’s campaign, finding it “was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal.”
BELL BUOY
Wesley Bell sees surge of outside spending ahead of rematch with Cori Bush
A month ahead of Missouri’s primary elections, Rep. Wesley Bell’s (D-MO) campaign is being buoyed by an influx of outside spending from the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project super PAC and another super PAC affiliated with the moderate New Democrat Coalition, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Money matters: As of this week, UDP has reserved $865,000 in ad time for the race, while New Democrat Majority has reserved $500,000 ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. In at least one advertisement, UDP is taking a similar approach as it did in its attacks against Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) in 2024 when the group helped Bell unseat her, hitting her as an absentee and ineffective lawmaker and for voting against the bipartisan infrastructure package in 2021. UDP’s ad features clips accusing Bush of having betrayed and disappointed organized labor and workers who supported her in her initial campaign.
CASE STUDY
Ed Case, pro-Israel moderate from Hawaii, faces primary challenge from progressive state senator
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI), a longtime pro-Israel moderate in the House, is facing his first serious primary challenge in years from state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, arguing — as other insurgent Democrats around the country have — that the district needs a new generation of leadership, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Israel record: Keohokalole’s campaign site makes little mention of Middle East policy, broadly calling for “reimagining the United States’ role on the world stage as a global peace leader by working to end unnecessary and costly conflicts, including opposing escalation toward war with Iran, and strengthening congressional oversight over military action and executive war powers.” But the state senator, who is 42, said in late 2025 he supported efforts led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to stop U.S. military sales to Israel, arguing that the small size of Gaza “all but guarantees that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s campaign of ‘targeted’ airstrikes will kill innocent adults, children, and infants. Hamas was wrong. So is this.”
ADVOCACY OUTCOMES
Jewish orgs cite ‘reason for optimism’ as NEA works to address union antisemitism
Major Jewish organizations expressed “reason for optimism” that the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, is taking meaningful steps to address rising antisemitism following its annual Representative Assembly, which concluded in Denver on Tuesday, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Noted progress: The Jewish groups noted a safer and more inclusive environment for Jewish members at this year’s gathering, marking a stark contrast from last year, when delegates voted to boycott Anti-Defamation League materials in a measure Jewish groups condemned as antisemitic, among other disruptive events. The changes also come following the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission opening an investigation into NEA in June over alleged failure to address antisemitism.
Curriculum wars: With summer break offering teachers a chance to level up their skills for the year ahead, Illinois educators will be able to spend three days in Chicago this month learning about “the dangers of the ADL’s influence in our schools” — and earn credit toward the professional development needed to renew their teaching licenses, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports.
MOGUL ROLLCALL
New, and seasoned, faces show out for Sun Valley 2026
More than 300 of the world’s most powerful executives have trickled into Idaho for Allen & Co’s invite-only, closed-door Sun Valley conference, where media moguls, tech titans and financiers gather every year, Jewish Insider’s Christina Sher reports.
Spotted: Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), former CIA Director David Petraeus, former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), Dina Powell McCormick, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Joshua Kushner, Karlie Kloss, Robert Kraft, Marc Andreessen, Sam Altman, Alex Karp, Bari Weiss, Sheryl Sandberg, David Zaslav, Bob Iger, Michael Eisner, Barry Diller, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Evan Spiegel, Josh Silverman, Marne Levine, Brian Grazer, Reid Hoffman, Adam Silver, Mitch Rales, Andy Jassy and Bobby Kotick were among those seen in Sun Valley this week.
Read the full story and see photos of Sun Valley attendees here.
Dinner dish: Puck’s Dylan Byers reports that Jassy and Kraft were seen dining at Enoteca in nearby Ketchum on Tuesday night.
Worthy Reads
Battlefield Blues: Bloomberg’s Max Hastings looks at the challenges facing the U.S. as other countries more quickly evolve their weapons production systems and increasingly rely on AI to quickly produce advanced weaponry. “Warfare, strategy and weapons systems are morphing at extraordinary speed. The US still possesses by far the most capable military. But its ability to dominate a battlefield, never mind an entire region, is under threat in a fashion that military men and women understand better than do many national leaders.” [Bloomberg]
F-35 Fears: In the Greek daily Ekathimerini, Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the co-chairs of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance, warn of the risks to the alliance formed by Greece, Cyprus and Israel posed by the potential sale of advanced U.S. weaponry to Ankara. “Turkey’s expansive maritime claims, continued tensions in the Aegean, military overflights and provocations affecting Greece, Turkey’s continued occupation of Cyprus, and increasing demonization of Israel have contributed to instability at a time when the region has an opportunity to move in a different direction. … Advanced military capabilities should strengthen alliances and regional stability – not create uncertainty among the partners who have worked alongside the United States to build a more secure Eastern Mediterranean.” [Ekathimerini]
Forgetting ‘Never Forget’: The Wall Street Journal’s Bertrand Benoit observes that Germany is at an “inflection point” some eight decades after the Holocaust, as memory of the Shoah fades and both the far right and the far left are on the ascendance. “Can a democracy that was built on a sense of responsibility for the Holocaust survive without it? What does it mean for Europe if the country that set the modern standard for combating antisemitism across the continent chooses to move on at a time of rising Jew-hatred? And last, can a country that twice set the world ablaze — and is now engaged in the largest rearmament effort in decades as Russia threatens the continent — be trusted by neighbors if it abandons what has for eight decades served as its moral compass?” [WSJ]
Word on the Street
In a change of tone, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Wednesday that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa deserves a chance to rebuild the war-torn country, arguing that his efforts to curb Iran’s influence in Syria should prompt Israel to reassess its approach to the new government, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…
Axios looks at how the U.S.-Iran war has increasingly shifted to focus on the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that the White House “is preparing for what could become a multi-day or even multi-week exchange of fire”…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights how Jewish Democrats mulling 2028 presidential bids are navigating the party’s leftward shift on Israel…
The governing body of the Football Association of Ireland voted 75-32 to proceed with the national team’s upcoming matches against Israel, following calls for the FAI to boycott the games, slated to take place in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium…
The hate crimes unit of Montreal’s police department is investigating a series of attacks targeting members of the city’s Hasidic community last Friday night in which the attackers drove through a heavily Jewish neighborhood, shouting antisemitic slurs and throwing cans at people walking home from Shabbat services…
Australia’s antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, testifying before the government’s royal commission into antisemitism, called for the creation of an independent oversight committee to monitor the Australian public broadcaster’s compliance with its charter obligations; her comments came after numerous complaints over the broadcaster’s airing of falsities around the Israel-Hamas war and slowness to issue corrections…
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz pushed back against President Donald Trump’s suggestion this week that Israel would withdraw from Lebanon, saying, “We didn’t ask for anyone’s approval to enter Lebanon, and we don’t need approval to stay in Lebanon”…
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency downgraded its risk classification for Israel and the Gulf, opting against extending its high-risk conflict zone advisory for the region when the warning expired on Wednesday…
Attorney William Zabel, a prolific celebrity divorce lawyer who was instrumental in distributing some $2.2 billion to the victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, died at 89…
Find on-demand Live Briefing updates throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Pic of the Day
Agudath Israel held a meet-and-greet event with New York officials on Wednesday in Manhattan. The group presented Julie Menin and Mark Levine, respectively the speaker of the City Council and the city’s comptroller, with mezuzot.
Menin decried what she called the “shameful and unconscionable” crisis of antisemitic incidents in New York. She touted the council’s passage of buffer zone bills for religious institutions and schools, asking rhetorically, “What could be controversial about that?” to a crowd that included Jason Binderman, the deputy director for the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism — an apparent dig at Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who opposed the bills.
Pictured from left: Assemblymember David Weprin, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse, Menin, Levine, Councilmember Chris Banks, Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Rabbi Ephraim Gurell and state Sen. Lester Chang.
Birthdays
Co-founder of Netscape and co-founder and general partner of Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, he is celebrating his birthday at the Sun Valley conference, Marc Lowell Andreessen turns 55…
Former Soviet refusenik, prisoner of conscience, human rights activist, author and translator, Iosif Begun turns 94… Constitutional law expert focused on the First Amendment and free speech, senior counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel where he has practiced since 1963, Floyd Abrams turns 90… Retired conductor and music director of symphony orchestras in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Rochester, N.Y., Baltimore and Zurich, David Zinman turns 90… Huntington Woods, Mich., resident, Robert Morris Rubin… Arizona resident, Howard Cohen… Play-by-play announcer for the MLB’s San Diego Padres from 1980 to 2020, Theodore “Ted” Leitner turns 79… Tikvah “Tiki” Stern Lyons… Rabbi of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, Rabbi Ilan D. Feldman turns 72… U.S. senator (R-SC) since 2003, Lindsey Graham turns 71… Author, motivational speaker and former stockbroker, his autobiographical memoir, The Wolf of Wall Street, was adapted into a film and released in 2013, Jordan Ross Belfort turns 64… Mortgage professional and owner of D.C.’s Char Bar, Michael Alan Chelst… Public radio personality, former producer of “This American Life” and the host and executive producer of the “Serial” podcast, Sarah Koenig turns 57… Activist short seller, author and editor of the online investment newsletter Citron Research, Andrew Edward Left turns 56… Actor, tour guide, poet, speaker, philosopher and author, Timothy “Speed” Levitch turns 56… Host of The Free Press’ “Breaking History” podcast, Eli Jon Lake turns 54… Anchor and reporter for Fox Business Network, Lori Rothman turns 53… Member of the URJ North American board of trustees, Peter Webb… Co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh, Yehoshua Fass turns 53… Brigadier general (res.) in the IDF, he held many military leadership positions in digital transformation and computer science, Omer Dagan turns 50… Israeli documentary filmmaker, Guy Davidi turns 48… Retired poker player, now an options trader, she is the only woman to ever reach the No. 1 ranking on the Global Poker Index, Vanessa K. Selbst turns 42… Tony Award-winning theater, film and television actor, Brandon Uranowitz turns 40… Renewable energy and climate specialist, Samantha Hea Marks… Pitcher for Team Israel at the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics, Jake Kalish turns 35… Pitcher in the Los Angeles Angels organization through 2024, now a free agent, Kenny Rosenberg turns 31… Spokeswoman and communications specialist for foreign media in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, Shoshana Bedrosian turns 29…
A-listers from tech, media and finance joined in Idaho for the exclusive conference
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump attend the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference at the Sun Valley Lodge on July 8, 2026 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
More than 300 of the world’s most powerful executives have trickled into Idaho for Allen & Co’s invite-only, closed-door Sun Valley conference, where media moguls, tech titans and financiers gather every year.
Dina Powell McCormick, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Joshua Kushner, Karlie Kloss, Robert Kraft, Sam Altman, Alex Karp, Bari Weiss, Sheryl Sandberg, David Zaslav, Bob Iger, Michael Eisner, Barry Diller, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Evan Spiegel, Josh Silverman, Marne Levine, Brian Grazer, Reid Hoffman, Adam Silver, Mitch Rales, Andy Jassy and Bobby Kotick were among those seen in Sun Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Washington figures also in attendance included Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh — who is making his first appearance in Sun Valley since being tapped for his role — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), former CIA Director David Petraeus and former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE).
Also spotted were Lachlan Murdoch, Nellie Bowles, David Ignatius and Jonathan Haidt.
Karp arrived at the four-day retreat days after unveiling a major partnership between Palantir and Nvidia to deploy advanced AI models for U.S. government agencies, as artificial intelligence dominates discussions among this year’s tech executives.
Weiss is at Sun Valley for the first time since Paramount tapped her to run CBS News last October.
Zaslav’s Warner Bros. Discovery recently completed a $111 billion sale to Paramount Skydance after clearing a Department of Justice antitrust review in June. After he arrived and settled in, Zaslav changed into a baseball cap bearing the “WB” logo.
Iger arrives at Sun Valley after stepping down for the second time from his post as Walt Disney Company CEO in March. He’s since taken on an advisory role at Thrive Capital, the venture firm founded by Josh Kushner.
Diller, chairman and senior executive of People, Inc. and Expedia Group, rolled up to the conference on an electric-blue Trek bike.
Film producer Grazer came fresh off Aspen Ideas Festival, where he insisted that his films remain deliberately apolitical, aiming for “universal themes” instead.
Below, a visual rundown of notable attendees:
Jane Lauder, Kevin Warsh and Casey Wasserman
Dina Powell McCormick and Sen. Dave McCormick
Joshua Kushner, Karlie Kloss, Diane Von Furstenberg, Garrett Langley and Megan Langley
Alexandre Arnault and Alex Karp
Gayle King, Jonathan Haidt and Nellie Bowles
Sam Altman
Marne Levine, Phil Deutch and Sheryl Sandberg
David Petraeus
Plus, Sun Valley set lands in Idaho
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 Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how Mallory McMorrow’s departure from the Michigan Democratic Senate primary could impact the race now between Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, and report on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s prediction that the Democratic Party will face an ideological “battle” in light of the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America. We cover a Democratic effort led by Rep. Dina Titus to block the sale of advanced fighter jets to Turkey, and report on the National Education Association’s protocol changes ahead of the group’s annual convention aimed at avoiding similar allegations of antisemitism that it faced at its conference last year. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Eyal Shani, Ruth Cohen Dar and Rep. Yassamin Ansari.
We have also launched a new on-demand Live Briefing that you can access throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and on our website.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- World leaders — including President Donald Trump — are traveling to Turkey today ahead of the start of the NATO Ankara Summit tomorrow.
- A number of Israeli officials are reportedly expected to travel to the U.S. in the coming weeks for meetings with their American counterparts amid floundering U.S.-Iran talks. Trump told Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked for a meeting, which could take place soon after Trump returns from Turkey, while i24News reports that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is expected to meet next week in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Funeral proceedings for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that began over the weekend continued today with the slain leader’s funeral. Three of Khamenei’s sons have been seen at the ceremonies, though Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father following an Israeli strike on the first day of the war, has yet to make a public appearance.
- Allen & Co.’s annual Sun Valley retreat is taking place this week in Idaho. Those expected to attend this year include David Ellison, David Zaslav, Barry Diller, Bob Iger, Mark Zuckerberg, Alex Karp, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bari Weiss, Jared Kushner and Josh Kushner.
- The Christians United For Israel Summit continues today in Washington, with its annual Night to Honor Israel dinner scheduled for tonight.
- In Jerusalem, the National Library of Israel is marking the U.S.’ semiquincentennial with an evening event focused on “Celebrating America at 250.”
- Startup Nation Central founder Wendy Singer will moderate a conversation between Rabbi Abi Dauber Sterne, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren and B’nai Jeshurun Senior Rabbi Felicia Sol.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MARC ROD
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow dropped out of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Sunday, narrowing the race to a contest between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official.
McMorrow suspended her campaign without endorsing either of her rivals, saying only that “whoever wins this primary on August 4th will have my full support.”
Recent polling has shown a relatively close race between the moderate Stevens and far-left El-Sayed, with El-Sayed leading in several surveys. With McMorrow generally claiming around 10% of the vote in polls, her withdrawal could shift dynamics in the race.
At the same time, mail-in ballots in the state have already been dispatched — with McMorrow’s name still on them.
The end of McMorrow’s campaign marks a significant fall for the up-and-coming state senator, who posted strong performances in early polls but has seen flagging support and enthusiasm in recent months. Her voting base will likely end up divided among both candidates, and both are making efforts to attract her supporters.
McMorrow had sought to carve out a middle ground between Stevens and El-Sayed, running as a somewhat progressive anti-establishment candidate but claiming a more pragmatic lane than El-Sayed, who some Democrats worry will not be electable in a general election against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), the expected GOP nominee. The race offers the biggest test yet of the progressive, anti-Israel movement’s ability to win in a critical swing state.
BAIT AND SWITCH
Arizona Jewish leaders regret supporting Yassamin Ansari after she turns against Israel
When Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) narrowly prevailed in the Democratic primary for an open House seat in Phoenix in 2024, winning by just 39 votes in a deep-blue district, the Arizona lawmaker could attribute her success, in part, to strong backing from the local Jewish community as well as a surge of outside spending from a prominent pro-Israel group. Now, however, Ansari, 34, is aligning with a range of far-left policy positions that have led several Jewish and pro-Israel leaders to feel they were misled, they told Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel.
Flip-flop: Alma Hernandez, a Democratic state representative in Tucson who had been one of Ansari’s top Jewish campaign surrogates in the 2024 primary, said she “was really excited for the idea of having someone like” Ansari in office, noting that she attended the congresswoman’s swearing-in ceremony in Washington to demonstrate her solidarity. “I have not talked to her since,” Hernandez said last week in an interview with JI. “I think a lot of folks in the community feel they were really used in a sense,” she added, alleging that Ansari “was very careful with all her words because she wanted the support and the financial backing” in a closely contested race.
NO FLIGHT PLAN
House Democrats introduce legislation to block sale of jet engines to Turkey
A group of House Democrats introduced a resolution last week that aims to block the sale of advanced jet engines to Turkey, as the Trump administration pushes ahead with the sale despite legal restrictions on U.S. military sales to the country, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Titus’ take: The resolution is led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), a vocal critic of Ankara, and co-sponsored by Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), George Latimer (D-NY) and Brad Sherman (D-CA). “The regime of Turkish President Erdoğan has made repeated threats of military action against NATO allies and other partner nations throughout the Middle East,” Titus said on X. “I am introducing a Joint Resolution of Disapproval to stop the $700 million sale of F110 jet engines to Turkey which would undermine regional stability and pose a threat to U.S. allies.”
Exclusive: A bipartisan group of House lawmakers wrote to President Donald Trump on Thursday to “express deep concern about any effort to sell F-35s to Turkey.”
FAULT LINES
Shapiro predicts ‘battle’ ahead for Democratic Party amid rising socialist influence
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, predicted in a TV interview that aired on Sunday that Democrats will soon face a “battle” over the rising influence of socialists in the party and distanced himself from such far-left candidates, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
What he said: In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Shapiro cited “profound differences” with Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist New York City congressional candidate who won her primary last month against incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Avila Chevalier has a history of incendiary online rhetoric, including railing against Democratic leaders and praising communism, and defended attending an anti-Israel rally the day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. “She’s not someone who seemingly I would agree with on many things or that we share similar values. She ran on the Democratic ticket, I guess, as a socialist,” said Shapiro.
Bonus: The Wall Street Journal looks at Avila Chevalier’s swift political rise and primary victory over Espaillat, describing the DSA member as being “at the forefront of a shocking blitz by Democratic socialists that has upended Democratic politics.”
ONLINE ACTION
JFNA helps push for passage of major bipartisan children’s online safety bill
In a bid to protect Jewish children from rampant antisemitism on the internet, the Jewish Federations of North America is pushing lawmakers to support the KIDS Act, a major bipartisan package of legislation focused on children’s safety online that passed the House late last month by a 267-117 vote, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
About the effort: Omer Yarden-Oppenheim, director of government relations at JFNA, told JI that online antisemitism has been a major conversation and challenge for Jewish families, especially since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. He said the group identified four bills in the House’s online safety push that it felt could play a role in addressing online antisemitism, which were ultimately packaged into the KIDS Act. But the Senate and House remain divided on how best to approach the problem, so roadblocks remain.
TEACHING MOMENT
NEA adopts new rules ahead of convention — but union members are reserving judgment
Following last year’s contentious assembly mired in allegations of antisemitism, the National Education Association — the nation’s largest teachers’ union — adopted new policies for its Denver convention aimed at preventing the same chaos, the NEA confirmed to Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen.
Details: The new rules for the four-day Representative Assembly, which ends on Tuesday, include stricter conduct enforcement for delegates, electronic voting to prevent shouting on the floor, de-escalation training for staff and regular public reminders of assembly rules, according to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which said it worked with the union’s Jewish Affairs Caucus to lobby the NEA for the changes.
ON THE AIR
UDP launches first attack ad targeting Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race
The AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project is launching its first negative ad in the Michigan Senate race, targeting Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, just over a month before the state’s primary elections, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Money moves: According to FEC filings, the group spent more than $2 million in the initial ad buy targeting El-Sayed, a former public health official. The 30-second ad highlights El-Sayed’s “long history of disrespecting women,” including criticisms of former First Lady Michelle Obama and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. UDP has spent more than $10 million in the race boosting Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).
Called out: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, the Democratic nominee for governor, criticized his party’s socialist congressional nominee, Melat Kiros, for her refusal to describe the deadly firebombing of a Boulder, Colo., hostage awareness march last year as an act of antisemitism. “We cannot look at that murder and say anything else happened than a hate crime, and so if someone isn’t going to acknowledge that I’m concerned about that, because this was tried, this was how we have a conviction” for a hate crime, Weiser told 9News, a Denver station, last week.
Worthy Reads
Battle Plan vs. the DSA: In The Wall Street Journal, Mark Penn and Andrew Stein suggest how Democrats can counter the Democratic Socialists of America’s rising influence in the party. “Political-action committees and advocacy groups that have focused on federal races have to realize that the DSA initially focuses on low-turnout local races and nonprofit boards as easy targets. Once in power, its members degrade law enforcement with policies that encourage street vagrancy, drug abuse and higher taxes, fueling more voter anger, which they exploit at election time. Moderate PACs and other groups need a battle plan for every campaign from district attorney to Congress, city council to state legislature.” [WSJ]
Singled Out in San Francisco: In the San Francisco Standard, Eric Kingsbury reflects on a recent incident in which California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who is Jewish, was filmed being heckled as he was forced by demonstrators to leave a transgender march last month. “Connie Chan, his opponent in the congressional race, holds the same positions on Gaza and Israel that Wiener has publicly endorsed, yet she faced no such harassment and marched in peace. If it’s not his record, why is Wiener singled out? It’s because he’s Jewish. And because of that, nothing he can ever do or say will be enough. He will always be held to a different standard. That is antisemitism.” [SFStandard]
The Erdogan Loophole: In Foreign Policy, Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, observes the response by Western leaders to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s jailing of political opponents and gutting of the country’s main opposition party. “This is odd, especially given how much time and attention leading Democrats and Republicans have spent on human rights in China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, North Korea, and especially Israel.” [ForeignPolicy]
Word on the Street
The Wall Street Journal reports that NASA administrator Jared Isaacman superseded FAA objections to flying vintage Northrop F-5 Tiger II jets in the America 250 air show in Washington over the weekend; Isaacman, whose company owns three planes that were part of the group, said guidelines for planes participating in the flyover differed from rules regarding civilian aircraft that fall under FAA regulations…
Ahead of the start of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, tomorrow, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who is mulling a 2028 presidential bid, called for a “23-state solution” in which all Arab countries, including a newly formed Palestinian state, establish “full diplomatic relations” with Israel…
Seven anti-Israel demonstrators arrested during a 2024 protest that shut down traffic on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge were convicted of misdemeanors tied to the incident; the judge overseeing the case declared a mistrial on felony conspiracy charges when jurors were unable to reach a verdict…
The board of the Committee to Protect Journalists voted 17-1 to uphold its existing definition of a journalist that includes members of media groups affiliated with militant organizations “provided they are not engaging in combat or inciting violence in a manner likely to have imminent effect”…
Eyal Shani will open a Los Angeles outpost of his Malka restaurant this summer at the boutique hotel SIXTY Beverly Hills, a year and a half after opening a Miami branch of the popular Tel Aviv eatery, which also has a location in New York…
U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner’s America 250 celebration in Paris — which concluded on Friday before Shabbat — included a fully kosher spread (including kosher wines) and a performance by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli…
The New York Times spotlights the challenges facing Jewish museums across Europe amid the explosion of antisemitism that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and ensuing war in Gaza…
A Meta executive denied to Australia’s royal commission investigating antisemitism that the company’s changes to its content moderation rules led to increased instances of antisemitism on its platforms…
Israel’s central bank is expected to cut interest rates to 3.50% from 3.75%, citing the shekel’s strength and inflation expectations…
An American man studying at a seminary in Israel was charged with spying on behalf of Iran in exchange for $1,400 in cryptocurrency; the yeshiva student allegedly took photos of sites and carried out assigned tasks as instructed by a foreign agent operating on behalf of Tehran…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights Gadi Eisenkot as the former IDF chief of staff, who is making his first bid as a party leader, rises in the polls against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev gave the first Israeli confirmation that the country deployed an Iron Dome battery to the United Arab Emirates during the recent war with Iran; the deployment was previously reported by Axios and also confirmed by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee…
The Israeli government voted unanimously to appoint Ruth Cohen Dar — who serves as nonresident ambassador to Slovenia and Malta — to be Jerusalem’s first permanent envoy in Slovenia, following Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s announcement that Israel will open an embassy in the country…
The Israeli Cabinet rejected a Supreme Court decision striking down the government’s creation of an alternative television regulating body as it works to block the sale of Channel 13 to a group led by Assaf Rappaport, a Netanyahu critic…
Judah Gribetz, a longtime New York political aide who played a key role in restituting $1.25 billion to Holocaust survivors and later served as president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, died at 97…
Geneticist Stanley Gartler, whose work advanced research into the origins and growth of cancerous tumors, died at 102…
Find on-demand Live Briefing updates throughout the day via our new app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Pic of the Day
Former Israeli hostages Sasha Trufanov and Sapir Cohen, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, were married on Sunday outside of Netanya. The couple walked down the aisle to Idan Raichel’s “Mi’Ma’amakim” — “Out of the Depths.”
Those in attendance included former hostages Arbel Yehud, Ariel Cunio, Shani Goren, Moran Stella Yanai, Rom Braslavsky, Eitan Horn and Daniel Aloni, as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who had previously said he wouldn’t attend any weddings until all of the hostages had been released.
Birthdays
Founder of Tumblr, which he sold to Yahoo in 2013 for $1.1 billion, David Karp turns 40…
Chairman of NYC-based GFP Real Estate, Jeffrey Robert Gural turns 84… 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009, George W. Bush turns 80… Former member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party, Yitzhak Levy turns 79… Lobbyist and former president of AIPAC, Marshall Aaron Brachman… Journalist, pundit and author, known for writing the blog “Kausfiles,” Robert Michael “Mickey” Kaus turns 75… Israeli cryptographer, he is a co-inventor of the RSA algorithm and one of the inventors of differential cryptanalysis, Adi Shamir turns 74… Sole member of the Knesset for the Noam party, Avigdor “Avi” Maoz turns 70… Founder of Kehilas Pnei Menachem, a breakaway in 2019 from the Ger Hasidic dynasty, Rabbi Shaul Alter turns 69… Professor of Bible at JTS and former senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, Benjamin D. Sommer turns 62… Partner at SKDK, she served as a board member of Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (now known as Makom), Jill Zuckman… CEO of Holocaust Museum LA, Beth Kean… Widow of Beau Biden, she is the board chair of the Beau Biden Foundation, Hallie Olivere Biden turns 53… Stand-up comedian, writer and actor, Mark Moshe Kasher turns 47… British actor, Louisa Clein turns 47… Former chief of staff on the Hill, now CoS at Blue Frontier, Shira Siegel… Israeli freestyle wrestler, she was born on the day her parents made aliyah, Ilana Kratysh turns 36… Postdoctoral research fellow at Emory University, Josh Lipson… Jeannie Gerzon…
The White House said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will participate in the talks, which Iran has denied
Nathan Howard-Pool/Getty Images
Delegation staff members meet in the lobby during a quadrilateral meeting between the U.S., Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar at the Lake Lucerne Summit, aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict at the Buergenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne on June 21, 2026 near Stansstad, Switzerland.
President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that the U.S. and Iran will meet in Qatar on Tuesday to continue negotiations, as both nations attempt to step back from a weekend exchange of military strikes that threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire agreement.
“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be attending the talks. “On the sidelines of those high-level talks, there will be the technical talks” to move forward the memorandum of understanding, she said.
Tehran, however, has indicated that no meeting is scheduled to take place. Iran’s deputy foreign minister and senior negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed the reports, telling Iranian state news agency IRNA that the technical talks in the Qatari capital “are not confirmed.” Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, later said Iran has no discussions scheduled with the U.S. and that an Iranian technical delegation heading to Qatar this week will not be meeting with U.S. officials.
Over the weekend, the U.S. launched targeted strikes against multiple military sites in Iran after Iran struck two oil tankers, first on Thursday and again on Saturday. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by firing a volley of missiles and drones at U.S. military infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday.
The renewed fighting stemmed from Iran’s insistence that commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz do so within a lane under its jurisdiction, rather than Oman’s, and obtain permits to do so. Meanwhile, Trump has insisted that the ceasefire terms dictate the critical shipping lane immediately be reopened to international transit without restrictions.
Underscoring the high stakes of the breakdown, Trump warned on Truth Social following Saturday’s strikes that Iran may “never learn.”
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump wrote. “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
Plus, how Ritchie Torres outplayed the far left
Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in Washington.
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to moderate and establishment Democrats who are raising alarms over the surge of socialists in Tuesday’s New York City congressional primaries and report on how Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) dodged the DSA wave in the city. We cover last night’s Senate vote to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution seeking to end military operations against Iran and report on the shouting match between President Donald Trump and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) that preceded it. We also report on the Trump administration’s consideration of Turkey’s eligibility to receive F-35 fighter jets. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Dan Goldman, Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Judy Chu.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Israel Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- Jewish and Israeli aid and rescue organizations are preparing to send teams to Venezuela after the poverty-stricken South American country was hit by massive back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday night, representatives of the groups told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross. At least 164 people have been pronounced dead so far, and the number is expected to rise considerably as search efforts get underway, with some projections putting the death toll into the tens of thousands. Read more here.
- Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg is hosting the State Department’s two-day Pax Silica Summit at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Attendees include representatives from the signatory countries to the strategic initiative — which include Israel, Qatar, the UAE, India, Germany and the U.K., among others — and senior business executives.
- On the Hill, acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing to be permanently appointed to the role — Hurst is likely to face questions about the Trump administration’s $88 billion supplemental funding request, largely to cover the cost of the Iran war, sent to Congress on Wednesday.
- The House Committee on Education and Workforce will mark up the No Antisemitism in Education Act, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is slated to testify at an oversight hearing in the House Appropriations Committee.
- The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship‘s third annual conference wraps up in London today. Speakers at the summit, which focused on the future of Western civilization at the 250th anniversary of the United States, included House Speaker Mike Johnson; Energy Secretary Chris Wright; former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin; Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers; and Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner.
- The Texas Democratic State Convention begins today: The three-day event will feature remarks from Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin. Activists are set to consider close to 20 resolutions critical of Israel.
- The annual Aspen Ideas Festival, which brings together leading figures from politics, business, media and academia, kicks off in Colorado with an opening session featuring Aspen Institute leaders and journalists Fareed Zakaria and David Brooks.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
There’s little doubt that socialism is on the march within the Democratic Party after the latest primaries, with extreme candidates who would have been dismissed as nonviable prevailing in numerous congressional primaries and mayoral contests from coast to coast.
Factor in the political resilience of far-left Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner despite numerous scandals and the momentum of anti-Israel Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a contested Michigan primary despite facing well-funded opposition, and there’s the potential of radicals toppling mainstream candidates well outside the deep-blue confines of major urban centers.
Ultimately, that’s a major question looming for the Democratic Party’s future — and the health of our democracy. Is the rise of socialism primarily a product of urban angst and college-age naivete, or does it have staying power beyond the most-progressive precincts in the country? Can left-wing candidates prevail in swing districts, far away from the urban progressive centers that make up its base? Or will they end up being more of a noisy but powerless faction in Congress?
Either way, socialist candidates have gone from a curiosity that rarely won any congressional seats to riding a Democratic Socialists of America-organized grassroots wave that now has to be reckoned with. You could count the number of Squad members on one hand when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) and her like-minded allies were first elected in 2018 and 2020. Now their representation is poised to double from its previous peak — and AOC now counts as downright pragmatic, compared to several of her soon-to-be-colleagues.
SOCIALIST SWEEP
Some moderate Dems raise alarms over NYC results, while others dismiss them as localized phenomenon
Some moderate and establishment Democrats are raising alarms over the surge of democratic socialists in New York City congressional primaries on Tuesday — which took down two Democratic incumbents. But others are dismissing the phenomenon as one localized to New York City and not applicable to the party at large, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod, Matthew Shea and Christina Sher report.
Wider view: Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), a longtime Democratic leader from Queens, lamented Tuesday’s results, particularly Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s (D-NY) loss. Meeks told reporters that the party as a whole is not a socialist party, and that socialist ideas are very much out of step with the country overall. “That’s not where America is, that only happens in certain parts — like New York City now, apparently — deep, deep, deep blue,” Meeks said. If the entire party follows the same path, “that means that all the other seats that are not [deep blue], we can never win, which means we will never be in the majority, and we [will] never get anything done.”
Read the full story here with additional comments from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Eye on Washington: Having conquered New York City with a stunning primary night sweep on Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is wasting no time in moving on Capitol Hill. In an uncharacteristically long question-and-answer session at an unrelated announcement on Wednesday, the mayor announced he would sit down later in the day with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), JI’s Will Bredderman reports.
TORRES TACTICS
How Ritchie Torres dodged the DSA wave in New York City
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has long been a target of the far left in New York City, largely because of his outspoken support for Israel and his Jewish constituents. But Torres emerged with a commanding victory over a far-left challenger in Tuesday’s Democratic primaries, even as pro-Israel Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) were defeated by democratic socialist-aligned challengers, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Standout factors: Observers attribute Torres’ landslide win against former New York Assemblymember Michael Blake to a variety of factors, including the different demographics of his district — which includes the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Riverdale, as well as some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city — his strength as a member of Congress and as a campaigner and Blake’s own weaknesses as a candidate. Torres is popular in the district, has prioritized constituent services, has been a longtime presence in the district — as a city councilman from 2014 to 2020 before his time in the House — and maintains a strong reputation locally, Torres campaign spokesperson Benny Stanislawski said.
Concession speech: Goldman, a pro-Israel Jewish Democrat who was unseated in a bitter primary on Tuesday, warned in his concession speech that antisemitism “will ultimately be the undoing of our democracy if we all don’t lean in and speak out,” JI’s Matthew Kassel reports.
ON THE HILL
Senate blocks effort to advance war powers resolution in reversal after heated GOP meeting with Trump
The Senate voted on Wednesday night to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution seeking to end military operations against Iran, after a heated meeting between President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans where he berated a handful of lawmakers over their votes in favor of a successful war powers resolution the previous day, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
How it happened: Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Rand Paul (R-KY), supporters of previous war powers efforts, changed their votes on the resolution on Wednesday, which had previously passed a procedural hurdle — Cassidy now voting no and Paul voting present. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) again voted yes, while Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) voted no. The final vote was 50-47. Cassidy, who engaged in a shouting match with Trump in the meeting over his recent war powers votes, told reporters after the meeting that he would not change his vote until he had been briefed on the war. Hours later, Cassidy received a private briefing on the war from Vice President JD Vance and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Supplemental request: The Trump administration on Wednesday formally sent an $87.6 billion supplemental funding request to replenish stockpiles and otherwise cover the costs of the war with Iran to Congress, JI’s Emily Jacobs and Marc Rod report.
SHOWN THE DOOR
Acting DNI Pulte forces out top Gabbard deputy Will Ruger
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte forced out Will Ruger, the deputy director for mission integration, from the agency as part of a series of cuts said to be targeting the “deep state,” according to CBS News. Ruger previously held senior positions at groups tied to the libertarian Koch network, and had been affiliated with the isolationist Defense Priorities think tank, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Background: Ruger had been a vocal opponent, prior to his government service, of both the maximum pressure sanctions campaign against Iran and potential U.S. military operations against the regime. He was also a defender of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Ruger’s role included overseeing the president’s daily intelligence briefing.
ANKARA OPPORTUNITY
Vance: Admin is reviewing Turkey’s eligibility to receive F-35 fighter jets
Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the administration is “confirming” Turkey has fulfilled its obligations under U.S. law in order to receive advanced F-35 fighter jets, which Ankara has long sought but has been barred from purchasing since 2020 after it acquired the S-400 air-defense system from Russia, Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Christina Sher report.
Legal requirement: U.S. law requires the secretaries of state and defense to certify to Congress in writing, prior to any F-35 transfer, that Turkey no longer possesses the S-400 system and has provided credible assurances it will not acquire similar Russian air-defense systems. Latest reports indicate the S-400 system is inactive but still intact in Turkey, which would not fulfill the obligations required under law to lift the sanctions.
Strait security: Lawmakers and Middle East analysts are expressing support for Washington’s reported agreement to help Oman strengthen its maritime intelligence and monitoring of transit through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the move could help secure free access to the critical waterway and deter Iranian influence, JI’s Matthew Shea reports.
SCHOOL CONTROVERSY
Massachusetts principal under fire for apologizing to Arab students for Holocaust lesson
A Massachusetts middle school principal is receiving criticism from Jewish groups for apologizing to Arab students who he claimed “felt unseen” during a Holocaust education lesson, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Back and forth: In a message sent to seventh graders via a school portal, a screenshot of which was obtained by JI, Diamond Middle School Principal Johnny Cole said the lesson at the Lexington, Mass., school was aimed at teaching the students to recognize hate and to speak out against it, something he called “an important goal.” Cole then apologized after he said some students’ families had expressed that the lesson left them feeling “unseen.” Cole wrote, “Some of you felt like your own history, your identity, or your community was left out or erased. Some of you left that session feeling less safe, not more. We have heard this from families, and we believe you.”
Worthy Reads
Radical Shift: Reason’s senior editor Robby Soave examines Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier’s record as she is set to become what he calls Congress’ “first campus radical.” “In 2019, when I published my first book, Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump, I predicted that the era’s campus protesters would not shed their radicalism when they graduated college and moved out into the so-called real world — rather, they would force the world to conform to their quixotic expectations. This would be particularly felt in the areas of American life most susceptible to their influence: education, media, entertainment, and eventually, politics. Now that day has finally arrived. Welcome, congresswoman.” [Reason]
The Socratic AI Method: The Economist examines the rise in philosophers being hired by AI firms. “Some of the lessons that philosophy can offer AI researchers are ancient. The Socratic method — as described by Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher — uses feigned ignorance and sequential questioning to clarify meanings, spot contradictions and reveal ramifications. Many current AI systems tend towards sycophancy. Models trained in the Socratic method, says Jörg Noller, an expert on philosophy and AI at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, are less keen on people-pleasing and more willing to pursue the truth.” [Economist]
House Majority Math: Joel Wanger, DMFI PAC’s chief political officer, breaks down the results from Tuesday night’s primary elections. “Here’s the thing about House Majority math, and it’s something I’ve said before: it isn’t won in New York City or San Francisco. It’s won in places like San Diego and South Texas — and that’s exactly where pro-Israel Democrats had some of their best nights this cycle, nominating strong general-election candidates in competitive seats. … The pattern I’ve tracked all cycle keeps repeating: pro-Israel Democrats win decisively when they take primary challenges seriously and early, build broad coalitions rather than narrow ones, and talk about the kitchen-table issues — affordability, economic anxiety — that are actually driving voters right now. Where that didn’t happen, races were close. Where it did, they weren’t.” [Substack]
No Socialist Takeover: The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer argues that the Democratic Party is not being taken over by democratic socialists as a unified national force, but rather is becoming more ideologically diverse and locally shaped. “The modern Democratic Party, by virtue of its class and ethnic diversity, has always been ideologically heterodox. An approach that works for a Zohran Mamdani or a Janeese Lewis George will not necessarily work for a James Talarico in Texas or a Mary Peltola in Alaska. Many people outside of the democratic socialists’ cities and districts will focus on whether the candidates’ stances on Israel and Palestinian rights reflect a shift within the party (and they do) and the fact that they differ from more centrist Democrats (also correct). But whether they succeed as leaders and politicians will depend on much more local concerns — matters such as jobs, public safety, and affordability.” [Atlantic]
Word on the Street
Israeli and Lebanese officials have reportedly denied a claim by a State Department official, cited by Reuters, who said that Israel had withdrawn from some of the southern Lebanese territory it has held during its war against Hezbollah…
Saudi Arabia is planning to host reconciliation talks between Gulf countries and Iran, a diplomat with knowledge of the arrangements told Agence France Presse. The summit, aimed at mending ties between Gulf nations, Iran and possibly other regional neighbors in the aftermath of the war, will be independent of ongoing U.S.-Iran talks, the diplomat said…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday; pictured sitting next to the secretary of state in a working lunch with MBZ was Michael Boulos, Trump’s son-in-law, whose father serves as a senior advisor to the president on the Middle East…
Bahraini National Security Advisor Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa met separately with Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Lindsey Graham(R-SC) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rep. Brian Mast(R-FL) during a visit to Washington…
FBI Director Kash Patel hosted Qatari Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani in Washington…
CENTCOM announced that the U.S. killed senior ISIS leader Ali Husayn al-‘Ulaywi in an airstrike in northwest Syria last Friday…
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) introduced a resolution to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Americans and relief organizations involved in saving Jewish Holocaust refugees…
An intelligence report obtained by journalists from the Israeli public broadcaster Kan details how Qatar became a central channel of economic and military strength for Iran, helping it to circumvent sanctions after the 2018 cancellation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and also after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel…
A Kuwaiti air-defense officer shared a firsthand account of the opening moments of Iran’s missile and drone attacks on the Gulf country, describing at a conference in London the frantic five minutes as ballistic missiles filled the sky and the air-defense network scrambled to respond…
Vice President JD Vance and his allies are embracing his role as the public face of President Donald Trump’s Iran deal, Semafor reports, arguing that backing an end to the conflict distinguishes him from the GOP’s neoconservative wing and strengthens his standing with the MAGA base ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run…
The New York Times traces a generational and ideological shift on the American right toward viewing Iran as a pragmatic country the U.S. can learn to live with — a pivot led by Trump but driven by other factors that include younger Republicans’ war fatigue and waning support for Israel…
New Lines Magazine spotlights the unrest surrounding a resort project in Albania’s Vjosa-Narta protected area by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump that has sparked unprecedented mass protests in the country; the demonstrations have evolved from an environmental campaign to a broad expression of frustration with long-serving Prime Minister Edi Rama…
Ari Emanuel, TKO CEO and Mari Group founder, is in advanced talks to buy theater group ATG for $6 billion…
Morris Dancyger, a child survivor of Auschwitz who built a successful pharmacy and real estate career and co-founded the first modern art gallery in Calgary, Canada, died at 86…
Pic of the Day
Haredi demonstrators blocked major highways in Israel on Wednesday, causing massive traffic disruptions, in a nationwide protest against the imprisonment of yeshiva students who fail to comply with military draft orders.
Birthdays
Free agent center fielder, formerly in the San Francisco Giants organization, he was the 10th overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, Hunter David Bishop turns 28…
Music publicist in the 1970s and 1980s for Prince, Billy Joel and Styx, later an author on human behavior, Howard Bloom turns 83… Founder and CEO of Bel Air Partners, a financial advisory firm for automotive retailers, Sheldon J. Sandler turns 82… Real estate developer in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Las Vegas and Miami and founder of The Continuum Company, Ian Bruce Eichner turns 81… Florida resident, Joseph C. Goldberg… Southern California-based mentor, coach and consultant for business executives through Vistage International, Gary Brennglass… Associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Sonia Sotomayor turns 72… Former member of the Knesset for the Meretz party, Michal Rozin turns 57… Founder and CEO of The Agency, a high-end real estate brokerage, Mauricio Umansky turns 56… Managing director of A-Street, an investment fund focused on seeding and scaling innovative K-12 student learning, Mora Segal… Senior media and PR specialist at Hadassah, Helen Chernikoff… Israeli philosopher, writer and publicist, he teaches at Yeshivat Har Etzion and Midreshet Lindenbaum, Rabbi Chaim Navon turns 53… Founder and director of The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh, Israel, popularly known as the “Zoo Rabbi,” Natan Slifkin turns 51… Former fashion model and television presenter, Michele Merkin turns 51… Deputy director of government relations at Bread for the World, Zachary Silberman… President of Gratz College in Melrose Park, Pa., Zev Eleff turns 41… One-half of the husband-and-wife duo known for their YouTube channel h3h3Productions with more than 1.3 billion views, Ethan Edward Klein turns 41… Organizational change management specialist at CACI International, Isaac Snyder… VP of strategy at Saint Paul Commodities and co-founder of Veriflux, Daniel “Dani” Charles turns 39… Family Medicine Residency Faculty at Jefferson Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., Avital Mintz-Morgenthau, MD… Senior reporter and writer covering the White House for CNN, Betsy Klein…
Plus, Israeli alarm over Iran’s role in Lebanon
Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King's Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we cover the results of yesterday’s primary elections in New York City and Maryland, and report on criticism by prospective 2028 Democratic presidential contenders of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. We also highlight Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter’s statement of concern over the U.S.-Iran agreement to establish a “deconfliction cell” to end military operations in Lebanon and over Tehran’s role in that, and examine the contrasting messaging Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have offered around Iran’s involvement in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Robert Kraft, Gene Simmons and Sir Liam Fox.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Israel Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- Far-left, anti-Israel congressional candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani swept a trifecta of contested primaries Tuesday night. But pro-Israel stalwart Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) won renomination in a landslide with 72% of the vote, and state Assemblyman Micah Lasher, an ally of Israel who holds close relations with the Jewish community, won the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). (Read more below.)
- Outside of the deep-blue city, Democrats turned to pro-Israel moderates in key races. State Del. Adrian Boafo, who was the recipient of millions of dollars of supportive ads from AIPAC’s super PAC, easily prevailed in the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD). (Read more below.) Military veteran Cait Conley, meanwhile, won comfortably in a crowded Democratic primary, and will face Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in a swing suburban New York City seat. And in Utah, former Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT) easily defeated a challenger who campaigned on his anti-Israel bona fides.
- Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-MD) held off a well-funded challenge from former Rep. David Trone. Trone spent over $25 million of his own money on the race, but only won about 37% of the primary vote. And in Montgomery County, Md., progressive Councilmember Will Jawando is currently leading the more moderate Councilmember Andrew Friedson 41-33%in the Democratic primary for county executive with 70% of votes counted.
- President Donald Trump is expected to attend a GOP Senate luncheon as he remains at odds with his party over several legislative efforts. Later, he’ll hold a rally on the National Mall to kick off his 16-day Great American State Fair to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is slated to brief House Republicans as the Pentagon gears up for a contentious fight over an expected $80 billion supplemental funding request to replenish stockpiles and otherwise pay for the war in Iran, according to several reports. Read more here.
- The House Appropriations Committee is set to mark up the 2027 defense spending bill.
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) will speak in conversation with Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick as well as leaders from other religious groups, including the Union for Reform Judaism and Orthodox Union, about the Jewish American Security Act.
- Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s media site, The Daily Wire, is co-hosting alongside ad agency LSKR a day of programming at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the south of France, marking the company’s debut at the advertising industry’s premier annual gathering.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S WILL BREDDERMAN
It’s New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s party now — even if not everybody in the Big Apple feels invited.
The mayor’s candidates for Congress jumped out to early leads Tuesday night, with former City Comptroller Brad Lander comfortably defeating Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), a stalwart opponent of President Donald Trump who nonetheless lost support from his party’s base over his lukewarm support for the new mayor and longstanding pro-Israel record. Lander won 66% of the vote to Goldman’s 34%, with 90% of the vote counted as of Wednesday morning.
The shocks to the party establishment continued throughout the night, as Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed state Assemblywoman Claire Valdez jumped to a commanding advantage over party favorite, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Valdez easily defeated Reynoso, 56%-36%, with 92% of the vote counted.
And the capstone on the night for Mamdani’s anti-Israel congressional trifecta came when networks announced the ouster of Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, against radical doctoral student and Columbia encampment leader Darializa Avila Chevalier, whose inflammatory X feed — and attendance at an anti-Israel rally the day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks — did little to derail her candidacy. In a much tighter race, Avila Chevalier beat the incumbent, 49%-46%, with 88% of the vote counted.
Signs of the ascendance of the far left within overwhelmingly Democratic big cities have been visible for months. Mamdani’s astounding mayoral victory in 2025 mobilized a slew of like-minded candidates to run for office — in New York City and beyond. In Philadelphia, DSA-endorsed candidate Chris Rabb won a Philadelphia-based congressional seat last month. Last week, DSA-backed Janeese Lewis George romped to victory in the race for mayor in the nation’s capital, and is on track to become the city’s next top executive.
ESTABLISHMENT WIN
Micah Lasher, experienced lawmaker with close ties to Jewish community, wins race to replace Nadler
New York state Assemblymember Micah Lasher, a Jewish Democrat, claimed victory on Tuesday night in a hard-fought primary for a coveted House seat in the heart of Manhattan, according to the Associated Press. Lasher had won 39% with most of the vote tallied by the time his race had been called. He prevailed over a fellow assemblymember, Alex Bores, who pulled in 35%, as well as Jack Schlossberg, the Kennedy scion, who came in third with just 10% — followed by Nina Schwalbe and George Conway, both in single digits, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Background: Lasher, 44, a longtime member of the Democratic establishment in New York, pitched himself as the most experienced candidate in the race, leaning into his identification as a policy wonk. He was backed by the district’s retiring congressman, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), as well as Gov. Kathy Hochul. He also drew a significant share of outside support from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spent $10 million to help boost Lasher’s campaign.
MARYLAND MANDATE
Boafo wins crowded Maryland primary in victory for Hoyer and pro-Israel allies
Maryland state Del. Adrian Boafo prevailed on Tuesday in the crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who endorsed him, marking a legacy-burnishing victory for the veteran congressman and his pro-Israel allies, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Strong lead: The Associated Press called the race after Boafo had secured 32% of the vote with about one-half of ballots counted Tuesday night. His nearest competitor, businesswoman Quincy Bareebe, lagged well behind with 19%. Boafo’s win came after a forceful push by Hoyer, pro-Israel groups and establishment Democrats to help elevate the congressman’s hand-picked former campaign manager in a race that featured two dozen candidates vying to represent Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.
2028 WATCH
Prospective 2028 Democrats rally against Trump’s Iran agreement
Among the Democrats mulling a presidential run in 2028, there was a unified reaction in February when President Donald Trump decided to attack Iran: opposition to a war they viewed as reckless and unconstitutional. As those Democrats respond to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that Trump announced last week, another consensus is emerging, holding that the deal is just another example of Trump’s ineffectual leadership — yet another instance, these Democrats argue, of Trump getting taken advantage of and undermining the American people, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Taking jabs: “They’re negotiating a deal that, truthfully, every single detail we continue to hear just looks like the Iranians continue to do better than us. I think they should have been the one to write The Art of the Deal, not Donald Trump,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a TV interview on Tuesday. Rahm Emanuel, the former U.S. ambassador to Japan, member of Congress and chief of staff to President Barack Obama, offered a similar quip at a recent Financial Times event after describing the deal as “the memorandum of misunderstanding.” Emanuel said, “While the president thinks he wrote a book called The Art of the Deal, they’re going to teach him a lesson, which is the Persian lesson: the art of the negotiation. And he just got schooled, unbelievably.”
Deal defense: Breaking with many Senate Republicans who have expressed skepticism about various elements of the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended the deal on Tuesday, JI’s Marc Rod reports.
DAYLIGHT EMERGING
Israeli Ambassador Leiter expresses concern over Iran-U.S. deconfliction mechanism
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter criticized the Trump administration on Tuesday for agreeing to establish a “deconfliction cell” to end military operations in Lebanon without Israel’s involvement as part of the ongoing peace talks with Iran, the first public statement from Jerusalem denouncing the move, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Ambassador’s alarm: Leiter released a pair of statements in English and Hebrew at the start of the fifth round of multi-day diplomatic talks at the U.S. State Department between Israel and Lebanon, in which he warned that both parties were “heading towards a train wreck.” The ambassador said that while the Israelis “support President Trump’s vision of ensuring that Iran no longer has nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles or the ability to funnel money to its proxies to threaten its neighbors and maintain its regional hegemony,” he worried “that the concept of ‘deconfliction’ is misplaced.”
Fault lines: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have offered different messaging around the issue of Lebanon and Hezbollah being subsumed into discussions with Tehran, JI’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports. Vance said on Monday that the U.S. will be counting on Iran to “rein in” its proxy Hezbollah. Rubio, meanwhile, arriving in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, said Iran’s sponsorship of Hezbollah “will be discussed as part of our conversation with the Iranians, but … the future of Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people, through their sovereign, elected government, and that’s who we’re going to be working with.”
BLINKEN WEIGHS IN
Tony Blinken praises Ro Khanna’s view of the Iran war
Former Secretary of State Tony Blinken offered support for Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-CA) stance on the Iran war and the U.S. deal with Iran in a post on X on Tuesday. Blinken praised the “wise words from my friend [Khanna],” reposting a Fox News op-ed by the congressman making the case that “stopping the Iran war is good. But Trump’s deal is worse than the JCPOA,” Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Zoom out: He’s the second prominent former Biden administration official to draw closer to Khanna in the lead-up to the 2028 presidential primary, joining former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who has reportedly been advising Khanna behind the scenes as he prepares for a presidential run. The comments also come as some progressive presidential contenders call for the Democratic Party to purge its ranks of foreign policy advisors who served in the Biden administration, given its general support for Israel.
CONGRESSIONAL REBUKE
Senate approves House-passed Iran war powers resolution in largely symbolic move
The Senate voted on Tuesday to pass a House-passed war powers resolution directing the administration to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The resolution passed by a 50-48 vote, with Republican Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) again voting in favor and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) voting against it. Ultimately, GOP absences enabled the resolution to go forward.
State of play: But the resolution, now passed by both chambers, came in the form of a concurrent resolution, which is not submitted to the president and, based on past court precedent, is not seen as carrying the force of law. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and lead Democratic sponsor of the war powers resolution, insisted in a statement, “Regardless of what President Trump says, this measure is binding under the War Powers Resolution, and I will explore all legal avenues to ensure the Executive complies with the will of Congress.”
Worthy Reads
Thin Air: Navy and Army National Guard veteran Brynn Tannehill argues in The Atlantic that the U.S. and Israel’s strategy toward Iran was flawed from the outset because it ignored historical lessons and relied primarily on airpower to force either regime change or surrender. “The U.S. plan for attacking Iran was doomed from the start because it relied on airpower without the benefit of external factors that would have made an air campaign successful. There was no credible threat of mass ground invasion to overthrow the Iranian regime. It was either internal revolution or nothing. The U.S. was also unwilling to inflict the sort of mass casualties and suffering that might have caused Iran to decide that capitulation was less damaging than continued resistance.” [TheAtlantic]
The Burgeoning Question about Burnham: The Jewish Chronicle’s Angela Epstein considers whether Labor MP Andy Burnham’s potential premiership in Britain will be “good for the Jews.” “Look to how recently, when asked for his views on the baseless allegations of genocide in Gaza, Burnham declined to take a clear position. Arguing he was too far removed from the situation to make such a judgement. Why not state plainly that no court has upheld the genocide claim [against Israel]? … So the rap sheet is troubling. Factor in the wider perception of Burnham as a weathervane politician, with an impressive number of U-turns under his belt, and there is justifiable cause for concern for British Jewry.” [JewishChronicle]
The Witkoff-Kushner Show: Journalist and editor Tina Brown, in her Substack “Fresh Hell,” reviews New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s new book about the first year of President Donald Trump’s second administration. “Surprising to me in these pages is how well the odd couple of global diplomacy, the ever-sunny real estate deal man Steve Witkoff and Trump’s effete-looking son-in-law Jared Kushner, come across. After bringing home the Abraham Accords in the first term and wrangling Bibi and Hamas to a Gaza ceasefire in the second, it’s time to acknowledge that Kushner is a skilled, pragmatic closer and the garrulous Witkoff, dispatched round the world to end three wars at once, never stops trying.” [Substack]
Word on the Street
International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that inspectors would visit Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, after conflicting remarks on the matter by U.S. and Iranian officials. The parties’ agreement “says explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with the regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA — in all letters,” Grossi told reporters.…
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke on the phone with senior Hamas official Basem Naim about the “latest developments” in the region, according to Iranian TV…
Victoria Coates, a vice president of the Heritage Foundation, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, she said in an X post on Wednesday, noting that they discussed “Lebanon, Europe, the future of Western Civilization, and, of course, Iran”…
A U.S. fighter jet pilot who was shot down over Iran and rescued in April told intelligence officials he witnessed Iranian drones flying in a single swarm formation, CNN reports, which would mark a significant advancement in Tehran’s drone technology…
The Washington Post examines how President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran has impacted his popularity in the United Arab Emirates…
Robert Kraft’s Blue Square Alliance Against Hate announced the formation of its inaugural advisory board, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, Dentons CEO Kate Barton, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports exclusively…
The House Rules Committee yesterday teed up amendment votes on the 2027 State Department funding bill on cutting $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, cutting U.S. aid to Jordan, blocking funding for the United Nations and blocking funding for the Middle East Partnership for Peace initiative. The amendments are expected to come up for votes later this week…
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) reiterated her criticism of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner and accused him and his supporters of antisemitism at an Orthodox Union event on Tuesday, JI’s Marc Rod reports. “Our support for Israel remains as strong as ever,” Collins said, to a standing ovation. “We must all stand with Israel. In my case, I learned that lesson at an early age”…
New York City’s First Lady Rama Duwaji posted an Instagram story Tuesday flashing an “I Voted” sticker and encouraging her followers to support the two congressional candidates endorsed by both her husband and the Democratic Socialists of America: Assemblymember Claire Valdez and doctoral student Darializa Avila Chevalier. The post excluded Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who alone among Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s candidates identifies as a Zionist, JI’s Will Bredderman reports…
A manifesto allegedly left by the gunman behind Monday’s rampage in Côte-des-Neiges, a heavily Jewish neighborhood in Montreal, repeatedly targeted Jews and Zionists, specifically identifying “influential Zionists” among his intended victims, according to a copy of the document published by Rebel News, JI’s Haley Cohen reports…
Jewish Democrats in Texas are gearing up for the state party’s convention, which starts Thursday, as delegates are set to consider nearly 20 resolutions condemning Israel…
Israeli officials are exploring listing Israel Aerospace Industries and defense manufacturer Rafael on U.S. stock exchanges rather than in Israel, where they may face more burdensome disclosure requirements, according to Bloomberg. The Israeli government is reportedly looking to sell up to a 30% stake in the companies, which manufacture the Arrow and Iron Dome missile-defense systems…
Around 50 career and political appointee intelligence officials have been removed from their roles at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since Bill Pulte assumed the role of acting DNI last week, CBS reports, including six employees who were fired and 45 who were sent back to other agencies…
Top Senate Democrats sent a letter to Republican committee chairs on Tuesday calling for hearings into a $500 million deal that sold nearly half of World Liberty Financial — a crypto company founded by members of the Trump and Witkoff families — to a group led by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security advisor, The Wall Street Journal reports…
Gen. Chris Donahue, the highly regarded commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa who was seen as a rising star in the U.S. defense establishment, is expected to announce he is stepping down from his role in the coming days, adding to a growing list of senior military leaders who have departed or been pushed out during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s tenure…
Netanyahu on Wednesday completed his testimony, after 98 hearings over the past year and a half, in his ongoing corruption trial…
Israeli-born KISS co-founder and bassist Gene Simmons tells The Wall Street Journal about the impact his mother, who was a Holocaust survivor, had on his worldview…
Breaker Media reports that New York Times columnist Bret Stephens was briefly mistaken by security for an intruder as he arrived at Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger’s annual Catskills BBQ wearing a fedora, which is usually worn by Breaker Media’s reporter when he stakes out media gatherings…
The Wall Street Journal reports on how Larry Ellison quietly donated $45 million to a pro-Trump political nonprofit in 2024 — one of the largest single injections of capital that cycle — and how his private friendship with Trump has since paid dividends for both his tech company Oracle and his son David‘s growing media empire…
The New York Times spotlights the annual Great Nosh picnic that took place on Governors Island on Sunday, calling it “a kind of New York-centric Coachella for Jewish food and culture”…
“SportsCenter” anchor Linda Cohn, who presented more episodes of the ESPN show than anyone else in its history, is set to retire at the end of the month…
Longtime New Yorker staff writer Mark Singer, who specialized in profiles, died on Friday at 75…
Pic of the Day
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), (left), and Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Eric Burlison (R-MO) spoke at a launch event on Tuesday for the Abraham Accords Prosperity Group in Washington hosted by Sir Liam Fox (second from left), a former British minister. The group aims to promote investment and collaboration across the Abraham Accords countries.
Birthdays
Actor and singer, Elizabeth Greer “Beanie” Feldstein turns 33…
Activist investor, he is a co-founder of Trian Partners, Nelson Peltz turns 84… Professor emeritus in the Lam Family College of Business at San Francisco State University, Sam S. Gill turns 84… Former chairman and CEO of New York Life Insurance Company, Seymour “Sy” Sternberg turns 83… Professor of philosophy at American Jewish University and founding dean of its rabbinical program, Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff turns 83… Founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, he is also the founder of Yeshivat Maharat for Orthodox women, Rabbi Avraham Haim Yosef (Avi) Weiss turns 82… Former secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, he is an author and professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, his newest book came out in 2025, Robert Reich turns 80… Former member of Knesset and former chief of staff of the IDF, Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon turns 76… Early childhood specialist at Columbus City Schools and Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, Ohio, Carol Glassman… Former EVP at Edelman, he is the author of a book on the Saatchi & Saatchi ad firm, Kevin Goldman… President and CEO of public relations firm Steinreich Communications, Stanley Steinreich… U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Florida, Beth Francine Bloom turns 64… Principal from 2007 to 2023 of Mount Scopus Memorial College located in Melbourne, Australia, Rabbi James Kennard turns 62… The first on-air talent of the NFL Network when it debuted in 2003, he has become the face of the network, which merged with ESPN in 2025, Rich Eisen turns 57… Israeli businesswoman and owner of the soccer team, Hapoel Beer Sheva, her brother-in-law is Israel’s minister of economy, Nir Barkat, Alona Barkat turns 57… Author and columnist, he is the managing editor at Shtetl, Shulem Deen turns 52… Singer and songwriter known professionally as Ariel Pink, Ariel Marcus Rosenberg turns 48… Film director, screenwriter, producer, editor and cinematographer, Todd Strauss-Schulson turns 46… Director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, he is the son-in-law of political analyst and commentator Bill Kristol, Matthew Continetti turns 45… Digital marketing manager at Guardian Pharmacy Services, Brett Rosner… VP of Houston-based RIDA Development, a multi-national real estate development company, Steven C. Mitzner… A 2015 contestant on “Jeopardy!” who earned $413,612 by winning 13 consecutive episodes, he is a son of United States District Court Senior Judge Amy Berman Jackson, Matthew Barnett “Matt” Jackson turns 34… Director of legislative fiscal affairs at the Rockland County (N.Y.) legislature, Moshe Gruber… College basketball player for the Harvard Crimson until 2022, then a graduate transfer player at NYU until 2024, Spencer Freedman turns 28… Lois Charles…
Trump cursed and yelled at the Israeli PM in a phone call with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to book by NYT journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
President Donald Trump (R) speaks alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a model of Air Force One on the table, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump grew so frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during last September’s negotiations over a U.S.-brokered deal to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, that Trump cursed and yelled at Netanyahu in a phone call days before the agreement was announced publicly, according to a new book.
“Everybody’s sick of you, Bibi,” Trump said in a phone call with Netanyahu, Jared Kushner and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a book published on Tuesday by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan chronicling the first year of Trump’s second term. “All the Jews are sick of you. Even the two Jews on this call are sick of you.”
The conversation came during the United Nations General Assembly last September, when Trump was selling the deal that became his 20-point plan to end the Gaza war that began after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. In the book, titled Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, Haberman and Swan recount the turbulent couple of weeks that led to the deal — starting with Kushner’s searing anger at the Israeli government after the Israel Defense Forces conducted an airstrike that targeted Hamas leadership in Doha. The September 9 attack came one day after Kushner and Witkoff met in Witkoff’s Miami home with Ron Dermer, a top advisor to Netanyahu, to discuss day-after plans for Gaza.
“Dermer lied to us,” Kushner and Witkoff told officials at the White House after the strikes in Qatar.
The Qataris, according to Haberman and Swan, initially reacted by deciding they no longer wanted to help Israel. Kushner felt the same.
“I’m f**king out. The Israelis are crazy,” Kushner reportedly told an associate at the time. Then he realized it could provide an opening to rein in Netanyahu after nearly two years of war.
In the aftermath, Kushner drafted what would become Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Days later, on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, Kushner and Witkoff met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister. The Americans told Al Thani that he had two options: isolate Israel further, which would be “understandable,” or use the moment “for leverage” to get Israel to negotiate.
Al Thani took Kushner’s laptop and began typing edits directly into the draft document, according to the book.
Trump brought the deal to Arab and Muslim leaders before he showed it to Netanyahu. Witkoff and Kushner warned White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles that Netanyahu might try to call Trump to scuttle the plan. When he did finally call the White House, Wiles patched through Kushner and Witkoff, who stayed on the phone with Trump and Netanyahu.
As soon as Trump got on the phone, he began yelling at Netanyahu — the tirade where he said everyone was sick of the prime minister.
“You can’t back out of this. I’m the best friend Israel ever had. Everybody hates you, and I’ve stood by you,” Trump said, according to the book. “This is a great deal for Israel.”
Netanyahu said he would agree to the deal. The two men announced it together at a joint press conference two days later, though the deal was not yet official. They presented a united front. Trump said Netanyahu would have his “full backing” to continue the war if Hamas did not agree to the deal.
On the evening of Oct. 8, just over a week later, the deal was finalized. Soon after, the 20 living hostages who remained in Gaza were released.
Plus, Vance on blaming Israel for everything
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation as UK Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, outside No.10 Downing Street on June 22, 2026 in London, England.
Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview tomorrow’s primaries in New York City and talk to Jewish leaders in D.C. about Janeese Lewis George’s victory in last week’s Democratic primary in the city. We cover the developments in Switzerland where the U.S. and Iran have been negotiating a deal, and report on a new survey of Israeli public opinion about the outcome of the war with Iran. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff, Keir Starmer, Bob Iger and Ruth Porat.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, Israel Editor Tamara Zieve and U.S. Editor Danielle Cohen-Kanik, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday morning, bowing to pressure from within his Labour Party to step down. Newly elected Labour MP Andy Burnham, until recently the mayor of Greater Manchester, is the front-runner to succeed Starmer as prime minister and become the seventh person to hold the office in a decade.
- Technical teams from the U.S. and Iran are continuing talks in Switzerland this week, after Vice President JD Vance, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner wrapped up “positive and constructive” talks with top Iranian negotiators on Sunday, according to a statement from mediating countries Qatar and Pakistan.
- The statement also said Washington and Tehran had agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to end military operations in Lebanon, though it named neither Israel nor Hezbollah, who are not parties to the talks and who have continued to trade strikes despite agreeing to a ceasefire last week.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the discussions delivered “major progress,” including waivers for Iran to export oil and the release of “some frozen assets,” which the U.S. has not yet confirmed.
- In Jerusalem, the Jerusalem News Syndicate’s policy summit continues into its second day, after an opening plenary on Sunday that included remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Monday’s program includes Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon, Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz, Witkoff advisor Aryeh Lightstone and Netanyahu advisor Caroline Glick.
- In Washington, the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center is convening its second annual Attorneys Conference to discuss ways to use the legal system to combat antisemitism and protect religious liberty.
- The five-day Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity kicks off in the south of France.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
2026 has been the year of the democratic socialist, with numerous far-left, anti-Israel candidates winning mayoralties and congressional primaries in cities up and down the Northeast corridor, from New York to Washington, D.C. — and beyond.
Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor who proved that radicalism can win hearts and minds among voters in deep-blue jurisdictions, is now trying to utilize valuable political capital by electing three like-minded congressional candidates in primaries in the Big Apple on Tuesday — backing two challengers running against well-funded incumbents, and a third against a well-established progressive borough president.
The outcomes of these three races will go a long way in determining whether Democratic Party voters still draw any red lines around candidates holding views and values that fall well outside the party mainstream.
Let’s be clear: The main difference between the three candidates backed by most Democratic leaders and Mamdani’s favored challengers is the challengers’ hostility to Israel.
WASHINGTON WATCH
D.C. Jewish leaders taking wait-and-see approach to Lewis George’s expected mayoralty
With Janeese Lewis George’s victory in last week’s Democratic primary, Washington, D.C., is expected to become the third major city in the country, after Seattle and New York, with a democratic socialist serving as mayor. Jewish Washingtonians who were unsettled by Lewis George’s stance on Zionism, as articulated in a Democratic Socialists of America endorsement questionnaire in which she said she would reject the “Zionist lobby,” are grappling with how to approach her tenure as mayor, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Holding hope: Mainstream Jewish organizations tasked with local lobbying and advocacy efforts appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach, but will be monitoring her tenure to make sure she does not assume positions that exclude segments of the city. “We hope to work with her, and we will work with her,” Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, told JI on Friday. “But at the same time we’re also going to be watching to make sure that she lives up to her promises to make this an inclusive city, where all feel they can participate equally, and that all people, regardless of their backgrounds, are welcomed — Zionists as well.”
carrot and stick
JD Vance: U.S. ‘willing to fundamentally transform’ relations with Iran if it gives up nukes, ends terror support
Vice President JD Vance, leading the American delegation in diplomatic negotiations this weekend with Iran in Switzerland, told reporters on Sunday that “the United States is willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with [Iran]” if the Islamic Republic’s leadership is willing to give up nuclear weapons and end its backing of terrorist proxies, Jewish Insider’s Josh Kraushaar reports.
What he said: “If your leadership is willing to give up being a driver of regional instability, if they are willing to give up nuclear weapons ambitions in the long term, then the United States is willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with that country,” Vance said at a news briefing, according to The New York Times. Vance described the approach of the U.S. delegation, which he is leading alongside White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as offering an “outstretched hand” to the people of Iran.
More from Vance: Asked by Christian conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey about an “obsession” some on the political right have with “blaming all of their problems” on Israel, as opposed to an “Israel first” perspective, Vance said, “I see both, and I think both are bad,” JI’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports. But he said he’s “particularly sensitive” to what he views as the elevation of Israel’s interests because he’s “been defending the president’s decision to end the Iran [war], and I find often the arguments are, ‘Well, Israel doesn’t think this is good, therefore it’s bad.’ And my reaction is: Israel’s opinions matter, but fundamentally they are separate.”
BLAME GAME
Israelis overwhelmingly believe Iran won the war, survey finds
Israelis overwhelmingly believe Iran won the war against the U.S. and Israel and view its conclusion negatively, a new survey by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found. More than 9 in 10 respondents (92%), surveyed between June 17-20, said Tehran emerged as the victor, according to The Times of Israel, and nearly 70% said President Donald Trump’s management of the war classifies as “failed” or “poor,” Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik reports.
Survey says: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fared slightly better, with 56% of respondents saying his handling of the war was either a failure or poor. Nearly all Israelis surveyed (88%) said the country did not achieve its stated goals of ending Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and bringing down the regime. About half (48%) of respondents said Israel should restart major military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon, even at the risk of clashing with Trump, who has pushed for the fighting to end — while only 21% said they were opposed to such action.
Mixed messaging: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended the Trump administration’s diplomatic discussions with Iran on Sunday, but predicted that negotiations with the Islamic Republic will likely fail, and threatened that the U.S. will take over the Strait of Hormuz if no agreement is reached. “Let’s try a diplomatic solution. I think it’s going to fail,” Graham said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” JI’s Marc Rod reports.
COMMON DENOMINATOR
Mamdani’s House candidates attack Israel in closing arguments
The battle for three Democratic congressional primaries in New York City has been defined by a conflict more than 5,000 miles away, with candidates spending the final days before Tuesday’s primary echoing the fiercely anti-Israel rhetoric that helped elevate Mayor Zohran Mamdani to power, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
Israel angle: All three of the mayor’s favored contenders for the House — former City Comptroller Brad Lander, Assemblymember Claire Valdez and doctoral student Darializa Avila Chevalier — underscored their criticism of Israel and its U.S. supporters as early voting began in the contested districts. Avila Chevalier took time in a televised debate on Tuesday to accuse the country of “apartheid” while seeming to compare the actions of Jewish settlers in the West Bank and the IDF in the Gaza Strip to gentrification in the district where she hopes to unseat Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and other majority-minority areas.
TESTING THE WATERS
Van Hollen says he’s considering presidential bid, wants Israel to be 2028 litmus test
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a leading critic of Israel in the Senate, publicly confirmed for the first time this week, after visits to key primary states, that he is considering a 2028 presidential bid — and argued that criticism of Israel should be a key litmus test for the emerging field, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Podcast playback: “I went to New Hampshire because I was invited, but I would say kind of kicking the tires a little bit,” Van Hollen said on the “On NOTUS” podcast this week. Asked whether he thinks any Democratic presidential candidate will be viable without criticizing Israel and supporting conditioning aid to the Jewish state, Van Hollen responded, “I think a Democratic presidential candidate should believe in the United States’ foreign policy based on advancing our values and our interests. And if you want to advance our values, you cannot apply one set of standards just to our adversaries and another to our friends and be taken seriously in the world about it.”
BONDS BROKEN
Auto union votes to divest from Israel at annual convention
Delegates at the United Auto Workers convention in Detroit voted on Thursday to divest from Israel Bonds, citing the war in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. One of the largest unions in the country, the UAW previously held an estimated $400,000 to $700,000 in Israel Bonds and securities, according to the Detroit Free Press. It has not been disclosed how much money the divestment will affect or how many members voted to pass the resolution.
On the stage: The annual convention also featured a speech from Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left, UAW-endorsed Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who told Jewish supporters last month that he “often struggle[s]” to answer whether he believes Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. He said in an interview with CNN in April that he believes the Israeli government is just as evil as Hamas.
Worthy Reads
The Folly of Trying to Bribe Tehran: In The Atlantic, Karim Sadjadpour posits that President Donald Trump is betting that Iran will respond to what he calls “bribery” in the form of critical economic concessions that fail to obtain meaningful concessions from Tehran. “The logic of Trump’s current gamble with Iran resembles his entreaties to the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un during Trump’s first term: The president is offering reintegration as a reward for denuclearization. In Singapore, Trump famously tried to entice Kim with visions of turning North Korea’s missile-testing coastlines into prime real estate, marveling at the country’s ‘great beaches’ and envisioning ‘the best hotels in the world.’ But for revolutionary dictatorships such as North Korea and Iran, Western-backed luxury hotels, foreign tourists, and open capital flows aren’t a triumph — they are a Trojan horse that would erode their total information control and ideological legitimacy.” [TheAtlantic]
Sounds Familiar: The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley writes how Vice President JD Vance is echoing the far left in his recent hostile rhetoric against Israel: “Vance has been eager to take credit with [Tucker] Carlson and his acolytes for bringing the war to an end. His thinly veiled threat last week — echoed by Mr. Trump — to cut off military support for Israel after it responded to Hezbollah’s aggression is aimed at soothing the Carlson crowd’s criticism. Americans might observe, however, that the vice president sounded eerily like Mr. Biden in demanding that Israel show restraint in the face of hostility — and not too different from progressives who accuse Israel of war crimes.” [WSJ]
Climate Change: The Financial Times’ Kenza Bryan profiles Kaveh Madani, a Western-educated environmental scientist and former Iranian environmental official now living in exile after being branded a spy by the regime in Tehran. “Once he started his work as deputy of the environment ministry, Madani was quickly caught between a government that wanted to sell the idea of expatriate children of the revolution choosing to return to Iran, and a security establishment deeply suspicious of Iranians tainted with foreign ideas. … During his brief stint in government, Madani was compared by the IRGC to Eli Cohen, the Israeli spy who infiltrated elite Syrian political circles in the 1960s.” [FT]
Word on the Street
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. is working with Qatar to release some $6 billion in frozen funds to Iran that would be directed to humanitarian efforts…
An explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas facility on Sunday night caused a fire that injured at least 54 people, while an additional 18 were missing. The site was damaged in an Iranian missile attack early in the war…
The New York Times spotlights the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland that has hosted the latest U.S.-Iran talks, owned by Katara Hospitality, a Qatari state-backed hospitality group that acquired it in 2007…
In Colombia’s presidential election, an initial vote count found that right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, narrowly defeated leftist challenger Iván Cepeda and will succeed President Gustavo Petro, who cut ties with Israel in 2024 over the war in Gaza…
Petro accused Israel of rigging the elections, posting on X that “software was compromised, and others entered data for polling stations and voting centers”…
The Wall Street Journal profiles Dan Moraff, the progressive strategist behind Maine Democrat Graham Platner’s Senate bid, whose rushed vetting process missed key issues about the candidate’s past…
Journalists visited an underground drone factory in a hilltop village in southern Lebanon from which Hezbollah launched unmanned aerial vehicles at Israel, in a tour organized by the Israeli military after it captured the tunnel, dug near the Israeli border and discovered 50 Iranian-made explosive UAVs…
Military technology company Anduril is considering launching operations in Israel, according to Calcalist…
Puck reports on Alphabet President Ruth Porat’s remarks at the Economic Club of New York last week, where she argued that AI will drive trillions of dollars in economic growth and accelerate scientific breakthroughs despite mounting concerns about job losses, energy demand and social disruption…
The Wall Street Journal examines the increase in hangings in Iran over the past three months as the war with the U.S. unfolded — at least 45 people have been executed by the regime this year for political reasons, according to human rights groups and Iranian state media…
A Washington Post investigation reports that outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was under the sway of her longtime guru Chris Butler throughout much of her political career…
The New York Times spotlights the roles that the “Manhattan moms” of NY-12 congressional candidates Micah Lasher, Jack Schlossberg and Alex Bores are playing in their respective sons’ campaigns…
The International Criminal Court set a date next month to vote on the removal of its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who is facing sexual assault allegations from members of his staff…
Meanwhile, the U.K.’s Bar Standards Board suspended Khan, a British lawyer, following his suspension from the ICC earlier this month…
The Financial Times profiles Bob Iger’s second departure from Disney, examining how the architect of its modern empire transformed the company through landmark acquisitions and major investments in streaming, while leaving his successor, Josh D’Amaro, to navigate a rapidly changing media landscape…
Snackmaker Gerald Shreiber, who acquired a series of struggling food companies and turned such products as the SuperPretzel, Dippin’ Dots and ICEEs into household names, died on May 9, at 84…
Yaacov Agam, Israeli kinetic art pioneer whose motion-based sculptures and paintings earned him the Israel Prize and left a mark on public spaces from Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square to the Pompidou Center in Paris, died on Sunday at 98…
Pic of the Day
Chefs Mitchell Davis, Paul Carmichael, Ryan Bartlow and Naama Shefi, founder of the Great Nosh picnic, at the annual picnic on Sunday on Governors Island in New York City.
Birthdays
Retired MLB second baseman, he played for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics and managed the team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ian Kinsler turns 44…
A leading securities, corporate and M&A attorney, he is a founding partner of the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Martin Lipton turns 95… D.C.-based senior representative of Israel Aerospace Industries from 1969 to 2017, Marvin Klemow turns 89… Jerusalem-born 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry, she is the director of a research center at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Ada Yonath turns 87… U.K. judge who chaired high-profile hearings on ethics in the media, currently serving as the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Commissioner, Sir Brian Henry Leveson turns 77… Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for physics, he is a professor at Brown University, J. Michael Kosterlitz turns 83… Justice on Israel’s Supreme Court until 2014, she was previously the Israeli state prosecutor for eight years, Edna Arbel turns 82… U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) turns 77… Member of the California state Assembly until 2022, now a judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Richard Hershel Bloom turns 73… Partner at Shibolet & Co., one of Israel’s largest corporate law firms, Yoram Raved turns 70… AIPAC director for Greater Washington, Deborah Adler… Chair of the kindergarten and pre-K division of Bowman Ashe/Doolin K-8 Academy in Miami, Fla., Cynthia Rosenbluth Huss… Past president of the UJA-Federation of New York, Alisa Robbins Doctoroff… U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) turns 66… Former member of the Knesset for the Hatnuah and Zionist Union parties, Robert Tiviaev turns 65… Creator of the Android operating system, which he sold to Google, Andy Rubin turns 64… Member of the Knesset for the Likud party, now serving as deputy prime minister and minister of justice, Yariv Gideon Levin turns 57… SVP at Red Banyan PR, Kelcey Kintner… Writer, director and film producer, he is a two-time Israeli Academy Award winner and the founder of Hey Jude Productions, Dani Menkin turns 56… Program director at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Rafi Rone… Senior correspondent and columnist for Haaretz and author of a biography of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Anshel Pfeffer turns 53… Israeli jazz vocalist and composer, Julia Feldman turns 47… COO of TR Capital Management, Ahron Rosenthal… Russian-Israeli Internet entrepreneur, co-founder of Russia’s largest social network VK.com and the Selectel data network center, Lev Binzumovich Leviev turns 42… Baltimore-based endodontist, Jeffrey H. Gardyn, DDS… Israeli Muay Thai kick boxing champion, Ilya Grad turns 39… Israeli-born basketball player with 10 NBA seasons, Omri Casspi turns 38… Former outfielder for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier round, now a real estate investor based in Nashville, Tenn., Rhett Wiseman turns 32…
Plus, Tirana points the finger at Tehran
Screenshot
Vice President JD Vance and former President Barack Obama
👋 Good Friday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we have the latest on the scrapped U.S.-Iran talks that had been slated to begin this weekend in Switzerland and on the overnight attack by Hezbollah, in violation of the just-signed memorandum of understanding, in which four Israeli soldiers were killed. We look at how Vice President JD Vance’s rhetoric around the MOU mirrors how Obama administration officials talked about the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and look at the divide among Jewish communal groups over the potential merger of the State Department’s antisemitism and Holocaust affairs offices. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Yoav Gallant and Hillary Clinton.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: A Lebanese Zionist’s longshot bid to reshape the Middle East; ‘The single best diaspora experience’: Jewish leaders mark America’s 250th with open letter; and Ivanka Trump unveils Meta initiative to distribute AI glasses to visually impaired veterans. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
- Four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack on an IDF tank in southern Lebanon overnight and five others injured in an additional attack in violation of the newly implemented memorandum of understanding, prompting dozens of retaliatory Israeli strikes in the area. The incident, which was the deadliest attack on Israeli troops by Hezbollah in months, came hours after Vice President JD Vance assailed Israeli government officials — one of whom, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, warned that the Iranian-backed group would exploit the diplomacy between Tehran and Washington to attack Israel — for their opposition to the deal. Read more here.
- The escalation comes as Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) circulate a resolution among lawmakers condemning Hezbollah for its “repeated violations of ceasefire agreements” through its attacks against Israel and calling for the terrorist group to be disarmed, Jewish Insider‘s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs have learned.
- Vance had been scheduled to travel today to Switzerland, where he was set to begin talks with Iran, following the signing this week of the MOU between the countries. But the trip was scrapped overnight, with a White House spokesperson saying that “the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable.”
- Elsewhere in Washington, Bill Pulte, the Trump administration’s housing-finance regulator, takes over as interim director of national intelligence today, days after President Donald Trump postponed DNI nominee Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing, drawing the ire of senators from both sides of the aisle concerned over Pulte’s potential access to classified documents.
- FII Priority Europe wraps up today in Rome. On the main stage yesterday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama blasted Iran for stoking protests in the Balkan nation tied to efforts by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump to develop a new real estate project in the country. More below.
- In New York, the Jewish Food Society’s Great Nosh will take place on Sunday on Governors Island.
- The Jewish News Syndicate’s annual policy summit begins on Sunday in Jerusalem.
- Also Sunday, Orthodox Union Advocacy’s annual Attorneys Conference kicks off in Washington.
- We’ll also be keeping an eye on Colombia on Sunday, where far-right attorney Abelardo de la Espriella and far-left activist Iván Cepeda, backed by current President Gustavo Petro, will face off in a presidential runoff. De la Espriella, who has the endorsement of Trump, has also gotten support from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, with whom he met last year in Argentina. After the votes from the first round of voting were tallied, Sa’ar posted a photo of the two and congratulated de la Espriella.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH GILI COHEN
The long love affair between Israelis and President Donald Trump, on the rocks over the last few weeks as the U.S. and Iran hammered out an end to the war, appears to be over, with humiliations mounting for Jerusalem. “I call all the shots,” not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said earlier this month. More recently, the Israeli leader’s bombing campaign in Beirut was “vicious,” Trump said. And perhaps most humiliating of all, Trump suggested that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa could better take care of Hezbollah than the IDF.
The Israeli public — the spurned lover who once hailed the U.S. president with billboards hung in the center of Tel Aviv reading “Thank you God & Donald Trump” — is not taking it well. Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog told JI, “President Trump, who has been a hero to many Israelis, is now openly criticized from within the Israeli government, including Netanyahu’s close circle.”
And this criticism is not only expressed behind closed doors. Channel 14, the popular right-wing outlet that promotes Netanyahu, has been criticizing Trump resolutely, with some of its anchors publicly cursing Vice President JD Vance and the president’s close advisors, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
It was not always this way. For most of the time since Trump reentered the White House in January 2025, he has been popular in Israel, with polls consistently showing high ratings for the American president.
For Israelis, Trump is the one who brokered the hostage-release agreement with Hamas; Trump is the one who made the strikes in Iran and the bombing of the nuclear enrichment facilities in Fordow and Natanz a reality; and Trump is the one who established the Abraham Accords and is willing to expand them, giving Israelis the chance to sunbathe in the UAE, and perhaps in other countries in the Gulf in the near future. And although some won’t admit it, many Israelis also like his tendency to speak very bluntly, and crudely: a president born in Queens, full of Israeli chutzpah.
NEW DEAL, SAME LYRICS
‘What is your alternative?’ — How Vance’s rhetoric to sell new Iran deal echoes Obama’s
As Vice President JD Vance takes on the role of chief defender of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and forthcoming talks, he has begun to sound a lot like someone whom the Trump administration has lately spent a lot of time attacking: former President Barack Obama, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. Vance and President Donald Trump have both made clear that they view the MOU as fundamentally different from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Sounds familiar: But as the White House faces criticism from hawkish members of the Republican Party, the language Vance is using to defend the burgeoning deal closely resembles the arguments made by Obama 11 years ago. “If you think this is a bad deal, what is your alternative?” Vance said in an interview this week with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat. Flashback to a 2015 press conference at the White House soon after the JCPOA was announced. “I’m hearing a lot of talking points being repeated about ‘this is a bad deal,’” Obama said. “What I haven’t heard is, what is your preferred alternative?”
Read the full story here and watch a side-by-side video comparison here.
Bonus: In The Washington Post, the Hudson Institute’s Douglas Feith, who served in the George W. Bush administration, posits that Vance’s defense of the agreement resembles “the standard reassurance Western leaders over the past century have offered when they make deals of this kind with bad actors — but it has generally proved hollow.”
DEAL DISCONTENT
‘I don’t know what Trump is thinking’: Jewish GOP donors down on Iran deal
Jewish Republican donors and activists are voicing their strong disappointment with President Donald Trump’s newly announced memorandum of understanding with Iran, which has been met with criticism from GOP lawmakers as well as influential hawkish conservatives, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Flagging concerns: In interviews with JI on Thursday, several Jewish conservatives who supported the war expressed misgivings about the deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz, saying that it had granted too many concessions to a weakened Iran — including waiving sanctions on oil exports — while neglecting to broach the regime’s funding of terror proxies and its ballistic missile arsenal. They also raised concerns that the memorandum of understanding with Tehran had not been favorable to Israel, a U.S. partner in the war, pointing to a term of the preliminary agreement that calls for a permanent end to military operations in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Hezbollah, a key Iranian ally.
MOU blues: Senate Republicans continued on Thursday to air concerns about the U.S. memorandum of understanding with Iran, in some cases fueled further by Vice President JD Vance’s comments dismissing the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions and lambasting Israeli government officials who have objected to the deal, JI’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
TEHRAN STIRRING TIRANA
Albania blames Iran for fueling local protests against Jared Kushner’s development
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday blamed Iran for what he described as “ruthless” cyberattacks, warning that Tehran has sowed unrest and amplified false information about environmental protests over a new luxury development project in the country from President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.
Details: The project, which has been preliminarily approved, has not obtained building permits, but has drawn fierce backlash and sparked daily protests from thousands of demonstrators outside Rama’s office due to environmental concerns. “The amount of posts that have been entering there from our enemy, we have only one enemy, which is the [Islamic] Republic of Iran, and they are engaged in three years in a ruthless cyber-attack against Albania,” Rama said. “They [Iran] entered also in this game…freedom of reach is what every regime, through every propaganda, has done to go in every brain and to put the lie in the brain.”
OFFICE SPACE
Jewish community divided over potential merger of State Dept.’s antisemitism, Holocaust affairs envoys
Jewish communal groups are at loggerheads over the possibility of merging two related but distinct State Department offices: the special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism and special envoy for Holocaust issues. Some Jewish groups recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in support of the concept of merging the two offices, while others have sent letters in recent months opposing such a move,Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
For and against: Proponents of combining the two offices say that doing so consolidates linked issues under the authority of one envoy with ambassador-rank status, while maintaining the work of both offices. Opponents say that combining the two teams would undermine and diminish the work of the Holocaust affairs envoy and risk politicizing critical work on Holocaust restitution. The reexamination of the two roles comes ahead of the expected retirement of Ellen Germain, who has served as special envoy for Holocaust issues since 2021.
PAC CONTRADICTIONS
Progressive anti-Israel super PAC backs candidates at odds with some of its donors
American Priorities, a new super PAC created as a progressive counterweight to pro-Israel spending in Democratic primaries, has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks for accepting contributions from donors who have given to Republicans — even as its allies on the far left have accused AIPAC, a chief rival, of serving as a Trojan horse to advance GOP-linked interests in safe blue districts, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Follow the money: Meanwhile, filings show that the anti-Israel group has received $250,000 from a tech executive whose firm is developing AI data centers in New York State. That money has boosted two democratic socialist House candidates in New York City who oppose efforts to expand data centers. Claire Valdez, a state assemblymember running to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and Darializa Avila Chevalier, an anti-Israel activist who is challenging Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), have benefited from over $2 million in estimated support from American Priorities in the final stretch of their closely contested primaries set for next Tuesday.
OFFSHORE ALLIANCE
Energy Department formalizes Eastern Mediterranean alliance with Israel, Cyprus and Greece at Houston hub
The Department of Energy is leaning on Israel’s offshore gas resources and cybersecurity prowess to help an emerging Eastern Mediterranean energy alliance, with officials telling Jewish Insider’s Matthew Sheathat Israeli participation uniquely “strengthens” the newly formed coalition. Earlier this month, the U.S., Cyprus, Greece and Israel formalized the partnership, announcing the establishment of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center (EMEC) on the campus of Rice University in Houston.
Aims: The center will serve as a permanent hub for research, policy dialogue, technical cooperation, and public‑private partnerships focused on infrastructure, investment, emerging technologies, and regional connectivity, according to the department. A spokesperson for the Department of Energy told JI that the agreement was part of a “longstanding effort to deepen cooperation” and that Israel’s involvement in the newly established EMEC partnership is vital to the coalition’s geopolitical objectives.
Worthy Reads
Getting Going in Gaza: In the Financial Times, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posits that the West should embrace the Trump administration’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza and the Board of Peace’s efforts in the enclave, arguing that they offer the most viable opportunity for progress. “The gleeful anticipation of failure is not just unhelpful. It is strategically self-defeating. The Board of Peace is an improbable vehicle, and the 20-point plan leaves many legitimate concerns unresolved. Governments will continue to disagree with important elements of both. But diplomacy rarely offers a choice between good options and bad ones. The international community cannot claim concern for Palestinian civilians while refusing to engage with the only mechanism currently capable of shifting conditions on the ground.” [FT]
Wrong on U.S. Aid: In The Free Press, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant clarifies the contours of U.S. military aid to Israel. “No matter where you fall on this issue, almost everyone seems to agree on the premise that American support for Israel is a donation, and that the only remaining question is how generous the benefactor should be. But that premise is wrong. It has been wrong for a long time. And because it is wrong, the debate built on top of it misrepresents to the American people what their money has actually been doing for the past half-century. … But U.S. aid to Israel is not charity. American dollars flow into American factories; American assistance frees Israeli capital for innovation; and American forces eventually receive Israeli-developed capabilities refined in real combat.” [FreePress]
Strait Jacket: In The New York Times, Ed Fishman warns that other countries will use Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a blueprint for exacting economic and military concessions of their own. “Even if the deal holds, Iran is poised to emerge from the war battered militarily and economically but strengthened strategically, the newly empowered gatekeeper of the world’s most important energy chokepoint. Other countries will take note — and seek their own chokepoints to exploit. … The irony is that Iran’s success at the Strait of Hormuz may set off a different kind of arms race — one in which every country searches for chokepoints to convert into money and power.” [NYTimes]
Wrong Turn for the Left: In The Atlantic, Adam Louis-Klein argues that anti-Zionism runs counter to progressive values. “How can it be that an ideology that has produced repeated acts of discrimination, dispossession, and violence now bears the mantle of progressivism in the West and has been normalized within the Democratic Party? Like Stalinism or the Khmer Rouge, anti-Zionism represents a wrong turn for the left. Anti-Zionism claims to be concerned with rights of minorities, opposition to racism, and universal justice. In truth, though, it has appropriated the language of anti-colonial liberation to justify oppression, transformed anti-racism into a racist accusation, and turned hatred of Israel into a global ritual.” [TheAtlantic]
Word on the Street
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded rhetorically to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s comments that Israel should halt its attacks on Hezbollah by asking, “Does France get all its info from Hezbollah?” adding that “Ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting & killing”…
The New York Times spotlights the “last-minute scramble” that produced the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran; at one point last weekend, the Times reports, President Donald Trump “placed a call to a New York Times reporter to explain the deal, even as, he said, his ‘wonderful family’ was waiting for his birthday dinner to begin”…
Spotted at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday: Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden; former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Tony Blinken, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff; Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, former U.S. Ambassadors to Israel Dan Shapiro, Jack Lew and Tom Nides; former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Karlie Kloss…
J Street is slated to host a virtual briefing for congressional staff on the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with Iran featuring former Biden administration special envoy for Iran Rob Malley, who was suspended from his State Department role amid an investigation over his handling of classified materials, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
The Associated Press projected Washington, D.C., Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, to win the city’s Democratic mayoral primary, shortly after former Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie conceded…
A federal grand jury indicted a Florida man facing hate crime charges over a foiled plot to attack Jewish employees of a pro-Israel nonprofit organization…
Lion Raisins condemned the recent antisemitic and racist behavior by Bruce Lion, one of the company’s heirs, who was arrested last week on charges of making criminal threats targeting a neighbor in his Pacific Palisades, Calif., community who is a rabbi; Lion, who was charged with three felony hate crimes, faces up to nine years in prison if convicted…
The New York Times Magazine does a deep dive into the term “goyslop,” which was popularized as an antisemitic trope by the far right and has increasingly become part of the discourse among the Zoomer generation…
Police in Canada arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a shooting in March targeting the U.S. consulate in Toronto…
The U.K. government is pledging £1 million to support the Jewish Museum London; U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the funding would go to sharing the “stories, the connections and the understanding that are the basis of a cohesive society and the future of our country”…
U.K. Labour party member Andy Burnham won a special parliamentary election, positioning the Greater Manchester mayor to mount a challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer…
The Koum Family Foundation donated $36 million to Los Angeles’ Milken Community School, one of the largest non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in the country, as part of a major capital campaign, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports…
Shalev Hulio and Sebastian Kurz’s Israeli AI cybersecurity firm Dream, whose technology works to protect governments against cyberattacks, raised $260 million, at a $3 billion valuation, in a private round of funding…
Pic of the Day
Tens of thousands of people participated in this week’s annual pilgrimage to the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in Queens, N.Y., to mark the 32nd anniversary of his death yesterday.
Birthdays
Singer-songwriter known as Jeryko, Yaniv Hoffman turns 35 on Sunday…
FRIDAY: Attorney, investment banker, film producer and former deputy mayor of NYC, Kenneth Lipper turns 85… Rabbi emeritus of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, N.J., Rabbi Bennett F. Miller… Historian of the Jews in Muslim lands in the modern era, he won the Israel Prize in 2025 for Jewish history, Yaron Tsur turns 78… Retired president and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, he is now the president of American Jewish University, Jay Sanderson turns 69… Inna N. Zalevsky… Former director of communications for Kings Bay Y, Adrienne M. Knoll… Member of the European Jewish Parliament for Latvia, Valery Engel, Ph.D. turns 65… Physician specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Jessica Rosenberg Brown, MD… Co-founder of Centerview Partners, a boutique investment bank based in NYC, Blair Effron turns 64… Singer-songwriter, actor and television personality, she was a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18, Paula Abdul turns 64… Former member of Knesset for the Zionist Union party, in the 1990s she was an assistant legal advisor to then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin turns 56… Human rights activist and advocate for women and minorities in Iran, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt… Co-founder of nine venture-backed companies in the telecom, high-tech, pharmaceuticals, energy, water and biotechnology industries, Andrew T. Perlman turns 51… Consul general of Israel to the Southeastern United States, Eitan Weiss… Staff writer at The New Yorker, Isaac Chotiner… Director of affinities and major gifts at the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Tslil Shtulsaft… Founder of JSwipe, a Jewish dating app created in 2014, David Austin Yarus… Retired rhythmic gymnast from Israel who competed in the 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio) Olympics, Neta Rivkin turns 35… VP at Jewish Federations of North America, Anna Langer… COO at Lightning Inspiration, Alex Jakubowski… Organization director at Senate Leadership Fund & One Nation, Cydney Couch… Singer, popular on video and streaming services, known as Skye for short, Daniel Skye turns 26… Vice president for education at the American Jewish Committee and director of its Center for Education Advocacy, Laura Shaw Frank…
SATURDAY: Weston, Fla., resident Harold Kurte turns 97… Former member of Knesset for the Meretz party, Ran Cohen turns 89… Owner of Schulman Small Business Services in Atlanta, Alan Schulman… Detroit-based pawnbroker, reality TV star, author and speaker, Leslie “Les” Gold turns 76… Chef, baker and author of eight books, she popularized sourdough and artisan breads in the U.S., Nancy Silverton turns 72… Writer of the “Bully Pulpit” Substack from Booksmart Studios, Bob Garfield turns 71… Former assistant managing editor for politics at NBC News, now an adjunct professor at the University of Florida and FIU, Gregg Birnbaum… Co-founder of Brilliant Detroit (helping children out of poverty) and owner of Riverstone Communities, James Bellinson… Rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University and rabbi of Congregation Ohr HaTorah in Bergenfield, N.J., Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky turns 61… Israeli-American screenwriter, film director, writer and producer of 20 films, Boaz Yakin turns 60… Senior legal affairs reporter at Politico, Josh Gerstein… Governor of Pennsylvania, one of three current Jewish governors that are named Josh, Joshua David Shapiro turns 53… U.S. Sen. Eric Stephen Schmitt (R-MO) turns 51… Singer, songwriter and hazzan, he is a co-founder of the band Moshav, Yehuda Solomon turns 49… Senior program director of civic initiatives at The Teagle Foundation, Tamara Mann Tweel, Ph.D…. Israeli author of crime and thriller books that have sold more than 2.5 million copies in more than 20 languages, Mike Omer turns 47… Journalist, blogger and EMT in NYC, formerly editor for Gawker and director of public relations for the Village Voice, Maggie Shnayerson turns 45… EVP of Moxie Strategies, Pearl Gabel… French-Israeli singer and songwriter, Amir Haddad turns 42… Deputy communications director in the Trump 45 White House, now head of corporate affairs at Standard Industries, Josh Raffel… Jennifer Bernstein… Photographer, producer and digital strategist, she is a supervising producer at HardPin, Sara Pearl Kenigsberg… Writer, director, comedian, YouTuber, podcaster and mental health advocate, Allison Beth Raskin turns 37… Team captain of Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague, John DiBartolomeo turns 35… Chief campus and culture officer at Hillel Ontario, Bev Shimansky Ades… Development Director at Ashkenaz Foundation, Jaime Reich…
SUNDAY: Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, she is the mother-in-law of Chelsea Clinton, Marjorie Margolies turns 84… Investment banker, he was the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador in the Bush 43 administration, Charles L. Glazer turns 83… Philanthropist, she is vice chair of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Ingeborg Hanna Rennert… British businessman, co-founder with his brother Charles of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi which became the largest in the world, appointed to the House of Lords in 1996, Baron Maurice Saatchi turns 80… U.K. Cabinet minister in both the Thatcher and Major governments, Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind turns 80… Retired creditors rights attorney in the Chicago area, David Stephen Miller… Retired senior editor and writer at The Washington Post for 33 years, now chief editor at The Reis Group, Peter Perl… Member of the Knesset since 2013 for the Yesh Atid party, Mickey Levy turns 75… Susan Gutman… CEO of Amir Development Company in Beverly Hills, he is a member of the national council of AIPAC, Keenan L. Wolens… Punk rock singer and songwriter, known as the Gangsta Rabbi, Steve Lieberman turns 68… Washington Institute director and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS, David Makovsky turns 66… Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, David L. Marcus… Co-founder and executive editor of Axios since 2016, Mike Allen turns 62… National education writer for The Washington Post, Laura Meckler… Founder and leader of Beautifully Jewish, Tanya Rebecca Singer… Actor, singer and entrepreneur, who now raises awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Aaron Scott Lazar turns 50… Yale Law School graduate, journalist and author, Abigail Krauser Shrier turns 48… Public affairs consultant based in Manhattan, Sam Nunberg turns 45… Co-founder and former CEO of Kaggle, a data science platform acquired by Google in 2017, Anthony Goldbloom turns 43… Former member of the Knesset where she was the first-ever Druze woman, she then became a Jewish Agency shlicha to Washington, Gadeer Kamal Mreeh turns 42… Head of Communications for Paramount+, Jacqueline (Jackie) Berkowitz… Chief of staff to the chairman and CEO at Saban Capital Group, Amitai Raziel… Award-winning Israeli classical pianist, Boris Giltburg turns 42… Executive director at Hunter Hillel, Merav Fine Braun… Editor for the global programming team at CNN, Madeleine Morgenstern… Singer-songwriter and actor, known by his mononym Max, Maxwell George Schneider turns 34…
Plus, Albania blames Iran for stoking Kushner-unrest
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance
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.
Today’s Daily Overtime was curated by Senior National Correspondent Gabby Deutch.
📡On Our Radar
Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking
As the White House continues to promote the memorandum of understanding that will end the war with Iran and start negotiations between Washington and Tehran, Vice President JD Vance is out with a message that sounds strikingly familiar — at least to anyone who followed former President Barack Obama’s pitch on the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
“If you think this is a bad deal, what is your alternative?” Vance said in an interview this week with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat.
Obama used nearly identical phrasing at a 2015 White House press conference: “I’m hearing a lot of talking points being repeated about ‘this is a bad deal,’” he said. “What I haven’t heard is, what is your preferred alternative?”
Watch a side-by-side look at Vance and Obama here…
Vance also delivered a tough message to Israeli officials who have criticized the MOU, telling reporters on Thursday that Israel’s government should be careful not to alienate the only friend it has left: President Donald Trump, JI’s Emily Jacobs reports.
“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time and he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower. If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” said Vance…
Trump also had a word of caution for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two days after he said Netanyahu was too “vicious” in his approach to fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Asked by a reporter for Israel’s Kan News if he will support Netanyahu in this year’s Israeli elections, Trump said he most likely would, but did not commit.
“I’ll have to look at who’s running, but I like Bibi very much. I would be most likely to endorse him,” said Trump. “He’s doing a very good job, he’s got to be a little bit more rational”…
United Against Nuclear Iran, an advocacy group that rallied opposition to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, said on Thursday that it “cannot endorse the MoU in its current form”…
AIPAC released a policy memo on Thursday that said the MOU “raises significant questions,” and called on Congress to “play a critical role in ensuring a final deal meets President Trump’s stated objectives for the war”…
In a Thursday speech at the FII Priority summit in Rome, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed Iran for “ruthless” cyberattacks against the country, claiming that Tehran has sought to sow unrest about a preliminarily approved luxury development project in the country from Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, JI’s Matthew Shea reports…
Janeese Lewis George defeated Kenyan McDuffie in the Democratic primary for mayor of Washington, D.C., with the Associated Press calling the race on Thursday afternoon. Democratic socialist Lewis George leads McDuffie 53% to 36%…
American Priorities, a super PAC created as a progressive counterweight to AIPAC, has received $250,000 from a tech executive whose firm is developing AI data centers in New York State — while boosting two democratic socialist House candidates who oppose efforts to expand data centers, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports…
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), who has been absent from Congress since March due to an unexplained personal health issue, plans to return to Washington on June 30…
Israel and Syria are expected to resume direct talks soon due to pressure from the U.S., the Israeli network Kan reports…
The FBI announced that it charged San Diego resident Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi with conspiring to provide material support to Hamas after he allegedly raised approximately $600,000 through fraudulent charitable campaigns and funneled a portion to the terrorist organization…
Former Presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton attended the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday afternoon.
Guests included a litany of ex-Obama administration staffers, including former White House liaison to the Jewish community Matt Nosanchuk and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who was spotted chatting with Obama…
⏩ 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 a look at how Jewish Republicans are feeling about the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that was signed this week.
Vice President JD Vance plans to travel to Switzerland this weekend for talks with Iran, though the plans are not yet finalized, he told reporters on Thursday.
Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will become the acting director of national intelligence on Friday after the confirmation of DNI nominee Jay Clayton was delayed this week at President Donald Trump’s request.
We’ll be monitoring the final days of the heated congressional primary campaigns in New York, where Israel and Gaza remain hot topics for progressive candidates.
We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat Shalom!
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BEHIND THE CURTAIN
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The prime minister accused Tehran of amplifying fake videos and false information to inflame opposition to a Kushner-linked coastal project
Photo by Vlasov Sulaj/NurPhoto via Getty Images
An aerial view shows protesters gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tirana, Albania, on June 17, 2026, during the eighteenth consecutive day of demonstrations against a proposed luxury tourism development project linked to Jared Kushner.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday blamed Iran for what he described as “ruthless” cyberattacks, warning that Tehran has sowed unrest and amplified false information about environmental protests over a new luxury development project in the country from President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Kushner’s investment firm has moved forward with a luxury project in Albania that includes a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area — a wildlife reserve — and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan. The project has yet to be approved and has not obtained building permits, but has drawn fierce backlash and sparked daily protests from thousands of demonstrators outside Rama’s office due to environmental concerns.
Speaking at the FII Priority summit in Rome, Rama confirmed that the land has been “bought by investors” and is undergoing an “environmental impact assessment.” However, he claimed that the uproar is not what it seems and is being fueled by misinformation and cyberattacks from Iran, which he described as Albania’s “enemy” in the Middle East.
“The amount of posts that have been entering there from our enemy, we have only one enemy, which is the [Islamic] Republic of Iran, and they are engaged in three years in a ruthless cyber-attack against Albania,” Rama said. “They [Iran] entered also in this game…freedom of reach is what every regime, through every propaganda, has done to go in every brain and to put the lie in the brain.”
In 2022, Albania was the subject of an Iranian cyberattack after the country hosted members of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), an Iranian opposition group. The disruptive attack compromised Albanian government systems and forced the country to temporarily sever digital services. The attacks also led Albania to break diplomatic relations with Iran.
The issue remains a sore point between the countries, with Rama saying earlier this month that the Albanian people were “the target of a cyberterror campaign that aimed to cripple an entire country.” Tehran has denied the allegations.
Rama has also claimed that antisemitic narratives, as well as resentment over the project’s ties to Kushner and Trump, are behind the opposition.
“The digital outrage, of course, has been provoked, mostly because Kushner and Trump’s shadow are behind it, enough to bring a lot of people from a lot of ways of like from a lot of continents jumping,” Rama said. “The amount of falsehoods, the amount of fake videos that were taken from protests in different countries that were pushed as protests in Albania.”
Speaking on a podcast hosted by David Senra earlier this month, Ivanka Trump said, “there’s nothing uglier than a beautiful nonfunctional space,” describing the project as “architecturally incredibly meaningful and beautiful and intentional with a highly functional space.”
Rama argued that the project would be transformational for Albania’s tourism industry and GDP. A BBC report indicated that the project could bring in up to €4 billion of investment, a major mark for a country that consistently ranks among the poorest in Europe. Rama said that the “big business and investment” can offer the country a “bigger vision than the usual small investments.”
The Albanian leader has also dismissed environmental concerns, arguing that the project would show that “nature and people can coexist.”
“There is nothing that has to worry any environmentalists,” Rama said. “And, yes, Albania will go forward. The majority of the Albanian people want the project.”
As Albania seeks European Union membership, EU officials have reportedly urged Albanian authorities to ensure that the project aligns with the bloc’s environmental regulations, warning that failing to do so could jeopardize the country’s accession bid.
Plus, primary day in Washington, D.C.
Aaron Schwartz/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Donald Trump speaks during a maternal healthcare event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how legislators and Jewish groups are responding to details surrounding the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, and cover last night’s NY-10 debate between Rep. Dan Goldman and Brad Lander, where Israel and AIPAC again took center stage. We report on the influx of suspected GOP spending in the NY-17 Democratic primary as Cait Conley and Beth Davidson jockey for the chance to challenge Rep. Mike Lawler, and spotlight a new Meta initiative, announced by Ivanka Trump, to supply AI glasses to visually impaired veterans. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Eric Goldstein, Boris Epshteyn and Joel Scanlon.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
- Members of the G7, including President Donald Trump, are in Évian-les-Bains, France, for a multiday summit. Trump is scheduled to meet today with United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and met earlier today with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the summit.
- Speaking to media alongside the Qatari emir after their meeting, Trump said about the war with Iran, “Working with Qatar and the people of Qatar was really a pleasure — they were tough, they were strong, they are closest to Iran physically so … you were in a more dangerous position but I do have to say you fought and you helped us and with great bravery so I just want to compliment you on that and you will always be my friend.” Trump also noted that Qatar would be investing “much more than a trillion dollars” in the U.S.
- Vice President JD Vance, whose newest book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, comes out today, is slated to be interviewed this afternoon by Megyn Kelly.
- Vance’s appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” comes amid growing calls from Capitol Hill and beyond for the U.S. to make public the text of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, after Vance and Trump gave conflicting timelines for its release — and as Iranian-affiliated media outlets publish details they claim are part of the agreement. Trump said yesterday in Paris that the text would be released after a signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland, while a senior U.S. official told journalists on Monday that the text would be released within 24-48 hours.
- Voters in Washington, D.C., head to the polls today to cast ballots in the city’s mayoral primary, where D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who repeatedly clashed with the city’s Jewish community over her ties to the Democratic Socialists of America and comments about Israel, faces former D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie. More below.
- In Georgia, Republicans will vote today in the runoff to select the party’s candidate to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in November. The race will pit Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who is endorsed by Trump and has faced a series of controversies related to antisemitism and conspiracy theorists while in office, against Derek Dooley, the favored candidate of the state’s GOP governor, Brian Kemp. Read more about the race here.
- The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is holding a closed briefing this afternoon.
- The Sami Rohr Jewish Literary Institute will announce the winner of the annual Sami Rohr Prize today. This year’s finalists are Laura Hobson Faure, Shaul Kelner, Jordan Salama and Amir Tibon.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S GABBY DEUTCH
Today’s mayoral primary in Washington, D.C., has not gotten the same kind of frenzied national attention that accompanied recent mayoral contests in New York City, which pitted Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, against a centrist Democrat, and in Los Angeles, where Republican Spencer Pratt made an insurgent bid against Mayor Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, a Democrat Socialists of America-affiliated councilmember.
Still, there are dynamics with some similarities to the race in Washington, where DSA member Janeese Lewis George, a District councilmember, faces Kenyan McDuffie, a former councilmember running a more moderate campaign. And, like in New York, divisions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have surfaced in a way that would once have been unexpected in a municipal election, at least before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Early this year, Lewis George sparked concern among some Jewish Washingtonians when she said in a DSA questionnaire that she would not attend events that “promot[e] Zionism” and that she would avoid engaging with “the Israeli government or Zionist lobby groups.”
She has since done a degree of damage control — meeting privately with rabbis and pledging at a Jewish candidate forum last month not to exclude people “based on your opinions or feelings on matters here and across the world,” even as she avoided answering a question asking her to clarify her views on Zionism. In March, she said it is not a conflict to support “Palestinian human rights” and to “stand firm in my commitment against antisemitism.”
McDuffie saw an opening with the DSA endorsement kerfuffle, particularly when talking to Jewish voters, a constituency he has sought to engage. He told Jewish Insider in April that he would not seek the endorsement of DSA or any organization “that requires some sort of divisive pledge to exclude people that are a part of the fabric of the community.” And he has opted not to weigh in on questions about Israel at all, saying it is not the role of a mayor to conduct foreign policy.
But zoom out, and the candidates’ approaches to Israel and Jewish communal issues were not front and center in the closing days of this race. The campaign has otherwise zeroed in on cost-of-living concerns and a dispute over who will better be able to counter President Donald Trump.
SCOOP
Trump administration officials tout Iran deal, say ‘hardliners’ are spreading misinformation
Top Trump administration officials shared new details on Monday about the memorandum of understanding reached by the U.S. and Iran over the weekend, arguing that the new agreement is substantially better than the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and could pave the way for a new relationship between Washington and Tehran, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.
VP remarks: During an interview with CNBC, Vice President JD Vance said, “What this agreement does is say to the Iranians that ‘You don’t have access to the money to rebuild that nuclear program, but if you’re willing to give up that program long-term, if you’re willing to accept the inspections and verification regime that’s necessary to give us the confidence you’re never going to have a nuclear weapon, then we want you to be a prosperous country, and we will re-invite you into the community of nations.’”
Congressional review: Several Republican senators said that the administration does not need to submit the recently signed 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran to Congress for review and a potential vote under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, potentially sidestepping the first major opportunity for Congress to weigh in on the agreement, JI’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
WAIT AND SEE
Top Senate Republicans say they don’t know details of the U.S. deal with Iran
With scant details provided by the Trump administration about the contours of the peace deal with Iran, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said on Monday afternoon that he doesn’t yet know enough about the administration’s deal with Iran to determine whether it is a good deal that will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Leadership lowdown: “I don’t know enough about it to say,” Thune told reporters. “I think the issues are going to be compliance, and how you can enforce that, and what are the financial incentives that the Iranians have from our country, and what are they conditioned upon.” Thune also indicated that he believes the deal should be submitted to Congress for review under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. Thune said that “somebody” from the administration, whether that be Vice President JD Vance or other officials, “will need to” come to the Hill to brief members.
Deal divide: Some mainstream Jewish organizations are treating the deal as a preliminary step — focusing on the 60-day negotiating period ahead, while others are expressing skepticism about the contours of the agreement.
PRIMARY PLAY
Conley faces wave of suspected GOP spending in final days of NY-17 primary race
With the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District coming down to a two-person race between veteran and former national security official Cait Conley and Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, an alleged Republican-linked group is spending big in an effort to block Conley from the nomination, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Last-minute money: A shadowy group that has been tenuously linked to GOP operatives recently announced plans to spend at least $1.5 million in the race against Conley, running ads echoing Davidson’s own messaging against Conley. The campaign suggests Republicans see Conley as the more competitive general election candidate.
DEBATE NIGHT
Goldman criticizes AIPAC despite endorsement in debate with Lander
Israel again took center stage on Monday night in a debate between former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) — with the incumbent congressman trying to prove his progressive bona fides by criticizing AIPAC, despite the group’s support for his campaigns, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.
Israel and AIPAC: Both candidates, each a self-identified “progressive Zionist,” inveighed in the televised face-off on PIX11 against Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, although Goldman declined to join Lander in calling the military actions a “genocide.” But the embattled Goldman, trailing in all available polls in the NY-10 race, also criticized AIPAC, despite acknowledging he has received the group’s endorsement.
EYE ON THE PRIZE
Ivanka Trump unveils Meta initiative to distribute AI glasses to visually impaired veterans
Ivanka Trump on Friday announced a collaboration between Meta and the Blinded Veterans Association that aims to donate Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses to all legally blind American veterans, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates number roughly 130,000. The event was co-hosted by Meta and UFC, Jewish Insider’s Christina Sher reports.
Launch event: Speaking at a Freedom 250 reception at Ned’s Club Washington, Trump said Meta will “give every blind veteran in America a free pair of glasses as just a small way to say thank you for your service.” The initiative was spearheaded by Trump alongside Meta President Dina Powell McCormick, who served as deputy national security advisor for strategy in the first Trump administration. Also speaking at the reception, Powell McCormick said that Meta believes “superintelligence is going to help people find their purpose in life.”
Worthy Reads
Islamist Wave Crashing: The New York Times’ Ben Hubbard does a deep dive into the history of political Islam amid questions over whether the movement is in decline. “The map of the Middle East is dotted with examples of idealistic Islamist visions that failed to manifest into real-world successes. Their proponents may have marshaled popular support, for a time. They may have held the levers of power. They may have governed, or tried, in line with their views of Islamic law. But today, in most cases, they did not last. … Iran’s current travails have intensified discussion among experts about whether political Islam has crested and what that means for the Middle East and the broader Muslim world.” [NYTimes]
Trump’s Blind Spot: The Wall Street Journal’s Walter Russell Mead considers how President Donald Trump has miscalculated in his approach to Iran. “Mr. Trump’s disregard for ideas, ideals and people who claim to believe in them leads him to underestimate the strength and determination of people who mean what they say. … However perverse and depraved the ideas that animate the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah, they inspire the kind of conviction that motivates people to fight grimly on against the odds. In the end, Mr. Trump underestimated Iran’s determination and resilience and launched a war that is proving much costlier and harder to end than he’d expected.” [WSJ]
Word on the Street
Axios reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials in the lead-up to the announcement of an MOU with Iran that U.S. intelligence indicated that Tehran was unlikely to make Washington’s desired nuclear concessions; Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly raised concerns about the agreement, while Vice President JD Vance, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner backed the deal…
The Wall Street Journal reports that Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s personal attorney, joined the legal team of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who in 2024 was facing accusations of fraud by the Justice Department…
Axios spotlights the outsized role that Epshteyn plays in the White House, noting that Trump jokingly calls the lawyer “my psychiatrist” because of how often they speak…
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is backing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan over Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) in the state’s open Senate race; Klobuchar said that though she was “friends with both,” she was backing Flanagan because the two appear together on the state’ Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ticket…
The Washington Post quietly removed two recently republished op-eds authored by a former Daily Caller staffer who had published racist and antisemitic writings under a pseudonym on a white supremacist website…
The New York Times is reviewing pieces by Nicholas Kristof, after Semafor discovered that on at least a dozen occasions, the columnist had quoted and reported on individuals who had contributed to his 2021 Oregon gubernatorial campaign without disclosing the relationship…
Former George W. Bush administration official Joel Scanlon was announced on Monday as the new president and CEO of the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports…
The Hollywood Reporter spotlights Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan’s new restaurant Mish, which gives an updated take on classic Jewish deli fare…
A U.K. appeals court ruled that the government’s banning of the Palestine Action was lawful, calling London’s proscription of the activist group “justified and proportionate”…
Qatar plans to scale up its production of liquified natural gas after the Strait of Hormuz reopens, with a goal of restoring some 80% of its export capacity within two months; the moves comes after the Gulf nation’s Ras Laffan facility was damaged in an Iranian missile attack early in the war…
El Al inked a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide free high-speed internet to passengers traveling with the airline, beginning in 2027…
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir canceled a planned family trip to the U.S. amid challenges in obtaining a visa; Ben-Gvir, who has a history of criminal convictions in Israeli courts that could render him ineligible for a common ESTA visa, chose to forgo the trip after he was summoned to the U.S. Embassy to be fingerprinted…
Israel’s Defense Ministry accused organizers of the Eurosatory defense show in Paris of building walls around the booths of some Israeli defense technology firms, claiming that the companies had abided by a request from organizers to only display defensive weapons systems…
Pic of the Day
Pope Leo XIV met on Monday with a delegation from UJA-Federation of New York at the Vatican. Outgoing UJA CEO Eric Goldstein presented the pontiff with a menorah with an inscription expressing hope that the pope’s leadership “shine a bright light on unity, peace, tolerance, and human dignity for all.”
Birthdays
Singer-songwriter, Benjamin Lev Kweller turns 45…
Professor of theoretical physics at Stanford University, Leonard Susskind turns 86… Brigadier-general (ret.) in the IDF, then a member of Knesset, then chairman of Ha’aguda Lema’an Hachayal, a nonprofit IDF veterans group, Avigdor Kahalani turns 82… Former dean of Yeshiva College, U.S. ambassador to Egypt for President Bill Clinton, and U.S. ambassador to Israel for President George W Bush, Daniel C. Kurtzer turns 77… Professor at Nanjing University and China’s leading professor of Jewish studies, Xu Xin turns 77… Rickey Wolosky Palkovitz turns 77… Investigative reporter who worked for Newsweek, NBC News and then Yahoo News, Michael Isikoff turns 74… Principal executive at Kohn & Associates and chairman of the board of directors at ARMR Sciences Inc., he was the volunteer varsity and junior varsity boys and girls basketball coach at Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield, Mich., for more than three decades, Kenneth I. Kohn turns 73… UC Berkeley professor, Alison Gopnik turns 71… Professor of Jewish studies at the University of Freiburg (Germany), Gabrielle Oberhänsli-Widmer turns 69… Distinguished fellow in Jewish studies at Dartmouth College and visiting professor of modern Jewish studies at Harvard Divinity School, Shaul Magid turns 68… Southern California resident, Roberta Trachten-Zeve… Senior project executive at Kansas-based Stuart & Associates Commercial Flooring, Matthew Rafael Elyachar… Pulitzer Prize-winning business reporter and bestselling author, he is a past president of Washington Hebrew Congregation, David A. Vise turns 66… Former chair of the Broward County, Fla., JCRC, he is the co-founder of The Alliance of Blacks & Jews, Keith Wasserstrom… Actor, screenwriter, producer and director, Daniel Zelman turns 59… Senior correspondent for military and intelligence affairs for Yedioth Ahronoth, Ronen Bergman, Ph.D., turns 54… Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, Julie Rikelman turns 54… CEO and founder of NYC-based Marathon Strategies, Philip Keith (“Phil”) Singer… Israeli photographer, digital artist and artificial intelligence researcher, Dina Bova turns 49… Geographer and writer, Joshua Jelly-Schapiro turns 47… Comedian, actor and YouTuber with almost 100 million views, Adam Ray turns 44… Senior portfolio manager on the Jewish life and Israel grantmaking team at One8 Foundation, Alyssa Bogdanow Arens… Pitcher for Team Israel in the 2023 and 2026 World Baseball Classic tournaments, he has been a free agent since November 2025, Zachary D. “Zack” Weiss turns 34… Head video producer at Ocean One Media, Perry Chencin… Former catcher on Israel’s National Baseball Team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, now a senior consultant for EY, Tal Erel turns 30… Israeli artistic gymnast who won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Artem Dolgopyat turns 29…
Plus, Gruenbaum peaces out
Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images
Vessels are pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on May 5, 2026.
