His confirmation vote, by a 47-43 vote, comes days before the start of the U.N. General Assembly
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Add JewishInsider on GoogleThe Senate confirmed former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Friday to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, capping off a monthslong confirmation process that was marred by delays just days before the start of the U.N. General Assembly next week.
Waltz, a former congressman from Florida and a Green Beret, was confirmed by a 47-43 vote in the Senate on Friday afternoon, with three Democrats and one Republican crossing party lines. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Fetterman (D-PA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) voted in favor of Waltz’s nomination, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only Republican to oppose.
Waltz’s journey to his current role began when President Donald Trump removed him from his post as White House national security advisor in late April and selected him to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as his pick for U.N. ambassador. The White House pulled Stefanik’s nomination in late March, more than two months after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had advanced her nomination, amid concerns that her absence in the House could hurt Republicans’ ability to govern with their slim majority.
The former national security advisor was facing heavy scrutiny at the time over the Signal chat incident in which Waltz inadvertently added Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat of top national security officials discussing imminent strikes on the Houthis on the non-secure messaging app. Prior to the “Signalgate” incident, Waltz had already been viewed as a vulnerable target for ideological rivals and personal foes in the administration because of his hawkish approach on foreign policy.
While Trump initially stood by Waltz, he eventually relented and in early May announced his intention to move the former congressman to the U.N. post. Waltz had already faced a setback after Trump fired six National Security Council officials whose views were aligned with Waltz. Their ouster was driven by an intervention by far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Waltz, a staunch supporter of Israel and an outspoken critic of Iran, faced delays of his own during his Senate confirmation process this summer, with Paul siding with all Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee to block his nomination from advancing to the full Senate over concerns with Waltz’s national security and foreign policy positions.
Shaheen eventually broke the stalemate in July, voting for Waltz because of his public and private support for continued U.S. global engagement than other figures in the administration, as well as potential alternatives Trump could nominate.
Multiple outlets reported at the time that Shaheen, who is retiring next year, conditioned her support for Waltz on the Trump administration committing to providing $75 million in aid to Haiti and Nigeria, which had just been approved. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chairman of the committee, told Jewish Insider that the aid package was not directly tied to Shaheen’s support for Waltz.
During his confirmation hearing that month, Waltz said he would serve as a blockade to “anti-Israel resolutions” in the U.N. General Assembly and vowed to push for the dismantlement of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency over some of its employees’ involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. He also said he supported U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for Israel and the Palestinian territories, amid widespread accusations she has espoused antisemitic rhetoric in her commentary on Israel.
Waltz will take over for Dorothy Shea, the career diplomat who filled the role in an acting capacity as chargé d’affaires during the nine-month vacancy. His first full week on the job will coincide with the General Assembly, bringing world leaders together in New York City for high-level discussions on issues ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine to European countries’ push for Palestinian statehood.
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said she’s more concerned about potential alternatives for Waltz
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol Building on September 19, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voted with nearly all committee Republicans to advance former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to move to the consideration of the full Senate.
Waltz’s nomination had otherwise been blocked due to concerns from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that had left the committee vote deadlocked as of Wednesday, which would prevent the nomination from moving forward.
Shaheen said in a statement that she maintains disagreements and concerns with Waltz, alluding to his involvement in the discussion of military plans on the unsecured messaging app Signal, but described him as a more positive voice for continued U.S. global engagement than other figures in the administration and potential alternatives.
“I recognize that Mr. Waltz represents a moderating force with a distinguished record of military service and an extensive background in national security policymaking,” Shaheen said in a statement. “Further, Mike Waltz did not represent himself to me as someone who wants to retreat from the world—and this is a quality I value in nominees.”
“Simply put, in a Situation Room filled with people like Vice President [J.D.] Vance and Under Secretary [of Defense Elbridge] Colby, who want to retreat from the world, and like Secretary [of Defense Pete] Hegseth, I think we’re better off having someone like Mike Waltz present,” Shaheen continued. “That is particularly true when you consider the alternatives to Mr. Waltz as a nominee.”
Vance and Colby are seen as leading isolationist voices in the administration, and Democrats generally view Hegseth as unqualified for his role.
“As Mr. Waltz knows, I intend to hold him accountable through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s oversight role in the months and years ahead,” Shaheen said.
Shaheen, in her statement, also said she “welcome[s] the Administration’s commitment to distribute $75 million of lifesaving assistance” — funding for Haiti and Nigeria which multiple reports have indicated was effectively a condition of her support for Waltz’s nomination.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the top Republican on the committee, told Jewish Insider that the aid package was not directly tied to Shaheen’s support for Waltz.
“It’s accurate that we had lengthy discussions [about the aid funding] but there’s no quid-pro-quo,” Risch said. “You have discussions on a lot of issues. When something gets hung up like that, everybody airs issues that they have, and that’s how it got there.”
Asked by JI whether the humanitarian aid was a condition of her vote, Shaheen responded, “I appreciated the negotiations.”
Paul told JI he’s refusing to vote to move Waltz out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a favorable recommendation, as is standard practice, but would vote for a neutral recommendation
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is delaying efforts to confirm former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations over Waltz’s previous support for a continued U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan.
Paul told Jewish Insider on Wednesday he would not vote to support moving Waltz out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a favorable recommendation, as is generally a standard part of the confirmation process. Paul’s concerns forced the committee to delay a vote, scheduled for Wednesday, to advance Waltz’s nomination.
Paul said he would vote to advance the nomination with a neutral recommendation, which would allow Waltz to move forward for consideration from the full Senate but would be an unusual black mark on Waltz’s nomination. Unless Waltz picks up Democratic support, the committee vote would be tied — preventing the nomination from moving forward — without Paul’s backing.
He explained to JI that his concerns about Waltz revolve around the former national security advisor’s previous support for an amendment in the House, led by former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), that would have forced the first Trump administration to maintain a troop presence in Afghanistan unless Congress approved a full withdrawal.
“I think that has constitutional problems and really goes against a lot of things that people believe, that on initiation of war, I think the president should be limited and [Congress] initiate[s] war,” Paul said. “Once a war is executed, I don’t think Congress has any business telling President [Donald] Trump … ‘You can’t have less than 8,000 troops in Afghanistan.’”
“This was led by Liz Cheney. It was a terrible thing and very anti-Trump and so I didn’t like that,” Paul said.
He also made reference to other comments he said Waltz had made about a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq or Afghanistan, which Paul said he found unacceptable.
The Kentucky senator questioned Waltz about his support for the Cheney amendment during his confirmation hearing last week.
Senate Republicans could attempt to discharge Waltz’s nomination from the committee by a full vote of the Senate, but such a process would be time-consuming and has rarely succeeded.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during the committee’s meeting on Wednesday morning that a senator had requested the vote on Waltz be delayed until the committee’s next meeting, and placed the committee’s business meeting into recess “until further notice, as we consider Mr. Waltz further.”
The Senate has one week left in session before its monthlong August recess, though Trump has urged Senate leadership to cancel the break to continue processing nominations.
The former national security advisor, now U.N. ambassador nominee, was largely spared from expected questions over his participation in the ‘Signalgate’ controversy
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Former White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz laid out an aggressive approach to countering anti-Israel sentiment at the United Nations during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday to be U.S. ambassador to the global body, accusing the organization in his opening statement of “pervasive antisemitism.”
Waltz, a staunch supporter of Israel and an outspoken critic of Iran who was nominated for the U.N. post in May after being removed from his position as national security advisor, said he would seek to block “anti-Israel resolutions” in the General Assembly and would push for the dismantlement of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency over some of its employees’ involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
He also voiced support for U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for Israel and the Palestinian territories, who has faced widespread accusations of espousing antisemitism in her commentary on Israel.
More broadly, Waltz — echoing the “America First” ethos of President Donald Trump — said he would “focus on peacekeeping, not nation-building,” and expressed support for the administration’s plans to slash funding to the U.N., calling for “major reform” to make the organization “great again.”
“The U.S. must ensure that every foreign aid dollar and every contribution to an international organization, particularly the U.N., draws a straight and direct line to a compelling U.S. national interest — one that puts America first, not last,” Waltz said.
Waltz was largely spared of the grilling he had been expected to face from Democrats at the hearing over his widely criticized handling of the use of a nonsecure messaging app to discuss sensitive U.S. attack plans in Yemen last March.
The so-called Signalgate controversy, in which Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal while discussing a military operation against the Houthis with top Trump administration officials, was first raised around halfway into the two and a half hour hearing — after several Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had bypassed the topic in favor of other issues, such as countering China’s global influence.
Still, Waltz strained to defend his misuse of the app, claiming no classified information had been shared and suggesting he had been following Biden-era guidance that recommended the app for end-to-end encrypted chats.
“The use of Signal was not only authorized, it’s still authorized, and highly recommended,” Waltz said at the hearing.
He also said the White House had investigated the matter and no disciplinary action had been taken — while adding that the Defense Department was still conducting a review of the incident.
“I was hoping to hear from you that you had some sense of regret over sharing what was very sensitive, timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app that’s not, as we both know, the appropriate way to share such critical information,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), who first brought up the Signal controversy, said during the hearing.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who issued the most forceful remarks against Waltz, said he had no questions for the nominee, accusing him of lying about his involvement in the Signal debacle and failing to take accountability for his actions while smearing the journalist he had added to the chat.
“Smearing people, attacking folks, singling them out just compounds what I think is disqualifying about you for this position,” he said of the former Florida congressman and Green Beret. “It also, to me, just shows profound cowardice.”
Booker said he would not support Waltz’s nomination.
Despite such opposition, Waltz, who is expected to be confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate, was otherwise presented with a range of friendlier questions from Republicans on the panel, many of whom expressed concerns about the U.N.’s long-standing hostility toward Israel.
Trump had weighed firing Waltz in the wake of the Signal debacle, but ultimately chose to remove him from his national security post and nominate him to serve at the U.N., where he will be based in New York City rather than the West Wing — far removed from the internecine battles that plagued his brief time in the White House.
Near the end of the hearing, Waltz dismissed a new report that he has continued to receive a White House salary in recent months despite being removed from his role — calling the story “fake news.”
“I was not fired,” Waltz said in response to Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV). “The president never said that, nor did the vice president.”
The firings come as President Trump is looking to centralize foreign policy decision making
J. David Ake/Getty Images
The North Portico of The White House is seen at dusk on April 24, 2025, in Washington, DC.
The top National Security Council officials overseeing the Middle East and Israel and Iran portfolios — seen as pro-Israel voices in the administration — were among the dozens of officials dismissed in a widespread purge of the NSC on Friday, two sources familiar with the situation told Jewish Insider.
Eric Trager, who was the senior director for the Middle East and North Africa — the lead official on the Middle East — and Merav Ceren, the director for Israel and Iran, were both Trump administration political appointees but were pushed out in what one official called a purge of “the Deep State” inside the NSC.
Their firings come as voices skeptical of the U.S.’ role in the Middle East increasingly establish a foothold in the administration, and as President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also the acting national security advisor, seek to restructure and slim down the key foreign policy-making body.
According to Axios, officials cut from the NSC will be moved to other positions in the government. Ceren previously came under fire from the far left and far right after false claims that she had previously worked as an Israeli Ministry of Defense official generated accusations of dual loyalty.
NSC spokesman Brian Hughes defended Ceren at the time and denied the accusations, describing her as “a patriotic American who has served in the United States government for years, including for President Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congressman James Comer. We are thrilled to have her expertise in the NSC, where she carries out the President’s agenda on a range of Middle East issues.” He said she “was never employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry, let alone was she an Israeli official.”
Trager and Ceren were hired under former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who was pushed aside after he added a journalist to an administration group chat about U.S. strikes on the Houthis, and after right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer accused him of staffing the NSC with a host of neoconservatives out of step with Trump.
Trager and Ceren had maintained their positions at the time, even as several of Waltz’s top hires were dismissed.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz speaks on a panel at the Hill and Valley Forum at the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we detail Mike Waltz’s ouster yesterday as national security advisor and his nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the U.N., and scoop the hiring of Martin Marks to be the Trump administration’s Jewish liaison. We also report on Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin’s comments at the Jewish Democratic Council of America’s summit yesterday, and report on a call from Sen. Richard Blumenthal for the Trump administration to reverse its recent dismissals of members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Zach Witkoff, Josh Radnor and Netta Barzilai.
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: Bill Cassidy leans in to fight antisemitism as chair of key Senate committee; Songs of the fallen set the tone for Yom HaZikaron in Israel; and ‘The Surge’ continues: JFNA survey finds a third of Jews more engaged now than pre-Oct. 7. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
- Nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. that had been expected to take place this weekend in Rome have been postponed. The State Department said the talks had not been confirmed, while Iran said that Tehran and Washington, along with Oman, which is facilitating the talks, had decided to postpone the fourth round of negotiations over “logistical and technical reasons.”
- The McCain Institute’s two-day Sedona Forum kicks off today in Arizona.
- The Zionist Rabbinic Coalition National Conference begins on Sunday in Washington.
- And on the West Coast, the Milken Institute Global Conference kicks off on Sunday in Los Angeles.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR
Call it the horseshoe theory in action: The senatorial tag team of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rand Paul (R-KY), representing the far left and far right of their caucuses, joined forces this week to scuttle bipartisan legislation designed to crack down on campus antisemitism by codifying the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Jewish discrimination into law.
Sanders proposed several “poison pill” amendments to the Antisemitism Awareness Act during a committee meeting — condemnation of the destruction in Gaza, protection for college students’ free speech rights and rights for universities — that received unanimous Democratic support in the committee vote, as well as backing from Paul. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) also voted for two of the Sanders-sponsored amendments. A fourth amendment by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) opposing deportation and revocation of foreign students’ visas also passed with Paul’s support.
The Antisemitism Awareness Act has long been a major priority for Jewish leaders, especially with discrimination against Jews on the rise, but is facing continued hurdles for passage because of growing antagonism from both parties’ extreme flanks.
The legislation, which passed the House with a substantial 320-vote majority last year, was opposed by only 21 House Republicans and 70 House Democrats, though opposition has grown since then.
Last year, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) didn’t bring the legislation to the Senate floor for a vote out of concern it would expose divisions over the issue in the party. A number of progressive Democrats oppose the mainstream IHRA definition of antisemitism, arguing the definition is too broad because it considers certain criticisms of Israel to be antisemitic.
On the far right, there was growing discomfort over free speech concerns. Most prominently, a smattering of right-wing Republicans, including Paul, and prominent influencers such as Tucker Carlson raised objections because the IHRA definition tags the claim that Jews killed Jesus as antisemitic. In cooperation with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who shared similar concerns, the committee added language explicitly specifying that First Amendment protected speech, religion, press, assembly and petition rights are protected under the legislation.
The retreat on what, on paper, should have been an easy political win for both parties is just one small example of the growing influence of the populist, anti-establishment grassroots — fueled by voters increasingly turning to unconventional and unreliable sources for information.
As a result, on issues ranging from hostility to mainstream foreign policy views to distrust of traditional medicine to anger at Wall Street, the far left and far right of both parties are forming alliances of convenience.
Just scan the daily headlines for examples of an upside-down politics: Within the Trump administration, the reassignment of national security adviser Mike Waltz to Turtle Bay and the recent purge of experienced officials on the National Security Council at the recommendation of a far-right conspiracy theorist is backed by an isolationist faction that wants to upend the bipartisan foreign policy consensus. Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks, in a notable warning this week, said anti-Israel views are beginning to seep into the Republican party as part of a “woke right” whose worldview often overlaps with the far left.
Meanwhile, Democratic grassroots’ enthusiasm and excitement for Sanders’ rallies with left-wing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), as moderates struggle to put forward an alternative vision for the party, is a cautionary sign that progressive party activists are still empowered despite the political hole they dug for their party. The fact that Sanders-championed resolutions to block arm sales to Israel received 15 (of 47) Democratic votes in the Senate last month is a sign of how much the party has changed in recent years.
As Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), a 36-year-old progressive House Democrat, said on CNN Thursday: “There is a new generation of Republicans and Democrats who want to think about some of the things that we have been taking for granted as core tenets of our foreign policy.”
It’s no coincidence that antisemitic views are on the rise within both parties, as a result of this collapse of institutional authority. It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, it’s becoming difficult to pass bipartisan legislation to fight the oldest hatred.
RELOCATING
Trump nominates Mike Waltz as U.N. ambassador
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was nominating Mike Waltz, his national security advisor, as ambassador to the United Nations, and removing him from his current role. In the interim, Trump added in a Truth Social post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as national security advisor while holding his diplomatic role, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Surprise shuffle: The announcement came amid multiple reports that Waltz was expected to be ousted from his role, in the first major shakeup of the administration. His deputy advisor, Alex Wong, a fellow traditional conservative, was also expected to leave the National Security Council, sources told JI. Waltz, a former Florida congressman and Green Beret, has been on precarious footing since he accidentally added a journalist to a non-secure messaging app in which top administration officials discussed sensitive plans for a military operation in Yemen.
Bonus: The Atlantic does a deep dive into Waltz’s brief tenure in the Trump administration, citing the “dysfunction” within the National Security Council that predated the “Signalgate” incident.
scoop
Trump campaign staffer Martin Marks serving as White House Jewish liaison
Martin Marks, who oversaw President Donald Trump’s efforts to win over Jewish voters in the 2024 election, has recently begun serving as the White House liaison to the Jewish community, a White House spokesperson confirmed to Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch on Thursday. Marks’ appointment to the role is a shift for Trump, who did not appoint a Jewish liaison in his first term, instead opting for son-in-law Jared Kushner to informally serve in that role, alongside former antisemitism special envoy Elan Carr.
On the CV: Prior to joining the Trump campaign last year, Marks’ political experience included a brief congressional bid in 2022, when he entered the Republican primary to unseat Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL), though he dropped out before voting began. His mother, handbag designer Lana Marks, served as U.S. ambassador to South Africa in Trump’s first term, and Marks was her “senior advisor and chief strategist” during her confirmation hearings, according to a biography on his campaign website. He moved with her to Pretoria to continue serving as an informal advisor.
SELF REFLECTION
Dan Goldman: Dems shouldn’t make antisemitic visa holders into ‘martyrs’
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) warned that some on the left are focusing too heavily on individuals who have espoused antisemitic views and are being targeted by the Trump administration for deportation, and that Democrats should be directing more attention towards the Americans still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Notable quotable: “We are seeing, because of Donald Trump’s overreach, that people who have espoused antisemitism are becoming martyrs, and that scares me,” Goldman said at a Jewish Democratic Council of America conference in Washington on Thursday. “Because we should be talking about the five American hostages in Gaza who have been there for a year and a half, who were abducted by a terrorist group and are deceased in four of the cases, unfortunately, but one, Edan Alexander, remains alive.”
IN CONVERSATION
Ossoff highlights hostages and antisemitism, but says Trump is exploiting Jewish fears
As he works to repair his standing with some members of Georgia’s Jewish community, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Thursday highlighted the plight of the remaining hostages in Gaza and the rise of antisemitism at home, while also condemning what he described as the Trump administration’s use of antisemitism as a weapon to attack civil liberties, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What he said: “I know for those of us, myself included, who have family in Israel, for those of us who every single day feel the intense pain of recognition that there remain hostages rotting and facing abuse in tunnels under Gaza, for those of who have feared for Israel’s future and its security, for those of us who have witnessed the gut-wrenching violence and devastation in the Middle East, it has been and remains incredibly painful,” Ossoff said, speaking at a Jewish Democratic Council of America summit in Washington. He also highlighted the struggles of Jewish parents whose children have felt threatened on campus and business owners whose businesses have been vandalized. But, he continued, “this issue is being very cynically exploited as the administration seeks to erode civil liberties in the United States.”
DEM DIRECTION
Ken Martin: Democratic Party needs to stand with Jewish community, Israel
Ken Martin, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said on Thursday that the Democratic Party needs to stand up for the Jewish community and for Israel, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Stand strong: “It is so important right now for our party to stand up with the Jewish community, to continue to stand up for Israel, to continue to stand up for humanity and to not forget who we are as Americans,” Martin said in remarks to a Jewish Democratic Council of America conference in Washington, calling the Jewish community “really, really an important part of our coalition.”
Messaging and tactics: Also speaking at the conference, Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) laid out a vision for the Democratic Party’s path out of the political wilderness, outlining what they see as the party’s weaknesses and missteps, and the ways that Democrats can most effectively stake out and message positions in the second Trump era.
scoop
Blumenthal calls on Trump to reverse U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council dismissals
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday urging him to reverse course on his decision to remove multiple members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council appointed by former President Joe Biden. Blumenthal wrote in the letter, first obtained by Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs, that the move “reveals a stunning contempt for the apolitical nature of Holocaust remembrance and a disturbing willingness to exploit even the memory of genocide for partisan gain.”
What he wrote: Blumenthal argued that the action “makes a mockery of the very mission the museum was created to pursue,” accusing the president of “politicizing an institution created to guard against the political abuses that led to the Holocaust in the first place.” He added, “These dismissals are not merely symbolic. They tell the country, and the world, that even the sacred memory of six million murdered Jews is not off-limits to your culture of retribution. That you would desecrate the museum’s independence to settle political scores is a deep insult to the survivors and their families, to the entire Jewish community, and to all communities who look to the museum as a beacon of truth and accountability.”
Worthy Reads
Political Parallels: Puck’s Julia Ioffe looks at the similarities in the Trump administration and Obama administration’s approaches to foreign policy. “Both came to power contemptuous of the Washington foreign policy establishment, which Obama lambasted as an ‘elite that largely boarded the bandwagon for war,’ clinging to the ‘Washington playbook’ and stuck in ‘groupthink.’ Trump reviles the ‘deep state’ and dinged Hillary Clinton, once the secretary of state, for having ‘bad experience.’ Both came to Washington wanting to end wars, but quickly found that not only was doing so harder than they thought, but existing wars also had a way of expanding under their watch. … ‘I think we’re going to make a deal with Iran,’ Trump said in his 100-days interview with Time. ‘Nobody else could do that.’ Nobody other than Obama, who negotiated a deal with Iran in 2015. Trump would obviously know that because, following [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] lead in cursing the deal for years as empowering Iran over the objections of American allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, Trump unilaterally pulled out of the J.C.P.O.A. in 2018… only to now come back and try to strike a deal with Iran once again, after reportedly talking Israel out of striking Iranian nuclear sites.” [Puck]
Doha Dealings: In Commentary, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Jonathan Schanzer considers Qatar’s yearslong quest to become a key global player in media, diplomacy, academia and politics. “It’s fair to ask whether the Qataris are making a play for ‘state capture.’ Law firms, lobby groups, public relations shops, and other levers of influence are all on generous Qatari retainers. Hedge funds, mutual funds, joint ventures, and other generators of American wealth are similarly beholden to Qatari cash. Large parcels of real estate in one city after the next have been gobbled up by Qatari-backed developers. And that’s just what we know. Money is no object for Qatar. This is a country that controls more than 10 percent of the world’s energy. And the needs of the country’s tiny population make it such that the regime can spend money on soft power and influence without limit.” [Commentary]
Mandate-era Mode: In Tablet, Karen Burshtein spotlights ATA, a clothing company that provided workwear for recently arrived immigrants to pre-state Israel that has been revived in the last decade. “ATA now has minimalist chic boutiques in Tel Aviv and a just-opened store in Haifa, from which it sells its thick cotton jackets, quality T-shirts and sweaters, jumpsuits and, yes, the kibbutz hat. Most items have some reference to the workers’ uniforms at the heart of their history. Each is given a name that evokes kibbutz or Jewish history: Boker (morning) trousers, Po’elet (workers) dress, Hechrachi (Gematria) jacket, and Shabbat (Sabbath) shirts. The reborn brand often references ‘worker’s blue’ color tones. … Their first collection was directly inspired by what used to be called Havileh Oleh (Oleh packages). Upon arriving in Palestine/Israel, every oleh got a ‘Havileh Oleh,’ which contained work pants, a work shirt, a white shirt for Shabbat, a tembel hat, and a towel. “It was about how to identify yourself as an Israeli after you came from another place,” [creative director Yael] Shenberger continues. ‘When we started, what I wanted to do was exactly the same clothes. The white shirt in our first collection was the same white shirt Ben-Gurion wore.’” [Tablet]
Word on the Street
President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on entities and individuals involved with the purchase of oil and petrochemicals from Iran…
The Trump administration commissioned L3Harris to refurbish a Boeing 747 previously owned by Qatar for use as a presidential plane, amid delays in Boeing’s production of two Air Force One replacement jets…
Zach Witkoff, the son of Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, on Thursday announced a deal between the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial, Emirati investment firm MGX and Binance at the Token2049 cryptocurrency conference in Dubai…
The Pentagon’s inspector general is expanding an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging platform following reports that Hegseth shared plans to strike the Houthis in Yemen in a second group chat that included his brother and wife…
The New York Times looks at Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) return to the House of Representatives — and GOP leadership — following the Trump administration’s rescinding of her nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the U.N. over Republicans’ razor-thin majority in the House…
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is set to headline South Carolina’s Blue Palmetto Dinner, Politico reports, amid speculation about the 2028 presidential race, in which Moore insists he is not running…
A new poll from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) narrowly trailing GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, 49-46%, in a potential Georgia Senate matchup next year…
Counterterrorism authorities in the U.K. are investigating the Northern Irish hip-hop group Kneecap over its members’ alleged support for violence against government officials and support for Hamas and Hezbollah; the group recently faced criticism for broadcasting anti-Israel messages during their set at Coachella…
Police in Victoria, Australia, are investigating after flyers promoting a neo-Nazi group were distributed to homes in a Melbourne suburb…
The Jewish Life Foundation is producing a 12-episode TV series and podcast hosted by “How I Met Your Mother” actor Josh Radnor, spotlighting Jewish writers at a time when others boycott them, Jay Deitcher reports for eJewishPhilanthropy…
Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the Embassy of the Vatican in Jaffa and the Papal Nuncio this morning and signed the book of condolences for Pope Francis…
In a speech at Israel’s annual Bible Contest, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the country’s war aims, saying “There are another up to 24 alive, 59 total, and we want to return the living and the dead. It’s a very important goal. War has a supreme goal. The supreme goal is victory over our enemies, and this we will achieve”…
Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Cyprus and Romania sent planes and other aerial assistance to Israel to help combat the wildfires that spread through parts of the country this week…
Israeli fighter jets struck overnight close to the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus. In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community”…
A ship said to be carrying aid and activists to Gaza was struck by drones in international waters off Malta this morning, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition NGO that organized the ship…
Pic of the Day
To mark Israel’s Independence Day, Israeli singer Netta Barzilai partnered with the Jewish Agency to create a new cover of “Chai,” in a music video which features new immigrants to Israel, Israeli youth, volunteers from the diaspora, shlichim from around the world, victims of terror and released hostage Dafna Elyakim.
Birthdays
Former chairman and CEO of American International Group, once the largest insurance company in history, then chairman and CEO of the Starr Companies, Maurice Raymond “Hank” Greenberg turns 100…
FRIDAY: Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, he financed the visitors center at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., John Langeloth Loeb turns 95… Former lord chief justice and president of the Courts of England and Wales, Baron Harry Kenneth Woolf turns 92… Retired professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, journalist, international negotiator and private consultant, Dr. Alon Ben-Meir turns 88… Author of 23 books and conservative political activist, Alan Merril Gottlieb turns 78… U.S. senator (D-VT) since 2023, Peter Welch turns 78… Former member of the Texas Senate, she was born in NYC to Holocaust survivor parents, Florence Shapiro turns 77… Former USAID contractor imprisoned by Cuba from 2009 to 2014, Alan Phillip Gross turns 76… Co-founder and president of private equity firm NCH Capital, he has funded the establishment of hundreds of Chabad Houses at universities throughout the world, George Rohr turns 71… Former under secretary of state for public diplomacy in the Obama administration, following a stint as managing editor of Time magazine, Richard Allen “Rick” Stengel turns 70… Member of the New York State Assembly since 2010, he was previously a member of the NYC Council and former deputy superintendent of the NYS Banking Commission, David Weprin turns 69… Former U.S. secretary of commerce in the Obama administration, she is on the board of Microsoft, Penny Sue Pritzker turns 66… Partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, she is active on many non-profit boards including Penn Law School and the Jewish Federations of North America, Jodi J. Schwartz turns 65… Television writer and reality television personality known for his high IQ test scores, Richard G. Rosner turns 65… Admiral in the IDF (res.), he served as the commander of the Israeli Navy, Ram Rothberg turns 61… Director of the Chabad Center in Bratislava, Slovakia, Rabbi Baruch Myers turns 61… Founder and CEO of Shutterstock, Jonathan E. Oringer turns 51… Israeli writer known for his novels, essays and philosophical work, Yaniv Iczkovits turns 50… SVP of Drumfire Public Affairs following four years as deputy chief of staff to then-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Stephen Schatz… Founder of MamaDen, a platform that connects and empowers mothers, Julianna Goldman turns 44… Podcast host and founder and president of ETS Advisory, Emily Tisch Sussman… Attorney in the office of New York State’s attorney general, Gabe Cahn… Chief development officer at Cornell Hillel, Susanna K. Cohen… Running back recently signed by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, A.J. Dillon turns 27…
SATURDAY: Southern California-area writer and activist promoting wellness, she still works three days per week, Deborah Shainman Szekely turns 103… Senior research scholar at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University, Ely Karmon, Ph.D. turns 84… Television journalist, David Marash turns 83… U.S. senator (R-ID), Jim Risch turns 82… Venture capitalist and economist, his original family name was Jacobstein, William H. Janeway turns 82… Francine Holtzman… U.S. senator (D-OR), his original family name was Weidenreich, Ron Wyden turns 76… Six-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer, Stewart F. Lane turns 74… Retired attorney, he represented political parties, campaigns, candidates, governors and members of Congress on election law matters, Benjamin Langer Ginsberg turns 73… Retired in 2017 as chair and CEO of Mondelez International, a multinational food and beverage company (including Oreo, Nabisco and Cadbury), Irene Rosenfeld turns 72… Retired partner from the Chicago office of DLA Piper, now a consultant at Washburn Advisors, Mark D. Yura turns 72… Political reporter and columnist for The Richmond Times-Dispatch, he has covered Virginia elections and the state Capitol for more than 30 years, Jeff E. Schapiro… Retired senior advisor at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Susan Steinmetz… EVP at NBCUniversal News Group, he is on the Board of Visitors at Duke Law Schol, Stephen Labaton turns 64… Former owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, Mikhail Prokhorov turns 60… Lobbyist since 2010, he was previously deputy assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs in the Bush 43 administration, Scott A. Kamins… Veteran of 13 NHL seasons, in 2005 he sat out a hockey game to observe Yom Kippur, he is now an assistant coach for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeff Halpern turns 49… Israeli singer and actress, winner of multiple Israeli Female Singer of the Year awards, Miri Mesika turns 47… Reporter for Politico New Jersey and author of New Jersey’s Playbook, Matthew R. Friedman… Educated at the Hebrew Academy of San Francisco, he was a defensive lineman in the NFL from 2004 until 2011 (Chargers, Cowboys and Dolphins), Igor Olshansky turns 43… Managing director and co-head of executive communications of SKDKnickerbocker, he is a graduate of CESJDS and was previously a speechwriter for President Obama, Stephen Andrew Krupin… President of Flaxman Strategies, Seth Flaxman… Israeli minister for social equality and women’s advancement, she is a member of the Knesset for the Likud party, May Golan turns 39… Benjamin S. Davis… NBA All Star for the Sacramento Kings, he is studying to convert to Judaism, Domantas Sabonis turns 29… Director of the Judaism and State Policy Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel, Tani Frank… Foreign correspondent for NBC and a former Middle East correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, Raf Sanchez…
SUNDAY: Executive director of the Texas A&M Hillel for 30 years, now a security consultant for the tourism industry, Peter E. Tarlow turns 79… U.S. special envoy for climate change in the Obama administration, now a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Todd D. Stern turns 74… Board chair of the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies, Lee Sherman… Partner at NYC-based Mintz & Gold, he was EVP and general counsel for both the Las Vegas Sands and News Corporation, Lawrence “Lon” A. Jacobs… Northern Virginia-based portrait artist, Ilisa G. Calderon… CEO at Gigawatt Global, Yosef Israel Abramowitz turns 61… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-Vermont-1), Rebecca A. “Becca” Balint turns 57… Triathlete, she earned a Ph.D. in 2001 from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a winner of international ironman competitions, Joanna Sue Zeiger turns 55… Director of congregational education at NYC’s Park Avenue Synagogue, Bradley Solmsen… State attorney for Palm Beach County, Fla., from 2013 until earlier this year, Dave Aronberg turns 54… Chair and director at NYC’s department of city planning, Daniel Garodnick… Mechal Wakslak… President of national expansion at Veterans Community Project, he served as the secretary of state of Missouri, Jason Kander turns 44… Chief impact officer at RSL Management, Jessica Chait… Tech entrepreneur, best known as a co-founder of both Vine and HQ Trivia, Rus Yusupov turns 41… SVP at BerlinRosen, Allison Fran Bormel… Director of development at Americans for Ben-Gurion University, following ten years at AIPAC, Rebecca Leibowitz Wasserstrom… Writer, production coordinator and assistant to the executive producer of ABC’s “General Hospital,” Steven A. Rosenberg… Adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, Shana Mansbach… Manager of public policy and external affairs at Meta/Facebook, Sasha Altschuler… Actor best known for voicing the title character of the animated film “Finding Nemo,” Alexander Gould turns 31… Partner in the client services group at Signum Global Advisors, Elliot Miller… Medalist in the women’s halfpipe event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Arielle Townsend Gold turns 29… Senior business analyst at Shopify, Olivia Breuer…
Incoming national security advisor says on Dan Senor’s ‘Call Me Back’ podcast that Hamas ‘cannot have a role’ in governing Gaza
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL).
Incoming White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz addressed the emerging hostage deal being negotiated between Israel and Hamas in Qatar on Dan Senor’s “Call Me Back” podcast Tuesday night.
“Those have been brutally tough negotiations. I hate the fact that we even have to enter them, into them, with a terrorist group like Hamas, but we need to get our people out and then prosecute our objectives in this conflict,” Waltz said.
“This is about imposing consequences for those who would do this type of horrendous act like we saw on Oct. 7, who would take Americans or other allies hostage. He [Trump] made it clear there’ll be nothing but downside. And I’m convinced that’s why you’re seeing this movement,” Waltz added.
The imminent hostage deal, Waltz continued, comes in part due to Hamas’ isolation, “with [Hamas political bureau leader Ismail] Haniyeh gone, with [Yahya] Sinwar gone,” and in part due to “the Trump effect.”
Waltz said that the Trump administration will “make every effort to get everyone out, living or deceased, so that they can have a proper burial.”
On a number of occasions throughout the interview, Waltz referred to getting “our people” out in the first phase of the deal, ostensibly a reference to the seven Israeli-Americans still being held in Gaza. According to information given to the Israeli press on Monday, the first stage of the deal would see the release of 33 hostages, including women, the elderly and the sick.
As Senor noted that the negotiations are “basically a done deal,” Waltz acknowledged that Israel has not yet accomplished all of its stated goals — emphasizing that “Hamas cannot have a role” in governing Gaza moving forward.
“We’ve been clear that Gaza has to be fully demilitarized, Hamas has to be destroyed to the point that it cannot reconstitute, and that Israel has every right to fully protect itself,” Waltz said. “So all of those pieces, all of those objectives are still very much in place. Look, I mean, Oct. 7 was a terrible day. They put everybody in a terrible position, including the Palestinian people of Gaza, whom they regularly hide behind and are willing to sacrifice, and have sacrificed, for their own sick ends and objectives. And so we need to get our people out and then we need to achieve those objectives in this war.”