Plus, overnight Iranian strikes hit Israeli hospital
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images
This is a satellite image of the Fordow facility in Iran.
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on the early morning Iranian strikes that hit Israel’s Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Tel Aviv’s Diamond District and the city of Holon, and cover President Donald Trump’s comments on potential U.S. military involvement against Iran’s nuclear program. We cover Sen. Ted Cruz’s recent interview with Tucker Carlson and report on former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pushback against Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s defense of the “globalize the intifada” slogan. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Alex Wong, Morgan Ortagus and Haim.
What We’re Watching
- President Donald Trump will hold an intelligence briefing in the Situation Room this morning. The meeting comes days after the president reportedly approved a plan to attack Iran. Trump has so far held off on issuing the final order to move forward on the attack plan, in order to give Tehran the opportunity to abandon its nuclear program diplomatically.
- We’re also keeping an eye on U.S. military movements in the region, signaling U.S. military preparation for possible strikes on Iran — including whether those movements will include planes capable of carrying the bunker-buster bombs believed necessary to strike Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordow.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S Lahav harkov
Israelis woke to sirens this morning — a routine occurrence over the past week — but were shocked to learn that Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center, one of the country’s major hospitals, had been among the sites hit in the most recent barrage of ballistic missiles from Iran. In addition to Soroka, there were direct hits in the Tel Aviv area that wounded 89, including three seriously.
The missile struck the hospital’s old surgical building, severely damaging it and causing what a Soroka spokesperson described as “extensive damage in various areas” of the hospital complex. The surgical building had been recently evacuated in light of the war, and patients and staff had been moved to areas with reinforced walls. Injuries from the strike were light, hospital representatives said.
Soroka is the largest hospital in the Negev, such that the strike left a large swath of Israel without a functioning major medical center. Other hospitals in the area, including Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and Assuta Medical Center in Ashdod, prepared to take in patients from buildings that were damaged. Magen David Adom provided four intensive care buses, able to transport a total of 23 ICU patients and 50 lightly injured casualties.
Early Thursday, the IDF struck an inactive nuclear reactor near Arak in Iran after sending warnings to civilians in the area. The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said the strike included “the structure of the reactor’s core seal, which is a key component in plutonium production.” The IDF also gave details of strikes on the active nuclear site in Natanz, which “contained components and specialized equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development and projects designed to accelerate the regime’s nuclear program.”
In addition, 40 IAF fighter jets struck dozens of military targets in Tehran and other parts of the country, including factories manufacturing ballistic missile and air-defense components, as well as air-defense batteries, surface-to-surface missile storage sites, radar systems and other targets.
close to the vest
Trump on U.S. striking Iran: ‘I may do it, I may not do it’
There is a chance the U.S. will join Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday, adding that “nobody knows” yet what he will decide, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
What he said: “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump said in his first public comments about Iran after an hour-long Situation Room briefing on Tuesday. He said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “keep going.” Trump added, “So far he’s doing a good job.” He acknowledged that some of his supporters “are a little bit unhappy” about his posture toward Iran, but added that there are “some people that are very happy.” Trump further threw his support behind Israel’s actions: “All I’m doing is saying you can’t have a nuclear weapon. I’m trying to do it nicely, and then on Day 61, I said, let’s go,” he said.
Disowned: “My supporters don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon. … Very simple: If they think it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, then they should oppose me,” Trump said in response to a question in the Oval Office later in the day about the foreign policy debates between hawks and isolationists in the GOP base, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. “The problem is they get themselves into a thing: They don’t want them to have nuclear, but then they say, ‘Well, we don’t want to fight.’ Well, you’re going to have to make a choice because it’s possible that you’re going to have to fight for them not to have nuclear.”
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
Hegseth defends Kingsley Wilson amid questioning about antisemitic record
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth offered a strident defense of Kingsley Wilson, the recently promoted Pentagon press secretary with a history of espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories, under questioning at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
No hesitation: “I’ve worked directly with her, she does a fantastic job, and any suggestion that I or her or others are party to antisemitism is a mischaracterization attempting to win political points,” Hegseth said in a heated exchange with Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who co-chairs the Senate antisemitism task force. “Senator, you’re attempting to win political points on the backs of mischaracterizing the statements of a member of my department and I’m not going to stand for that,” Hegseth continued. Rosen shot back that his answer made clear Hegseth was not serious about fighting antisemitism.
TC VS TC
The key moments from the testy Tucker Carlson-Ted Cruz showdown
Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) interview on Tucker Carlson’s podcast published on Wednesday devolved into a shouting match at times between the two GOP heavyweights, with insults and charges of ignorance and antisemitism dominating the two-hour conversation between one of the Republican Party’s biggest pro-Israel champions and one of the most vocal critics of the U.S.-Israel relationship, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Increasingly tense: The interview was relatively civil for the first hour, but began to devolve when Carlson and Cruz started debating the benefits of the U.S. relationship with Israel and the merits of Israel and the United States allegedly spying on one another. Carlson pressed Cruz to say that allies spying on one another was wrong, which Cruz responded to by asking why Carlson and others had an “obsession with Israel” while ignoring similar behavior from other allies. Carlson rejected that he was “obsessed with Israel.”
TRANSITION
Morgan Ortagus joins U.S. mission to the U.N. after NSC shake-up
Morgan Ortagus, who joined the Trump administration as Steve Witkoff’s deputy Middle East special envoy, has now moved to a position at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. A State Department directory lists Ortagus as a senior policy advisor at the mission to the U.N., according to a screenshot obtained by JI.
Background: Ortagus left Witkoff’s office after a widespread purge of Israel and Iran officials at the National Security Council. Ortagus is close with Mike Waltz, President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor who is now his pick to serve as ambassador to the UN.
SEEKING STRATEGY
Top Senate Democrats caution Trump against potential U.S. Iran strikes
Asserting that President Donald Trump “owes Congress and the American people a strategy for U.S. engagement” in the Middle East, top Senate Democrats cautioned in a statement on Wednesday afternoon against potential U.S. strikes on Iran and argued that the president would need congressional authorization to conduct such an operation, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Why it matters: The signatories to the statement include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Mark Warner (D-VA), the top Democrats on several key Senate committees and subcommittees. The statement suggests that a direct U.S. military intervention in Iran would see little support among Senate Democrats. “We are deeply concerned about a lack of preparation, strategy, and clearly defined objectives, and the enormous risk to Americans and civilians in the region,” the senators said.
Elsewhere on the Hill: Meanwhile, a group of 10 House Republicans led by Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Ann Wagner (R-MO) wrote to Trump on Wednesday with a very different message: “We fully support future efforts to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program and, if necessary, take decisive action to protect American lives and interests, as is within your powers as Commander-in-Chief.” They also reiterated that no deal with Iran can allow Iran to continue enriching uranium. “Above all, we are in full support of the red line you have set with Iran to prevent them from regaining their power and influence in the region via proxy groups or a nuclear weapon.”
COSTLY COMMENT
Cuomo denounces Mamdani for defending calls to ‘globalize the intifada’
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke out against Zohran Mamdani, his top rival in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, for defending calls to “globalize the intifada” in a widely criticized podcast appearance this week, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Cuomo’s criticism: “Yesterday when Zohran Mamdani was asked a direct question about what he thought of the phrase ‘globalize the intifada,’ he dismissed it as ‘language that is subject to interpretation,’” Cuomo said in a social media post on Wednesday. “That is not only wrong — it is dangerous. At a time when we are seeing antisemitism on the rise and in fact witnessing once again violence against Jews resulting in their deaths in Washington, D.C., or their burning in Denver (sic) — we know all too well that words matter. They fuel hate. They fuel murder.”
Worthy Reads
Endgame in Iran: The New York Times’ Bret Stephens suggests how the Trump administration could use military and diplomatic means to achieve an end to the war that eliminates the nuclear threat from Iran and stabilizes the region. “Here, then, is what Trump should do: First, drop bunker busters on Fordo and other hardened nuclear sites to ensure that Iran has no fast route to a bomb. That would need to be followed up by dropping a diplomatic bunker buster on Tehran — the proverbial offer Iran can’t refuse. … The regime would have to agree to two things: First, permanent, verifiable, comprehensive and immediate denuclearization, including a system of intrusive inspections and an end to its enrichment programs. Second, an end to its financial and military support for Hezbollah, Hamas and other foreign proxies.” [NYTimes]
‘America First’ in Iran: In Semafor, former Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt explains President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran. “Meanwhile, Trump is showing Iran its options before it hits the point of no return. If Tehran pursued a new approach — surrendering its nuclear program, dismantling its missile arsenal and proxies, and allowing genuine freedom for its people — it could chart a different course. The likelihood of this is exceedingly low. Trump making the stakes clear is exactly on brand. He doesn’t waste time with niceties or euphemisms. He says things like, ‘We know exactly where the so-called “Supreme Leader” is hiding…But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers’ and threatening to kill the Ayatollah if he makes a false move. His direct communication style is worth a thousand clever diplomatic maneuvers.” [Semafor]
Iran’s Opposition in Fear: The Atlantic’s Arash Azizi talks to regime opponents in Iran about how they view the military confrontation between Israel and Iran. “Most of the activists I spoke with — about a dozen — blamed the war largely on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and evinced no political support for his regime. Nor were they supportive of Iran’s attacks on Israel, which have already killed at least 23 Israeli civilians, injured hundreds more, and sent thousands of people to bomb shelters every night. But they in no way welcomed the Israeli strikes on their country. They worried about their own safety — and also about societal collapse and the destruction of Iran’s infrastructure.” [TheAtlantic]
Proxies on the Sidelines: The Wall Street Journal’s Sudarsan Raghavan, Summer Said and Saleh al-Batati report on the reluctance of Iran’s regional proxies to join Tehran in attacking Israel. “The bruising wars have left Iran’s allies wary of taking on Israel, which has demonstrated vastly superior military and intelligence capabilities. Some are now focused on their own interests and have a lot to lose from an expanding war, such as Iraq’s militia members who are now making fortunes in the oil sector. Others, like Hezbollah, are trying to rebuild and nursing grievances over the lack of support from Tehran during the group’s war with Israel, according to Arab diplomats who speak to the group regularly.” [WSJ]
Word on the Street
The Washington Post looks at President Donald Trump’s inner circle advising him on Israel-Iran policy; Vice President JD Vance, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are among “a small group of lower-key but more experienced aides” who the president is leaning on over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard…
Politico reports on the leading role CENTCOM head Gen. Erik Kurilla has taken in overseeing Pentagon policy vis-a-vis the Israel-Iran war since it began last week…
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations called on Wednesday for the international community to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports…
Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) introduced a Senate version of a resolution condemning rising antisemitic violence that passed the House nearly unanimously earlier this month. The Senate resolution has close to 40 co-sponsors…
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee declined to call up Joel Rayburn’s nomination to be deputy secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs for a vote today, further dimming the prospects of Rayburn being confirmed to the State Department post, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
Bipartisan groups of House and Senate members have introduced legislation to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, sanctions legislation passed in 2019 targeting the former Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad, a step that proponents say will help remove obstacles to reconstruction and stabilization efforts in post-Assad Syria, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
The New York Times profiles Katie Miller, the wife of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former spokesperson for the Department of Government Efficiency who has continued to work for Elon Musk following his departure from the Trump administration…
Alex Wong, who served as deputy national security advisor until last month, is joining the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board…
Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, who has raised concerns among members of the state’s Jewish community for her efforts to lobby against antisemitism legislation, won the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney…
Federal prosecutors can move forward with hate crimes charges against an Egyptian national accused of firebombing attendees at a hostage-awareness rally in Boulder, Colo., following a judge’s ruling on Wednesday…
Applicants for student visas will have to put their social media profiles on publicly viewable settings as part of what a senior State Department official called “enhanced social media vetting” amid a broader crackdown on foreign students by the Trump administration…
The Wall Street Journal reviews “I Quit,” the first new album by Haim in five years…
Photography critic Vicki Goldberg died at 88…
Pic of the Day
Charles Kushner was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to France on Wednesday at the White House. In attendance were Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, in addition to other relatives.
Birthdays
Singer known as Skye, Daniel Skye turns 25…
Attorney, investment banker, film producer and former deputy mayor of NYC, Kenneth Lipper turns 84… Rabbi emeritus of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, N.J., Rabbi Bennett F. Miller… Historian of the Jews in Muslim lands in the modern era, he won the Israel Prize this year for Jewish history, Yaron Tsur turns 77… Retired territory sales manager for GlaxoSmithKline, Harry E. Wenkert… Retired president and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, last month he was appointed as the interim president of American Jewish University, Jay Sanderson turns 68… Inna N. Zalevsky… Overland Park, Kan., resident, Kathi Shaivitz Rosenberg… Former director of communications for Kings Bay Y, Adrienne M. Knoll… Member of the European Jewish Parliament for Latvia, Valery Engel, Ph.D. turns 64… Physician specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Jessica Rosenberg Brown, MD… Co-founder of Centerview Partners, Blair Effron turns 63… Singer-songwriter, actress and television personality, Paula Abdul turns 63… Former member of Knesset for the Zionist Union party, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin turns 55… Co-founder of nine venture-backed companies in the telecom, high-tech, pharmaceuticals, energy, water, and biotechnology industries, Andrew T. Perlman turns 50… Human rights activist and advocate for women and minorities in Iran, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt… Director of the export control department in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eitan Weiss… Director of affinities and major giving at the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Tslil Shtulsaft… Founder of JSwipe dating app, David Austin Yarus… Rhythmic gymnast from Israel who competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics, Neta Rivkin turns 34… VP at Jewish Federations of North America, Anna Langer… COO at Lightning Inspiration, Alex Jakubowski… Organization director at Senate Leadership Fund & One Nation, Cydney Couch…