As the Latino population of Chicago continues to grow, two Latino Democrats, representing opposing poles of the party, are facing off in a new congressional district. And warring pro-Israel factions are staking their claims in the race. 

Chicago Alderman Gilbert Villegas is a former union leader who is running on a moderate plank and emphasizing support for law enforcement. State Rep. Delia Ramirez, the assistant majority leader in the Statehouse, is campaigning as a progressive with the backing of national figures including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and organizations such as Emily’s List, the Working Families Party and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC. The 3rd District, which is centered around the city’s Southwest Side, was created as a “Latino-influenced” open seat in the 2020 redistricting cycle. 

Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) endorsed Villegas in the race, and J Street recently got behind Ramirez. But unlike in some of last week’s high-profile primaries, where significant capital was spent on Democratic candidates, the groups have had minimal financial involvement in Illinois’ new 3rd Congressional District. And AIPAC’s new PAC — which has publicly sparred with J Street on social media about other races in which they’ve gone head-to-head — has not gotten behind a candidate in this race.

Delia Ramirez speaks at the Chicago Climate Summit at Benito Juarez Community Academy on April 23, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for IL GND Coalition)

Ramirez outlined her views on Israel in an email to Jewish Insider. “I recognize the strong bond between the U.S and Israel and believe their relationship should remain strong,” she said. Ramirez, who declined an interview, does not appear to have commented publicly on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the past. 

Ramirez said she supports continued U.S. military aid to Israel and said she “would have supported” legislation passed by the House last year authorizing $1 billion in supplemental assistance to Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system. 

J Street has supported legislation that would put restrictions on U.S. security assistance to Israel, although Ramirez did not say if she believes restrictions or limitations should be placed on U.S. aid to Israel. The restrictions are meant to keep Israel from unilaterally annexing parts of the West Bank.  

Laura Birnbaum, J Street’s national political director, said J Street leaders spoke about the issue with Ramirez. “I think that she understands the moral imperative behind it, for us to make sure that our security assistance is only being used for legitimate security needs,” said Birnbaum. 

Villegas, a Marine Corps veteran, has adopted a more traditional approach to the U.S.-Israel relationship. “When you have an ally, you have to support and work with that ally. You cannot attack it [and be] half-hearted. You have to be all in and support the only democracy in the region,” he told JI in February. 

The best outcome for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a “permanent two-state solution that allows Israeli and Palestinians to live in peace and security in viable and prosperous states which respect the democratic, civil, and economic rights of all peoples,” Ramirez wrote to JI. “I support the right of Israel to exist in peace and security. I believe that this can only be fully realized as part of a two-state solution based on the borders before June 4, 1967, along with mutually agreed-upon land swaps.” 

Ramirez did not respond to a question asking her opinion on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. She pledged to fight antisemitism if she is elected to Congress.

“I am deeply concerned about the rising acts of antisemitism in the United States and around the world and I recognize the importance of Israel as a homeland and refuge for the Jewish people,” Ramirez wrote. “I will oppose all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia and will support legislation to secure the rights of Jews and Muslims to live without fear of violence and discrimination.” 

Ramirez also expressed support for U.S. efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal, officially referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, despite stalled negotiations in Vienna. “I support President Biden’s efforts to reenter the JCPOA. I am committed to curbing Iran’s nuclear activities and other threatening behavior,” she told JI. 

Villegas leads Ramirez in fundraising, having brought in $395,000 from January through March, compared to $303,000 for Ramirez in that period. A third candidate, Iymen Chehade, raised just $48,000 in the first quarter. Chehade, who previously served as a foreign policy advisor on the campaign of Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL), is at the center of a congressional ethics investigation centered on the Illinois congresswoman. A report published in January by the Office of Congressional Ethics found that Newman had promised to employ Chehade based upon an agreement that he not challenge her in her 2020 congressional campaign. 

Experts and sources close to both the Villegas and Ramirez campaigns agree that the race is far from settled, and both candidates have a shot at victory. The only polling in the race, conducted in March by a group that has endorsed Ramirez, showed her leading with 19% of the vote, compared to 11% for Villegas. That poll found that two-thirds of voters were undecided.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the voter turnout is. This is a new district, so they’re not used to being in this,” said Dick Simpson, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Chicago and a former Chicago alderman. “It comes down to who’s working the precincts, how many voters they’re contacting and the media that you’re able to buy in this last month, or six weeks from now.”

In years past, Illinois congressional primaries have taken place in March, but this year the election was pushed back to June 28 to allow time for the redistricting process. The new date combined with the entirely new district means campaigns must spend their time educating voters about their candidates. The winner of the primary in the heavily Democratic district is expected to win the general election in November. 

State Rep. Delia Ramirez discusses her bill that would provide relief for landlords, homeowners and renters diagnosed with COVID-19 during the Illinois House Executive committee meeting at the Bank of Springfield Center, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. (Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register via AP)

Ramirez, a nonprofit executive and housing advocate, was elected to the Statehouse in 2018 and has become a progressive leader in the body. An early ally of hers — and her most prominent local endorsement — is Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL), who represents an adjacent Chicago-area district and was one of eight Democrats to vote against approving supplemental funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system last year. 

“​​She’s fought hard in Springfield to secure critical resources to address housing insecurity, health care expansion, immigrant protections and greater transparency in our educational institutions,” Garcia, a staunch progressive, said of Ramirez in February. (Illinois’ first-ever Latino congressman, former Rep. Luis Gutierrez, endorsed Villegas this week, citing his opposition to defunding the police.) 

“The fact that Chuy Garcia endorses Ramirez … doesn’t mean that [she] shared Chuy Garcia’s views on Israel. He’s got a very broad agenda,” Steve Sheffey, a prominent Democratic pro-Israel activist in Chicago, told JI. “When it comes to Israel, you shouldn’t assume that his positions are going to be [her] positions, because obviously, on the Iron Dome supplemental, they certainly aren’t.”

Israelis and Palestinians “have to figure out a way to coexist with one another,” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Sunday, amid an uptick in violence that has left 20 Israeli civilians dead in recent weeks.

Gantz, who was wrapping up a five-day trip to the U.S., told reporters in New York that the government was looking to stem the string of deadly attacks that have targeted Israeli civilians across the country. “We lost 20 people in the last five to six weeks,” he said. “We must stop this wave.” 

“I think we need to insist on security,” he added, noting that he has met twice in recent months with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. “We do need to increase the governance of the Palestinians, because we want to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and weaken Hamas; this is what we are dealing with. So first and foremost, we need to continue this policy. We don’t give up on security, wherever it is. And we are connecting with them [on] different levels. And I think we should continue to do that. While doing so, we need to explain our position to our American friends and to see the reality as it is on the ground.”

Gantz also said that the Palestinian Authority could be involved in administration at the Allenby Bridge, weeks after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides suggested that the PA should be granted authority at Israel’s border crossing with Jordan.

“I can think of involvement, I cannot think of responsibility,” Gantz said. The defense minister cited the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, where he said Hamas has been “equipped” with “operational capabilities.”

Gantz was in New York following meetings in Washington with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Earlier in the day, he spoke at Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue, at an event hosted by the Defense Ministry’s Department of Bereaved Families, Commemoration and Heritage to honor the families of Israelis killed by war and terrorism.

He compared the Israeli people to the biblical David fighting generations of Goliaths. “Not only did we survive, not only did we make the desert bloom, but we also built the strongest military in the Middle East. Because history shows us that we must defend ourselves by ourselves. We must be our own David.”

Gantz was joined at the event by Asaf Zamir, Israel’s consul general in New York, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).

The New York congresswoman touted Congress’ backing of $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, as well as $1 billion for the Iron Dome missile-defense system. 

“Israel’s security is important to the cause of peace in the Middle East, and I would say the world,” Maloney said. “A growing number of Middle Eastern countries recognize that it is better to have Israel as an ally than an enemy. And after decades of hard work and isolation, Israel is really starting to develop deeper relationships with many other neighbors who see Israel’s strength as important to their own security and their own stability.”

Forty-four senators voiced support on Friday for providing full funding — $500 million — to Israel in 2023 for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow 3 cooperative missile-defense programs as laid out in the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Israel.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) led a letter, obtained by Jewish Insider, to Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who chairs the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee.

The signatories to the letter include 34 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Gillibrand and Rounds, both of whom serve on the Armed Services Committee, have paired on similar letters in past years. A similar letter sent last year garnered 38 signatories.

“This vital funding will help Israel save lives and defend itself, while also strengthening U.S. national security, and furthering research and development,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “The U.S.-Israel relationship is unshakeable and I’m proud to lead this strong group of bipartisan senators to ensure Israel has the resources needed to protect its people.”

“We have had a great deal of success in improving our missile defense systems working with Israel,” Rounds added in a statement. “The advancements we have been able to make in this cooperative effort will benefit our defense capabilities as well as those of our ally Israel. This missile defense system has also saved the lives of countless Israeli and Palestinian citizens living in Israel. It is important that we continue to authorize and fund these systems.”

The letter describes the joint programs as “instrumental to the defense of Israel.” It also notes that the programs “support key elements of the industrial base and important jobs in the United States.”

The letter also emphasizes the importance of continued collaboration on countering hostile drones — a key area of concern for U.S. leaders, particularly from Iran.

“Iran and its proxies’ increased use and sales of [drones] only heighten the importance of these systems,” the letter argues. “The collaborative defense program has created an important flow of data to support U.S. service members in theater, U.S. missile defense technology, and our strategic ally, Israel.”

Los Angeles Lakers star player LeBron James was spotted at the wedding of Jeffrey Schottenstein and Ariella Boker on Sunday afternoon in New York City, according to video and photos from the event.

Schottenstein, the son of billionaire American Eagle chairman and CEO Jay Schottenstein, is the founder of clothing brand TACKMA, which James has been spotted wearing. The Columbus-based Schottenstein family has long been acquainted with James, an Akron native who brought the Cleveland Cavaliers their first NBA championship in 2016.

As guests mingled, the 6-foot-9 James was seen entering the wedding venue with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, a Moroccan-based rabbi and founder of Shuva Israel. Pinto, who counts the Schottenstein family among his followers, has reportedly offered spiritual advice to James in the past. James also reportedly gave a six-figure donation to Shuva Israel.

James, 37, a four-time NBA champion and MVP, missed this year’s playoffs for just the third time in his career, something the all-time great promised to never do again. Whether James sought advice from Pinto on rallying his underperforming Lakers next year remains unclear.

Could the Washington elite wake up to Talmud in their in-boxes?

“I tried to do Daf Yomi a few years ago,” Jake Sherman, co-founder of Punchbowl News, revealed on Jewish Insider’s “Limited Liability Podcast.” But ultimately, the D.C. insider could not fit the seven-year commitment to daily Talmud reading into his work schedule, already packed with briefing the nation’s politicos on the comings and goings in the capital in the form of a daily newsletter.

But the Jewish day school graduate has always kept his Judaism front and center.

“I grew up both in a Conservative and Orthodox synagogue,” Sherman, 36, who describes himself as a “modestly observant Jew,” told co-hosts Richard Goldberg and Jarrod Bernstein. “I went to Jewish summer camp. I went to Camp Laurelwood in Madison, Conn.”

Sherman boasts two rabbis as brothers-in-law, including one in yeshiva in Israel, granting his family a reason to make frequent visits to the Holy Land.

Despite his personal connection, Sherman said his focus on domestic affairs in Congress and the White House means he infrequently covers Israel for Punchbowl.

Still, Sherman remarked that he saw an uptick in criticism of Israel during his time covering Washington. “I think the relative calm has played into the sense. People are more free to criticize,” he said. “There’s been nothing like the Second Intifada, which I think defined my generation’s view of Israel, which is, ‘Holy Lord, we could go to a Sbarro’s and get blown up in the middle of Jerusalem,’” referring to a 2001 suicide bombing at a Jerusalem branch of the pizza chain that left 15 civilians dead.

Criticism of Israel has become a significant factor in a growing internal strife within the Democratic Party, with the moderate and progressive wings battling over everything from social welfare to climate change. 

While Sherman backed away from describing it as a “civil war,” he was quick to call the split “an actual big deal.”

“The progressive wing of the party believes that… their mandate is to be as aggressive as possible, and the Josh Gottheimers of the world, and people of that nature, believe that it’s not the way to go, and they’re gonna lose their majority,” Sherman said. “It’s the kind of age-old question: Do we maintain a majority or spend a majority?”

As the Democrats’ majority in both houses could slip from their grasp in the midterms, so too could the Biden administration’s chance to enact significant legislation before the next presidential election. But Sherman argued that Biden already has some legislative success to his name, calling his handling of Congress an improvement over Biden’s Democratic predecessor, former President Barack Obama. “Whether you like or dislike Biden, he has gotten a lot done — more than people give him credit for,” Sherman said. “Obama got a lot done, but [Biden’s] administration is a little bit better and more connected to the Hill.”

Still, Sherman said, there is one area of clear failure congressional for the administration: Iran.

“[Biden] will face bipartisan opposition if there’s an Iran deal,” Sherman said of the administration’s chances in receiving Congress’ endorsement of a potential nuclear agreement with Iran.

The most concrete sign yet of disapproval came in a non-binding resolution in the Senate opposing the deal. The measure, which was introduced by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), passed the Senate with 62 votes, including 16 Democrats.

“The Hill has been in the dark, which is not something they really like to be in,” Sherman added of the vote. “It is kind of a siren that the administration has problems when it comes to Iran.”

Bonus: Favorite baseball team? “Nationals, Nationals, Nationals, Nationals. I am a big Washington Nationals fan.”

Activists with NORPAC, a bipartisan pro-Israel group, met with more than 300 lawmakers in recent weeks to discuss Israeli security assistance, Iran and Israel-related issues at the United Nations.

Around 500 activists participated in the group’s annual mission to Washington, which was conducted virtually, and included meetings with 67 of the 100 members of the Senate. 

Issues on the group’s agenda included supporting the scheduled $3.8 billion in aid set to be provided to Israel in 2023 under the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding, nuclear negotiations with Iran and specific bills aimed at countering the proliferation of Iranian drones, blocking U.S. funding from supporting the U.N.’s Commission of Inquiry investigating Israel and investigating the content of United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) educational materials.

“A lot of the [Senate] offices weren’t aware of some of these bills and some of them just came to their attention… a lot of offices learned about the two or three House bills that I named as well,” Avi Schranz, NORPAC’s executive director, told Jewish Insider. “Some just hadn’t had the time to sign on to [the Iranian drone or U.N. bills] but told us they would get on that as soon as they could, so it was good to hear that.”

Regarding Iran, talking points distributed to NORPAC activists warn that “with a nuclear weapon, it can do in twelve minutes to nine million Israelis what Hitler did in twelve years to six million Jews.” They also call for a more comprehensive nuclear agreement involving a permanent block on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which also includes provisions combating regional aggression and Iranian ballistic missiles and preserves non-nuclear sanctions.

“As Congress oversees those negotiations and reviews any resulting agreement, it is important to focus on the shortcomings of the previous deal,” the talking points read.

The talking points also connect antisemitic and anti-Israel material in UNRWA materials to last month’s event’s violence at the Al Aqsa Mosque.

“Just last month, we saw the consequences of such incitement when hundreds of Palestinian youths threw stones and set off fireworks on the Temple Mount in their efforts to block Jews from visiting,” the talking points read.

With more than 22,000 people expected to attend this weekend’s ICSC confab in Las Vegas, the event is a mainstay on the conference circuit — and one of the largest to relaunch, in splashy Sin City fashion, after the pandemic. This year, all the networking and hobnobbing is set against the backdrop of great uncertainty for commercial real estate and retail.

The annual real estate gathering organized by the International Council of Shopping Centers offers some of everything, from dealmaking to dance parties, for the industry leaders who convene in 100-degree temperatures in the desert. (Poolside private cabanas are known to be hubs for schmoozing.)

The conference, which is the largest retail real estate convention in the world, turns Vegas — briefly — into a hub for the Jewish community. Kosher food is available through the three days of the festival, which runs from Sunday to Tuesday. Multiple hotels offer morning minyans for the Shacharit prayer service, and they don’t need to worry about hitting the 10-person prayer quorum; more than enough people show up. 

“We do believe that the lower the place is spiritually, the higher the potential,” said Rabbi Levi Harlig, a born-and-bred Las Vegan and Chabad emissary who is running Shabbat programming at the conference. “There’s no lower place in Las Vegas than the Strip, so to be able to transform that, to have a Torah reading and keep Shabbos properly is pretty powerful.” 

Chabad of Southern Nevada will have an outpost at the Wynn on the Strip from Friday through Tuesday, with about 50 people expected for Shabbat meals. Harlig and his twin brother, also a Chabad rabbi, will offer prayer services throughout Shabbat, along with three-times-a-day weekday prayers during the rest of the conference. (The Wynn works with Harlig on helping guests observe Shabbat; the nearby Venetian Hotel has Shabbat rooms.)

“People can gather together, do a little Torah study, keep them connected while they’re still here. Daven with a minyan and whatnot,” Harlig said. “It’s difficult to get away and go to a shul that’s a 15-minute drive. So it’s very convenient for them.”

Chabad’s daily minyans are sponsored by Meridian Capital Group, whose founder and CEO, Ralph Herzka, is a major donor to religious institutions in the U.S. and Israel. Each year at ICSC, Meridian Capital sponsors a high-end kosher lunch in a custom event space designed by a New York event management company. Last year’s offerings included a salad bar, a poké station and a smoothie bar. 

After a day spent wandering the booths and exhibitions at the Las Vegas Convention Center, attendees angle to land invites to exclusive cocktail parties and dinners hosted by major firms. Kosher food is surprisingly easy to come by, and not just a shrink-wrapped Glatt kosher meal. 

Jeff Wild, a partner at the Cleveland-based law firm Benesch, has been going to ICSC for more than 20 years. At Benesch’s Monday night party at the Bellagio, the firm will order extra kosher food, and Wild plans to extend an invite to anyone he meets who’s looking for kosher food.

“We tell people, if you happen to know other people who are kosher, even if they don’t do business with the firm, we want to make sure that we’re welcoming, and we invite as many people as possible to come in to enjoy the kosher food,” Wild told Jewish Insider. “In this situation, people get a chance to actually relax and enjoy the food of their choice without having to make difficult decisions about being able to eat or not.”

People who keep kosher haven’t always been able to find high-quality food at the convention center. Marc Tropp, senior managing director at the commercial real estate firm Eastern Union, said the kosher scene used to be mainly pizza deliveries.

Now, “the frum-owned companies both days will have a lunch, like a catered lunch, fully kosher,” said Tropp, who has been going to ICSC since 2005. “It’s really open to anybody, and it’s really amazing. It’s truly unbelievable.” 

The benefit isn’t just the food, of course. “It’s helpful because it’s sort of like a networking event within a networking event,” he said. “You’re talking specifically to people that you’re spending 30-45 minutes with, eating a meal.”

Tropp is based in Bethesda, Md., and his firm sponsors the kosher food at the annual Maryland party, an invite-only event at the Wynn where state officials including Gov. Larry Hogan will mingle with developers and retailers who might be thinking of making investments in Maryland. 

In 2018, many of ICSC’s biggest dealmakers skipped the conference when it coincided with Shavuot. Others who are not observant Jews reflected that their absence would be obvious: “If you know the popular kids are not going to the party, then you are not going to go,” Jonathan Adelsberg, a partner at the New York law firm Herrick Feinstein, told real estate site The Real Deal at the time. 

In the past, Jewish and Israel-focused organizations like the federation and AIPAC have tried to set up events parallel to the conference, one longtime ICSC attendee and philanthropist told JI. But people come to the conference to make deals, so the events were not especially successful. 

“After a long day of walking the convention center and having meeting after meeting after meeting, you’re quite tired at the dinner,” Wild said. “A lot of us don’t really take advantage of it being in Vegas. Vegas just happens to be an easy place for them to have this convention every single year.”

Not everyone agrees: Tropp plans to take clients to live performances, maybe a magic show or a comedy show. And he’ll hit the casino a bit, even though “I’m not a huge gambler,” he said. But he’s most looking forward to being face-to-face with colleagues and clients. “It’s good to see that the industry is still surviving. I will say, outside of hospitality, I think when COVID hit the retail sector, I think everyone thought it was going to get destroyed,” said Tropp. 

For Simon Ziff, president of Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group, a real estate capital advisory firm, the most exciting part will be “my three dinners, unfortunately non-kosher restaurants, with 20-plus year relationships from all over the country,” he told JI. “I’ll admit that I will enjoy some great DJs as well.”

Reps. Andre Carson (D-IN) and Lou Correa (D-CA) are collecting signatures from their colleagues on a letter calling for a U.S. investigation into the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American reporter who was shot during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin last week.

Palestinian officials and Al Jazeera, the outlet that employed Abu Akleh, accuse Israeli forces of killing Abu Akleh. Israel has said she was killed during a firefight with Palestinian militants and called for a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority, which was rejected, and has said it will not open a military police investigation. Abu Akleh’s autopsy, conducted by a Palestinian medical examiner, offered no definitive conclusion on the shooter. Israel said Thursday it may have identified the gun used in the shooting, but could not confirm without the bullet, which the PA has refused to provide.

The letter calls for the FBI and State Department to investigate Abu Akleh’s death. 

“As Members of Congress, we are deeply concerned by the death of Ms. Abu Akleh. Journalists worldwide must be protected at all costs,” the letter, the text of which was shared by Americans for Peace Now, reads. “We welcome the actions and statements taken so far by the U.S. Department of State supporting a thorough investigation by the Israeli government. However, given the tenuous situation in the region and the conflicting reports surrounding the death of Ms. Abu Akleh, we request the State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) launch an investigation into Ms. Abu Akleh’s death. We also request the U.S. Department of State determines whether any U.S. laws protecting Ms. Abu Akleh, an American citizen, were violated.”

The letter also emphasizes the “conflicting reports” about the circumstances of Abu Akleh’s death.

Neither congressman responded to a request for comment on the letter.

Carson and Correa are unusual allies on an issue related to Israel. Carson has been one of the most frequent critics of Israel in Congress, and voted against supplemental Iron Dome funding last year. Correa has sponsored legislation opposing the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement, supporting joint missile defense and economic cooperation and supporting a resolution condemning U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which characterized Israeli settlements as a “flagrant violation of international law.” Correa returned from a trip to Israel sponsored by the U.S.-Israel Education Association days before Abu Akleh’s killing.

Correa has been endorsed by AIPAC and Pro-Israel America. AIPAC declined to comment.