Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, insisted at a Wednesday hearing that Israel could not be excluded from the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, and called out U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack for apparent efforts to advance an alternative trade corridor through Syria.

The hearing was called to focus on efforts to expand the Abraham Accords. The IMEC corridor, a proposed regional trade route that would connect Europe to India through Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations, was repeatedly raised by witnesses and lawmakers as a key next step in expanding existing normalization agreements and moving toward future ones.

“Unfortunately, reporting came out recently that anonymous Saudi officials were considering connecting these two countries through Syria instead, and just the other day it came out that Ambassador Barrack out in Turkey was also supporting this,” Lawler said. “In my mind, that is unacceptable.”

Barrack last week announced and promoted plans for a Middle East trade route through Iraq, Turkey and Syria.

Lawler previously wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking him to ensure that Israel remains part of IMEC.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, noted in his testimony that Iran’s ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz highlighted the potential value of the IMEC corridor.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that the IMEC corridor would be “integral to a more peaceful and cooperative Middle East” and was dismissive of the idea that a pipeline through Syria could be a practical solution in the near-to-medium term, given the recent and continued instability in the country.

He argued that the pipeline should run through the West Bank as a job-creation opportunity for Palestinians that he said would help advance the prospects of peace.

Asher Fredman, the executive director of the Misgav Institute for National Security, said that even short of full Saudi-Israeli normalization, there were ways that the IMEC corridor and Saudi-Israeli ties could be advanced, such as allowing the transit of goods to or from Israel though Saudi Arabia, similar to how Saudi Arabia permitted airlines to fly over Saudi territory going to and from Tel Aviv beginning in 2022.

Highlighting and advancing such steps that serve Riyadh’s own interests could be a way to expand ties and move in the direction of normalization even short of an immediate agreement, Fredman said.

Witnesses and lawmakers also emphasized the importance of appointing a dedicated special envoy for the Abraham Accords, an ambassador-rank position established by Congress that neither the Biden nor Trump administrations have filled.

Shapiro also called on the administration to fill ambassador and other senior diplomatic posts in the region that the Trump administration has left absent while vesting significant responsibilities in envoys including White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The former Biden administration official told lawmakers that efforts to normalize Saudi-Israeli relations had continued even following the disruptions of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, which would have been paired with an end to the war in Gaza and a release of hostages. 

He said that Saudi demands for a component related to advancing a two-state solution have also remained consistent — repeatedly referencing comments to that effect by former Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who had long worked on Saudi-Israel normalization.

President Donald Trump announced the morning after the hearing that a new civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is “totally subject” to Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords. Shapiro and Democratic lawmakers had criticized the administration for reportedly inking that ideal without connecting it to normalization, but Friedman suggested there might be more at play that had not been reported.

Friedman argued that Saudi Arabia’s core security interests in normalization, for the purpose of countering Iran and its proxies, remains the same. And he emphasized that no new Israeli government is likely to take a more positive stance toward a two-state solution, highlighting widespread support among the Palestinian population for Hamas and the Oct. 7 attacks.

Friedman said that other countries won’t be interested in pursuing normalization without a durable, bipartisan U.S. consensus in support of Israel, which he said is slipping on the extreme fringes of both parties.

“These countries are watching this every single day. … Until we know who we are, where we stand as a country with regard to Israel, no one’s going to take a gamble,” Friedman said.

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a founder and co-chair of the House Abraham Accords Caucus, also warned that politicization of the U.S.-Israel relationship at home is counterproductive to the cause of normalization.

“We risk squandering the opportunity to help lead the region of the Middle East — critical to the United States — we risk squandering the opportunity to lead them to a more stable, secure, prosperous and, ultimately, more peaceful future,” Schneider said. “We have to be united in our commitment to that vision of regional integration, the vision of a safe and secure Jewish democratic state of Israel, living collectively integrated with the 21 Arab [states], the states of the Arab League, and the Palestinians and their aspirations to self-determination and peace with Israel.”

Shapiro repeatedly warned that the Iran war is a major stumbling block toward further normalization, arguing that the conflict is making Gulf states doubt their long-term alliances with the U.S. and see Israel and, to an extent, the U.S. as destabilizing actors. He said that further Israeli action against violent settlers in the West Bank would also be an important step.

Friedman said that settler violence should be opposed but argued that the scope of the problem has been significantly overstated and Palestinian violence in the West Bank has been overlooked.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, Shapiro argued that Arab publics in the region are less interested in normalization, and the Israeli public has likewise grown more aggressive toward potential security threats, neither of which are conducive to further normalization.

But he pointed to the governmental changes in Syria and Lebanon as providing opportunities for normalization.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), another co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, warned that the Accords currently lack grassroots buy-in and also emphasized the need to work to maintain and strengthen the current agreements, in addition to looking for ways to expand them. She criticized moves by the Trump administration to cut funding for people-to-people peacebuilding programs.

Fredman laid out a multi-point strategy for expanding the Accords, which received praise on both sides of the aisle, including advancing IMEC, pursuing a coordinated roadmap and strategy to advance projects and other economic harmonization efforts, advancing technology and security partnerships and pursuing people-to-people connections through expansions of existing U.S. scientific, leadership and education programs.

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.”

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.

Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) are leading 28 colleagues in introducing a House version of the Jewish American Security Act, the package of antisemitism-related legislation introduced by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) last month in the Senate.

The bill includes a proposal for significant increases in security funding, new oversight and administrative measures to address antisemitism on college campuses and new transparency  requirements for social media companies relating to antisemitism online.

The legislation is being co-sponsored by Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Rudy Yakym (R-IN), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Tom Barrett (R-MI), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Greg Landsman (D-OH), David Kustoff (R-TN), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Randy Weber (R-TX), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) and John Moolenaar (R-MI).

“Words of condemnation are no longer enough,” Goldman said in a statement. “Since the October 7th attacks, there has been a systematic failure in Congress and in our communities to counter the threat posed by surging antisemitism across this country.”

Goldman, a co-chair of the House antisemitism task force, said the bill would change that pattern: “Whether on campus, at synagogues, or online — the Jewish American Security Act will provide the tools necessary to help secure our at-risk communities to practice their faith without fear. American Jews cannot be asked to bear this burden alone. As Americans, we must stand shoulder to shoulder with those under siege by hate.”

Lawler, who is also the lead sponsor of the long-stalled Antisemitism Awareness Act, said in a statement that by providing additional resources for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the bill would help safeguard constitutionally protected religious freedom and bolster Jewish institutions against attacks.

“This bill also delivers critical protections for Jewish students on college campuses through stronger Title VI enforcement, requires greater transparency from online platforms on antisemitic content, and establishes key threat assessments,” Lawler said. “We must act decisively so Jewish Americans can feel safe in their schools, synagogues, and online.”

The legislation is supported by a wide range of Jewish groups across the religious and political spectrum.

“[A]ntisemitism remains a serious threat to the safety and security of the American Jewish community. A piecemeal approach to combat this scourge of [antisemitism] is no longer sufficient. The Jewish American Security Act is a serious and comprehensive federal response to this epidemic of hate,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. “We are grateful to Congressmen Goldman and Lawler for championing this bill in the House and showing that keeping Jewish Americans safe is a genuine bipartisan priority.”

Eric Fingerhut, the CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told Jewish Insider in a brief interview that, given the support in both the House and Senate and the Jewish community, “there’s never really been something like this at this level of comprehensiveness on Jewish security, with all the Jewish organizations working together.”

“People care, but they just don’t realize how bad it’s been. They don’t realize what’s happened in the last year. They don’t understand how Temple Israel was almost a disaster that would have changed the country,” Fingerhut continued. “This is really an important moment and we are all over this. There’s nothing that’s a higher priority.”

He said that if the bill passes, “we really have something that will make a difference for the Jewish community, which has been the target of a serious domestic terror crisis over this last year. So we’re grateful and we’re ready to work.”

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement that Americans should not need security to pray or be afraid to leave their homes and interact in their communities, “yet, that is exactly what Jews in this country are experiencing every day.” 

“We are at an inflection point. Surging antisemitism is not just a threat to the Jewish community; it is a crisis for our democracy and the values we cherish as Americans — pluralism, religious freedom, and the promise of equal protection,” Deutch said. “We thank Representatives Goldman and Lawler for their leadership and demonstrating that confronting this hatred is not a political issue, but a moral obligation.”

Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said that antisemitic violence “demands investments in a sustained, whole-of-government and whole-of-society response.” 

“The Jewish American Security Act helps us to meet that need by focusing on tools that we know work,” Spitalnick said. “A truly inclusive American democracy requires Jewish safety — and so too does our safety as Jews depend on protecting our democratic institutions and values and ensuring the safety and rights of each and every community.”

Nathan Diament, the executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, said that the organization “strongly supports” the bill and that the “unprecedented wave of antisemitism demands an unprecedented response by our government,” including increasing NSGP funding to $1 billion.

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said that “the need for meaningful steps to bolster security and the fight against hate is vital.”

“The Jewish American Security Act strengthens the government tools and funding that will be available to help us meet this moment and uphold the American commitment to religious freedom,” Pesner said.

William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, praised the bipartisan support for the legislation as well as the broad consensus around it in the Jewish community, urging the bill’s quick passage.

“It is deeply encouraging to see this bill come together with bipartisan, bicameral support at a time when that kind of consensus is all too rare. There is real meaning in Republicans and Democrats joining around the shared responsibility to protect Jewish Americans,” Daroff said.

“It is encouraging to see real consensus across Jewish organizations. Since October 7, engagement is up and coordination is stronger. That unity is both needed and significant.”

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.”

William Paul, the adult son of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), verbally accosted Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) at a popular bar in Capitol Hill on Tuesday evening in a lengthy, public antisemitic tirade, Lawler confirmed to Jewish Insider on Wednesday afternoon.

NOTUS, whose reporter witnessed the confrontation, was the first to report the situation. 

The tirade occurred less than a week before the congressional election in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where anti-Israel Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who has repeatedly faced accusations of antisemitism, is facing a primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, backed by President Donald Trump and a range of Jewish and pro-Israel groups.

Lawler said that William Paul was visibly intoxicated when he entered the restaurant, the Tune Inn. He said that Paul had confronted him when he first entered the restaurant, and introduced himself as the senator’s son, later sitting next to Lawler at the bar and ultimately interjecting into  Lawler’s conversation with the NOTUS reporter.

“He goes on a drunken tirade about Thomas Massie, and if he loses, it’s because of my people. I said, ‘My people, who’s that?’ He goes, ‘Jews,’” Lawler, who is Catholic, told JI.

Lawler said that he told Paul he was not Jewish, and that Paul had apologized for “accusing you of that,” to which Lawler responded, “‘Even if I was Jewish, what’s the problem?’ And he just went on a tirade about it. Totally insane.”

He said that Paul went on to rant, “I hate Jews and I hate gay people, and I don’t care if they die,” which Lawler called “pretty vile” and “f****** disgusting.” He described Paul as engaging in a “roughly 10-minute diatribe about Israel, accusing Jews of being responsible for so many things, playing right into the typical antisemitic tropes that so many people rely on.”

Paul ended the conversation by giving Lawler the middle finger, and tripped on his way out of the bar, according to Lawler.

Lawler said that he was “honestly flabbergasted that somebody would engage in that type of rhetoric, let alone directly to a member of Congress.” He called it “arguably the most shocking thing” he’d experienced in his four years in Washington.

Paul apologized for the comments on Wednesday.

“Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am. I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem,” Paul wrote on X.

Asked what he wanted to hear from the elder Paul in response to the incident, Lawler said he would be “mortified” if it was his own child who had engaged in such behavior, but said he would leave it to the senator how he wants to respond. He said he hasn’t spoken to Sen. Paul or Massie about the incident.

He said that there is “no question when you look at some of the polling that the issue of Israel among young people and support for Israel is waning, and it’s a concern. … I think a lot of the anti-Israel sentiment is rooted in Jew-hatred, and driven by antisemitic tropes that are published on social media and online, and it’s something that we as a society and certainly Congress needs to combat.”

He said the incident “speaks to a larger issue, obviously in society, and what we’re seeing among young people and what we see online,” a “level of hatred and vitriol” that his Jewish colleagues and Jewish constituents have experienced firsthand.

The Kentucky senator’s office did not respond to JI’s request for comment on the incident.

Multiple House lawmakers condemned Paul’s son. 

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) told JI, “his grandfather,” former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) “was an antisemite. So why should we be surprised that it didn’t fall from the tree? And his father’s supporting the biggest antisemite in the house, Thomas Massie. So I don’t find it surprising. I would be curious where he works, because I wouldn’t suspect he’ll work there for long.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) wrote on X, “If you are wondering how things are going up on Capit[o]l Hill. We have elected family members screaming ‘you are a Jew’ at catholics.”

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) called it, “Repugnant behavior that we don’t want in the GOP.”

Melanie Pell, chief engagement officer for the American Jewish Committee, who lives in Kentucky, told JI, “What’s most disturbing here is how casually ‘Jew”’ was weaponized as a slur in a face-to-face exchange. This isn’t about politics or personal relationships — this is textbook antisemitic bigotry, and its normalization should alarm everyone.”

Pell said she “would hope that Senator Paul would be quick to condemn any use of ‘Jew’ as a slur irrespective of the source.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition responded to the original NOTUS report saying simply, “gross.” Jeff Miller, a Republican lobbyist and board chair of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, responded, “WTF.”

Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, the chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council, said that his organization was “deeply disturbed both by the antisemitic conspiracy theories posited by Mr. Paul and with his comfort in harassing someone he thought was Jewish in a public place.”

“The antisemitic conspiracy of Jews controlling the government, supported by extremist bigots like Thomas Massie and Tucker Carlson are not only false, stupid, and a refutation of American values, they are also dangerous, as we can see how they go from online bots to public confrontations, and can potentially turn to violence,” he said in a statement.

Litvin reiterated his concern over the younger Paul’s actions in an interview with JI later Wednesday, questioning if the encounter with Lawler would have ended differently if Paul had confronted “a kid in a yarmulke.”

“My initial reaction is hurt, but not shock. What Congressman Lawler went through last night is an experience that nearly every Jewish American understands,” Litvin said. “I’m relieved this was a U.S. congressman who he thought was Jewish. It could have just been a kid in a yarmulke, and I don’t know how the night would have ended in that case.”

Litvin linked the Tuesday night incident with Massie’s appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, accusing the Kentucky congressman of spreading “Nazi propaganda of Jewish control of the government” as he claimed Jews were responsible for his primary challenge. 

Massie, according to Litvin, “said, ‘I’m the only one who didn’t support the leader of my party in my body, Speaker Johnson, and I voted against Trump. Now they’re coming after me and it’s because of the Jews.’ Perhaps, if you’ve made enemies out of all the leaders of your party, the Jews are not responsible when people are upset with you, but that’s his claim, that it’s the Jews, it’s the Zionists.”

“That’s exactly what this young man said to Mike Lawler: ‘You need to watch more Tucker Carlson because this is what they’re talking about,’” he said. 

Still, Litvin repeatedly emphasized in his statement and to JI that he has “never seen a hint of antisemitism” from Sen. Paul “who has been a friend to Jewish Kentuckians, condemning antisemitism, supporting Jewish students, standing for the return of stolen Holocaust art and valuables, rejecting the hateful extremism at international organizations, and celebrating the Jewish community’s contributions to our country.”

Litvin called on statewide officials to condemn the younger Paul’s comments, while defending the Kentucky senator.

“I think everyone should speak out at this point. I think we have a growing problem we’ve been ignoring in America. Of Candace Owens, of Tucker Carlson, of Hasan Piker,” he continued. “They’re not on some big news station who’s held responsible. They are given a limitless platform and a microphone, and far too many times we have seen those direct comments lead to violence.”

Lauren Wolman, the senior director of government relations and strategy for the Anti-Defamation League, called the comments “disgusting and dangerous.”

“We’re thankful to Rep. Lawler for standing up in the face of this hate, but the fact that a Member of Congress was subjected to this kind of abuse so openly is outrageous and a sign of how far too normalized antisemitism has become,” Wolman said. “Every leader and public official, in every party, must condemn it clearly and unequivocally and make clear this hate will not be tolerated.”

The incident comes just days after another antisemitic incident in Massie’s race drew widespread national condemnation. An outside group backing Massie and opposing Gallrein published a vitriolic attack ad against Gallrein donor and Jewish billionaire Paul Singer, which placed Singer alongside a large star of David.

Paul has made headlines in the past for alcohol-related issues, including a 2015 collision with a parked vehicle while intoxicated and a 2013 arrest for assaulting a flight attendant, underage drinking and disorderly conduct.

Paul’s LinkedIn page lists him as a digital communications manager in the House, and a former staffer for two conservative groups. But a recent post from four days ago suggested he no longer works on the Hill.

Jewish Insider’s Washington reporter Matthew Shea contributed to this report.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) expects Congress to make another “big push” to urge President Donald Trump to fill the role of special envoy for the Abraham Accords once the Iran conflict subsides. 

The role was created in 2023, when Lawler and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) introduced a bill to establish a Senate-confirmed, ambassador-level special envoy position dedicated to expanding the Abraham Accords and Middle East normalization. The measure was ultimately signed into law as part of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Tasked with strengthening and expanding regional normalization, the special envoy would be responsible for coordinating U.S. strategy across regional embassies, nongovernmental organizations, and international stakeholders.

But despite the legal mandate, the position has remained open. The vacancy has drawn frustration from congressional Republicans, with 47 House GOP members sending a letter in January 2025 urging Trump to immediately fill the post while condemning former President Joe Biden’s failure to do so during his term.

Lawler told Jewish Insider that he would “like to see it filled,” noting that the evolving situation in the region has increased the need for the position. He said it is something he will “continue to advocate for.”

“Obviously there’s been a lot happening in the Middle East over the last year and a half. As we see the situation in Iran get resolved, I do think the Abraham Accords is going to critical moving forward,” Lawler said. “I would like to see somebody fill that position and be entirely dedicated to that work, which I think is going to be a key part of keeping stability in the region.” 

Asked whether he expects House Republicans to make another push similar to the January 2025 letter urging Trump to fill the position, Lawler replied: “I do. I think we will.”

“As you see the situation in the Middle East, from the standpoint of Iran, resolve, there will be a big push again on the special envoy.” 

“Look, obviously a lot of the focus has been on the role of Steve Witkoff, the [White House] special envoy, and he has been hyper-focused on a lot of these issues that are covered in the Abraham Accords. So I think in some capacity they have been doing this work,” Lawler added. “But I think long term, this was a position we created to accentuate one of the president’s biggest achievements of his first term.”

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.

Speaking to Jewish Insider last July, Effie Phillips-Staley, one of the Democrats aiming to take on Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in suburban New York this fall, said that she wanted to be “very clear that the U.S. has to continue to be a critical ally to Israel” and that she wouldn’t support additional conditions or restrictions on U.S. aid to Israel.

But as support for Israel has declined with the Democratic base, the progressive candidate has  flip-flopped on her views towards the Jewish state. She received an endorsement this month from the virulently anti-Israel group TrackAIPAC, which has garnered accusations of antisemitism and dishonest tactics from even elected Democrats who are themselves critical of Israel.

In a statement to JI, a spokesperson for Phillips-Staley said that her initial stance was a result of “the typical boilerplate advice from establishment Democrats to stay away from critiques of US aid to Israel.”

“But as voters and advocates continuously pressed her to examine this position, and as Israel’s bombardment and starvation of Gaza intensified, Effie began to evolve her thinking,” the statement continued. “The turning point came in August when the New York Times started reporting that UN agencies were classifying the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza as famine. At the end of that month, Effie announced that she would support the Block the Bombs legislation. She also determined that scholars and NGOs across the world were justified in classifying Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.”

Phillips-Staley went on a trip to the West Bank in February, where the spokesperson said she “witnessed first-hand the apartheid conditions on the ground for Palestinians,” including the “unequal application of law between Palestinians and Israelis, the daily state-sanctioned settler violence that Palestinians endure, and the severe travel restrictions that exist for Palestinians in cities like Hebron and Ramallah.”

Ramallah and significant areas of Hebron are controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

“Effie’s position is that the United States must not make exceptions to its own laws for Israel or any nation that benefits from US support and tax dollars,” the spokesperson said. “She believes the path toward peace and resolution of this conflict requires equal application of American and international law for all nations and states, fair consequences for those who do not follow the law, and a firm belief in upholding universal human rights.”

Phillips-Staley is also racking up other anti-Israel endorsements, including from former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, who lost a 2021 primary campaign to a pro-Israel Democrat. 

And this week, she joined antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker’s show, eliciting a joint condemnation from the chairs of the Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess County Democratic Committees, in which they called out Piker’s history of “profoundly shocking, abhorrent, and offensive” content, including antisemitism.

“We must speak up now to express deep disappointment by the appearance this afternoon of … Effie Phillips-Staley on Hasan Piker’s Twitch stream,” the chairs said. “Her decision represents a dangerous and unacceptable step toward legitimizing rhetoric that has no place in this District, in mainstream Democratic politics, or in any serious political discourse.”

Phillips-Staley responded by attacking the “Democratic establishment” for its “outdated mentality that alienates the very voters we need to win” and for “narrowing our tent and refusing to engage with platforms that reach young people.”

“While I don’t align with every word Hasan Piker has ever said, we must recognize the massive value of a platform that engages millions of young people in the democratic process,” she continued. “[Piker] is mobilizing a movement that demands our politics center human rights and favor diplomacy over the reflexive use of military force.”

Phillips-Staley’s recent endorsements, comments and interviews — have brought heightened attention to her pivot on Israel policy issues, at the same time as she’s trying to gain attention against several better-funded and higher-polling opponents.

When she entered the race, Phillips-Staley had the progressive lane largely to herself, competing against a lineup of Democratic moderates. 

But Peter Chatzky, the deputy mayor of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., subsequently entered the race as a progressive, dropping $5.8 million of his own money to support his bid, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosures. Phillips-Staley, meanwhile, had raised just $302,000 and had less than $30,000 on hand at the end of the year, trailing in fundraising behind two other candidates who have since dropped out of the race.

Chatzky entered the race as a critic of Israel, accusing the Jewish state of violating U.S. arms sales laws, though Phillips-Staley falls to his left on the issue, touting on her campaign website that she’s “the first candidate in this race to support the Block the Bombs Act.” 

Both progressives are polling well behind their moderate, pro-Israel competitors — Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson led a recent survey with 23% support, followed by national security veteran Cait Conley with 17% and Chatzky and Phillips-Staley far behind at 8% and 5%, respectively.

“I believe that she looks around and sees a field that has not differentiated themselves a lot on this issue, and she says, ‘OK, this will be one of the the ways that I try to stand out in an otherwise crowded field where I’m being heavily outspent,’” said Jake Dilemani, a New York Democratic strategist, adding that her positions are also consistent with a shift among the progressive faction of the Democratic Party.

“She’s trying to outflank Chatzky, period,” he continued. “Chatsky is the only other candidate competing for what you would call the left of the field. Effie is still to the left of him,” he continued.

The anti-Israel push is particularly notable in a Democratic-leaning, moderate district with a significant Jewish population, which has repeatedly helped push Lawler, an outspoken supporter of Israel, to victory.

Phillips-Staley’s campaign insisted that her stance isn’t motivated by political considerations.

“Effie received immense political pressure to remain silent on Israel’s human rights abuses against Palestinians. Because she has centered human rights and equality throughout her career, she investigated the issue and determined she could not remain silent, regardless of the political cost,” the spokesperson said. “Her support for Palestinian human rights reflects her moral stance that human rights should apply equally to all.”

Dilemani said that there’s more room for a further-left position in the Democratic primary than there would be in the general election. But he said there’s a larger gap between Phillips-Staley’s stances and the average general election voter, and that she would be a long shot in the general election.

Phillips-Staley suggested in an interview with the anti-Israel outlet Zeteo that leaning into stance is yielding benefits — she said that a post about her trip to the West Bank yielded more likes and more positive comments than any other issue she’d posted about. But she also claimed that local Democratic leaders are trying to silence her for describing the situation in the West Bank as apartheid.

Phillips-Staley said in the interview she visited Israel and the West Bank because the conflict is “the most consequential foreign policy issue of our time” and it has been the most talked-about issue among voters on the campaign trail.

“For many people this is a litmus test for honesty — can we speak about it and can we speak about it from [a] human rights perspective knowing that there are political consequences for doing so,” she said. “And then on the other side that I hear not as much is the establishment telling us not to talk about it.”

She said that she found the situation in the West Bank “much worse … than I imagined,” referencing a conversation and video she posted with Rev. Munther Isaac, a virulent antisemite who has justified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. 

Phillips-Staley also asserted that Israel applies different tiers of citizenship for different people.

“Her trip to the West Bank was organized by Israeli and American Jews, including former IDF soldiers. They arranged the visit with Rev. Isaac, and he gladly welcomed us all to his church,” Phillips-Staley’s spokesperson said, when asked about Isaac’s history. “Effie strongly condemns antisemitism and any prejudice against Jews. She does not see criticism of Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and genocide as antisemitic and believes everyone has a right to live with freedom and equality under the law.”

Phillips-Staley has also recently blasted Chatzky over revelations of a yearslong history of bizarre and sexual posts on social media, calling on him last week to drop out of the race. She said she would not support Chatzky if he’s the nominee.

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.

Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), the chair and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, are set to introduce a bill on Monday to disrupt the finances of the Iranian regime and its allies and expand internet access in Iran.

The Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom and Accountability Act would create a dedicated “Iran Kleptocracy Initiative” unit within the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau within the Treasury Department.

The office would be charged with identifying assets of Iranian government officials and their family members; coordinating with the Department of State to freeze and confiscate those assets; to “repurpose” seized assets to support Iranian dissidents where possible; to coordinate with various federal agencies to pursue civil and criminal prosecutions of individuals connected to these financial networks; and to create a reward system for those who assist in identifying such assets and prosecuting related individuals.

The bill would allow congressional leaders to demand that the administration assess whether specific Iranian individuals meet the standards to be sanctioned for supporting the regime’s human rights abuses, censorship and repression.

To expand internet access, it directs the Defense Innovation Unit and the Defense Acquisition University to “support the development of of low-cost, easily scalable, and rapidly deployable technologies to counter internet shutdowns or limitations in Iran,” including seeking out and backing existing or developing technologies that can evade internet blackouts by the Iranian government and working with industry and academia to quickly develop, deploy and test those technologies,

The bill proposes providing $2 million annually for those efforts through 2030. It  also proposes increased funding for the internet freedom grants for Iran from to $30 million annually through 2030, doubling the proposed funding levels currently laid out in federal statute.

The legislation urges the administration to utilize U.S. international broadcasting systems — which some lawmakers have criticized for staying on the sidelines during the latest protests — to provide accurate information to Iranian civilians and support independent Iranian journalists.

It further directs the administration to assemble a report on senior “foreign political figures and oligarchs in Iran” and parastatal entities in Iran, the various business ties and assets held by those individuals, entities and their family members and the impacts of imposing sanctions and other restrictions on them.

And it instructs the administration to report to Congress on the feasibility of certain technologies to expand internet access, an analysis of potential obstacles and a summary of telecommunications providers active in Iran and their ownership.

“The Iranian regime fears one thing above all else: a connected, informed population. That’s why it shuts down the internet, censors dissent, and jails journalists,” Lawler said in a statement. “Comprehensive legislation is needed to expand internet freedom and target the financial networks of corrupt officials. We must increase pressure where it belongs and support with all of our might those fighting for freedom and democracy.”

“Despite the absolute brutality they continue to endure at the hands of this murderous regime, the Iranian people are bravely continuing to fight for their freedom,” Sherman said in a statement. “I’m proud to join my colleague Congressman Lawler in introducing legislation to stand with these brave protesters by creating a new, whole-of-government strategy to take down this regime. The Islamic Republic is weaker than it ever has been, and we must seize the moment. I know in our lifetimes, we will see a free Iran.”

The legislation is being supported by AIPAC, which is hosting a conference for activists in Washington next week and has meetings set with more than 400 congressional offices.

“This critical legislation expresses support for the fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people, promotes secure access to the internet, and advances efforts to hold oppressors accountable for human rights abuses,” AIPAC spokesperson Deryn Sousa said in a statement. “AIPAC urges Congress to pass this bipartisan measure to stand with the people of Iran and reinforce America’s commitment to human rights and digital freedom.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) condemned as antisemitic an ad running in New York’s suburban 17th Congressional District that targets him for his support for Israel and for receiving support from pro-Israel donors.

“This ad is a disgrace,” Lawler said in a statement. “This kind of politics has no place in the Hudson Valley. I am calling on every candidate running in NY-17 to publicly and unequivocally denounce this ad immediately. Silence is an endorsement.”

The advertisement, paid for by the Institute for Middle East Understanding, attacks Lawler for supporting U.S. aid to Israel, claiming that such aid is depriving Americans of government-funded benefits programs.

“Israelis enjoy universal healthcare, while Americans go bankrupt from medical bills,” the ad’s narrator states. “Lawler’s reward? Giant campaign donations from AIPAC and the pro-Netanyahu lobby.”

It concludes, over an image of Lawler standing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Who does Mike Lawler work for? It’s not you.”

Lawler said in his statement, “The IMEU attacks anyone who stands with Israel, opposes terrorism, refuses to bow to their radical agenda, and traffics antisemitic tropes.”

The 17th District, one of Democrats’ top targets in November, has a sizable Jewish population and many pro-Israel swing voters, which have been key to Lawler’s past victories.

“I disavow this ad and any outside meddling in our race here in NY-17,” Beth Davidson, one of the leading Democratic candidates in the race. 

“Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike can unite in opposition to Mike Lawler’s record of cutting healthcare, gutting food assistance and even cosponsoring legislation to allow Donald Trump to push his insane Greenland acquisition” Davidson continued. “We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric like this at a time when Jewish New Yorkers, my family included, already face a rise in antisemitism. This ad does nothing to make us safer or allow our community to heal. Let’s focus on what the Hudson Valley needs to thrive, which is housing, healthcare and economic opportunity.”

Mark Treyger, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, likewise characterized the ad as antisemitic.

“Expressing foreign policy disagreements alone is not antisemitic,” Treyger said. “However, advancing a shameful and hateful trope of Jews siphoning public resources for their own benefit is classic antisemitism. Disgraceful.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is set to visit New Square, N.Y. on Sunday alongside Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Johnson’s team confirmed to Jewish Insider. The trip will be Johnson’s third to the Hasidic village in Rockland County since becoming House speaker.

Johnson is set to meet privately with David Twersky, the grand rabbi of New Square, during his visit. 

The trip comes as Lawler gears up for his third congressional race, which is one of Democrats’ top target districts in next year’s midterms. New Square has proven to be a critical voting bloc in the battleground House district. Lawler received a crucial endorsement from the community in 2024.

Both Republicans and Democrats have worked hard to court New Square in recent years — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also visited the community last October alongside Mondaire Jones, Lawler’s Democratic opponent in the 2024 election. Former President Joe Biden also reached out to Twersky in the runup to the 2022 midterms. 

During his time in the New York area, Johnson is also scheduled to participate in an event for Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) with the pro-Israel group NORPAC in Bergen County. Kean faces a competitive re-election in a northern New Jersey swing district.

The withdrawal of nonprofit executive Jessica Reinmann from the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District — a top-targeted swing seat currently held by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) — is bringing the top contenders in the wide field into focus.

Reinmann, who endorsed military veteran Cait Conley upon her exit from the race, was one of eight — now seven — challengers aiming to take on Lawler in next year’s midterms.

A Democratic strategist in the district said he believes Conley, along with Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson and potentially former Briarcliff Manor Mayor Peter Chatzky, comprise the top rung of candidates in the crowded race.

Those three candidates also led the field by a wide margin in fundraising as of the end of September. Conley had raised $1.3 million, Davidson $1.2 million and Chatzky $1 million. However, the vast majority of Chatzky’s war chest — $750,000 — comprises a personal loan to his campaign.

Davidson and Conley were invited to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Candidate Week event in Washington earlier this month, where they received additional training and media preparation — a sign the national party sees the two women as the strongest contenders to take on Lawler. 

Conley’s campaign has taken on a distinct national dimension, as she has touted her military background alongside a series of other female national security alumni in swing races. The so-called Hell Cats, a group that formally launched this week, is explicitly modeling itself after Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), each of whom flipped House seats in the 2018 midterms.

In her endorsement, Reinmann said she believes Conley is “by far the strongest candidate in this race” and that she has “seen her commitment to our nation and our shared values.”

Jake Dilemani, a New York political consultant, said that Conley’s profile — a woman with a national security and military background — is “unique and compelling” and one that voters seem receptive to at the moment. But he also cautioned against drawing too many one-to-one conclusions about Conley’s candidacy based on Spanberger and Sherrill’s victories in their recent off-year gubernatorial elections alone.

Davidson, meanwhile, has been racking up local Democratic endorsements, particularly in Rockland County, and she is the only Democratic candidate who hails from that part of the district, where Democrats have struggled against Lawler in previous cycles. Rockland Democrats’ backing for Davidson has not been without some internal controversy, however.

The strategist said that Davidson’s Jewish faith and family could give her a boost in a district where Jewish voters make up a significant and highly engaged portion of the voting population, and have been a strong base of support for Lawler. The Republican congressman has seen particularly strong support in Rockland County’s ultra-Orthodox community.

Dilemani also noted that Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, who is running as the “de facto lefty” in the field, could rally a base of support with that approach and “pick up some of the enthusiasm that the left has from [Mayor-elect] Zohran [Mamdani]’s win,” but also emphasized that the Democratic voting base in NY-17 is much less progressive than that of New York City.

He said that the field will likely consolidate further in the coming months after the next fundraising deadline at the end of the quarter.

“Whoever is the nominee is going to have a tough challenge going up against Mike Lawler because he has proven himself to be a savvy politician, a good retail campaigner, a good fundraiser, and he has a pretty responsive constituent services team, so the party is going to have to produce a very, very solid candidate to run against him,” Dilemani said.

Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime New York Democratic consultant, also emphasized that Lawler has been popular and has a strong reputation for constituent services, which will make him a formidable incumbent. But he also said that Lawler and Republicans are likely to face backlash over the lengthy government shutdown, and that both Davidson and Conley could give him a strong challenge.

On Israel policy, both Davidson and Conley have expressed support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Davidson has highlighted that her daughter stayed in some of the kibbutzim that were attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, and said in a position paper that, “For me and for my family, championing the sanctity and safety of Israel is not an abstract political stance or foreign policy issue. It is deeply personal — woven into the fabric of our identity and survival as Jews.” She has expressed support for continued U.S. aid to Israel.

Conley, an Army veteran who spent time in the Middle East and North Africa in counterterrorism operations, said that, “As someone who has spent my career fighting for democracy, I deeply value Israel as America’s strongest ally in the region, the only democracy in the Middle East and a safe haven for the Jewish people” and that the U.S. should be “firmly committed to the safety and security of Israel.”

During the war between Israel and Iran, Conley expressed hope for a negotiated nuclear agreement but said that “Iran’s unwillingness to abandon the pursuit of nuclear weapons has left the world with few choices” and said that she knows firsthand the necessity of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But she also warned about “being drawn into another Middle East conflict.”

Davidson told JI on Thursday that last week’s election results show that voters are looking for change from the Trump administration, but distanced herself from Mamdani.

“What was clear across the country on election day was that voters were motivated to the polls by a strong disagreement with the Trump agenda and a desire for more affordability,” Davidson said. “I bring a very different record than Mayor-Elect Mamdani does, having cut taxes, fully funded our police force, and vocally stood up against antisemitism as a well-known Jewish leader in my community. That’s a record I’m ready to take to Mike Lawler from now through next November.”

Conley told Jewish Insider earlier this year, after Mamdani’s primary win, that she did not agree with his approach. “We need to address affordability but not by raising already exorbitant taxes on New Yorkers that will just drive more people out of the state. We need to stand up for the NY Jewish community and stand against anti-semitism in all forms,” Conley told JI.

But she said that Mamdani’s victory showed that voters are looking for alternatives to career politicians — like herself.

Chatzky has distinguished himself from many in the field with a significantly more critical stance toward Israel — he has accused Israel of violating U.S. arms sales laws, requiring the suspension of arms transfers, and said he did not believe that Mamdani is antisemitic.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) appeared at a fundraiser for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in Monsey, N.Y., on Thursday evening. 

Monsey, located in Rockland County, is home to one of the largest populations of Hasidic Jews in the country, second only to the Williamsburg, Borough Park and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. Lawler, who represents many of the Hasidic communities in Rockland County, relies on the heavily Republican Hasidic voting bloc to hold on to his swing district House seat. Lawler is one of only two House Republicans serving in districts that former Vice President Kamala Harris won last year, making him a leading target for Democrats.

Tickets to the event started at $250 for access to the general reception and went up to $7,000 for passes to a VIP roundtable with Cruz and Lawler. Guests could get a photo with Lawler for $500, and be named as a co-host of the event for $3,500. The gathering was organized by the Lawler Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee composed of Lawler’s campaign, his MVL PAC and the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP campaign arm. 

Video obtained by the Monsey Scoop showed Cruz and Lawler arriving at the event and shaking hands with VIP guests. 

A spokesperson for Lawler did not respond to JI’s request for comment on the fundraiser. 

Lawler’s campaign reported a $1.1 million fundraising haul in the third quarter of this year, leaving him with $2.8 million in cash on hand. The campaign said the numbers marked his strongest ever third quarter performance in a non-election year. Year-to-date, the New York Republican has raised $3.9 million.

“Powered by nearly 10,000 donations, the campaign continues to build the broad, bipartisan coalition needed to win and deliver for the Hudson Valley,” Lawler’s campaign said in a statement earlier this month on his third-quarter numbers. 

Eight Democrats have jumped into the primary to challenge Lawler in next year’s general election contest, including Cait Conley, a decorated special ops combat veteran; Peter Chatzky, the former mayor of Briarcliff Manor; and Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson. Conley raised over $500,000, Chatzky raised more than $340,000 and Davidson raised over $370,000 in the last quarter.
Lawler and Cruz, a prolific fundraiser in his own right who began laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential bid this year, also appeared together on Thursday night at the New York State Conservative Party’s 2025 fall reception. Conservative commentator Joe Piscopo, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, was honored with the Ronald Reagan Journalism Award at the event, which took place in nearby New Rochelle, N.Y., at the Glen Island Harbour Club and featured Cruz as the keynote speaker.

Peter Chatzky, the deputy mayor of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and the latest of seven candidates to join the field of Democrats hoping to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in New York’s Hudson Valley region, is standing out from the field with the comparatively critical stance he’s taking toward the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Though Chatzky called Israel a “critical ally of the United States,” he told Jewish Insider in a recent interview that he believes, from public information and reports he has seen, that Israel is violating conditions in U.S. arms sales law relating to humanitarian aid and international law — requiring the suspension of arms sales.

The district, New York’s 17th, has one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the country. Lawler has made his support for Israel a centerpiece of his time in Congress, and most of the Democratic candidates in the race are showcasing their pro-Israel bona fides.

“[U.S. support for Israel is] incredibly important to people in this district, many like me, many are Jewish. Many have family in Israel,” Chatzky said. “I think all of us in this district believe that Jews have a right to feel safe, particularly in Israel, and I think U.S. policy has to recognize that. I think the safety of the Jewish people, the safety of an ally, is paramount, and should be paramount in everything we do.”

At the same time, Chatzky said he believes findings from international observers and media that Israel is in violation of U.S. laws conditioning arms sales on adherence to human rights law and support for humanitarian aid. He said he’s also been concerned by pictures and video coming from Gaza.

“Israel has a 100% right, 1,000% right, to defend itself. I recognize war is brutal,” he said. “We have an obligation in the U.S., we have a legal obligation, we have a moral obligation, to uphold our own standards, our own laws. … I think the U.S. could be doing a much better job, and we should do it with every ally. This is not an Israel-specific thing. Every ally should be held to our high standards of morality and support for humanitarian aid.”

Chatzky said that the U.S. should be “maximizing efforts to provide humanitarian aid” and doing “all we can” to protect innocent civilians.

He said that the issue is “sensitive” in the district, and that there are some constituents who are not willing to engage with any criticism of Israel or suggestion of wrongdoing. Chatzky said he has family in Israel, but said he has not had the opportunity to visit the Jewish state.

He said he would not support efforts to impose specific conditions on arms sales to Israel that aren’t applied to any other U.S. allies, though he said he might support efforts to expand congressional oversight over such matters globally.

Chatzky said he supports a two-state solution, but that such an outcome depends on having representative governments that are willing to negotiate — something that is not currently the case in Gaza.

“Hamas is certainly not representative of all the people who are living on the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians. I don’t think they have the same sort of democracy-focused interests that true leadership would require to establish that two-state solution,” Chatzky said. “It’s still a lofty goal. It would be great. I don’t have the magic formula to get there next week.”

Asked about the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, Chatzky said he doesn’t feel there has been enough “transparency” or “reliable information” available about the strikes, their effectiveness and the impact of those strikes on civilians. “It’s hard for somebody who doesn’t have access to all the privileged information to know what the facts are,” he continued.

He said he supports a negotiated solution to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, adding “nobody really wins if a nuclear war is initiated anywhere. And I think America always has to take whatever steps they can to limit that.”

While Chatzky said that he “can’t really defend” Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s refusal to fully disavow calls to “globalize the intifada,” he said that Mamdani “does seem to have tremendous support among some Jewish leaders.”

“I haven’t seen him taking actions I would claim to be antisemitic,” he continued. He said he thinks Mamdani understands and will do what is necessary to protect the Jewish community in New York City. “Making assumptions that he would somehow ignore such a significant chunk of his constituency — I’m not seeing anything in that in his campaign so far.”

Asked about the rise of antisemitism domestically more broadly, Chatzky said that “we have to take a critical look at everything governments are doing and make sure they’re not even accidentally inspiring more antisemitic behavior.”

“We have to just be careful about the policies we’re putting in place and who we’re blaming,” he continued. “We’re currently in an America that seems to be bent on divisiveness and finding people to cast blame on. And I’m worried some of the antisemitism we’re seeing is because of that sort of national attitude of ‘Who’s the bogeyman in this instance?’ And we have to avoid that at all costs.”

Chatzky, in his campaign, is highlighting past confrontations with President Donald Trump’s business as a private citizen, mayor and deputy mayor of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. At different points in time Chatzky and the town successfully blocked or forced the Trump organization to modify plans for development and major events at Trump’s golf course in the district.

“I am the only one who’s actually battled toe-to-toe with Donald Trump,” Chatzky said.

Chatzky argued that he’s also the only candidate in the Democratic field with a decade of experience in elected office and 40 years of experience running a business, having founded a tech company.

He said that a crucial job for Congress will be to rebuild the institutions and reputation of government disrupted by Trump and his administration. He said he also wants to see the U.S. build its social safety net, something he said he’s always done for his own employees in his business career.

At the same time, he said he’s had experience at the local level working across the aisle with Republicans and with colleagues to his left, explaining, “it’s about building coalitions, which I think is badly needed in American national-level politics today. I think we all have to start speaking together much more comfortably.”

As of the end of the third quarter, Chatzky fell in the middle of the pack of Democratic candidates in fundraising. Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson led with $855,000, followed by national security veteran Cait Conley with $816,000, Chatzky with $680,000, nonprofit executive Jessica Reinmann with $535,000, former FBI agent John Sullivan with $301,000, former journalist Mike Sacks with $212,000 and Tarrytown village trustee Effie Phillips-Staley with $152,000.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced legislation on Friday to repeal a decades-old provision in U.S. law relating to the construction of new diplomatic facilities in Israel and the West Bank.

The provision, enacted in 1986 as part of a package designed to improve security for U.S. diplomats and combat terrorism, banned funding from that bill from being used for “site acquisition, development, or construction of any facility in Israel, Jerusalem, or the West Bank except for facilities to serve as a chancery or residence within five miles of the Israeli Knesset building and within the boundaries of Israel as they existed before June 1, 1967.”

The language was intended to force the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to a report at the time. The Reagan administration opposed the move, resisting efforts to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital ahead of a negotiated agreement between Israelis and Palestinians about Jerusalem’s final status.

Congress later passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995, mandating the relocation of the embassy and recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, though it was waived by successive presidents until President Donald Trump made the move in 2017. Republicans repeatedly accused President Joe Biden of seeking to undo that move or reopen the U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem that primarily served Palestinians.

Lawler’s bill, the Keeping Official Territories Eligible for Land-use (KOTEL) Act, named for the Jewish holy site, would repeal the language from the 1986 bill.

“Israel is one of America’s closest allies, and this 40-year-old inactive prohibition serves no purpose. The KOTEL Act removes these outdated restrictions so we can continue to ensure the bond between the U.S. and Israel remains ironclad,” Lawler said in a statement.

It’s not clear how much impact Lawler’s initiative would have on current efforts to acquire or build new diplomatic facilities — the funding to which the 1986 provision applies has expired. But it could head off future attempts to challenge such construction.

Lawler plans to introduce the bill for consideration as part of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s upcoming, wide-ranging State Department reauthorization effort.

The House Financial Services Committee voted on Tuesday to advance a bill that would place a series of conditions on the lifting of U.S. human rights sanctions on Syria, after a debate over whether the U.S. should instead pursue complete sanctions relief for the new Syrian government.

The bill, led by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), would require the Syrian government to comply with various human rights-related conditions, including protecting religious minorities, as a precondition for waiving under the Caesar Civilian Protection Act.

The bill presents an alternative to a parallel bipartisan effort in both chambers to fully repeal sanctions on the new Syrian government — underscoring continued tensions on the issue on Capitol Hill following the Trump administration’s efforts to release sanctions on the new Syrian government.

The bill advanced through the committee by a 31-23 vote, with Republican Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) voting with most Democrats against it, and Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Brad Sherman (D-CA) voting for the legislation.

“The objective here is to begin the process of lifting the sanctions,” Lawler said. “We have to recognize the fragility of the situation on the ground. We want Syria to be more stable. We want a more stable government. We want the Syrian people to be free from the oppression of the Assad regime. But in order to get there, we can’t just willy-nilly trust that everything is going to be A-OK. And so what we’re trying to do here is give the administration flexibility to begin the process of lifting sanctions. I think a wholesale repeal of the sanctions is premature.”

He said that it would be “foolish” to fully eliminate sanctions while there are still conflicts between the Syrian government and Israel, and amid ongoing attacks against Druze, Alawite and Christian minorities by Syrian government-aligned forces.

“What we are trying to accomplish here is to ensure that a sanctions regime is not completely eliminated, that there are conditions and benchmarks on the ground that have to be met, so that we do hold this new Syrian government accountable,” Lawler said, and “that they are in fact, making decisions and taking actions that create a much better and more stable situation in Syria.”

Lawler said the legislation “recognizes the fragility here and tak[es] a positive step forward so that this fledgling government actually potentially has a chance to succeed, but if you immediately lift the sanctions and there’s no accountability whatsoever, my fear is that [the tenuous stability in Syria] will collapse.”

Lawler added that it’s important for the sanctions infrastructure to remain in place in case the Syrian government falls.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), the committee’s ranking member, and other Democrats argued that the legislation did not go far enough in repealing the sanctions, and would set up the new Syrian government for failure. She introduced an amendment, which failed, to fully repeal the Caesar Act.

“Only full repeal will assist the Syrian interim government and [the] Syrian people,” Waters said. “We must help the Syrian people to rebuild Syria and to encourage investments in its future. As written, this bill blocks that goal.”

She said that “giving a little bit of money to the Syrian government is a throwaway. It does not accomplish what you think it will accomplish.”

“There will be great expectations of the government [that] they cannot fulfill with your little bitty partial removal of sanctions,” Waters continued.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) argued that the sanctions are hurting the Syrian people, and highlighted calls from Syrian-American organizations for full repeal of the sanctions.

Sherman argued that the U.S.’ voice is important particularly in speaking up for Syrian minorities, such as the Christians, Druze and Alawites who are under attack.

He worked during the committee meeting with Lawler and committee leadership on an amendment, which passed, that would modify the language in the legislation around the protection of religious minorities.

The new language states that the Syrian government must “take reasonable steps” to protect religious minorities, on top of the original legislative language requiring that the government not target or detain religious minorities.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), the lead Republican sponsor of the concurrent effort to fully repeal the Caesar Act, said on X that the bill “in its current form is not the right approach forward and does not align with President [Donald] Trump’s agenda for Syria. “

“I believe that a clean repeal of the Caesar Act is most in line with the President’s agenda to ‘give Syria a chance,’” Wilson said. “Keeping Caesar on the books for years will only deter long term reconstruction which could help ISIS resurgence.”

Good Monday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on the resolution of tensions between U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israel’s Interior Ministry over visa hurdles faced by Christian Zionists, and talk to Sen. Mark Warner about the American strikes last month targeting Iran’s nuclear program. We preview the House Financial Services Committee‘s upcoming vote on Rep. Mike Lawler‘s legislation conditioning the repeal of Syria sanctions, and cover Columbia University’s announcement that its faculty-run University Senate will no longer have oversight over student disciplinary procedures. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Jacob Frey, Adam Katz and Yoav Segev.

What We’re Watching

• The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations kicks off a three-day mission to Israel today.
• Oral arguments in Harvard‘s lawsuit against the Trump administration‘s freezing of approximately $3 billion in federal funds begin today in Boston.
• Lawmakers in Texas return to Austin today for the start of a special legislative session that will take up, among other issues, potential statewide redistricting that could potentially give Republicans an additional five House seats but may make other safe GOP districts more competitive.
• Israel launched fresh drone strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen earlier today, days after a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed terror group triggered sirens across central Israel.
• We’re keeping an eye on Iranian nuclear talks, following an announcement this morning from Iran’s Foreign Ministry that Tehran’s deputy foreign minister will meet this Friday in Istanbul with his counterparts from the U.K., France and Germany to continue negotiations. Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with senior Iranian official Ali Larijani.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR

A newly released CNN poll, conducted this month, illustrates the resilience of a hawkish DNA within the Republican Party and among its voters even amid the rise of an isolationist strain that has sought to gain influence in the GOP during President Donald Trump’s second term.

The poll asked respondents: “Do you think the United States should or should not take the leading role among all other countries in the world in trying to solve international problems?” Overall, 43% took the more active approach, while 56% took a more isolationist view.

Republicans, however, remained the strongest advocates of a muscular American role in world affairs, with 52% supporting America taking a leading role, with 47% opposed. By contrast, just 42% of Democrats and 39% of independents shared the more hawkish worldview.

Notably, the shift in more isolationist sentiment was almost entirely driven by Democrats and independents since the last CNN survey in March, which found majority support for significant American global engagement. In the March survey, a 57% majority of Democrats preferred more American involvement in the world, a number that dropped 15 points in the last four months. The Republican share of those preferring American engagement remained steady at 52%.

The results from the CNN polls suggest there’s a more committed core of Republican-voting hawks that is more resilient than the shifting political winds, whereas the Democratic foreign policy worldview appears more dependent on partisanship and what’s happening in the news at the time.

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

christian controversy

Netanyahu’s office resolves high-profile visa issue for American Christian groups

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office resolved a dispute between U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel over the denial of visas to workers and volunteers for several evangelical Christian organizations, two sources involved in the matter told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov on Sunday. Huckabee sent a letter to Arbel last Wednesday, expressing “great distress” and “profound disappointment” that after the two met to discuss the matter earlier this year, the Interior Ministry’s visa department continued to conduct investigations into American and other evangelical organizations seeking visas for their workers.

Solution found: “A solution has been reached to the satisfaction of all parties. The evangelical Christian organizations active in Israel, which represent the vast majority of Zionists in the world today, will receive all of the visas they need through a streamlined and efficient application process,” Calev Myers, the attorney for the organizations told JI on Monday. Hours before the issue was resolved, a source in the Prime Minister’s Office told JI, “this is something that we consider to be of urgent importance. We have every intention of solving this problem very quickly … It is being handled with the proper sensitivity between the Prime Minister’s Office and the embassy.” 

Read the full story here.

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ON THE HILL

House committee to vote on Lawler bill modifying Syria sanctions

The House Financial Services Committee is set to consider legislation by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) this week that aims to create oversight and set conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria, but stops short of full repeal of the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act sanctions bill that other lawmakers are pushing on a bipartisan basis, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Why it matters: That the House is moving forward with Lawler’s legislation, which sets conditions for waiving Caesar Act sanctions, rather than the bipartisan Caesar Act repeal effort may indicate a level of continued skepticism from some House members about the prospect of full sanctions relief for the new Syrian government pushed by the Trump administration.

Read the full story here.

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REVERSING COURSE

National Education Association rejects ADL boycott proposal

The National Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the country, announced on Friday that it would not cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League, declining to implement a contentious resolution approved by its governing body earlier this month that sought to target the Jewish civil rights organization, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. 

What is said: “After consideration, it was determined that this proposal would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership or our goals,” the union’s board of directors said in a statement. The decision came nearly two weeks after the measure was adopted by the NEA’s representative assembly, its annual leadership gathering that drew more than 6,000 union delegates. “There is no doubt that antisemitism is on the rise. Without equivocation, NEA stands strongly against antisemitism. We always have and we always will,” the NEA’s board wrote. “In this time of division, fighting antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and other forms of discrimination will take more resources, not fewer. We are ready.”

Read the full story here.

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WORDS WITH WARNER

Sen. Mark Warner: U.S. strikes on Iran were a ‘success,’ but what happens next is critical

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod on Friday that he’s inclined to view the Trump administration’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as a “success,” if negotiations with Tehran resume and barring substantial future retaliation from Iran.

What he’s saying: “I will acknowledge the successfulness of the Israeli attacks and how back-foot the regime was. The fact that they didn’t launch the thousands of missiles,” Warner told JI on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum. “I was concerned about an attack that didn’t bring Congress along. And I do think there was a huge process foul when the Gang of Eight wasn’t notified and the Republicans [were] — Trump[’s first administration] never did that — but I have never contested the success. … If the current status quo is the same a year from now and it actually leads towards further negotiation — success.”

Read the full interview here.

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CREDIT WHERE DUE

Sen. Chris Coons: U.S. strikes on Iran could ultimately be a positive step

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said on Friday that the U.S. strikes on Iran could ultimately produce a positive outcome, a softening of the Delaware senator’s previous skepticism, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports from the Aspen Security Forum.

What he said: “The strike on Iran is one that I disagreed with because of the process, the lack of consultation with Congress, the partisan way that Republicans were notified at the most senior levels [and] Democrats were not,” Coons said at the conference. He said he also had not expected that the administration would be able to avoid significant Iranian retaliation and an escalating conflict. “I frankly, did not believe that we would end up in the period we seem to be in where a counter-strike by Iran against American soldiers and interests has not yet come,” Coons continued.

Also speaking at the forum: Retired Gen. David Petraeus, the former director of the CIA and head of U.S. Central Command, said on Friday that, in the post Oct. 7, 2023, environment, Israel will no longer tolerate threats to its security throughout the region, including a resumption of Iran’s nuclear program.

Read the full story here.

Differing worldview: Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggested at the Aspen Security Forum on Friday that the U.S. strikes on Iran had not been necessary and didn’t accomplish the fundamental goal of permanently stopping Iran’s nuclear program.

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WINDS OF CHANGE

Columbia moves student disciplinary authority out of University Senate

In a move called for by pro-Israel students at Columbia University, the school announced on Friday that disciplinary action and rules surrounding student protests would be moved out of the purview of the faculty-run University Senate and into the provost’s office, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Student reaction: “This is the most encouraging and commendable action taken by Columbia’s administration to address the systemic problems within the university since [the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks],” Noa Fay, a graduate student entering her last year in Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, told JI. “Revoking the University Senate’s power over disciplinary and rule-making procedures has been top of the institutional reform list for many Columbians who wish to see our university restored to order and excellence.”

Read the full story here.

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Worthy Reads

The Trump Whisperer: The New Yorker’s Antonia Hitchens profiles Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, looking at the former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO’s yearslong friendship with President Donald Trump. “Lutnick and President Donald Trump speak on the phone most nights, at around one in the morning, just after Lutnick gets in bed. They talk about ‘real stuff,’ like Canadian steel tariffs, Lutnick told me, and also about ‘nothing,’ which he summarized as ‘sporting events, people, who’d you have dinner with, what was this guy like, can you believe what this guy did, what’s the TV like, I saw this on TV, what’d you think of what this guy said on TV, what did you think about my press conference, how about this Truth?’ Of course, Lutnick said, ‘Trump has other people he calls late at night.’ But does he have other people he always calls?” [NewYorker]

Confronting Cambridge: The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer does a deep dive into the tenure of Harvard President Alan Garber, who has handled much of the fallout from the school’s handling of post-Oct. 7 campus antisemitism as well as Harvard’s legal battles with the Trump administration. “Even as Harvard sits on the receiving end of vitriolic attacks from the right, Garber has turned inward — willing to engage with Harvard’s harshest critics and to admit that even bad-faith attacks sometimes land on uncomfortable truths. He’s treated the university’s crisis as an opportunity, leveraging the looming threat of Trump to make changes that would have been politically impossible in less ominous times. The leader of Harvard, bane of MAGA, agrees with much of the underlying substance of the MAGA critique of higher education, at least when stripped of its rhetorical froth and fury. He knows that elite higher education is suffering a crisis of legitimacy, one that is, in no small measure, of its own making, because it gives fodder to those who caricature it as arrogant and privileged.” [TheAtlantic]

The Gaza Debate: In eJewishPhilanthropy, Michael Berenbaum and Menachem Z. Rosensaft respond to genocide scholar Omer Bartov’s recent New York Times op-ed alleging Israel is engaging in genocide. “We are not arguing that this war has always been waged appropriately or that it has been waged proportionally. Nor do we suggest that Israel or any other country involved in warfare cannot be accused of or should not be held accountable for other alleged violations of international law, including crimes against humanity, war crimes and even ethnic cleansing. But those are separate questions from whether a genocide is being committed; and unless such alleged violations of international law satisfy the elements, including specific intent, as defined in Article II of the Convention, they do not constitute genocide.” [eJP]

Cowed on Campus: In Tablet, Eric Kaufmann looks at recent survey data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression that indicates shifts in the behaviors of Jewish college students as campus climates become increasingly politicized in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and ensuing war in Gaza. “A closer look at the 2024 data shows that the pro-Palestinian tent encampments had a big impact: Before they went up on April 17, 28% of Ivy League Jewish students self-censored. Afterward, 40% did. Across all institutions in the FIRE data, statistical analysis shows that the encampments increased Jewish self-censorship while reducing it for conservatives. Conservative speech has for years been the least free of any major demographic, but Jews have now converged with them. In the Ivy League, Jews now self-censor more than conservatives do.” [Tablet]

Word on the Street

Unnamed Trump administration officials are reportedly angry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s recent actions, telling Axios that the prime minister has “acted like a madman” who “bombs everything all the time”; the White House officials expressed concerns that Netanyahu’s actions could “undermine” President Donald Trump’s efforts in the region…

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) met for an hour on Friday with New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani but did not issue an endorsement for the candidate; a spokesperson for Jeffries said the two had a “constructive, candid and community-centered” conversation that also included “a variety of other important issues, including public safety, rising antisemitism, gentrification and the importance of taking back the House in 2026”…

Reps. Mark Alford (R-MO), Don Davis (D-NC), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), John Carter (R-TX), Sam Graves (R-MO) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) introduced a resolution congratulating the fighter and bomber wings involved in the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities…

Sens. John Curtis (R-UT) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a resolution commemorating the anniversaries of the bombings of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the Buenos Aires AMIA Jewish community center; in the House, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) introduced a resolution condemning the AMIA bombing…

Reps. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Mark Messmer (R-IN) introduced a bill requiring the administration to provide a strategy to counter Iran and Hezbollah’s influence in Latin America…

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who in 2022 lost to Gov. Josh Shapiro in the commonwealth’s gubernatorial race, teased a potential rematch, posting different logos for a “Doug Mastriano for Governor” campaign…

Minnesota’s statewide Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsed state Sen. Omar Fateh, a democratic socialist, over incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey…

The Wall Street Journal spotlights the efforts of Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, under the leadership of Adam Katz, to use analytics to identify digital trends in antisemitism, craft countermessaging and share data with social media platforms and universities…

Harvard Business School graduate Yoav Segev filed a lawsuit against the university and its police department, alleging that both failed to protect him from being assaulted by anti-Israel campus activists and that school officials obstructed an investigation into the incident…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought medical attention over the weekend after falling ill from eating spoiled food; the prime minister will work from home until Tuesday while he recovers…

Israel, working with the U.S., reportedly delivered aid to the Syrian Druze city of Sweida as a ceasefire reached late last week appeared to hold; more than 1,100 are believed to be dead in the sectarian violence that drew in Syrian government forces…

Israel will not renew the visa of Jonathan Whittall, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the West Bank and Gaza, citing his “biased and hostile conduct against Israel”…

Hamas officials in Gaza claimed at least 85 people were killed trying to access humanitarian aid near the Zikim border crossing; the IDF, which said it fired “warning shots” to remove an “immediate threat,” disputed the number, saying the “reported number of casualties does not align with the existing information”…

The Wall Street Journal looks at the logistical and operational challenges facing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation amid increasing concerns over humanitarian aid distribution in the enclave…

Senior Christian leaders from Jerusalem, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, visited the sole Catholic church in Gaza, which was damaged by an Israeli strike last week that also killed three people…

Brig. Gen. (res.) Giora Even Epstein, the most decorated Israeli Air Force fighter pilot in the country’s history, died at 87…

Pic of the Day

Israeli President Isaac Herzog (right) received the credentials of Polish Ambassador to Israel Maciej Hunia. Hunia’s arrival marks the first time in four years that Warsaw has had an ambassador posted to Israel. In addition to Hunia, Herzog also received the credentials of Malta’s new envoy to Israel, Ambassador Claude Bonello.

Birthdays

Actress and producer, Alysia Reiner turns 55… 

Laureate of the 1992 Nobel Prize in chemistry, Rudolph A. Marcus turns 102… President at Admar Group, Henry Dean Ostberg turns 97… Retired CEO of Sony/ATV, a large music publishing firm, he is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Martin Bandier turns 84… Professor emeritus in the Department of Physics at Bar-Ilan University, he won the Israel Prize in 2018, Shlomo Havlin turns 83… Director of the Center for the Political Future at USC, Robert Shrum turns 82… Criminal defense attorney, known for representing many politicians, celebrities and organized crime defendants, Benjamin Brafman turns 77… Former member of the U.K.’s House of Commons, now in the House of Lords, Baroness Susan Veronica Kramer turns 75… U.S. senator (R-WY), John Barrasso turns 73… Chairman and CEO at Quantitative Financial Strategies, Sanford “Sandy” Jay Grossman turns 72… Endocrinologist and professor at Columbia University’s medical school, she is an honorary president of NYC’s Central Synagogue, Shonni Joy Silverberg, MD… Professor at Columbia Law School and daughter of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jane Carol Ginsburg turns 70… Brooklyn resident, Irene Ostrovsky… Comedian and actor, best known for his five seasons on “Saturday Night Live” ending in 1990, Jon Lovitz turns 68… Former chief rabbi of Moscow, his opposition to the Ukraine war forced him to leave Russia, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt turns 62… Literary agent at the William Morris Endeavor book department, Eric Matthew Simonoff turns 58… Professor of astronomy at MIT and winner of a 2013 MacArthur genius award, Sara Seager turns 54… Brazilian fashion designer best known for avant-garde designs and eclectic prints, Alexandre Herchcovitch turns 54… CEO of Fanatics, licensed sports merchandise and digital sports platform, Michael G. Rubin turns 53… Founder, president and CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) and the Electrification Coalition, Raphael “Robbie” Diamond… Rabbi of Congregation Bais Naftali in Los Angeles, his YouTube channel has over 4.6 million views, Rabbi Yoel Gold… Online media personality and director of product management at Electronic Arts (EA) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Veronica Belmont turns 43… CEO of Women of Reform Judaism since 2023, Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch… Clinical social worker, Aniko Gomory-Pink… Entrepreneur and political activist, Chloé Simone Valdary turns 32… Policy advisor at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Zachary A. Marshall… Recruiter at Tines, Rachel Elizabeth Nieves… Attorney in Madrid and secretary general of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain until 2021, Elias Cohen…

The House Financial Services Committee is set to consider legislation by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) this week that aims to create oversight and set conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria, but stops short of full repeal of the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act sanctions bill that other lawmakers are pushing on a bipartisan basis.

That the House is moving forward with Lawler’s legislation, which sets conditions for waiving Caesar Act sanctions, rather than the bipartisan Caesar Act repeal effort may indicate a level of continued skepticism from some House members about the prospect of full sanctions relief for the new Syrian government that has been pushed by the Trump administration.

“This bill modernizes the existing sanctions regime on Syria, requires assessments on existing sanctions relief provisions, and sets out goals for the Syrian government to meet anti-money laundering and anti-corruption standards,” Lawler said in a statement. “As the Trump Administration is already reviewing sanctions policy, we must ensure they have the tools to do so that reflect the current security environment.” 

“The al-Sharaa Administration certainly has a lot of work to do to reintegrate Syria with the U.S. and our allies. While this job should be difficult given the circumstances, it shouldn’t be impossible,” Lawler continued.

The Lawler bill would amend the Caesar Act to allow the president to waive the sanctions as long as the Syrian government meets a number of conditions, including that it not bomb its civilian population; allow humanitarian aid, medical access and freedom of travel; releases political prisoners detained by the Assad regime and allows international human rights groups to inspect prison facilities; does not target medical facilities, schools, residential areas, markets and community gatherings; combats production and proliferation of the illicit drug Captagon; and does not target or detain religious minorities.

The legislation also extends the waiver period for the sanctions from 180 days to two years. I would sunset the Caesar Act entirely when the administration verifies that Syria has been in compliance with those conditions for two years or at the end of 2029, whichever comes sooner.

Another section of the legislation instructs the administration to brief Congress on regulatory and enforcement relief provided to the Central Bank of Syria through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, allowing the bank to re-integrate with the global financial system. 

It also asks the administration to assess whether the Export-Import Bank should be allowed to support exports to Syria; it is currently banned from doing so.

In addition, it instructs the administration to work to support policies to combat money laundering, weapons proliferation and corruption, as well as support financial connectivity and economic growth in Syria at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would expedite arms sales to U.S. partners that normalize relations with Israel and work with the U.S. in its efforts to counter Iran and its terrorist proxies. 

The Abraham Accords Defense Against Terror Act would “narrow the timeline for congressional consideration after arms sales are accepted, while maintaining existing eligibility criteria for arms sales themselves,” according to a press release on the bill. The legislation would provide “the same preferential treatment that our NATO allies receive” to eligible countries.  

Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Don Davis (D-NC), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Don Bacon (R-NE), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), Dave Kustoff (R-TN), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Zach Nunn (R-IA), John Rose (R-TN), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Joe Wilson (R-SC) signed on to the bill as co-sponsors.

“This legislation will … [provide]  greater benefits to our Abraham Accords and counterterrorism partners. It represents a key step toward implementation of the Abraham Accords and turning shared diplomatic commitments into real-world cooperation. Lastly, it sends a strong message to adversaries: the United States and its allies will not allow Iran’s proxies to destabilize the region unchecked,” Lawler, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

He continued, “I am committed to strengthening our relationships with regional partners and putting our ally Israel in the best position possible to do the same. There is no question that fostering deeper security relationships is key here.”

“The Abraham Accords have been a historic model for peace between Israel and its neighbors, and we should be doing everything we can to expand it and bring more states into the fold,” Moskowitz said. 

“This common-sense bill builds on the progress of the Abraham Accords to incentivize others to normalize relations with Israel and cooperate against the threat of Iran and Iranian proxies, safeguarding our ally Israel’s very right to exist in the process,” he added.

Efforts to expedite arms sales to U.S. partners has been a long-term priority for lawmakers and administrations on a bipartisan basis, and the House currently has a dedicated task force on overhauling the military sales process.

“There are too many bureaucratic barriers that prevent us from assisting our closest allies in global security,” Zinke, who chairs that task force, said in a statement. “This bill strengthens the ties forged by the Abraham Accords by ensuring our partners have expedited access to the tools they need to stand against Iran and its terrorist proxies. Israel is one of our closest and most vital allies, and peace through strength is the only way to secure the region and protect American interests.”

Effie Phillips-Staley, running on a progressive platform in the crowded Democratic field looking to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in a swing congressional district, is taking a firm stance against the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, even as she has expressed concern about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“For the leader of the free world to decide to strike Iran based on Fox News coverage and without deliberation or the approval of Congress is alarming and unprecedented,” she said in a statement to Jewish Insider on Monday, a position shared by many congressional Democrats. “We cannot have a nuclear armed Iran under any circumstances and Congress must hold this President accountable by upholding the War Powers Act and requiring a full diplomatic process.”

She also expressed concern in a statement following the initial Israeli strikes on Iran.

“I do not support a nuclear Iran under any circumstances and understand Israel must preserve its security as it faces near constant threat of attacks. I am also deeply troubled at the rush to war, especially as diplomacy was underway,” Phillips-Staley said. “It is not lost on me that Trump’s decision to carelessly destroy the JCPOA in his first term has now put the lives of countless people, including Israelis and Americans, at risk. Diplomacy must be given a chance. We must prioritize the safety of innocent civilians, American personnel and peace.”

Phillips-Staley, a Tarrytown, N.Y., village trustee who has made her career in the nonprofit world focused on issues including the Hispanic community, public schools and art, told JI in an interview last month that she sees an open lane in the race for an unabashed progressive.

“I looked at the field and felt strongly that there was a space for a progressive candidate in this field, and so I decided to enter,” she said.

She’s leaning on that progressive positioning to distinguish her from a field of nearly 10 Democrats, many of whom are staking out broadly moderate or center-left platforms. Despite her criticisms of the Iran strikes, Phillips-Staley has otherwise not embraced elements of the left-wing policy agenda that have alienated Jewish voters.

Phillips-Staley said she wanted to be “very clear that the U.S. has to continue to be a critical ally to Israel,” emphasizing that Israel remains under threat and “does, of course, have a right to exist and should continue to exist.” 

She indicated that she would oppose additional conditions or restrictions on U.S. aid to the Jewish state, which she emphasized is critical to keeping Israel safe from existential threats.

But Phillips-Staley criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom she said had “repeatedly undermined” a two-state solution, while adding that Hamas cannot continue to rule Gaza.

She said she wants to see Congress work to “create incentives to find a peaceful resolution,” but emphasized that the hostages must first be released. Phillips-Staley said that her family’s El Salvadorian background helps her understand the damage that a “cycle of violence can do” and how difficult it can be to interrupt.

She described the Abraham Accords as a framework that could be built upon for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Speaking to JI in the aftermath of the antisemitic attacks in Washington and Boulder, Colo., Phillips-Staley called rising antisemitism nationwide “deeply, deeply troubling and appalling.” She suggested that brokering Israeli-Palestinian peace would help tamp down on antisemitism domestically.

“Apart from what everybody says — ‘we need more education, we need to come together more’ — I think we really have to work very hard to find a resolution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” Phillips-Staley said. “Peace creates peace. And the terrifying thing is … what is spilling from that unresolved conflict is now making Jews in America under threat even more, which is entirely unacceptable.”

She said the U.S. also needs to crack down on acts of violence and provide more resources to address antisemitism in the country.

Asked about the increase of domestic antisemitism predating the war in Gaza, Phillips-Staley criticized the first Trump administration, saying it had enabled and emboldened a range of unacceptable behavior, including white nationalism.

She expressed hope that a new Congress and subsequently a new presidential administration could help to reverse those trends. 

Citing her own immigrant family background, she also criticized the Trump administration for implementing immigration restrictions in the name of combating antisemitism, explaining, “anything that creates wedges, that undermines the openness of people coming together, I question as effective.”

Phillips-Staley told JI she’s running for Congress to continue what she characterized as a lifetime of service in the nonprofit sector and, later, public office. She added that as the daughter of an immigrant from El Salvador, she has close ties to the Lower Hudson Valley district’s Hispanic and immigrant communities. She said those communities had urged her to run for higher office.

She currently lags behind many of the other candidates in the 17th District race in fundraising, though she entered the race more recently than several other competitors. In the first six weeks of her campaign she only raised $52,000, loaning her campaign an additional $100,000. She ended the third quarter with $103,000 on hand.

“Effie’s campaign is people-powered and grassroots,” campaign spokesperson John Tomlin said in a statement. “She does not come to the table with a list of corporations, ultra-rich and Washington establishment figures to seed her operation. We have an active campaign and we are on target with our goals.”

Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson said she raised $350,000 in the past quarter and $850,000 since the start of her campaign, while national security veteran Cait Conley reported raising $472,000 in the second quarter and more than $800,000 since launching her campaign,  and nonprofit leader Jessica Reinmann raised $311,000 in the first quarter, $100,000 of that self-funded.

Phillips-Staley argued that her lived experience as a Hispanic person from a working-class background, who put herself through college and worked her way up from a receptionist to executive director of a nonprofit, makes her fairly unique among political candidates and leaders. 

Her key issues as a member of Congress, she said, will be affordability, particularly in housing, and protecting government services that help Americans succeed. She said she’s proud of the work she’s done on issues like infrastructure and zoning in her role in local government.

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.

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!”

Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, “We stand with Israel tonight and pray for the safety of its people and the success of this unilateral, defensive action.”

“I am also praying for the brave U.S. service members in the Middle East who keep America safe — Iran would be foolish to attack the United States,” Risch continued.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) emphasized that Iran has been trying for years to wipe out Israel, and that it had just been found in violation of its nonproliferation obligations. He called for efforts toward peace and warned Iran against attacking American troops.

“Today, Israel has determined that it must take decisive action to defend the Israeli people,” Thune said. “The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas. Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said, “I ask every American to join me in praying for the safety of U.S. personnel in the Middle East and the safety and success of Israel as it takes action against a leading state sponsor of terrorism and our shared enemy, Iran.” 

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, also expressed support for Israel’s preemptive strike.

“Having just visited the region two weeks ago, I support Israel’s decision to preemptively strike Iran and dismantle its nuclear program,” Lawler said. “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons — a position the US and our allies have held for decades. Peace through strength.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said that Iran’s refusal to dismantle its nuclear program is a danger to the U.S. and an existential threat to Israel. “Tonight Israel is taking action to defend itself, and we stand with Israel. Our prayers are with them and all American personnel in the region.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the administration’s former nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said, “The U.S. stands strongly with our ally and partner Israel.”

“May God Bless Israel & the brave IAF [Israeli Air Force] soldiers as they protect their national security and the world’s safety,” Stefanik said. “I know President Trump’s top priority is protecting the American people, our brave U.S. service members, and our national security by ensuring the full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program to ensure they can never develop a nuclear weapon.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said, “Israel has an unquestionable right to defend itself” and that he is “proud to stand with Israel.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that Iran had “given President Trump the middle finger” on demands to dismantle its nuclear capacity. Israel is acting to defend themselves, and we should stand with them.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said that he supports the attack and “Our commitment to Israel must be absolute.”

“Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel,” Fetterman said. “We must provide whatever is necessary — military, intelligence, weaponry — to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said: “If Israel’s strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program, we’ll all be safer,” adding that the U.S. must protect U.S. citizens and personnel and “must support Israel’s defense.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said that “Israel is not the aggressor. It is defending itself against an existential threat that long predates the present preemptive strike. The true aggressor is the Islamic Republic and its empire of terror — an empire stained with the blood of innocent Israelis.”

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), also noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency had just declared Iran to be in violation of its nonproliferation obligations, said that “Israel is justifiably defending itself and its people.”

“Diplomacy has been given every opportunity, but the Iranian regime refuses to give up their nuclear ambitions,” Landsman said. “There will be peace when Iran no longer has a nuclear program, a civil one sure, and their terror armies dismantled.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said, “I fully stand with the people of Israel and support her right to defend herself against Iran’s nuclear and terror programs.”

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, emphasized that the U.S. was not involved in the strikes. He pointed blame toward Iran but also called for steps to wind down the conflict quickly.

“I will say I regret that we have come to this breaking point. However, under no circumstance can Iran get its hands on a nuclear weapon,” Crawford said. “A nuclear Iran would only embolden our adversaries and not only pose an undeniable threat to Israel, but also the United States and our Arab allies.”

“Iran pushed the world to this point through its blatant, relentless destabilizing behavior. Israel and others in the region have every right to take the actions needed to defend themselves,” Crawford continued. “I commend the Trump Administration for its tireless efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. I am hopeful a remedy is reached sooner rather than later to stabilize this situation before the stakes get any higher.”

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.” 

“These strikes threaten not only the lives of innocent civilians but the stability of the entire Middle East and the safety of American citizens and forces,” Reed said. “While tensions between Israel and Iran are real and complex, military aggression of this scale is never the answer.”

He called on both Israel and Iran to “show immediate restraint” and 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.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) stopped short of praising or criticizing the Israeli attack, while blaming President Donald Trump for failing to bring peace to the Middle East and calling for de-escalation.

“I’m hopeful that cooler heads will prevail in the Middle East and the situation is de-escalated,” Jeffries said. “We certainly believe that Iran should never be allowed to become nuclear capable. They are an enemy not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the free world. But we also want to see a reduction in hostilities.”

Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) said the strikes appear aimed at undermining U.S. negotiations with Iran, which were scheduled to continue this weekend in Oman.

“Iran should know that any targeting of U.S. forces and personnel stationed across the Middle East in retaliation for Israel’s actions would be a grave mistake. I urge the Trump administration to ensure that the protection of our personnel is our top priority,” Kim said. 

“Conflict should always be a last resort, especially when diplomacy is ongoing. This decision by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to go against American efforts and go alone in strikes puts American and Israeli lives on the line. We should do everything we can to stop this moment from spiraling into a wider conflict and bring parties back to the table to ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) also described the attack as a sabotage of the nuclear talks and said it shows that world leaders do not respect President Donald Trump. He added in a statement, “we have no obligation to follow Israel into a war we did not ask for and will make us less safe.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a progressive Israel critic, said the strikes were “deeply disturbing.”

“I don’t agree often with the Trump administration, but I think here it’s important to say we need more negotiation, we need deescalation,” Warren said. “We need to get to a deal.”

Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, emphasized that the Trump administration needs congressional approval to bring U.S. troops into “Netanyahu’s war.”

“Netanyahu’s reckless strike risks provoking a wider war and pulling in the United States,” Casar said. “Trump must oppose Netanyahu’s escalation and pursue a diplomatic path to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. “

John Sullivan, who recently joined the increasingly crowded Democratic primary race to face Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) next November, brings unique pro-Israel bona fides to the race, even among a field of candidates vowing support for the Jewish state: From 2017-2020, Sullivan was the top FBI intelligence official living and working in Israel, liaising with the Israeli government on counterterrorism operations.

Those three years, Sullivan told Jewish Insider in an interview in May, gave him on-the-ground experience combating Hamas and Hezbollah and protecting both Israeli and American citizens. He said he’s seen and experienced firsthand the threats posed by both terror groups.

“Working really closely with the Israelis to do everything possible to keep Israel safe was a key part of my life and my work for three years while I was overseas,” Sullivan said. “Israel has a very special place in my family’s heart.”

He described his time in Israel, where said he worked closely with Israeli authorities and saw firsthand how his work could stop attacks and keep people safe, as some of “the best experience that I had in my career.”

“It’s the kind of work where you can see that you’re doing something good to help another country. Israel in particular has so many enemies in the Middle East … and so to be there and to be fighting for them and doing whatever I could to keep them safe was really something that I take with me, and was really inspiring,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he also appreciated getting to live in and be part of the Israeli culture and community. He and his husband adopted their son while living in Israel, and Sullivan said that raising a young child in the country showed the “compassion and the community” that the country has fostered.

“You get to know the community, get to know the people, and get to understand sort of just how important Israel is, not only for the United States, for our security, but also for the world, because having a strong democracy, who can be a great ally of the United States and who we support, as we should — It’s just so important to have that kind of land there, and that country there, who share our ideals and the democracy in the Middle East,” Sullivan said.

He said that for the first 18 months after he adopted him, Sullivan’s son experienced Israeli traditions and heard both English and Hebrew. Sullivan has remained in touch with the Israeli nanny who worked for the family — ultimately giving him a direct connection to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

The nanny, Sullivan explained, attended the Nova music festival.

“We have to also allow Israel to defend itself and make sure that there’s no outside threat coming from terrorist organizations, including Hamas and their operatives,” Sullivan said. 

“She was WhatsApp messaging us that night, when it was happening, asking to see our son because she wanted to say goodbye,” Sullivan said. “I was trying to think of all of the training that I had done to make sure that she was being safe … Seeing that tragedy both on the news but then through a person that you care about who is experiencing it directly really shows the hatred that exists in parts of the world for the Jewish community.”

Addressing the ongoing war, Sullivan described a ceasefire deal to free the hostages as important, but emphasized that Israel must continue to be able to protect itself, noting that Hamas fighters and leaders continue to hide in tunnels underneath schools and hospitals in Gaza.

“We have to also allow Israel to defend itself and make sure that there’s no outside threat coming from terrorist organizations, including Hamas and their operatives,” Sullivan said. 

He said Israel should have significant influence in how Gaza is rebuilt and in working to ensure that Gaza is “more democratic and more aligned with Israel and America’s values” going forward, and that Hamas cannot have a role in governance in Gaza.

Sullivan praised Israel’s operations in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

Asked about a two-state solution, Sullivan said that such a resolution should be the U.S.’ ultimate goal, but “at the same time, we need to give Israel the ability to make the decision for themselves” and that Israel must feel that any outcome is in its best interests and will protect its security.

He added that Iran and its proxies should be “choke[d] off.” Sullivan described the negotiations that the Trump administration has pursued as “the right start,” though he said he was worried about the lack of experience of some of the U.S. officials involved in leading those talks.

Sullivan said one of his frustrations with the original 2015 nuclear deal was that it released significant funding and provided sanctions relief for Iran, giving it more ability to fuel regional terrorism. He argued that relief should not have come until later in the deal’s implementation, once Iran had made more progress in dismantling its nuclear infrastructure and shown it would cooperate with international inspections.

He said that regional terrorism should be addressed in any new deal with Iran. He said a new deal with Iran should also include unfettered access for inspectors to Iran’s nuclear program or, barring that, full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities. Iran, he said, is not “a fair partner and somebody who’s really truly focused on playing by the rules”

Sullivan’s other work at the FBI included tackling gangs and cartels and pursuing those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and other domestic terrorism cases, including an incident in which individuals called bomb threats into Jewish institutions around the country.

“I will call out antisemitism whenever it exists, and I’ll call on the law enforcement community — knowing the tools and the abilities they have — to, while respecting First Amendment rights, do everything to make sure Jewish people here in America, Israelis in Israel are feeling safe and have the ability to go about their day freely being protected … without the fear of harassment or being targeted simply based on their religion and their culture,” Sullivan said.

“We have people in Congress who often will try to say something that’s kind of middle-of-the-road [on antisemitism]. With me, you’ll never have to worry about that,” Sullivan said. 

He said that while it’s important to protect First Amendment rights, his law enforcement career taught him that there are limits to such speech and that threats to Jewish people’s safety and security require a response. He said, as an example, that campus protests cheering on Hamas make Jewish students feel unsafe and have crossed into antisemitism.

“I will call out antisemitism whenever it exists, and I’ll call on the law enforcement community — knowing the tools and the abilities they have — to, while respecting First Amendment rights, do everything to make sure Jewish people here in America, Israelis in Israel are feeling safe and have the ability to go about their day freely being protected … without the fear of harassment or being targeted simply based on their religion and their culture,” he continued.

Sullivan suggested that the Trump administration is not as focused on the issue as it claims to be, characterizing its moves to deport student visa holders over alleged anti-Israel activity as “actions more targeted on immigration and veiled in [combating] antisemitism.”

He said that there are “a lot better ways to go about fighting back against antisemitism.”

Sullivan spoke to JI prior to the recent antisemitic terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, Colo.

Sullivan said that Trump’s decision to pardon all of those involved in Jan. 6 on his first day in office, administration officials’ moves to force out other top FBI officials and other policies convinced him to resign his post at the agency and speak out publicly against the administration. He accused the administration of jeopardizing counterterrorism efforts through its actions at the FBI.

Outside of national security policy, Sullivan said that the administration’s tariff policy and other economic moves are making life less affordable for his and other families, another motivating factor for his run.

He accused Lawler of masquerading as a moderate while actually backing the Trump administration’s policies, pointing to Trump’s endorsement of Lawler for reelection.

Sullivan, one of six Democratic candidates who’ve already joined the race, argued that his national security and law enforcement experience protecting U.S. citizens will help distinguish him from the field. He said his work inside the federal government showed him the good that the federal government can do for the American people.

While Sullivan’s particular experience is unique, each of the candidates running in the district, which is home to a significant Jewish population, has highlighted their support for Israel, and many are speaking in similar terms about combating antisemitism. One of the other candidates in the race, Cait Conley, also has experience working on national security issues and in the Middle East. 

Lawler, for his part, has focused on building and maintaining strong relationships with the Jewish community in the district. His strong support among Jewish voters helped him win re-election in 2024; he is one of only three House Republicans to win a district that Kamala Harris carried in the presidential election.

Good Friday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how Congress has increasingly ceded its authority over foreign policy to the White House, and interview UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk about his efforts to address antisemitism at the school. We also talk to Rep. Mike Lawler about his recent trip to the Middle East, and report on President Donald Trump’s plan to nominate far-right commentator Paul Ingrassia to a senior administration post. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Greg Landsman, Mia Schem and Michael Bloomberg.

Ed. note: In observance of Shavuot, the next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Wednesday, June 4. Chag sameach!

For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: Hostages’ long-lasting mental and physical scars of Gaza captivity are treated at ‘Returnees Ward’; Israel can’t compete in checkbook diplomacy. These tech leaders have other ideas; and Sen. Dave McCormick, in Israel, talks about Trump’s Iran diplomacy, Gaza aid. Print the latest edition here.

What We’re Watching

• We’re keeping an eye on ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations, amid reports yesterday that Israel and Hamas were close to reaching an agreement that would have included the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages. A senior Hamas official last night rejected the U.S.-proposed ceasefire deal that had already been agreed to by Israel.
• Fox News Channel will air a wide-ranging interview tomorrow night with Sara Netanyahu, in which she’ll discuss with Lara Trump how life in Israel has changed since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks.

What You Should Know

A QUICK WORD WITH JOSH KRAUSHAAR

Pore over the latest round of polling in the New York City mayoral primary, and it is something of a political analyst’s Rorschach test. The question is what will be a bigger turnoff for Gotham voters: extremism or personal scandal?

Will Zohran Mamdani’s radicalism make it difficult for the DSA-affiliated assemblyman — polling in second place — to win an outright majority of the Democratic vote? Candidates from the far-left wing of the party typically have a hard ceiling of support, but the latest polls suggest he’s not yet facing the elevated negative ratings that candidates in his ideological lane typically encounter. There hasn’t yet been a barrage of attack ads reminding voters about his record, as he slowly inches closer to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

Will Cuomo’s personal baggage ultimately be a bigger factor for Democratic voters? Cuomo has been leading the race since jumping in, but holds elevated unfavorability ratings, predominantly stemming from the scandal over sexual misconduct allegations, which he continues to deny, that forced him to resign as governor. 

The city’s ranked-choice voting system requires the winner to receive an outright majority of the vote, and build a broader coalition than would be necessary if one only needed a plurality to prevail. In theory, that would advantage Cuomo, given his high name identification, moderate message and ample fundraising resources. In nearly every contest held under a ranked-choice system across the country, moderates have gotten a significant boost, including in the 2021 NYC mayoral primary, when Eric Adams prevailed. 

But if there’s a broad antipathy to Cuomo that goes beyond ideological lines, it’s plausible that any alternative to Cuomo could benefit, simply because they’re running as a candidate of change. It’s hard to overlook Cuomo’s underwater favorability rating among primary voters; a new Emerson poll found a near-majority (47%) of NYC Democrats viewing Cuomo unfavorably, with 40% viewing him favorably.

Cuomo’s lead over Mamdani in the final round of ranked-choice voting, according to the poll, stood at eight points (54-46%). It’s a lead that is outside the margin of error, but a little too close for comfort considering Cuomo’s other advantages. The poll found Mamdani winning more of the votes from the third-place finisher (Comptroller Brad Lander) in the final round, suggesting that Cuomo could be vulnerable to opponents framing their campaigns as part of an anti-Cuomo coalition.

Cuomo’s strongest support comes from the Black community (74% support over Mamdani), voters over 50 (66%) and women (58%). Mamdani’s base is among younger white progressives, leading big over Cuomo with voters under 50 (61%). 

Cuomo’s margin for success could end up coming from the city’s sizable Jewish community — many of whose members view Mamdani’s virulently anti-Israel record and pro-BDS advocacy as a threat — even though he’s currently winning a fairly small plurality of Jewish votes, according to a recent Homan Strategy Group survey.  

Cuomo only tallied 31% of the Jewish vote, according to the poll, but has a lot of room for growth, especially since he still has potential to make inroads with Orthodox Jewish voters, many of whom became disenchanted with him as governor due to his aggressive COVID restrictions. (For instance: A significant 37% share of Orthodox Jewish voters said they were undecided in the Homan survey; 0% supported Mamdani.)

If those Cuomo-skeptical Orthodox voters swing towards the former governor in the final stretch, especially as the threat of Mamdani becomes more real, that may be enough for Cuomo to prevail. But it’s a sign of the times — and the state of the Democratic Party — that this race is as competitive as it is, given the anti-Israel record of the insurgent.

IN THE BACK SEAT

How Congress became impotent on foreign policy

For decades, Jewish and pro-Israel groups invested significant resources in building bipartisan relationships with key members of Congress to steer legislation, while helping secure foreign aid and blocking unfavorable initiatives concerning the Middle East, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. But that long-standing playbook has appeared less effective and relevant in recent years as Congress has increasingly ceded its authority on foreign policy to the executive branch, a trend that has accelerated with President Donald Trump’s return to office. The dynamic is frustrating pro-Israel advocates who had long prioritized Congress as a vehicle of influence, prompting many to reassess the most effective ways to advocate for preferred policies.

‘Increasingly irrelevant’: There are any number of reasons why Congress has taken a back seat in shaping foreign affairs, experts say, including Trump’s efforts to consolidate power in the executive branch, most recently by gutting the National Security Council. And Trump’s own power in reshaping the ideological direction of his party, preferring diplomacy over military engagement, has made more-hawkish voices within the party more reluctant to speak out against administration policy. “Congress is increasingly irrelevant except on nominations and taxes,” Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who served as a special envoy for Iran in the first Trump administration, told Jewish Insider. “It has abandoned its once-central role on tariffs, and plays little role in other foreign affairs issues. That’s a long-term trend and we saw it in previous administrations, but it is worsened by the deadlocks on Capitol Hill, the need to get 60 votes to do almost anything, and by Trump’s centralization of power in the White House.”

Read the full story here.

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UNIVERSITY RECKONING

‘The challenge attracted me’: Julio Frenk brings the fight against campus antisemitism to UCLA

After Oct, 7, 2023, Julio Frenk, then-president of the University of Miami, was swift and clear in his unequivocal condemnation of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, and in his guidance about the university’s rules around protesting, harassment and violence, and continued disavowals of antisemitism. Now, in his new role as chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles, Frenk is attempting to bring some Florida to deep-blue California as he wraps up his first semester. “When we engage with each other, we do that respectfully and without — obviously no hatred, no harassment, no incitement to violence, but also no expressions that are deeply offensive to the other side,” Frenk told Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch in an interview this week.

Protest problems: During UCLA’s large anti-Israel encampment last spring, Jewish students were barred from accessing parts of campus by the protest organizers. The tents popped up just days after Frenk had accepted the offer from Michael Drake, president of the University of California system. “I had already said yes, and he said, ‘Are you going to change your mind?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m not going to change my mind. I think this is a very important challenge to face and fix if I can, and I’m going to give it my all,’” Frenk recalled. “What drew me here is just the reputation, the standing, and I know that that spring, the images of UCLA going to the world were not very enticing. But to be honest, facing that challenge was something that attracted me.”

Read the full interview here.

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STANDING TOGETHER

‘Keep showing up’: Capital Jewish Museum reopens after deadly shooting

As visitors entered the Capital Jewish Museum on Thursday morning, open for the first time after an antisemitic attack killed two Israeli Embassy staffers steps from its doors last week, they walked past a makeshift memorial to Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky before security guards wanded them down and checked their bags. The museum might be reopening, but its staff — and the broader Washington Jewish community — now feel a heaviness that did not exist last week, when the museum was on the cusp of unveiling a major new exhibit about LGBTQ Jews ahead of the World Pride Festival next month. The presence of police officers and heightened security precautions in the newly reopened space were stark reminders of the violence perpetrated by a radicalized gunman who said he killed the two young people “for Gaza,” Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

Stop by: A brief ceremony marking the museum’s reopening began with a cantor leading the crowd in singing songs for peace. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged to continue to support the Jewish community and called on all Washingtonians to do the same. “It is not up to the Jewish community to say, ‘Support us.’ It is up to all of us to denounce antisemitism in all forms,” Bowser told the several dozen people at the event. Bowser, who was instrumental in the creation of the museum, which opened in 2023, urged people in the local community to visit.

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SEEING THE SIGNS

Rep. Landsman: Murder of Israeli Embassy staffers was the culmination of a ‘trajectory’ toward antisemitic violence

For Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), the murder of two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum last week brought to life fears he has harbored for months, amid rising extremism in anti-Israel demonstrations, Landsman told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod in an interview on Wednesday.

Worst fears: The Jewish Ohio congressman said that days before the shooting, while attending a public event in downtown Cincinnati, he had a “really vivid image of being shot in the back of the head. What I saw was myself laying on the ground in the way in which you would be if you had been shot in the head … I wasn’t alive, I was dead.” Landsman continued, “And then, literally two or three days later, that’s what happened outside the Jewish museum. That’s what happened to these two innocent people.” He said he feels the country has been on a “trajectory” toward such violence by anti-Israel agitators, and that it will continue without a change in course.

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CONTOVERSIAL COMMENTATOR

Latest Trump nominee called Israel-Palestinian conflict a ‘psyop’, promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories

President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate far-right commentator Paul Ingrassia to head the agency tasked with rooting out corruption and protecting whistleblowers in the federal government, Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen reports. Ingrassia, 29, currently serves as the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security. He briefly served as the White House liaison to the Department of Justice early in Trump’s second term, but was reassigned after clashing with the DOJ’s chief of staff after urging the president to hire only individuals who exhibited what Ingrassia called “exceptional loyalty,” according to ABC News. 

Part of a pattern: Ingrassia has trafficked in a number of conspiracy theories, as have several other controversial administration appointees, including Department of Defense Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Darren Beattie. On Oct. 7, 2023, as the Hamas attacks were still underway, Ingrassia posted on X calling illegal immigration to the U.S. “comparable to the attack on Israel,” writing, “The amount of energy everyone has put into condemning Hamas (and prior to that, the Ukraine conflict) over the past 24 hours should be the same amount of energy we put into condemning our wide open border, which is a war comparable to the attack on Israel in terms of bloodshed — but made worse by the fact that it’s occurring in our very own backyard. We shouldn’t be beating the war drum, however tragic the events may be overseas, until we resolve our domestic problems first.” 

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TEHRAN TALK

Lawler: Regional leaders ‘cautiously optimistic’ about nuclear talks, but ‘realistic’ about Iranian bad faith

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), returning from a trip to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, characterized leaders in the region as being open to the Trump administration’s efforts to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran, but also suggested that they are skeptical that Iran will actually agree to a deal that dismantles its nuclear program, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said: “I think folks are realistic about the prospects of Iran coming to an agreement, but still want to give the process a chance and try to avoid a conflict if possible,” Lawler told JI on Thursday. “But ultimately, you know, I think everybody is very clear about the fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” Asked about the potential contours of a deal, Lawler said, “my general view is that the nuclear program, obviously, is a major threat, but so too is their continued funding of terrorism, and all of these issues are going to have to be addressed, one way or the other.”

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Worthy Reads

Gaming Out the Jewish Future: eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross spotlights an initiative launched by philanthropist Phil Siegel using “war games” that simulate potential future scenarios facing the American Jewish community to get leaders to think more about long-term planning. “The Jewish community may not have direct control over nuclear war, global demographic trends or international trade wars, for instance, even though these have a profound influence on the Jewish community. (Most of the scenarios include a geopolitical element as well, such as peace in the Middle East in the first one or an acute housing crisis in Israel that prevents American Jews from emigrating despite harsh conditions in the U.S. in the third scenario.) However, the Jewish community does have control over creating new organizations and initiatives or coordinating existing ones. ‘The game itself and the scenario itself were less important. It was more about how people think — What types of things influence us? Do we have more or less agency over them?’ [Israeli educator Barak] Sella said. ‘Is there an optimal scenario and does the Jewish community have a 2050 outcome that we are working toward?’” [eJP]

Delay of (End) Game: The Washington Post’s David Ignatius calls for an end to the Israel-Hamas war, positing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for a year rejected subordinates’ suggested strategies for winding down the conflict. “What’s agonizing is that Israeli military and intelligence leaders were ready to settle this conflict nearly a year ago. Working with U.S. and Emirati officials, they developed a plan for security ‘bubbles’ that would contain the violence, starting in northern Gaza and moving south, backed by an international peacekeeping force that would include troops from European and moderate Arab countries. … The Israeli-Palestinian dispute might seem intractable, but ending this conflict would be relatively easy. I’m told that Israeli military officials keep working on ‘day after’ plans, honing details as recently as this week. But they have had no political support from Netanyahu. ‘The “exit ramp” has been staring us in the face for a long time,’ argues Robert Satloff, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. It’s a mix of Arab states and Gaza Palestinians, operating under a Palestinian Authority umbrella, he explains. “It is messy, with overlapping responsibilities and lots of dotted lines. But it checks all the boxes to enable the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation to get off the ground.’” [WashPost]

Mumbai Makeover: In The Wall Street Journal, Howard Husock interviews Rabbi Yisroel Kozlovsky of the Chabad House of Mumbai, India, about the city’s Jewish revival since the terror attack in 2008 in which Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife and unborn child were killed. “Now in his 12th year in Mumbai, the rabbi recalls his unease upon receiving the assignment from Chabad’s headquarters in New York. He arrived in 2013 to find the building untouched since the terror attacks, its walls still bloodstained. His successor had been forced to live and hold services in rented apartments for the Jewish visitors and expats. (There are reportedly no more than 5,000 ethnic Indian ‘Bene Israel’ Jews in the country.) ‘Imagine our feelings when we walk in and see the destruction firsthand. It was still one big mess,’ Rabbi Kozlovsky says. ‘We knew immediately, though, we wanted to bring life back to the building.’ … Rabbi Kozlovsky has nevertheless decided not to shy away from the events of 26/11, as the locals refer to the attack, but to make it the basis of a mission. He has set out to build an artistic multimedia memorial to educate the hundreds of visitors, almost all non-Jewish Indians, who come here each week, mainly through class trips. ‘Restoration and resilience are not good enough responses to terror,’ he says of the project. ‘We are building a memorial and museum to teach history, to be a beacon of light.’” [WSJ]

Word on the Street

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack, who is also serving as Syria envoy, said in Damascus on Thursday that relations between Syria and Israel are a “solvable problem” that “starts with a dialogue”; Barrack also raised the U.S. flag over the ambassador’s residence in Damascus for the first time since the embassy’s closure 13 years ago…

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that any nuclear agreement with the U.S. must include the full lifting of sanctions and preservation of Tehran’s enrichment capabilities…

Saudi, Qatari and Emirati leaders reportedly told President Donald Trump during his trip to the region last week that they opposed military strikes on Iran’s nuclear program…

The Wall Street Journal reports on Israeli concerns over Washington’s ongoing nuclear talks with Iran, positing that a deal could put Israel “in a bind with its most important ally on its most pressing national security question”…

Columbia University reached a settlement with a Jewish social work student who had filed a lawsuit against the school alleging antisemitic discrimination…

California’s state Assembly unanimously advanced antisemitism legislation backed by Jewish groups in the state; AB715 would improve the process for making discrimination complaints, as well as create an antisemitism coordinator position for the state’s K-12 schools…

A Yonkers, N.Y., man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to attacking a Jewish barber last year…

A Michigan man who in 2022 threatened parents and students at a synagogue preschool pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge…

The Wall Street Journal reports on the efforts of small wine importer and distributor Victor Owen Schwartz to challenge the Trump administration’s tariffs in court…

The board of Ben & Jerry’s issued a statement labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, setting up another battle with parent company Unilever, which has for years clashed with the ice cream company’s independent board over its approach to social issues, including Israel…

CBS News profiles Karin Prien, the first Jewish federal cabinet member to serve in post-WWII Germany; the daughter of Holocaust survivors who was born in the Netherlands, Prien moved to Germany with her family when she was 4 and now serves as the country’s minister for education, family affairs, senior citizens, women and youth…

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg met with United Arab Emirates National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a conversation largely focused on the opportunities presented by AI technology…

The Associated Press reports on efforts to free Israeli-Russian Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia group in Iraq in 2023…

Iran’s embassy in India said it is investigating the disappearance of three Punjabi men who went missing earlier this month in Tehran while transiting through Iran en route to Australia, where a local travel agent had promised them jobs…

An increasing number of oil tankers are turning off their transponders as they near Malaysia, an area used to transfer Iranian oil bound for China, as Tehran continues to work to evade U.S. sanctions…

Missouri philanthropist Bud Levin died at 88…

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who headed the NYPD during the 9/11 terror attacks, died at 69…

Dr. Robert Jarvik, who oversaw the design of the first artificial heart, died at 79…

Pic of the Day

Following her return to Israel, Mia Schem — who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and spent 55 days in Hamas captivity — famously had the phrase “We will dance again” tattooed on her arm. On Thursday night, approximately 800 New Yorkers joined Schem in dancing again at the sold-out inaugural Tribe of Nova Foundation benefit held at Sony Hall, a concert venue in Times Square.

The event was held with the goal of raising at least $1 million to aid families of victims and survivors of Nova, where 411 festivalgoers, mostly young people, were killed and 44 were taken hostage, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. 

Birthdays

Medical director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s Ethiopia spine and heart project, Dr. Richard Michael Hodes turns 72… 

FRIDAY: Santa Monica, Calif.-based historian of Sephardic and Crypto-Jewish studies, Dolores Sloan turns 95… Real estate developer, landlord of the World Trade Center until 9/11, former chair of UJA-Federation of New York, Larry A. Silverstein turns 94… Partner in the NYC law firm of Mintz & Gold, he is also a leading supporter of Hebrew University, Ira Lee “Ike” Sorkin turns 82… Board member of the Collier County chapter of the Florida ACLU and the Naples Florida Council on World Affairs, Maureen McCully “Mo” Winograd… Cape Town, South Africa, native, she is the owner and chef at Los Angeles-based Catering by Brenda, Brenda Walt turns 74… Former professional tennis player, he competed in nine Wimbledons and 13 U.S. Opens, now the varsity tennis coach at Gilman School in Baltimore, Steve “Lightning” Krulevitz turns 74… Former chief rabbi of France, Gilles Uriel Bernheim turns 73… Encino, Calif.-based business attorney, Andrew W. Hyman… Literary critic, essayist and novelist, Daphne Miriam Merkin turns 71… Israeli physicist and philosopher, Avshalom Cyrus Elitzur turns 68… Former member of Congress for 16 years, since leaving Congress he has opened a bookstore and written two novels, Steve Israel turns 67… Former science editor for BBC News and author of six books, David Shukman turns 67… Founder of Krav Maga Global with 1,500 instructors in 60 countries, Eyal Yanilov turns 66… Editorial writer at The New York Times, Michelle Cottle… Film, stage and television actress; singer and songwriter, she sang the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, Idina Menzel turns 54… Writer, filmmaker, playwright and DJ, known by his pen name Ithamar Ben-Canaan, Itamar Handelman Smith turns 49… Member of Knesset who served as Israel’s minister of agriculture in the prior government, Oded Forer turns 48… Director of engagement and program at NYC’s Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Scott Hertz… Chief of staff for Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Reema Dodin turns 45… Tsippy Friend… Israeli author, her debut novel has been published in more than 20 languages around the world, Shani Boianjiu turns 38… Rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer, known professionally as Hebro, Raphael Ohr Chaim Fulcher turns 38… Senior counsel at Gilead Sciences, Ashley Bender Spirn… Ice hockey defenseman, he has played for four NHL teams and is now in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, David Matthew Warsofsky turns 35… Deputy chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Miryam Esther Lipper… Senior reporter for CNN, Eric Levenson… Challah baker, social entrepreneur and manager at Howard Properties, Jason Friend… 

SATURDAY: Investment advisor at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, Alfred Phillip Stern turns 92… Businessman and philanthropist, Ira Leon Rennert turns 91… Professor at Yale University and the 2018 winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, William Dawbney Nordhaus turns 84… Food critic at Vogue magazine since 1989 and judge on “Iron Chef America,” he is the author of the 1996 award-winning book The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten turns 83… Founder and retired CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council, Alvin “Al” From turns 82… Author, political pundit and a retired correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” he has won 14 Emmy Awards during his career, Bernie Goldberg turns 80… Comedian, actress and TV producer, Susie Essman turns 70… Founder and chairman of the Katz Group of Companies with operations in the pharmacy, sports (including the Edmonton Oilers), entertainment and real estate sectors, Daryl Katz turns 64… Reality television personality, best known for starring in and producing her own matchmaking reality series, “The Millionaire Matchmaker” on Bravo TV, Patti Stanger turns 64… Jerusalem-born inventor, serial entrepreneur and novelist; founder, chairman and CEO of CyberArk Software, one of Israel’s leading software companies, Alon Nisim Cohen turns 57… Entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of CryptoLogic, an online casino software firm, Andrew Rivkin turns 56… Former Democratic mayor of Annapolis, Md., now head of policy at SWTCH, Joshua Jackson “Josh” Cohen turns 52… Program director of synagogue and rabbinic initiatives at the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, Melissa York… Israeli actress, singer and dancer, she played a Mossad agent in the espionage TV series “Tehran,” Liraz Charhi turns 47… Author of the “Money Stuff” column at Bloomberg Opinion, Matthew Stone Levine turns 47… Freelance writer in Brooklyn, Sara Trappler Spielman… Attorney and NYT best-selling author of the Mara Dyer and Shaw Confessions series, Michelle Hodkin turns 43… Senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce until earlier this year, Bert Eli Kaufman… Senior product manager at Tel Aviv-based Forter, Zoe Goldfarb… Stephanie Oreck Weiss… Chief revenue officer at NOTUS, Brad E. Bosserman… Senior rabbi and executive director of Jewish life at D.C.’s Sixth & I, Aaron Potek… Managing editor at Allbritton Journalism Institute, Matt Berman… Medical student in the class of 2027 at the University of Nicosia Medical School, Amital Isaac… Brad Goldstein… Basketball player in Israel’s Premier League until recent years, while at Princeton he won the Ivy League Player of the Year award, Spencer Weisz turns 30… Professional golfer on the PGA Tour, Max Alexander Greyserman turns 30… Rapper, singer, songwriter and producer, known by his stage name, King Sol, Benjamin Solomon turns 27…

SUNDAY: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, pianist and conductor, he has taught at Yale, SUNY Purchase, Cornell, Brandeis and Harvard, Yehudi Wyner turns 96… Holocaust survivor as a child, he served as the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel for 10 years and twice as Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv for 16 years, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau turns 88… NYC-based attorney, author of two books regarding the history and operations of El Al, owner of 40,000 plus pieces of memorabilia related to El Al, Marvin G. Goldman turns 86… Grammy Award-winning classical pianist, Richard Goode turns 82… Former member of the Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Shimon Ohayon turns 80… Retired attorney in Berkeley, Calif., Thomas Andrew Seaton… Pediatrician in the San Francisco Bay area, Elliot Charles Lepler, MD… Former member of the Knesset for the Shinui and the Hilonit Tzionit parties, Eti Livni turns 77… Founding editor of The American Interest, Adam M. Garfinkle turns 74… Former editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News and co-author with Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg by Bloomberg, Matthew Winkler turns 70… Contributing editor at The Free Press, Uri Paul Berliner… Founding rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, N.Y., Rabbi Moshe Weinberger turns 68… Former IDF officer and now a London-based political scientist and journalist, Ahron “Ronnie” Bregman turns 67… Member of the Knesset for the Shas party for 16 years ending in 2015, Amnon Cohen turns 65… Owner of MLB’s Athletics (temporarily playing in Sacramento), he is the chair of Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Foundation, John J. Fisher turns 64… Poet, performance artist and essayist, Adeena Karasick turns 60… Founding editor and publisher of the Dayton Jewish Observer, Marshall J. Weiss… Television personality and matchmaker, Sigalit “Siggy” Flicker turns 58… Actress, voice actress and film director, Danielle Harris turns 48… Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and writer, Spencer J. Ackerman turns 45… Comedian, writer, actress, director and producer, Amy Schumer turns 44… Partner in Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm, Daniel Tannebaum… President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Yael Eckstein turns 41… Musician, songwriter, author, actor and blogger, Ari Seth Herstand turns 40… CEO of The Good Food Institute, Ilya Sheyman turns 39… Political reporter for NBC News and MSNBC until earlier this year, now a newspaper editor in Maine, Alex Seitz-Wald… Senior writer at Barron’s covering the Federal Reserve, Nicole Goodkind… Former engineering lead at Palantir Technologies, now in a MPP program at Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, Naomi S. Kadish… Executive business partner at Lyft, Isabel Keller… NYC-born Israeli pair skater, she competed for Israel at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Hailey Esther Kops turns 23…

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), returning from a trip to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, characterized leaders in the region as being open to the Trump administration’s efforts to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran, but also suggested that they are skeptical that Iran will actually agree to a deal that dismantles its nuclear program.

“I think folks are realistic about the prospects of Iran coming to an agreement, but still want to give the process a chance and try to avoid a conflict if possible,” Lawler told Jewish Insider on Thursday. “But ultimately, you know, I think everybody is very clear about the fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Lawler, joined by Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL), met with regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Jordanian King Abdullah II.

On nuclear talks with Iran, the New York Republican said that leaders in the region are “cautiously optimistic that we can make progress in a negotiation, but I think realistic about the fact that we’ve been here before with Iran, and they continue to operate in the manner that they do.”

Lawler has been a leader in the House on Iran sanctions, sponsoring two bills that passed last year to crack down on the oil trade between Iran and China and a third that is moving ahead in the House this year.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in congressional testimony last week that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are not engaging with Iran’s support for terrorism or its ballistic missile program, but said that sanctions targeting those areas would remain in place if they are not addressed under a deal. Many Republicans have argued in the past that Tehran would use any sanctions relief, regardless of target, to fund malign activities.

“Let’s see what actually comes out of these negotiations,” Lawler said, of Rubio’s comments. “But, my general view is that the nuclear program, obviously, is a major threat, but so too is their continued funding of terrorism, and all of these issues are going to have to be addressed, one way or the other.”

He said that “as part of any sanctions relief down the road, they would have to cease all terror activity and funding of it. But I think we’re a long ways away from that, and so that’s why I continue to push on the sanctions.”

Lawler described the Trump administration as being more aggressive than the Biden administration in implementing sanctions, including the two bills he spearheaded in the previous Congress, against Iran.

“This has been, from the standpoint of applying pressure, critical, but long term all of these issues are going to have to be addressed,” Lawler said. “One of the immediate issues is the nuclear program and trying to eliminate that through a diplomatic negotiation.”

Amid public reports that the U.S., Hamas and Israel are nearing an agreement on a new ceasefire proposal, Lawler said, “We’ll see if progress can be made there. Hamas continues to put in place demands that are never, ever going to be accepted by the United States or Israel.”

While Israel has said it would agree to the current U.S. proposal, Israeli officials have also implemented plans to expand operations in Gaza even as U.S. officials have reportedly been privately pressuring Israeli officials to end the war.

“Israel is continuing to proceed forward with respect to trying to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. Obviously, the longer this drags on, the more difficult it is within the region,” Lawler said. “But I think everybody would like to see this come to an end, in which the hostages are released, the Palestinian people are able to live in a more stable area and get the humanitarian assistance that they need.”

Lawler also expressed support for the new American and Israeli effort to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians, which began earlier this week.

He criticized the Biden administration for, in 2024, pressuring Israel against expanding operations against Hamas and Hezbollah, arguing that if Israel had heeded that pressure, Hamas and Hezbollah’s leadership would still be alive and the Assad regime would still be in power in Syria.

Lawler denied that the Trump administration had placed any similar pressure on Israel, despite public comments from President Donald Trump that Israel should not attack Iran’s nuclear program while talks are ongoing and reports of private pressure on a number of fronts.

“I think the administration has been very supportive, but they’re in the process of trying to negotiate,” Lawler said, of Trump’s recent comments opposing a strike on Iran. “And obviously, when you’re in the middle of a negotiation, any military action can undermine that negotiation … the talks are in a critical stage, and you have to allow those talks to unfold.”

He suggested that he believes that the administration would support a strike if the negotiations fail, and that Israel should not have to act on its own in such a scenario. “There should be coordination and cooperation if and when any action is taken,” Lawler said.

The congressman said that, despite the ongoing challenges, there are new opportunities in the Middle East and it is in some ways “in a stronger position for change than it was 19 months ago.”

“There’s a lot of work ahead, but I think the dialogue in all three countries was extremely positive and focused on the future and how we kind of bridge these divides and long-term normalization and economic cooperation between all countries in the region,” Lawler said.

Saudi Arabia, he said, was “extremely happy” with Trump’s recent visit. The U.S.-Saudi relationship, he continued, is on a “very positive” trajectory, and Saudi Arabia is poised to be a key player in helping to bring stability and prosperity to the Middle East.

Despite recent reports and public statements indicating that Saudi interest in normalizing relations with Israel has waned in the short term, Lawler said that “they understand how important it is both from the long-term stability and economic prosperity of the Middle East, but also on the global stage.” 

“The sooner this conflict [in Gaza] comes to an end, I think the easier it will be to begin that process,” Lawler continued.

Lawler also described Jordan as “vital to the U.S., to Israel and to the peace and stability of the Middle East” and a “great ally and partner.” 

He said that Jordan’s King Abdullah II had stressed the economic, natural resource and refugee challenges the country faces. Lawler argued that the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia should invest in Jordan to help support its stability, “which is vital to our national security interests and certainly that of Israel.”

A new campaign is targeting Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish voters in Monsey, N.Y., with ads calling on voters to contact Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) to oppose proposals cutting Medicaid funding. But the group behind those ads has its own checkered history with Jewish community issues.

The ads, which are running both in Yiddish and English in local Jewish community publications, direct viewers to a website to send a form email to their lawmakers, identifying themself as a member of the Jewish community and opposing cuts to Medicaid programs as particularly harmful to local Jewish communities. Republicans have said such cuts are likely as part of the upcoming budget reconciliation bill.

The campaign largely targets Lawler, who represents many of the Hasidic communities in Rockland County and has been fending off accusations from Democrats and liberal groups that he is backing cuts to Medicaid. He has pledged that he will “never cast a vote that takes Medicaid away from eligible recipients who rely on this vital program,” but instead wants to crack down on fraud within the program.

One of the groups behind those advertisements, healthcare union 1199SEIU, has a history of anti-Israel activism.

In December 2023, the group called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while also condemning the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and calling for the unconditional release of hostages. It suggested both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes.

In October 2024, the group called for an arms embargo on Israel, saying, “the Netanyahu government has used the October 7 atrocities to justify inexcusable destruction and killing in Gaza, creating an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the region.”

It also condemned Israeli operations in Lebanon, while also accusing both Israel and Hezbollah of war crimes.

The national SEIU umbrella organization has criticized crackdowns on antisemitic activity on college campuses. 

In their individual capacity, 1199SEIU staff and members have signed on to statements accusing Israel of genocide and supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. Some leaders inside the national SEIU organization expressed support for Hamas.

A Lawler spokesperson suggested that it’s hypocritical for the group to attempt to appeal to the Jewish community given its history of Israel criticism.

“We strongly condemn SEIU1199 for targeting Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish voters in Rockland with blatantly false ads,” a Lawler spokesperson said in a statement. “The irony of SEIU1199 attempting to appeal to Jewish voters while having a history of supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, supporting pro-Hamas encampments on our universities, and pushing for an arms embargo on Israel is comical. SEIU1199 should immediately retract these advertisements and issue an apology.”

1199SEIU did not respond to a request for comment.

Jessica Reinmann, a Democratic nonprofit executive challenging Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in New York’s 17th Congressional District, said, in a recent interview with Jewish Insider, that she feels a deep personal connection and dedication to the State of Israel and to the Jewish people, which she traces back to her strong relationship with her grandfather when she was young.

Her grandfather’s mother and her sister were the only children, out of 16 in their family, to survive the Holocaust, but they were separated — her great grandmother coming to the United States and her sister going to Israel.

She said that her grandfather would regularly visit his family in Israel and would tell her stories about them, teaching her that Israel is “not just a state” but “our homeland.” She said that her grandfather also instilled in her a strong sense of Jewish heritage and peoplehood, recalling that he helped her practice her haftorah for her bat mitzvah, and saw him reading it along with her as she recited it.

“For me, Israel’s right to exist, its right to defend itself, its right to be our homeland — the Jewish people’s homeland — located where it is is undeniable,” Reinmann said. “We’ve had a long-standing relationship that not only protects democracy in the Middle East, but it protects all of the Jewish citizens of the United States … and we must maintain that relationship.”

When he died, her grandfather required that some of the inheritance he left her family be used for them to visit Israel, which they did in 1994. It was Reinmann’s first time out of the country — her family could not previously afford to travel to Israel.

Reinmann recalled in detail the feeling of connection to the history of the Jewish people when she stood before the Western Wall in Jerusalem and placed a note addressed to her grandfather between the bricks.

“I remember my note that I put in the Wailing Wall was ‘Dear Grandpa, I finally made it. I love you,’” Reinmann said. “My grandfather was my person, and so being there was just a connection to him that I have never felt again.”

Reinmann said that her Jewish upbringing — strongly influenced by her grandfather — and the values of tikkun olam and tzedakah that it instilled in her have been a major influence on her desire to give back to her community, first as a nonprofit leader and now as an aspiring public servant.

The district in the New York City suburbs, once a blue bastion, has been key to Republicans’ control of the House in the past two cycles and Democrats are hoping to claw it back in the next year’s midterms. It’s also among the most Jewish districts in the country, and the incumbent Lawler has built strong support in the community.

Addressing the specifics of the war in Gaza, Reinmann emphasized that Hamas provoked the war by attacking Israel and taking hostages, and that it could have ended the war at any time by releasing the hostages.

The three priorities for the U.S. now, Reinmann said, must be returning all of the hostages, “annihilat[ing] Hamas” and finding a path forward toward peace.

“I think we really need to take back our standing in the world as the leader of the free world and as the leading democracy,” Reinmann said.

“I imagine [peace] looks like a two-state solution at some point, but until there’s less hatred, until everybody can deal with each each other with dignity and respect, there’s going to be a lot of peacekeeping that needs to be done once Hamas is gone to protect Israel and Israelis,” Reinmann said.

Asked about the regional threat from Iran, Reinmann said that the U.S. needs “do everything that we can … both diplomatically and militarily” to ensure that Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon, as well as cut off Iran’s financing.

“I think we really need to take back our standing in the world as the leader of the free world and as the leading democracy,” Reinmann added.

On the home front, Reinmann said she’s seen the impact of campus antisemitism through her daughter, who is currently a student at Yale. Her daughter, she said, had to walk past and through antisemitic encampments with signs calling for “Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea.”

“She’ll say that it was no big deal because she could walk away from it, but I think it changed her,” Reinmann said.

“When institutions that receive a significant amount of federal funding continuously allow students on their campus to feel scared and to feel discriminated against and to not be able to get into classes — if we don’t hold places accountable under Title VI, there’s no point in having Title VI,” Reinmann said.

She said that she strongly believes in the First Amendment, even the right to express hateful views, as long as it is done in a manner that is civil and in compliance with relevant regulations. But she emphasized that speech that incites violence is not free speech. 

She said that college campuses need to fulfill their legal responsibilities to protect students against discrimination, and if they fail to do so, the law is clear that their funding should be revoked, with due process.

“When institutions that receive a significant amount of federal funding continuously allow students on their campus to feel scared and to feel discriminated against and to not be able to get into classes — if we don’t hold places accountable under Title VI, there’s no point in having Title VI,” Reinmann said.

She said she had been involved locally in implementing and improving Holocaust education, work Reinmann said she began when she built a relationship with the Holocaust and Human Education Rights Center in White Plans, N.Y., through her daughter’s bat mitzvah project.

Reinmann said that her daughter told her that her school did not have any dedicated Holocaust education and subsequently, as the head of the middle school parent-teacher association, Reinmann worked with the school to bring in a Holocaust survivor to speak and launch a Holocaust education program.

Reinmann found that her daughter’s high school did not recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and she joined a Jewish parents’ group which pressed the school to institute an annual day of special classes for students from second through twelfth grade on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

She said that more than 70 families from the school also came together last year for a Shabbat dinner, with the goal of “really making the Jewish religion not so obscure to people.”

Before facing Lawler — or another Republican, should he decide to run for governor of New York — in the general election, Reinmann will face Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson and likely other Democrats in the Democratic primary. The district is among House Democrats’ top targets to flip in the upcoming midterms.

Reinmann has spent the last 10 years leading 914Cares, an anti-poverty charity based in Westchester County, but said that with the return of the Trump administration, she felt she could do more to make a difference on the issues that she cares about by stepping up to run for federal office.

She said that her experience at 914Cares has exposed her to and given her experience working with a broad cross-section of the Westchester community, from affluent donors to underresourced communities. She said she also formed local networks with schools, health care centers, day cares, police and fire departments and other nonprofits to distribute assistance and meet people where they are.

Reinmann’s organization does not take federal money, but she said she has been involved in local, state and national political advocacy on poverty issues. 

Her key issues in Congress, she said, would be affordability, supporting unions, poverty awareness and gun safety legislation, naming several fellow New York Democrats including Reps. Pat Ryan (D-NY), George Latimer (D-NY) and Grace Meng (D-NY) as specific members she’s hoping to work with on such issues.

She also emphasized the need to restore the U.S.’ standing globally, repair relationships with allies that Trump has damaged and restore USAID, as well as protect government services that the administration has or may attempt to cut.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced her resignation on Wednesday, days before the start of the school year — and months after the end of a chaotic school year that saw her testify before Congress about antisemitism and navigate the unruly fallout of the first anti-Israel encampment in the nation. 

Dr. Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia’s Irving Medical Center, will serve as interim president, a university spokesperson confirmed to Jewish Insider. A source familiar said Armstrong has already been in touch with Hillel leadership at Columbia. 

News of Shafik’s resignation was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson. Shafik is the fourth Ivy League president to step down in the last year amid rising anti-Israel activism on campuses, following the University of Pennsylvania’s Elizabeth Magill, Harvard’s Claudine Gay and Cornell University’s Martha Pollack.

“I have had the honor and privilege to lead this incredible institution, and I believe that — working together — we have made progress in a number of important areas,” Shafik, who only started in the role in July 2023, wrote in an email to the Columbia community. 

“However, it has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community. Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead,” she wrote.

Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Columbia, like other American universities, saw an uptick in antisemitism and targeting of Zionist students. But in an April hearing before the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Shafik avoided the kind of viral moment that dogged her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

But when she went back to Manhattan, she faced the first anti-Israel encampment at an American university. Her decision to call in the police to break up the demonstration set off a wave of anger among many students and faculty members on campus and sparked dozens of other solidarity encampments at other universities. 

From there, her leadership was under a microscope. Following a number of antisemitic incidents related to the encampment, several members of Congress from both parties went to Columbia to speak to Jewish students and show solidarity.

In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League said it is “saddened that the leadership of another flagship university has crumbled under the weight of antisemitism on its campus,” calling on the school to move quickly to fill the leadership vacancy before the fall semester.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), in a statement first shared with JI, cheered Shafik’s decision to step aside: “As a result of President Shafik’s refusal to protect Jewish students and maintain order on campus, Columbia University became the epicenter for virulent antisemitism that has plagued many American university campuses since Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel last fall.” 

“I stood in President Shafik’s office in April and told her to resign, and while it is long overdue, we welcome today’s news. Jewish students at Columbia beginning this school year should breathe a sigh of relief…We hope that President Shafik’s resignation serves as an example to university administrators across the country that tolerating or protecting antisemites is unacceptable and will have consequences,” Johnson added.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said that, under Shafik’s leadership “a disturbing wave of antisemitic harassment, discrimination, and disorder engulfed Columbia university’s campus” and students were allowed to break the law with impunity.

“Columbia’s next leader must take bold action to address the pervasive antisemitism, support for terrorism, and contempt for the university’s rules that have been allowed to flourish on its campus,” Foxx continued, 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a prominent member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, crowed, “THREE DOWN, so many to go,” adding that her “failed presidency was untenable and that it was only a matter of time before her forced resignation.”

She added, “We will continue to demand moral clarity, condemnation of antisemitism, protection of Jewish students and faculty, and stronger leadership from American higher education institutions.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told JI that the resignation was “long overdue.”

“I have been calling for President Shafik to be ousted or resign ever since her abysmal failure to condemn Columbia’s antisemitic outbursts or ensure the safety of Jewish students on her campus,” Lawler said. “Let this be a lesson to all who waver in the face of evil.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said that “when President Shafik failed to enforce the code of conduct and protect Jewish students just trying to walk to class safely, she failed at her job and allowed a hostile, antisemitic environment to escalate.”

He asserted that similar treatment of any other minority group would have been quickly stopped by school administrators and that signs reading “go back to Poland” displayed just outside Columbia’s gates when he visited the campus have stuck with him.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) called Columbia “ground zero for campus antisemitism in NYC,” urging the new leadership to “summon the moral clarity and the moral courage to confront the deep rot of antisemitism at Columbia’s core.”

But Columbia’s problems didn’t stop with the encampment. In late April, student protesters occupied a campus administrative building, leading to hundreds of arrests by police. (The charges have since been dropped against most student protesters.) 

Two days later, President Joe Biden condemned unlawful protests at U.S. universities. “Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation — none of this is a peaceful protest,” he said in a White House address in May. “It’s against the law.”

In May, the faculty of arts and sciences — which was mostly supportive of the anti-Israel encampment — approved a vote of no confidence in Shafik. 

Columbia made news earlier this month when three deans who had been placed on leave over exchanging antisemitic text messages resigned. 

And as recently as this week, lawmakers demanded that the school reimburse the New York Police Department for costs incurred in clearing the encampment on the Columbia campus.

Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia/Barnard Hillel, declined to comment on Shafik’s departure but praised Armstrong’s appointment as interim president. 

“I think very highly of Dr. Armstrong and I know many colleagues feel the same way,” Cohen told JI. “She is a strong leader — when there were issues that needed to be addressed at the Medical Center, Dr. Armstrong was quick to respond and to address the issues.”

Jewish Insider Congressional correspondent Emily Jacobs contributed to this report.

In a new letter to interim Harvard President Alan Garber sent on Monday, 28 Republican House members, led by Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY), said that the Harvard antisemitism task force’s recent preliminary recommendations on responding to campus antisemitism don’t go nearly far enough to address the situation on the campus.

The lawmakers said they have “serious concerns regarding the inadequacy” of the recommendations, which are “weaker, less detailed, and less comprehensive” than those presented by a previous task force in December 2023. Harvard Jewish leaders and alumni have said they’re disappointed by the recommendations, released in late June.

“Instead of offering a tangible plan to address antisemitism at Harvard, the task force’s most specific and actionable recommendations are to organize public talks on respectful dialogue and religious relations, increase the availability of hot kosher meals, and to circulate guidance about accommodating Jewish religious observance and a calendar of Jewish holidays,” the letter reads.

It calls the recommendations “particularly alarming given that Harvard’s leaders had already received a strong, detailed, and comprehensive set of recommendations” from the previous task force, arguing that the current group should have built on that framework.

The lawmakers said that Garber needs to “publicly address” criticisms of the task force from Jewish community members, adopt and begin to implement the recommendations from both task forces before the next semester and sever Harvard’s relationship with Birzeit University in the West Bank, whose student government and administration have expressed support for Hamas.

The letter states that the task force was correct to support disciplinary action and condemnation in response to the “serious problem with antisemitism” on Harvard’s campus but did not “offer real solutions for doing so.” It also accuses the task force of giving “insufficient attention” to Harvard’s “failures in imposing discipline for antisemitic misconduct.”

The lawmakers said that the task force “left numerous other significant issues wholly unaddressed,” such as academic programs that have seen significant issues with anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment, student groups’ violations of Harvard rules, failures by Harvard’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging office to address antisemitism, falling Jewish enrollment, a lack of viewpoint diversity among faculty on the Middle East, masked protests and possible foreign influence.

They further said that the university “has a consistent practice of balancing statements and efforts regarding antisemitism with similar ones regarding Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.”

“While hatred and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs is deplorable and must be addressed, there is simply no comparison between the explosion of pervasive antisemitism on Harvard’s campus and instances of Islamophobia or anti-Arab bias,” the Republicans continued. “These constant attempts at balancing serve to trivialize antisemitism and distract from the urgency and severity of the problem.”

Other signatories to the letter include Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Jim Banks (R-IN), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Anthony D’Esposito (D-NY), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Russell Fry (R-SC), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Michael Guest (R-MS), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Mariannete Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Burgess Owens (R-UT), Keith Self (R-TX), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Jason Smith (R-MO), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Michelle Steel (R-CA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Randy Weber (R-TX) and Rudy Yakym (R-IN).