• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine are holding a press conference at 8 a.m. about the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military operations in Iran.
• Legislators on both sides of the Capitol could vote as soon as today on war powers resolutions. More below on an effort by a group of moderate House Democrats to push an alternative resolution that would give the Trump administration some leeway as it continues to strike Iran.
• In Iran, multiday funeral proceedings for assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that were slated to begin today have been postponed. Surviving senior Iranian clerics could announce a successor to Khamenei as soon as today, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei considered a likely contender. More below.
• The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is releasing its annual report this afternoon at an event on Capitol Hill.
• The Heritage Foundation is launching its 2026 “Index of U.S. Military Strength” at an event this morning at the think tank’s Washington headquarters. Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-TX) and Matt Van Epps (R-TN) are slated to give remarks, along with Heritage’s Rob Greenway and Victoria Coates.
• Reut USA’s “AJ2026: Launching a Decade of Renewal” kicks off today in Miami. Read more here.
• Author Izabella Tabarovsky is speaking tonight at a UJA-Federation of New York event about her latest book, Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR

A strong anti-incumbent mood is apparent in the electorate, based on primary results from North Carolina and Texas’ congressional primaries Tuesday night. Meanwhile, one sitting Democratic lawmaker who lost support from AIPAC is narrowly fending off a challenge from a virulently anti-Israel challenger who campaigned in the closing days of the primary against the Iran war. 

Big picture: There’s a deep skepticism of the political establishment throughout the country within both parties. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), a center-right hawk who was one of the stars of the 2018 GOP freshman class, badly lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, a right-wing challenger backed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is doing a bit better than public polls suggested, but still is only polling in the low 40s against MAGA-aligned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a race that’s headed to a runoff.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who has been enmeshed in scandal after his extramarital affair with a staffer, who later died by suicide, became public, is leading social media influencer Brandon Herrera, but is also only polling in the low-40s and will also be headed to a runoff. 

On the Democratic side, Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), who was boosted to office in 2022 with AIPAC support but has since grown more critical of Israel, is clinging to a one-point lead (49-48%) over Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, who would have become one of the most anti-Israel lawmakers in Congress if she was elected. Allam was backed by the far-left Justice Democrats and received support from a new super PAC attempting to elect anti-Israel lawmakers.

The Iran war may have played a key role in the primary. Foushee won the early vote by an eight-point margin, but Allam carried the Election Day vote by six points — after airing an ad blasting the war in Iran and baselessly accusing the United States of targeting civilians. 

And in a member-against-member Democratic primary in Texas, Rep. Al Green (D-TX), one of the most left-wing members of Congress who has been a reliable vote against Israel, is narrowly trailing newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX), a more mainstream Democrat. Menefee looks like the favorite, but is short of the 50% necessary to avoid a runoff. 

Meanwhile, former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) is on track to reclaim his old suburban Dallas seat, unseating Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX) in the process. But he’s likely heading to a runoff as well. 

All told, pro-Israel Democrats can express a bit of relief toward Tuesday night’s primary results. Assuming Foushee holds on to victory, it blocks the path of a Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) prototype from getting elected to Congress. If Allam prevailed, she could have held that safely Democratic seat — and an anti-Israel platform — for many years.

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

Regional Realignment: In The Wall Street Journal, Shimon Refaeli, an advisor to former Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, posits that Iran’s attacks on Arab countries across the Middle East underscores the importance of a new regional order — proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024 — that brings together Israel and moderate Arab states. “A regional alliance could evolve from a mechanism to contain Iran into a broader framework for regional stabilization and deterrence. In this sense, the emerging alliance is an expression of a deeper structural change in the region: the convergence of moderate states around shared interests of stability, technology, air defense, trade routes and maritime security. The Iranian threat exposed the need for an integrated system. Even if the threat diminishes, that need won’t disappear. It will become the foundation for a long-term security architecture.” [WSJ]

Minority Rights: In The Washington Post, Aram Hessami argues that Iran’s ethnic minority groups — which comprise approximately half of the Islamic Republic’s population — are a key cog in any future Iranian government. “Even as Iranian minorities endured decades of discrimination at the hands of the theocratic regime, they built networks of civic engagement, political leadership and social organization that make them uniquely capable of contributing to a future state grounded in pluralism and citizenship. … Their organizational depth and their long history of fostering political associations and activism qualify them to defend against tyranny and help lay the foundation for democratic, pluralistic, lasting governance.” [WashPost]

Crying Over Khamenei: The Atlantic’s Gal Beckerman reflects on the emotional response of Iranians, both pro- and anti-regime, to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “It would be easy to reduce these tears to simple expressions of either happiness or sadness. But if we recognize the deeper well they are drawn from, the implications for what happens next are much more troubling. You can’t just wipe away that feeling of rupture, or the decades of fear that preceded it. People become comfortable with the reality they know; they will mourn even an abusive father, and might require a lifetime to overcome the abuse. Even those who unreservedly despised him, but had no other leader, might not know what to look for in an alternative, or whether to trust a good steward if one comes along.” [TheAtlantic]

Facing concerns from Senate Republicans over her agency’s preparedness, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday defended the department’s ability to respond to potential Iranian sleeper-cell threats as the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded and under a partial shutdown amid an escalating conflict with Tehran, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports… 

Axios reports on a Feb. 23 call between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which Israel shared intelligence indicating that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his top advisors would be meeting in a single location, prompting the strikes that would take place days later…

The Wall Street Journal does a deep dive into the hour-by-hour U.S. and Israeli military moves that took down the top echelon of the regime…

Politico spotlights Iran’s Kharg Island, which houses the Islamic Republic’s most important oil facility, as Trump faces calls to seize the Persian Gulf island…

Talking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that on three occasions, talks with Iran “opened up with the Iranian negotiators telling us they had the inalienable right to enrich all the nuclear fuel that they possessed,” with Witkoff and Jared Kushner responding “that the president feels we have the inalienable right to stop you dead in your tracks”…

Hannity told podcaster and former White House official Katie Miller that his former colleague, far-right commentator Tucker Carlson, is “not the person that I knew when he was at Fox”…

A new poll from Fox News found Americans split 50-50 on U.S. military action targeting Iran…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who voiced support over the weekend for strikes against Iran, said that the U.S.- and Israeli-led war is “another example of the failure of the international order”… 

In an interview at Bloomberg Invest 2026, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan said that Iran was “a problem that needed to be dealt with, and if it were dealt with in other years, it would have been more difficult. And so the notion that it’s being dealt with today in some ways is reassuring, notwithstanding the current instability”…

Democratic lawmakers speaking at the Monday evening gala of J Street’s Washington conference argued that the joint U.S.-Israel operation that killed many top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would ultimately make Iranians, Israelis and the United States less safe, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

In an event to promote his upcoming book, California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested that the U.S. may have to rethink its military aid to Israel, and said that it would be accurate to describe Israel as “sort of an apartheid state”…

The Jewish Agency for Israel is launching a new fund to provide direct and immediate grants to victims of Iranian attacks in Israel during the current conflict,eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports…

The Department of Homeland Security is opening an investigation into antisemitic comments allegedly made by Greg Bovino, the former head of U.S. Border Patrol, complaining about the inaccessibility of the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, who is Jewish, over Shabbat…

The King County Prosecutor’s Office in Washington state filed criminal trespass charges against nearly three dozen people accused of taking over a building on the University of Washington’s flagship campus last spring, but stopped short of charging them with vandalism despite the demonstrators having caused more than $1 million in damage to the building…

An X account believed to belong to the man who killed three people in Austin, Texas, over the weekend was found to contain numerous antisemitic and pro-Iranian regime posts…

Police in San Luis Obispo, Calif., are investigating an incident that took place outside the house of the California Polytechnic State University chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi in which a group of men yelled antisemitic slurs at members of the Jewish fraternity; the incident comes as the university faces congressional scrutiny over its handling of antisemitism on campus…

A Toronto synagogue was shot at Monday night, causing damage to the building’s exterior, according to police. Toronto Police Service said that there were several bullet holes in the front windows of Temple Emanu-El in North York; no injuries were reported, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Team Israel played an exhibition game against the Miami Marlins ahead of the team’s first game in the World Baseball Classic this upcoming weekend…

The German Culture Ministry, which provides funding for the annual Berlinale, is creating a board of advisors to oversee the film festival’s executive director and instituting a code of conduct regarding antisemitism after incidents last year in which award winners used their speaking time to criticize Israel…

Geraldine Schottenstein, who with her husband, Jerome, was a major donor to Jewish causes in the Columbus, Ohio, area, including Jewish Columbus and the newly renamed Jerome and Geraldine Schottenstein Chabad House Student Center at The Ohio State University, died at 93…

American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad)’s Rabbi Levi Shemtov led a Megillah reading yesterday in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House for over 50 senior administration officials and staff.

British promoter of rock concerts, charity concerts and television broadcasts, Harvey Goldsmith turns 80…

Composer, conductor, author and music professor, Samuel Adler turns 98… Broadcast journalist and author, she is best known as a correspondent for the ABC news magazine “20/20” for almost 30 years, Lynn Sherr turns 84… Board member emeritus at New York City Center, Perry B. Granoff turns 83… North American representative of World ORT for 20 years, Harry Nadler… Screenwriter and director, she is the mother of actors Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal turns 80… Retired CEO of LCH Clearnet LLC, a clearinghouse affiliated with the London Stock Exchange, David A. Weisbrod… Former director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America, Rabbi Avi Shafran turns 72… U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) turns 68… Founder and CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, Eva Moskowitz turns 62… President of the New England Patriots, Jonathan A. Kraft turns 62… Manager of the Louvre’s restitution investigations of art looted from Jewish families during the Nazi and Vichy regimes, Emmanuelle Polack turns 61… U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) turns 58… Former member of both the New York City Council and state Assembly, now at the Brandeis Center, Rory I. Lancman turns 57… Evan L. Presser… Staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, Emily Bazelon… Chief of staff at Goldman Sachs, Russell Horwitz… First Jewish player to be selected in the top round of the NHL Draft (1998), Michael Henrich turns 46… Member of the Knesset for the New Hope party, Sharren Haskel turns 42… VP of public policy at the International Council of Shopping Centers, Abigail Goldstein “Abby” Jagoda… Brazilian entrepreneur and software engineer who co-founded Instagram in 2010, Michel “Mike” Krieger turns 40… Singer, music producer and composer, Aryeh Kunstler turns 40… Chief of staff for New York state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Victoria “Tori” Burhans Kelly… Israeli-born basketball player who played for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, Gal Mekel turns 38… Model and actress, she was a lead Victoria’s Secret model, Erin Heatherton (born as Erin Heather Bubley) turns 37… Foreign policy advisor for U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Jennifer Miller… Ice hockey goaltender for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League, Yaniv Perets turns 26…

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The IDF announced this morning it had identified the remains of the final deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, in Gaza and is returning them to Israel for burial, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports, marking the end of the hostage crisis that had gripped Israel and world Jewry for nearly 850 days in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

Beyond the hostages taken on Oct. 7, Gvili’s return means that no Israelis — living or deceased — are being held by terror groups in Gaza for the first time since 2014.

While the IDF uncovered Gvili’s body in a Muslim cemetery where Hamas had buried it, President Donald Trump told Axios that the terror group “worked very hard to get the body back. They were working with Israel on it. You can imagine how hard it was.” 

“Now we have to disarm Hamas like they promised,” Trump continued, as the parties move into Phase 2 of his peace deal. For its part, Israel announced it will reopen the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a “limited” capacity later this week.

Remarking on Gvili’s return, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added at a press conference this afternoon that “more than 20 new, additional countries have also signed up to join the newly established Board of Peace,” without naming the additions…

The New York Times lays out the latest developments in U.S.-Iran tensions, as American military assets reach the region and Iranian officials, as well as Iranian proxy terror groups, intensify their threats against the U.S. and Israel. 

Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, has warned Iraqi officials that if Iranian-backed militias in Iraq were to strike U.S. troops, the U.S. would retaliate, according to the Times…

Trump told Axios that the situation in regards to Iran is “in flux” but that the U.S. has “a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela.” Still, the president left the possibility of diplomacy with Tehran open: “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk”…

Despite the ongoing tensions, the Trump administration deported about a dozen Iranians back to Tehran yesterday, CNN reports. It’s the third such deportation flight to Iran during Trump’s second term, and the first since the regime began its violent crackdown on protesters…

Elsewhere in the region, Israeli and Lebanese officials were hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Jordan over the weekend to discuss “steps needed for a more peaceful and prosperous region,” according to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut…

Several leading Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy groups are expressing concerns about the impact of the recent rise in antisemitic and Islamist messaging out of Saudi Arabia, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports, as the Gulf kingdom’s rhetoric is increasingly raising questions about its standing as a reliable U.S. ally in the region.

Among other groups, the Anti-Defamation League said in a sharply worded social media statement last week that it was “alarmed by the increasing frequency and volume of prominent Saudi voices — analysts, journalists and preachers — using openly antisemitic dog whistles and aggressively pushing anti-Abraham Accords rhetoric, often while peddling conspiracy theories about ‘Zionist plots’”…

Turning to the U.S., progressive operative Waleed Shahid announced today that he will assume the newly created role of deputy communications director of economic justice in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, JI’s Will Bredderman, joining us to cover New York City Hall, reports.

Shahid, the former spokesperson for Justice Democrats, was also a leader in the 2024 Uncommitted movement, which sought to deny support to former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the Biden administration’s support for Israel following the Oct. 7 attacks, and served as an advisor to former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)…

After the fatal shooting of a man by ICE officers in Minneapolis this weekend, Gov. Tim Walz compared immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota to Anne Frank’s persecution by the Nazis, drawing condemnation from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Someone’s going to write that children’s story about Minnesota,” Walz said at a press conference yesterday.

Without referencing Walz or ICE, the USHMM responded in a statement today: “Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges”…

Israeli comedian Guy Hochman, whose New York City show was canceled last week amid protests by pro-Hamas groups, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about becoming an “international flashpoint” after his subsequent show in Beverly Hills, Calif., was also canceled and his visa to perform in Canada was revoked. 

“I’m not a politician. I’m a comedian. A very Zionist comedian. But it’s terrible to see it happening. But I am not giving up and I’m not giving in. I will not give them the pleasure. But I am getting a lot of threats on my life. I know there’s a big difference between us, but I don’t want to be the Israeli Charlie Kirk,” Hochman said…

Rapper Kanye West took out a full-page ad in today’s print edition of The Wall Street Journal apologizing for his erratic, and often antisemitic, behavior in recent years, claiming his actions stemmed from a brain injury sustained years ago that amplified his bipolar disorder. 

“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” West wrote in the ad. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people”…

The Washington Post reportedly informed its staff on a Zoom call today that up to half of employees will be laid off, with the biggest cuts to its foreign and sports desks…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a profile of Deni Avdija, the Israeli NBA star making his triumphant return to Washington tomorrow as his current team, the Portland Trail Blazers, takes on his former team, the Wizards, during their Jewish Heritage Night game.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new memoir, Where We Keep the Light, is out tomorrow. We’ll be taking a look at how Shapiro discusses Israel and Judaism in its pages, as the swing-state governor potentially seeks the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, representatives of the U.S. and Israel will speak at the United Nations, and the Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington will host “Enduring Music: Compositions from the Holocaust,” a concert of music composed in ghettos and death camps.

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli’s International Conference on Combating Antisemitism will continue with remarks from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (who addressed the Knesset today), former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and more.

In Berlin, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat will deliver remarks at the WELT Economic Summit, the annual European business and political confab organized by media conglomerate Axel Springer.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Before officials departed from Davos, Switzerland, today, the Trump administration undertook a big task: laying out its complete vision for the demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Jared Kushner, speaking after President Donald Trump’s remarks at his founding ceremony for the Board of Peace, presented the administration’s “demilitarization principles” meant to be implemented in the next 100 days, including the destruction of “heavy weapons, tunnels, military infrastructure, weapons production facilities and munitions.” 

The ultimate vision sees a completely overhauled Gaza including a port and a tourism zone along the Mediterranean coast, as well as large residential areas and industrial complexes, while retaining the IDF security perimeter. 

But “this deal only happened because … we all worked together to make this happen,” Kushner said, urging countries, including Israel, to put aside their differences to bring the plan to fruition. “I see people criticizing Israel, or Israel criticizing Turkey and Qatar. Just calm down and work together for 30 days”…

Meanwhile, several of the highest-profile attendees of the Board of Peace ceremony hustled to a private lunch, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports, including Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who both spoke hopefully about the future of the Abraham Accords.

Also in the room: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and more…

The Wall Street Journal lays out the concerns of the Board of Peace holdouts — including China, Russia, France and Britain, who are wary of joining a body where they don’t hold a permanent veto and that seeks to replace the one where they do, at the U.N. Security Council. There’s also the issue of its broad mandate: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said today that European leaders could work with the board “if we narrow it down to Gaza like it was meant to be”…

The U.S. is weighing a complete withdrawal of its troops from Syria, the Journal also reports, shortly after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s forces carried out a campaign against the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, ultimately ordering it to disband.

The U.S. has around 1,000 troops in the country, many of whom are co-located with the SDF, where they carry out missions against ISIS (SDF forces were in charge of guarding ISIS prisoners until last weekend). Recent events have led the U.S. to question the viability of its mission in Syria, American officials told the Journal…

Elsewhere in the region, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a stark warning to the U.S. and Israel, even as Trump said this morning that he’s open to diplomatic dialogue with Tehran. 

The IRGC and Iran “have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the orders and measures of” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “a leader dearer than their own lives,” Mohammad Pakpour said, as Iran issued its first official death toll of the protests, putting the number killed at 3,117…

Stateside, California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who is running for retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) seat, announced today that he is stepping down from his role as one of the co-chairs of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports, capping off nearly two weeks of controversy and frustration among Jewish leaders in the state after the San Francisco Democrat declared Israel’s actions in Gaza to be a genocide. 

Wiener said in a statement, which was obtained by JI, that the decision was prompted in part by the fallout of his genocide comments. “My campaign is accelerating, and my recent statements on Israel and Gaza have led to significant controversy in the Jewish community. The time to transition has arrived,” Wiener said. He will remain in the role until Feb. 15.

In an interview with Politico this week, Wiener said he’s heard from unhappy Jewish voters and leaders in the days after his comments, but asked them to remember his record. “If you’re mad at me, if you feel betrayed, I respect and honor that. But just also remember how many times I’ve gone to the mat for this community, and the bullets I’ve taken for this community,” Wiener said…

In a new ad released today, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), facing a serious primary challenge from his right, calls “radical Islam” a “bloodthirsty ideology” that has influenced recent terror attacks targeting Jews, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports.

“It fueled the unspeakable crimes on Oct. 7,” Cornyn says in the 30-second ad, called “Evil Face,” before citing the mass shooting last month during a Hanukkah gathering in Australia that was allegedly motivated by ISIS. “It showed its evil face again at Bondi Beach.”

The ad comes as Cornyn’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has also made combating “radical Islamist terrorist groups” a priority, as he engages in a lawsuit with the Council on American-Islamic Relations…

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro further clarified the questions he was asked by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as he was vetted to be her running mate, in an interview airing this weekend on “CBS Sunday Morning.” “They actually asked if I was an agent [of the Israeli government] and if I had ever spoken to an undercover agent of the Israeli government,” he said, to which he pointed out that he wouldn’t necessarily be aware if he had spoken to someone undercover. 

“I think it went beyond just checking a box on a questionnaire,” Shapiro said of his perception of the questioning. “I can tell you that it landed on me in an offensive way. I have dedicated my entire adult life to serving this country. … For someone to question my loyalty, particularly as someone who is as open about his faith as he is, was offensive to me”…

The Department of Homeland Security said Columbia University graduate student and protest leader Mahmoud Khalil could be deported to Algeria, JI’s Haley Cohen reports, shortly after a federal appeals court ruled Khalil could be rearrested.

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said on NewsNation yesterday, “it looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now. It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card. You are a guest in this country — act like it. It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that Khalil “is a New Yorker. He should remain in New York City.” He called the “attack” on Khalil “part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for Palestinian human rights. I will make that clear to everyone. He deserves to be in the city just like any other New Yorker”…

Australia’s main opposition coalition, composed of the Liberal and National parties, split yesterday — during the country’s day of mourning for the Hanukkah Bondi Beach massacre — over a disagreement about the government’s proposed hate speech laws, which were introduced as a response to the attack. The Liberal party voted with the government to adopt the reforms, which increase penalties for hate speech and ban groups who promote it, while the Nationals were opposed, citing concerns around free speech…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a rundown of the state of the race in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, where former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) is fending off far-left Israel detractors.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration’s focus will shift back from Gaza to Russia and Ukraine, as the countries hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, UAE, tomorrow and Saturday. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner headed from the Board of Peace ceremony to Moscow earlier today. 

Diplomats and Jewish leaders will head to Jerusalem for the 2nd annual International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, hosted by Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, which kicks off Monday evening. Last year’s inaugural conference was mired in controversy over the inclusion of far-right European politicians, causing several leading Jewish figures to cancel their appearances (many of whom similarly do not appear on this year’s agenda).

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat Shalom!

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump took center stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this morning, and while headlines were dominated by his proclamations of the U.S.’ intent to acquire Greenland (and subsequent announcement that he and the NATO secretary general are coming to an agreement on the issue), Trump also issued a stark warning to Hamas in his remarks, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

“Hamas has agreed to give up their weapons,” Trump told a packed room of attendees. “If they don’t do it, they’ll be blown away very quickly.” 

The president has made similar statements since the adoption of the ceasefire in October, though he laid out a more concrete timeline for his expectation of disarmament: “They’ve got to do it, and we’re going to know over the next two or three days, certainly over the next two or three weeks, whether or not they’re going to do it,” said Trump…

Ahead of the signing ceremony for the Board of Peace that Trump is hosting in Davos tomorrow, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the UAE issued a joint statement accepting his invitation to join. 

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Bloomberg News “20 or 25 leaders have already said yes” to attend the signing ceremony, despite other world leaders already having departed from Switzerland. “Everyone wants to be a part of this,” he said…

On the sidelines of the confab, Trump spoke with CNBC about U.S. relations with Iran amid heightened tensions and American military assets moving into the Gulf. “We hope there’s not going to be further [military] action, but they’re shooting people indiscriminately in the streets,” Trump said of the Iranian regime. 

Asked by host Joe Kernen, “Should we stay tuned in Iran?” Trump was noncommittal: “I guess — I mean, look, it’s a rough place,” he said. But he added that if Iran continues to try to acquire nuclear capabilities, strikes like those the U.S. and Israel carried out in June are “going to happen again.” 

Witkoff similarly told Bloomberg, “Iran needs to change its ways, they need to do that. And if they do, if they indicate they’re willing to do that, I think we can diplomatically settle this.” Asked if he has the sense that Iran wants to take the diplomatic path, Witkoff said, “We don’t have that sense yet”…

The Treasury Department issued sanctions today against six “Gaza-based organizations that claim to provide medical care to Palestinian civilians but in fact support the military wing of Hamas, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades,” the department said. “The fraudulent nature of these organizations, which use deception to raise funds from international donors, demonstrates Hamas’s perfidy and deprives innocent civilians of the medical care they need.”

The department also designated the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad as a terror group, a move that lawmakers have pushed, for “not only work[ing] with, and in support of, Hamas — it operates at Hamas’s behest.” The group, which claims to be a Palestinian advocacy organization, was designated as such by Israel in 2021 and was alleged to have organized recent anti-Israel flotillas…

Meanwhile in the Big Apple, divisions between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Mark Levine over their positions on Israel surfaced, as Mamdani pushed back on Levine’s recent statements that he remains committed to resuming the city’s investment in Israel Bonds. 

“I’ve made clear my position, which is that I don’t think that we should purchase Israel Bonds. We don’t purchase bonds for any other sovereign nation’s debt. The comptroller has also made his position clear, and I continue to stand by mine,” Mamdani said at a press conference today…

While he is distancing himself from Levine, Mamdani is presenting a united front with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, The New York Times writes, as the two navigate their differences on policing, Israel and other issues…

Mamdani also said today that he was “sickened” by antisemitic vandalism found in Borough Park, which saw many swastikas painted around the predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. “I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable,” he said in a statement…

Not 24 hours earlier, a Manhattan comedy club canceled Israeli comedian Guy Hochman’s show last night after pro-Hamas groups protested outside of the venue, JI’s Haley Cohen reports. “The owner of the place was afraid and canceled the show,” Hochman told JI, referring to Broadway Comedy Club, located near Times Square. “So, I did an alternative show for my audience outside freezing to death”…

Some of the candidates competing for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District provided insight into their positions on Israel in a candidate questionnaire to receive the endorsement of the Working Families Party, Politico reports.

Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg and state Assemblymembers Alex Bores and Micah Lasher all said they would not support a resolution sponsored by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide; Bores and Lasher said they would not support the “Block the Bombs Act” placing sweeping restrictions on U.S. aid to Israel, while Schlossberg said he’s unsure; and Schlossberg said he would support a bill brought several years ago that sought to prohibit U.S. aid to Israel from being used for a variety of military operations, while Bores said he would not and Lasher was unsure…

After Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro alleged that Vice President Kamala Harris’ team asked if he had ever been an Israeli agent as he was being considered to be her running mate, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, told reporters yesterday that he didn’t think the questions during the vetting process were inappropriate. “The questions are tough. I think you’ve got to be tough during the process,” he said.

“I mean, what’s appropriate and inappropriate in the context of getting, as one pundit calls it, ‘an MRI for your soul,’ when you’re out there in the national political arena?” Pritzker, who was also vetted by the Harris team, asked. His comments are at odds with moderate Democrats on Capitol Hill, who told JI that Shapiro’s account was “totally insane,” “problematic” and “incredibly disturbing”…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for an interview with Paige Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton, Pa., seeking to flip a northeast Pennsylvania swing seat by emphasizing her pro-Israel bona fides.

President Donald Trump will hold the signing ceremony for his Board of Peace with several world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, tomorrow morning local time (around 4:30 a.m. ET). 

Australia will hold a national day of mourning to honor the victims of the terror attack that took place at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced.

The Sundance Film Festival kicks off in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah: For the cinephiles keeping track, on the docket this year is a Hebrew coming-of-age film set in the ‘80s titled “Tell Me Everything,” a documentary about three doctors providing humanitarian care in Gaza, a panel by the Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema on combating antisemitism through film and more.

• The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which kicked off yesterday, will feature a number of conversations and addresses from world leaders today, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In sessions throughout the afternoon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Palantir’s Alex Karp, Alphabet’s Ruth Porat and Bank of Israeli Governor Amir Yaron are slated to speak.
• One high-profile speaker was removed from the schedule — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was slated to speak this afternoon. The WEF had been facing blowback for hosting Araghchi, who had been quietly added to the lineup several days ago, amid Iran’s deadly crackdowns on protesters in recent weeks.
• On the sidelines of the WEF, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet today with Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to discuss Gaza peace efforts. The meeting comes after Moscow was invited to join the Trump administration’s Board of Peace overseeing the rebuilding and new governance of a postwar Gaza Strip. Several additional countries, including China and Morocco, have also been extended invitations in recent days to join the board. Read more on the growing board — and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to its makeup — here.
• President Donald Trump heads to Davos today, where he will speak tomorrow before holding a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace on Thursday on the sidelines of the confab.
• In New York, the Israeli consulate is hosting the premiere of the Israeli play “Jabotinsky’s Dream,” about Revisionist Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky, in Manhattan.
• And in nearby Newark, N.J., New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill will be inaugurated today. Sherrill traveled to Virginia over the weekend for the swearing-in of her former Washington roommate, Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
• Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) is being arraigned today on charges that she stole more than $5 million in misallocated federal funds during the COVID-19 pandemic prior to her 2021 election.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Josh Kraushaar

Concerns over rising antisemitism and growing hostility toward Israel within the Democratic Party have long been on a slow boil. 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s blockbuster revelation in his upcoming memoir that he was asked by Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign during the VP vetting process if he was ever an agent of the Israeli government underscores just how fraught the political environment has gotten for Jewish Democrats who support Israel.

Shapiro’s decision to go public with allegations that the last presidential nominee’s team exhibited bigotry underscores just how deep the divisions are within the party, especially as he considers a 2028 presidential run. These rifts pit the party’s moderate wing — which is generally supportive of Israel and harbors zero tolerance for antisemitism — against an ascendant left wing, exemplified by the disruptive anti-Israel protesters that Harris was pandering to at the time of her veepstakes deliberations.

Shapiro, if he runs for national office, is planting his flag in the mainstream wing of the Democratic Party, willing to call out antisemitism when he sees it, including on college campuses in his state, and supporting Israel — even while strongly criticizing some policies of the Netanyahu government. In his book, he proudly discusses his personal connections to Israel and the role Judaism plays in his life.

These were uncontroversial views within the Democratic Party, until the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks against the Jewish state emboldened an ugly strain of extremism that has, all too often, been accommodated by party leaders. (Shapiro also revealed that Harris insisted he apologize for his condemnation of intimidation targeting Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania by anti-Israel protesters, which he refused to do.)

Anyone documenting the evolution of Democratic Party politics over the last few years can see the red flags. New York City, the epicenter of Jewish life in the United States, elected a mayor who refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Jewish Democrats running for office in progressive constituencies buckle under pressure to call Israel’s war against Hamas a “genocide” or decide to suddenly condemn AIPAC to showcase their progressive bona fides. A majority of Democratic voters, according to recent polls, now have an unfavorable view of Israel. 

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

Donald Does Davos: Politico’s Kathryn Carlson looks at the “sharp shift” in the World Economic Forum’s focus areas, away from the environment and diversity and toward emerging tech and AI, which she attributes to the global influence of the Trump administration. “After limp Covid-era editions, a sharp jump in participation costs and leadership turmoil for the WEF, Trump’s star turn — flanked by many of MAGA’s most powerful players — amounts to a vote of confidence in a forum some had written off as outdated or adrift. … It’s ‘entirely reasonable to focus on environmental, social justice concerns, but right now the world is much more concerned with the thorny questions of geopolitics,’ said Clayton Allen, practice head for the United States at the Eurasia Group. Mike Rubino, a former Trump administration official, now a partner at Forward Global and Ballard Partners, said the shift in focus is ‘kind of part and parcel of the new world order.’” [Politico]

Bank Shot: In The Wall Street Journal, Mike Doran suggests that the U.S. target Iran’s shadow banking system that has long allowed the Islamic Republic to evade sanctions. “What’s required now is a strategy that targets not shell companies but banks that knowingly host and move Iranian funds. This means freezing Iranian assets already in hand and forcing the banks involved — especially in Dubai — to choose between compliance and punishment. Any financial institution that facilitates Iranian transactions should face immediate and substantial fines. Further misbehavior should be answered with sanctionings against at least one bank — a move that would leave no doubt about the consequences. Compliance would be swift. Banks understand the risks. They will end the charade.” [WSJ]

President Donald Trump said over the weekend that it is “time to look for new leadership in Iran,” following a series of social media posts by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing Trump; Khamenei, meanwhile, over the weekend publicly acknowledged that thousands of protesters had been killed in recent anti-government demonstrations in Iran, including some, he said, “in an inhuman, savage manner”…

Tucker Carlson made a pair of visits to the White House in the last two weeks, having lunch with Trump two Fridays in a row,Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…

Robert Garson, a personal attorney for Trump, told The Telegraph that he had been in discussions with the State Department about potentially allowing British Jews to apply for asylum in the United States…

The New York Post found that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) skipped every meeting of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board since he was appointed to the body in 2007; Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reported last month on concerns by board members over Sanders’ lack of involvement as he continued to use rhetoric that ran counter to the museum’s mission…

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) and a bipartisan group of seven House members introduced a resolution expressing support for Iranian protesters and condemning the regime’s threats and crackdowns; the resolution “implores the Government of the United States to work in coordination with its allies to consider and implement concrete measures to deter further lethal violence against protesters”…

Forty-five percent of respondents in a new Wall Street Journal poll said that the U.S. government was too close to Israel; 32% said the relationship is about right, while 9% said it should be closer…

Julie Menin, the recently elected speaker of the New York City Council, announced a comprehensive plan to confront rising antisemitism on Friday, unveiling several initiatives that notably include an emerging legislative proposal to establish buffer zones around houses of worship to keep protesters from harassing congregants,Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports…

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine said the city may reinvest in Israeli government bonds, citing the financial benefits; the move could set up a showdown with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who opposes the investments…

Miami Beach, Fla., nightclub Vendôme said it is conducting an investigation after the release of a video that showed far-right influencers, including Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes, dancing to a song by Kanye West, the lyrics of which praised Adolf Hitler; Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said he was “deeply disturbed and disgusted” by the videos…

The former chief constable of West Midlands, U.K., was referred to a police watchdog days after resigning over his department’s use of false information to justify a ban on supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv at a recent match against Aston Villa…

An Israeli ministerial committee advanced legislation that would allow rideshare apps to operate in Israel; the law would allow companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate in addition to local companies Yango and Gett…

Saudi Arabia is finalizing an agreement with Somalia and Egypt that would see the three countries form a new military coalition…

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Hussain Abdul-Hussain notes the recent wave of Saudi social media accounts espousing antisemitism…

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa canceled a trip to Germany this week to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier; the trip’s cancellation comes days after the Syrian government announced a new agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after government forces made military gains in Kurdish territory…

Jacob “Yasha” Grobman has been tapped as the new director of the Israel Museum…

Opera director Rhoda Levine, one of the first female opera directors and among the earliest to direct politically charged shows, including the premiere of Viktor Ullmann’s anti-Hitler work “Der Kaiser von Atlantis,” which he composed in a concentration camp, died at 93…

Henri Goldstein, the former head of the Jewish community in Denmark, died at 77…

Israeli President Isaac Herzog posed for a selfie with Honduran President-elect Nasry “Tito” Asfura, who traveled to Israel over the weekend following his trip to the U.S. last week. 

Host of HBO’s political talk show “Real Time with Bill Maher,” William “Bill” Maher turns 70…

TUESDAY: Claremont, Calif., resident, Adar Belinkoff… Distinguished professor of physics at Texas A&M University, he won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics, David Morris Lee turns 95… Moroccan-French rabbi and founder of the organization Jewish-Muslim Friendship of France, Michel Serfaty turns 83… Pleasant Hill, Calif., resident, Daniel L. Fisher… Elected four times as a Republican at-large member on the Council of the District of Columbia, she also ran for mayor of D.C. five times, Carol Schwartz turns 82… Israeli politician, refusenik during the 1970s and 1980s who spent nine years in Soviet prisons, he served as chairman of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky turns 78… Travel editor at CBS News, Peter S. Greenberg… U.S. representative from Nevada until 2013, then SVP for the Touro University system until 2023, now mayor of Las Vegas, Shelley Berkley (born Rochelle Levine) turns 75… Member of the board of governors of The Jewish Agency, he is the CEO of Chair King and Fortunoff furniture retailers, David Barish… Former deputy chief of the general staff of the IDF, Maj. Gen. (res.) Moshe Kaplinsky turns 69… Israeli singer specializing in Mizrahi music, Yishay Levi turns 63… Actress and television host, she is the only child of comedian Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers turns 58… Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-MN), Dean Benson Phillips turns 57… Grief support specialist in Chicago, Diane Kushnir Halivni… Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley turns 54… Founder and CEO of Everywoman Studios, Abigail “Abby” Greensfelder… Former U.K. cabinet minister and MP, he is a member of the House of Lords, Baron Frank Zacharias Robin “Zac” Goldsmith turns 51… Prime minister of Ukraine from 2016-2019, Volodymyr Groysman turns 48… Philanthropist, professional equestrian and author, Georgina Leigh Bloomberg turns 43… Israeli actress, model and musician, Hen Yanni turns 43… Deputy chief of staff for the office of the principal cyber advisor in the Pentagon, Paul Mandelson… Professional ice hockey defenseman until 2016, now a dentist in Maple Grove, Minn., Grant Lewis turns 41… Managing director at Purple Strategies, Alec Jacobs… Lead associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, Jason Berger…

MONDAY: Surfer as a child, she is the real-life inspiration for the fictional character Gidget in a book written by her father, Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman turned 85… Retired after 40 years of service as a news reporter and White House correspondent for ABC News, Ann Compton turned 79… Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Belz since 1966, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach turned 78… Chair of Charleston, S.C.-based InterTech Group, a family-owned chemicals manufacturer, Anita Zucker turned 74… Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Amy Laura Wax turned 73… Former speaker of the Knesset following a stint as chairman of the Jewish Agency, Avraham Burg turned 71… Former president and CEO of PayPal, he is now CEO of Verizon, Daniel H. Schulman turned 68… Stoughton, Mass. resident, Hillery Bauman… Jay Susman… Los Angeles-based attorney and founder of the blog “American Trial Attorneys in Defense of Israel,” Baruch C. Cohen… Retired speaker of the U.K.’s House of Commons from 2009 to 2019, his family name was originally Berkowitz, John Simon Bercow turned 63… Former U.K. ambassador to Mexico, Jon Benjamin turned 63… Governor of Illinois, Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker turned 61… Chief Washington correspondent for ABC News, Jonathan Karl turned 58… Israeli-American social entrepreneur, she is the co-founder and former CEO of Circ MedTech, Tzameret Fuerst turned 55… Author, diplomat and Jewish educator, Scott Lasensky… United Arab Emirates’ minister of state and ambassador to the U.S., Yousef Al Otaiba turned 53.. Associate general counsel at Open AI, she is on Hadassah’s 2025 list of “18 American Zionist Women You Should Know,” Galia Zelda Amram… Television journalist and motivational speaker, Jessica Abo turned 45… DC-based senior vice president of policy and political affairs at the American Jewish Committee, Julie Fishman Rayman… Chief policy officer at Zero to Three, Melissa Boteach… Isaac (Ike) Wolf… Assistant director of policy and government affairs at AIPAC, Alex Bronzo… Gastroenterologist in Boston, she is a former ice dancing champion and beauty pageant titleholder, Loren Galler Rabinowitz, M.D. turned 40… Actor since early childhood, he has appeared in over 25 films and most recently a main character in Amazon’s “Hunters,” Logan Lerman turned 34… Midwest regional deputy director at AIPAC, Emily Berman Pevnick…

• President Donald Trump will meet today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine to discuss options for dealing with Iran.
• Today’s meeting comes as the president weighs potential military action in Iran in response to the deadly crackdowns on protesters around the country. Iran had over the weekend communicated to the White House that it was willing to engage in talks over its nuclear program, for which Trump said “a meeting is being set up,” but potential U.S. strikes could come regardless of that meeting.
• Meanwhile, Iran is continuing to jam Elon Musk’s Starlink, which was activated to restore internet service following a decision by Tehran to cut off internet as well as international phone services.
• In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver her annual State of the State address at 1:30 p.m. ET. Among the issues she plans to cover, Hochul is expected to announce a proposal to create a 25-foot buffer zone around houses of worship and health care facilities.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S LAHAV HARKOV

The mass protests across Iran erupted just over two weeks ago — the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Palm Beach, Fla., to meet with President Donald Trump.

The big question as Netanyahu and Trump met was whether the president would give Israel a green light to strike Iran as it reconstituted its ballistic missile program at a pace that raised major concerns in Jerusalem. Trump’s response was a resounding yes, adding that if Iran would start rebuilding its nuclear program, the answer would be yes and “fast.” 

But as the demonstrations in Iran grew and the regime’s response grew more and more violent – Iran International reported 12,000 protesters have been killed as of Tuesday morning, while an Iranian official put the death toll at 2,000 – international talk about Israeli airstrikes subsided to near-silence. 

Asked how Israel’s calculation about striking Iranian missile or nuclear sites may have changed in the last two weeks, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov on the “Misgav Mideast Horizons Podcast”: “With the United States threatening to intervene, what would we have to gain from this? Other than providing a pretext for the Iranians to strike back at us. I think we’re operating responsibly, prudently.”

Still, Israelis remain jittery about a second round of war with Iran, to the extent that the IDF’s spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin, released a statement on Monday evening warning that “in recent days, many rumors have circulated in light of the situation in Iran. …The IDF is prepared defensively and remains on alert for surprise scenarios if required. The protests in Iran are a domestic matter. …We will provide updates if there are any changes. I emphasize: Do not lend a hand to rumors.” 

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

The Saudi Reversal, Explained: In an essay titled “The Saudi Pivot,” Hussein Aboubakr Mansour details Saudi Arabia’s shifting alliances. “After a decade of costly and inconclusive ventures, Saudi policymakers appear to have reached a different conclusion about what is the best path they have to accumulate regional power in current conditions. A consolidating relationship with Turkey, renewed investment in Islamist and anti-Zionist legitimation, a deliberate freeze of normalization with Israel, and public confrontation with the UAE across multiple theaters are all clear signs of such a major strategic pivot. And behind it all, a strategic wager: the American-led conditions that made Gulf alignment rational are thinning, and Saudi Arabia intends to lead the region in whatever post-liberal world comes next.” [TheAbrahamicMetacritique]

A Passage to India: In Ynet, Jonathan Adiri argues that Israel’s strategic anchor should not be in Saudi Arabia but in New Delhi. “The [Saudi] crown prince is once again confronting reality and recognizing the magnitude of the challenge. Along the way, he will need to recalculate again and again in order to survive the revolution he himself unleashed… [Israel’s] thinking must shift eastward, toward a partner where interests are more stable and the economy is not subject to the whims of a prince trying to rewrite history in real time.” [Ynet]

Influence Peddling: The Wall Street Journal’s Maggie Severns, Natalie Andrews, Josh Dawsey and Eliza Collins do a deep dive into how foreign governments, including Israel and Qatar, are increasingly funding initiatives to reach out to social media influencers in addition to traditional lobbying efforts. “Israel made plans over the past year to spend $900,000 on an influencer campaign with a U.S. audience, according to disclosure documents, as Israel fights negative sentiment on the right. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with conservative social-media stars on at least two of his visits. … One of the largest historic spenders on Washington lobbying, Qatar, is pursuing an influencer strategy that appears to be paying dividends. In November, it sponsored trips to Doha for several pro-Trump social-media personalities, promising interactions with members of Congress who were also there and celebrities — and VIP Formula One tickets with paddock access that regularly go for more than $10,000 apiece.” [WSJ]

Bondi and Beyond: In The Washington Times, Sheina Gutnick, whose father, Reuven Morrison, was killed in the Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney, Australia, reflects on Jewish safety and security down under. “Since Oct. 7, 2023, I — like many other Jews in Australia and around the world — have watched with growing fear as antisemitism moved from the margins into the open. Fear almost feels too small a word for what unfolded. I watched protesters stand on the steps of the Sydney Opera House chanting, ‘F—- the Jews’ and ‘Where’s the Jews?’ What shocked me most was not only the hatred but also the absence of consequence. I watched news of Jews being murdered outside Jewish events overseas. I watched protesters in my own city calling to ‘Globalize the intifada.’ I felt the slow, sickening recognition that governments, including my own, were once again choosing to react too late. My father taught me that antisemitism is never an isolated incident. It’s never just words. History shows us the pattern clearly. Words become chants, chants become threats, and threats become violence. Eventually, Jews are murdered.” [WashTimes]

President Donald Trump announced an immediate 25% tariff on countries that continue “doing business” with Iran; the tariff’s impact will likely have serious ramifications on trade between the U.S. and China, a major trading partner of Iran…

The State Department announced it had revoked 100,000 visas since its immigration crackdown began last year; of those, some 8,000 were student visas…

Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) announced Monday that she’s entering the Senate race against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in Alaska, giving Democrats an outside chance of picking up the red-state Senate seat, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) introduced legislation to block U.S. funding for any U.N. agency that expels Israel; similar language was included in a State Department reform package the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed last year…

Former Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell McCormick is joining Meta as president and vice chairman; Powell McCormick, who served on Meta’s board from April-December 2025, was most recently at BDT & MSD Partners…

Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) is joining House Democratic leadership as parliamentarian of the steering and policy committee…

Police in Los Angeles are investigating an incident of anti-Israel vandalism at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed in last year’s wildfires…

The executive council of the American Historical Association vetoed two anti-Israel resolutions, including one that accused the Jewish state of scholasticide in Gaza, saying that the resolutions “fall outside the scope” of the association and approving them “would present institutional risk and have long-term implications for the discipline and the organization”…

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters that Iran’s government is in its “last days and weeks”…

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, former hostage David Cunio shared details about his time in captivity, including a visit in the tunnels by former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar…

Jay Greene is joining the Defense of Freedom Institute as a senior fellow with a focus on antisemitism in education…

Jay Haberman was tapped at the American Jewish Committee’s vice president for strategic philanthropy and major gifts; he was previously the chief development officer at ELNET-US… 

Israeli archeologist and educator Gabriel Barkay, the co-founder and director of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, died at 81…

AIPAC CEO Elliot Brandt (right) met with Honduran President-elect Nasry Asfura earlier this week during Asfura’s first trip to the U.S. following his election last month. Asfura, who is of Palestinian descent, also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, and plans to travel to Israel in the coming days.

Actress and producer, winner of 11 Emmy Awards, she is best known for “Saturday Night Live,” “Seinfeld” and “Veep,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus turns 65…

Argentine writer, he has authored 14 novels, 17 essay collections, four short story collections and two biographies, Marcos Aguinis turns 91… Marriage and family therapist in Bakersfield, Calif., Kathleen Arnold-Chambers… Las Vegas resident, Cathy Nierenberg… Retired teacher, Lucia Meyerson… NYC pediatrician at Carnegie Hill Pediatrics, Barry B. Stein, MD… Lifelong resident of Greenwich Village, a two-time Emmy Award winner as a television producer, she worked for NBC Nightly News, Susanna Beth Aaron… President of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Cindy S. Moelis turns 65… Kaileh Lynn Pistol… Founder of the Freelancers Union, she was a MacArthur genius fellow in 1999, Sara Horowitz turns 63… Retired member of the Senate of Canada for 12 years, she is a past chair of the UJA of Greater Toronto, Linda Frum turns 63… Partner at Baker McKenzie, he served as deputy attorney general of the U.S. following 12 years as U.S. attorney for Maryland, Rod J. Rosenstein turns 61… Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel from 2013 until July 2024, Rabbi David Baruch Lau turns 60… Executive assistant to the president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits after 15 years at JFNA, Bruce Maclver… Vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute, Kenneth M. Pollack turns 60… President and CEO of Amazon, Andrew R. Jassy turns 58… Longtime activist for Israel, Heidi Krizer Daroff… French screenwriter and director, Alice Winocour turns 50… Statistician and writer who analyzes sports and elections, he was the editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight until 2023, Nate Silver turns 48… Former VP of donor relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, now a marriage and family therapist, Shira Berenson Feinstein… Israeli singer and rapper, known by his stage name Nechi Nech, Ravid Plotnik turns 38… Communications consultant based in Denver, Carly Freedman Schlafer… Rebecca Seider… Sandra Shapiro…

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding House and Senate briefings this morning before meeting this afternoon with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud.
• The New York City Council will elect its next speaker today. Councilmember Julie Menin, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, announced last month she’d garnered support from a supermajority of councilmembers. Read our report on Menin — and the counterweight she is expected to be to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda — here.
• Mamdani’s first major test with the Jewish community could come as soon as this evening, when PAL-Awda, the group behind the November protest outside a synagogue that was hosting a Nefesh B’Nefesh event about immigrating to Israel, is slated to protest another event hosted by NBN tonight in Manhattan.
• Elsewhere in Manhattan, the annual Colel Chabad International Awards Gala is taking place tonight. Russian-Israeli entrepreneur Yitzchak Mirilashvili, Heather and Joe Sarachek, Sara and Harry Krakowski and Lauren and Martin Tabaksblat are set to be honored at the event. Also slated to be honored is Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Syrian immigrant to Australia who helped disarm one of the Bondi Beach terrorists during last month’s terror attack in Sydney.
• The Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center is holding a panel discussion this morning at its Washington headquarters on the future of humanitarian assistance. Speakers include IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer, Zipline Africa’s Caitlin Burton, DAI’s Tine Knott and UNICEF USA’s Patrick Quirk

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Tamara ziEVE AND MATTHEW SHEA

At the conclusion of the 12-day war in June of last year, both Israel and Iran suspected that the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. would be a pause, not a final cessation of hostilities. That truce has lasted for more than six months, with both sides wary of entering another military conflict — one likely to be more deadly and destructive than the first. 

But now, amid destabilizing world events from Venezuela to the Middle East — compounded by growing domestic pressure on the Islamic Republic amid nationwide protests — that ceasefire is even more tenuous, with officials in Tehran and Jerusalem closely watching the other’s every move, careful not to make a potentially disastrous miscalculation — even as both sides make overtures at de-escalation.

Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “President [Donald] Trump and I have expressed a firm stance — we won’t allow Iran to rebuild its ballistic missile industry or to renew the nuclear program, which we damaged severely in Operation Rising Lion.”

In response, Iran’s newly formed Defense Council warned on Tuesday that the country could act preemptively if it detects clear signs of a threat. “The long-standing enemies of this land … are pursuing a targeted approach by repeating and intensifying threatening language and interventionist statements in clear conflict with the accepted principles of international law, which is aimed at dismembering our beloved Iran and harming the country’s identity,” the council said.

Recent reports suggest that Israel, in an attempt to de-escalate tensions, has used Moscow as an intermediary, communicating through Russian President Vladimir Putin that it has no intention of launching a preemptive strike on Iranian soil. Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are unconvinced. 

In a post on X, Khamenei accused Israel of deception: “What makes the enemy first request a ceasefire during [12-day] war with the Iranian nation, then send messages saying he doesn’t want to fight us?” 

“Now if he doesn’t believe the messaging and thinks that Israel is about to attack then you can understand why Israel is worried Iran is about to miscalculate and attack. Very tense days/weeks ahead of us,” Nadav Pollak, a lecturer on the Middle East at Reichman University, commented on Khamenei’s post.

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

• Hamas’ response to President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace proposal could come as soon as today, following Trump’s comments on Tuesday in which he said he was giving the terror group “three or four days” to respond to the proposal, threatening a “sad end” if it rejected the plan.
  
• We’re also keeping an eye on the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza as it nears Israeli maritime space. Last night, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, citing the delicate diplomatic situation following Trump’s proposal to end the war, called on the flotilla’s organizers to “stop now and accept one of the various proposals put forward for the safe delivery of the aid.”
  
• As the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks nears, Jewish organizations around the world will begin hosting memorials and ceremonies to mark the day. Read more in eJewishPhilanthropy about efforts to commemorate the anniversary of the attacks.
  
• In New York on Sunday, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is opening “Lessons from The Tree of Life: Lighting the Path Forward,” a traveling exhibition from Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life ahead of the seventh anniversary of the deadly synagogue attack.
  
• Also Sunday, Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania is holding its annual Defender of Democracy Event. This year’s event, which will include an appearance by Gov. Josh Shapiro, will honor Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’s Josh kraushaar

Zohran Mamdani isn’t the only far-left, anti-Israel candidate running for mayor in a city with a notable Jewish constituency in November. As we’ve noted in these pages, socialist Katie Wilson is vying to unseat Mayor Bruce Harrell in the Seattle mayoral race. (More below on that race.) And far-left challenger Omar Fateh is running competitively against Mayor Jacob Frey in a closely watched Minneapolis mayoral contest.

But one lower-profile race featuring a Democratic Socialists of America activist with involvement in anti-Israel groups has flown under the radar. In the progressive city of Somerville, Mass. — just outside Boston and bordering Cambridge — City Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. advanced to a runoff against another city council member, Jake Wilson. 

In the city’s first round of balloting, which ousted the city’s sitting mayor, Katjana Ballantyne, Wilson finished first with 42% of the citywide vote, but Burnley wasn’t far behind with 34%. Ballantyne, facing a backlash to the city’s rising housing costs, lagged in third place with just 23% of the vote.

If Burnley prevails, he would be the city’s first Black, openly queer and polyamorous mayor, according to Axios.

But Burnley’s unconventional self-identification pales in comparison to his radical record. He’s been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, and has been active in the organization for at least the last several years. He has participated in anti-Israel protests, including one where he is standing in front of a protester holding a sign with a Nazi swastika flag next to an Israeli flag. At a Tufts University anti-Israel protest last year, he posed in front of posters reading “Glory to the martyrs.”

He has touted his endorsement from the anti-Israel group “Somerville for Palestine” and walked out on a Jewish constituent objecting to the city council’s consideration of a measure that would require Somerville to divest city funds business from companies that do business with Israel. In 2018, he was pictured being involved with the anti-Israel group IfNotNow.

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

Rubik’s Cube of Diplomacy: The New York Times’ Tom Friedman posits that President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza could fundamentally reshape the region for the better. “In a lifetime of covering this conflict, I have never seen it broken into so many little pieces, each soaked in more distrust and hatred of the other than ever before. Aggregating these pieces together to implement this complex plan for a cease-fire, phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, hostage release, Palestinian prisoner release and then rebuilding of the Strip under international supervision will be a herculean task. It will require solving a diplomatic Rubik’s Cube every day — while all the enemies of the deal try to scramble it every day. … If, if, if this Trump peace plan can create a bridge back to a two-state solution, it will give enormous leeway for Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and even Iraq to consider joining the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.” [NYTimes]

Qatar’s New Calculus: In The Wall Street Journal, Amit Segal considers why Qatar is now applying pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed deal to end the war. “The regime, which thwarted the last hostage deal, changed its mind because the war has reached its home. After the Israel Defense Forces operated in five Muslim capitals — Gaza, Beirut, Damascus, Sana’a, and Tehran — it hit Doha. The attempted killing of senior Hamas officials in broad daylight in Qatar signaled to the natural-gas emirate that it couldn’t continue the double game it has played in recent years. Despite the threats against Israel, the Qataris are now working to make Hamas accept the demands from Jerusalem. Qatar had until recently defended Hamas’s efforts to remain in power and its demands for a full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for releasing the hostages. Now, Doha is among those threatening Hamas with destruction if it won’t accept a deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s telephone apology for violating Qatar’s sovereignty is lip service to divert attention from the emirate’s turnaround.” [WSJ]

The New Neo-Nazis: In his Substack “The Reset,” Yashar Ali reflects on the surge in antisemitism he has observed online since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. “Over the past two years I have tracked a stunning but not surprising shift: the ranks of Neo-Nazis and outright Jew haters were growing rapidly and becoming very diverse in a way that has not ever been seen in American history (including in the 1920s–30s). To be clear, I am not talking about the blanket antisemitism label that conflates various types of antisemitism and the mislabeling of criticism of the Israeli government and military as antisemitism. I am talking about unquestionable hatred of global Jewry and the embracing of some of the most dangerous and oldest conspiracies about Jews. The point is that I was seeing groups of people, by age, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, who traditionally would never have been attracted to Neo-Nazi ideology, suddenly becoming radicalized, believing in it, and becoming dedicated to the cause.” [TheReset]

The University of Maryland Student Government Association is set to consider a resolution at the start of Yom Kippur on Wednesday evening calling on the university and its charitable foundation to implement a boycott of companies and academic institutions with ties to “Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation,” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), speaking in a webinar with Democratic Majority for Israel on Tuesday, emphasized that colleagues who push to block aid to Israel or recognize a Palestinian state risk emboldening Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran when they are on their back foot, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

President Donald Trump told reporters that the administration is close to reaching a deal with Harvard after a monthslong deadlock and legal battle that will see the university pay around $500 million to open and operate trade schools; “They’re going to be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things,” Trump said at an executive order signing…

The Equal Employment Opportunity Organization sued Apple on behalf of a Jewish employee in the company’s Reston, Va., location who said his manager made antisemitic remarks and refused his request not to be scheduled to work on Shabbat…

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and 18 other House progressives wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing Israel of genocide and demanding that the U.S. protect the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to breach the Israeli maritime blockade of Gaza…

A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration’s effort to deport international students who participated in anti-Israel campus activity was unconstitutional…

Following a court ruling, the Trump administration restored hundreds of grants from the National Institutes of Health that it had suspended from the University of California, Los Angeles over the summmer…

The Department of Justice opened an investigation into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ response to campus antisemitism…

Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale filed paperwork under the Foreign Agent Registration Act registering his work with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Parscale’s work through his Clock Tower X LLC is expected to focus on digital outreach to younger Americans… 

Singer Cat Stevens, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam in 1978, postponed an upcoming book tour in North America, citing visa issues; Stevens, who has expressed support for Hamas, has previously backed a fatwa issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against writer Salman Rushie…

A new survey from the Council for a Secure America found high levels of support for the U.S.-Israel relationship among Israeli respondents…

Israel’s Cabinet unanimously approved David Zini as the new head of the Shin Bet, effective Oct. 5…

The family of Rabbi Dr. Mordechai “Mark” Steintzag, who was killed in a terror attack in Jerusalem last month, is working to complete the writing of a Torah scroll he commissioned before his death, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports…

The Associated Press reports on the sexual exploitation of Palestinian women in Gaza by aid workers affiliated with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency and other international groups…

A new survey found that 15% of Italians consider physical attacks on Jews to be “entirely or fairly justifiable,” while 18% said that antisemitic graffiti was legitimate…

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is launching its Program on Energy and National Security; the new program will be led by Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at FDD and former senior counselor on the White House National Energy Dominance Council…

Families of hostages with German citizenship who are still being held in Gaza met on Tuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. The families pressed Merz to leverage Germany’s relationship with Turkey to influence Hamas into accepting President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war.

Reality television personality, model and actress, Cynthia Dawn “Cindy” Margolis turns 60… 

U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Lynn Steven Adelman turns 86… MLB second baseman who appeared in 18 straight All-Star Games, he is immortalized as Jewish in Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Song, Rod Carew turns 80… Senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Andrew David Hurwitz turns 78… Professor at the Technion, he won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry, Aaron Ciechanover turns 78… Tony Award-winning writer and lyricist for the musical theater, television and film, Lynn Ahrens turns 77… Former co-owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and co-founder of the publicly traded TechTarget, Bruce Levenson turns 76… Professor emeritus of Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Jacob Yuval turns 76… Copy editor at Politico since 2009, Andrew Goodwin… Film, stage and television actress and, since 2009, an ordained Jewish cantor, Lorna Patterson turns 69… Israel’s ambassador to the United States, a native of Scranton, Pa., Yechiel “Michael” Leiter turns 66… The first-ever Jewish chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, Steven C. González turns 62… Member of the Aspen City Council from 2011-2019, Adam Bennett Frisch turns 58… Retired in 2024 after 16 years as director of philanthropic partnerships at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert A. Rosen… Film director, screenwriter and producer, Stacie Passon turns 56… Partner at FGS Global, specializing in telecommunications, technology, consumer protection and privacy for companies in regulated industries, Robert Bennett Seidman… Former law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, now a nominee for a judgeship on the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Rebecca L. Taibleson turns 42… Director of investor relations and strategic engagement at FDD, Samantha J. (Greenberg) Weinberg… Chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum, Michael Koplow… Former consultant at Deloitte focused on critical infrastructure risk, now an MBA candidate at Georgetown, Samuel Koralnik… Account manager at Fiserv, Yossi Raskas… Scott Rosenthal…

• The Israel Defense Forces launched a major ground operation in Gaza City on Tuesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military announced, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.
• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will be delivering a speech this morning on political violence in America at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh. 
• The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this morning on oversight of the FBI with FBI Director Kash Patel.
• Democratic Majority for Israel is hosting a live briefing with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Gottheimer’s recent trip to Israel, next steps for the Abraham Accords and the latest in the Israel-Hamas war.
• The Center for a New American Security is holding a live fireside chat with Adam Boehler, the U.S. special envoy for hostage response.
• Alan Dershowitz, a former Harvard Law School professor and prominent defense attorney and Israel advocate, is speaking at the JFK Jr. forum at Harvard at the first “Middle East Dialogues” event of the academic year, hosted by professor Tarek Masoud, who invites polarizing speakers to debate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• In the evening, American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) will host its Lamplighter Awards at D.C.’s Union Station. This year’s honoree is Palantir CEO Alex Karp, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will receive a leadership award.
• Magen David Adom will host its 2025 New York City Gala in Manhattan, where political commentator Meghan McCain will receive its Champion of Israel Award. 

A QUICK WORD WITH jI’S MATTHEW KASSEL

As Zohran Mamdani wins support from a growing number of Democratic leaders in his bid for mayor of New York City, he has notably walked back some of his most polarizing views on several key issues — with one major exception: Israel.

In recent days, the Democratic nominee, who has long been an outspoken critic of Israel and its war in Gaza, has doubled down on his campaign vow to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if elected, even as legal experts cautioned such a move could be illegal. 

Mamdani, a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, also said that he would seek to divest city holdings in Israel bonds and terminate a program established by Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, to foster business partnerships between companies in Israel and New York City.

Meanwhile, Mamdani has refused invitations to explicitly condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” even as he has acknowledged concerns from Jewish voters who see the phrase as provoking antisemitic violence. He has said he will instead discourage use of the slogan, which he himself has not used publicly.

The 33-year-old democratic socialist and Queens assemblyman has otherwise declined to denounce Hasan Piker, a far-left streamer who has said that “America deserved 9/11” and has used antisemitic rhetoric in commenting on Israel. Mamdani sat for a lengthy interview with Piker during the primary.

Mamdani’s unyielding approach to opposing Israel underscores just how central the issue is to his self-conception as an activist and an elected official long involved in such causes. “This is something that I will never stray from for the rest of my life,” he explained in a Zoom discussion in 2020 with a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. “This is kind of, in many ways, the founding battle for justice that I’ve had.”

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

Charlie Kirk and the Debate on Israel: Semafor Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith writes about what the right-wing debate over Charlie Kirk’s views on Israel say about the future of the MAGA movement. “Future historians will puzzle over why the conflict between Israel and Palestine has been the issue, above all others, to split both US political parties in the 2020s. But one thing the feuding MAGA factions agree on is that there isn’t really another prominent figure like Kirk — a big voice who was focused on smoothing over his movement’s fractures, not hashing them out in public for clout. The only other one, in fact, is Donald Trump, who has proven — in his transactional way — a master of holding together disparate Republican factions. But so far, Trump has firmly chosen Israel’s side in the intraparty dispute. And now it’s not clear who remains to try to smooth over the generational divide, or who would even want to try.” [Semafor]

The Social Media Curse: Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief David Suissa applauds Gov. Spencer Cox’s statement that “Social media is a cancer on our society right now,” and call for people to “log off, turn off, touch grass,” a message Cox conveyed as he announced the arrest of the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk. “We’ll hear plenty of sermons during the upcoming Holy Days, but I can’t help wishing that every rabbi finds a way to squeeze in that message. Why? Because our country has gone off the deep end. The reactions to the murder of Charlie Kirk have brought out our worst. The poor guy can’t die in peace without becoming a lightning rod for our societal dysfunctions. Unlike the old days before social media, today this toxic ugliness is front and center and screeching loud. Indeed the minute Kirk died, armies of social media soldiers put on their uniforms and let fly their predictable bullets. When Cox called social media a ‘cancer on our society,’ he might have added that it’s also an addiction.” [JewishJournal]

The Clock is Tik(Tok)ing: Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, calls for the Trump administration to enforce the ban on TikTok in The Washington Post ahead of the Sept. 17 deadline for the company to be acquired by an American company or face a ban, calling it “critical to heading off a military confrontation and, if necessary winning one” against the Chinese Communist Party. “Imagine the following scenario. China decides to attack Taiwan, and, fearing the United States will come to Taiwan’s aid, launches preemptive strikes against American targets overseas. In the United States, Chinese operators launch drone attacks from secret bases located on more than 380,000 acres of farmland China has purchased. As the government considers its options, the 170 million American TikTok users open their feeds to thousands of bots disguised as people, rattling off anti-American propaganda; encouraging young students desperate for meaning to fight their own government; and spreading disinformation at such a rapid rate that it is impossible to discern fact from fiction.” [WashPost]

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Israel’s war in Gaza “horrific” in an interview with The New York Times on Monday and called for an immediate end to its military operations. “There is no doubt that the people of New York and the nation see the continued carnage that is happening and are deeply, deeply disturbed and want it over, and believe it has gone on way too long,” he said…

An independent United Nations inquiry has concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have incited genocide, in a 72-page report released today. Israel said it “categorically rejects this distorted and false report and calls for the immediate abolition of this Commission of Inquiry.” …

Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah said she was fired from the paper on Monday over her social media posts reacting to the Charlie Kirk assassination. Attiah, a far-left commentator, retweeted social media messages justifying the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel as it was taking place… 

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act, which aims to ensure that Jewish World War I and II veterans receive the proper grave markers reflecting their religion, passed the House. “This bill is an important step to allow for the research necessary to correct these errors and ensure there are resources for that work,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), who is leading the bill with Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), said. “This will make it possible for these brave Jewish servicemembers’ descendants to know that their loved one’s military service, life and religious heritage are properly honored”…

Micah Lasher, a New York state assemblyman and former aide to Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), launched his campaign for his former mentor’s congressional seat on Monday…

Former Sen. Joe Manchin’s (I-WV) new book, Dead Center, comes out today, detailing his departure from the Democratic Party to become an independent, featuring scathing remarks for his former Democratic colleagues…

The New York Times investigates a series of trade and business dealings over the UAE’s access to AI chips that appear to be connected with cryptocurrency windfalls for the Witkoff and Trump families…

U.S. and Chinese negotiators have reached a framework deal for switching ownership of TikTok, in an effort to avert a threatened shutdown of the app…

HBO Max acquired the rights to a new series, “One Day in October,” the first scripted portrayal of the Oct. 7 attacks, filmed on location in Israel and based on real accounts. The show will premiere Oct. 7, 2025, the two-year anniversary of the attacks…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview clip that accusations that he’s prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political purposes are “malicious and false.” The interview with Israel’s Channel 13, a rarity for Netanyahu, will air in full today… 

Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu’s chief of staff and close confidant, was approved to serve as Israel’s ambassador to the U.K., replacing Tzipi Hotovely at the end of her five-year term, though he likely won’t be posted to London for several months…

The Heritage Foundation released a report yesterday marking the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords, “looking back at all the Accords achieved and looking forward to the fulfillment of their tremendous potential.” …

UJA-Federation of New York announced new grants totaling approximately $7.8 million to expand support for Israel’s recovery and long-term rebuilding efforts, including recovery in Israel’s north and south and support for families including those of reservists, wounded soldiers and hostages, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports…

Sotheby’s is launching its new flagship at the Breuer Building in Manhattan in November by staging a major auction featuring the late Leonard Lauder’s $400 million art collection —including Gustav Klimt masterpieces —and an estimated $80 million group of artworks from the estate of Jay and Marian Pritzker… 

The Monuments Men and Women Foundation stopped the auction of two Nazi-looted oil paintings from the collection of more than 300 works seized from Adolphe Schloss during World War II…

The New York Times announced a new weekly newsletter on religion and spirituality, hosted by the Times’ Lauren Jackson…

Lynn Forester de Rothschild is exploring a sale of a minority stake in the parent company of The Economist magazine, according to Bloomberg, which would mark the publication’s first ownership shakeup in over a decade…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the inauguration yesterday of the Pilgrimage Road archaeological site in the City of David, Jerusalem, calling the site “an enduring cultural and historical bond between the United States and Israel” and “a powerful reminder of the Judeo-Christian values that inspired America’s Founding Fathers.”

Israeli windsurfer, he won bronze in Atlanta 1996 and gold in Athens 2004, Israel’s first Olympic gold medalist, Gal Fridman turns 50…

Argentinian physician, author of books on gender relations, Esther Katzen Vilar turns 90… Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives for multiple terms, in 2015 she became the president of Plaza Health Network, Elaine Bloom turns 88… NYC-based real estate investor and the founder of Cammeby’s International Group, Rubin “Rubie” Schron turns 87… Defense policy advisor to Presidents Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 and member of a number of D.C. based think tanks, Richard Perle turns 84… Montebello, Calif., resident, Jon Olesen… Pompano Beach, Fla., resident, Shari Goldberg… Israeli playwright and screenwriter, Motti Lerner turns 76… Sheriff of Nantucket County, Mass., James A. Perelman turns 75… Founder and CEO of OurCrowd, Jonathan Medved turns 70… Media sales consultant, Fern Wallach… Award winning illusionist, who has sold tens of millions of tickets to his shows worldwide, known professionally as David Copperfield, David Seth Kotkin turns 69… Anthropology professor at Cornell, his work centers on Jewish communities and culture, Jonathan Boyarin turns 69… Director of stakeholder engagement at the National Council of Jewish Women, he is a nephew of former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, Dan Kohl turns 60… President and rabbinic head of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in Riverdale, N.Y., Rabbi Dov Linzer turns 59… Writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine, Jason Zengerle… Mayor of Kiryat Motzkin, a city in the Haifa suburbs, Tzvi (Tziki) Avisar turns 47… VP of public affairs and corporate marketing at Meta / Facebook, Josh Ginsberg… President of basketball operations for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Koby Altman turns 43… National field director at the Israel on Campus Coalition, Lauren Morgan Suriel… VP of customer success at SimpliFed, Suzy Goldenkranz… Actor, best known for starring in “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” Daren Maxwell Kagasoff turns 38… NYC-based economics and wealth reporter at The Wall Street Journal, Rachel Louise Ensign… Israeli actress who played the lead role in Apple TV’s spy thriller “Tehran,” Niv Sultan turns 33… Winner of an Olympic bronze medal for Israel in Taekwondo at the 2020 Games in Paris, Avishag Semberg turns 24…

Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, an office within the General Services Administration, Joshua Z. Gruenbaum turned 40 on Monday…

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Today, we remember Wesley LePatner, a Jewish philanthropist and Blackstone executive killed in Monday’s shooting at the firm’s Manhattan headquarters. LePatner, 43, served on the boards of the pluralistic Abraham Joshua Heschel School and the UJA-Federation of New York. The federation called LePatner “extraordinary in every way” in a statement, saying she “lived with courage and conviction, instilling in her two children a deep love for Judaism and the Jewish people.” Hindy Poupko, deputy chief planning officer at UJA, said in remarks at the Israel on Campus Coalition’s National Leadership Summit in Washington today that there was a second Jewish victim of the shooting, Julia Hyman. Hyman, a Cornell graduate, worked for Rudin Management in the Midtown skyscraper…

Concerns among Democrats about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Israel’s role in it are intensifying. On Capitol Hill, the majority of Senate Democrats, led by a group including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff calling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “unsustainable” and saying that the Israeli- and American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has “failed” to properly deliver aid…

One Democrat standing up for Israel is Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), who said at the ICC summit today, “We have to remind the world that, despite the amnesia, Hamas was the central cause of the war in Gaza. … Hamas is morally responsible, principally responsible for the war in Gaza.” Read more on Torres’ speech in JI’s Daily Kickoff tomorrow…

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who did not sign the Senate Democrats’ letter, jumped into the fray by introducing another resolution to block an arms transfer to Israel — his third since November 2024. In a novel twist, this resolution would block the sale of $1 million worth of assault rifles to Israel’s police force overseen by far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, potentially opening the door for more Democrats to vote in favor, given Ben-Gvir’s less-than-favorable reputation within the party…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, applying pressure of his own, announced today that the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September — matching France’s timeline, announced last week — unless Israel takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation” in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire with Hamas and commits to reviving the possibility of a two-state solution and not annexing the West Bank. President Donald Trump, who met with Starmer in Scotland yesterday, told reporters that the British PM didn’t discuss the move with him and that he has no view on it, but that the U.S. is “not in that camp”…

On the home front, UCLA settled a lawsuit with Jewish students who alleged that the university permitted antisemitic conduct during the campus’ anti-Israel encampments in spring 2024. According to the agreement announced today, the university cannot allow or facilitate the exclusion of Jewish students, faculty or staff from UCLA programs or campus areas. Notably, the agreement specifies that Jews cannot be excluded “based on religious beliefs concerning the Jewish state of Israel.” Also getting a windfall in the settlement: UCLA agreed to pay over $2.3 million combined to UCLA Hillel and Chabad, the Anti-Defamation League, the Academic Engagement Network and other Jewish organizations combating antisemitism on campus…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye on Jewish Insider later this week where we’ll feature an interview with Jeanine Pirro, interim U.S. attorney for D.C., who spoke with JI about the ongoing prosecution of the assailant responsible for the deadly May shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum. We’ll also cover Rep. Mike Collins’ (R-GA) record on antisemitism as he jumps in the race to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and report on Harvard’s overtures to the Jewish community while it gears up for a settlement with the federal government.

We’re staying tuned for how President Donald Trump may react as some of the U.S.’ closest allies gear up to recognize a Palestinian state, a policy the U.S. has rejected as unhelpful to peace efforts for decades. Though he said today he has “no view” on the matter, as the U.N. General Assembly nears, will Trump take a tougher line on his European partners?

• Today in New York, France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting a conference focused on reviving two-state solution talks. The gathering, initially scheduled for June, now comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron said he planned to recognize a Palestinian state at this year’s U.N. General Assembly. Macron is skipping the conference, but his foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, is expected to, per The Economist, “formally present” Paris’ U.N. plans. Barrot, for his part, attempted to meet with Jewish groups while in New York, but was shut down after Macron’s announcement last week. More below.
• The Israel on Campus Coalition’s National Leadership Summit continues today in Washington. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Leo Terrell, senior counsel at the Department of Justice, addressed the gathering of more than 600 students yesterday. More below.
• In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is expected to announce his bid for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). Cooper’s upcoming announcement comes as former Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-NC) plans to step aside from the race and endorse Cooper, consolidating Democratic support around the former governor. On the GOP side, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to announce his bid for the seat in the coming days, setting up what is likely to be one of the most expensive Senate races of the upcoming cycle.

A QUICK WORD WITH ji’S melissa Weiss and Tamara zIEVE

In Israel’s effort to conduct a pressure campaign on Hamas to oust the terror group and release the remaining hostages held in Gaza, it has found itself instead on the receiving end of another global pressure campaign.

Facing mounting pressure amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel over the weekend announced a series of measures aimed at alleviating the widespread malnutrition and security issues in the enclave, including temporary ceasefires, aid airdrops, facilitating a massive increase in Gaza’s water supply and establishing designated humanitarian corridors — even as the IDF called claims of starvation in Gaza “a false campaign promoted by Hamas” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that there was starvation in Gaza.

The crisis hit a fever pitch over the weekend as opposition to Israel’s efforts and limits on aid — first put into place in March as a pressure tactic to push Hamas to release the remaining hostages — surged to the highest levels of government around the world. 

Dozens of countries called for an end to the war, a restoration of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the immediate release of the hostages. The shift in the political dynamic extended to Capitol Hill, where Democratic legislators, including many who have been strong supporters of Israel, expressed their concerns over Israel’s approach to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

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

Just Cause, Unjust Tactics: The New York Times’ Ross Douthat argues that Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza — which he describes as “a war for a just cause” — is now being fought unjustly. “One can have a righteous cause, one’s foe can be wicked and brutal and primarily responsible for the conflict’s toll, and still — under any coherent theory of just war — there is an obligation to refrain from certain tactics if they create too much collateral damage, to mitigate certain predictable forms of civilian suffering and to have a strategy that makes the war’s outcome worth the cost. These are tests that Israel is failing.” [NYTimes]

RJC Rising: The Dispatch’s David Drucker explores the growing influence of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “Since Election Day 2024, the Republican Jewish Coalition has been telling anyone who will listen that Trump’s performance among Jewish voters was a historic success — due in no small part to the money and manpower invested by the RJC. There’s data to back that assertion up…To understand the real and consequential movement toward Trump by Jewish voters in 2024, you have to look under the hood, at the exit polls of battleground states and local precincts with significant populations of Jewish voters. That’s where Trump made his mark with a cohort usually elusive for Republicans; it’s what helped propel him past Harris in swing states that were quite close despite the president’s sweep.” [TheDispatch]

Art of the Steal: In AirMail, Ezra Chowaiki reflects on his dealings with forged looted artworks whose sellers wrongly claim them to be works that belonged to high-ranking Nazi officials. “Art dealers know the back of a painting is more important than its front. The back is where you trace the painting’s history, and the clues for each artwork in Jimmy’s collection were incredible, including incidental marks and labels on each painting, not to mention all those Nazi stamps. … In my years of meeting collectors, I’ve realized that many prefer the forbidden fruit. In its own perverse way, it just tastes a little sweeter. But beware: your perverse fascination with forbidden provenance — the back of the canvas — may keep you from examining a painting’s more obvious faults on the front.” [AirMail]

Darren Beattie, who was fired from his role as a speechwriter in the first Trump administration over his ties to white nationalists, was tapped to serve as acting president of the U.S. Institute of Peace in addition to his role as under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department…

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told NBC’s “Meet The Press” that he believes Israel will be unable to negotiate an end to its war with Hamas and will have to do “what [the Allied forces] did in Tokyo and Berlin, take the place by force and start over again, presenting a better future for the Palestinians, hopefully having the Arabs take over the West Bank and Gaza”…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly favoring “a more comprehensive approach to end the war and free all the remaining hostages” after meeting with hostage families at the State Department on Friday…

A Palestinian boy referenced in images that went viral last week as a symbol of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was discovered to be suffering from a preexisting genetic muscle disorder…

A growing number of news organizations are calling on Israel to allow journalists access to the Gaza Strip…

The New York Times reports on speculation that funding for the refurbishment of the Qatari plane being gifted to the Trump administration is coming from funds allocated from a nuclear modernization program inside the Pentagon…

A White House official told The Wall Street Journal that it will use its recent settlement with Columbia University as a blueprint for its legal battles with other universities…

The New York Times spotlights former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker’s role as head of the Harvard Corporation, as both the Trump administration and the Corporation raise concerns about her continued leadership and involvement…

Minnesota Democratic activist Latonya Reeves, a member of the Democratic National Committee, is mulling a primary challenge to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)…

French authorities are investigating the circumstances behind the removal last week of several dozen French Jewish campers and camp staffers from a Vueling flight amid claims from the group that it was deplaned because the campers were Jewish; Vueling has denied the allegations and said the group was removed due to the unruly behavior of some of the campers prior to takeoff…

The New York Times looks at the impact of Iran’s deepening water crisis amid record-setting heat and energy shortages around the country…

Mathematician-turned-singer Tom Lehrer, whose satirical tunes from the 1950s and ‘60s gained new audiences when Cameron Mackintosh compiled Lehrer’s music into the 1980 revue “Tomfoolery,” died at 97…

Ofer Calderon (right), who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 484 days, cycled yesterday alongside Israel-Premier Tech team owner and philanthropist Sylvan Adams in the final stage of the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. On the 100th day of the hostages’ captivity, Adams led a global cycling event in their honor and promised that when Calderson would be released, he would ride alongside him at the Tour de France.

Jerusalem-born actor with more than 30 movie and television roles in the U.S., Ori Pfeffer turns 50…

Survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau as a teen, he emigrated to Israel and became an artist, Yehuda Bacon turns 96… Chicago radio news personality, from 1973 to 2013 he was a television news anchor in Chicago, Walter David Jacobson turns 88… U.S. District Court judge in Manhattan until 2006, then U.S. attorney general for the last 14 months of the Bush 43 administration, now of counsel at the international law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, Michael Mukasey turns 84… Swedish industrialist, chairman of the Nobel Foundation (manager of the Nobel Prize) from 2005 to 2013, Marcus Storch Ph.D. turns 83… In 1986 she became the first woman in the IDF to hold the rank of brigadier general, she then served as a member of Knesset, and now serves on multiple for-profit and nonprofit boards, Amira Dotan turns 78… Oldest active quarterback, he also manages football teams in Baltimore and Jerusalem, Joe Pollak turns 75… President of the Council on Foreign Relations for 20 years until he retired in 2023, Richard N. Haass turns 74… Tel Aviv-born real estate developer, restorer of historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles, Izek Shomof turns 66… Partner and managing director of Meadow Lane Advisors, Marty Friedman… French-Israeli hairdresser and entrepreneur, Michel Mercier turns 64… Sports executive, attorney and former president of basketball operations for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn turns 64… American schoolteacher, wrongfully detained by Russia in 2022, he was released in the early weeks of the Trump 47 administration, Marc Hilliard Fogel turns 64… Talent booker, publicist and television and radio personality in Atlanta, Mara Davis turns 56… Tech entrepreneur who has invested in more than 100 startups, New York Times bestselling author, Joshua M. “Josh” Linkner turns 55… Co-founder of 23andMe, she recently regained control of the company, Anne Wojcicki turns 52… Actress and reality show personality, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren turns 51… Deputy CEO at UpStart, Jennifer Lew Goldstone… Associate justice of the Supreme Court of California, Leondra Kruger turns 49… Israeli journalist and former member of the Knesset, Ksenia Svetlova turns 48… Managing partner at Altitude Ventures, a health-care venture capital firm, he is a former White House liaison to the Jewish community, Jay Zeidman… Senior reporter at Bloomberg News, Laura Nahmias… CEO and CTO at Diagnostic Robotics in Jerusalem, Kira Radinsky Ph.D. turns 39… VP of player personnel at MLB’s Miami Marlins, Samuel Mondry-Cohen… Administrator at Lehigh Valley Homecare in Allentown, Pa., Menachem (Mark) Perl… Actor and producer who stars in the CBS series “Ghosts,” Asher Chazen Grodman turns 38… National narrative enterprise reporter at The Washington Post, Ruby Cramer… Larry Gordon…

• This afternoon at the Aspen Security Forum, Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage affairs, is set to take the stage for a one-on-one conversation with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. Boehler’s appearance comes amid the cancellation of a number of Pentagon officials who had been slated to address the annual Colorado gathering.
• Later in the afternoon, former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, The New York Times’ David Sanger and Johns Hopkins’ Vali Nasr will participate in a panel discussion on Iran. Immediately following that session, former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker is slated to speak on a panel about international trade and economics.
• At a reception later in the evening, former Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell McCormick will speak about the book she co-authored with her husband, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), Who Believed in You? How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S JOSH KRAUSHAAR

The latest round of fundraising reports for members of Congress paints a concerning picture about the future of the ideological center. Many lawmakers from both parties known for their pragmatism and moderation struggled to raise big bucks for their campaigns, while a number of insurgent candidates on the left and the right wings of their parties scored significant fundraising hauls.

Some of the middling fundraising numbers from experienced, establishment-oriented lawmakers will lead to speculation they are considering retirement. 

On the GOP side, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a senator deeply immersed in national security issues, only raised $723,000 in the last three months — barely inching past two of her Democratic opponents. That’s an underwhelming sum for Ernst, who has typically been a strong fundraiser but has been taking heat from both the right and left. It will only raise speculation about her political future.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), facing a primary challenge from right-wing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also didn’t hit the $1 million mark in fundraising, bringing in just $804,000. Paxton, despite worries about his electability and scandals surrounding him, raised $2.9 million.

In the House, Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), the respected former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, raised just $93,000 for the quarter, with less than $100,000 in his campaign account. While he’s not in a competitive district, that small sum has raised retirement speculation as well.

On the Democratic side, there were some fresh signs that mainstream, pro-Israel candidates aren’t getting quite the same fundraising traction as they have in the past.

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

Hamas’ MO: In Newsweek, former White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt suggests that Hamas has committed “dehumanicide” against the Palestinian people. “I define ‘dehumanicide’ as when a people’s leadership condemns its population to death by treating them not as humans but as props. By camouflaging among civilians — placing weapons, tunnels, and command posts in and under hospitals, schools, mosques, and apartment buildings — Hamas has committed an act of dehumanicide. Hamas transformed civilian lives into strategic assets for international outrage. Hamas instrumentalized Gazans not as people to be protected, but as tools of their horrific, twisted, evil warfare. Hamas accepts these civilian deaths as the ‘cost of doing business.’ Indeed, Hamas welcomes the deaths because it knows the world will use them as cudgels against Israel so that Hamas can prolong its long war against the Jewish state.” [Newsweek]

MAGA Revisionism: In The Free Press, Rebeccah Heinrichs looks at the effort by “conspiracy theorists, cranks, and the craven” of the MAGA wing of the Republican Party to revise how Americans view their own history. “While Donald Trump reaffirms the principles that underpinned his first term — that America remains the leader of the world’s most successful military alliance (NATO), a committed supporter of the Jewish State, lead defender of the global commons, and is willing to use military force when necessary — he is increasingly out of step with a critical constellation of right-wing influencers, podcasters, and contrarian intellectuals. For them, America’s history as a global superpower is morally suspect, if not outright criminal. Our victories become losses, our alliances sinister entanglements, and our deterrence campaigns provocations. Why? Because they must revise the past to justify and satisfy their policy preferences in the present.” [FreePress]

Dear Zohran…: The New York Times’ Tom Friedman raises concerns about New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s continued defense of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” despite pushback from Democratic officials and the Jewish community. “First, if you are discussing a mantra — like ‘globalize the intifada’ — that takes 15 minutes to explain why it doesn’t mean what it obviously means, I’d suggest that you distance yourself further from that mantra. … When I see someone running for mayor defending a useless, meaningless, far-left mantra that helps no one, and who prefers commenting at a distance and not convening energetically, it makes me wonder how he will deal with the really hard issues on the West Bank of the East River — not the West Bank of the Jordan — that most New York voters care most about.” [NYTimes]

A Grieving Mother’s Plea: In The Hill, Leah Goldin, whose son Hadar was killed in 2014 by Hamas, which has held his body since, calls on Saudi Arabia and President Donald Trump to prioritize the release of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza as Israel and Hamas work toward a ceasefire agreement and Trump looks to expand the Abraham Accords. “This week marks 4,000 days since Hadar’s abduction. In that time, I have knocked on the doors of leaders and diplomats around the world. I have appealed not only as a grieving mother but as a citizen of a country that shares the United States’s values of justice and humanity. … I beseech the president: use your influence to ensure that Saudi Arabia helps to bring them home. Peace and normalization will be your historic legacy in the Middle East, but they cannot come at the expense of the hostages. Their return is a critical confidence-building step toward the peace that you are building.” [TheHill]

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made a brief appearance at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial in Jerusalem on Wednesday, telling reporters earlier in the day that the visit to court was “an act of friendship”; days prior, President Donald Trump had posted on his Truth Social site in support of Netanyahu, calling on the charges to be dropped or for the prime minister to be pardoned…

The International Criminal Court denied a request from Israel to withdraw the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant while the court reviews Israeli challenges to the warrants…

A new American intelligence assessment indicates that American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month largely destroyed Fordow, but left Natanz and Isfahan largely intact, albeit somewhat degraded… 

New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani met on Wednesday with House Democrats, including Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) at a breakfast in Washington hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)…

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told MSNBC that she had conveyed to Mamdani that he has “a lot of healing to do with the Jewish community” over his anti-Israel activism and support for rhetoric that is widely viewed by the Jewish community as incitement to antisemitic violence…

Les Wexner purchased Norman Foster’s Martha’s Vineyard estate for $37 million…

The New York Times profiles thriller filmmaker Ari Aster ahead of the theatrical release of his new film, “Eddington”…

The Modern Orthodox organization Uri L’Zedek, which has brought lessons from the Torah into the social justice ecosystem for nearly 20 years, is expanding into advocacy work in Washington, hoping to “lower the temperature” of the country’s partisan politics, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports…

An Australian Muslim cleric, who was ordered by a court to cease giving inflammatory and antisemitic sermons, was ordered to prominently display notices detailing the court’s findings across the social media platforms of the Islamic center he oversees…

Tali Cohen is joining the Anti-Defamation League as the director of the group’s Washington office, following more than two decades at FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security…

The inaugural meeting of the Belgrade Strategic Dialogue: Serbia-United States-Israel Partnership was hosted by the Serbian National Assembly this week, attended by Serbian parliamentarians, Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Avivit Bar-Ilan, members of the Jewish community, business leaders and policy experts from the American Foreign Policy Council, Atlantic Council and AIPAC.

Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian, Brett Goldstein turns 45… 

Chef and two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, Joyce Goldstein turns 90… Professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and former Israeli foreign minister, Shlomo Ben-Ami turns 82… Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer on radio and TV, currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Charley Steiner turns 76… Co-editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor, Moshe Waldoks turns 76… Civil rights and criminal defense attorney, co-founder of the Innocence Project, Peter J. Neufeld turns 75… Rabbi emeritus at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pa., Lance J. Sussman turns 71… Managing GP and co-founder of Pitango Venture Capital, Nechemia (Chemi) Peres turns 67… Television and film director, Joshua Seftel turns 57… Actress best known for playing Sharona on “Monk,” Bitty Schram turns 57… Rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere, N.Y., Shalom Axelrod turns 56… Founder and CEO of Zeta Global, David A. Steinberg turns 55… Stand-up comedian, Gary Gulman turns 55… Treasurer of Australia until 2022, now chairman of the Future Fund, Josh Frydenberg turns 54… Blogger, journalist, and science fiction author, Cory Doctorow turns 54… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, Boaz Toporovsky turns 45… Para table tennis player and Paralympic gold medalist, Ian Seidenfeld turns 24… Arabella Rose Kushner turns 14…

• President Donald Trump is in The Hague, Netherlands, today for the NATO Summit. He’ll return to the U.S. tonight, following a press conference at 3 p.m. local time, 9 a.m. ET. More below on Trump’s comments at the gathering earlier today.
• This morning, Attorney General Pam Bondi is testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Justice Department’s FY2026 budget, while U.S. Agency for Global Media Senior Advisor Kari Lake is slated to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
• Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America are holding a two-day leadership mission to Washington, with conversations with lawmakers expected to focus on domestic antisemitism and the Israel-Iran war.
• Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will deliver a speech at the Institute of Politics in New Hampshire today on the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and “rebuilding American strength and deterrence in a dangerous world.”
• The Jewish Democratic Council of America is hosting an event this afternoon looking at the U.S. role during wartime in Israel. Dana Stroul, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East during the Biden administration, and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro are slated to speak.
• The Aspen Ideas Festival kicks off this evening in Colorado. Walter Isaacson and Fareed Zakaria are set to take the stage in tonight’s opening session for a conversation about global current events.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MATTHEW KASSEL

Zohran Mamdani’s presumed victory over Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic primary for mayor on Tuesday evening marks an extraordinary upset that until recently seemed all but unthinkable for the far-left state assemblyman from Queens who entered the race last October with virtually no name recognition. 

The stunning rise of the 33-year-old democratic socialist with a long history of anti-Israel activism sent shockwaves through New York City’s political establishment and is already reverberating beyond the Big Apple, raising questions over the ideological direction of the Democratic Party as it has struggled to land on a cohesive messaging strategy to counter President Donald Trump. 

With the midterms looming, Trump’s allies are already reportedly preparing to link Mamdani’s radical politics to the broader Democratic brand.

Meanwhile, in a place home to the largest Jewish population of any city in the world, Mamdani’s path to the nomination is also contributing to a growing sense of political homelessness among Jewish Democrats who voiced discomfort with his strident criticism of Israel and refusal to condemn extreme rhetoric such as “globalize the intifada,” a slogan that critics interpret as fueling antisemitism.

Mamdani’s insurgent victory five months into Trump’s second term was reminiscent of then-upstart Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s  (D-NY) upset primary victory over then-Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in the spring of 2018, one of the seminal moments that year of the political backlash to Trump. It was an early signal that the party, even as it elected a number of moderate lawmakers in that year’s Democratic wave, was moving inexorably leftward in reaction to a Trump White House.

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

Remember Beirut: In The Free Press, Albert Eisenberg, whose grandfather was killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, reflects on the recent assassinations of senior Iranian officials, including the July 2024 targeted strike against mastermind of the embassy bombing. “My grandfather was not an invading conqueror. He was a civilian employee of the U.S. government whose desire was to help build up other countries. He was murdered in 1983 by a regime that considers anyone they don’t like an enemy to be enslaved, tortured, or killed. This is not a regime that should ever be trusted with nuclear weapons, and our country’s involvement this weekend in preventing that from happening is justified. In any conflict, if there is one side deliberately targeting civilians — as Iran has done to its own people and to countless Americans since the ayatollahs came to power in 1979 — we should know that this is the side to oppose.” [FreePress]

Military Die is Cast: In The New York Times, former Secretary of State Tony Blinken suggests that, despite his opposition to the Trump administration’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, he hopes they were successful. The Biden administration’s “deployments, deterrence and active defense of Israel when Iran directly attacked it for the first time allowed Israel to degrade Iran’s proxies and its air defenses without a wider war. In so doing, we set the table for Mr. Trump to negotiate the new nuclear deal he pledged years ago to work toward — or to strike. I wish that he had played out the diplomatic hand we left him. Now that the military die has been cast, I can only hope that we inflicted maximum damage — damage that gives the president the leverage he needs to finally deliver the deal he has so far failed to achieve.” [NYTimes]

What’s in a Slogan?: The Atlantic’s Jonathan Chait acknowledges concerns over New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s defense of the “globalize the intifada” slogan, understood by many, including Jewish voters, to be a call for violence against Jews around the world. “The ambiguity of the slogan is not a point in its defense but a point against it. The dual meanings allow the movement to contain both peaceful and militant wings, without the former having to take responsibility for the latter. If activists refused to employ slogans that double as a form of violent incitement, it would insulate them from any association with the harassment and violence that has tainted their protests. Their failure to do so reveals an unwillingness to draw lines, as does Mamdani’s reluctance to allow any daylight between him and their rhetoric.” [TheAtlantic]

The White House is restaffing its National Security Council, weeks after mass purges following the removal of Mike Waltz as national security advisor that significantly downsized the office; Bloomberg reports that some of the ousted staffers have been asked to return to the NSC… 

The FBI is returning counterterrorism staffers who had been reassigned to immigration cases amid concerns about potential domestic terror threats from Iran…

Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) sent a letter to European Union officials raising concerns about proposals to downgrade or suspend the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel…

Congressional Democrats reacted with outrage to the postponement of scheduled classified briefings on the U.S. strikes on Iran, accusing the administration of attempting to hide the truth from lawmakers…

A majority of House Democrats — 128 — voted with Republicans to kill an effort led by Rep. Al Green (D-TX) to impeach President Donald Trump for striking Iran without congressional authorization; 79 members voted to move the effort forward…

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) suggested in an X post that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated over his opposition to Israel’s nuclear program…

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine defeated NYC Councilmember Justin Brannan in the city’s comptroller race; in Brooklyn, Maya Kornberg failed to oust Councilmember Shahana Hanif in the Park Slope district; former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) fell short in his city council bid, coming in fourth in a five-person race to represent parts of lower Manhattan…

A prominent member of Qatar’s royal family boosted Zohran Mamdani, a far-left Queens state assemblyman, in his campaign for mayor of New York City, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports…

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to announce his bid for a third term on Thursday…

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed suit in federal court in Massachusetts on Wednesday on behalf of two Jewish students, alleging that the university and a tenured professor violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including harassment on social media and in mass emails, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…