Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX) are set to introduce legislation on Friday to investigate whether the Iran-linked Polisario Front, a paramilitary group that claims sovereignty over parts of the Western Sahara, can be designated as a terrorist organization.

The “Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act” is a companion bill to legislation introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and would require the administration to assess whether the Polisario Front is cooperating with Iran or its proxies and, if it is, designate it as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The administration would be required to submit an annual report to Congress on the extent of such cooperation.

The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Don Bacon (R-NE) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).

“The Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies are working overtime to open a new front against the United States and our allies, and the Polisario Front has become one of their instruments,” Gottheimer said in a statement.

“When a group takes drones and weapons from the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and coordinates with Iranian-backed terrorists, we should call it exactly what it is: a terrorist organization,” Gottheimer continued. “This bipartisan bill makes sure that once that cooperation is confirmed, we can bring the full weight of America’s counterterrorism sanctions down on the Polisario Front and cut its leaders off from the global financial system, international travel, and the resources they use to threaten us and our allies.”

The legislation is also backed by FDD Action.

“FDD Action supports efforts to designate the Polisario Front which has been armed and trained by elements of Iran’s IRGC and Hezbollah. This important legislation would require the State Department to report on the Polisario Front’s activities including weapons trafficking and the use of armed drones against civilian targets,” Tyler Stapleton, the group’s senior director of government relations, said in a statement.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) separately introduced a similar bill last year that aims to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist group, which currently has 13 Republican and 2 Democratic cosponsors.

Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced a bill on Tuesday that directs the State Department to work with U.S. allies to dismantle and replace the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

The “Replace UNRWA with Real Humanitarian Assistance Act” would give the secretary of state 180 days to submit a “comprehensive strategy, coordinated with international partners and allies,” to dismantle UNRWA, including a detailed timeline for the wind-down, identification of governmental or non-governmental entities responsible for taking over UNRWA’s portfolio, a funding plan and a transition plan.

The secretary would be required to begin implementing the plan within a year of submitting the strategy.

The legislation also demands oversight, accountability and neutrality mechanisms. 

The bill requires that “no interruption of critical humanitarian services occurs” during the transition period.

“UNRWA has repeatedly failed to meet the basic standards of accountability and neutrality that the international community should expect from any humanitarian organization,” Lawler said in a statement. “Humanitarian aid must reach those who need it, not strengthen organizations that undermine peace and security. This legislation provides a responsible path to replace UNRWA with trustworthy partners while ensuring critical humanitarian assistance continues uninterrupted.”

Groups including AIPAC, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Christians United for Israel and FDD Action are supporting the bill.

“UNRWA is a deeply compromised organization that is beyond any capability for reform. It’s time for the U.S. to implement a serious plan to eliminate and replace UNRWA once and for all,” AIPAC said in a statement.

Matt Kenney, JINSA’s vice president of government affairs, said that UNRWA “has forfeited any claim to serve as a credible humanitarian partner in the Middle East,” citing the organization’s ties to terrorism. UNRWA employees were found to have participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and otherwise have ties to the terror organization.

“UNRWA does not resettle refugees; UNRWA recruits refugees. How an organization continues to exist for over half a century, despite receiving billions of dollars from the American taxpayer, yet has not managed to resettle one single refugee is beyond me,” CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Hagee Parker said in a statement. She called UNRWA an “institutional failure.”

In the wake of a trifecta of victories by far-left candidates in New York City primaries on Tuesday — in addition to several other radical insurgents expected to join the House next year — Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), a leading moderate Democrat, said that Democrats of his ilk need to stand firm and push back.

Gottheimer told Jewish Insider on Wednesday that he’s concerned the incoming Democratic Socialists of America-aligned lawmakers will be coming to Washington to “wreak havoc in Congress,” rather than focusing on affordability and protecting national security, and warned they will try to “hold the party hostage” to their socialist views.

“Common-sense Democrats will fight back … when they try to push some part of their socialist agenda, whether that’s anti-cop, anti-American, we’ll stand up and block it. I’m not going to allow the party to be hijacked by a bunch of socialist agenda,” Gottheimer said.

Right-wing Republicans have repeatedly leveraged the narrow House majority held by their own party in the past two congressional sessions to hijack the House floor and force concessions out of House leadership, and some fear that the growing far-left bloc will emerge as a similar phenomenon — akin to a  Democratic version of the Freedom Caucus.

“It will lead to more gridlock and dysfunction, and hard-working families will pay the price for this,” Gottheimer said. “The socialists have put their own personal hatred above our national security and our promises to our allies. And I think we’ve got to call out hate when we see it, we’ve got to fight to keep our party from being hijacked by socialists.”

He argued that the socialist wing is not the majority of the party, but it does represent a growing faction.

“It’s a growing cancer, and we can’t let it spread, and we cannot ignore it,” Gottheimer said. One part of that, he continued, is rejecting efforts to make Israel policy and antisemitism a litmus test on the campaign trail.

Gottheimer said he was particularly disturbed by an incident in the final days of the New York primary campaign in which a Brooklyn coffee shop told Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) he was unwelcome and publicly attacked Goldman on social media over his views on Israel. He said that there is clearly antisemitism at play in the broader movement that helped drive the far-left primary victories in New York.

“When no one says anything after a member of Congress is told by a small business you’re not welcome here because you’re Jewish … that speaks to a larger problem,” Gottheimer said.

Gottheimer said the Tuesday primaries were a win for those who “hate America and hate the U.S.-Israel [relationship].”

“This was a night where bomb throwers won, and problem solvers lost,” Gottheimer said. “Those who believe deeply in supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship, but beyond that, believe deeply in fighting antisemitism — your candidates didn’t win.”

Other moderate Democrats, such as Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), are also calling for the moderate wing of the party to get organized and mobilize in the face of increasing successes by socialists, arguing that centrists have been caught flat-footed and complacent by an increasingly coordinated far left.

Suozzi and Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA) recently launched a new effort, The Promise to America, to bring together moderates.

The effort is built around a pledge to embrace capitalism and reject socialism, support moderation and reject extremism, support security locally and internationally, work toward fiscal discipline, support government competence and solutions and embrace patriotism.

On Thursday, the group announced that Gottheimer and Reps. Laura Gillen (D-NY), Don Davis (D-NC), Kristin McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) and Susie Lee (D-NV) had also signed the pledge, joined by Democratic House candidates Jessica Killin, Jamie Ager, Bobby Pulido, Marlene Galán Woods and Paul Barringer.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) have been circulating 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 has learned.

The resolution calls on the Lebanese government and the Lebanese Armed Forces to “ensure Lebanese Hezbollah immediately ceases all attacks and disarms in accordance with the ceasefire” that the U.S. brokered between Israel and Lebanon as the Lebanese terror group continues to threaten the deal. 

It also states that Hezbollah’s attacks on the Jewish state “serve the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran, that has committed to the destruction of America’s ally Israel.”

“The Lebanese people have made clear that they do not wish to live under the influence of the Iranian regime, and the United States stands with the Lebanese people in their desire for a sovereign, stable, and peaceful Lebanon,” the resolution reads. 

In the resolution, the lawmakers also push back on outside efforts, including by Iran, to determine the future of Lebanon — a criticism that has been leveled against the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.

“The House of Representatives reaffirms, consistent with the June 3, 2026 Joint Statement, that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments and rejects any attempt by any state or non-state actor, including Iran or Lebanese Hezbollah, to deny the Lebanese people their sovereignty and freedom,” the resolution continues.

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee proposed providing $315 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2027, a slight increase from 2026 funding levels but far below the $1 billion that supporters of the program in the House and Jewish and other faith communities have called for.

The 2026 funding bill contains $300 million for the program, a marginal increase from 2025 levels. But the program has been subject to significant procedural delays — funding from the 2025 tranche has still not yet been disbursed, and the timeline for 2026 applications remains uncertain.

In 2024 — the most recent year for which data is publicly available — applicants requested $978 million in federal funding, and less than half of applications were funded with a pool of $454.5 million available.

“Any increase in Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding is welcome, but this proposed appropriation is not enough,” Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), who led a letter to appropriators calling for $1 billion in funding, told JI. “I’ll keep pushing to fund the NSGP at $1 billion so Americans can worship, gather, and serve their communities in safety.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said that the “math doesn’t add up” for the committee’s proposal. “When houses of worship are under threat, this is not the time to lowball our safety.”

Jewish groups also called the proposal appreciated, but vastly inadequate.

“This is a modest increase from last year, but we need more to keep our community safe in the face of the explosion in antisemitic threats,” Nathan Diament, the executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, said. “We will be working with our allies on the Appropriations Committee to increase this funding level.”

“We appreciate the House proposal to provide $315 million for NSGP, but the reality is that demand continues to far outpace available funding,” Dan Granot, senior director of government relations and community engagement for the Anti-Defamation League, said. “At a time of record antisemitism and heightened security concerns, Congress should fund NSGP at no less than $1 billion, reflecting the urgent needs of vulnerable communities across the country.”

Eric Fingerhut, the CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, said, “We are grateful for the support of the committee thus far but we will not be able to adequately address these threats until the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which is unable to cover even half of requests at current levels, reaches $1 billion.”

He said that JFNA will work with DHS and Congress to “fully fund” the program.

In recent appropriations cycles, the House has approved modest funding increases for the program as the funding bills have worked their way through committee and the House floor.

The Appropriations Committee released a separate bill on Thursday proposing a $1.5 million increase to the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program, to $10 million.

“We commend the House for proposing $10 million for the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program,” Fingerhut said. “This increased investment will help ensure that survivors, many of whom continue to face significant physical, emotional, and financial challenges, receive the specialized care and support they deserve.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) revealed on Tuesday that senior Emirati leaders expressed concern to him about rising antisemitism in the United States during his trip to the United Arab Emirates last week.

Gottheimer made the comments while appearing alongside Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) at the American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum in Washington, where the two delivered remarks to the crowd about their work combating antisemitism.

“I returned from the UAE a couple days ago, and one of the most shocking parts of my meeting with some of their senior leadership was when they said to me in the middle of the meeting, ‘What is going on with antisemitism in your country?’” said Gottheimer, who visited the Gulf nation in his capacity as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“Think about that: You have a leader of a Gulf nation saying to us, ‘What is going on with antisemitism in your country?’” he continued. “This is not who we are as a country, it’s not our values, it’s not what we’re based on, but it is the reality right now. We can beat this back, I know we can, and we must.”

The duo warned in their remarks that antisemitism has been normalized in U.S. politics, with both lawmakers referencing a recent incident involving Lawler being verbally accosted by William Paul, the adult son of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), at a bar on Capitol Hill last month.

“When you look at the challenges we are facing today politically in an ever-divided country, it is the Jewish Americans who are under attack — whether you talk about antisemitism, the fact that people are under attack simply for going to shul, going to Yeshiva, being physically violated. Hate crimes are on the rise when it comes to Jewish Americans,” Lawler said. “Sadly, this has been normalized in the halls of Congress. People are being elected to public office on both sides of the aisle that think it is okay to traffic in antisemitic tropes.”

Gottheimer noted that, “The good news about this moment in history is we can see the field clearly. We know who’s with us and who’s against us. We see the challenges, whether they’re in the halls of Congress or online, the massive disinformation being put out there, whether it’s by our foreign adversaries or people in the United States. We see what they’re doing and what their intentions are and what their tactics are.”

About the incident with Paul, Lawler told the crowd that he is “no stranger to experiencing antisemitism firsthand.”

Gottheimer also took a dig at the younger Paul while discussing “how shocking it is, of how blatantly naked it is, to be an antisemite right now in this country.”

“When you see the numbers — and it’s not just in a bar when Rand Paul’s son is accusing Mike of being a Jew, it’s in every corner of our country — those numbers are astounding,” Gottheimer said. “As we saw, antisemitic incidents are up 75% since the 7th [of October 2023]. There’s not a single Jew in America who can avoid this right now.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) visited the United Arab Emirates in his capacity as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence last week, meeting with National Security Advisor Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The trip included discussions on the war in Iran, regional security, artificial intelligence, energy security and rising antisemitism.

“The United States and the UAE are close partners, and I am grateful for the warmth our hosts extended throughout this trip,” Gottheimer said in a statement to JI. “The UAE has stood firm throughout Iran’s relentless missile and drone attacks on Emirati cities and demonstrated the enduring strength of the Abraham Accords by engaging in a deeper partnership with Israel than ever before. We are completely aligned that Iran cannot continue threatening its neighbors.”

Gottheimer said that he also had “productive discussions” on AI and energy cooperation, highlighting possibilities for “a partnership that will define the future of AI and energy innovation.”

Tahnoun said on X last week that the pair “reviewed the distinguished strategic relations between the UAE and the USA, and ways to strengthen cooperation in various fields of mutual interest. We also discussed regional and international issues, and affirmed the commitment of both friendly nations to deepening the strategic partnership in support of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.”

Gottheimer’s trip also included stops in Thailand and the Philippines, where he discussed Indo-Pacific security issues including China, North Korea and Iran.

Good Tuesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the latest in U.S.-Iran talks amid ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the war, and explore how Jewish and pro-Israel groups are approaching the future of Israel funding ahead of the expiration of the current U.S.-Israel MOU in 2028. We talk to Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz about Chris Rabb’s primary victory months after the Pennsylvania Democrat shared an antisemitic conspiracy theory about the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack, and report on Rep. Jake Auchincloss’ assertion that Graham Platner’s Nazi tattoo is “disqualifying” for an office-seeker. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Asher Luzzatto, Mendy Worch and Kirill Dmitriev.

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

• We’re monitoring news out of Washington and also out of Doha, Qatar, where Middle East officials, including an Iranian delegation, are meeting to continue talks aimed at ending the Iran war.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who spent the long weekend in India, said before departing for Armenia today — hours after the U.S. conducted what it said were defensive strikes overnight on Iranian targets — that negotiations were ongoing. “I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it’ll take a few days,” Rubio noted. “The president’s expressed his desire to make it. He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal.”
• Earlier this morning, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warned in a written statement that “From now on, the slogans ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ will be the dominant slogans of the Islamic nation and the oppressed people of the world. The United States will have no safe haven to spread evil and establish its military bases in the region.”
• We’re also keeping an eye on the Israel-Lebanon border following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive to “crush” Hezbollah, as well as Israel’s scaled-up attacks targeting parts of the country held by the Iran-backed terror group.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MELISSA WEISS

For many Americans, Memorial Day weekend marked the unofficial start of summer, with barbecues, weddings and trips to the beach. For President Donald Trump — who opted against attending his own son’s wedding in the Bahamas, citing “circumstances pertaining to Government” — the weekend was spent on calls with Middle East leaders and inching the U.S. closer to a deal with Iran.

The working assumption in Jerusalem and Washington last week — noted in our Daily Kickoff last Thursday — was that the White House preferred a deal with Tehran over a resumption of fighting, owing to increasing opposition to the war and a slew of recent GOP defections on war powers resolutions indicating concerns among Republicans that renewed military action could further damage the party’s midterm prospects.

That assumption was actualized over the weekend, with a series of Truth Social posts by Trump indicating that a deal was near, with the finer details yet to be ironed out. Among the details reportedly in the draft agreement: a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, a lifting of the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s commitment not to seek nuclear weapons as well as the disposal of its stockpile of enriched uranium and an end to fighting on every front — including Lebanon.

In a Truth Social post, Trump — who convened a call with a group of Arab leaders, and a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — said that he was “mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords,” suggesting that Saudi Arabia and Qatar should be the first new countries to normalize relations with Israel, followed by Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan (though the latter two have already enacted peace treaties with Israel, and Ankara and Jerusalem have diplomatic relations). 

The reported contours of the burgeoning agreement drew rebukes from hawkish Senate Republicans. “If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime — still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’ — now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said. Read more here.

But even as Washington and Tehran moved closer to a deal, the U.S. carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” on Iranian targets, including missile launch sites and vessels around the Strait of Hormuz. And in Lebanon, Israel ramped up strikes on Hezbollah targets, with Netanyahu vowing to “crush” the Iran-backed terror group.

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

PLANNING AHEAD

Pro-Israel groups grapple with the future of Israel funding

Late last month, AIPAC circulated a memo stressing its support for the current 10-year memorandum of understanding between the United States and Israel, which guarantees $3.8 billion in annual military aid and missile-defense funding to Israel through 2028. The memo was notable for what it left out: calling to negotiate a follow-up MOU — the future of which has been a topic of ongoing speculation among analysts and lawmakers beginning to think about the contours of a potential new agreement in a changing political landscape, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Winds of change: Jewish and pro-Israel groups seem at pains to clarify how they are assessing an issue that has long been key to their advocacy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for winding down U.S. financial aid over the next decade. Michael Makovsky, the president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said he believed Israel “made a mistake” in choosing to forgo U.S. financial aid. He suggested that the U.S. sign “one more” MOU with Israel to cover the next 10 years and help Israel replenish its munitions stocks amid the war against Iran, which he believes is key to advancing American interests in the region. “It zeroes down at the very end,” he explained to JI.

Read the full story here.

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DOUBLING DOWN

After Mills withdrawal, Auchincloss reiterates Platner’s Nazi tattoo ‘disqualifying’

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) said on Monday that Maine Democrat Graham Platner’s tattoo of a Nazi totenkopf was “disqualifying,” weeks after Gov. Janet Mills’ departed from the Democratic primary race, leaving Platner as the party’s presumptive nominee challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). 

What he said: “I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,” Auchincloss told CNN. “I hope Maine voters agree with me. I think it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to think that Graham Platner’s brand of the Democratic Party is what wins us durable majorities throughout this country.”

Read the full story here.

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CANDIDATE CRITIQUE

Moskowitz, Gottheimer concerned by Rabb’s primary victory following Bondi post

Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) expressed concerns about Chris Rabb’s Democratic congressional primary victory in Philadelphia last week, which is likely to send the Pennsylvania state legislator to Washington next year in a deep-blue district, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Point of concern: They expressed particular concern about a post shared on Rabb’s Instagram account that described the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney as a false flag operation, which Rabb’s campaign has attributed to an unnamed former staffer and disavowed. In a new statement to JI, Rabb pushed back, emphasizing his connections to the Jewish community and explaining that the post was shared by a former contractor with whom the campaign had cut ties, without his approval.

Read the full story here.

Scoop: Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and James Lankford (R-OK) wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin on Thursday urging him to take action to move forward stalled Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding, an issue both lawmakers raised with Mullin during his confirmation hearing.

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SCOOP

Janeese Lewis George’s political director shared videos calling Israel ‘evil’ and supporting BDS

The highest-paid staffer on Washington, D.C., mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George’s campaign has a social media history showing deep-seated hostility toward Israel and adherence to far-left views on the Middle East, according to a review of the staffer’s public posts, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Online presence: Makia Green, Lewis George’s political director, posts frequently on Instagram, often a mix of photos or videos of herself alongside TikTok videos that she downloads and shares to her own profile. In the months after the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, Green’s posts on Instagram, where she has 6,400 followers, regularly centered on anti-Israel advocacy. One video she shared in December 2023 called Israel an “imaginary state.” Another post that month featured a video with someone saying “Israel is a bitch, so evil.”

Read the full story here.

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CALLING OUT HATE

DCCC announces spending campaign against antisemitic Texas candidate, branding her ‘MAGA Maureen’

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced plans for a last-minute spending campaign against Maureen Galindo, an antisemitic Texas Democratic candidate who garnered condemnation this week for comments calling to imprison and castrate Zionists, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Ad boost: Texas’ primary is set for today and the race has garnered significant national attention in the past week after a local reporter shared Galindo’s comments about internment camps for Zionists. The DCCC is spending $34,000 on the ad spot, which describes her as “MAGA Maureen,” emphasizing an allegedly Republican-linked outside spending campaign to boost her campaign.

Read the full story here.

Switching seats: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) announced Friday that she plans to run in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, which has been represented by a Black lawmaker for more than three decades, after her current district was redrawn by Florida Republicans in an effort to secure more seats in the House, JI’s Marc Rod reports.

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STEPPING DOWN

DNI Tulsi Gabbard to resign, citing husband’s illness

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is resigning effective June 30, citing her husband’s recently diagnosed “extremely rare form of bone cancer,” she wrote in a resignation letter, Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss and Marc Rod report. “Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026,” she wrote in her letter, which was first reported by Fox News Digital. “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.”

Warm words: President Donald Trump posted Gabbard’s resignation letter publicly, and thanked Gabbard for her service. “Unfortunately, after having done a great job, Tulsi Gabbard will be leaving the Administration on June 30th,” Trump said. “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” Trump tapped Aaron Lukas, a longtime CIA official who got his start at the Cato Institute, to serve as acting DNI following Gabbard’s departure at the end of June.

Read the full story here.

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Worthy Reads

Dmitriev’s Detail: The Atlantic’s Robert Worth profiles Kirill Dmitriev, the Ukraine-born, U.S.-educated special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin who leads the country’s sovereign wealth fund and who has been tasked by Moscow to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war with White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “Putin chose Dmitriev for this job not only because of his reassuring American credentials — degrees from Stanford and Harvard Business School, work experience at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs — but because his profile matches that of his two main American interlocutors. He is an oligarch whose glamorous blond wife is close friends with Putin’s younger daughter. That makes him a virtual son-in-law of the ruler, and it may be the reason his real-estate holdings alone have soared from some $5 million to $100 million over the past decade.” [TheAtlantic]

Still Running for Something: Politico’s Ben Jacobs profiles Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as the New York Republican, who is not seeking reelection this year after a brief gubernatorial bid and having had her nomination to be U.N. ambassador pulled, considers her next political moves. “Further, Stefanik, who is Catholic, has become very popular among Jewish voters — a reputation burnished by her book on antisemitism. One Democratic operative marvelled at the reception that Stefanik received at a recent AIPAC event in New York City. ‘Guys who were good Democrats and regularly supported strong progressive candidates were on their feet cheering,’ says the operative, granted anonymity to speak frankly.” [Politico]

The Gift That Is Ben-Gvir: In an The Atlantic piece headlined “Israel’s Human Wrecking Ball,” Avi Issacharoff raises concerns about the reputational and societal damage to Israel he believes is being caused by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who last week was filmed berating Gaza flotilla participants in a since-viral video. “The latest provocation by Ben-Gvir proved something that many Israelis have suspected for years: Ben-Gvir is not merely a nightmare for Israeli liberals, but the fulfillment of the fantasies of Israel’s enemies. He provides them with precisely the ammunition they need to argue, time and again, that Israel, in its fight against Hamas and Hezbollah, is the aggressor, and a cruel one at that. Ben-Gvir is a gift to the terrorist groups and the countries that seek Israel’s destruction.” [TheAtlantic]

Owens’ Omissions: The Wall Street Journal‘s William McGurn questions Hunter Biden’s recent appearance on antisemitic conspiracy theorist Candace Owens’ podcast, during which Owens’ questions to the son of the former president focused heavily on Israel. “But not asking key questions about what was going on in the Biden White House is shirking a duty. There are still many questions that deserve answers, and they can be asked in a way that doesn’t attack former President Biden. One that comes to mind is whether Joe stayed on too long because his friends and family didn’t want him to step aside. Another has to do with all those snide digs on Israel. Maybe Ms. Owens could have asked Hunter if his father or Zohran Mamdani better represents the Democratic Party these days.” [WSJ]

The Trolling of America: In The New York Times, Jessica Brandt, who from 2023-2025 served as an official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, warns that Iran and other malign actors, such as China, are utilizing emerging internet technologies and trends. “But with the Lego-style videos and other satirical content, Iran and its supporters are using a different tool for influencing public opinion. It’s not disinformation. It’s not traditional war propaganda. It’s trolling. No one is being deceived because deception isn’t the point. Reach, ridicule and cultural resonance are. … Iran is exploiting a gap that our current defenses weren’t built to close. We need to address it before a more capable adversary decides to do the same.” [NYTimes]

Word on the Street

Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that the Lebanese government and Lebanese Armed Forces “need to step up and take immediate action to ensure Hezbollah is fully and permanently disarmed” or risk losing U.S. support…

In The New York Times, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) calls on the U.S. to recognize a Palestinian state “that is subject to clear benchmarks, including free and fair elections” while “ending taxpayer-funded support” for Israel; the Maryland Democrat also called for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel…

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) endorsed New Jersey doctor and anti-Israel activist Adam Hamawy in the race to succeed outgoing Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) in the state’s 12th Congressional District…

Federal officials are investigating whether antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker and other far-left activists, including CodePink’s Madea Benjamin, violated U.S. sanctions during their recent trip to Cuba…

An investigation by the Colorado Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and the city’s police chief, through their refusal to tamp down on demonstrators at the anti-Israel encampment at the city’s Auraria Campus, which hosts several state and city colleges, violated Jewish students’ civil rights…

Former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil plans to appeal to the Supreme Court last week’s decision by an appellate court not to review his case as the anti-Israel campus protest leader continues to fight the government’s deportation case against him…

The Wall Street Journal looks at developer Asher Luzzatto’s efforts to convert unused office space in downtown Denver into more than 1,000 housing units and mixed-use spaces…

The Wexner Foundation told alumni on Thursday that it will spin off its flagship leadership programs into an independent nonprofit, marking a major development within the Jewish philanthropic landscape that comes as the foundation’s benefactor, Les Wexner, continues to face pushback for his past ties to financier Jeffrey Epstein, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports…

Pope Leo XIV cautioned of the dangers of artificial intelligence in a new encyclical letter, comparing this juncture of its advancement to the choice “between constructing [the Tower of] Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem” after the Babylonian exile, which he described as a collaborative effort “with God at the center”…

Australia’s royal commissioner investigating antisemitism in the country warned against harassing and intimidating witnesses who have given testimony about their experiences with antisemitism…

Federal prosecutors in Germany filed charges against a Danish national accused of operating as an agent of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who, with support from the IRGC’s Quds Force, allegedly planned to attack leaders of Germany’s Jewish community as well as Jewish grocery stores in Berlin…

The New York Post reports that Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, the Iraqi national arrested in Turkey on charges of planning attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets, had also plotted to assassinate Ivanka Trump in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s 2020 strike that killed Al-Saadi’s mentor, Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani…

The head of Iran’s national soccer association said that the national team’s World Cup training base was moved from the U.S. to Tijuana, Mexico, after previously being assigned to Tucson, Ariz….

Haaretz reports that Shin Bet head David Zini traveled to the United Arab Emirates to meet with Mohammed Dahlan, a rival of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who has ties to members of the Palestinian technocratic group helping to administer Gaza…

Semafor spotlights Qatari minister Ali Al Thawadi, who represents Doha on the Gaza Executive Board, as the official plays a quiet but influential role in Middle East policy and Doha’s diplomatic dealings, including in efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war… 

Etihad will add a sixth daily flight from Abu Dhabi to Israel next month for a total of 42 flights per week, making Israel the destination to which the airline has the most weekly flights…

Speaking on Sunday at an event honoring the winners of the Jerusalem Unity Prize, Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the normalization of “a terrible process of brutalization,” amid ongoing settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and reports of brutality against Palestinian detainees…

Israeli software company Wix plans to lay off approximately 1,000 employees — roughly 20% of its staff — in the coming months, amid plummeting stock values and rising costs related to the company’s early adoption of AI technologies…

Israel-Canadian legal scholar and political scientist Ran Hirschl died at 62…

Manny Nosowsky, a New York Times crossword creator who had a first career as a urologist, died at 94…

Pic of the Day

Singer Mendy Worch released the video for his song “Jungle,” featuring TYH Boys. Worch said the song was inspired by a teaching from his rabbi, who shared his grandfather’s wisdom that “you don’t need to fix the whole giant jungle at once. If you just light up your own little corner, that light will start to spread. It will travel further and further until it fills the entire world.”

Birthdays

Journalist and educator, the mother of Janet (anthropologist and UCSF professor), Anne (co-founder of 23andMe) and the late Susan (former CEO of YouTube), Esther Hochman Wojcicki turns 85…

Public speaker, teacher and author of dozens of books on the English language, he writes a weekly column that is syndicated in newspapers throughout the U.S., Richard Lederer turns 88… Member of the House of Representatives (D-IL) since 1999, she is not seeking reelection this year, Janice Danoff “Jan” Schakowsky turns 82… Former SVP of News at NPR, after a lengthy career at the New York Daily News, The New York Times and the Associated Press, Michael Oreskes turns 72… Co-founder and CEO of Mobileye which he sold to Intel in 2017, he is also a professor at Hebrew University, Amnon Shashua turns 66… NYC real estate developer, past chair and board member of The Charles H. Revson Foundation and a former commissioner on the NYC Planning Commission, Cheryl Cohen Effron… Former brigadier general in the IDF, she has been a member of the Knesset for the Likud since 2009, currently serving as minister of transportation, Miriam “Miri” Regev turns 61… Counsel in the government affairs practice of Paul Hastings, Dina Ellis Rochkind… Photographer, her work has appeared in galleries and been published in books, Naomi Harris turns 53… Communications strategist at O’Connell & Goldberg, Eileen Esther Alkabes… South Florida entrepreneur, Sholom Zeines… Senior program officer for media and communications at Maimonides Fund, Rebecca Friedman… Former minor league baseball player, he has become one of the leading agents for NBA players, with five contracts of over $100 million each, Jason Glushon turns 41… Author of a book on the 1929 origins of the current Arab-Israeli conflict, Yardena Schwartz… CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Mark Goldfeder… Co-founder of Stories Abroad Tours and consultant on policy and advocacy for progressive causes, Arielle Gingold… Assistant professor of law at Wayne State University Law School, Benjamin L. Cavataro… Toronto-born Israeli actor and singer, best known as the protagonist of the Israeli television series “Split,” Melissa Amit Farkash turns 37… Senior manager of strategic partnerships and engagement at U.S. Pharmacopeia, Morgan A. Jacobs… Catcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, he played for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Garrett Patrick Stubbs turns 33… Eytan Merkin… 

Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) expressed concerns about Chris Rabb’s Democratic congressional primary victory in Philadelphia this week, which is likely to send the Pennsylvania state legislator to Washington next year in a deep-blue district.

They expressed particular concern about a post shared on Rabb’s Instagram account that described the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney as a false flag operation, which Rabb’s campaign has attributed to an unnamed former staffer and disavowed. 

In a new statement to Jewish Insider, Rabb pushed back, emphasizing his connections to the Jewish community and explaining that the post was shared by a former contractor with whom the campaign had cut ties, without his approval.

Moskowitz noted that mass shootings are a particularly personal topic for him given that he graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of one of the largest school shootings in U.S. history.

“I had a shooting at my high school, 14 kids were killed, three adults. [Former Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene called that a false flag event. To see someone on my side of the aisle see a mass shooting and call it a false flag is obviously tremendously disappointing,” Moskowitz told JI on Thursday.

He said that such rhetoric also feeds into a cycle of escalation that leads to comments like those from antisemitic Texas Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo, who called for imprisoning and castrating Zionists.

“How did we get here?” Moskowitz asked. “It’s because of statements like [Rabb] said, and statements that many other people say, and the stuff that goes online. It’s the constant escalatory behavior.” 

Gottheimer said he was “deeply concerned about the things [Rabb] has said and shared” as well as “who he campaigned with,” naming Hasan Piker, the far-left streamer who has repeatedly espoused antisemitic sentiments and support for terrorism in particular.

“Whether that was some sort of campaign gimmick or his deeply felt beliefs — we’ll see,” Gottheimer said.

Rabb pushed back hard in a lengthy statement to JI, again denying any knowledge of the Bondi Beach post.

“The Bondi Beach Instagram story was reposted to my account without my knowledge or consent by a vendor with whom my campaign has severed ties. Accusations to the contrary are extraordinarily troubling because they misrepresent my deep and enduring commitment to combatting antisemitism and standing with the Jewish community here in Philadelphia and around the world. There is no place for such destructive and shameful hate,” Rabb said. “I have never and would never support any such heinous conspiracy theories.”

Rabb also emphasized longtime connections to the Jewish community — growing up in a Black and Jewish neighborhood and working with Jewish communities during his time in office to fight white Christian nationalism and bigotry, and noted the longtime alliance between the Black and Jewish communities to fight racism.

“These accusations ignore my life-long connection to the Jewish community amid multi-generationial ties to Jewish friends and neighbors borne of shared struggle and resistance to systems of harm,” Rabb continued. “I am proud that Philadelphia’s Jewish community was at the heart of my campaign – including many volunteers and staff, all the way up to our campaign manager. In Congress, I will do everything in my power to prevent violence against Jewish folks — or any other people — because I firmly believe in protecting and supporting the safety and equality of all.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who endorsed Rabb, defended him.

“I was concerned about [the Bondi Beach post], but they said it was someone on the staff and he disowned it immediately. He disavowed it,” Raskin said. “I spent some time with him, and he’s a very smart and thoughtful and decent guy.”

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said on Wednesday that they would seek to expel Maureen Galindo, a Democrat running for Congress in Texas who has expressed extreme antisemitic views, if she is elected.

Their comments mark an escalation among Democrats condemning Galindo since comments by the House candidate, in which she called for the interment and castration of Zionists, gained widespread attention.

“If for some reason, Maureen Galindo wins the Congressional election in TX-35, as soon as she is sworn in, we will force a vote to expel her every single day we are here,” Gottheimer and Moskowitz said in a joint statement. “Maureen’s insane, antisemitic views — including putting Americans in concentration camps — have no place in our Party or country.”

Moskowitz added in a post on X about Galindo, “My grandmother was part of the Kindertransport out of Berlin. Her parents were killed in Auschwitz. My kids are never going to ‘the camps.’”

He made a similar comment, and expounded on the situation, during a House hearing earlier in the day, describing Galindo’s comments as a logical escalation of attacks on Jewish and pro-Israel Americans and U.S. support for Israel, which have become increasingly common in Democratic politics.

“We’ve gone from, ‘Oh there’s Americans who donate to elected officials that are AIPAC,’ and then it’s ‘ok, Netanyahu,’ and then it’s ‘ok, maybe we shouldn’t support foreign money,’ and ‘ok, now we’re going to call all these people Zionists.’ And now we’re at concentration camps,” Moskowitz said. “By the way, we got to concentration camps much faster than I thought we would, but here we are. And it’s real scary.” 

“People are scared. People don’t want to show their Jewish stars anymore, they’re moving into neighborhoods just to be around other Jews because they’re concerned,” he continued.

Galindo came in first place in the March 3 primary race, leading sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia, despite Garcia being the party-backed candidate. Since the primary, a host of national Democratic groups, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Majority for Israel, have been boosting Garcia ahead of a runoff race.

But Lead Left PAC, a secretive GOP-linked super PAC, has been airing ads backing Galindo with close to $1 million in outside spending ahead of next week’s runoff.

Galindo had previously made numerous antisemitic comments, including claiming that Jews “own Hollywood” and “worship at the synagogue of Satan,” but her comments about placing Zionists into concentration camps gained greater attention.

All Jewish Democratic House lawmakers joined in another joint statement on Wednesday to condemn the “vile, bigoted, and antisemitic views spewed by the desperate and unhinged Maureen Galindo,” which they said “[merit] no safe harbor anywhere in American politics, and for sure not in the Democratic Party.” In a first, the group expressed their joint support for Garcia.

They also said they were “appalled” by reports of a GOP-linked super PAC supporting Galindo, “shamefully embracing and elevating her disgusting antisemitic views and ideas.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin also condemned Galindo.

“This kind of vile, antisemitic rhetoric has no place in the Democratic Party,” Martin said. “No matter someone’s political party, we must confront and stand up to hate wherever and whenever it appears.”

A group of Texas Democratic Party leaders, including the state party chair, also condemned Galindo on Wednesday.

“Antisemitism and hateful rhetoric have no place in the Democratic Party or in our communities. Maureen Galindo’s comments do not reflect our values as Democrats or Texans,” their statement reads. “The Texas Democratic Party and its county parties remain committed to standing against antisemitism in all its forms.”

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) urged the Jewish and pro-Israel communities to go on the offensive against antisemitism and anti-Israel attacks, in remarks on Wednesday at an event hosted by the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 78th anniversary of Israel’s founding. 

Both lawmakers said they were fed up with constant attacks against the Jewish and pro-Israel communities — and against themselves and other pro-Israel lawmakers personally — for their stances, and urged the audience to forcefully push back and put those attacking the Jewish community and Israel on the defensive.

“No defense, only offense,” Gottheimer said. “I am sick and tired of people apologizing, of making excuses. We should feel proud of the U.S.-Israel relationship, of the independence, of what it’s done for America, of the bipartisan nature, historically, of the relationship and thank God we have Israel to help us fight terror, to stand for freedom and to stand for democracy.”

Moskowitz emphasized that lawmakers who support Israel are being held to a drastically different standard than they are about any other global conflict, just as, he argued, Israel is held to a different standard than other countries.

“We have to stop the defense. We as Jews feel like, ‘Oh, if we just educate them, if we just educate people, if we just give them the information, if we just talk to them, they’ll finally understand,’” Moskowitz said. “We have to flip the script. It’s enough of defending what Israel does. … We have to make the other side defend.”

He said that members of Congress should be grilled aggressively on their support for and relationships with extreme figures such as Hasan Piker and Tucker Carlson, and they should be forced to defend or justify the stances such figures have taken.

“We need all of you … to stand up, to fight back, to play offense, whether that’s against Hasan Piker, whether it’s Candance Owens, we need to make it very clear that’s not going to fly. You’re not going to mess with us. We’re coming for you,” Gottheimer agreed.

Other speakers at the event included Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter. Wright drew comparisons between President Harry Truman’s decision to recognize the state of Israel and President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran.

“The United States and Israel will prevail, and we will remove a massive threat, and we will bring years and decades of peace, prosperity and restoring confidence in the economic, social and cultural progress of this awesome region, the Middle East, anchored by the state of Israel,” Wright said.

He paid homage to Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, the two Israeli Embassy staffers gunned down last year in an antisemitic attack at the Capital Jewish Museum, not far from the location of Wednesday night’s event.

Wright also highlighted Israel’s technological and energy sector successes and innovations.

Other lawmakers in attendance at the event included Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Randy Fine (R-FL), Don Bacon (R-NE), Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC).

Other administration officials who attended the event included Sebastian Gorka, Josh Gruenbaum and Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun.

The annual event also included, for the first time, a dance floor, DJ and live music, to highlight and celebrate the end of the yearslong Gaza hostage crisis — following through on a slogan that emerged following the Hamas massacre at the Nova Music Festival on Oct.7, 2023: “We will dance again.”

A House resolution set to be introduced on Wednesday by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) condemns far-left streamer Hasan Piker and far-right podcaster Candace Owens for spreading antisemitism.

The resolution denounces “antisemitic hate-filled rhetoric and content disseminated by prominent online personalities, and urg[es] social media platforms and public leaders to denounce and address such conduct.” 

Piker, the resolution states, “has often used antisemitic rhetoric, including expressing support for Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization,” outlining a series of antisemitic and pro-Hamas comments by the far-left influencer, who has campaigned with and hosted several progressive Democratic congressional candidates and lawmakers on his stream.

Owens, the resolution states, “has employed rhetoric that has included conspiracy theories accusing Israel of controlling the United States Government, promoting false claims that Jews are taught by ancient religious texts to hate non-Jews, and casting doubt on the truth of the stories of Holocaust survivors.”

The resolution outlines a series of antisemitic comments by Owens, including that the United States is composed of “satanic pedophiles who work for Israel,” dismissing Nazi atrocities and promoting the blood libel against Jews.

It states that online influencers have a “responsibility” to avoid promoting antisemitic views, urges social media platforms to enforce policies against hate speech and stop the spread of antisemitism and calls on leaders to “unequivocally condemn antisemitism, including when it is propagated by high-profile media figures and influencers.”

“Efforts to downplay or excuse antisemitic rhetoric under the guise of political commentary should be rejected,” the resolution continues. Some on the far-left have defended Piker along such lines.

The legislation highlights that antisemitism online can contribute to and fuel violence in the physical world including intimidation and harassment against Jews, citing social media platforms as a significant driver of the recent rise in antisemitic incidents.

An AI-generated Instagram account, which featured a fake Orthodox rabbi spreading antisemitic conspiracies to its more than 1.4 million followers, was taken offline over the weekend following major backlash from Jewish groups and one Democratic lawmaker — yet several similar, hate-peddling accounts have emerged with little to no public action from Meta.

An account called “Rabbi Goldman” “uses fake, AI-created authority figures to spread hate” in “a troubling and growing tactic,” according to a report published last week by Combat Antisemitism Movement. 

The account, which was taken offline after the report was released, featured videos such as one in which the “rabbi,” wearing a tuxedo and seemingly seated in a luxury airplane, claims that Jews utilize empty private jets to evade taxes. A community note attached to the clip reads, “This is an AI generated rabbi who is trying to scam you by selling a fake 9$ get rich handbook. This account is ran by scammers based in south India.”

Several new Rabbi Goldman accounts started posting similar videos within the past two weeks — two already have followings of 18,500 and 10,000. Both remain active on Instagram and their bios state, “only Backup account for @rabbigoldman” and “old account got banned.” 

The CAM report identified 12 AI-generated “rabbis” with a combined following of 2.1 million Instagram users, all of which promote classic antisemitic stereotypes. Many of the accounts remain active on the platform even after the Rabbi Goldman account was removed. 

One account called “Rabbi Rothstein,” for example, with more than 57,000 followers, has posted more than 100 videos since February. In one video, “Rabbi Rothstein” states that “us Jews teach our children that being liked is expensive but being respected is profitable,” an apparent reference to the antisemitic trope that Jews are money obsessed. Another video also claims that Jews evade taxes, by purchasing expensive art. 

Lawmakers have been pushing for more oversight regarding online antisemitism from Meta — which is the parent company of Instagram, as well as Facebook and WhatsApp — for years. In 2024, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers condemned Meta, and its oversight board, for ruling that the phrase “From the river to the sea” does not violate the social media company’s rules against hate speech, violence and incitement.

In response to Jewish Insider’s coverage of the Instagram accounts, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) called for oversight. “This is disgusting, dangerous, and exactly why we need increased accountability online to prevent the spread of misinformation and pure, flat-out hate,” he wrote on X. “These AI-generated rabbis and their antisemitic BS have real consequences.” 

Meta did not respond to several requests for comment from JI asking about its decision to take the Rabbi Goldman account offline — whether it was shut down or suspended — and whether there will be a crackdown on similar accounts. 

Last year, Meta received pushback from Jewish leaders when it introduced a new community-driven fact-checking system, ending its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with a system modeled after the community notes feature on Elon Musk’s X. Some Jewish leaders expressed concern that the move would “open the floodgates to content” that could target Jewish communities and individuals, and called the decision a “step back” in the fight against rising antisemitism.

As the Democratic Party’s internal schism over Israel policy continues to deepen, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading 2028 presidential contender, for recent comments characterizing Israel as an apartheid state and questioning future military aid.

“These comments are not only wrong, but they are dangerous and will feed more antisemitism in our country,” Gottheimer said on X this weekend. “Is it really worth throwing Jews under the bus to advance your political ambitions?”

Newsom and other 2028 contenders, including some who have strong pro-Israel voting records and close ties with the Jewish community, have increasingly shifted left on the U.S.-Israel relationship amid pressure and scrutiny from the progressive wing of the party.

Newsom, whose staff met with Jewish leaders in California after he made the comments, said subsequently that he was speaking about a potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank in reference to a February column by The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman that used the term “apartheid.”

As the U.S.-Israel air war against Iran continues, the Senate and House are set to vote this week on war powers resolutions that would aim to cut the U.S. operations short.

The resolutions, led by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) and Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), respectively, were originally introduced before the war began, in an effort to block military action and signal dissatisfaction with the then-looming war.

Now, the resolutions, if passed, would force the administration to end the nascent war, withdraw forces and cease operations against the Iranian regime.

It’s almost certain that the resolution will not pass the Senate; the House vote may be closer but it is also not likely to pass. And even if the resolutions were to pass, they would not have the two-thirds support necessary to overcome an inevitable presidential veto.

But the resolution will be an opportunity for Democrats — and a small number of Republicans — to go on record demonstrating their opposition to the war and dissatisfaction with the administration’s approach.

Democrats, even lawmakers like Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) who are relatively hawkish on Iran and have offered some positive feedback about the ongoing operations, are expected to  mostly vote for the war powers resolution.

They have cited concerns about the administration’s failure to brief Congress at large about its plans before launching the war, its decision not to seek congressional authorization for the operations and what they say is the administration’s failure to make the case for war to the American public.

Lawmakers are reportedly set to receive classified briefings on the war on Tuesday from Cabinet and other senior administration officials.

A small number of Democrats will likely vote against the resolutions, such as Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), an outspoken supporter of the war against Iran, and Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), who backed limited operations against Iran and said yesterday he would oppose the resolution.

Two other Democrats, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), had said before the war started that they would oppose the war powers resolutions, but haven’t specified their plans now that active combat operations are underway.

The key difference between the text of the Senate and House resolutions is language in the Senate version specifically permitting the U.S. to continue intelligence sharing with and providing military aid for Israel and other allies. The House bill does not contain any such language, a potential issue for some supporters of Israel.

Most Republicans, with the exception of some isolationist-leaning lawmakers like Paul, Massie and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), have been offering full-throated support for the Trump administration’s actions and are likely to vote against the war powers resolutions.

Kaine said he expects the Senate vote will happen on Tuesday or Wednesday. The House isn’t set to reconvene until Wednesday, with a vote likely set for Wednesday or Thursday.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) told Jewish Insider on Friday afternoon that he’ll vote against a resolution blocking military action against Iran, expected to come to a vote on the House floor next week.

Moskowitz joins Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who issued a joint statement with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) earlier in the day, as the only Democrats who are thus far publicly opposing the war powers resolution, which Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) plan to introduce. 

Gottheimer and Moskowitz are among the strongest Democratic Iran hawks in the House, but others could join the two.

“I am a no [vote]. I am not willing to preemptively tell the supreme leader that he has nothing to worry about, no reason to negotiate because you are totally safe, and that the people of Iran can’t depend on us. They should just rename it the Ayatollah Protection Act because that’s what it does,” Moskowitz told JI.

In their joint statement, Gottheimer and Lawler emphasized that Iran poses a threat to the United States and to global stability through its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, efforts to “aggressively” reconstitute its ballistic missile arsenal and sponsorship of global terrorism, and said the regime is “waging war on its own people.”

“This record represents only a fraction of Iran’s long pattern of aggression, and it makes clear why we must preserve the ability to defend our troops and our homeland,” Gottheimer and Lawler said. “We stand with the Iranian people who are demanding basic rights and dignity, and we are committed to protecting them from the regime’s savagery.”

“That is why we oppose the Massie-Khanna War Powers Resolution to prohibit the use of force against Iran,” They continued. “We respect and defend Congress’s constitutional role in matters of war. Oversight and debate are absolutely vital. However, this resolution would restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks signaling weakness at a dangerous moment.”

The lawmakers called for the administration to brief Congress on any planned military action in compliance with the law, but said that “Congress must not limit our ability to protect Americans and our allies.”

Most House Democrats have been vigorously urging the Trump administration against military action against Iran, and are expected to support the resolution. It’s unclear whether any other House Republicans will support the resolution.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who broke with most Republicans to support a similar resolution blocking further military action in Venezuela, signaled last week he is likely to oppose the Iran war powers resolution and expressed outright support for military action.

“I’ll study the bill before committing on how I’ll vote. But I do think the President must take military action. He promised the Iranians that we would support them if they stood up against the regime,” Bacon said in a statement. “The Iranians did and now an estimated 50,000 people have been executed. There cannot be empty promises.”

Several other House Democrats who have records of breaking with their party on Middle East issues or who supported last summer’s U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not preview how they plan to vote when asked by JI on Friday.

Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY), a hawkish moderate Democrat from Long Island, didn’t offer a definitive stance on the vote.

“The Iranian regime is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, brutally oppresses its own people, and can never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons to threaten the U.S. and our ally Israel,” Gillen told JI. “Only Congress has the responsibility to decide whether to declare war, and given the risks to American troops in the region, the Administration should immediately brief Congress on its strategy on Iran.”

Reps. Greg Meeks (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA) and Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence Committees issued a joint statement Friday “strongly oppos[ing] preemptive military action against Iran, which endangers U.S. personnel and risks drawing Israel and Gulf partners into a wider conflict.”

They called for continued diplomacy and said that the U.S. should not walk away from the talks for “a short-term, unauthorized show of military force that leaves Americans less secure,” adding that any decision to take military action must be approved by Congress.

New Jersey’s Democratic congressional delegation has fully lined up behind progressive activist and congressional candidate Analilia Mejia — with the exception of Rep. Josh Gottheimer.

After both of the state’s senators and several members of the congressional delegation endorsed Mejia earlier this week, most of the remaining Democratic holdouts, including Reps. Donald Norcorss, Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou, joined their colleagues on Thursday in a joint statement endorsing Mejia in both the April special general election and the June regular primary.

Gottheimer, in a statement to the New Jersey Globe, said, “Analilia and I have been in touch and I congratulated her on her win. I’m looking forward to sitting down with her and discussing issues important to Jersey and the families I represent,” but did not go as far as to offer his endorsement.

He did not provide comment to Jewish Insider.

Gottheimer is a prominent moderate and supporter of Israel, while Mejia has accused Israel of genocide.

In the joint statement shared by the Globe, the remaining New Jersey Democrats said, “Analilia Mejia is running for Congress to build an economy that works for working families, not just the billionaires and big corporations lining the Trump family’s pockets.”

The Associated Press called the race for Mejia on Thursday afternoon. She narrowly defeated former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), with former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill finishing a distant third and fourth, respectively.

The near-unified support for Mejia from Democratic leaders in the state will make it increasingly difficult for any other Democrat to challenge her in the June primary, which pro-Israel advocates have seen as their last chance to stop the progressive from winning a full term in Congress.

Way is reportedly considering another run in June.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Jared Golden (D-ME) blasted a roster of progressive groups for their silence regarding the Iranian regime’s violent crackdown on recent protests, following the organizations’ outspoken criticisms of Israel over the past two years.

In a letter sent on Monday addressed to the League of Conservation Voters, Democratic Socialists of America, Sierra Club, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Jewish Voice for Peace, Queers for Liberation, Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats, the lawmakers said that “as the Iranian regime guns down peaceful protesters, tortures dissidents, and shuts off the internet to hide its crimes, your voices are unfortunately and conspicuously silent.”

They said the groups had “shown no hesitation in loudly and unequivocally condemning our democratic ally Israel, after terrorists brutally raped, burned alive, decapitated, and murdered more than 1,200 people, including dozens of Americans.”

They called for the groups to speak out against the Iranian regime, in alignment with their own professed principles.

“The Iranian government is violently repressing its own people for demanding basic freedom and dignity. Silence in the face of such clear oppression is a failure to uphold the principles you claim to defend,” the letter continued. “If you claim to stand against oppression, your outrage cannot be selective.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who visited Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia over the weekend, said that the Gulf countries have yet to commit personnel to be directly involved in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, without which the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas cannot proceed.

Gottheimer visited Qatar and Bahrain alongside Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Jason Smith (R-MO) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX). Members of the delegation were photographed meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who also serves as the kingdom’s foreign affairs minister. 

“All the countries in the region who I’ve met with seem very eager to get to Phase 2. I think the question remains of which countries are willing to put boots on the ground and take the necessary steps to disarm Hamas,” Gottheimer said. “We’re all waiting for announcements on who that will be — that’s still the outstanding question … and what level of commitment.”

Building and staffing the ISF, he emphasized, is a “very important piece of the puzzle right now.”

Mullin briefly commented on the visit in a video posted to social media on Monday praising President Donald Trump for ordering the operation that deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last week. 

“I just got back from the Middle East. A little tired, but it was a good trip,” Mullin said from the steps of the U.S. Capitol. “We have a lot of investments coming into the United States and we want to make sure that Oklahoma is part of that.”

Gottheimer continued on to Saudi Arabia and Israel without the rest of the group. He said that there was not much direct discussion during his meetings in Saudi Arabia about normalization with Israel, though he believes that the ceasefire deal is a necessary prerequisite to an agreement between Riyadh and Jerusalem.

“I was much more focused on … how do we actually get to Phase 2? What does that look like? How do you think that functions?” Gottheimer said.

Visiting Israel and meeting with members of the U.S.-led Civil MIlitary Coordination Center overseeing the ceasefire, Gotthiemer said he saw “a lot of very constructive plans,” a “ton of progress” in preparing the Israeli-controlled “yellow zone” in Gaza for a transition and rebuilding and that sufficient humanitarian aid is flowing into Gaza. But he emphasized that it’s still unclear which countries will commit personnel on the ground to maintain order and disarm Hamas.

Gottheimer dismissed narratives that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he met on Monday in Jerusalem, is creating obstacles to moving forward with the ceasefire plan.

“I didn’t see that at all, both in talking to partners and in talking to the prime minister,” he said. “He was much more agreeable on the idea of getting to Phase 2, but the question of tactically how to disarm Hamas and who’s going to be on the ground to engage remains an elusive challenge.”

He said that partners, including Bahrain, are “eager to make it happen, but realize it’s challenging” because of the reluctance among Arab states to step forward.

In his conversation with Netanyahu, Gottheimer said that the prime minister highlighted that Iran’s “continued, aggressive ballistic missile posture … continues to be a significant issue.”

There has been increasing speculation in recent weeks that another round of conflict between Israel and Iran, and potentially the United States, could be on the horizon, with Iran making strides to rebuild its missile capacity.

According to a statement on the trip from Gottheimer’s office, he also discussed with Israeli officials Hezbollah’s failure to disarm, as required under the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal, its efforts to rearm and its continued threat to Israel.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) blasted the New Jersey Education Association on Monday over plans for an anti-Israel “Teaching Palestine” session scheduled during the union’s conference taking place this week.

“The individuals you have invited to teach our state’s educators about the Middle East and combating antisemitism have a clear bias against our key democratic ally, Israel, and the Jewish people,” Gottheimer wrote in a letter to NJEA President Steve Beatty. “The program presents a clear political narrative that promotes one side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a skewed view of antisemitism, while ignoring key historical facts. This type of biased content has no place in New Jersey classrooms, undermines our state’s values, and raises serious concerns about potential targeting of Jewish students and educators.”

According to Gottheimer’s letter, the instructor leading the session is affiliated with a group involved in pro-Hamas protests that have excused the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and blamed them on Israel. 

According to Gottheimer, the program for the session is based on a book that accuses Israel of using U.S. tax dollars to “oppress Palestinians,” that supporters of Israel use “false accusations of antisemitism to silence supporters of Palestinians,” describes Israel’s creation as “a colonial war waged against the indigenous population,” explicitly urges educators to teach their students to support boycotts of Israel, instructs teachers to stage reenactments using students to accuse Israel of “apartheid” and “settler colonialism” and attacks the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act, which is sponsored by Gottheimer.

One of the book’s co-authors was suspended by the Philadelphia school district after social media posts in which she “alluded to violence against Jewish parents,” according to the letter.

“These are not lessons in critical thinking grounded in fact, but the biased political stances of the book’s authors,” Gottheimer wrote in the letter. “The material itself reads less like an educational resource and more like an extremist political activist agenda.”

According to the registration page for the NJEA convention, teachers can receive professional development credit certificates for attending sessions at the conference.

Gottheimer and other New Jersey leaders have repeatedly criticized the NJEA over moves related to Israel, including appointing an individual with a history of antisemitic and pro-Hamas posts as the editor of the union’s magazine.

The NJEA’s parent organization, the National Education Association, has also faced scrutiny for anti-Israel and antisemitic moves including a vote — ultimately overturned — to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League. 

“New Jersey educators have a duty to teach facts, not ideology. Programs like ‘Teaching Palestine’ replace facts with bias and use our classrooms to push divisive, politicized agendas,” Gottheimer wrote in his letter. “Our children deserve to learn history based on facts, not bias. I urge the NJEA to immediately review the materials for ‘Teaching Palestine’ and remove any programming that spreads misinformation or undermines the core mission of public education. Classrooms should be places of learning — not platforms for political propaganda.”

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Rick Crawford (R-AR) will introduce a resolution later this week condemning Hamas for its “campaign of executions and intimidation against innocent Palestinians in Gaza” since the implementation of a ceasefire with Israel earlier this month, Jewish Insider has learned. 

Crawford is chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Gottheimer sits on the committee.

The bipartisan resolution criticizes Hamas’ actions against Gazans since the Oct. 10 ceasefire implementation date, accusing the terrorist group of attempting “to suppress dissent and reassert control over the territory, resulting in the deaths of scores of civilians.” 

“The House of Representatives condemns in the strongest terms the killings and acts of terror committed by Hamas against innocent Palestinians in Gaza,” it reads.

The resolution also “reaffirms the commitment of the United States to supporting the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and to advancing stability and peace for innocent civilians in Gaza.” 

Videos emerged in the days following the implementation of the ceasefire showing Hamas terrorists lining up and executing Palestinians in the streets of Gaza City, often on charges of “collaboration” with the enemy. Analysts described the killings as Hamas’ attempt to reassert itself as the dominant force in the Palestinian enclave following the withdrawal of Israeli forces. 

Since then, Hamas has continued carrying out the executions, largely of members of rival Palestinian groups. 

Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command who is leading a civil-military coordination center in Israel to help maintain the ceasefire, released a statement earlier this month calling on Hamas to cease the killings. 

“We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza — in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF behind the Yellow Line,” Cooper said, later calling on Hamas to begin “disarming without delay.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and other top New Jersey officials are urging the state’s largest teachers’ union to reverse its decision to appoint Ayat Oraby as an editor of its NJEA Review magazine, citing a series of antisemitic and pro-Hamas posts on social media.

Gottheimer has engaged repeatedly with the New Jersey Education Association in recent weeks, sending two letters to union leadership outlining his concerns, but Oraby, who was appointed in August, has remained in her position at the Review — a magazine distributed to roughly 200,000 educators statewide.

Oraby’s since-deleted posts on X, screenshots of which were viewed by JI, hold Israel — not Hamas — responsible for the deaths of Israelis during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, claiming Israel “killed many of its citizens,” and voiced her support of Hamas, praising their actions on social media as “resistance” in August 2025.

“While the criminal occupation gang kills children in the streets and treats Muslims with no mercy, you find liberated prisoners hugging and kissing HAMAS soldiers, which indicates the good treatment they received,” Oraby posted, referring to videos of Israeli hostages staged by Hamas. 

In other posts, Oraby explicitly called for violence against Israeli officials and claimed in July 2025 that the Jewish state “surpassed Nazism by far.” She also referred to journalists as “the filthy Hebrew media.”

“Ms. Oraby has an extremely troubling public record of promoting divisive, violent, and hate-filled rhetoric that has no place in our great state, and that must be addressed immediately,” Gottheimer wrote in his initial letter to NJEA on Oct. 6. “It is clear that Ms. Oraby should not be involved in any publication sent to New Jersey’s educators or, for that matter, have any role in educating our teachers or children.”

After the initial letter was sent, NJEA Director of Communications Steven Baker said in a statement that the organization was “aware” of the issue and was “addressing it through … internal processes.” The organization told Gottheimer they would look into the matter, but did not respond again. 

“To date, I have not received any response from NJEA, nor any confirmation that Ms. Oraby has been removed from her editorial position,” Gotthemier wrote in a follow-up letter on Oct. 21. “I, once again, urge immediate action consistent with NJEA’s standards of conduct. The growing number of voices demanding accountability underscores how important it is for NJEA to act swiftly and decisively to maintain the confidence of New Jersey families.”

The NJEA has declined a request for comment on Wednesday.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who is currently running for New Jersey governor, has also condemned Oraby’s rhetoric, urging the NJEA to reverse its decision in a strongly worded message earlier this month. 

“I’m outraged by Ms. Oraby’s antisemitic, pro-Hamas social media posts,” Sherrill said in a statement. “This is unacceptable and NJEA needs to immediately act and fire her from this position. An individual with bigoted views has no place as an editor of a magazine distributed to our state’s teachers.” 

Local Jewish elected officials have also voiced their concerns, sending a letter to NJEA with 24 signees on Oct. 15. The letter expressed “deep concern” at the organization’s lack of urgency.

“We are disappointed that no corrective action has yet been taken despite clear evidence and mounting public concern. Words matter and silence in the face of hate speech is Complicity,” the signatories, who include Democratic elected officials from Bergen County, state. “We strongly urge you to act immediately to remove Ms. Oraby from any editorial or leadership role within the NJEA and to reaffirm the Association’s commitment to ensuring that all educators, students, and families regardless of religion or background can feel safe, respected, and represented.”

Speaking at a press conference on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel alongside a former hostage and the family member of a U.S. citizen still held in Gaza, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Jewish organizational leaders slammed critics of Israel and emphasized that the responsibility for the continuation of the war in Gaza lies with Hamas.

“To all of the critics and naysayers who haven’t missed a chance to scream, yell and slam Israel, I say to them, ‘Where are your voices today? Where are your voices for peace?’” Gottheimer said. “You must push Hamas and take the deal that Israel has already accepted and that the Arab states and the U.S. support.”

He also emphasized the need to counter “social media cooked-up fiction” that has attempted to distort the memory of the attacks.

Hoyer, the former Democratic majority leader, condemned as outrageous the antisemitism that has targeted the Jewish community — whom he called “the victims” of the Oct. 7 attack — and emphasized repeatedly that Hamas is responsible for the attacks two years ago and everything that has followed.

“[The] trauma has grown with every hostage executed, every missile launched and every day this war has been drawn out — by Hamas,” Hoyer said. “Hamas’ crimes on Oct. 7, tragically have also led to the deaths, injury and displacement of thousands of Palestinians as well. Hamas has their blood on their hands.”

Hoyer, emphasizing the millenia-long history of antisemitism, said that people and leaders must speak up and take action against it.

“To young people: Do not fall into the trap of believing misinformation. Focus on who attacked, who abused,” Hoyer said. “America responded to the Japanese, we responded to Hitler’s actions in Europe. It was very tough: hundreds of thousands, indeed, millions of lives were lost. We thought perhaps that we may have, as mankind, learned a lesson of the cost of hate, the cost of bigotry, the cost of prejudice.”

Former Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, offered his thanks to Gottheimer and Hoyer for their clear stances in support of Israel and the hostages.

“In a world swimming in moral confusion, I want to extend our deep gratitude for the moral clarity with which you have consistently approached the events of Oct. 7, the need to speak up, the need to be clear about what happened and the need for us to always remember,” Deutch said.

He added that leaders have a responsibility to condemn antisemitism and Hamas unequivocally, and that their choice of rhetoric has “life or death consequences.”

“We’ve seen a terrifying surge in antisemitism, and in this upside-down world that we live in, Hamas is so often praised while its hostage-taking, atrocities and war crimes are ignored. Today is a reminder that we need to reset the truth,” he continued. “Words matter, and leadership matters. And when public figures slander Israel would normalize calls for violence, chants of globalizing the intifada, when there is open praise for Hamas — then they help to create the conditions for violence from Washington to Boulder to Manchester.”

Deutch also highlighted that, immediately after Oct. 7, before Israel had even begun its counterattack, people around the world marched in the streets in support of Hamas.

On the second anniversary, he continued, “there are some marches taking place around the world of the same people who were not interested in peace two years ago, when they supported Hamas. If they were serious about peace now, they will be marching to force Hamas to accept the terms of this deal. This is a moment when all of the people who claim to support peace have to be held accountable.”

Meredith Jacobs, the CEO of Jewish Women International, contrasted the sense of belonging she felt during a High Holy Days event at the White House in October 2022 with the widespread denial and ostracization that Jews and Israeli victims of Oct. 7 faced from the world following the attacks.

“October 2022 I was secure in my place in the world, secure in my safety and acceptance,” Jacobs said. “A year later, October 2023, that sense of belonging and safety was shattered. … I remember sitting with horror in the silence of the world and in the silence of other feminist organizations, and I remember what came after the silence, the effective malicious campaign of disinformation and denial.”

“When it came to Israeli women, those who were supposed to stand with us delegitimized the evidence, dehumanized Israeli bodies and applied a double standard when responding to the rape and mutilation of Israeli women,” she continued.

Former hostage Ilana Gritzewsky recounted the trauma she underwent in Gaza: “I was beaten … taken to Gaza on a motorcycle, with sexual abuse. For 55 days, I was held in captivity, living in fear and hunger, and deprived of all basic human grace. No fresh air, no sunlight, no showers, very little food or water. I lost 24 pounds. I lost hearing in my left ear. My hip was broken. My leg was burned. My jaw was dislocated and they took my soul.”

She said that she cannot heal until the other hostages, including her partner, Matan Zangauker, are released. And she emphasized that this is “a fight for all of us” — that the same terrorism could come for “any country.”

Speaking on behalf of deceased American hostage Omer Neutra’s parents, Neutra’s cousin Yasmin Magal said that the Trump plan has appeared to usher in a true shift.

“Today, two years later, we sense a shift for the first time. There is a real alignment. Recognition that the moral center of the war is not territorial politics but the fate of the hostages. We have seen bold leadership in recent days,” Magal said. “Willing to act with clarity, urgency and strength, President [Donald] Trump has demonstrated that kind of courage, understanding that resolving the hostage crisis is not just a humanitarian necessity, but the key to stability and peace. We need the same moral clarity from all leaders around the world, because peace cannot begin until the hostages come home.”

At the press conference, Gottheimer announced a series of pieces of bipartisan legislation aimed at commemorating the Oct. 7 anniversary. 

One, cosponsored by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), would bestow a Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor, on the American hostages and victims of Oct. 7. 

The second, cosponsored by Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Young Kim (R-CA), would condemn the Oct. 7 attack, call for the release of hostages, reaffirm Israel’s right to self-defense, advocate for humanitarian aid and condemn antisemitism.

The third, cosponsored by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), would direct the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to create a model curriculum about the Oct. 7 attacks, the history of antisemitism and its role in the attacks and the denial and distortion of the attacks that followed Oct. 7.

Each of the pieces of legislation is supported by a range of Jewish ådvocacy groups.

Separately, in the Senate, Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and every Senate Republican introduced a resolution condemning the Oct. 7 attacks and “destructive and antisemitic protests in the United States” and supporting the ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations brokered by the Trump administration.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and a group of Republican House lawmakers warned the Irish government on Monday that pending legislation to criminalize the importation of Israeli goods from the West Bank and east Jerusalem into Ireland risks damaging the country’s economic relationship with the United States.

The lawmakers also criticized Dublin’s efforts to support a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

“This legislation threatens to inflict real harm on American companies operating in Ireland. If enacted, it would put U.S. firms in direct conflict with federal and state-level anti-boycott laws in the U.S., forcing them into an impossible legal position and jeopardizing their ability to do business in Ireland,” the letter, addressed to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, reads. “Therefore, were it to pass this bill, Ireland would risk causing significant damage to its own economic credibility and partnerships with American commerce.”

The letter describes the proposed policy as “a discriminatory move by Ireland to economically target Israel and demonize the world’s only Jewish state” and “divisive, one-sided political theater” which “creates a blatant double standard toward the Jewish state.”

The lawmakers said they are “also deeply concerned” about Ireland’s accusations of genocide against Israel and efforts to persuade the ICJ to modify its definition of genocide to pursue a case against Israel.

“We strongly reject Ireland’s effort to distort the international legal standards related to this most serious crime in order to accuse Israel of committing it,” the letter continues. “We also object to Ireland’s ongoing dismissal of the substantial evidence that Israel’s intention in Gaza is to eliminate the security threat posed by Hamas while Hamas intentionally uses innocent civilians as human shields.”

The letter states that such moves are “fueling rising antisemitic and anti-Zionist sentiment in Ireland and beyond,” and urges the country to cease both efforts in order to “preserve the economic and diplomatic ties between our two nations.”

The letter is also a relatively rare example in a partisan and polarized Washington of a pro-Israel Democratic congressman joining forces with his Republican colleagues. No other House Democrats joined Gottheimer in criticizing the Irish government over its boycott of Israeli goods.

The letter was co-signed by 22 GOP  lawmakers: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Don Bacon (R-NE), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Randy Fine (R-FL), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Max Miller (R-OH), Barry Moore (R-AL), John Rose (R-TN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Barry Loudermilk (R-GA).

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) and Rich McCormick (R-GA) are set to introduce legislation on Monday allowing the U.S. to send seized Iranian weaponry to U.S. allies.

The bill is the House version of the Seized Iranian Arms Transfer Authorization (SEIZE) Act introduced last month in the Senate by Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

The SEIZE Act would allow the U.S. to quickly distribute to U.S. partners any weapons or other materiel confiscated by the U.S. in transit from Iran to its Houthi proxies in Yemen, by treating any seized weapons as part of the U.S.’ own stockpiles and authorizing the president to use Washington’s drawdown authority to distribute such weapons to U.S. partners.

Per administration data, the U.S. Navy seized 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, 194 rocket launchers, 70 anti-tank missiles and 700,000 rounds of ammunition between May 2021 and January 2023 during operations in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Drawdown authorities have been used at various points in recent years to supply U.S. allies including Ukraine and Israel.

“Iran — the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror — continues to arm terror proxies that threaten American troops, our bases, and our allies. The SEIZE Act ensures that when these illegal weapons are intercepted, they help our allies who need them, instead of our adversaries,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation will cut through red tape, strengthen our strategic partnerships, keep Americans safe, and counter Iranian aggression.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) wrote to Kathy Goldenberg, the president of the New Jersey State Board of Education, on Monday urging the state to reject calls from the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations for the state’s education boards to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League.

“This is a misguided demand aimed at undermining the work of a nonpartisan organization that has spent more than a century fighting antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and hate in all forms,” Gottheimer wrote. “It is imperative that as you work to ensure the integrity of education for our students, that you please also work to create inclusive environments for all, regardless of background. This means rejecting any suggestion by CAIR-NJ to end any formal partnerships with the ADL.”

The CAIR-NJ effort was prompted by a National Education Association move to cut ties with the ADL, which was ultimately blocked.

“Ending this partnership would result in the elimination of educational programs and resources that not only ensure Jewish students are included and recognized, but also fight hatred and intolerance of all kinds,” the New Jersey congressman continued. “Rejecting the ADL would send the wrong message to students and communities of all backgrounds, especially Jewish and Muslim students.”

Gottheimer highlighted that the ADL provides anti-hate and Holocaust education programs to more than 100 schools across New Jersey and that the ADL’s work has included fighting Islamophobia, homophobia and anti-Asian hate.

“Now is not the time to dismiss critical resources to combat anti-Jewish bias and Holocaust distortion,” Gottheimer continued. “Rather, educators should embrace them. I urge the State Board of Education to support New Jersey schools working with the ADL to promote inclusive, fact-based education that teaches students to reject hate in all forms.”

He noted, by contrast, that CAIR-NJ’s recommendations for schools promote a skewed and selective view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and brush off concerns about antisemitism, calling the group’s suggestions “not balanced education [but] one-sided activism.”

Gottheimer also noted that CAIR-NJ’s executive director dismissed the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel while CAIR’s director praised the attack, leading the Biden administration to cut ties with the group.

And he noted CAIR-NJ has opposed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and New Jersey legislation codifying its use, falsely claiming that it prohibits criticism of Israel.

A group of House Intelligence Committee members visited Israel this week, meeting with top Israeli leaders as well as visiting one of the sites of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation staging site and the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

The group included committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX).

The lawmakers met with officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad Director David Barnea, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, IDF representatives and Palestinian Authority officials.

The group also visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border, which suffered heavy losses in the Oct. 7 attacks, and met with hostage families, including the family of Evyatar David, an Israeli hostage shown in a recent video emaciated and forced by Hamas to dig his own grave in a Gaza tunnel.

“Israel and its people have experienced untold levels of tragedy and devastation because of the very fact that they exist,” Crawford said in a statement. “But the Jewish people are a strong, resilient, and compassionate people. Based on our conversations and briefings with military and intelligence partners this week, it is clear Israel is committed to a peaceful end to the unrest in the region but will not cede any ground to Hamas or other Iranian terrorist proxies.” 

He said that the group’s “message was simple — the United States stands with Israel and its people. I am grateful for the ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and our Israeli partners as we work to advance our shared goals in the region.”

In a statement, Gottheimer emphasized the need to free the hostages, increase humanitarian aid and end Hamas’ rule in Gaza.

“Given the situation, it was extremely important to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials, Ambassador Huckabee, and family members of hostages still in Gaza,” Gottheimer said. “It was also critical to visit an aid staging location at the Kerem Shalom border crossing and a GHF coordination site, which gave me a better understanding of efforts to surge aid into Gaza.”

“We must ensure aid is able to swiftly reach Gazans in need, not Hamas terrorists, who continue to steal food from innocent Palestinians,” he continued. “With so much misinformation, there is no better way to understand the situation than to see it firsthand. By promoting security and stability in the Middle East, the United States will improve our own national security.”

Jackson said in a statement, “This trip not only provided critical firsthand updates from our Defense, State, and Intelligence partners on the ever-evolving elements that threaten Israel, the Middle East, and ultimately the United States, but also reinforced the need for continued strong support to our key ally in the region, Israel.”

He praised both Huckabee and Netanyahu for the work that they are doing.

“We need strong leadership and coordination to protect American lives and interests, and I’m proud to see the Trump administration making national security a top priority with a strategy that is tough, smart, and focused on keeping our country and allies safe,” Jackson continued.

Discussions touched on issues including freeing the hostages, the need to end Hamas’ control of Gaza, the need to increase humanitarian aid — including through the GHF — the need for continued maximum pressure on Iran, the threats from Iran-backed terrorist groups, Hamas’ use of human shields and the need for continued bipartisanship in the U.S.-Israel relationship, according to press releases.

Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced legislation on Tuesday that would make colleges that engage in a “nonexpressive commercial boycott” of Israel ineligible to receive federal student aid funding.

The legislation, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, would require schools to certify annually that they are not engaged in such boycotts, and would instruct the Department of Education to annually publish a list of schools that fail to submit such certification.

The legislation would apply both to boycotts of Israel as a country or companies and other entities operating under Israeli law. 

Schools would be required to certify to the Department of Education that they allow students to participate in programs including conferences, study abroad, research and collaborative activities in Israel under the same terms as such programs in other countries, and to allow Israeli students to participate in programs on their campuses as applicable.

The bill defines a “nonexpressive commercial boycott” as “commercial action (including engaging in refusals to deal and terminating business activities) … intended to limit commercial relations with a major strategic partner” and “not based on a valid business reason.” 

“The antisemitic rot that has corroded college campuses must be eradicated — enough is enough. The safety and security of Jewish students, faculty, and staff should never be threatened under any circumstances,” Foxx said in a statement. “If an institution of higher education chooses to capitulate to the caustic BDS movement, there will be consequences — starting with this bipartisan legislation.”

Gottheimer said in a statement that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement seeks to destroy Israel and that it has no place on college campuses or in the United States.

“At a time when our Jewish students are facing death threats, being physically assaulted, and blocked from going to class simply for who they are, we must do everything possible to ensure they can learn safely, speak freely, and get the education they deserve,” Gottheimer continued. 

“That’s why I’m proud to help introduce the bipartisan Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act to give the Department of Education a critical new tool to combat the dangerous, hate-fueled, antisemitic BDS movement on college campuses,” he said. “We cannot allow antisemitism to run rampant and endanger Jewish students, staff, and faculty. Now more than ever, we must stand up and protect our Jewish community.”

The legislation also includes language stating that, “limitations on cooperative efforts by institutions of higher education, consortia of such institutions, or partnerships between non-profit educational organizations and institutions of higher education with [Israel] do not serve the security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States.’’

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Don Bacon (R-NE) on Wednesday announced the reintroduction of the STOP HATE Act, which aims to crack down on antisemitism on social media. The legislators announced the bill’s reintroduction at a press conference alongside Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.

The bill, which was first introduced in November 2023 but failed to progress in the previous Congress, would require social media companies to publicize specific policies on their standards and restrictions for their platforms by designated terrorists, report to the federal government on content flagged and/or removed under these policies and publicly report on incidents which violate their policies.

The bill would also demand that platforms publish contact information for users to ask questions about the companies’ terms of service, a description of how users can flag violative content and a description of how the companies will respond to such content.

Companies would face fines up to $5 million per day if they violate these policies.

The bill would also require administration officials to issue a public report on the use of social media platforms by terrorist groups.

“There is no reason why anyone, especially terrorists or anyone online, should have access to social media platforms to promote radical, hate-filled violence,” Gottheimer said, highlighting that extremist groups had capitalized on the May attack on the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington to promote antisemitic incitement. “There’s a massive disinformation campaign influencing us each day.”

Bacon said, “We need to work with our social media companies to clean this up, because what is going on is wrong, and I think it’s further influencing other young people that could be influenced by what they’re seeing. … We need to hold these companies accountable and work with them to take it off the airwaves.”

He also noted that lawmakers had faced antisemitic harassment at the Capitol this week from protesters.

Greenblatt said that antisemitism has “gone viral in large part because of social media,” adding that bigots and extremists “exploit social media to recruit, to radicalize and to incite violence, often in violation of the companies’ own terms of service. It’s not just theoretical. This is a real concern.”

Asked about the Trump administration’s continued delays of the U.S. ban on TikTok, flouting a bipartisan law on the platform, both lawmakers said that President Donald Trump should enforce the law and require TikTok’s owners to sell the site or shut it down.

Greenblatt said that “at the end of the day, the ownership of TikTok matters, but the actions matter more,” noting that American-owned platforms have also had significant antisemitism problems, and that a sale would not be a “panacea.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), in a private meeting with House Democrats in Washington on Wednesday, avoided confronting Zohran Mamdani, the far-left Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, over his controversial defense of calls to “globalize the intifada” and fierce opposition to Israel.

Gottheimer, a moderate Jewish Democrat who is among the most outspoken supporters of Israel in the House, has not been shy about publicly calling out members of his own party when disagreements over Israel and antisemitism have arisen in recent years.

But during the breakfast meeting this week, Gottheimer did not bring up his objections to the 33-year-old democratic socialist, according to a House aide familiar with the matter, even as his views on Israel have raised alarms among Jewish voters and faced pushback from Democratic leaders who have so far withheld endorsements in the New York City mayoral race. 

In a statement, Gottheimer reiterated his concerns about Mamdani’s progressive policy proposals and his acceptance of rhetoric that Jewish leaders have condemned as antisemitic. But the New Jersey congressman suggested he was willing to hear from the mayoral nominee about his stunning primary upset that has rattled the political establishment.

“I don’t think higher taxes, anti-job creating socialism, and an acceptance of antisemitic rhetoric is the right direction for America,” Gottheimer told Jewish Insider, echoing comments he shared in an interview with CNBC on Thursday morning and elsewhere in recent weeks. “That said, I am always open to learning how I can reach more people with my commonsense, problem-solving approach.”

He declined to comment further on the meeting to JI on Thursday. “I don’t have anything to say beyond what I put out,” the congressman said.

Later on Thursday, Gottheimer announced he was introducing a bipartisan resolution condemning the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which Mamdani has refused to condemn. The motto chanted frequently at anti-Israel demonstrations is “hate speech, plain and simple,” the congressman wrote in a statement that did not mention Mamdani, arguing such words “incite violence, fuel hate and put Jewish families at risk.”

Still, Gottheimer voiced no such disapproval in the Wednesday breakfast hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — which included several progressive House Democrats and was promoted as a “communication and organizing” session as the party rethinks its messaging strategy ahead of next year’s midterms.

Gottheimer’s reticence to speak out directly during the in-person meeting stands in contrast with his past denunciations of Mamdani, whose defense of the “intifada” phrase — seen by critics as a violent provocation to target Jews — he has called “insane and unacceptable” amid rising antisemitic activity.

The divisive slogan “is a well-known antisemitic chant that calls for the eradication of Israel and violence against Jews,” Gottheimer said in a social media post a week before the primary last month. 

“Zohran Mamdani’s pathetic, hateful lies are a blatant slap in the face of the Jewish community,” he added. “He must apologize immediately. I also suggest that he visit the Holocaust Museum in the coming days and learn why these words are so dangerous.”

Even as no discussion of Israel or antisemitism was raised at the Wednesday gathering, top Democrats have continued to signal their hesitation regarding Mamdani’s approach to such issues, particularly his stance on the “intifada” slogan that he has defended repeatedly as an expression of Palestinian rights.

For his part, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who did not attend the breakfast but is expected to meet with Mamdani in New York City on Friday, has said that the nominee’s comments about the phrase will be a part of their discussion — suggesting that his support is likely contingent on a change in tone.

Mamdani, who has faced questions about the phrase in other meetings this week, has privately indicated he plans to take a more calibrated stance with regard to the matter, a key point of tension as he now works to expand his coalition in a crowded race that includes Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both running as independents. 

The Democratic mayoral nominee said in a private meeting with business leaders earlier this week that he would “discourage” use of the phrase but still did not go so far as to condemn it himself, according to reports of the closed-door discussion on Tuesday.

Additional reporting contributed by JI senior congressional correspondent Marc Rod

Good Thursday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we spotlight Kentucky state Sen. Aaron Reed, who is considering a primary challenge to Rep. Thomas Massie, and report on interim Columbia President Claire Shipman’s apology to Jewish communal leaders over past comments calling for the removal of a Jewish trustee over her pro-Israel advocacy. We look at the race taking shape in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, where Adelita Grijalva is polling above Daniel Hernandez ahead of the July 15 special election primary, and report on bipartisan legislation led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mike Lawler that call for the U.S. to provide Israel with bunker-buster bombs and the planes to use them. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Ritchie Torres, Phil Rosenthal, Bar Winkler and Roey Lalazar.

Ed. note: The next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Monday, July 7. Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

What We’re Watching

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington on Sunday, ahead of his planned Monday meeting with President Donald Trump.
• We’ll be reporting on the details around the meeting and what’s at stake as the two leaders discuss Gaza, Iran, Syria and normalization efforts — sign up for Jewish Insider’s email and WhatsApp alerts to stay up to date with the latest developments over the long weekend.
• Former Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander is slated to meet Trump at the White House at 12:45 p.m. ET.
• The Nova Music Festival exhibition and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum are hosting an event this afternoon with DJ and Nova festival survivor Noa Beer and Holocaust survivor Nat Shaffir.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S GABBY DEUTCH

After Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, the U.S. is now demanding that Tehran return to the negotiating table. 

“Told you so,” many prominent Democrats — including architects of Iran policy in both the Obama and Biden administrations — are saying in response, arguing they were right all along about the power of negotiations. But in doing so, they are also overlooking the impact of President Donald Trump’s military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities on the regime’s negotiating calculus. 

The Pentagon is now saying the strikes set back the Iran nuclear program by two years. Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF’s chief of staff, said that Iran is no longer a nuclear threshold state as a result of the U.S. and Israeli attacks.

But those assessments, among other similar analyses, have done little to change the minds of some of the leading Democratic foreign policy hands who have long argued for diplomacy above all else.

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

KENTUCKY CONTEST

Potential Massie challenger Aaron Reed a supporter of Israel, Iran strikes

Local and national Republicans are eyeing Kentucky state Sen. Aaron Reed as a potential primary challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), as President Donald Trump and his political allies mount an aggressive effort to unseat the incumbent lawmaker, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Dividing line: Middle East policy is emerging as a key divide between the first-term Reed and Massie: asked by the Louisville Courier Journal about any ideological differences between him and Massie, Reed offered a one-word answer: “Israel.” Reed’s Kentucky state Senate biography page lists him as a member of the Kentucky-Israel Caucus. While Massie was the most vocal Republican critic in Congress of the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, introducing a war powers resolution that aimed to stop U.S. military action against the Iranian regime, Reed has been openly supportive of the strikes.

Read the full story here.

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TUCSON TUSSLE

Adelita Grijalva emerging as the favorite to succeed her late father in Congress

The latest Democratic primary battle between the left and center where Israel has emerged as a point of division is playing out in a special House election in Tucson, Ariz., later this month, as five candidates vie to replace former longtime Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), who died in March. The July 15 primary in Arizona’s dependably blue 7th Congressional District has kept a relatively low profile, even as it features ideological tensions over Middle East policy that could hold implications for the party’s increasingly fractious approach to Israel in the lead-up to next year’s midterm elections. Adelita Grijalva, 54, a former Pima County supervisor, is viewed as the favorite to win the seat in what is expected to be a low-turnout race, owing in part to her significant name recognition in the area represented by her late father for over two decades, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

She has also consolidated endorsements from top establishment Democrats, including Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), while securing the backing of progressive leaders such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), among other high-profile critics of Israel in Congress. But her limited record of commentary on Israel has raised questions among pro-Israel activists rallying behind one of Grijalva’s chief primary rivals, Daniel Hernandez, a former state lawmaker who identifies as a pro-Israel progressive and claims support from Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and the political arm of Democratic Majority for Israel.

Read the full story here.

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BOWING OUT

Ritchie Torres says he’s likely passing on New York gubernatorial run

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), in a surprise reversal, said Wednesday that he’s unlikely to mount a primary challenge against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, after months of circling a potential run for that office, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said: “I’m unlikely to run for governor. The assault that we’ve seen on the social safety in the Bronx is so unprecedented, so overwhelming that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington, D.C.,” Torres, a favorite of the Jewish community, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “So, my heart lies in Washington, D.C. I feel like now, more than ever, we have to fight the catastrophe that is the Trump presidency.”

Read the full story here.

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SCOOP

Columbia’s Claire Shipman apologizes for leaked messages calling for removal of Jewish trustee

Claire Shipman, acting president of Columbia University, issued an apology to several members of the campus community for leaked text messages where she suggested that a Jewish trustee should be removed from the university’s board over her pro-Israel advocacy. “The things I said in a moment of frustration and stress were wrong. They do not reflect how I feel,” Shipman wrote on Wednesday in a private email obtained by Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen, noting that she was addressing “some trusted groups of friends and colleagues, with whom I’ve talked regularly over the last few months.” 

Individual and group apologies: “I have apologized directly to the person named in my texts, and I am apologizing now to you,” Shipman wrote in Wednesday’s email. “I have tremendous respect and appreciation for that board member, whose voice on behalf of Columbia’s Jewish community is critically important. I should not have written those things, and I am sorry. It was a moment of immense pressure, over a year and a half ago, as we navigated some deeply turbulent times. But that doesn’t change the fact that I made a mistake. I promise to do better.” 

Read the full story here.

Hill weighs in: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) called on Shipman to resign, following JI’s report on Shipman’s apology.

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HELPING HAND

Gottheimer, Lawler push to provide Israel with bunker busters after U.S. strikes

A bipartisan group of House members reintroduced a bill on Wednesday to allow the president to provide Israel with bunker-buster bombs — the heavy ordnance used by the U.S. against Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities — and the planes needed to drop them, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Independent action: The bill is part of a long-standing effort led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), one of its lead sponsors, to give the administration the option to provide Israel the capabilities to act independently against Iran’s most highly fortified nuclear facilities. The legislation’s sponsors argue that it remains relevant even in the aftermath of the U.S. strikes in the event Iran attempts to reconstitute its nuclear program. Transferring the systems — which are unique to the U.S. — to Israel has been seen by some experts as a way to ensure Israel has the ability to destroy underground nuclear sites in Iran while avoiding direct U.S. involvement in the conflict.

Read the full story here.

Damage assessment: The Pentagon’s chief spokesman said on Wednesday that the U.S. strikes against the Iranian nuclear program had set the program back by two years. His estimate appears to be the most specific information the Trump administration has shared on the extent of the damage caused by the strikes, Jewish Insider’s Jake Schlanger reports.

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FIRST AID

Israeli mental health experts warn of impending ‘tsunami of war-related psychiatric illness’ after 20 months of conflict

“Resilience” has long been the goal of Israeli mental health practitioners, an emotional ruggedness allowing Israeli society to bounce back quickly after tragedy. This has been particularly true since the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the resulting wars that continue to claim the lives of soldiers and civilians, including the recent 12-day conflict with Iran, which killed 28 Israeli civilians and displaced thousands. The night after a ceasefire was declared, Israelis were seen back at the beach, and the following morning, schools reopened. However, mental health professionals warn that beneath this celebrated toughness lie deeper, troubling emotions — fear, guilt, shame, vulnerability, anger and anxiety — affecting all layers of society, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky reports.

Busy lines: Mental health hotlines and clinics run by three of Israel’s top providers — ERAN, NATAL and ELEM, the latter of which supports at-risk youth — have reported sharp increases in demand since Oct. 7, 2023. Calls to ELEM’s digital programs have tripled; NATAL now treats over 3,000 people weekly, up from 350 before the war; and ERAN volunteers have handled over 500,000 calls since the outbreak of the war, averaging 1,200 to 1,500 a day. This surge reflects the complex emotional and psychological issues people are facing now, professor Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, steering committee chair of NATAL, told eJP, with call volumes related to anxiety issues significantly increasing to both of NATAL’s two dedicated hotlines — one for the general public and one for soldiers and veterans.

Read the full story here and sign up for eJewishPhilanthropy’s Your Daily Phil newsletter here.

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Worthy Reads

Just the Beginning on Iran: In The New York Times, former National Security Advisor John Bolton suggests that the U.S.’ strikes on Iran last month are not the end of Washington’s efforts to degrade the threats posed by Iran. “Satisfying America’s legitimate demands requires Iran to do a full Libya, meaning real performance in denuclearizing, not just acquiescing to treaty verbiage. It requires that Iran surrender all of its weapons-related assets, meaning any enriched uranium and all remaining physical assets, including dual-use capabilities. However, absent a change of government in Tehran, which Washington should support, a full Libya is impossible. Unlike Muammar el-Qaddafi, the mullahs, already badly humiliated, realize that further humiliation would fatally weaken their rule. They will never voluntarily accept that fate. Instead, they will resume their earlier tactic of using negotiations to string the West along until memories dim and, as the old saying goes, ‘zeal for a deal’ takes over, as it did for Barack Obama, producing the fatally flawed 2015 Iran agreement.” [NYTimes]

Mideast Magical Thinking: In The Wall Street Journal, presidential historian and former White House aide Tevi Troy examines the history of Middle East regimes falsely claiming victory over Israel, following claims by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Israel had been “practically knocked out and crushed” by Iran’s military. “These false statements by Middle Eastern autocracies show the weaknesses of systems that can’t acknowledge reality. An inability to turn a critical eye on oneself and admit a mistake represents a fundamental flaw in authoritarian regimes. … As long as autocratic nations like Iran continue to act like Monty Python’s Black Knight, they’ll never develop the capacity to fight effectively against nations that can critique themselves. But that isn’t all that truth telling can bring. If Iran ever does develop the capacity for honesty, then its leaders would realize — like the Egyptians did — that peace with Israel is a much more effective strategy than fighting with it.” [WSJ]

Word on the Street

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Wednesday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud…

In The Wall Street Journal, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who last week withheld his support from New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, suggests that the Queens assemblyman’s victory should be a “wake-up call” to Democrats and posits that Mamdani won the primary “because too many voters think the rest of the Democratic Party no longer stands for them”…

In the New York Daily News, political strategist Bradley Tusk posits that Mamdani is likely to win the general election in November, owing to the “ceiling” facing any Republican candidate and Mayor Eric Adams’ own unfavorability ratings in the city as he mounts an independent bid…

Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman called on former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to withdraw from the mayoral race following his primary loss to Mamdani, assessing that Cuomo’s “body language, his subdued energy and his proposals to beat Mamdani” indicated he was “not up for the fight” and suggested Cuomo’s departure from the race would be necessary “to maximize Adams’ probability of success”…

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation into George Mason University’s handling of antisemitism issues, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports; the Virginia university had faced scrutiny over its response to a series of incidents involving students, including the discovery of pro-terrorism materials in the home of two of GMU students and federal charges brought against a third student accused of plotting a mass causality attack… 

eJewishPhilanthropy‘s Judah Ari Gross interviews Mike and Shelly Pitman, respectively the president and executive director of the Brooklyn-based La’Aretz Foundation, which has raised $1 million to provide $2,500 directly to 500 Bat Yam families affected by Iran’s ballistic missile strike on the city…

Bar Winkler and Roey Lalazar’s Israel-based AI startup Wonderful raised $34 million in its latest round of funding…

The New York Times spotlights “Everybody Loves Raymond” creator Phil Rosenthal, following the release of the eighth season of his travel food show “Somebody Feed Phil”…

Smithsonian Magazine looks at the resurgence in popularity of Jewish food in Poland…

Iran charged two French nationals who have been imprisoned in the country for three years with spying for Israel and conspiring to overthrow the Iranian government…

Australia confirmed it canceled the visa of artist Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, following the May release of a song titled “Heil Hitler”…

Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan was removed from the lineups of upcoming music festivals in France and the U.K. following an uproar over an incident at the Glastonbury music festival last month in which the group led attendees in a chant calling for “death to the IDF”…

U.K. Parliament members voted overwhelmingly in favor of banning the activist group Palestine Action, after two members of the group broke into a British air base and vandalized military aircraft… 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian approved a law passed days ago by the country’s parliament to suspend coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency and ordered Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Supreme National Security Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin implementation of the new law…

The New York Times looks at Iran’s history of recruiting common criminals and cartel members to carry out attacks on American soil…

Hamas called on the leader of a Bedouin clan that has challenged Hamas’ leadership in the enclave to surrender, as Israel bolsters its support for groups operating on the Palestinian Authority’s payroll against Hamas…

Adam Szubin is joining Covington as of counsel in the firm’s national security practice (h/t Playbook)…

Pic of the Day

Former hostages Omer Shem Tov (second from left); Noa Argamani (third from right) and Iair Horn (second from right); and Tzur Goldin (far left), brother of Lt. Hadar Goldin, met on Wednesday in Washington with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Birthdays

Movie, television and stage actress, director and writer, Shoshannah Stern turns 45…

Civil rights attorney known for many high-profile cases, born Gloria Rachel Bloom, Gloria Allred turns 84… Winner of the Israel Prize in 1998, professor emeritus of mathematics at both Hebrew U and Rutgers, Saharon Shelah turns 80… Founder of an eponymous charitable foundation and a political office, Barbara Fish Lee turns 80… Retired director of the March of the Living in Miami-Dade and in Boca Raton, Leon Weissberg… Psychologist and board member of many non-profit organizations, Dr. Gail (Giti) Bendheim… Israeli celebrity chef, author of 32 cookbooks and culinary columnist for Yedioth Ahronoth, Yisrael Aharoni turns 75… Head of pediatric oncology and associate professor of pediatrics at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York, Dr. Carolyn Fein Levy turns 57… Musician, best known as a harmonicist, Annie Raines turns 56… Actor who has appeared in film and television in the U.S., U.K. and Israel, Yair “Jonah” Lotan turns 52… Development professional Suzanne Greene… Pini Herman…

Good Friday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on Israel’s preemptive attack on Iranian nuclear targets and Tehran’s retaliatory drone attack, and look at how Jewish communities and world leaders are responding. We also look at why Rep. Josh Gottheimer struggled to turn out Jewish voters in the New Jersey gubernatorial primary, and talk to Aaron Magid, the author of a new book about King Abdullah II of Jordan. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sen. Dave McCormick, Daniel Hernandez and David Zaslav.

What We’re Watching

• Our team, reporting from Israel, New York, Washington and Paris, is working around-the-clock to provide updates following Israel’s preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities and Iran’s retaliatory drone strikes. More below.
• Across Israel, events and gatherings — including Tel Aviv’s Pride parade — were canceled. Israel’s chief rabbis instructed against congregating at synagogues for Shabbat prayers. The country remains on high alert, with Home Front Command having issued guidelines canceling school and non-essential work across the country. A directive to stay near protected areas ended at 10:45 a.m. local time.
• Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is still planning to travel to Oman this weekend for nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran that are slated to take place on Sunday.
• In Washington, the Nova music festival exhibition is slated to open this weekend. At a special opening event this evening, Steve Witkoff, former hostages Noa Argamani and Omer Shem-Tov, and Nova survivor Ofir Amir are slated to speak. Organizers have not yet said how or if the opening events will be affected by the Israeli strike and Iranian retaliation.
• On Saturday, President Donald Trump’s military parade is scheduled to take place in Washington. Anti-Trump protesters have also announced a series of demonstrations across the country on Saturday.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH MELISSA WEISS

Friday the 13th has long been an auspicious day.

But Friday the 13th will now be known as something different in Israel — the day the country mounted a massive campaign against Iranian military leadership and nuclear facilities.

It’s too soon to know the extent of the damage from the ongoing strikes, the first wave of which was carried out by approximately 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft and targeted more than 100 sites around the Islamic Republic — including senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials. Israel’s attack against Iran last year knocked out hundreds of military installations and destroyed much of Tehran’s air-defense systems; last night’s attack may have dealt it a death knell. 

Reports out of Tehran are inconsistent and difficult to confirm — owing in part to Iran’s desire to minimize embarrassment following the first strikes of Operation Rising Lion — but the IDF and Iran both confirmed that the Natanz enrichment facility was targeted and damaged in the operation. Elsewhere, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, Iranian military chief Mohammad Bagheri and other senior officials, as well as nuclear scientists, were killed.

President Donald Trump said early this morning that he “gave Iran chance after chance” to reach a nuclear agreement. He warned of “already planned attacks” that will be “even more brutal” and called on Tehran to make a deal “before there is nothing left.”

Today’s Daily Kickoff looks at how Israel, Washington and the American Jewish community are responding to the major Israeli offensive, and we will continue to report throughout the weekend on developments across the region. Sign up for Jewish Insider’s email and WhatsApp news alerts for around-the-clock reporting in the coming days. And read on for our coverage of the overnight operation, Iran’s retaliatory drone attack and how the situation is being viewed around the world.

ISRAEL ATTACKS IRAN

Israel carries out preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, without U.S. involvement

Israeli leaders said they carried out a series of preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and key personnel overnight, declaring a national state of emergency as it prepares for anticipated Iranian retaliation. U.S. officials took steps to distance themselves from the Israeli strikes, emphasizing that Washington was not involved, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

First stage: The Israeli Embassy in Washington issued a statement that Israel had launched a “preemptive, precise, combined offensive to strike Iran’s nuclear program,” and that Israeli jets had been involved in the “first stage” targeting “dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.” The statement continued, “Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the state of Israel and to the wider world. The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfill the obligation to act in defense of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required to do so, as we have done in the past.”

Read the full story here.

Trump’s take: President Donald Trump told Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Thursday evening that the United States would defend Israel if Iran retaliated following Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets. Earlier today, he posted on TruthSocial that the U.S. “makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the world BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it.”

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TEHRAN RETALIATION

Iranian drone strikes intercepted before reaching Israel after strikes on nuclear, military targets

Over 100 drones launched by Iran and its proxies at Israel were intercepted on Friday morning, as Israelis continued bracing for further retaliation after the IDF launched Operation Rising Lion, reportedly destroying Iran’s main enrichment site in Natanz and killing Iran’s top three military officers. “Iran launched over 100 drones at Israel and we are working to intercept them,” the IDF spokesperson, Effie Defrin, said, hours after Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites and eliminated senior military figures, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Successfully thwarted: Three hours later, Israeli media reported that all of the drones had been shot down and the IDF Home Front Command lifted its directive for Israelis to stay near their safe rooms and shelters. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on X prior to the drone strike that Israel “should anticipate a severe punishment … With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared itself for a bitter painful fate, which it will definitely see.” Some of the projectiles were launched from Iraq, and the IDF prepared for possible launches from Lebanon and Yemen, where the Houthis have shot missiles provided by Iran at Israel every few days in recent months. Jordan reported intercepting some Iranian UAVs over its territory, saying that it will not allow Iran to violate its airspace. 

Read the full story here.

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ISRAEL’S HILL ALLIES

Senior Republican senators, pro-Israel Dems express support for Israel’s strike against Iran

Many of the highest-ranking Senate Republicans, along with leading pro-Israel Democrats, expressed support for Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iran, but a number of skeptical lawmakers — mostly Democrats — expressed concern that the strikes could set off a broader war in the region, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Strong support: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said, minutes after reports of the operation began, “Proud to stand with Israel.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) soon followed, saying, “Game on. Pray for Israel.” Cotton later added that “We back Israel to the hilt, all the way,” adding that if “the ayatollahs harm a single American, that will be the end of the ayatollahs.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), said “Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!” 

And criticism: A number of congressional Democrats — and one notable isolationist House Republican — are expressing concern that the strikes will spark a broader war in the region and several described the strikes as designed to sabotage U.S. nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, condemned the strikes as a “reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence” and called on the Trump administration to push for “diplomatic de-escalation before this crisis spirals further out of control.” Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), a Republican aligned with the isolationist wing of the party, also appeared to decry the strikes. “I’m sad to say but some members of Congress and US Senators seem giddy about the prospects of a bigger war,” Davidson said, appending an emoji of a bandaged, frowning face.

Read the full story here with additional comments from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Fetterman (D-PA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Greg Casar (D-TX).

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COMMUNAL REAX

Jewish groups warn of potential Iran-backed attacks on Diaspora Jewry, express solidarity after Israeli preemptive strike against Tehran

After Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program and military top brass last night, Jewish groups in the United States and around the world expressed solidarity with Israel and called for heightened awareness within Diaspora Jewish communities amid fears of Iran-backed attacks. With the community already on edge following recent attacks in Washington and Boulder, Colo., Jewish security groups are warning that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has a history of supporting and facilitating attacks on Diaspora Jewish communities, may again attempt such an assault, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports.  

Safety concerns: The Community Security Service and Secure Community Network both called for Jewish communities to ramp up their security measures, even as they were not yet aware of specific threats. The New York Police Department also said that it was “deploying additional resources” to Jewish and Israeli sites throughout New York City. “Our safety can be impacted not only by domestic extremism like we saw in DC and Boulder, but by global events thousands of miles away,” Richard Priem, CEO of CSS, said in an email. “The situation is dynamic and can change at any time. Jews in America cannot afford to be complacent.”

Read the full story here and sign up for eJewishPhilanthropy’s Your Daily Phil newsletter here.

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EYE ON AMMAN

Why we should be paying more attention to Jordan, according to new King Abdullah biography

American fascination with the Middle East and its colorful leaders — dictators and military generals and royals and Israeli premiers — dates back decades, from Saddam Hussein to Iran’s ayatollahs to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. One ruler has survived more or less unscathed over more than a quarter century, avoiding flashy headlines about power struggles or coups, all while keeping a tight grip on power and maintaining close, bipartisan ties with Washington. That’s Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who has ruled the country since 1999. In The Most American King, a new biography of King Abdullah, author Aaron Magid argues that the Jordanian king’s staying power is what makes him interesting — that the relative stability he has overseen demands attention in a region so often beset by chaos elsewhere, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Aid allocated: Jordan receives roughly $1.45 billion a year from the U.S., making it one of the largest beneficiaries of American foreign assistance dollars. That’s despite King Abdullah’s public criticism of Israel, America’s strongest ally in the Middle East — and even harsher language from his wife, Queen Rania, who is of Palestinian descent. “I think he does understand that having some sort of relationship with Israel is in his benefit and his national security interest,” Magid told JI in an interview this week. 

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FALLING SHORT

Gottheimer’s bet on Jewish vote didn’t pay off

With his path to victory narrowing in the closing stretch of New Jersey’s gubernatorial primary, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) had placed his hopes for a come-from-behind win on the state’s sizable Jewish community, a politically active voting bloc he saw as a crucial part of his coalition in a crowded race with overlapping constituencies and likely low turnout. The moderate Jewish Democrat worked to court Jewish voters by touting his pro-Israel record and commitment to fighting antisemitism. In the end, however, the veteran congressman came in fourth place in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, losing to a fellow House member, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), by 22 points, even as she had claimed only a third of the vote in the six-way race, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Matthew Kassel report.

A look at Lakewood: Gottheimer’s poor overall performance across the state came in spite of relatively strong turnout in Lakewood, where he won more than 5,000 votes from the Orthodox community, including several unaffiliated backers, according to Shlomo Schorr, director of legislative affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office. With nearly 3,000 registered Democrats in the Orthodox community in Lakewood, Gottheimer’s Vaad endorsement helped him secure those votes and to claim additional support from unaffiliated residents, though hardly as many as his allies had hoped to attract: Lakewood has more than 20,000 unaffiliated Orthodox voters — suggesting that only a small fraction of them had declared as Democrats in order to vote in the primary. Even if he had sought to mobilize those Orthodox voters earlier in the primary, Gottheimer still would have come up short. “None of that would have made a difference,” Schorr told JI, given the outcome on Tuesday. “We just don’t have the kind of numbers to flip such a lopsided race, obviously.”

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Worthy Reads

Taking It to Tehran: In The Times of Israel, Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who previously served as prime minister, explains the motives behind Israel’s decision to strike Iran. “What does victory look like? An Iran without a nuclear capability. An Iran deterred from further escalation. An Iran that understands it cannot spread terrorism in the region without paying a price. The opening hours of this operation have shown what Israel is capable of, the strength and sophistication of our armed forces and the depth of our intelligence. Those who stand behind Iran’s nuclear program and its terrorist infrastructure can’t run and they can’t hide.” [TOI]

Waking to a New Middle East: The Free Press’ Matti Friedman reflects on “turning point” in the Middle East following Israel’s preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear targets. “After waking up my children, hustling them blearily into the safe room, and checking my phone, I saw that the siren indicated not that we were being attacked — but that we were attacking. The army’s Home Front Command warned us to stay close to shelter. After a decade and a half of news reports that Israel was about to attack the Iranian nuclear program, after years of Iranian obfuscation, Israeli indecisiveness, and American fecklessness, the Israeli air force was actually striking in Natanz and Tehran. Among the pilots, I assume, are a few people I know.” [FreePress]

Breaking Rank: The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey describes the shortcomings of the ranked-choice voting system in the “annoyingly chaotic” New York City mayoral primary. “Seeing a no-name upstart attempt to upset a brand-name heavyweight is thrilling. But the system has warped the political calculus of the mayoral campaign. Candidates who might have dropped out are staying in. Candidates who might be attacking one another on their platforms or records are instead considering cross-endorsing. Voters used to choosing one contender are plotting out how to rank their choices. Moreover, they are doing so in a closed primary held in the June of an odd year, meaning most city residents will not show up at the polls anyway. If this is democracy, it’s a funny form of it.” [TheAtlantic]

Word on the Street

President Donald Trump will attend Sen. Dave McCormick’s (R-PA) Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, slated for July 15 at Carnegie Mellon University; White House AI czar David Sacks, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg are slated to attend… 

Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) introduced legislation banning any individuals living in the West Bank or holding a Palestinian Authority passport from receiving refugee status, and dictating that any such individuals currently holding refugee status should be deported…

Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Derek Schmidt (R-KS) introduced a bill that would ban anyone who “endorses or espouses terrorist activities” committed by terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah or Palestinian Islamic Jihad from entering the U.S.…

Arizona congressional candidate Daniel Hernandez said that a staffer’s car was hit by gunfire outside of his campaign headquarters, which is also Hernandez’s family residence…

New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, mounting a bid for mayor of New York City, said he “would not pursue” efforts to continue the U.S.-Israel Economic Council begun under New York City Mayor Eric Adams…

A Maryland man armed with a pocketknife was arrested outside the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, following a scuffle with the school’s security; the man, identified as Joseph Amr Khairy Abdalla, had been observed circling the school parking lot and refused to exit the car or identify himself to officials…

The Wall Street Journal looks at the decisions by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav that led to the impending split of the company, staff dissatisfaction and debt incurred by the company…

The Hamas-run Gaza police force claimed to have killed 12 members of a local militia that Israel had recently acknowledged arming…

Sander Gerber‘s Hudson Bay Capital Management is set to open an Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, office by the end of the year; the company already has a 10-person office in Dubai…

Pic of the Day

Israeli Air Force jets take off on Friday during Operation Rising Lion.

Birthdays

Chief political correspondent for CNN, born Dana Ruth Schwartz, Dana Bash, left, and co-anchor of a CNN global news show, Bianna Golodryga, both celebrate birthdays on Sunday…

FRIDAY: Existential psychiatrist, he is a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Stanford University, Irvin David Yalom turns 94… Professor emeritus at UCLA, he played an influential role in the development of the ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, Leonard Kleinrock turns 91… London-born, now living in Gstaad, Switzerland, founder of Graff Diamonds, Laurence Graff turns 87… Former official in the Johnson, Nixon, Clinton and Obama administrations, Morton Halperin turns 87… Chairman and CEO of Oppenheimer & Co., then Chancellor of Brown University and now CEO of Source of Hope Foundation, Stephen Robert turns 85… Member of Congress (D-NY) since 1992 and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerrold Lewis “Jerry” Nadler turns 78… Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, he was previously attorney general of Israel, Elyakim Rubinstein turns 78… Assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of retina surgery at Franklin Square Hospital, Michael J. Elman, MD… National political correspondent for National Public Radio and a contributor at the Fox News Channel, Mara Liasson turns 70… Chief Jewish education officer of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, Fla., Rabbi Arnie Samlan turns 70… Co-founder and general partner of Andreessen Horowitz, Benjamin Abraham “Ben” Horowitz turns 59… Founder and CEO of Overtime, Daniel Porter turns 59… Yoga instructor, Jenny Eisen Verdery… Founder and CEO of Peninsula Group, Micah Lakin Avni turns 56… Family court judge of the City of New York, serving in Brooklyn, Judge Erik S. Pitchal turns 53… White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, Eli Stokols… Founder and CEO of NYC-based JDS Development Group, Michael Stern turns 46… Chief external affairs officer at BSE Global, Marissa Shorenstein… Actor, the son of Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving, Max Samuel Spielberg turns 40… Actress, known professionally as Kat Dennings, she starred in the CBS sitcom “Two Broke Girls,” Katherine Litwack turns 39… Fashion blogger and creator of Something Navy apparel stores, Arielle Noa Nachmani Charnas turns 38… Contributor at Real Clear Investigations, Benjamin H. Weingarten… Retired NFL football player after four seasons, he is the COO at Jones Soda, Gabe Carimi turns 37… Policy advocate at Protect Democracy, Ariela Rosenberg… Speed skater who represented the USA at the Winter Olympics in 2014, 2018 and 2022, Emery Lehman turns 29… 

SATURDAY: Retired Soviet nuclear scientist, now writing from Skokie, Ill., on Jewish intellectual spirituality, Vladimir Minkov, Ph.D. turns 92… Retired U.S. district judge for the District of Maryland, Marvin Joseph Garbis turns 89… Former vice chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, Dr. Beryl A. Geber… 45th and 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump turns 79… Former French diplomat and advisor to former French Presidents Chirac and Sarkozy, Jean-David Levitte turns 79… Television sportscaster and journalist, Len Berman turns 78… Writer, critic, philosopher and magazine editor, Leon Wieseltier turns 73… Chairman and chief investment officer of Duquesne Family Office, Stanley Druckenmiller turns 72… Businessman and philanthropist, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 for services to philanthropy, Sir Leonard “Len” Blavatnik turns 68… Political activist, Pamela Geller turns 67… Co-founder of Virunga Mountain Spirits, a distillery in Rwanda, William Benjamin (“Bill”) Wasserman… President of Blue Diamond HR LLC, Michelle “Shel” Grossman… President of Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., Maud S. Mandel turns 58… Senior advisor to Tollbit, Campbell Brown… Singer-songwriter with ten studio albums, Joshua Radin turns 51… Co-founder of Kelp, now a part of Signal AI where he is an SVP, Daniel M. Gaynor… Australian fashion model, author, philanthropist and businesswoman, Kathryn Eisman turns 44… NYC-based businessman, Pavel Khodorkovsky turns 40… Deputy assistant secretary at HUD and then senior advisor at OMB in the Trump 45 administration, Paige Esterkin Bronitsky… Director of public affairs at San Francisco’s District Attorney’s office, Lilly Rapson… Actor, Daryl Sabara… and his fraternal twin brother, also an actor, Evan Sabara, both turn 33… Digital manager at the Republican National Committee, Julia Cohen… Associate attorney at Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester, Jacob Ellenhorn… Vienna-based European editor for Moment Magazine, Liam Hoare…

SUNDAY: Iranian-born British billionaire, he was knighted in 1989 and made a life peer in 2004, Baron David Alliance turns 93… Former president of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, Stuart C. Turgel… Former president of the National Rifle Association, Sandra S. (Sandy) Froman turns 76… Ethicist and professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, Laurie Zoloth turns 75… Internationally recognized authority on Yiddish folk and theater music, Zalmen Mlotek turns 74… Entrepreneur, currently living in Estonia, VP of the Eurasian Jewish Congress, he rebuilt a synagogue and a community center in Estonia, Alexander Bronstein turns 71… President and CEO of the PR firm Edelman, founded by his father Daniel Edelman in 1952, Richard Winston Edelman turns 71… Chicago-based political commentator, Art Friedson turns 71… Chief Rabbi of Poland, Rabbi Michael Schudrich turns 70… Israeli Druze politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud, Fateen Mulla turns 65… Novelist, screenwriter, teacher and freelance journalist, Jill Eisenstadt turns 62… First woman certified by the NFLPA as a player agent, she is now general counsel for USA Lacrosse, Ellen Marsha Zavian turns 62… Director at Citrin Cooperman Advisors, Reuben Rutman… Los Angeles-based attorney, Daniel Brett Lacesa… Regional director of the ADL based in Los Angeles, Jeffrey I. Abrams… Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, now deputy managing editor at The New York Times, Clifford J. Levy turns 58… Retired news anchor for Israel Public Broadcasting, wife of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Geula Even-Saar turns 53… Former head speechwriter for Michelle Obama and author of a 2019 book Here All Along and an upcoming book As a Jew, Sarah Hurwitz… Ethiopian-born Israeli marathon runner, he represented Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Zohar Zimro turns 48… Political staffer, Adam Jentleson turns 44… Co-founder of Evergreen Strategy Group and former director of speechwriting for Hillary Clinton, Daniel Baum Schwerin… Director of corporate communications and public affairs at Google, Rebecca Michelle Ginsberg Rutkoff… Chief advancement officer at Birthright Israel Foundation, Jaclyn “Jackie” Saxe Soleimani… Senior recruiter at The Carlyle Group, Victoria Edelman Klapper… Correspondent with the “PBS NewsHour” and “PBS News Weekend,” Ali S. Weinberg Rogin… Associate at Blackstone, Elli Sweet… Jimmy Ritter… Joel Winton… A former member of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration and Democratic nominee for Sheriff of Bucks County, Pa., Danny Ceisler turns 33…

With his path to victory narrowing in the closing stretch of New Jersey’s gubernatorial primary, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) had placed his hopes for a come-from-behind win on the state’s sizable Jewish community, a politically active voting bloc he saw as a crucial part of his coalition in a crowded race with overlapping constituencies and likely low turnout.

The moderate Jewish Democrat worked to court Jewish voters by touting his pro-Israel record and commitment to fighting antisemitism. Weeks before the election, he received a promising endorsement from the Lakewood Vaad, a coalition of influential Orthodox rabbis. The group, which represents the state’s largest Orthodox bloc, has not traditionally taken sides in primaries but urged Democratic as well as unaffiliated voters to back Gottheimer, promising to deliver thousands of voters he and his allies saw as one of their best chances to make the difference in a close race.

In the end, however, the veteran congressman came in fourth place in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, losing to a fellow House member, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), by 22 points, even as she had claimed only a third of the vote in the six-way race.

Gottheimer’s poor overall performance across the state came in spite of relatively strong turnout in Lakewood, where he won more than 5,000 votes from the Orthodox community, including several unaffiliated backers, according to Shlomo Schorr, director of legislative affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office.

With nearly 3,000 registered Democrats in the Orthodox community in Lakewood, Gottheimer’s Vaad endorsement helped him secure those votes and to claim additional support from unaffiliated residents, though hardly as many as his allies had hoped to attract: Lakewood has more than 20,000 unaffiliated Orthodox voters — suggesting that only a small fraction of them had declared as Democrats in order to vote in the primary.

Even if he had sought to mobilize those Orthodox voters earlier in the primary, Gottheimer still would have come up short. “None of that would have made a difference,” Schorr told Jewish Insider, given the outcome on Tuesday. “We just don’t have the kind of numbers to flip such a lopsided race, obviously.”

“Had Gottheimer been competitive with Sherrill in the rest of the state, his advantage among the Orthodox community could well have put him over the top,” Dan Cassino, a political scientist and pollster at Fairleigh Dickinson University, said. “Orthodox voters are a reliable source of votes, and Gottheimer put a lot of effort into securing their support. In a game of inches, that could have been decisive, but this race wound up not being a game of inches.”

Micah Rasmussen, director of Rider University’s Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, said that “Gottheimer was resourceful and smart to reach out to the religious communities of New Jersey — and it did bear fruit for him.”

“But fundamentally, he needed a lot more than those handful of communities could deliver for him,” Rasmussen told JI.

Dan Cassino, a political scientist and pollster at Fairleigh Dickinson University, agreed. “Had Gottheimer been competitive with Sherrill in the rest of the state, his advantage among the Orthodox community could well have put him over the top,” he said. “Orthodox voters are a reliable source of votes, and Gottheimer put a lot of effort into securing their support. In a game of inches, that could have been decisive, but this race wound up not being a game of inches.”

In Lakewood, a deeply conservative community where Republicans vastly outweigh Democrats, Gottheimer had always been severely limited in his ability to claim a decisive share of the electorate, particularly in a race he lost by more than 175,000 votes. By contrast, Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee backed by President Donald Trump, won Lakewood with more than 9,500 votes. In 2021, he came unexpectedly close to unseating outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, with strong support from the community, even as the Vaad had endorsed the incumbent last cycle.

“Considering he lost by 175,000 votes, there’s not much more he could have done,” a New Jersey political strategist and Jewish community activist said of Gottheimer, adding that the election results showed that the Lakewood Vaad is more capable of turning out significant votes than it was in the past — for second-time Republican nominee Ciatarelli. 

Lakewood helped deliver Ocean County for Ciattarelli, the strategist said, even as the county GOP chair endorsed one of Ciattarelli’s opponents. “That would have been a great day, just good news all around. But the Gottheimer thing kind of leaves people with a bad taste in their mouth.”

Meanwhile, a widely touted nonpartisan effort to register Jewish voters for the Democratic primary succeeded in persuading only a small minority of Lakewood voters to change their party affiliation, said Schorr, who pegged the number at some 250 voters. “It’s very difficult to get people, especially Orthodox Jews, to become registered Democrats,” Schorr told JI. “They’ll vote, maybe, in the election — but to change their affiliation from Republican to Democrat, that you’re not going to get them to do.”

The results raise questions about what basis had existed for the promises and expectations of that re-registration and turnout effort, according to the strategist, who noted the Lakewood votes simply never were up for grabs. “There aren’t a lot of Democratic votes in Lakewood, in the Orthodox community, to be had,” the strategist explained, while adding that Ciattarelli has worked hard to make connections and appeal to those voters.

A local Democratic strategist argued that the disappointing results of the Orthodox turnout effort need to prompt a re-assessment of the strategy.

Even as Gottheimer won his home county of Bergen in northern Jersey, he underperformed in Orthodox communities there and elsewhere in the state, such as Edison and Cherry Hill, said Schorr. “I think they could have done better just from the initial numbers I’ve seen,” he told JI. “The Lakewood area delivered, but other places did not.”

“For Josh, it was a challenge,” a Jewish leader said of Gottheimer. “It wasn’t enough for Josh, but at the end of the day, a pro-Israel and well-known friend of the Jewish community was still elected in part because of the Jewish vote in the state,” the Jewish leader said of Sherrill. 

Notwithstanding his strong record on Israel and antisemitism, across the wider Jewish community, Gottheimer also faced competition from a range of primary rivals including Sherill, former state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, each of whom has, to varying degrees, built relationships with Jewish leaders during their tenures.

The results indicated that Sherrill overperformed and Gottheimer did not see a strong turnout surge, said a Jewish leader in the state who believes that many Jewish community members are now disillusioned with the results. Still, the Jewish leader expects Sherilll will maintain a positive relationship with the Jewish community going forward.

“For Josh, it was a challenge,” another Jewish leader said of Gottheimer, who sought to draw relatively minor contrasts with Sherrill on Jewish issues during the race, as she has called for increased federal action against antisemitism and demonstrated a largely pro-Israel record while in Congress. “It wasn’t enough for Josh, but at the end of the day, a pro-Israel and well-known friend of the Jewish community was still elected in part because of the Jewish vote in the state,” the Jewish leader said of Sherrill. 

Looking toward November, a Jewish leader said that moderate Democratic voters could be up for grabs for Ciatarelli, as many Jewish voters have been feeling disenchanted with the direction of the Democratic Party.

He is also likely to draw strong support from the Orthodox community, where in Lakewood alone there are around 30,000 registered Republicans.

As New Jersey’s competitive gubernatorial primary takes place today, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) looks like the front-runner in the crowded Democratic field but without much public polling and a late flurry of advertising, there’s still a considerable amount of uncertainty as to who will emerge as the nominee in the six-way race.  

Sherrill, a military veteran who has represented a suburban north New Jersey seat since 2018, is the favorite of many Democratic Party officials and has been leading in the limited public polling of the race. The congresswoman has also been one of the top fundraisers in the field, along with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who has been courting support from the state’s sizable Jewish community.

“Josh has been betting on the Jewish community coming out strong, and there is a realistic possibility that if new voters emerge in places like Lakewood, which is the fifth-largest city in New Jersey now, it could play a decisive role,” one Jewish community activist, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss the primary, told Jewish Insider on Monday. 

But even as Gottheimer won a key endorsement last month from the Lakewood Vaad, an influential coalition of rabbis from the state’s largest Orthodox Jewish community, other observers expressed some skepticism that the moderate congressman’s strategy of consolidating Jewish support will be enough for him to prevail in the primary to replace Gov. Phil Murphy, a term-limited Democrat.

“I just don’t know if it’s going to be able to be enough to give him the edge,” said Shlomo Schorr, the director of legislative affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office. “It was maybe a bit too late to get the turnout that they had wanted and needed.”

Though Schorr said that Gottheimer’s strong showing in early voting so far in major Orthodox communities such as Teaneck and Lakewood could peel support away from Sherrill, he also speculated that it could help to fuel another candidate, Steve Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City, running as a progressive-minded anti-establishment challenger. 

Fulop, a Jewish Democrat whose campaign is appealing to progressive, younger voters, has said “every single person has a pathway to win.” He has faced backlash from Jewish leaders for opposing legislation to enshrine the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into state law, though he later walked back his remarks in a mailer aimed at Jewish voters.

Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark whose coalition in some ways overlaps with Fulop, has experienced a late surge thanks largely to his high-profile arrest last month outside an immigration detention facility in New Jersey, even as his record of commentary on key issues such as Israel and antisemitism has raised concerns among many Jewish leaders in the state.

The other Democrats in the primary include Stephen Sweeney, a moderate who served as president of the state Senate, and Sean Spiller, the president of the New Jersey Education Association who has drawn significant outside support from a super PAC spending more than $8 million to boost his campaign. 

Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman backed by President Donald Trump, is favored to clinch the Republican nomination. He came close to unseating Murphy in 2021, winning Lakewood in the process. The Vaad has also endorsed his campaign this cycle.

The results of the Democratic primary are more volatile, particularly without the so-called county line that had bestowed establishment-backed candidates with preferential ballot placement.

“With no line, all bets are off,” said a Jewish activist who is not taking sides in the race, speaking on the condition of anonymity to address the primary. “It’s all turnout. I still think it’s Mikie’s to lose. Her team is confident, as is the candidate. But I guess they all are.”

Recently released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander and his family endorsed Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) for governor of New Jersey and praised his advocacy for Alexander’s release in a letter to the congressman.

The letter, read out at a recent campaign event in Tenafly, N.J. by a family friend, reads, “We can’t wait to thank you in person and we can’t wait to call you Governor Josh in November.”

The letter is signed by Alexander himself, his mother and father Yael and Adi, his sister Mika and brother Roy.

“In those dark times” of Alexander’s captivity, “you were not only a shining ray of light, but you were what we call a mensch,” the family wrote. “You reached out to us and stood by us from day one. You opened doors for us in the political arena and used all your skills, connections and resources to help us in our long uphill struggle to bring back our son to us.”

“You used every platform to bring Edan to the spot light,” the letter continues. “In NJ, in DC and out to the world. You took it personally and took us in as your extended family. You were there for us in the public eye and in private.”

Gottheimer is banking on strong support and turnout from New Jersey’s Jewish community to propel him to victory in next week’s gubernatorial primary.

As Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) works to come from behind in the closing weeks of the New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial primary, the veteran congressman is counting on support from the state’s sizable Jewish community to launch him to victory in the June 10 election.

“It’s a key part, a critical part of the coalition,” Gottheimer told Jewish Insider on Monday. “These off-year primaries are — despite what we’re all working to do — it’s always a lower turnout in the off years. And I’d say the Jewish community is very engaged, and I think they play a really important role in the election.”

He argued that he has an extensive record both in office and before his time in Congress fighting antisemitism and supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship, and has forged deep bonds with the Jewish community, particularly at a time when it has been subjected to increased antisemitism.

“I think that [the Jewish] community around the state recognizes that,” Gottheimer said. “I think I’ve made a very strong case of why I’d be an excellent governor for the Jewish community, and for all communities.”

Gottheimer recently picked up the endorsement of the Lakewood Vaad, an influential group of rabbis in one of the state’s largest Orthodox Jewish communities, which urged both Democrats and unaffiliated voters to vote for Gottheimer in the Democratic primary. The endorsement came comparatively early for the Vaad, which in the past has endorsed candidates as late as on Election Day.

As of last week, Lakewood had more than 20,000 unaffiliated Orthodox Jewish voters, in addition to nearly 3,000 Orthodox voters registered as Democrats, according to Shlomo Schorr, the director of legislative affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office. In surrounding communities in Ocean County where the Vaad’s sphere of influence extends, there are 3,500 Orthodox Democrats and 2,250 unaffiliated Orthodox voters, Schorr said.

“It’s a three-part punch: it’s Lakewood coming out early, it’s Lakewood saying to the Democrats they should vote for Josh and it’s them saying [to] the unaffiliated who have the ability to show up that day and declare as a Democrat that they should as well show up for Josh,” a Gottheimer-backing New Jersey strategist said. 

Even as Gottheimer has lagged behind other opponents, such as Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), the establishment favorite in the race, in the limited public polling available, one Gottheimer advisor suggested that current polling could be missing the preferences of the Orthodox community. 

“Orthodox communities such as the Vaad are generally missed as a part of traditional polls because the community is not inclined to participate in traditional opinion polling,” the advisor told JI. “If you wanted to look for a hidden vote that wouldn’t be counted, there’d certainly be evidence that that is one.”

The New Jersey strategist predicted that the Lakewood endorsement would produce a “domino” effect: as the largest Jewish community in the state, Lakewood turning out for Gottheimer could drive turnout among other New Jersey Jewish communities, signaling “that Josh has a viable path to victory and to win.” Some other Jewish community leaders, including a Jersey Shore-based Sephardic Orthodox group, have also endorsed Gottheimer.

If those communities turn out in force for Gottheimer, it could total between 30,000 and 50,000 votes, the strategist said, which “is enough to — 100% — win that election.” They continued, “Josh’s path to victory is Bergen County turning out and the Jewish community turning out.”

Gottheimer also emphasized to JI that he’s been speaking to Jewish communities throughout the state for months, and has won endorsements from mayors and other local officials in areas with large Jewish communities statewide, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox.

“We have very big support — I’ve spent a lot of time — because I think the Jewish community wants somebody who’s going to stand up and fight antisemitism and hate, who’s going to make sure we teach children in K-12 about the Holocaust, about what happened on Oct. 7 [2023], actual facts, and who’s going to be a nationwide leader on these issues,” Gottheimer said. 

“A lot of Jewish voters feel abandoned, and they want someone who’s going to be a champion of them and of the community,” Gottheimer said.

Schorr said the Vaad is anticipating that it can convince not only Democrats but an even more significant number of unaffiliated voters in Lakewood and beyond to pull the lever for Gottheimer in a race that is expected to be fought on the margins.

Along with its endorsement, the Vaad is spending heavily on ads and get-out-the-vote efforts to help raise awareness around the primary, for which early voting begins next Tuesday and ends on Sunday.

Schorr, who clarified that he was not involved in the endorsement discussions and that his own group is not taking sides in the race, acknowledged that the Vaad’s endorsement could “heavily tilt” the election. But he said the late push may face some logistical hurdles with just weeks remaining until the primary.

“There’s not that much time,” he told JI on Tuesday. “Their struggle will be to get people to turn out for the Democratic candidate.”

Livingston, N.J. Mayor Ed Meinhardt, a former synagogue president who has endorsed Gottheimer, said he expects the Jewish community in his town and surrounding areas — including two large Orthodox congregations — to support Gottheimer, adding that Gottheimer’s “path to victory very much goes through the Jewish population of western Essex” County.

Sherrill represents Livingston and other areas of Essex, and local observers expect her to carry a significant share of the Jewish vote in her congressional district.

“I think what Congressman Gottheimer is doing is taking the vote away from Congresswoman Sherrill,” Meinhardt said. “I believe what Congressman Gottheimer is doing is actually splitting the vote and taking the vote away from her and putting it back into his camp … That’s why he’s spent so much time in this area.”

Another local source familiar with the race said that “given the way the numbers are looking, having the Jewish community come out and vote would appear to be a boon for [Gottheimer], and if the Jewish community doesn’t come out and vote for him, it’s going to hurt.”

The source said that the Jewish community in New Jersey — totaling more than 600,000, making it the largest non-Christian religious community in the state — could be enough to swing the race if Jewish voters show up in force and if Gottheimer is able to turn out and unify Jewish voters statewide, outside of his existing Bergen County constituency.

“There’s 120,000 people in Lakewood, so let’s say they could deliver 40,000 votes, give or take, maybe less … but there’s enough there that if the entire community came out and voted for one candidate, there’s a good chance that candidate’s going to win,” the source said.

David Bercovitch, the co-founder of a new political advocacy group called Safeguard Jewish South Jersey, which has endorsed Gottheimer, said the congressman “has garnered the support of so many in the Jewish community because he embodies the values of everyday New Jerseyans.”

“He is a strong advocate on the issues of concern for the Jewish community, as his track record in Congress shows,” Bercovitch told JI. “I believe many will be surprised by the results on June 10 in large part because of his tremendous advocacy for the Jewish community.”

In the GOP primary, the Vaad also endorsed Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman who won Lakewood in his previous bid for governor in 2021, even as Gov. Phil Murphy, a term-limited Democrat, had notched the coalition’s backing at the time.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), a candidate for governor of New Jersey, challenged his fellow candidates to pledge to sign bipartisan state legislation to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism in response to the murder of two Israeli Embassy officials outside the Jewish museum in Washington.

That legislation has become a major dividing line in the gubernatorial race — Gottheimer and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) support it, while Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop opposes it, but said recently he would not veto it. Other candidates did not respond to requests for comment on the issue earlier this year. Critics of the legislation say that the IHRA definition — which identifies some criticism of Israel as antisemitic — violates free speech protections.

“I’m heartbroken by the tragic act of violence that took the lives of two young Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night … While the investigation continues, one thing is undeniable: antisemitism is fueling violence in this country, and it’s getting worse,” Gottheimer said in a statement shared with Jewish Insider. “Here in Jersey, we feel the effects of hate firsthand in our communities and synagogues. New Jersey had the third highest amount of antisemitic incidents last year, according to the ADL.”

“No one should have to live in fear simply for being Jewish. We must call out antisemitism wherever it appears and hold those responsible for spreading hate and violence accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he continued. “As Governor, I’ll immediately sign New Jersey’s IHRA bill into law, and I’ll push to dismantle antisemitism and hate in any form whenever it rears its ugly head.”

Gottheimer visited the scene of the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Thursday morning.

Pro-Israel leaders in the United States on Thursday connected the murder of two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington to the anti-Israel advocacy seen on the political extremes throughout the country since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, characterizing it as a culmination of such rhetoric and, in some cases, the failure of some politicians to denounce it.

The suspected shooter, Elias Rodriguez, shouted “free, free Palestine” and “I did it for Gaza” following the shooting, according to an eyewitness and video from the arrest. He reportedly published a manifesto railing against Israel.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said that the attack should be a signal to the left that it needs to rethink its rhetoric on Israel and Zionism. He compared the anti-Israel movement in the United States to a “cult” that has been stoked online and is using inherently violent slogans while its members “try to hide behind this idea that it’s free speech to intimidate and terrorize members of the Jewish community.”

He said that too many on the left have failed to call out antisemitism in the anti-Israel movement.

“Why can’t you just call it what it is, and then address and assert the pressure on the aggressor,” which is Hamas,” Fetterman said. “I can’t even imagine having to live with that ever-present antisemitism and what? Why can’t people just acknowledge and call that what it is?”

Fetterman predicted that the same elements of the left that have supported Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will also rally behind Rodriguez.

“What part of my party does this come from where it’s like, we try to defend or try to justify assassinating an executive in broad daylight or … somebody [who] guns down” two people at a Jewish event, Fetterman asked incredulously.

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter connected the shooting to the anti-Israel protests seen on college campuses and elsewhere in the country.

“The point of the matter is that on campuses around this country, where ideas — these are the temples of ideas — where smart ideas, intelligent ideas, moral ideas, truthful ideas, are supposed to be taught, we have useful idiots running around in support of the destruction of Israel,” Leiter said at a press conference.

“This is done in the name of a political agenda to eradicate the State of Israel,” Leiter added. “The State of Israel is now fighting a war on seven fronts. This is the eighth front, a war to demonize, delegitimize, to eradicate the right of the State of Israel to exist.”

He also connected rising global antisemitism to countries like France that have spoken out against Israel and are moving to recognize a Palestinian state.

A coalition of 42 Jewish organizations, in a statement, described the murders as “the direct consequence of rising antisemitic incitement in places such as college campuses, city council meetings, and social media that has normalized hate and emboldened those who wish to do harm.”

William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said on X, “There is a direct line between demonizing Israel, tolerating antisemitic hate speech in the public square, and violent action.” 

“We are now witnessing the deadly consequences of months of relentless antisemitic incitement — amplified by international organizations and political leaders across the globe — since the horrors of October 7,” Daroff said. “This is not a debate over policy; it is the mainstreaming of hatred, and its consequences are measured in blood.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said on X the attack was “the deadly consequence of normalizing Jew-hatred.”

“Since October 7, antisemitic attacks have surged — fueled by violent chants to ‘globalize the intifada’ and slurs like ‘dirty Zionist,’” Gottheimer said. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), highlighting a tweet from a local anti-Israel group that praised the attack, said that, “Violence is not a bug but a feature of virulent Anti-Zionism.”

Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez called out a series of progressive lawmakers, saying, “spare us the fake outrage.”

“Two Israeli diplomats were murdered in cold blood—and you dare act concerned? Y’all have spent years fueling the hate and antisemitism that’s now exploding across America. Don’t pretend to care,” Hernandez continued, in an X post. “You are constantly surrounded by keffiyehs and “Free Palestine” and have pushed rhetoric that’s radicalized Americans into thinking murdering Jews and harassing them in the streets will somehow “liberate” Palestine and end the so-called genocide. No thanks.”

“We don’t want prayers from politicians who support individuals and organizations that promote this hate and who are being actively supported by said individuals and organizations while they run for office,” Hernandez added.

“You can’t support chants of ‘Globalize the Intifada’ and then be ‘appalled’ when people act it out,” Georgia state Rep. Esther Panitch said on X in response to a statement on the attack from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) that did not acknowledge that the victims worked for the Israeli embassy and condemned “violence” broadly. Panitch also criticized other progressive Democrats who issued statements on the attack.

Panitch added, “Fascinating that those who campaigned against the Jewish community’s right to define their own experience of antisemitism are the ones who call ‘Globalizing the Intifada’ peaceful protests. The same ones who can’t say the word antisemitism in their posts.”

Jordan Acker, the University of Michigan regent who has been repeatedly targeted with antisemitic harassment and vandalism, drew a direct line between those incidents and demonstrations on the University of Michigan’s campus, and the Wednesday night murders.

“This isn’t protest. It’s a threat. This is what antisemitism looks like — and it’s escalating,” Acker said. “This is part of a terrifying trend: Jews in America being hunted, harassed, and attacked for being visibly Jewish — for existing in public. When we call it antisemitism, we’re told we’re overreacting. That our fear is political. That our pain is inconvenient. We’ve been gaslit for 18 months. Enough.”

He also called out progressives directly, saying “antisemitism isn’t any less dangerous when it comes wrapped in ‘progressive’ language.”

In response to the attack, some of the most prominent far-left critics of Israel on Capitol Hill have offered what many in the Jewish community have seen as half-hearted and inadequate responses.

“My heart breaks for the loved ones of the victims of last night’s attack in D.C. Nobody deserves such terrible violence. Everyone in our communities deserves to live in safety and in peace,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) said, linking to an article highlighting that the victims, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were Israeli Embassy workers, but not noting their backgrounds or the circumstances of the shooting in her own post.

Omar noted that the shooting took place at the Capital Jewish Museum but did not acknowledge the victims’ backgrounds and condemned violence broadly.

“I am appalled by the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum last night. Holding the victims, their families, and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers,” Omar said. “Violence should have no place in our country.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told Jewish Insider on Wednesday that “[w]e’re trying to figure out the best path forward” on the Antisemitism Awareness Act, after a House lawmaker said the Senate leader had committed to holding a vote.

The legislation passed the House with strong bipartisan support but has been stalled in the Senate for months amid opposition on both sides of the aisle. 

But Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said he’d spoken to Schumer recently and Schumer had committed to holding a vote on the bill before the end of the year. Asked about that conversation in a brief interview with JI, Schumer didn’t provide details on his plans or current discussions or directly address his reported commitment to Gottheimer.

The bill has been filed as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Schumer has been facing increasing Jewish community pressure to call a vote on the bill.

The House Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday requested documents from Rutgers University on its handling of antisemitism on its campuses, the sixth school and the second public college targeted under the committee’s antisemitism probe.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the committee’s chair, wrote on Wednesday to Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, Board of Governors Chair William E. Best and the chancellors of Rutgers’ Newark, Camden and New Brunswick campuses about antisemitic incidents across the university system.

“Rutgers stands out for the intensity and pervasiveness of antisemitism on its campuses,” Foxx said. “Rutgers senior administrators, faculty, staff, academic departments and centers, and student organizations have contributed to the development of a pervasive climate of antisemitism.”

The letter highlights concerns about the Rutgers Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), which Foxx described as “notorious as a hotbed of radical antisemitic, anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-terrorist activity,” pointing to statements by the center, its leadership and its affiliates, as well as events and speakers it has sponsored.

She also pointed to antisemitic and anti-Israel activity by other Rutgers faculty, staff and institutions, and Rutgers Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as other incidents of vandalism.

The letter accuses Rutgers SJP of “a history of violation of university rules,” and notes that the group has received significant support from the student government and was only briefly suspended on the New Brunswick campus.

The letter further blasts then-Rutgers New Brunswick Chancellor Christopher Malloy for apologizing for a statement condemning antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, and notes that Rutgers Newark’s Jewish population falls well below the state’s overall Jewish population.

Foxx requested, by April 10, documents relating to antisemitism and anti-Israel activity on Rutgers’ campuses and its responses to it; internal communications and meeting minutes from Board of Governors meetings; all documents relating to the CSRR; documents on funding for Rutgers SJP; documents relating to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions efforts at Rutgers; documents on the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs; and information on foreign donations, particularly from Qatar.

“Rutgers takes claims of antisemitism, and all forms of bias and intolerance, very seriously. The university received the committee’s letter and will respond directly to the chairwoman,” Rutgers said in a statement.

Rutgers, and the CSRR in particular, have also come under scrutiny from Republicans of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Local Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) has also raised concerns about events on Rutgers’ campuses.

This story was updated on March 27 at 4:40 p.m. to include a statement from Rutgers.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, is threatening to subpoena Harvard for documents related to its handling of antisemitism on its campus.

Foxx and the committee had requested documents from Harvard as part of the committee’s investigation into antisemitism on campuses, but said the documents the university produced were incomplete and nonresponsive to the request. Foxx on Wednesday gave Harvard’s leadership a week to provide further documents or face a subpoena.

“Somehow, almost two months after the Committee first informed Harvard of its intent to request production of specific documents, and a month after the Committee provided particularized requests, Harvard provided only a single meaningful document to the Committee in its antisemitism investigation,” she said. “Harvard’s failure to produce documents requested by the Committee in a timely manner is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Foxx demanded all minutes from all meetings of the Harvard Corporation, Board of Overseers and Harvard Management Company; all communications involving the Corporation and Overseers regarding antisemitism since 2021; documents relating to disciplinary processes for incidents of antisemitism; all documents and communications relating the President’s Task Force on Antisemitism; and extensive documents relating to the findings of the Antisemitism Advisory Group and responses to those recommendations.

Foxx further slammed Harvard for redacting documents that are already available publicly in its production to the committee, and for providing what she described as highly abbreviated or redacted meeting minutes about Harvard leadership’s discussions of antisemitism issues on campus. 

Separately, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) led nine Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on letters seeking information about the funders behind the Rutgers University Center for Security, Race and Rights. 

The lawmakers said the center has provided a platform for supporters of terrorism, including guest speaker Sami Al-Arian, who was convicted of providing material support to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The center’s director reposted denialism of the Oct. 7 attack, and the center has hosted individuals who have celebrated the attack or sought to blame it on Israel. 

“The work of the Center, its promotion of terrorist sympathizers, and its platforming of radical ideologues is troubling to us as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee,” the senators wrote. “The Committee has a long history of working on legislation meant to root out support for terrorism, and to compensate its victims.”

The lawmakers questioned whether the center has received federal funds, New Jersey taxpayer funds or funding from foreign governments. They wrote a separate letter to the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler about its sponsorship of a law fellowship through the center.

Also this week, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Don Bacon (R-NE) wrote to the Treasury Department asking it to investigate U.S. colleges and universities that failed to disclose information on $13 billion in contributions from foreign regimes, questioning whether such donations have helped to fund “antisemitic protest groups” on U.S. college campuses. 

Gottheimer questioned Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on the issue at a hearing this week.

The House is set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution calling for the presidents of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to resign in the wake of their controversial testimonies during a hearing on campus antisemitism last week, a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Jewish Insider.

The bipartisan resolution is being sponsored by Scalise along with Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). The resolution could prompt another divide among Democrats, a week after the House — including 95 Democrats — voted in favor of a resolution linking antisemitism and anti-Zionism, while a nearly equal number voted present.

The nonbinding resolution was announced hours after Harvard’s leadership announced it stood behind its president, Claudine Gay, and rejected calls for her resignation.

The resolution “strongly condemns the rise of antisemitism on university campuses” and “strongly condemns the testimony” by the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania on whether calls for Jewish genocide violate their schools’ codes of conduct.

Language in the preamble of the resolution says that Gay and MIT’s president, Sally Kornbluth, should “follow” former Penn President Elizabeth Magill in tendering her resignation.

“When the Presidents of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology were asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violates university policies on bullying and harassment, Presidents Elizabeth Magill, Claudine Gay, and Sally Kornbluth were evasive and dismissive, failing to simply condemn such action,” the legislation reads.

The resolution could once again split the Democratic caucus. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), a Jewish Democrat who chairs the House’s antisemitism task force, split with Stefanik last week over whether to call for the university presidents to resign in a letter to the schools’ leaders on antisemitism.

“All [Stefanik] cared about was calling for the resignation of university presidents to score political points,” Manning said on X yesterday. “I am working to make real changes to university codes of conduct so Jewish students and faculty are protected from hate. Rep. Stefanik is trying to get a soundbite & media hits.”

Manning ultimately sent a letter calling for changes to campus policies to combat antisemitism, along with a dozen Democrats, while Stefanik sent a similar letter with 73 other lawmakers, including Democrats Moskowitz and Gottheimer. 

Other Democrats have also accused Stefanik of being insincere in her concerns about antisemitism, in light of her support of former President Donald Trump.

The resolution will require support from two-thirds of the House to pass.

Seventy-four House lawmakers  wrote to the boards of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania on Friday demanding that they immediately fire their presidents in response to widely criticized congressional testimony they delivered on antisemitism on their campuses earlier this week.

The presidents of the three schools have come under increasing scrutiny this week amid growing speculation that their jobs could be on the line following their refusal to say earlier this week that calls for Jewish genocide would violate their schools’ codes of conduct.

“Testimony provided by presidents of your institutions showed a complete absence of moral clarity and illuminated the problematic double standards and dehumanization of the Jewish communities that your university presidents enabled,” the letter reads. “Given this moment of crisis, we demand that your boards immediately remove each of these presidents from their positions and that you provide an actionable plan” to ensure the safety of the Jewish community on campus.

“Anything less,” than the steps they requested, the lawmakers continued, “will be seen as your endorsement… and an act of complicity in their antisemitic posture.”

The letter was led by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who questioned the presidents on the genocide issue, and Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) is the only other Democrat who signed the letter; the rest are Republicans.

The lawmakers said that the testimony makes it “hard to imagine” any Jewish or Israeli person feeling safe on their campuses when the presidents “could not say that calls for the genocide of Jews would have clear consequences on your campus.”

It adds that subsequent social media statements seeking to clarify or walk back those comments “offered little clarification on your campus’ true commitment to protecting vulnerable students in this moment of crisis,” describing them instead as “desperate attempts to try and save their jobs” and “too little too late.”

Shortly before the Stefanik-Moskowitz letter was released, a group of thirteen House Democrats wrote to the boards of the three schools urging them to re-examine their codes of conduct to make clear that calls for the genocide of Jews are not acceptable.

This second letter, led by Reps. Kathy Manning (D-NC), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Susan Wild (D-PA), includes similar language to the bipartisan letter regarding the presidents’ testimony and how it would make Jewish campus members feel unsafe, but stops short of directly calling for the presidents to be fired.

The lawmakers wrote that they felt “compelled to ask” if the presidents’ responses “align with the values and policies of your respective institutions.”

“The presidents’ unwillingness to answer questions clearly or fully acknowledge appalling and unacceptable behavior — behavior that would not have been tolerated against other groups — illuminated the problematic double standards and dehumanization of the Jewish communities at your universities,” the letter continues. “The lack of moral clarity these presidents displayed is simply unacceptable.”

The lawmakers requested that the schools update their policies to “ensure that they protect students from hate” and describe their plans for protecting Jewish and Israeli community members.

“There is no context in which calls for the genocide of Jews is acceptable rhetoric,” the letter reads. “While Harvard and Penn subsequently issued clarifying statements which were appreciated, their failure to unequivocally condemn calls for the systematic murder of Jews during the public hearing is deeply alarming and stands in stark contrast to the principles we expect leaders of top academic institutions to uphold.”

The letter notes that federal civil rights law prohibits discrimination against Jews on campus, and that criminal law bans hate crimes, violence and incitement to violence.

“Students and faculty who threaten, harass, or incite violence towards Jews must be held accountable for their actions,” the lawmakers wrote. “If calls for genocide of the Jewish people are not in violation of your universities’ policies, then it is time for you to reexamine your policies and codes of conduct.”

Signatories to the Democratic letter include Manning, Wild, Auchincloss, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Grace Meng (D-NY), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

All of the signatories to the Democratic letter are either Jewish or deeply involved with Jewish community issues on the Hill. 

Earlier this week, a third letter by six House Republicans from Pennsylvania — Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), alongside Congressmen John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Dan Meuser (R-PA) — called for University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill specifically to be fired.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) blamed U.S. military aid to Israel for contributing to the massive Hamas terror attack on Israel yesterday, which has left more than 700 Israelis dead. Tlaib also described Hamas’ actions as “resistance” to Israeli “apartheid.”

The comments come as most U.S. lawmakers have offered strong support to Israel in the conflict, without many of the typical calls for cease-fires and de-escalation by both sides in the hours following the onset of the attack. The exception to this has been members of the far-left Squad and a handful of other lawmakers aligned with them.

“I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity,” Tlaib said in a statement on Sunday. “The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.”

Tlaib added that “as long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”

Bush, in a similar statement on Saturday, said she was “heartbroken” by the violence and loss of life, “following attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli border towns and Israeli military bombardment of Gaza.”

“As part of achieving a just and lasting peace, we must do our part to stop this violence and trauma by ending U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid,” Bush continued.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) condemned the comments by his colleagues.

“U.S. aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need,” Torres told Jewish Insider in a statement. “Shame on anyone who glorifies as ‘resistance’ the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) highlighted the barbarism committed by Hamas terrorists in his own response.

“Two of my colleagues called for America to end assistance to Israel, despite the countless images of Israeli children, women, men, and elderly, including Americans, murdered by radical Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists,” Gottheimer told JI. “It sickens me that while Israelis clean the blood of their family members shot in their homes, they believe Congress should strip U.S. funding to our democratic ally and allow innocent civilians to suffer.”

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who serves in the Michigan delegation with Tlaib, distanced herself from Tlaib’s comments in a statement to JI.

“We must continue to come together as a Congress and a country to disavow terrorism and support the Jewish state, our democratic ally, Israel,” Stevens said. “Israel has a right to exist and defend herself.”

None of the other Democratic members of Michigan’s House delegation responded to requests for comment.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog responded directly to Tlaib, in an impassioned statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“How much more blood needs to be spilled for you to overcome your prejudice and unequivocally condemn Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization?” Herzog wrote. “Hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians massacred in cold blood on a holy day. Babies kidnapped from their mother’s arms and taken to Gaza. An 85-year-old woman in a wheelchair and a Holocaust survivor taken hostage. Is that not enough, @RashidaTlaib?”

At the same time, a number of New York Democrats condemned a Democratic Socialists of America rally on Sunday in New York’s Times Square expressing “solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to resist 75 years of occupation and apartheid.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the rally “ill-timed” and “cold-hearted.”

“We’ve seen unprecedented viciousness coming from Hamas aimed at innocent families and children,” Schumer said. “Everyone — no matter your views — should condemn this brutal act.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said, “The NYC-DSA is revealing itself for what it truly is — a deep rot of antisemitism.”

He added, “There is a special place in hell for those who glorify the cold blooded murder of civilians and children… The DSA should be universally condemned for its genocidal celebration of Israel’s destruction.”

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) called the rally “an absolute disgrace” and “blatant antisemitism.”

“These actions are an insult to the memories of the innocent men, women, and children brutally murdered,” Ryan continued.

Through a spokesperson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also condemned the rally.

“Leader Hakeem Jeffries strongly and unequivocally condemns the hate-filled rally held by the DSA in [NYC] and any effort to support the barbaric, inhumane and despicable terrorist attack by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens,” spokesperson Andy Eichar said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the rally was “abhorrent and morally repugnant.”

Former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY), who is currently running for a House seat in the New York City suburbs, said that “no one should support terrorist attacks against Israel” and that “today’s rally by the NYC DSA is despicable.” He added that “Hamas alone is responsible for this heinous violence.”

Brad Lander, the left-wing NYC comptroller who has in the past called for conditioning U.S. aid to Israel — and is affiliated with the DSA — disavowed the group’s rally.

“Today’s DSA rally — which effectively celebrated Hamas’ murder & kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli civilians, including children & grandparents — was abominable,” Lander said. “There is no place for glorifying terror, left, center, or right.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and a handful of progressive Democrats introduced a resolution on Monday referring to Palestinian Arabs as the “indigenous inhabitants” of Israel and endorsing Palestinian right of return, one of the most sensitive issues in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

The resolution seeks to set as U.S. policy recognition of the “Nakba” — the term, translating to “catastrophe,” that Palestinians use to refer to the mass Palestinian exodus that accompanied the foundation of Israel — and accept as a settled issue Palestinian refugees’ right of return to inside Israel’s borders. It also refers to Palestinians as the “indigenous population” of the region, but does not acknowledge Jewish history in the region.

The legislation accuses Israel of having “depopulated more than 400 Palestinian villages and cities” during its 1948 War of Independence and characterizes ongoing Israeli “expropriation of Palestinian land and… dispossession of the Palestinian people,” including Israeli settlements, as part of an ongoing Nakba. In a statement announcing the legislation, Tlaib accused Israel of “ongoing ethnic cleansing.”

Tlaib’s resolution has been cosponsored by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Marie Newman (D-IL), Cori Bush (D-MO) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY).

Neither Tlaib nor any of the cosponsors responded to a question from Jewish Insider about whether they viewed Jews as also being “indigenous” to the region.

Newman is currently facing a primary challenger, Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), who is backed by various pro-Israel groups, including J Street, which had endorsed Newman in 2020. Bowman has faced criticism from the Democratic Socialists of America over his positions on Israel, including voting for supplemental Iron Dome funding and traveling to the Jewish state last year. He has since removed himself as a cosponsor of legislation supporting the Abraham Accords.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) blasted Tlaib’s resolution as “predicated on a demonstrably false historical narrative… predictably failing to mention the hundreds of attacks on Jewish communities in the British mandate of Palestine by Palestinian militias.” 

Sherman noted that the resolution “omits” that Israel was attacked by eight Arab states in 1948, that the 1948 war began with attacks by Arab forces seeking “a war of annihilation” against Jewish militants and civilians, that “not a single Jew was left alive in the portion of the British mandate controlled by Arab armies, that no Jews lived in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem for two decades and that 800,000 Jews were expelled from neighboring Arab countries.”

“Thankfully, the vast majority of my colleagues in Congress and in the House Foreign Affairs Committee understand that the historical narrative in Congresswoman Tlaib’s resolution is an outrageous falsehood and thus this bill isn’t likely to be passed or even considered,” Sherman added.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) agreed that the resolution has no “hope of moving forward,” claiming the resolution seeks to “rewrite history and question Israel’s right to exist.”

“It’s unfortunate that this histrionic and invidious resolution was introduced now, particularly, as we see continued progress in efforts to normalize relations between Israel and its neighbors in the region,” Gottheimer added. “Divisive efforts like this only set back our fight against terror and the advancement of democracy in the region.”

Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who advised multiple secretaries of state on Arab-Israeli negotiations, said that the legislation asks Congress to “wade into the intricacies and volatility of some of the most combustible issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and essentially recognize a narrative.”

“This legislation is packed with landmines and traps,” Miller continued. “The whole issue of right of return is an issue that for years in negotiations we realized was the most combustible, most complicated, and the one which we had the least chance of resolving…. That’s the third rail of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.”

Miller emphasized that the legislation has no prospect of seeing widespread support in “any Congress that I can imagine.”

He described the legislation as “designed basically to support what the framers regard as an unrecognized, underreported and unacknowledged narrative in the American political scene of the Palestinians.” He added that the “Palestinian narrative has never been adequately explored or acknowledged” in U.S. politics and argued that “there was a way perhaps to go about this which would have recognized both Israeli independence and the Nakba being intertwined.” 

Some Republicans seized on the legislation.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) called it “the latest in a long line of antisemitic, anti-Israel statements, policies and actions by the most radical voiced in the Democratic Party.” Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) called it “disgusting anti-Semitism.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said “the continued anti-Semitism from radical socialists in the House is horrific.” The three Republicans also sought to tie House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to the initiative, demanding that she condemn the move.