Pope Leo XIV’s remarks come after a three-day visit to Turkey, where he met with leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches
Yavuz Ozden/ dia images via Getty Images
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greets Pope Leo XIV at the Presidential Complex during an official welcoming ceremony on November 27, 2025 in Ankara, Türkiye.
Add JewishInsider on GoogleFollowing a visit to Turkey on his inaugural international trip last week, Pope Leo XIV lauded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his peacemaking abilities and said Turkey has “an important role that it could play” in advancing peace in the Middle East and effectuating a two-state solution.
“I spoke about this with President Erdogan,” Leo said, referring to a two-state solution, which he called the “only” solution to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reaffirming the Holy See’s longstanding position on the issue.
“Unfortunately we still haven’t seen a solution,” Leo told reporters upon departing from Istanbul. “We know that in this moment, Israel doesn’t accept [a two-state] solution, but we see it as the only one that can offer a solution to the conflict that they are living in.”
Erdogan “is certainly in agreement with this proposal,” Leo said.
The pope’s comments and decision to share pleasantries with the Turkish leader have struck some in the pro-Israel community as out of touch and are part a pattern of recent remarks from the Vatican that have been critical of Israel, most notably in its handling of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
In October, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state, described Israel’s conduct in Gaza as an “inhuman massacre” — language Leo later endorsed. In November 2024, the late Pope Francis called for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide.
Leo’s remarks came after the pope spent three days in Turkey, meeting with leaders of Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of a gathering of bishops in A.D. 325 in present-day Iznik, Turkey. He arrived in Beirut on Sunday for the second leg of his trip, and addressed politicians and religious leaders, including Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the presidential palace.
Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, called the pontiff’s comments on Turkey “odd,” adding that his intentions were likely to “flatter his hosts but have little connection to reality.”
“At the outset of the war in Gaza, the Turkish government could have used its good offices with Hamas and Israel to play a constructive role helping to bring hostages home and bringing about an end to hostilities.” said Cook. “Erdogan chose an entirely different approach that offered significant political and diplomatic support to Hamas, demonized Israel, and [Turkey] was the first country to impose an economic boycott on Israel over the war.”
Sinan Ciddi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, echoed those sentiments, calling the pope’s comments “flawed” and “fantasy.” However, he noted that popes have a “record of being idealists.”
“One thing that Leo is probably trying to do is he seems to be much more interested in promoting the potential to pursue any avenue towards establishing peace where he sees conflict,” said Ciddi. “[The pope has] probably been advised that the Turks have sort of demonstrated ability to be a mediator in the Ukraine-Russia conflict … and Turkey is a Muslim country that is able to speak to Hamas and is an ally of the United States … so why not essentially go after that, as opposed to labeling it as a supporter of terrorism.”
The Vatican has long advocated for a two-state framework, formally recognizing a Palestinian state in 2015. But the pope’s renewed push comes as the Israel-Hamas war intensified international pressure on Jerusalem to accept such a model. Earlier this year, several countries — including France, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada — formally recognized a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained his opposition to a Palestinian state, a position that’s shared by a significant majority of the Israeli public in the aftermath of Oct. 7.
The pontiff noted to reporters that the Vatican is “friends with Israel” and seeks to “be a mediating voice that can help bring them closer to a solution with justice for all.”
Ciddi told Jewish Insider that while Erdogan has been “relentless” in calling upon the pope to condemn Israel, Leo “has ignored that.”
After his inauguration in May, Leo said that dialogue with the Jewish community is “close to my heart.”
“Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism,” the pope said in May. “Theological dialogue between Christians and Jews remains always important and is very close to my heart.”
During his recent trip, Leo indicated a willingness to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion in Jerusalem in 2033.
Plus, what the TikTok sale means for online hate speech
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on September 27, 2024 in New York City.
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we cover President Donald Trump’s meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday as well as his pledge not to allow Israel to annex the West Bank, and preview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UNGA today. We explore how the U.S. investors set to take over the majority of TikTok could impact the issue of antisemitism on the platform and report on Zohran Mamdani’s Rosh Hashanah visit to a Brooklyn synagogue well-known for its anti-Zionist activism. We also report on Rob Malley’s remarks yesterday about the closure of the classified information investigation into his actions as the Biden administration’s Iran envoy. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: May Mailman, Tony Blair and Jason Greenblatt.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Gabby Deutch, Marc Rod and Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: Post-Paramount sale, Shari Redstone is ‘full speed ahead’ on addressing antisemitism; Shomer Collective launch Shiva Circle initiative to offer ‘life jacket for grievers’; Concern mounts in Jerusalem as Qatar, Egypt set to take key roles in UNESCO. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the U.N. General Assembly at 9 a.m. ET. Netanyahu met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner yesterday in New York.
- The U.N. Security Council is set to vote later today on a Russia– and China-led resolution delaying the implementation of snapback sanctions on Iran.
- The traveling Nova exhibition opens today in Boston.
- In London, center-left officials, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are gathering for the Global Progress Action Summit.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S LAHAV HARKOV
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have much to respond to when he stands in front of the United Nations General Assembly’s green marble wall today: a cascade of Palestinian state recognitions by Western countries, a flotilla of activists, influencers and parliamentarians — protected by Spanish and Italian naval ships — and accusations of genocide leveled from the UNGA stage.
On the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday, Netanyahu vowed to “tell our truth — citizens of Israel, the truth of IDF soldiers, of our state.”
“I will condemn those leaders who, instead of condemning the murderers, rapists and burners of children, want to give them a state in the heart of Israel. This will not happen,” Netanyahu said ahead of his departure from Israel.
Netanyahu also plans on attacking what he perceives as the moral bankruptcy of countries he sees as rewarding the perpetrators of the Oct. 7 attack and casting Israel as a villain. His arrival in New York was accompanied by an advertising campaign launched by his office on billboards and trucks driving around Turtle Bay and Times Square with the message “Remember October 7.” The signs also feature a QR code that leads to a site depicting the atrocities of that day.
“The goal of the campaign is to remind world leaders and the public about the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and the unbelievable brutality of the terrorist organization that continues to hold 48 hostages in captivity in Gaza,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Ahead of the speech, Wing of Zion — Israel’s version of Air Force One — took a route that is hundreds of kilometers longer than usual, apparently to avoid the airspace of countries that might act on the International Criminal Court’s warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest. Wing of Zion flew from Israel over the Mediterranean to Greek and Italian airspace, and then continued crossing over the Mediterranean until it reached the Atlantic Ocean.
The route was longer than the one he took to the U.S. in July, which overpassed France. A French diplomatic source said that Jerusalem asked Paris for authorization to fly over its airspace, which it provided, but the plane took another route anyway.
PLATFORM PIVOT
TikTok’s U.S. takeover: Will it curb antisemitic content?
A new set of American power players appears set to take over ownership of TikTok’s U.S. business, a move pushed by Congress due to national security concerns over TikTok parent company ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government and broader societal concerns with extremist, divisive and harmful content often funneled to users through the app’s powerful algorithm. That algorithm is now expected to be licensed by the American software company Oracle, which would also manage the app’s security. With new ownership comes one key question about the transfer of TikTok from Chinese to American control, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports: Will American owners, with no ties to the Chinese Community Party, be more responsive to concerns about the proliferation of antisemitism, hate and extremism on the platform?
Wait and see: Anti-hate experts at the Anti-Defamation League and the U.K.’s Institute for Strategic Dialogue cautioned that it’s too soon to know, and that new ownership does not necessarily mean a major change in policy — or that a change would necessarily be in the direction of more content moderation. After all, TikTok’s algorithm, which feeds users personalized content it expects them to like via the app’s For You Page, is the source of the company’s success, because the more that users enjoy the content being recommended to them, the more time they spend on the app.
HOLDING THE LINE
Trump pledges he will not allow Israel to annex West Bank
President Donald Trump pledged on Thursday that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, the first time Trump has addressed the matter in his second term. Asked about reports that he told Arab leaders this week he would not permit Israel to make the move, Trump confirmed to reporters in the Oval Office that he opposes annexation, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch and Danielle Cohen-Kanik report.
What he said: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, nope, I will not allow it. It’s not gonna happen,” he said, hours after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Asked if he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue, Trump said, “Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it. Whether I spoke to him or not — I did — but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough, it’s time to stop now.”
In agreement: Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Abraham Accords, joined Trump in coming out against the Israeli government’s reported plans to annex portions of the West Bank, saying on Thursday evening that it was the wrong time to do so, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports for Jewish Insider.
TALKING TURKEY
Alongside Erdogan, Trump suggests he’ll permit Turkey to buy F-35 fighter jets
President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that he was likely to permit Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets as soon as “the end of the day,” ending a nearly eight-year blockade on Ankara’s acquiring the state-of-the-art fighter jet as a result of its 2017 purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Give-and-take: Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a meeting between the two and their respective teams, Trump said without mentioning the F-35s or the less-advanced F-16 jets by name that he expected the Turkish leader would “be successful with buying the things” he would “like to buy.” Speaking at the outset of his meeting with Erdogan, Trump said, “He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to a conclusion. You’ll know by the end of the day.”
Damascus dealings: Stability in Syria could help ease tensions between Israel and Turkey — two countries with competing interests in the region — and the U.S. has a key role to play in shaping the security agreements needed to get there, experts from the Middle East Institute said Thursday during a panel titled “Can Turkey and Israel Find Common Ground in Syria?” Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
VENUE CHOICE
On Rosh Hashanah, Mamdani visits synagogue known for anti-Zionist activism
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, attended his first Rosh Hashanah service on Monday night at a Brooklyn synagogue well-known for its anti-Zionist activism. The visit to Kolot Chayeinu, a nondenominational synagogue in Park Slope that has drawn controversy over its anti-Zionist orientation, comes as Mamdani is seeking to engage in increased outreach to Jewish voters ahead of the November election, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Polarizing position: But the venue choice also underscores his polarizing position in the broader Jewish community — where many Jewish leaders have continued to raise alarms over his anti-Israel policies and refusal to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” among other issues. Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel who has identified as anti-Zionist, was warmly received at the Monday service, where he sat in the front row in a mask and a yarmulke beside Brad Lander, the city comptroller who is a member of Kolot Chayeinu. Lander, a close ally of Mamdani, recently described the congregation, which was one of the first to call for an early ceasefire in October 2023, as a meeting point for anti-Zionist Jews and progressive Zionists like himself. The synagogue, which maintains an “open tent” policy on Israel and Palestine, has faced criticism for promoting anti-Israel views in its Hebrew school curriculum in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
CASE CLOSED
Ex-Iran envoy Rob Malley says classified information investigation has been closed
Rob Malley, the Biden administration’s Iran envoy, revealed Thursday that the investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified information, which prompted the suspension of his security clearance and his suspension from his post, was closed earlier this year, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Going deeper: Malley claimed that he was never aware and had never been told what classified information he was being accused of mishandling, but said that the Justice Department had closed the investigation around two years after it had begun. Discussing Iran talks under the Biden administration, a Carnegie senior fellow, Malley suggested that President Joe Biden was never as interested in or committed to reaching a nuclear deal as President Barack Obama had been, and was unwilling to expend the political capital needed on Capitol Hill or with Israel to make a deal happen.
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Trump higher ed policy architect May Mailman explains antisemitism settlements
The Trump administration’s settlements with Ivy League universities, negotiated in response to alleged violations of federal civil rights law, are meant primarily as an attention-grabbing measure — a way to get more people to pay attention to President Donald Trump’s aggressive approach to tackling discrimination in higher education, according to an architect of those settlements, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Podcast playback: “When you see numbers like that, then you pay attention, and you look, and then you’re able to learn a little bit more, something maybe you wouldn’t normally learn,” May Mailman, a conservative attorney who until last month served as a senior White House strategist, told The New York Times’ Ross Douthat on an episode of his “Interesting Times” podcast that was released on Thursday. “A settlement on its own without a fine might not be taken as seriously by the public or by other universities as when there is a fine,” said Mailman. “These are small dollar figures compared to the amounts that they are getting every year from the federal government and from their donors — but I think it provides a seriousness and a focus on these in ways that promises only wouldn’t.”
Worthy Reads
Eye on Gaza Aid: In The Washington Post, Ken Isaacs, the vice president of programs and government relations at Samaritan’s Purse, reflects on his recent visit to Gaza and observation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s work. “I arrived in Gaza a skeptic of GHF but left an advocate. Simply put, the common portrayal of this organization radically distorts reality. I observed GHF’s relief operations firsthand. What I saw was not a textbook distribution — because no textbook exists for a war zone such as Gaza, where terrorist combatants hide among civilians. Instead, I saw GHF using unconventional means to successfully deliver food to civilians on a staggering scale under nearly impossible circumstances. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good. … What is needed: less ideology and more courage; less bureaucratic sclerosis and more moral clarity. Don’t let the pursuit of humanitarian perfection become the enemy of the practical good.” [WashPost]
Bibi Facing the Lions: Bloomberg’s Ethan Bronner gives historical context for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly taking place this morning. “For the past decade, as Israel also became richer and more powerful, the Palestinian issue seemed almost to disappear for many. Palestinians were divided and despondent, and Arab powers increased their links to Israeli defense and high-tech industries, paying lip service to Palestinian sovereignty. … For many around the world, [Oct. 7] was proof that the Palestinian issue won’t be buried, that the oppressed will eventually burst with rage. They expected Israel to retaliate but then for it to negotiate a joint future. Israelis saw things differently. The assault, involving the killing and kidnapping of children and the abuse of women, combined with a pile-on from militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, which included the use of ballistic missiles and was backed by billions of dollars from Iran, drove for them a stake into the heart of a Palestinian state where, they feared, radicalism could flourish and produce another Oct. 7.” [Bloomberg]
A Friend in Jakarta: In The Wall Street Journal, Haisam Hassanein reflects on Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s address to the U.N. General Assembly, in which he said that a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must recognize and address Israel’s security concerns. “Why now? Mr. Subianto is a former general with pragmatic instincts. He knows that in a world fractured by Russia’s war in Ukraine, Middle East upheaval and U.S.-China rivalry, stability demands fresh thinking. He also knows Indonesia can’t become a global leader while clinging to outdated slogans. … Critics in Jakarta and elsewhere will accuse him of betraying the Palestinian cause. In truth, his statement reflects a hard reality: Palestinians won’t win independence by denying Israelis’ right to security, just as Israelis can’t win peace by ignoring Palestinian aspirations. Progress requires mutual legitimacy. Mr. Subianto’s speech was a rare reminder of that balance.” [WSJ]
Word on the Street
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is summoning hundreds of generals and military officials stationed around the world to Virginia next week…
El0n Musk’s xAI inked an agreement with the General Services Administration to provide federal agencies with access to the artificial intelligence chatbot…
A group of 30 House Democrats urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to leverage a joint statement from the Arab League this summer, which called for Hamas’ disarmament and removal of power, the release of hostages and a path toward a two-state solution, as a potential diplomatic breakthrough for the region, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The lawmakers also condemned the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state recently undertaken by several close U.S. allies…
Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, who met in Washington last month with President Donald Trump, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, is reportedly seeking a role in Trump’s postwar plan for Gaza…
The Justice Department is pressing federal prosecutors to investigate George Soros’ Open Society Foundations…
In The Wall Street Journal, Tikvah Fund President and CEO Eric Cohen explains how the organization will use its recent grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the largest in the endowment’s history, to counter antisemitism…
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will sell 8% of the football team, which he purchased for $172 million in 1994, to Sixth Street Partners and Dean Metropoulos, in a deal that values the franchise at $9 billion…
Microsoft ended the access given to the IDF’s Unit 8200 to its Azure cloud platform, alleging the IDF violated the company’s terms of service by storing surveillance information in the cloud; the termination comes after protests at Microsoft’s headquarters, including a sit-in in the office of President Brad Smith…
A California man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for a series of firebombings and arson attacks in the Bay Area that he said were inspired by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks…
Gene Simmons, Lisa Edelstein and Mayim Bialik were among the more than 1,200 artists and media industry names who signed onto a letter opposing a recent call by other Hollywood boldfaced names to boycott Israeli film institutions…
The UEFA Europa League is slated to vote next week on banning Israel’s national soccer team…
The European Broadcasting Union will hold a vote in November on expelling Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest…
Israeli authorities arrested a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who previously lived in Morocco on charges of spying for Iran after he was approached by operatives from Tehran earlier this year…
Newly obtained satellite photos indicate that Iran likely carried out an undeclared missile test last week…
New York Times puzzle creator Mel Taub died at 97…
Pic of the Day
Hostage family members attended the American Jewish Committee’s annual Global Jewish Diplomacy Reception at Manhattan’s Harmonie Club last night on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, some of whom offered staunch criticism of the Israeli government’s handling of the war in Gaza, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports for Jewish Insider.
Birthdays
Hockey reporter for Sportsnet and as an insider for the NHL Network, Elliotte Friedman turns 55 on Saturday…
FRIDAY: Stage, film and television actor, he is best known as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” appearing in Dos Equis beer commercials, Jonathan Goldsmith turns 87… CEO of Israel Longhorn Project, dedicated to bringing Texas longhorn cattle to Israel, Robin Rosenblatt turns 77… Five Towns (N.Y.) resident, Barry Mandel… Former chairman and CEO of the French engineering conglomerate Alstom, he is the son of Holocaust survivors, Patrick Kron turns 72… Senior political advisor to President Bill Clinton during his second term and co-author of a New York Times best-seller on the future of politics in the U.S., Doug Sosnik turns 69… Chairman of Huntington National Bank and chairman of Jewish Federations of North America, Gary H. Torgow turns 69… Teaneck-resident with a Jersey City dental practice, Paul Lustiger, DDS… Historian, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Robert Kagan turns 67… Chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), Mark Isakowitz turns 59… Professional poker player with four World Series of Poker bracelets, his lifetime winnings exceed $13.9 million, Josh Arieh turns 51… Men’s basketball head coach at the University of Nevada Las Vegas starting this year, he was the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year, Josh Pastner turns 48… CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, David G. Greenfield turns 47… Former communications director for New York Gov. David Paterson, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), she now heads a NYC based PR firm, Risa Beth Heller turns 46… Television host and producer, in 2020 he came in second on “Dancing with the Stars,” Yaniv “Nev” Schulman turns 41… NYC-based senior editor of global digital video programming at Bloomberg LP, Henry Seltzer… Associate director of policy and government affairs at AIPAC, Joshua Nason… Joanna Weiss DiMarco turns 35… Senior director of development at Tamid Group, Alec Deer… Director of strategic initiatives at the National Black Empowerment Council, Marvel Joseph…
SATURDAY: Co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Arthur M. Blank turns 83… Of counsel, business litigator at the Jaszczuk law firm, Stephen J. Landes turns 80… Board member of the Milken Family Foundation, Ellen Sandler… Chairman of the Victoria Beckham fashion brand, Ralph Toledano turns 74… Longtime Washington correspondent, he is the author of books on Israel’s defense, intelligence and diplomatic services, Dan Raviv turns 71… President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond until 2017, he was a recent chair of the Richmond Jewish Foundation, Jeffrey M. Lacker turns 70… President of public relations firm BGR (Barbour, Griffith & Rogers), Jeffrey H. Birnbaum turns 69… Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 until earlier this year, he is married to a Minneapolis rabbi, Marcia A. Zimmerman, Frank Hornstein turns 66… Comedian and author, he used to be a frequent guest on both Letterman and Conan O’Brien, Marc Maron turns 62… Chief rabbi of France since 2014, Rabbi Haïm Korsia turns 62… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005, she was chairperson of the DNC until 2016, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) turns 59… Literary and film publicist based in Israel, she is also the publisher of Intelligentsia Books, Judy Tashbook Safern… President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Michael Balaban turns 59… President of NBC News Editorial, Rebecca Blumenstein turns 59… Rabbi and kabbalist, Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto turns 52… Israel’s special envoy for innovation, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum turns 52… Author of four books on North Africa and the Middle East and president of The Center for Peace Communications, Joseph Braude… Musician, actress, writer, director and comedian, Carrie Rachel Brownstein turns 51… State Treasurer of Ohio from 2011 until 2019, Josh Mandel turns 48… Architect, entrepreneur and author, Marc Kushner turns 48… Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the D.C. suburbs, Daniel Isaac Helmer turns 44… SVP and rabbi-in-residence at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Rori Picker Neiss… Advisory manager for cyber and strategic risk at Deloitte, she was previously a Hebrew teacher and coordinator of Jewish programs at Zeta Beta Tau, Alexa Wertman Brown… Actor best known for his role as Geoff Schwartz in 161 episodes of ABC’s “The Goldbergs,” Sam Lerner turns 33…
SUNDAY: International Emmy Award-winning Scottish television producer, Sir Jeremy Israel Isaacs turns 93… Former governor of Vermont (the first Jewish woman elected to govern any state), she was also the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, Madeleine May Kunin turns 92… Physician and theoretical biologist, he was a 1987 MacArthur genius fellow, Stuart Kauffman turns 86… Former president of Warner Home Video, Warren Lieberfarb turns 82… French businessman who, with his brother, own the controlling interest in the House of Chanel and several famous vineyards, Alain Wertheimer turns 77… Real estate agent in New York’s Hudson Valley, Jerry Weiss… Teaneck, N.J.-based real estate attorney, Gary E. Miller… Physician and U.S. senator (R-LA), Bill Cassidy turns 68… Pediatrician and author of the book Winning A Debate with An Israel Hater about the fight against BDS, Dr. Michael Harris… Best-selling author of more than 25 books, he is also a magazine journalist, Ben Greenman turns 56… President and CEO of the JCC Association of North America, Barak Hermann… Area director for San Diego and Orange counties for AIPAC, Elliott Nahmias… Winner of four Olympic gold medals in swimming for the USA (2000 and 2004), Leonid “Lenny” Krayzelburg turns 50… News editor and correspondent at Voice of America, Michael Lipin… Israeli Ironman triathlete, Nina Pekerman turns 48… SVP at the Katz Watson Group, Lauren France… Director of field marketing for the Anti-Defamation League, Samantha Collidge… Regional director for the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition, Hadassa Levenson Korn… VP of operations at Tel Aviv-based iAngels, Ayelet Cohen… 2023 graduate of Yale Law School and author of a coming-of-age novel set in the Modern Orthodox community, David Hopen turns 32… Former NFL, XFL and CFL wide receiver and kick returner, Daniel Braverman turns 32…
The comments, made after meeting with Turkish President Erdogan, are the first time Trump addressed the issue in his second term
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump pledged on Thursday that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, the first time Trump has addressed the matter in his second term.
Asked about reports that he told Arab leaders this week he would not permit Israel to make the move, Trump confirmed to reporters in the Oval Office that he opposes annexation. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, nope, I will not allow it. It’s not gonna happen,” he said, hours after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Asked if he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue, Trump said, “Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it. Whether I spoke to him or not — I did — but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough, it’s time to stop now.”
Netanyahu will address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, and he and Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Monday, for their fourth White House meeting of the year.
In his own General Assembly address earlier this week, Trump pledged his support for Israel and sharply criticized several European nations who had unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state. He did not mention annexation or include any criticism of Israel in his remarks.
Netanyahu has pledged to respond to those moves next week, with annexation of the West Bank viewed as one possible action he could pursue, under pressure from right-wing elements of his governing coalition.
Trump: ‘He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to a conclusion’
President Donald Trump (R) delivers remarks during a meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that he was likely to permit Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets as soon as “the end of the day,” ending a nearly eight year blockade on Ankara’s acquiring the top-of-the-line fighter jet as a result of its 2017 purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system.
Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a meeting between the two and their respective teams, Trump said without mentioning the F-35’s or the less-advanced F-16 jets by name that he expected the Turkish leader would “be successful with buying the things” he would “like to buy.”
“He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to a conclusion. You’ll know by the end of the day,” Trump said at the outset of his meeting with Erdogan.
The White House declined to comment on what the president was referring to or if an announcement regarding resumed F-35 sales to Ankara was imminent.
Erdogan has focused his visit to the White House, his first such trip in six years, around securing U.S. sanctions relief and approval for new arms deals, including the F-35 jets and other fighter and Boeing aircraft. Trump implemented the sanctions during his first term after Turkey purchased a Russian air defense system that U.S. officials warned could be used by the Russians to harness data on the F-35’s capabilities and compromise the aircraft.
The sanctions, pursued through the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, are still in place due to Turkey’s refusal to replace the Russian system. The Biden administration approved the sale of F-16 jets to Turkey in early 2023 on the condition of Ankara allowing Sweden to join NATO.
The prospect of Trump changing course on the sale has sparked bipartisan concern from some lawmakers. While some see such a sale as a way to incentivize better behavior from Ankara, others have warned that the embrace could have the opposite effect.
A bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday urging the Trump administration against approving a deal for F-16s or F-35s.
It was signed by Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dina Titus (D-NV), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Don Bacon (R-NE), Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Gabe Amo (D-RI). The American Jewish Committee, CUFI Action Fund and FDD Action were among the organizations that endorsed the letter.
“The security risks of Turkey’s acquisition and continued possession of the Russian S-400 system are well known. The S-400 poses a direct threat to U.S. military aircraft, including both the F-16 and F-35, by enabling Russian intelligence to gain insight into sensitive U.S. military technology if operated alongside these platforms,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Congress has consistently upheld bipartisan restrictions on Turkey’s access to the F-35. Any move to reverse this policy without first securing the statutorily required certification would be a clear violation of U.S. law, undermine Congressional authority, and signal to others that U.S. law and strategic principles can be disregarded,” they added.
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