• We’re watching the unfolding situation in the Middle East after clashes between the U.S. and Iran broke out late yesterday, threatening to end the tenuous ceasefire that went into place last month. President Donald Trump told ABC News on Thursday that the strikes did not constitute a breakdown of the ceasefire, but served as a “love tap.”
• The president took a more hard-line approach on his Truth Social site, writing, “A normal country would have allowed these destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal country. They are led by LUNATICS, and if they had the chance to use a nuclear weapon, they would do it, without question. But they’ll never have that opportunity and, just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their deal signed, FAST!”
• The strikes came shortly after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait lifted their restrictions on the U.S. military’s use of the countries’ airspace and bases that went into place earlier this week with the start of the Trump administration’s Project Freedom. 
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio wraps up his two-day trip to Italy and the Vatican today.
• In Geneva, the World Jewish Congress will kick off its three-day governing board meeting on Sunday and will also hold a meeting of special envoys and coordinators combating antisemitism. 

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MELISSA WEISS

All politics is local, as the saying goes. And if true, that could be very bad news for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer following yesterday’s local elections across the country that saw significant losses for his Labour Party — a showing that could prompt party officials to reassess the party’s direction.

With partial results in shortly after polls closed, Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform U.K. Party appeared to have made significant gains in working-class areas of the country, while Labour lost hundreds of local seats. Farage, who has faced multiple allegations of antisemitism — including bullying Jewish classmates as a teenager and promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, as well as his multiple appearances on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show — was the night’s clear victor. 

All told, Labour did not lose as badly as some polls had predicted, but the significant losses it did suffer, compared to Reform’s gains, portend future challenges for Starmer as he works to hold onto the premiership, less than two years into his term. 

The other big loser in the day’s elections was Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party, which, aside from reclaiming London’s Wandsworth and Westminster districts (both of which it lost to Labour in the 2022 elections), made few significant gains, while the Green Party fared better than Labour and the Tories, pulling out modest wins and gaining at least a dozen seats. 

That the two parties claiming the best outcomes fall on opposite — and extreme — ends of the political spectrum is deepening concerns among British Jews, who are already on edge amid spiking antisemitism and a wave of violent attacks targeting Jewish communities around the country. The country’s Jewish leaders have not come out in force against Farage, who is broadly supportive of Israel, and his Reform Party in the same way they’ve raised concerns about antisemitism in Labour and the Greens.

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

Financing Foreign Policy: The Economist looks at the Development Finance Corporation and its CEO, Ben Black, describing the agency as “the muscular new finance arm” of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. “Now money will go wherever America competes with China, and to projects with Mr Trump’s other foreign-policy goals. Do-goodery is out; hard-nosed geopolitics is in. The board, which approves new investments, includes Marco Rubio and Howard Lutnick, secretaries of state and commerce, respectively. … [T]he DFC will operate like a Wall Street investment firm, insiders say. In February Mr Black opened an office in New York. This makes it easier to work with hedge funds, which the DFC favours as partners over development institutions.” [TheEconomist]

Pregnant Pause: In Newsweek, former White House Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt considers President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran. “The pause is not capitulation. It is not President Trump’s fear. It is not a response to media criticism. And while some will connect it to gas prices and the approaching midterm elections, I do not believe that is what is driving this. What it is, is a high-stakes decision made under pressure, pressure that President Trump himself has been applying to Iran, not the other way around.” [Newsweek]

Seeing Red in Golders Green: The Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg observes the challenges in addressing the U.K.’s antisemitism problem amid regular attacks on the country’s Jewish community. “The responses to the stabbings in Golders Green help explain how this predicament arose — and why it continues. Even as the victims were still in the hospital, an array of online apologists associated with Britain’s ascendant hard-left explained away the incident and its implications. … Whatever the alleged perpetrator’s internal demons, he didn’t travel across London to attack Presbyterians.” [TheAtlantic]

Cleric’s Calling Card: In The Wall Street Journal, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who as a district court judge presided over the case of the “Blind Sheikh,” on whose behalf New Jersey congressional candidate Adam Hamawy testified, raises concerns about Hamawy’s ties to the radical cleric. “Mr. Hamawy was more than a casual traveling companion of Abdel Rahman. He met the Blind Sheikh in 1991 after the cleric had already been charged with providing the spiritual authority for the 1981 assassination of Mubarak’s predecessor, Anwar Sadat, although an Egyptian court acquitted him of direct involvement in that crime. Mr. Hamawy attended several of Abdel Rahman’s sermons, visited the cleric in his home before his trial and provided him with translation services.” [WSJ]

A Gulf Between: In the Jewish News Syndicate, Betsy Berns Korn, the chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, reflects on the differences in Israel’s positioning between the 1991 Gulf War and the present conflict with Iran. “Sustained threats from Iran and its proxies have forced countries across the Mideast to reassess both risk and partnership. That reassessment has brought Israel into a more central role, not as a symbol, but as a proven contributor to regional security. This does not resolve the region’s conflicts. … It does, however, mark a shift that few would have anticipated a generation ago. A story that once centered on Israeli restraint now includes Israeli capability. A region that once treated Israel as a liability now increasingly turns to it in moments of danger.” [JNS]

The Trump administration signed off on the sale of $17 billion in air defense missiles and related weaponry to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain despite dwindling U.S. stockpiles…

The Economist reports on a proposal from the Russian army’s intelligence unit suggesting that Moscow would offer Iran thousands of high-tech drones for use against U.S. targets in the Gulf; the outlet said it could not confirm if the document, which was undated, was ultimately presented to the Iranians…

The Financial Times spotlights Hezbollah’s scaled-up efforts to attack Israel despite the severe blows it was dealt before the November 2024 ceasefire, finding that the Iran-backed terror group used the period of calm to rebuild and rearm…

In The Washington Post, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has long faced calls to switch his party affiliation, explains why he intends to remain a Democrat, but warns that the party’s “catering to the fringe” has resulted in a scenario in which “once-common views,” such as support for Israel and secure border, “have become increasingly toxic”…

Puck looks at concerns around the reemergence of National Security Action, the foreign policy group started by former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Obama administration official Ben Rhodes, as former Biden and Obamaworld staffers attempt to influence the Democratic Party’s foreign policy direction…

The Egyptian man who firebombed a hostage-awareness march last year, killing one person and injuring a dozen others, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole…

Authorities in Chicago charged a second man with battery and hate crime charges in connection with the assault of two Jewish students at DePaul University in late 2024…

Cornell University is investigating the circumstances around a confrontation between the university’s president, Michael Kotlikoff, and students who followed him to a parking lot after an event on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; video of the incident showed that Kotlikoff, who said he was harassed by the group, subsequently bumped students with his car as he attempted to leave the premises…

The Free Press interviews GG Gilbert-Soto, the girlfriend of Google co-founder Sergey Brin; in the interview, Gilbert-Soto suggested that Brin, who is Jewish, had been put off by the Democratic Party’s leftward shift, noting that “October 7 was also a big deal for him”…

Australian businessman James Packer is among the backers of Architect Capital’s bid to purchase a 15% share in OnlyFans at a valuation of $3.1 billion following the death of the platform’s owner, Leonid Radvinsky, in March…

Jillian Segal, Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, testified before the royal commission into last year’s Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack as the commission held a fourth day of public comments, during which it heard from a restaurant owner whose business had been damaged in an arson attack; the commission also heard from the head of a Jewish soccer club who detailed the “unprecedented” number of antisemitic incidents club members faced, among other witnesses…

Police in north London are investigating what they called a “religiously aggravated assault” in which a car veered toward a small group of Jewish students near the city’s Hasmonean High School for Boys; no injuries were reported in the incident, which comes amid spiking antisemitism in the country…

The United Arab Emirates sent $100 million to the Board of Peace — the largest sum the group has so far received — to fund training for a Palestinian police force that will operate in Gaza…

A report from the office of USAID’s inspector general found that four additional staffers from the U.N. Relief and Works Agency — three teachers and a social worker — participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel…

Talks between Wizz Air and Israel’s Transportation Ministry to create a hub for the discount airline have broken down amid Wizz’s hesitance to restart flights to Ben Gurion Airport in accordance with an advisory from the EU Aviation Safety Agency that instructed European airlines to avoid Israeli airspace amid the war with Iran…

Israel’s Health Ministry said there were no reported cases of hantavirus in the country following a report in Ma’ariv that an individual had been hospitalized with the virus…

An Israeli court indicted a West Bank settler a week after his arrest for the filmed assault of a Catholic nun near Jerusalem’s Old City…

WhatsApp founder Jan Koum’s Koum Family Foundation is making a $200 million donation to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center for the construction of a new medical tower at the hospital’s Jerusalem complex; the donation is the largest ever given in Israel’s healthcare system…

Francie Harris, an alumna of EMILY’s List and the energy, commerce and state departments, has joined Democratic Majority for Israel as chief of staff…

JI wine columnist Yitz Applbaum reviews the Shoresh 2024:

Spending one’s days at the source of fine wine is, I confess, the calling I should most like to claim in another life. A recent afternoon at the wonderful Tzora winery in the Judean Hills, in the company of my new friend Nathan, only reaffirmed the conviction. Misty Hills has long enjoyed its reputation as one of Israel’s finest wines, yet the true discovery of my visit lay elsewhere: in the Shoresh 2024, a wine of uncommon grace and quiet authority. It brought me considerable pleasure at the table, and as I had the foresight to acquire the better part of its production, I expect its company for some years to come.

The Shoresh 2024 is a thoughtful blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and cabernet Franc, aged for 14 months in French barrique. The nose opens with gentle notes of cedar. The first sip suggests rose petals; the mid-palate yields to the firmer presence of the petit verdot, lending welcome structure beneath the polish. The finish is, in a word, beautiful: long, refined and quietly composed. Pair it with a well-made quiche or fresh brioche, and it should drink wonderfully through the latter half of the decade.

Iranian rapper 021kid released a Persian remake of the Israeli war anthem “Harbu Darbu” earlier this week. The London-based artist, whose real name is Tony Mohraz, told Haaretz he reached out to Ness and Stilla, the Israeli artists behind the original, in order to rework the song into a protest song against the Iranian regime.

British actress, she is a vocal supporter of Israel, Dame Maureen Lipman turns 80 on Sunday…

FRIDAY: Senior judge in the U.K., Baron Leonard Hubert “Lennie” Hoffmann turns 92… Former president of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Stanley A. Rabin turns 88… International chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, he is a past president of the Canadian Jewish Congress and former Canadian minister of justice and attorney general, Irwin Cotler turns 86… MIT biologist and 2002 Nobel Prize laureate in medicine, H. Robert Horvitz turns 79… Former MLB pitcher who played for the Angels, Rangers and White Sox, Lloyd Allen turns 76… Chief rabbi in Dusseldorf until moving to Israel in 2021, Rabbi Raphael Evers turns 72… CFO for The Manischewitz Company for 13 years until 2024, Thomas E. Keogh… Retired USDOJ official, for many years he was the director of the Office of Special Investigations focused on deporting Nazi war criminals, Eli M. Rosenbaum turns 71… Former president of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs, Ga., Janice Perlis Ellin… Third-generation furniture retailer in Springfield, Ill., Barry Seidman… Former president of Clayton, Mo.-based JurisTemps, Andrew J. Koshner, J.D., Ph.D…. CEO and founder of NSG/SWAT, a high-profile boutique branding agency he launched in 2011, Richard Kirshenbaum turns 65… Novelist, author of If I Could Tell You and movie critic for The Jerusalem Post since 2001, Hannah Brown… Co-founder and director of the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund and a Maryland Climate Commissioner, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi turns 62… Israeli journalist, anchorwoman and attorney, she is best known as host of the investigative program “Uvda” (“Fact”) on Israeli television, Ilana Dayan-Orbach turns 62… Longtime litigator and political fundraiser in Florida, now serving as a mediator and arbitrator, Benjamin W. Newman… Canadian social activist and documentary filmmaker critical of corporate capitalism, she is now teaching at the University of British Columbia, Naomi Klein turns 56… Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2015 to 2020 and again since 2024, Ambassador Danny Danon turns 55… Stand-up comedian, writer, actress and author, known for appearing on the ninth season of “America’s Got Talent,” Jodi Miller turns 55… Novelist and memoirist, Joanna Rakoff turns 54… Senior advisor at West End Strategy Team, Ari Geller turns 53… Council member of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s Voice of the People initiative and election committee member for the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, David Wiseman… Director of strategic initiatives at J Street, based in Los Angeles, Josh Lockman turns 44… Ice hockey player, Samantha Faber turns 39… Former international spokeswoman for then-Israeli prime ministers Lapid and Bennett, Keren Hajioff turns 37… Founder and CEO at Axion Ray, Daniel First… Canadian beach volleyball player, he competed in the 2016 and 2024 Summer Olympics, Sam Schachter turns 36… Former White House senior policy advisor, now a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, Amiel Fields-Meyer…

SATURDAY: Holocaust survivor, philanthropist and social activist, she marched in Selma, Ala., with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965, Eva Haller turns 96… Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter, James L. Brooks (family name was Bernstein) turns 86… Guitarist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock-pop-jazz group “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” Steve Katz turns 81… Israeli rabbi who is a co-founder of Yeshivat Har Etzion and the settlements of Alon Shevut and Ofra, Yoel Bin-Nun turns 80… Mashgiach ruchani (spiritual guide) of Baltimore’s Ner Israel Rabbinical College, Rabbi Beryl Weisbord turns 79… Winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry, Michael Levitt turns 79… Pianist, singer-songwriter and one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, Billy Joel turns 77… Physician in Burlington, Vt., she was the first lady of Vermont from 1991 until 2003, Judith Steinberg Dean turns 73… Sharon Mallory Doble… Co-founder and board member of PlayMedia Systems, Brian D. Litman… Founding executive director of Chai Mitzvah, The Resource Center for Jewish Engagement, Audrey B. Lichter turns 71… Nursing home entrepreneur, he was nominated last October to become the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, Benjamin Z. Landa turns 70… Film director and producer, Barry Avrich turns 63… Staff writer at The Atlantic and author of five books, Mark Leibovich turns 61… Senior advisory partner of Bain Capital and owner of a minority interest in the Boston Celtics, Jonathan Lavine turns 60… Chief global affairs officer at Meta / Facebook, he was previously the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and a law clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, Joel D. Kaplan turns 57… NYC-based celebrity chiropractor, Arkady Aaron Lipnitsky, DC… and his twin brother, managing director at Baltimore’s Pimlico Capital, Victor “Yaakov” Lipnitsky both turn 53… SVP at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Lesli Rosenblatt Gillette… Owner of NYC’s Dylan’s Candy Bar, which claims to be the largest candy store in the world, Dylan Lauren turns 52… Executive director of the Richardson Center and former IDF paratrooper, he has negotiated the release of political prisoners worldwide, Michael “Mickey” Bergman turns 50… Senior policy advisor on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Aaron Scheinberg turns 45… Legal director at the State Democracy Research Initiative, Danielle Elizabeth Friedman… Opinion columnist and podcast host at The New York Times, he was a co-founder and editor-at-large at Vox, Ezra Klein turns 42… Jenna Weisbord… Principal at Blackstone Growth Israel, Nathaniel Rosen… Graduate of Harvard Law School, Mikhael Smits…

SUNDAY: Scion of a Hasidic dynasty and leader of the Beth Jehudah congregation in Milwaukee, Rabbi Michel Twerski… and his twin brother, who is a professor at Brooklyn Law School, following a career as dean at Hofstra University School of Law, Aaron Twerski, both turn 87… Real estate developer, his projects include NYC’s Deutsche Bank Center, he is the principal owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, Stephen M. Ross turns 86… Leading Democratic pollster and political strategist, Stanley Bernard “Stan” Greenberg turns 81… Israeli businessman and philanthropist, his family founded and owned Israel Discount Bank, Leon Recanati turns 78… Founder and CEO of OPTI Connectivity (Operational Productivity Tool, Inc.), Edward Brill… CEO of Medical Reimbursement Data Management in Chapel Hill, N.C., Robert Jameson… American-born Israeli singer, songwriter and music producer, Yehudah Katz turns 75… Claims examiner at Chubb Insurance, David Beck… Anchor for “SportsCenter” and other programs on ESPN since 1979, Chris “Boomer” Berman turns 71… Former NBA player whose career spanned 18 seasons on seven teams, Danny Schayes turns 67… U.S. senator (R-MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith turns 67… U.S. senator (R-UT), John Curtis turns 66… Reform rabbi living in Israel, she is the sister of actress Laura Silverman and comedian Sarah Silverman, Susan Silverman turns 63… Brazilian businessman, serial entrepreneur and partner with Donald Trump in Trump Realty Brazil, Ricardo Samuel Goldstein turns 60… Neil Winchel… Attorney general of Colorado, elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, he is now running for governor, Philip Jacob Weiser turns 58… Senior rabbi of Houston’s Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Brian Strauss turns 54… Israeli rock musician, singer-songwriter, music producer and author, Aviv Geffen turns 53… Editor-in-chief, recipe developer, art director and food stylist of Fleishigs, a kosher food magazine, Shifra Klein turns 44… Israel-based reporter for the Associated Press, Melanie Lidman… Video games reporter at Bloomberg News, Jason Schreier turns 39… Partner at Converge Public Strategies, Fara Klein Sonderling… Associate director of communications in the D.C. office of Pew Research Center, Rachel Weisel Drian… Freelance reporter, he is the author of a book on the Obama-Biden relationship, Gabriel Debenedetti… Editorial director at The Record by Recorded Future, Adam Janofsky… Actress who has appeared in many films and television series, Halston Sage (born Halston Jean Schrage) turns 33… Scriptwriter and actress, she is the daughter of Larry David, Cazzie Laurel David turns 32… Mollie Harrison…

BIRTHWEEK: Jane Daroff, retired social worker in Cleveland, turned 88 on Wednesday…

• Today is the deadline for Iran to send a revised peace proposal to Pakistan following the U.S.’ rejection of Tehran’s earlier proposal that offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all traffic but push off nuclear talks.The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday evening that the Islamic Republic is increasingly struggling amid the U.S.-imposed blockade that is cutting off Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked shadow fleet from selling oil to China.
• The McCain Institute’s 2026 Sedona Forum kicks off today in Arizona. Speakers at the two-day confab include Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Reps. Craig Goldman (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Jason Crow (D-CO), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Jim Himes (D-CT) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK); National Democratic Institute President Tamara Wittes, former CENTCOM head Gen. (ret.) Kenneth McKenzie, outgoing World Food Program executive director Cindy McCain, The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, Mo News’ Mosheh Oinounou, Polar Sun Ventures’ Ahron Cohen and David Axelrod.
• The Milken Institute Global Conference kicks off Sunday in Beverly Hills, Calif. Speakers at the annual gathering of business executives, philanthropists and politicians include Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Florida’s Ron DeSantis; Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mark Warner (D-VA); NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Meta President Dina Powell McCormick; university presidents from Dartmouth, Vanderbilt and the University of Southern California; former athletes Tom Brady and Shaquille O’Neal; and International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi. Jewish Insider‘s Gabby Deutch will be in L.A. covering the conference. Shoot her an email if you’ll be there, too. 

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S TAMARA ZIEVE

Kenton — a suburb of northwest London that doesn’t ordinarily get international attention — has become one of the epicenters of the wave of antisemitic attacks sweeping England against Jewish individuals, synagogues and other institutions of Jewish life. It also happens to be where I grew up.

Last month, its synagogue was firebombed, causing some damage to the premises. Thankfully, no one was hurt. It is just one of the many incidents of antisemitic vandalism, harassment and violence across the U.K. that have made Jewish life all the more precarious in what was, previously, seen as a safe, close-knit Jewish community. The situation escalated further on Wednesday, when two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, a suburb of London with a large Jewish population.

I moved to Israel as an adult, and have spent years covering the country as a journalist, most recently as Jewish Insider‘s Israel editor. In that time, the check-in calls have mostly gone one way, with friends from the U.K. touching base after terror attacks and through wars in Israel.

That dynamic has shifted in recent weeks. In a jarring role reversal, I have found myself checking up on Jewish British friends amid an alarming escalation of antisemitic attacks in London. 

Some will say the writing was on the wall, but there is a difference between knowing something is possible and watching it become real.

“At the moment, people across the Jewish community are waking up and almost expecting to find there’s been yet another attack,” Justin Cohen, news editor and co-publisher of the U.K.’s Jewish News, told me. “And this has now been going on for several weeks.”

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

Mourning Miranda, in the Cloud: In The Wall Street Journal, Danielle Crittenden, whose daughter Miranda died in 2024, reflects on uphill efforts to retrieve Miranda’s digital data while facing regular reminders of her daughter on her own devices. “Our online profiles outlive our physical bodies. We can pack or give away possessions, but the tech gods preserve the digital lives forever of those we’ve lost. … Thirty years ago, the deceased left behind paper letters, files and boxes of photos. Now, the ‘clouds’ hold every scrap of our existence after we die, locked behind walls. Miranda was a talented writer. Were there unpublished essays? What about her photographs?” [WSJ]

The Road to Ruin: In The Washington Post, the American Enterprise Institute’s Danielle Pletka posits that radical Islamism will be the next ideology to join nationalism and socialism as failed movements in the Middle East. “Now another hinge point is here, and this one offers a liberalizing pathway that can respect Islam (and Judaism and Christianity) while delivering a better life to the hundreds of millions of people who live in the Middle East. Such a movement would repudiate the ideologies, from pan-Arab nationalism to socialism to radical Islamism, that overpromised and underdelivered and instead tread the path of slow opening that is now seen in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and even Syria and Lebanon.” [WashPost]

The Bondi Disconnect: eJewishPhilanthropy Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross reflects on the disparity between Australian Jewish communal concerns and law enforcement’s assessments of those concerns leading up to the December 2025 terror attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, days after the release of a royal commission report on the deadly attack. “As violent antisemitism rises around the world — seen most apparently in this week’s stabbing attack in a heavily Jewish suburb of London and in last month’s attempted terror attack at Temple Israel outside Detroit — recognizing the difference between feelings of safety and actual safety becomes critical. … While it is easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, the Jews gathered at Bondi Beach did not need to ‘feel safe,’ they needed to be safe, and they weren’t.” [eJP]

The Financial Times reports that during the Iran war earlier this year, Israel sent its Iron Beam laser-defense system to the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian missiles in addition to a previously reported Iron Dome battery and operators…

The New York Times does a deep dive into recent attacks on Jewish individuals and sites across Europe, most of which bear the hallmarks of Iranian “hybrid warfare,” which the Times describes as involving “tactics, including cyberattacks, sabotage, assassination and disinformation campaigns, that are used covertly to destabilize countries, erode trust in institutions and undermine adversaries without provoking a major military response”…

Boaz Weinstein’s Saba Capital Management is poised to take over Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust, following a shareholder vote yesterday to replace the trust’s current board…

The Wall Street Journal looks at how the fallout from the release of emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Ariane de Rothschild is affecting the other branches of the Rothschild family and “threatens to deepen a divide among the descendants at a time when the two remaining banks bearing the family name are increasingly in competition”…

Yeshiva University announced that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will give the school’s commencement address later this month…

Rochester, N.Y., Rabbi Peter Stein served as yesterday’s guest chaplain in the House of Representatives… 

Mike Solomonov’s Zahav is celebrating its 18th year — represented by the Hebrew letter chai, which means life — with a series of Shabbat dinners hosted at the Philadelphia restaurant this summer…

In The Wall Street Journal, Rabbi Avi Shafran observes the clash between Rabbi Warren Goldstein, chief rabbi of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa, and Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff’s criticism of the war in Iran…

Authorities in Colombia are investigating the homicide of a Hasidic Jewish man from New York whose body was discovered in Bogota…

Amid tensions between Jerusalem and Kiev over allegations that Israel accepted Russian shipments of grain believed to have been taken from occupied areas of Ukraine, Israeli grain importer Zenziper rejected a Russian cargo ship slated to deliver a shipment at the port in Haifa; the Israeli Grain Importers Association said the Russian vessel “will be required to find an alternative destination for its discharge”…

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran’s national team will play in this summer’s World Cup across North America, after a member of the team’s delegation to the FIFA congress was denied entry to Canada this week, an incident that Ottawa’s foreign affairs minister said was “unintentional”…

Toward the end of the congress’ gathering, Infantino attempted a photo with the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian delegations, but was denied when Palestinian Football Federation President Jibril Rajoub, who in 2019 faced a FIFA investigation over his alleged glorification of terror, refused to stand next to Israeli Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman…

The New York Times reports on Hezbollah’s use of drones powered by fiber-optic cables that the Israeli army is struggling to combat; the UAVs, which are faster than normal drones and not controlled by radio signals susceptible to GPS jamming, have also been used in the Russia-Ukraine war…

The Jewish Theological Seminary named Rabbi Mike Uram as the school’s next chancellor; Uram, who is currently the chief Jewish learning officer at the Jewish Federations of North America, previously served as the executive director of University of Pennsylvania Hillel for 15 years…

William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, met on Thursday with Felix Klein, Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, at the Interior Ministry in Berlin to advance Transatlantic coordination against antisemitism.

Holocaust and genocide scholar, born in the Displaced Persons camp of Bergen-Belsen, Germany, Menachem Z. Rosensaft turns 78…

FRIDAY: Retired national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Henry Foxman turns 86… Professor at Yeshiva University and editor emeritus of Tradition, an Orthodox theological journal, Rabbi Shalom Carmy turns 77… Deborah Chin… Boston-area actor, David Alan Ross… Brigadier-general (res.) and former chief medical officer in the IDF, he was also a member of Knesset for 10 years, Aryeh Eldad turns 76… Of counsel at D.C.-based Sandler Reiff where he specializes in redistricting law, Jeffrey M. Wice… Member of the House of Representatives (D-CO) from 2007 to 2023, Edwin George “Ed” Perlmutter turns 73… Israeli entrepreneur and software engineer, founder and former CEO of Conduit, Israel’s first billion-dollar internet company, Ronen Shilo turns 68… Austrian-Israeli singer-songwriter, Timna Brauer turns 65… Real estate entrepreneur based in Southern California, Eli Tene turns 63… Member of the board of governors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, Rina F. Chessin… Member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David R. Karger turns 59… Israeli judoka, she is a member of the International Olympic Committee and the head of the merchandise division of Paramount Israel, Yael Arad turns 59… Majority leader of the Washington state Senate until 2025, he is a co-owner of minor league baseball’s Spokane Indians, Andrew Swire “Andy” Billig turns 58… Staff writer at The Atlantic, Jonathan Chait turns 54… Radio personality and voice-over artist, Gina Grad turns 48… Former professional tennis player with 23 USTA Pro Circuit singles titles, now a tennis coach, Michael Craig Russell turns 48… Attorney and co-founder of I Am a Voter, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization, Mandana Rivka Dayani turns 44… D.C.-based political reporter, Ben C. Jacobs turns 42… Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative producer at NBC News, Jonathan Gerberg… Former member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Marina Tauber turns 40… Team lead at GrowthSpace, Jenny Feuer… Principal at Forward Global, Omri Rahmil… Photographer known for incorporating Jewish culture into her work, she is the digital media editor at the Jewish Women’s Archive, Hannah Altman turns 31… Sam Zieve-Cohen turns 29… 

SATURDAY: Former U.S. ambassador to Denmark, he financed the visitors center at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., John Langeloth Loeb turns 96… Former lord chief justice of England and Wales, Baron Harry Kenneth Woolf turns 93… Retired professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, journalist, international negotiator and private consultant, Dr. Alon Ben-Meir turns 89… Author of 23 books and conservative political activist, Alan Merril Gottlieb turns 79… U.S. senator (D-VT) since 2023, Peter Welch turns 79… Former member of the Texas state Senate, she was born in NYC to Holocaust survivor parents, Florence Shapiro turns 78… Former USAID contractor imprisoned by Cuba from 2009 to 2014, Alan Phillip Gross turns 77… Co-founder and president of private equity firm NCH Capital, he funded the establishment of Chabad houses at universities throughout the world, George Rohr turns 72… Former under secretary of state for public diplomacy in the Obama administration, following a stint as managing editor of Time magazine, Richard Allen “Rick” Stengel turns 71… Member of the New York State Assembly since 2010, he was previously a member of the NYC Council and former Deputy Superintendent of the NYS Banking Commission, David Weprin turns 70… Former U.S. secretary of commerce in the Obama administration, she is on the board of Microsoft, Penny Sue Pritzker turns 67… Partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, she is active on many nonprofit boards including Penn Law School and the Jewish Federations of North America, Jodi J. Schwartz turns 66… Television writer and reality television personality known for his high IQ test scores, Richard G. Rosner turns 66… Admiral in the IDF (res.), he served as the commander of the Israeli Navy, Ram Rothberg turns 62…Chief rabbi of Slovakia, Rabbi Baruch Myers turns 62… Senior attorney in the Newark, N.J., office of Eckert Seamans, Laura E. “Lori” Fein… Founder and chairman of Shutterstock, Jonathan E. Oringer turns 52… Israeli writer known for his novels, essays and philosophical work, Yaniv Iczkovits turns 51… SVP of Drumfire Public Affairs following four years as deputy chief of staff to then-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Stephen Schatz… Journalist and founder of MamaDen, a platform that connects and empowers mothers, Julianna Goldman turns 45… Podcast host and founder and president of ETS Advisory, Emily Tisch Sussman… Attorney in the office of the New York attorney general, Gabe Cahn… Chief development officer at Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell, Susanna K. Cohen… Running back for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, A.J. Dillon turns 28… 

SUNDAY: Southern California-area writer and activist promoting wellness, Deborah Shainman Szekely turns 104… Senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University, Ely Karmon, Ph.D. turns 85… Television journalist known for his work at ABC News and Al Jazeera English, David Marash turns 84… U.S. senator (R-ID), Jim Risch turns 83… Venture capitalist and economist, his original family name was Jacobstein, William H. Janeway turns 83… Francine Holtzman… U.S. senator (D-OR), his original family name was Weidenreich, Ron Wyden turns 77… Six-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, Stewart F. Lane turns 75… Retired attorney, he represented political parties, campaigns, candidates, governors and members of Congress on election law matters, Benjamin Langer Ginsberg turns 74… Retired chair and CEO of Mondelez International, a multinational food and beverage company, Irene Rosenfeld turns 73… Retired partner from the Chicago office of DLA Piper, now a consultant at Washburn Advisors, Mark D. Yura turns 73… Political reporter and former columnist for The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Jeff E. Schapiro… Retired senior advisor at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Susan Steinmetz… EVP at NBCUniversal News Group, he is on the Board of Visitors at Duke Law School, Stephen Labaton turns 65… Former owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, Mikhail Prokhorov turns 61… Lobbyist since 2010, he was previously deputy assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs in the Bush 43 administration, Scott A. Kamins… Veteran NHL player, he is now an assistant coach for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeff Halpern turns 50… Israeli singer and actress, winner of multiple Israeli Female Singer of the Year awards, Miri Mesika turns 48… Reporter for Politico New Jersey and author of New Jersey’s Playbook, Matthew R. Friedman… Jewish Insider‘s director of audience development, Kevin Hechtkopf… Educated at the Hebrew Academy of San Francisco, he was a defensive lineman in the NFL, Igor Olshansky turns 44… Managing director and co-head of executive communications of SKDKnickerbocker, he was a speechwriter for President Obama, Stephen Andrew Krupin… President of Flaxman Strategies, Seth Flaxman… Israeli minister for social equality and women’s advancement, she is a member of the Knesset for the Likud party, May Golan turns 40… Benjamin S. Davis… NBA All-Star for the Sacramento Kings, he is studying to convert to Judaism, Domantas Sabonis turns 30… Director of the Judaism and State Policy Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel, Tani Frank… Foreign correspondent for NBC and a former Middle East correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, Raf Sanchez… 

• President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social site minutes ago that the U.S. will postpone — for five days — strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure over Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, about 12 hours before his 48-hour deadline to the Islamic Republic was set to expire. The president cited “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” which he said will continue over the course of the week.
• A final vote on Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) nomination to be secretary of homeland security is likely to take place today or tomorrow. Mullin is expected to be confirmed with support from at least two Democrats: Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the latter of whom cited his “very honest and constructive working relationship” with the Oklahoma Republican in explaining his vote.
• The House and Senate are both expected to vote on war powers resolutions this week.
• Sara Netanyahu is slated to travel to Washington this week for a two-day summit being convened by First Lady Melania Trump for women — many who, like Netanyahu, are the spouses of heads of state — and technology companies focused on children’s empowerment. The summit kicks off on Tuesday at the State Department.
• Mrs. Netanyahu will be among a small number of people able to fly out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport after Israeli authorities on Sunday cut the maximum number of passengers allowed per flight from 150 to 50, amid ongoing missile fire from Iran.
• Senior Trump administration officials are heading to Houston this week for the annual CERAWeek conference, which kicks off today.
• Conservative radio host Mark Levin, a frequent critic of Tucker Carlson and other far-right figures, is slated to interview Joe Kent, who resigned last week as the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, on his program tonight. 
• In New York tonight, author Matti Friedman will sit in conversation with Abigail Pogrebin at 92NY to discuss his new book, Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe, a look at the young Jews from then-Mandatory Palestine who parachuted into Nazi Europe in an effort to assist Allied forces and rescue Jews.
• The Leffell Foundation’s fourth annual “Zionism: A New Conversation” conference is taking place in Florida today and tomorrow. Read more here.

A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MELISSA WEISS

Iran’s launch over the weekend of two ballistic missiles targeting the joint U.S.-U.K. Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean — hours after London said it would allow the U.S. to use the base to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites — deepened concerns that the Islamic Republic had not been forthcoming in the past about its weapons capabilities and set off alarms in Europe that the continent could find itself on the receiving end of Tehran’s long-range missiles.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last month that the Islamic Republic only had ballistic missiles with the capacity to hit targets within a 2,000-km radius (approximately 1,200 miles) with the country’s state-run media quoting the diplomat as saying “We are not developing long-range missiles … we have limited the range below 2,000 kilometers.”

Diego Garcia is some 2,400 miles from Iran, twice as far as the distance Iran’s top diplomat had claimed the country’s missiles could reach. It’s further from Tehran than most major European capitals — meaning that the bulk of the European continent is potentially within striking range of Iran. (And, critically, without the types of air defenses and civilian protective measures that have been deployed multiple times a day in Israel for the last month.)

The discrepancy didn’t go unnoticed by current and former U.S. officials. Brett McGurk, who served as a senior national security official in the Biden administration, noted Araghchi’s February claim alongside a map showing Diego Garcia’s distance from Iran, saying that Araghchi’s blatant falsehood “speaks for itself.” In a rare show of agreement between the Trump administration and its predecessor, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House’s rapid-response account shared McGurk’s post.

Though neither missile reached the Chagos Island base — one fell short and one was intercepted — the weekend launches have elevated concerns that Tehran has developed the capacity to strike deep inside Europe — most of which is much closer to the Islamic Republic than the Diego Garcia base in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

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

Aiding the Revolution: The Free Press’ Eli Lake looks at Israel’s efforts to align with Iranian opposition efforts. “The Iranian people have voted against the Islamic Republic with their feet since the first student uprisings at Tehran University in 1999. In 2009, Iranians protested a stolen presidential election. Since 2017, uprisings have sprouted throughout the country every few years, only to be crushed by the Basij and Revolutionary Guards. Israel is evening the odds for a revolution by putting its air force in the service of Iran’s dissidents. At least that’s the dream.” [FreePress]

U.K. Concern: In The Guardian, Jonathan Freedland raises concerns about attacks on Jewish institutions conducted under the guise of criticism of Israel. “Every minority faces discrimination – note Tory frontbencher Nick Timothy’s appalling attack on Muslim prayer this week – but next to no other diaspora community goes through this. People can’t stand Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but Russian Orthodox churches don’t require round-the-clock protection. People loathe Donald Trump and his bombing of Iran, but U.S.-branded stores on UK high streets are not smashed and daubed. As for British businesses with investment links to the U.S., including to U.S. security firms, those remain untouched. Israel and Jews are the exception.” [TheGuardian]

Police in London are investigating a series of overnight fires that damaged four Hatzola Northwest emergency vehicles in Golders Green, one of the city’s most heavily Jewish suburbs; the U.K.-based Community Security Trust said that the Iran-linked Ashab al-Yamin, which said it was behind recent attacks in the Netherlands and Belgium, claimed responsibility for the string of arsons…

The Treasury Department announced sanctions on 10 individuals in Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar and Canada accused of laundering more than $100 million in money, arms and telecommunications equipment to Hezbollah…

The U.S. reportedly rejected a proposal from Russia in which Moscow would end its intelligence sharing with Iran on the condition that Washington cease giving intelligence to Ukraine regarding Russia… 

Axios looks at efforts by the CIA, Mossad and other intelligence agencies to assess the status of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since he was named his father’s successor earlier this month and is believed to have been injured in the strikes last month that killed the elder Khamenei…

One person was killed and another injured in Israel over the weekend, after two cars caught fire in the Upper Galilee from errant IDF shells that fell inside Israel, rather than Lebanon, an investigation by the military found on Monday. Over 100 people were injured in missile strikes from Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon between Saturday night and Sunday morning, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports…

The Wall Street Journal reports on concerns that the Houthis in Yemen could join the conflict, as the Iran-backed terror group, whose previous attacks on naval vessels in the Red Sea, ramps up its threatening rhetoric, including a warning from a senior Houthi official last week that “Yemen joining the conflict is only a matter of time”… 

Nine Senate Democrats and more than 30 House Democrats wrote to the administration defending Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, describing the protests in which he was involved as “overwhelmingly non-violent expressions of views in opposition to the conduct of the Israeli government in Gaza”…

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) was honored over the weekend at Chabad of Stamford, Conn., with the group’s inaugural Eishet Chayil Award…

The Wall Street Journal looks at frustrations among some progressive Senate Democrats — a group of eight legislators known as the “Fight Club” over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) approach to the midterms as they mull a potential challenge to his leadership…

The Hill explores Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s vocal support for Israel in recent interviews as he mulls a 2028 presidential bid…

President Donald Trump, who spent the weekend in Florida, dropped into the anniversary party being hosted for Gary and Terri Schottenstein over the weekend at Mar-a-Lago…

The New York Times reviews Michael Kimmel’s “Playmakers,” as the distant relative of teddy bear inventors Morris and Rose Michtom looks at the major contributions of Jewish immigrants to the American toy industry…

A Reuters deep dive into decades-old Manhattan police records confirmed the identity of the graffiti artist Banksy… 

Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen and Israel Canada controlling shareholders Barak Rosen and Asaf Touchmair are investing in the Israel-based UAV company Aerodrome Group…

Molecular biologist David Botstein, whose research laid the groundwork for the field of gene-mapping, died at 83…

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko won the gold medal at the women’s over 78 kg final at the Grand Slam judo tournament on Sunday in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Former NFL referee for 23 seasons, he is the only NFL head referee to officiate four Super Bowl games (1983, 1987, 1992 and 1995), Jerry Markbreit turns 91…

Actor, film director, television director and producer, Mark Rydell turns 97… Together with her husband, Theodore, she pledged $25 million to BBYO in 2019, Harriette Perlman turns 86… Mandolinist and composer of acoustic, instrumental, bluegrass and newgrass music, David Grisman turns 81… Writer and producer of television series, creator of “Deadwood” and co-creator of “NYPD Blue,” David Milch turns 81… Tel Aviv native, she has been a professor of music at the Juilliard School since 1993, Yoheved “Veda” Kaplinsky turns 79… Los Angeles-based psychologist and author, her first book is The Blessings of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children, Wendy Mogel turns 75… Designer of men’s and women’s footwear, clothing and accessories, Kenneth D. Cole turns 72… Former mayor of Austin, Texas, first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018, Stephen Ira Adler turns 70… Former director of business development at Fannie Mae, she was also the president of the Jewish Federation of Howard County (Md.), Beth Millstein… Investor, author, financial commentator and radio personality, Peter Schiff turns 63… Russian-American businessman with holdings in oil, he is also a winemaker, Eugene Shvidler turns 62… Senior writer for “The Daily Show,” he is also the creator of 2018’s television series “Liberty Crossing,” Daniel Radosh turns 57… Managing partner of D.C.-based Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner, Jonathan Missner turns 57… French actress who has appeared in more than 30 films, her Holocaust survivor grandparents changed their name from Goldreich, Judith Godrèche turns 54… Client partner at Meta/Facebook working with the financial services and real estate industry verticals, Scott Shapiro… Member of the Maryland General Assembly since 2011, initially as a delegate and since 2016 as a state senator, Craig Zucker turns 51… Israeli actress, comedian and television host, Adi Ashkenazi turns 51… Three-time Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer and songwriter, Ariel Rechtshaid turns 47… Writer and teacher in Los Angeles, Yehuda Martin Hausman… Staff reporter for The New York Times, Sarah Maslin Nir… Israeli singer-songwriter, actress and musician, she performs in Hebrew, French and Arabic, Riff Cohen turns 42… Chief of staff for the Commonwealth’s attorney in Fairfax County, Va., Benjamin Shnider… Former tennis coach at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, as a player she won five singles and four doubles titles on the ITF Women’s Circuit, Julia Cohen turns 37… Former member of the National Israeli Rhythmic Gymnastics Team, she competed in the 2012 Olympic Games, Moran Buzovski turns 34… Television and film actress, Victoria Pedretti turns 31…

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump announced he’s replacing Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), after Noem had rankled the president and some Republican members of Congress with her oversight of widespread turmoil at the agency, among other issues. Mullin still needs to be confirmed by the Senate to assume the post.

Mullin, if confirmed, would take the helm of DHS amid its continued partial shutdown, and as it has repeatedly come under fire for its handling of issues related to antisemitism from lawmakers and Jewish community groups. Noem, meanwhile, will become special envoy to a new security initiative for the Western Hemisphere being launched by Trump this weekend…

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other GOP leadership called on Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) to drop out of his reelection race, after the lawmaker admitted yesterday to having an affair with a staffer who later committed suicide. Gonzales is headed to a May runoff with his primary opponent, social media influencer Brandon Herrera; if Gonzales does step aside, Herrera, who has a history of antisemitic posts about the Holocaust, is all but guaranteed the GOP nomination in a solidly Republican district… 

Trump said he “[has] to be involved in the appointment” of the next Iranian leader, in an interview with Axios, “like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela.” He called Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has emerged as his father’s likely successor, “unacceptable.” The president’s comments seem to widen the administration’s stated war aims, which have thus far focused on eliminating Iran’s naval, air and nuclear assets.

Trump also insisted in the interview that Israeli President Isaac Herzog issue a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “today,” as he wants Netanyahu “to focus on the war and not on the f**king court case. I want the only pressure on Bibi to be the fighting against Iran”…

Some Democratic lawmakers — including Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) — told Politico they won’t “rule out” voting in favor of an emergency supplemental funding request to shore up the military should one come from the administration amid the campaign against Iran, despite widespread Democratic condemnation of the White House’s failure to consult Congress beforehand…

A vote on a war powers resolution to stop the military campaign in Iran failed in the House this afternoon 219-212, with two Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davison (R-OH) — crossing the aisle in support and four Democrats — Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Jared Golden (D-ME) and Juan Vargas (D-CA) — breaking with their party to oppose it. 

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) both changed their positions and voted in favor of the resolution, weeks after Moskowitz told Jewish Insider — before the campaign began — that its sponsors “should just rename [the resolution] the Ayatollah Protection Act because that’s what it does.” Asked by JI about the shift in his stance today, Moskowitz answered, “I didn’t flip at all. Circumstances have changed since my first statement”…

Antisemitic podcaster Tucker Carlson’s latest extreme rhetoric took aim at the Chabad Lubavitch movement, with sweeping conspiratorial language accusing the Hasidic sect of seeking to start a “religious war” amid the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, JI’s Gabby Deutch reports. 

Carlson argued in an episode of his show that dropped last night that Jews see the war against Iran as an opportunity to feud with Islam and to target Christians. Carlson’s remarks prompted outrage among Chabad’s backers, who pointed out that Chabad emissaries have for decades played a crucial role in connecting American Jews to their faith and to each other…

In a conversation with ABC News, Trump said this afternoon that Tucker “has lost his way. I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. … Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that”…

In a discussion with the New York Post, Trump railed against European countries which have continued to oppose the campaign against Iran, calling Spain “a loser” and the U.K. “very disappointing.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, said today that the Iran war is a “failure” of the international order, but would not “categorically rule out” Canada’s participation…

Iran’s indiscriminate attacks are bringing allies together worldwide: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he’s deploying specialists to assist the U.S. after Washington requested “specific support in protection” against Iranian Shahed drones, which Ukraine has been battling for several years as Russia has regularly deployed them, and the European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council held a joint meeting to discuss Iran’s “unjustifiable, unprovoked, and unlawful attacks”…

The New York Times profiles Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF’s chief of staff, as he helps lead Israel’s efforts in the campaign against Iran…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at Jack Cocchiarella, the progressive Gen Z podcaster who has made a name for himself hosting high-profile Democratic candidates — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom in New Hampshire tonight — and who has recently taken a turn towards bashing Israel.

Team Israel will play its first games of the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Saturday against Venezuela and on Sunday against Nicaragua.

Also Sunday, AJ Edelman, the Israeli Olympic bobsled team pilot, will speak in conversation with Neil Goldman at Chabad of West Village in New York. 

Birthright Israel’s Excelerate26 summit is also taking place in New York this weekend, with keynote speeches on Sunday from Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots; Anne Neuberger, former deputy national security advisor during the Biden administration; and Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta.

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

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

On the fifth day of the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the accomplishment of several key objectives, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports, including that “the leader of the unit” responsible for the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in November 2024 “has been hunted down and killed.”

Hegseth also revealed that an American submarine sank an Iranian warship by torpedo, the first time such a thing has been accomplished since World War II. Responding to concerns over whether the U.S. will be able to maintain enough munitions throughout the conflict, Hegseth dismissed “stories and speculation,” instead asserting: “Iran cannot outlast us”…

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to insist that Iranian drones and missiles attacking Qatar are really directed at U.S. assets and “not intended to target the Gulf state.”

Al Thani “categorically rejected” that claim, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry, “citing the civilian and residential areas inside the country struck by the attacks.” He told Araghchi that Iran’s actions do not “indicate any genuine desire for de-escalation or resolution” and are trying to drag Qatar into a war “that is not theirs”…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the White House Monday to ask about intelligence that indicated the U.S. might be communicating with Iran, Axios reports, which administration officials told him was false. A New York Times report found that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence had indirectly sent a message to the CIA attempting to start negotiations to end hostilities…

NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile that was flying through Iraq and Syria on its way toward Turkey, the Turkish defense ministry said this morning. It’s the first attack by Iran on a NATO country’s territory. The U.K. and France, also NATO countries, are sending additional planes and warships to the region after Iran targeted a British base in Cyprus…

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, asked about reports of the U.S. arming Kurdish militias to assist in regime change in Iran, told reporters that Trump has spoken to Kurdish leaders in recent days about the U.S. military base in northern Iraq, but “any report suggesting that the president has agreed to any such plan” about arming the Kurds “is completely false and should not be written”…

Leavitt also said that the U.S. is now coordinating with Spain on the military operation in Iran, after Trump threatened yesterday to cut off all trade with Madrid over its refusal to let the U.S. use military bases on its soil and its lack of defense spending. Spain categorically denied that it is cooperating with the U.S. or has changed its position at all…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held phone calls with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani about the campaign against Iran. Turkey and Cyprus have both faced attacks by Iranian projectiles, while Italy summoned its Iranian ambassador to protest the attack on Cyprus…

Trump indicated he’s close to offering his endorsement to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who beat expectations by finishing ahead of right-wing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in yesterday’s primary. While both Republicans are headed to a May runoff, a Trump endorsement would make Cornyn the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination — and alleviate a lot of GOP anxiety over the possibility that a scandal-plagued Paxton could lose to state Rep. James Talarico, the newly minted Democratic nominee… 

In North Carolina, Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) holds a narrow lead over her far-left opponent, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, who has indicated she will seek a recount. Foushee said in a statement that she would “welcome the opportunity” for a recount and is “confident that the Democratic voters of North Carolina will have nominated me to serve a third term”…

Hegseth will headline a fundraiser next week for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), after four servicemembers who were previously stationed in his district were killed by an Iranian drone in Kuwait on Sunday. Nunn, who has been a staunch ally of Israel in the House, is facing a competitive reelection race as Democrats target his seat in their attempt to take back the chamber…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a breakdown of the Senate’s consideration of the Iranian war powers resolution, led by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY), which is currently on track to fail on a procedural vote.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “advancing national security through diplomacy” with Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy.

The Muslim World League will host an interfaith iftar gathering on Capitol Hill.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The Trump administration emphatically denied reports, based on partial comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday, that Israel forced the U.S. to launch the operation against Iran. 

“If anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand,” President Donald Trump told reporters while meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office today. “You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they [Iran] were going to attack first.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boosted the president’s comments, saying, “This is 100% correct,” while Rubio insisted his original remarks were misrepresented…

Trump continues to share optimistic assessments of the war’s progress: he told Politico that Iran is running out of missile launchers while claiming the U.S. has “a virtually unlimited supply” of weapons, saying, “wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies”…

The Israeli Air Force struck a building where senior clerics had gathered to elect Iran’s next supreme leader, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told CNN, “and there’s a very good chance that the electors won’t be readily available for any further meetings”…

Trump is open to backing militias in Iran who will work to mount regime change, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal, after he held phone calls with Kurdish leaders who maintain armed groups along the Iran-Iraq border.

Trump has wavered in recent comments on his vision for the future of Iran, saying today that “somebody from within” might be the best option to lead, rather than individuals like exiled former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi. At the same time, Trump told reporters, “Most of the people we had in mind are dead. And now we have another group, they may be dead also. Pretty soon we’re not gonna know anybody”…

Trump ordered the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance for all maritime trade traveling through the Gulf, as oil traffic has essentially halted and energy prices have soared. The U.S. Navy will also, if necessary, begin physically escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his country’s assistance to the UAE, as the Gulf country has been targeted by over 1,000 Iranian drones and missiles since the operation began Saturday. Ukraine has become particularly skilled in combating Iranian Shahed drones, something the UAE has little experience with, as Russia has regularly used them in its attacks on Ukraine…

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was struck with two Iranian drones, with no casualties reported; the embassy was closed, along with U.S. embassies in Kuwait and Beirut. The State Department ordered the mandatory departure of all non-emergency personnel in several countries and has begun “actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave” the region… 

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear enrichment plant was struck in the course of hostilities in recent days. Trump has claimed the site was rendered inoperable during the U.S.’ June 2025 strikes…

Alex Soros, one of the progressive movement’s most influential donors, boosted a social media post today about U.S. casualties in the war with Iran from Max Blumenthal, a prominent anti-Israel conspiracy theorist, Jewish Insider‘s Matthew Kassel reports.

Soros also praised Spain for its refusal to allow the U.S. to use joint bases on its soil, calling Madrid the “leader of the free world” and reprimanding other European countries for not doing the same…

After issuing a statement solely attacking the U.S. and Israel over the campaign against Iran — which provoked backlash from members of the Iranian dissident and diaspora communities — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the “systematic repression” of the Iranian people by the regime, while declining to criticize the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, JI’s Will Bredderman reports.

Even as he acknowledged Tehran’s bloody suppression of protesters, Mamdani did not directly answer a reporter’s question at a press conference today about whether the Middle Eastern nation was better off without the radical cleric who ruled for nearly 37 years…

Amazon Web Services operations are “significantly impaired” after three of its data centers in the Middle East were struck by Iranian drones — two directly hit in the UAE and one sustaining damage in Bahrain. The strikes “caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,” AWS said…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at the results of today’s high-stakes primary elections in North Carolina and Texas and their implications for pro-Israel voters.

The Heritage Foundation will hold an event to launch its 2026 “Index of U.S. Military Strength” with remarks from Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-TX) and Matt Van Epps (R-TN).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom will release its annual report tomorrow on Capitol Hill.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump and senior U.S. defense officials laid out an open-ended timeline for the ongoing bombing campaign against Iran in several press briefings and interviews today, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea and Emily Jacobs report.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both declined to rule out a U.S. ground invasion of Iran, while Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine announced more American troops are en route to the region. “Every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it. I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary,’” Trump told the New York Post. 

The president repeatedly said the operation is “ahead of schedule,” but added that the U.S. military is prepared to continue the campaign beyond his initial four-to-five-week timeline. Trump also told CNN that the “big wave” of strikes on Iran “hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon”…

On the American public’s perception of the strikes, Trump said, “I think that the polling is very good, but I don’t care about polling. I have to do the right thing. This should have been done a long time ago.” A new CNN poll found that 41% of Americans support the strikes against Iran, while 59% disapprove…

After Hezbollah jumped into the conflict by launching strikes on Israel overnight, prompting Israeli fire on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in return, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam banned the terror group’s “military activities,” restricting it “to the political sphere.”

Salam said the group’s actions are now “illegal” and called on the Lebanese Armed Forces to “prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory,” a long-awaited show of resolve from Beirut. The LAF has struggled to disarm Hezbollah forces since the signing of a ceasefire agreement with Israel in November 2024…

On a ground invasion of Lebanon, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said, similarly to the U.S. position on Iran, “all options are on the table”…

U.S. casualties in the course of the operation increased today to six servicemembers…

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense condemned attacks by Iran on a power plant and an oil facility in the country, further indicating Tehran is setting its sights on civilian and energy infrastructure. The targeted energy plant, Ras Laffan, is responsible for around a fifth of all global natural gas production — Qatar halted production after the strike which, along with decreased passage through the vital Strait of Hormuz, sent oil prices soaring…

Iran continues to sustain heavy losses: The U.S. said it has sunk all 11 of Iran’s warships in the Gulf of Oman while Qatar shot down two Iranian SU-24 tactical bombers, which were developed by Russia; the UAE also intercepted around 150 Iranian drones and 15 missiles today in addition to hundreds over the weekend…

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated in an address to parliament today that Britain will not be joining the strikes on Iran but will allow the U.S. to use its bases for “defensive actions,” noting that Iran has already struck a military base in Bahrain that houses around 300 British troops. “France and Germany are also prepared to enable U.S. action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones from the source,” Starmer added.

Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Starmer in an interview with The Telegraph, saying the prime minister “took far too long” in deciding to allow U.S. forces to utilize its bases…

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the campaign, calling it “really important … because it is taking out, degrading the capacity of Iran to get its hands on nuclear capability, the ballistic missile capability.” But, he said, “there are absolutely no plans whatsoever for NATO to get dragged into this”…

GOP lawmakers are pushing Democrats to agree to a funding deal for the still-shuttered Department of Homeland Security, as hostilities with Iran raise concerns about domestic terror threats…

The war is also making its way into some of the most heated primary races unfolding across the country: In North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, anti-Israel activist Nida Allam, who is challenging Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), put out a new campaign ad just before tomorrow’s primary slamming “Trump and Netanyahu’s reckless war.” 

Allam accused the administration of using “our taxpayer dollars to bomb a school in Iran, killing over 100 elementary school children,” even though there has been no proof that the U.S. was responsible for the strike…

Some pro-Israel Democratic candidates in Illinois also took harsh stances against the Iran operation: state Sen. Laura Fine, running in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, called for Trump’s impeachment, while Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, running in the 2nd District, and Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, running in the 7th District, called the strikes “reckless” and “immoral,” respectively…

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 high-profile primaries on the ballot tomorrow in North Carolina and Texas.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House for a conversation that was set to focus on negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but will likely be overshadowed by the ongoing operation against Iran. Germany joined the U.K. and France over the weekend in offering a supportive but cautious stance on the hostilities.

It will be a busy day on the Hill, where administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will hold all-member briefings on Iran for the House and Senate. Rubio is briefing the Gang of Eight again this afternoon, and national security committees in both chambers were briefed over the weekend. 

Elbridge Colby, the under secretary of defense for policy, will brief the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy; Colby has previously drawn bipartisan ire from the committee over a lack of consultation by his team and alleged rogue decision-making on a range of issues by his office.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security with testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Capitol Jewish Forum will host its annual Capitol Hill Purim celebration, attended by a number of Jewish lawmakers.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

U.S.-Iran negotiations wrapped up for the day in Geneva without a decisive result: Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the sides had made “significant progress” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media they negotiated “very seriously,” but no agreement was reached.

Araghchi said technical experts will meet on Monday in Vienna at the International Atomic Energy Agency and fourth round negotiations will take place later next week, after consultations in both capitals…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters yesterday that Iran “poses a very grave threat to the United States” and is trying to reconstitute its nuclear program. “After their nuclear program was obliterated, they were told not to try to restart it, and here they are.  You can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it. They’re not enriching right now, but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”

Beyond the nuclear issue, Rubio said, Iran also has “conventional weapons that are solely designed to attack America and attack Americans. … These things have to be addressed.” While the current talks are focused solely on Tehran’s nuclear program, “it’s also important to remember that Iran refuses to talk about ballistic missiles to us or to anyone, and that’s a big problem”…

House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement today that they plan to force a vote “as soon as Congress reconvenes next week” on a resolution blocking military action against Iran without congressional authorization, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Three Democrats have already indicated they will oppose the resolution, with other defections likely to follow…

U.S. forces raided a ship last month and seized cargo heading from China to Iran, officials told The Wall Street Journal, part of a broader effort to head off Iran’s covert arms purchases after the 12-day war last June. The cargo was reportedly intended for Iranian companies that procure weapons for the regime’s missile program…

The Journal interviews fighter pilots involved in the U.S. bombing campaign against the Houthis last spring, as military assets are once again amassing in the Middle East for a potential operation against Iran…

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner amplified a social media post today from a far-right conspiracy theorist well-known for viciously antisemitic commentary — before quickly deleting the statement, JI’s Matthew Kassel reports. In a comment on X, Platner approvingly boosted a remark opposing war with Iran from Stew Peters, who has said Judaism is “satanic” and a “death cult,” promoted blood libels and called for a “final solution” to mass-deport American Jews…

The issue is particularly sensitive for Platner, who earlier in his campaign faced scrutiny over a Nazi tattoo on his chest, which he has since had covered. He was pressed today on a YouTube call-in show about his knowledge of the tattoo’s symbolism because of his self-identification as a WWII history enthusiast. 

“I was well aware that they [Nazis] used a similar-looking thing,” Platner said. “You have to admit it’s not a ‘similar-looking thing,’ it’s the same thing. … Anyone who’s remotely a WWII buff knows what that is,” the caller replied. Platner answered, “I’m not going to apologize for something that I didn’t know about or do”…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made an unannounced visit to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump today. Among other issues, the two discussed housing and immigration activities…

The family of Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for Israel and the Palestinian territories, sued Trump and other administration officials yesterday in district court, alleging that the sanctions imposed on Albanese by the U.S. violate her First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights…

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar attended an iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast hosted by UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja in Tel Aviv, where Herzog said that the “members of the Abraham Accords should be treated in an upgraded manner as they pursue the noble cause of peace.”

“And this I say especially,” Herzog continued, “when there are nations who are spreading hate, spreading blasphemy against nations who seek peace — against the Emiratis, against the Israelis,” ostensibly referring to Saudi Arabia…

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his trip to Israel today, the two countries signed 16 memorandums of understanding to expand cooperation in fields including agriculture and AI. Modi also met with the cast of “Fauda”…

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 Sam Bregman, the Jewish cowboy-hat wearing former district attorney running for governor of New Mexico.

ADL’s Desert Region will hold its annual conference at Arizona State University, with speakers including ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and state Rep. Alma Hernandez.

J Street’s annual conference will kick off Saturday in Washington. Speakers will include former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA). J Street’s PAC will hold an event with Roy Cooper, the former governor of North Carolina now running for Senate, and phone banking sessions for Evanston, Ill., Mayor Daniel Biss, running for the House.

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

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Ahead of the third round of U.S.-Iran negotiations taking place in Geneva tomorrow, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that President Donald Trump “has a number of other tools at his disposal” besides diplomacy to ensure “the craziest and worst regime in the world” does not obtain nuclear weapons, following on the president’s remarks during last night’s State of the Union calling Iran “the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror”…

In response to Trump’s comments, where he also said Iran was developing advanced ballistic missiles and had killed 32,000 protesters, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei tied Trump to the “law of propaganda coined by Nazi [chief propagandist] Joseph Goebbels.”

“This is now systematically used by the U.S. administration and the war profiteers encircling it, particularly the genocidal Israeli regime … Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest is simply the repetition of ‘big lies,’” Baghaei wrote on X…

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading Iran negotiations alongside Jared Kushner, reportedly told AIPAC members at the group’s summit in Washington yesterday that any deal reached with Iran should not have a “sunset clause,” as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was criticized for. 

“We start with the Iranians with the premise that there is no sunset provision. Whether we get a deal or not, our premise is: you have to behave for the rest of your lives,” Witkoff told the group, according to Axios. He said talks are currently focused only on the nuclear issue, but if they are successful, the administration would look to hold additional talks on Tehran’s missile program and support for terror proxies…

Satellite photos analyzed by the Associated Press appear to show U.S. ships that typically dock in Bahrain as part of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet have moved out to sea. The 5th Fleet similarly scattered its ships during the U.S. strikes in Iran last June…

Dutch airline KLM announced a suspension of flights between its hub in Amsterdam and Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport starting March 1 until further notice, saying in a statement that it is currently “not commercially or operationally feasible for KLM to operate flights to Tel Aviv.” It’s the first airline to pause flights amid the current unrest with Iran…

On the campaign trail, Washington, D.C., mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George vowed to reject the “Zionist lobby” in a questionnaire seeking the endorsement of the Metro D.C. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports, a category that the DSA said includes AIPAC, Democratic Majority for Israel, Christians United for Israel and J Street.

Referencing her appearance at an event with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington in December, Lewis George assured the DSA she “disagree[s] with the JCRC on a number of issues,” including its opposition to describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide and its “definition of antisemitism that criminalizes dissent, and their attacks on activists.” 

Ron Halber, CEO of the JCRC, told JI, “As far as I’m concerned, [the DSA’s questionnaire] is an antisemitic manifesto. They are making the price of their endorsement the social exclusion of Jews”…

Illinois state Sen. Laura Fine, a Democrat running for an open Illinois House seat, unapologetically championed her backing for Israel in a position paper obtained by JI’s Marc Rod, amid attacks from anti-Israel activists and groups over her support for the Jewish state and backing from pro-Israel supporters.

Fine described Israel in the paper as “more than just a strategic ally, it is a beacon of democracy in one of the world’s most volatile regions,” as she and some of her primary opponents, including Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and far-left activist Kat Abughazaleh, are set to participate in a televised debate tonight…

The U.S.-led Board of Peace released a video today laying out its vision for Gaza. The board’s goal by Year 3 is to fully rebuild the southern Gazan city of Rafah and have Gaza “connected to the world through an Abrahamic gateway, linking it with Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and extending to India and Europe.” By the board’s 10th year, it said, Gaza will be “self-governed,” without specifying who will oversee the enclave and how Hamas will be removed from power… 

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana awarded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the newly established Medal of the Knesset, the highest honor of the body, after Modi’s address there today. His remarks were warmly received by members of Knesset and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also in the chamber…

Following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland’s independence in December, Jerusalem accepted the appointment of Mohamed Hagi as the first Somaliland ambassador to the Jewish state (and its first fully accredited ambassador anywhere in the world). Hagi “was a member of the inner circle of officials who promoted the establishment of relations between Israel and Somaliland,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, and vowed that a reciprocal Israeli ambassador “will soon be appointed”…

Former Harvard President Larry Summers will remain on leave from his teaching position at the Ivy League school for the duration of the academic year, at which point he will retire, Harvard announced today, after files released by the Department of Justice showed Summers maintained a relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein after the financier had been convicted of prostitution involving a minor…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a preview of Fox Nation’s new docudrama on King David, offering a dramatic reenactment of the biblical coming-of-age story of the Jewish leader.

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

California Jewish groups including the JCRC Bay Area, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and Jewish California, which rebranded today from its previous name of JPAC, are hosting a forum for candidates running for governor, as Gov. Gavin Newsom reaches his term limit. Participating candidates include former presidential contender Tom Steyer, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, all of whom are Democrats, as well as Republican commentator Steve Hilton. 

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Previewing his State of the Union address tonight, where it remains to be seen if he will make any announcements on Iran, President Donald Trump told reporters, “Iran wants to make a deal more than I do, but they just won’t say the sacred phrase: ‘We won’t build nuclear weapons,’” signaling that the two sides are still at an impasse ahead of the third round of negotiations scheduled for Thursday…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed the congressional Gang of Eight, the bipartisan set of leaders advised on classified matters by the executive branch, this afternoon to provide an update on Iran, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly joining the discussion. The White House did not brief the group before striking Iran last June, drawing ire from Democrats…

Ahead of the meeting, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told C-SPAN about potential Iran strikes, “Closed-door briefings are fine, but the administration has to make its case to the American people on something as important as this”…

Around a dozen U.S. F-22 stealth fighter jets departed from the U.K. today to be deployed at an Israeli Air Force base in the south of the country, as over 150 aircraft are being moved to the region. Military experts told The Washington Post that the “assets being assembled are indicative of a multiday campaign without a ground invasion”…

The Coast Guard is investigating a swastika drawn at its primary recruit training center in New Jersey, where Coast Guard commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday quickly flew to address recruits and staff about the incident. Lunday recently came under fire from Congress, and had his confirmation delayed, over a change in Coast Guard policy that downgraded the swastika from a prohibited hate symbol to “potentially divisive,” which was eventually walked back.

Regarding the recent incident, Lunday said in a statement to The Washington Post, “Anyone who adheres to or advances hate or extremist ideology — get out. Leave. You don’t belong in the United States Coast Guard and we reject you”…

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) is pushing for legislation to require an affirmative congressional vote prior to the U.S. reaching any nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports, following a notification from the administration to Congress indicating that it is moving toward a deal that could allow Riyadh to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

The notification procedures, which do not include specific terms of a potential deal, suggest that Saudi Arabia will not be required to agree to more intrusive International Atomic Energy Agency inspections or “gold standard” safeguards — which would require Saudi Arabia to agree not to enrich or reprocess nuclear material — used for the U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates…

The Justice Department sued the University of California today under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination, alleging that the UCLA campus created a “hostile work environment against Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff.” 

During campus anti-Israel protests in 2024, the DOJ said, “the University allowed antisemitic harassment to continue unabated for days” and “has ignored, and continues to ignore, gross and repeated violations” of time, place and manner restrictions on student protest. The department further claimed Jewish and Israeli faculty at the school have been physically threatened, ostracized, harassed, forced to take leave and assaulted…

The New York Times details efforts by New York’s business community and Democratic establishment to organize and promote the moderate wing of the party in response to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rise to power. Some of the individuals involved, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo allies Phil Singer and Steven Cohen, are considering forming PACs, watchdog groups, lobbying campaigns and more…

New York’s Working Families Party endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) yesterday over Mamdani’s objections. The mayor has been backing Assemblymember Claire Valdez, who, like Mamdani, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and a vocal critic of Israel, and he had lobbied the WFP to endorse her or to stay out of the race. WFP’s director, Jasmine Gripper, told the Times, “At the end of the day, Zohran is an individual who gets to weigh in as an individual”…

A new poll from the University of New Hampshire found oyster farmer Graham Platner with a commanding lead among likely Senate Democratic primary voters, outdistancing Gov. Janet Mills by 34 points, with the primary less than four months away. In a general election matchup with incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Platner leads Collins by 11 points, while Mills and Collins are neck-and-neck…

Khalid Turaani, executive director of the Ohio branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), testified at the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee last week against a bill to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, where he claimed that Israel operates the world’s largest human skin bank and harvests the skin from deceased Palestinians. “And if I call them Nazis,” Turaani continued, “your law is going to punish me.”

The Anti-Defamation League’s Ohio River Valley office condemned Turaani’s speech, saying that the “antisemitic organ harvesting myth plays on the blood libel trope, which has spurred the torture, murder, and expulsion of Jews for centuries”…

The U.S. Embassy in Israel announced that, as part of the government’s “efforts to reach all Americans,” the embassy will be providing consular services for one day only at several locations across Israel and the West Bank, including Ramallah and the Jewish settlement of Efrat…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for the highlights from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, taking place at 9 p.m. ET tonight, as all eyes are on possible U.S. military action against Iran.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Israel tomorrow, where he will be greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before addressing the Knesset. In the evening, the two leaders will have dinner at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel. Read JI’s interview on Modi’s visit with Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar.

The New York City Council will hold its first hearing on Council Speaker Julie Menin’s bill aiming to create “buffer zones” around houses of worship to protect from disruptive protests. The bill’s language was updated last night to remove the original 100-foot figure, which had reportedly emerged as a point of concern for the NYPD.

Congressional candidates from Illinois’ 9th District, where pro-Israel spending is boosting state Sen. Laura Fine and attacking Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, will hold a debate on local news. 

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

As rumors abound about the possibility and timing of U.S. strikes on Iran, the State Department ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel and their families from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. “Based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint,” a State official told Fox News…

Nearby, amid the buildup of U.S. military assets in the region, American refueling and cargo planes were spotted at Ben Gurion Airport…

President Donald Trump denied reports that Pentagon officials, namely Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, are raising concerns about striking Iran, writing on Truth Social this afternoon, “General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won.”

“He has not spoken of not doing Iran, or even the fake limited strikes that I have been reading about, he only knows one thing, how to WIN and, if he is told to do so, he will be leading the pack,” Trump said of Caine, while alluding to the potential breadth of military action against Iran… 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back his visit to Israel, originally scheduled for this weekend, to March 2, The Jerusalem Post reports, days after the next round of U.S.-Iran negotiations in Geneva on Thursday…

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a leader on foreign policy among Democrats in Congress, told Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs that he heard “pretty stark early warning signs of some challenges where core allies do not share our priorities” on a potential Iran strike during his recent trip t0 Europe, which included stops at the Munich Security Conference, along with meetings in Ukraine and Moldova with top European diplomats.

Coons laid out what he hopes to see from the president: “A) Consult Congress. B) Make a case to the American people about why this is in our national security interest. C) Clarify what on earth he’s planning with this Board of Peace … And D) If he’s going to work with close allies to ramp up pressure to try and achieve something at the negotiating table, he should work with close allies”…

Anthony Driver Jr., a union organizer and candidate in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, doubled down on his recent repudiation of AIPAC, despite previously having little public record on Israel policy issues. Following a press conference last week where Driver, who is running against AIPAC-backed Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, denounced the pro-Israel group, he returned donations from major Democratic Party donor Michael Sacks over the finance executive’s ties to AIPAC.

Sacks, who was a major backer of former President Barack Obama and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said in his reply, “It is truly sad there is so much anti Israel sentiment and outright Jew hate that Anthony found himself in this position. I can only hope that the electorate rejects hate in all forms”…

As more details emerge about Rep. Tony Gonzales’ (R-TX) alleged affair with a staffer who later committed suicide, a poll commissioned by the campaign of Brandon Herrera, Gonzales’ opponent, shows the congressman trailing Herrera by a whopping 24 points among likely GOP primary voters. The story, which entered the news cycle right as early voting kicked off, could catapult Herrera, a social media influencer with a history of antisemitism, to the Republican nomination and on to Congress…

Investigators at the cryptocurrency giant Binance found last year that about $1.7 billion had been sent from two accounts to Iranian entities with links to terror groups, The New York Times reports, even after Binance pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws in 2023 and vowed to prevent sanctioned actors from accessing its platform. Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who was jailed for his role in the saga, in October 2025…

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival backtracked in its defense of a juror selected for a judging panel who had posted antisemitic and anti-Israel content online, whom it had stood behind even after the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta announced it was withdrawing its funding and support of the event over the pick. 

The festival changed its tune yesterday, saying it is “first and foremost, a Jewish institution” and has “a responsibility, particularly at this fraught time, to stand firmly against antisemitism and to affirm the Jewish people’s right to self-determination.” It said it would review its “organizational processes and policies, including those related to antisemitism, BDS, and cultural boycotts”…

The French Foreign Ministry has moved to block U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner’s access to government officials after he declined to appear for a summons by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot today, which was issued after the U.S. Embassy reposted comments by Trump about a far-right French activist who was killed in a clash with far-left protesters. It was Kushner’s second summons, after his first last year when he accused the French government of not adequately combating antisemitism…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at Sue Altman’s shifting views on Israel as the formerly pro-Israel congressional candidate is now running in New Jersey’s more heavily Democratic 12th Congressional District.

We’ll be watching for mention of President Donald Trump’s thinking on Iran as he delivers the annual State of the Union address tomorrow night. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “advancing national security through commercial diplomacy” with Jacob Helberg, under secretary of state for economic affairs, who recently told JI that he hopes the Pax Silica initiative, which he leads, “will pave the way for peace and economic integration” in the Middle East.

Australia’s royal commission on antisemitism, formed after the Hanukkah terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, will hold its first public hearing, though no testimony or evidence will be heard.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

President Donald Trump used the occasion of the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington today to announce significant monetary and troop commitments from the U.S. and other countries to stabilize Gaza, as well as lay out a timeline for military action against Iran, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

The pledges included $10 billion from the U.S. and $7 billion from several Middle Eastern countries for Gaza’s reconstruction, as well as commitments to provide troops and police to the U.S.-led International Stabilization Force. (The Guardian reports the White House is currently exploring plans to build a 5,000-person military base to house the ISF in southern Gaza.)

On Iran negotiations, Trump said in his remarks, “Now we may have to take it a step further or we may not. Maybe we are going to make a deal [with Iran]. You are going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”

He later told reporters on Air Force One, “Ten, 15 days, pretty much maximum.” Remember: Last June, Trump said he would decide whether to take action against Iran within two weeks, and carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities two days later…

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reportedly not given approval to Washington to use the joint U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia island for a strike on Iran, as Trump said yesterday he is considering. London is concerned that a U.S. strike from the shared base, which the U.K. must grant permission to use, could implicate it in violating international law…

Trump also offered praise for Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during his Board of Peace remarks, despite widespread criticism of Doha’s backing of Hamas and platforming of anti-Israel actors.

“His excellency, Prime Minister Al Thani of Qatar, just a great and highly respected man,” Trump said. “I always say he needs a public relations agency because you do so much good, and they have you down as evil, and you’re not evil. You help us so much and you’re such a good ally”…

Meanwhile, Hamas is entrenching itself further in Gaza, repositioning its loyalists in government and paying salaries across the enclave, according to Reuters. Hamas has said it is willing to hand power over to the Palestinian technocratic committee established by the U.S. and led by former Palestinian Authority official Ali Shaath, but as one Palestinian source told the outlet, “Shaath may have the key to the car, and he may even be allowed to drive, but it is a Hamas car”…

Former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), who recently lost the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, called AIPAC’s attacks against him in the race “bizarre in several ways,” writing in an op-ed today that he has “no problem identifying as a Zionist” and calling on Democratic leaders to collectively “refuse [AIPAC’s] support, instead of letting it pick off candidates one by one”…

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) withdrew her endorsement of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, the front-runner in Illinois’ 2nd District Democratic primary, over Miller’s backing by groups that are reported to be affiliated with AIPAC, though the pro-Israel group hasn’t endorsed her and neither AIPAC nor its super PAC are publicly spending any money in the district.

“Illinois deserves leaders who put voters first, not AIPAC or out-of-state Trump donors,” Schakowsky told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I cannot support any candidate running for Congress who is funded by these outside interests”…

Ahead of a hearing next week on New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin’s proposed 100-foot ban on protests around houses of worship, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said today that he had the NYPD review the legality of the measure, “and I can tell you, my police commissioner has expressed concerns about that proposal”…

Three officials appointed by Mamdani to administration posts are co-founders of a group that blamed Israel for the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks two days after they took place, the Washington Free Beacon reports.

The group, the Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY), was founded by Faiza Ali, now commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs; Aliya Latif, now executive director of the mayor’s Office of Faith-Based Partnerships; Ali Najmi, tapped as chair of the mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary; and anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour.

On Oct. 9, 2023, the MDCNY posted on X, “Many NYers are feeling pain, fear, and anger after the horrific events in the Holy Land this weekend. Especially as the Israeli apartheid regime have forced millions of Palestinians in Gaza to live under occupation for decades and an open air prison since 2007.” The group went on to condemn “elected officials offering support for Israeli occupation’s rampant violence as it openly declares & enacts its intent to engage in mass violence and genocide against Palestinians,” well before Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza had begun…

The Forward profiles Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman as she runs for mayor with a unique ideology: Raman is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, but has also been vocally supportive of Israel. She called DSA’s statement blaming Israel for the Oct. 7 attacks “unacceptably devoid of sympathy” and rejects the BDS movement, but was also condemned by the local Jewish community for introducing a ceasefire resolution in June 2023…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a preview of the AIPAC Congressional Summit, which is kicking off Sunday amid the group’s increasing involvement in midterm election races.

President Donald Trump is expected to meet with governors at the White House tomorrow, though the meeting will no longer be held under the auspices of the National Governors Association, as is done annually, after the White House declined to invite Democratic Govs. Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland to a black-tie dinner on Saturday.

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 warned U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to relinquish control over Diego Garcia — an island in the Indian Ocean that hosts a joint U.S.-U.K. base, as the U.K. plans to transfer sovereignty of the larger island chain to Mauritius, while maintaining a 99-year lease on the base — because it may act as the launching pad for a U.S. strike on Iran.

“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly countries,” Trump wrote on Truth Social…

Iran is also signaling its readiness for military conflict, The Wall Street Journal reports, including deploying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval units to the Strait of Hormuz, launching cruise missiles along the coast, conducting a military exercise with a Russian warship near the USS Abraham Lincoln, testing air defense systems, hardening nuclear sites and cracking down once more on dissidents…

Israel, meanwhile, is preparing for its civilian infrastructure to be “a central arena” in a potential U.S.-Iran conflict, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports, as Home Front Command chief Maj.-Gen. Shay Klapper told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today. Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth said, “There is not one [Israeli] who doesn’t ask himself several times a day when there will be a campaign against Iran. The entire population and home front are preparing”…

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dispelled rumors, seemingly spread by Saudi media, that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was ill or even dying after meeting with him in Abu Dhabi today: “Not only is he alive, but he is also well and as sharp as I’ve ever seen him. To those powers that feel the need to attack MbZ and the UAE for doing the right thing — you do so at your own peril,” Graham said on X.

He also called MBZ’s decision to join the Abraham Accords and “to try to integrate the region with the whole world … one of the most consequential decisions any Middle Eastern leader has made.” Graham is now headed to Saudi Arabia where he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he recently told publicly to “knock it off” regarding the kingdom’s destabilizing activities in the region…

Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico raised $2.5 million in donations for his Senate campaign in the 24 hours after his interview on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show was reportedly quashed by CBS, Politico reports, as early voting in Texas kicked off yesterday ahead of the March 3 primary. 

CBS denied it had banned the interview, saying Colbert’s show “was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled,” which Colbert derided as a statement “written by — and I’m guessing for — lawyers”…

On the GOP side of the Texas Senate ballot, Attorney General Ken Paxton looks like the front-runner in his hotly contested primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), despite the GOP establishment spending more than $60 million in attack ads against Paxton, Punchbowl News reports. (And the infighting goes further: Hunt said yesterday he filed criminal charges against a senior member of Cornyn’s campaign team for allegedly doxxing a member of his family.)

Trump told reporters last night that he still hadn’t decided which of the GOP candidates, if any, to endorse, saying, “I like all three of them actually. Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me. They’re all good. You’re supposed to pick one, so we’ll see what happens. But I support all three”…

Democratic Virginia state Del. Dan Helmer, a key architect of the state’s current redistricting effort, plans to enter the race for the 7th Congressional District that will be created if state voters approve a constitutional amendment to allow redistricting to proceed. 

Helmer, who is Jewish and the son of an Israeli immigrant, ran for the state’s 10th District in 2024 on a staunchly pro-Israel platform, telling JI at the time that calls for conditions on U.S. aid to Israel are “incredibly frustrating.” He became the target of late-stage ad campaigns, which their backers insisted to JI were unrelated to his support for Israel, and ultimately came in second in the Democratic primary…

Humain, Saudi Arabia’s state-sponsored AI company, invested $3 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI, the company announced today. The investment came just before Musk combined xAI with his SpaceX aerospace company, giving the Saudi firm a significant stake in the major U.S. government contractor…

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

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at how the emerging scandal involving Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) — whom the San Antonio Express News confirmed yesterday was engaged in an extramarital affair with a staffer who committed suicide — could catapult an anti-Israel Republican, who has posted videos featuring Nazi imagery, to Congress.

Our focus tomorrow will be the first meeting of the Board of Peace, which will bring several heads of state and senior ministers, including Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, to Washington. Read JI’s preview of the meeting. 

Jewish Federations of North America CEO Eric Fingerhut will deliver what JFNA is calling the first “State of the Jewish Union Address,” ahead of the president’s State of the Union next week, from the organization’s Washington headquarters.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a daylong hearing on antisemitism on college campuses, featuring legal experts, former administration officials, students and Jewish communal leaders, which include Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Kenneth Marcus, founder and CEO of the Louis D. Brandeis Center; Erin Beiner, J Street U director; and Kevin Rachlin, Washington director of The Nexus Project.