The new poll also found that three-quarters of Democrats support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland
Avi Ohayon (GPO)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump hold a joint press conference at the White House on February 4, 2025
Add JewishInsider on GoogleA new poll from a leading Democratic pollster finds Democrats broadly support the ceasefire and hostage-release deal reached between Israel and Hamas and a majority of them think President Donald Trump played at least a “somewhat important role” in reaching the agreement.
The poll, released Monday by the Democratic Majority for Israel and conducted by the Mellman Group, surveying 800 Democrats between Oct. 15-26 with a 4.9% margin of error, found an overwhelming share (72%) of Democrats favored the Trump peace plan when all aspects of the agreement were spelled out.
Details provided about the first phase included Hamas returning all of the hostages, alive and dead, and Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners, as well as an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The poll described the second phase as disarming Hamas, economic redevelopment in Gaza and “setting the conditions for a pathway to Palestinian statehood.”
Respondents favored the plan at 72% with only 4% opposed.
The description did not specify that Hamas has slow-walked the release of the hostage bodies, which it was meant to return shortly after the deal was reached, only saying that “While there have been flare-ups of violence, spokesmen from both sides have said they are still trying to make the agreement work.”
Almost all Democrats (83%) said the deal is an important achievement. Fifty-six percent called it a “very important” achievement, with majorities across all ideological, age, gender and race categories.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said Trump played at least a somewhat important role in securing the deal, with 31% of them calling his role “very important.” Trump remained universally unpopular with those Democrats polled, holding an unfavorability rating of 92%.
A majority of the Democrats polled (56%) said they believe that the U.S. should keep its alliance with Israel, though only 32% felt so “strongly.” Three-quarters (75%) said they support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland, with 12% saying they don’t believe Israel has a right to exist.
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Robert Kraft speaks onstage during the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year Honoring Jon Bon Jovi during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the tepid response by many far-left lawmakers to the ceasefire and hostage-release deal agreed to by Israel and Hamas earlier this week, and have the scoop on the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism’s rebrand to Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and its new “Sunday Night Football” ad airing this weekend. We report on Rep. Ro Khanna’s effort to distance himself from Holocaust denier Ian Carroll after both men appeared in a documentary that promoted antisemitic tropes, and talk to CNN’s Jake Tapper about the release of his new book about the capture and prosecution of Al Qaeda operative Spin Ghul. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Michael Koplow, Modi Rosenfeld and Klaus Schwab.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss. 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: Two years after Oct. 7 attacks, Israeli nonprofits struggle to pivot from crisis mode to sustainability; ‘A story about family’: Noam Tibon, director Barry Avrich reflect on ‘The Road Between Us’ premiere; and ‘Now, life:’ Former hostage Eli Sharabi shares his post-captivity resilience and optimism. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
- We’re continuing to monitor ceasefire and hostage-release efforts in Israel and Gaza following the Israeli Cabinet’s vote overnight to approve the Trump administration’s 20-point plan to end the war. The ceasefire went into effect at 5 a.m. ET. Israel began its withdrawal from parts of the enclave this morning.
- Earlier today, the IDF warned Gazans not to approach the areas of the Strip where troops are still stationed, while Hamas announced its police officers would enter areas from which the IDF withdrew. Within Israel, officials are notifying families of terror victims whose Palestinian assailants are being released as part of the agreement.
- In a filmed statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “all of the hostages will be home in the coming days…Two years ago, Simchat Torah turned into a day of national grief. This Simchat Torah will become a day of national joy.”
- President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Israel, and potentially also to Egypt, later this weekend, arriving in Israel early Monday morning. Trump is slated to speak at the Knesset on Monday, making him the fourth U.S. president in history to give such an address. He’ll join White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived in Israel last night.
- In the U.S., C-SPAN will debut its new “Ceasefire” program tonight. The show’s first guests include former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Faiz Shakir, a senior advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MATTHEW KASSEL
The newly brokered ceasefire and hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas was met on Thursday with a notable lack of enthusiasm from the most outspoken Democratic detractors of Israel in Congress — even as they have vocally advocated for ending the war in Gaza.
While the deal drew accolades across the political spectrum, from left-wing Israel detractors such as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to MAGA stalwarts, some of the most high-profile members of the far-left Squad and other ideologically aligned lawmakers remained silent well after the first phase of the agreement was finalized Wednesday or offered only grudging praise for the long-awaited development that could lead to an end to the war.
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Summer Lee (D-PA) and Greg Casar (D-TX), chair of the House Progressive Caucus, did not respond to requests for comment from Jewish Insider and had not weighed in publicly on the deal as of Thursday night, despite widespread reaction to the agreement on Capitol Hill.
In statements to social media, Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Delia Ramirez (D-IL) briefly voiced hope that the deal would hold but reiterated their accusation that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and called for increased accountability in the conflict, without referring to Hamas’ involvement.
Like Omar, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) made no mention of the hostages in his own response to the deal, which also expressed hope that the agreement would, “as soon as possible,” help end “this horrific war.”
The relatively muted comments — or lack thereof — underscore how anti-Israel lawmakers are reluctant to praise a major diplomatic breakthrough brokered by President Donald Trump — even as it aligns with their interests in ultimately ending the two-year war in Gaza.
They also highlight how the broader pro-Palestinian movement, whose extreme rhetoric has increasingly signaled support for Hamas as a “resistance” group righteously opposing occupation, has grown captive to a narrow and uncompromising conception of the war that attributes blame for the conflict exclusively to Israel while largely dismissing the suffering of the hostages.
scoop
Robert Kraft’s anti-hate group renames itself the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is rebranding under the name Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and launching a new advertisement focused on antisemitism that’s slated to debut on “Sunday Night Football” this weekend, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen has learned. The rebranded group, whose blue square pins have become a ubiquitous symbol in the fight against antisemitism, is airing the “Sunday Night Football” ad as part of a $10 million media campaign designed to redouble awareness of the steep rise of anti-Jewish hate.
Details: The new ad campaign, titled “When There Are No Words,” will be airing on one of the most watched shows on broadcast television — during a game between the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. “What do you say when a Jewish boy is kicked on a New York city sidewalk?” a voice asks as the 30-second commercial begins. “What do you say when a Holocaust survivor is firebombed in the streets of Colorado? What do you say when one in three Jewish Americans were victims of hate last year? When there are no words, there’s still a symbol to show you care. The blue square.” The name change and advertisement campaign — which will be supplemented by billboards and social media posts — are an extension to the foundation’s “Blue Square” campaign, which launched in March 2023, aiming to turn the blue square into the symbol for Jewish solidarity and opposition to hatred against Jewish people.
bad bedfellows
Khanna backpedals after sharing documentary clip with antisemitic influencer
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) distanced himself from antisemitic influencer Ian Carroll after the congressman posted to social media an excerpt from a YouTube documentary that featured separate clips of himself and Carroll, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The documentary itself, posted by a YouTube videomaker with the handle Tommy G, is filled with antisemitic tropes. The thumbnail for the video frames Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a puppetmaster with strings controlling several men in suits, posed in front of the White House, flanked by Israeli and AIPAC flags. There are also several dollar bills superimposed over the image.
Commenting on Carroll: Carroll, described in the documentary as a researcher, is an antisemitic conspiracy theorist who has engaged in Holocaust distortion. He has claimed that Israel and Jewish people are involved in a malign global conspiracy, control the U.S. government and were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. “This was a documentary made by Tommy G who interviewed me. I did not speak to or meet Ian Carroll. I stand by my words and should be judged by them,” Khanna said in a statement to JI. “I vehemently disagree and reject any views blaming Israel for 9/11, denying the Holocaust, or conspiracies about a Jewish syndicate exerting control.”
aid debate
Wisconsin Dem recruit calls for U.S. to halt arms to Israel
Rebecca Cooke, the leading Democratic challenger to Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) in a Wisconsin battleground congressional district, said at a recent campaign event that she supports a halt to U.S. military aid to Israel, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Follow-up: “I don’t think that taxpayer dollars should be going to fund the killing of children. Period,” Cooke said in response to an audience question, in a video obtained by JI. “I think this is a moral issue. The other thing that I’ll say is that I don’t think that we should send more military aid to the Netanyahu government invasion.” Asked about those comments, Cooke insisted to JI that she supports Israel’s self-defense. “My record is clear, I strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Cooke said in a statement. “I’ve expressed my deep concerns about the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, and I’m thrilled that a peace agreement has been reached and that the hostages will be able to return home.”
book shelf
In ‘Race Against Terror,’ Jake Tapper takes on the justice system and jihadism
In his new book, Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War, released on Oct. 7, CNN anchor Jake Tapper uses novelistic flair to explore the little-known true story behind a high-stakes, globe-spanning effort to prosecute jihadist Spin Ghul, who was ultimately convicted in federal court of killing American service members in Afghanistan. “My first goal for people who read the book is they’ll just enjoy the story and find it compelling,” Tapper told Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel in a recent interview. “I tried to write it almost like a novel in as compelling a way as possible. But a second goal is for people to think about the war on terrorism and the best ways to keep us safe,” he added, noting “an argument to be made that the attempt to lock Spin Ghul up forever keeps us safer than if he had just been sent to Guantanamo, where by now he might have been freed.”
War at home: Tapper weighed in on anti-Israel protests that have targeted his home, as well as the personal residences of other Jewish journalists and government officials. “I don’t think that it’s really an issue with my commentary as much as it’s an issue with my faith. … There’s any number of journalists in Washington, D.C., and these people targeted me and Dana Bash. Maybe someday somebody can explain to me why they protested outside the house of [former Secretary of State] Antony Blinken but not outside the house of any secretary or Cabinet official in the Trump administration. It seems pretty obvious to me.”
what comes next
Israel Policy Forum’s Michael Koplow: Hostage deal ‘frees up’ U.S. Jewry for long-term initiatives
On Thursday morning, news that both Israel and Hamas had accepted President Donald Trump’s ceasefire and hostage-release plan prompted a Jewish communal exhale of relief. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, there were scenes of dancing and jubilation. Some cried, some embraced, some poured shots of arak and toasted “l’chaim” — to life! In the Diaspora, Jewish groups across the political spectrum echoed that same sense of relief, welcoming a deal that promises the return of all living hostages within 72 hours of a ceasefire and the eventual return of the slain ones, as well as a potential pathway to stability in Gaza and the wider Middle East. To understand the role of American Jewry going forward, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim spoke on Thursday with Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum.
Shifting relationship: “American Jewish institutions are going to have to grapple with what it means for American Jews to have a different relationship with Israel,” Koplow said. “And that’s going to impact all sorts of things. It’s going to impact funding. It’s going to impact American Jewish education on Israel. It’s going to impact the types of Israeli organizations that American Jews interact with. So it’s way, way too early to say anything definitively, but I don’t think that we should expect that now that the war is over, everything is going to just go back to the status quo ante, as if the last two years didn’t happen.”
Read the full interview here and sign up for eJewishPhilanthropy’s “Your Daily Phil” newsletter here.
Worthy Reads
How the Deal Was Done: The Washington Post’s David Ignatius examines how President Donald Trump spearheaded the effort to bring the Israel-Hamas war to an end after many failed starts. “The blustering, go-it-alone president did it in an unlikely way: by listening to others and organizing a coalition that, by the end, included all major Arab and European nations, as well as Israel and Hamas. … He decided it was time for peace — and that he wouldn’t tolerate any more foot-dragging from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Hamas. Today, the battlefield is finally quiet. Trump’s peace plan could fall apart, obviously. This is the Middle East. Key details like disarmament of Hamas aren’t yet resolved. But in achieving his ceasefire, Trump demonstrated skills and used tactics that showed more flexibility and cooperation than are typical of him. He listened to expert advice and changed some of his views. He engaged in subtle secret diplomacy, especially with Qatar.” [WashPost]
Split Screen: In The Free Press, Gaza-born researcher and writer Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who lost dozens of relatives in the Israel-Hamas war, looks at the ideological gap between Palestinians in Gaza and supporters of the cause in the West. “Those who decided to spend the second anniversary of the attacks of October 7 ‘flooding the streets’ should instead take a step back and think about how they can actually be helpful to the people of Gaza and beyond. … One of the first steps to freeing Palestinians from the horrors of war is to free them from the ‘Free Palestine Movement’ in the diaspora and Western world. The unholy alliance between the far left, far right, and Islamist hooligans who normalize Hamas’s narrative is harmful first and foremost to the Palestinian people. Legitimate critique of Israeli policies is not the same as calls for jihadi violence and antisemitic rhetoric, which have become the norm in the toxic Israel and Palestine discourse that desperately requires level heads to prevail and radical pragmatism to be adopted across the board.” [FreePress]
Media Shift: Puck’s Dylan Byers considers the backlash to Skydance’s acquisition of Bari Weiss’ Free Press and installation of Weiss as editor in chief of CBS News. “It’s difficult, frankly, to see these reports as anything other than supporting evidence for Bari’s evergreen thesis about media bias — a desire to amplify the preferred narrative, rather than do the actual reporting. There may also be some envy at play, too. Most legacy media journalists who launch Substacks with bold mission statements about speaking the truth end up publishing uninspired partisan analysis and doing video chats with Steve Schmidt every week. Bari went out and built a nine-figure business. In the days since her start, I’ve surveyed at least 15 CBS News sources across the organizations and, in addition to the very real uncertainty around how this is going to work and what it will mean for specific people’s jobs, the overwhelming response has been excitement, cautious optimism, and relief.” [Puck]
Word on the Street
The Trump administration is taking a multi-agency approach to its crackdown on far-left groups with alleged ties to “domestic terror networks”; among the groups being investigated are the anti-Israel activist groups IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace…
Paul Ingrassia, the Trump administration’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, faced sexual harassment accusations, since retracted, from a lower-ranking female colleague who stayed in a hotel room with Ingrassia after he had, unbeknownst to her, canceled her room reservation…
The New York Times looks at the role that Jared Kushner, who had planned to stay out of government in the second Trump administration, played in the effort to reach a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, while Politico does a deep dive into how Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the White House’s special envoy, moved the deal across the finish line…
The Treasury Department announced sanctions on a Chinese oil refinery that handles nearly 10% of China’s crude oil imports over its facilitation of Iranian oil distribution in violation of sanctions…
A new Quinnipiac survey of the New York City mayoral race conducted following Mayor Eric Adams’ departure from the race has Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani leading former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 13 points; Mamdani had previously led Cuomo by 22 points in a Quinnipiac poll taken in early September, prior to Adams dropping out…
The New York Times profiles comedian Modi Rosenfeld, dubbed the “Orthodox Ellen DeGeneres” by fellow comic Alex Edelman for his routines that blend his Jewish background and LGBTQ identity…
The Financial Times reports on the “uncertain moment” that the World Economic Forum finds itself in following the departure of its founder, Klaus Schwab, and as “[m]ultilateralism is in retreat, protectionism is on the rise, and great-power rivalry … is remaking global governance”…
CNN spotlights Jewish families who chose to immigrate to Israel — or leave the country — following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks…
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize…
Indonesia denied visas to Israeli gymnasts who planned to travel to the Southeast Asian country for the World Artistic Gymnastics, costing the Israeli team its spot in the world championship…
German-born anti-apartheid activist and journalist Ruth Weiss, who escaped Nazi Europe as a child when her family settled in South Africa, died at 101…
Pic of the Day
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (center) met on Thursday with Jared Kushner and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Jerusalem shortly after their arrival from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where they met with negotiators to finalize an agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Birthdays
Physician, philanthropist and the majority owner of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Dr. Miriam Adelson turns 80…
FRIDAY: Professor emeritus of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, he has argued 36 cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, Laurence Tribe turns 84… Past chairman and CEO of KB Home, a nationwide home-builder known until 2001 as Kaufman & Broad, Bruce Karatz turns 80… Former director of the Center for Information and Documentation Israel in The Hague, promoting a positive view of Israel within Dutch society, Ronald Maurice (Ronny) Naftaniel turns 77… Former member of the Knesset for 30-years on behalf of three political parties, he has served in six ministerial roles, Meir Sheetrit turns 77… Long-time IDF Chaplain, Yedidya Atlas… Award-winning writer and photographer based in Albuquerque, N.M., Diane Joy Schmidt… Vocalist and songwriter best known as the lead singer of Van Halen, he is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, David Lee Roth turns 71… Co-chairman and chief investment officer of Oaktree Capital Management, Bruce Karsh turns 70… Former NASA astronaut who flew on five Space Shuttle missions, he has held many positions at NASA including chief scientist, John M. Grunsfeld turns 67… Shareholder at the Bethesda, Md., law firm of Selzer Gurvitch, Neil Gurvitch… Dean of Harvard Law School, John C. P. Goldberg turns 64… Founder and principal of Los Angeles-based real estate firm, Freeman Group, Rodney Freeman… Governmental relations and strategic communications principal at BMWL Public Affairs, Sam Lauter… Head of School at de Toledo High School, a Jewish school in Northern Los Angeles County, Mark H. Shpall… Governor of California since 2019, Gavin Newsom turns 58… Concert pianist and composer, Evgeny Kissin turns 54… Israeli comedian and actor, twice voted as the funniest Israeli, Asi Cohen turns 51… Chief rabbi of Vienna and of the Austrian Armed Forces, Schlomo Elieser Hofmeister turns 50… Israel resident and op-ed contributor for The New York Times, he is the author of four acclaimed books, Matti Friedman turns 48… Former two-time White House Jewish Liaison, now the director of Maimonides Fund’s Sapir Institute, Chanan Weissman… President of Ian Sugar Strategies, Ian Sugar… Head of U.S. government relations and corporate affairs at Glencore, Seth Levey… VP in the Chicago office of Goldman Sachs, Avi Davidoff… Rabbi of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, N.J., Elliot Schrier turns 36… North American campus director at CAMERA, Hali Haber Spiegel… Winner of Israel’s National Bible Quiz as a teen and then a soldier in the IDF’s Combat Intelligence Collection Corps, he is a son of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Avner Netanyahu turns 31… U.S. correspondent at Israel Hayom and deputy director at Jewish Virtual Library, Or Shaked…
SATURDAY: Professor emeritus of history at UCLA, winner of both a Pulitzer Prize and the Israel Prize, he won a MacArthur Genius fellowship in 1999, Saul Friedländer turns 93… Former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted then VPOTUS Spiro T. Agnew in 1974, he is the author of four novels, Ronald S. Liebman turns 82… Israeli novelist and documentary filmmaker, Amos Gitai turns 75… U.S. senator (D-WA), Patty Murray turns 75… Senior circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Barry G. Silverman turns 74… Past president and then board chair of Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Md., Helane Leibowitz Goldstein turns 72… Israeli ambassador to Germany, he has also been Israel’s ambassador to both the U.K. and the U.N., Ron Prosor turns 67… NYC-based philanthropist, Shari L. Aronson… Former EVP at JFNA, now CEO at the Vancouver, B.C.-based Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, Mark Gurvis turns 66… Owner of Sababa Travel, Sharon Kleiman Rockman… Los Angeles-based real estate agent, Peter Turman… President and CEO of NYC-based real estate firm Tishman Speyer, Rob Speyer turns 56… CEO of Focus at 50, helping Israeli companies break into the U.S. market, Asher Epstein… Director of development for Yad Vashem UK Foundation, Joshua E. London turns 50… Executive director of the StandWithUs Israel office in Jerusalem, Michael Dickson turns 48… Member of the Council of the District of Columbia since 2015, Brianne Nadeau turns 45… Political journalist, opinion commentator and satirist, Jamie Weinstein turns 42…SUNDAY: Long-time baseball reporter for The New York Times, he is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Murray Chass turns 87… U.S. Ambassador to Italy during the Trump 45 administration, he is a co-founder of private equity firm Granite Capital International, Lewis Eisenberg turns 83… Long-time Fox News anchor, more recently at CNN from 2021 to 2024, Chris Wallace turns 78… Retired CEO of Wakefield, Mass.-based CAST, a nonprofit whose mission is to transform education for students with disabilities, Linda Gerstle… Pediatrician and medical ethicist, John D. Lantos, MD turns 71… Dermatologist in Los Angeles, Lamar Albert Nelson, MD… First female rabbi ordained in Conservative Judaism, Amy Eilberg turns 71… Co-founder of Ares Management, he is the owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Tony Ressler turns 65… Deputy director of the National Economic Council during the first 17 months of the Biden administration, now a distinguished professor at Northeastern University, Seth D. Harris turns 63… Former executive director of Start-Up Nation Central until 2022, now a strategic adviser to Israeli start-ups including Remilk, Wendy Singer… Editor of The Wall Street Journal‘s Weekend Review section, Gary Rosen… Managing director at Goldman Sachs, he recently completed 31 years at the firm, Raanan Agus… Los Angeles-based trial attorney for many high-profile clients, Babak “Bobby” Samini turns 55… Producer, actress and screenwriter, Alexandra Brandy Smothers… Former member of the Knesset, she now serves as the co-chair of the Green Movement of Israel, Yael Cohen Paran turns 52… Computer programmer, creator of the BitTorrent protocol and founder of Chia cryptocurrency, Bram Cohen turns 50… Only son and heir-apparent of the current Rebbe of the Belz chasidic dynasty, Rabbi Aharon Mordechai Rokeach turns 50… Israeli actress, model and television anchor, Miri Bohadana turns 48… Reporter and host of “The Daily” at The New York Times, Michael Barbaro… Member of the Florida Senate until 2024, Lauren Book turns 41… Freelance journalist, Rosie Gray turns 36… Argentine fashion model and artist, Naomi Preizler turns 34… Pitcher for Team Israel in the 2020 Olympics and 2023 World Baseball Classic, he is the founder of Stadium Custom Kicks, Alex Katz turns 31… October 7 hostage, she was rescued by the IDF in June 2024, Noa Argamani turns 28…
Sen. Bernie Sanders didn’t mention the Israeli hostages in a comment expressing hope the war in Gaza would soon end
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (R) introduces Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during a campaign rally at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium March 2, 2020.
Democratic lawmakers who have been stridently critical of Israel and its operations in Gaza offered tepid support for the ceasefire and hostage-release deal, the first phase of which was signed on Thursday, while reiterating their criticisms of Israel and the U.S.’ support for the Jewish state. Few offered any words of support for the Israeli hostages who have been held by Hamas for over two years.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who has led a series of efforts to block arms transfers to Israel, didn’t explicitly praise the deal negotiated by President Donald Trump, but said he hopes the deal would lead to the end of a “horrific war.” He made no mention of the Israeli hostages set to be released, but asserted one-tenth of the Gazan population was killed or injured during the war.
“As of today something like 10% of the Palestinian people in Gaza have been killed or wounded, mostly women, children and the elderly. The United States has put tens of billions of dollars into an effort which has led to mass destruction,” Sanders told Jewish Insider. “So I hope — and I’m sure everybody else does — that this horrific war can end as soon as possible.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said on X that the ceasefire is a “hopeful step” but quickly pivoted to expressing unvarnished opposition to Israel. She also made no mention of the Israeli hostages expected to be freed from their Hamas captors.
“For the sake of humanity, let’s hope this will be a lasting and permanent ceasefire,” Omar said. “While this is a hopeful step, we must demand accountability for every war crime committed during this genocide and continue to call for an end to the occupation.”
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), the lead sponsor of legislation that aims to place strict conditions on critical arms sales to Israel, said on X she plans to continue to pursue that legislation.
“Immediately after October 7, I called for a ceasefire and for a path that honors our shared humanity. It is unfortunate that it took this long. However, I am hopeful that today’s ceasefire agreement will bring the hostages and prisoners home and end the bombing and starvation of the Palestinian people,” Ramirez said. “We must save Palestinian lives and pursue an end to U.S. complicity in Israel’s war crimes, atrocities, and genocide. I will continue to work to Block the Bombs, as we pursue a future of self-determination for the Palestinian people and a just and lasting peace for all residents of the region.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), tamping down on enthusiasm for the deal, reposted an X post suggesting that Israel may violate the deal.
“There is certainly some hope that the Gaza deal will hold but it’s important to remember that the last ceasefire agreement collapsed in March before ever reaching phase 2 when Israel reimposed a blockade on Gaza and bombings on the strip resumed,” the post, from an NBC News correspondent, reads.
Other prominent critics, particularly on the far-left, have remained unusually mum about the deal.
Squad members Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) and Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) did not respond to requests for comment and did not comment publicly.
Some other lawmakers who have been vocally critical of Israel’s operations in Gaza offered more fulsome praise for the deal.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said in a statement that the deal is “the first hopeful moment in a long time,” noting both the release of hostages and the surge of aid into Gaza. He credited U.S. pressure on Israel, however, rather than the reported increased pressure from Qatar, Turkey and Egypt on Hamas, for the breakthrough.
“Pressure from the U.S. and others has always been necessary to reach this moment — something that could have been achieved much earlier and prevented the staggering loss of civilian life, starvation, and devastation in Gaza,” Van Hollen said. “U.S. leadership will be essential to enforce this plan and convert this moment into real progress toward lasting peace — which can only be achieved by sidelining the extremists on all sides and committing to security, dignity, human rights, and justice for all.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who led an effort calling for the U.S. to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, also praised the deal and led with the return of the Israeli hostages in his comments.
“It’s obviously very welcome news. Finally, the hostages are going to come home. The bombing hopefully is going to stop. Israel is going to withdraw,” Khanna said on Fox Business. “Everything I have read seems that this is a welcome development. And I’m really glad that after two years of a war, this seems to be finally coming to a resolution.”
“Now, we need to work for 2 states & ensure the bombing does not resume later in the year,” he added on X.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) told JI, “For the sake of humanity, I pray this holds. It is so far past time to end this genocide, free the hostages, and surge food, water, and baby formula to starving families in Gaza.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) declined to comment, saying she had not reviewed the deal.
‘There is no chance we will agree to a ceasefire with Hamas that will only allow it to rearm, recover and continue its war against Israel,’ a senior Israeli official said
Mahmoud Issa/Anadolu via Getty Images
Smoke rises after Israeli army's attack on the Tuffah neighbourhood in the east of the Gaza City, Gaza on April 25, 2025.
Israel will not accept a Hamas-proposed five-year ceasefire and hostage-release deal, because it does not require the terrorist organization to disarm, a senior Israeli official said in a briefing to journalists on Monday.
A Hamas official said on Saturday the group would release at one time all of the remaining hostages in Gaza — 59 total, including at least 21 living — in exchange for a five-year ceasefire.
Hamas would not, however, agree to disarming and would only enter an agreement to end the current war in Gaza, rejecting a 45-day ceasefire and hostage deal proposal proffered by Israel earlier this month.
The Israeli official said that the five-year proposal has been “going around some Arab states.”
“There is no chance we will agree to a ceasefire with Hamas that will only allow it to rearm, recover and continue its war against Israel,” he said.
Regarding a recent report that Qatar encouraged Hamas to harden its stance in the negotiations, the official said that “the Qataris had a negative influence in the current negotiations.”
The official said that the reason Israel has been fighting at a lower intensity in Gaza since the last ceasefire ended on March 18 was to give hostage negotiations a chance.
”We want to exhaust the effort to return the hostages and that influences our patterns of action,” he said.
However, the official added, “our patience is not endless,” indicating that the war could increase in its intensity in the coming weeks.
With regard to President Donald Trump’s proposal for Gazans to emigrate, the official said that there are Western countries, including Canada, that told Israel they want to help their citizens or relatives of citizens get out of Gaza.
“People who want to leave should be able to, freely, and there are countries that want to absorb them,” the official stated.
Israel is still not allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. The official said that the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, a combined IDF-civilian unit that deals with aid, among other matters in the West Bank and Gaza, “is constantly monitoring, and if there is not enough food, the information will be given to decision-makers.”
“We have no obligation to feed the war machines of the enemy’s economy,” the official added. “The trucks strengthened Hamas’ economy … It was their main source of income. It led us to think about how to prevent this phenomenon.”