| | Good Tuesday morning. In today’s Daily Kickoff , we interview New York congressional candidate Mazi Melesa Pilip, and look at how the Jewish communal world is approaching Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff : Gov. Josh Shapiro, Yohanan Plesner and Jon Bon Jovi. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made his second trip to Israel on Monday, meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Brown. In his meeting with Netanyahu, Austin reaffirmed the U.S.’ “unshakeable” commitment to Israel. Amid reports that the Biden administration has in recent weeks pressured Israel to wind down its war with Hamas, Austin said, “this is Israel’s operation, and I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms.” A Department of Defense readout said Austin “reiterated the unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism and called for the immediate return of all hostages.” Among the issues discussed were scenarios for a post-war Gaza as the administration pushes for a two-state solution. Israeli officials including Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog have both in recent days ruled out restarting negotiations in the immediate term, with Herzog telling the Associated Press that the “bereaved” country is experiencing an “emotional chapter” that “must be dealt with.” An individual with knowledge of the meetings told JI that Israeli officials “want to be 100% transparent with the Americans,” and as such are “sharing extremely detailed and sensitive information that we wouldn’t necessarily share with anyone else.” “Professionally and diplomatically,” the individual said of one of the sit-downs, “it was a very, very productive meeting.” From Israel, Austin traveled on to Bahrain, where he announced the creation of a new multinational task force aimed at curbing the Houthis’ malign activities in the Red Sea, calling the Iran-backed group’s attacks on vessels in the region “an international challenge that demands collective action.” Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who rejoined government over the summer as the Biden administration’s senior advisor for regional integration in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, is stepping into a new role at the Defense Department, replacing Dana Stroul, who is departing her posting as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | Pilip's pitch Mazi Melesa Pilip discusses her policy platform in pivotal special election  ADAM GRAY/GETTY IMAGES In the special election to replace recently expelled Rep. George Santos (R-NY), Republican leaders have pinned their hopes on Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Ethiopian-born Jewish county legislator and Israel Defense Forces veteran who is now preparing for a high-stakes battle against a formidable Democratic opponent. Owing largely to her compelling biography, Pilip, 44, is widely viewed as a rising star among New York Republicans seeking another upset in a Long Island-based swing district that could help decide the balance of power in the House. But the political newcomer, picked as the GOP’s nominee last week, has drawn criticism from Democrats for not taking positions on hot-button issues, raising questions about her political inexperience and offering fodder for partisan attacks. Speaking with Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel on Monday, however, Pilip was ready to clarify her views on a range of key topics, including abortion rights and the criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, while addressing her longtime party registration as a Democrat and past support for Santos, who was ousted from Congress a few weeks ago.
Moderate voice: In her first in-depth interview with a news outlet since entering the race, Pilip, who launched her campaign on Friday, cast herself as a moderate Republican voice reflective of the swing voters in the district who backed President Joe Biden in 2020 but later voted for GOP candidates in last year’s midterms. With regard to Trump, Pilip refrained from defending the former president as he faces multiple indictments that have contributed to a surge in national support. “Trump has to go through his process,” she argued. “Nobody’s above the law.” Still, Pilip vowed to stand behind the nominee no matter which candidate ultimately prevails. “Trump is one of the candidates,” she reasoned. “The debate is ongoing. We have great candidates right now. We have to wait and see, and once we know who is the Republican nominee, we’re going to support that person.”
Israel connection: Pilip said her unique personal ties to Israel, where she served in the army before settling in New York, would only boost her standing in the House as a defender of the Jewish state. “Israel is a big deal for me, and I want to make sure, here in the United States, that we understand what Israel is about and how important it is to continue to support Israel,” Pilip, who said that some of her family members are now fighting in the war, told JI. “Israel is our true ally, a democratic country that shares our values. Nobody can tell this story more than me. Even if you are here and supporting Israel, nobody can be me. You cannot argue with that.”
Read the full interview here. dei design Jewish communal leaders still committed to DEI framework, despite widespread criticism  MICHAEL NIGRO/PACIFIC PRESS/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES The diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracy at colleges has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of a House hearing on campus antisemitism, which underscored how programs designed to promote inclusion have failed to address the rising anti-Jewish hate on campuses — and often perpetuate it. But even as there’s been an opportunity for Jewish leaders to confront the systemic challenges within the DEI system, leading Jewish communal organizations are still preferring to work within that system — urging universities to better incorporate Jews into an oppressor-oppressed hierarchy, instead of calling on them to dismantle the ideology behind it altogether, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen reports for Jewish Insider.
Rules of engagement: Leaders from the American Jewish Committee and Anti-Defamation League told JI their organizations are taking the engage-and-influence approach — and had been doing so well before Oct. 7. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘confront’ to describe what we’re going to be doing,” Sara Coodin, AJC’s director of academic affairs, told JI. “We engage pretty regularly and partner with universities to work on education programs that can have the kinds of results we are looking for, more inclusion for Jewish students. We tend not to take an overly divisive approach when it comes to DEI.”
Reaching the goal: Adam Neufeld, senior vice president and chief impact officer at the ADL, echoed a similar approach. “We’ve been engaging universities, including DEI offices, for several years [about] the exclusion of antisemitism,” he told JI. “Our goal is to ensure that campuses are free of antisemitism. We just care about the results and there are many ways of reaching that goal.”
Read the full story here. war goals Israel remains committed to a long-term timetable to take out Hamas despite growing U.S. impatience  AMIR LEVY/GETTY IMAGES Even as a stream of U.S. officials arrived this week to discuss with Israeli leaders the need to lower the intensity of fighting in the next phase of the war in Gaza, Israeli military experts believe the country needs more time to defeat Hamas — and that some of the most intense battles might be yet to come, Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash reports. The IDF estimates that it has already eliminated more than 25 Hamas battalions in fighting so far and killed many of the organization’s senior commanders, including Ahmed Al-Ghandoor, who directed the terror group’s operations in Northern Gaza, and Rawhi Mushtaha, a political and strategic leader considered to be very close to Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader in Gaza, according to information published by the IDF Spokesperson’s unit.
Tunnel tactics: On Sunday, the IDF revealed that it had uncovered a massive tunnel system spanning some 2.5 miles starting just a few feet from the Erez crossing, the checkpoint that prior to Oct. 7 had been used by hundreds of thousands of Gazans to reach medical treatment and work placements in Israel. The tunnel, which the army said was reinforced with concrete and equipped with electricity, ventilation, sewage, communication networks and rails, snaked below hospitals, schools, kindergartens and other sensitive sites. Brig. Gen. (retired) Amir Avivi, CEO of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), told JI that one of the more enduring tasks now faced by the army is to dismantle this vast tunnel network, an effort that would likely employ a variety of methods, including flooding the shafts with seawater and bulldozing the structures or filling them in with cement.
U.S. expectations: But U.S. officials are reportedly pressuring Israel to wrap up the main bulk of the fighting by early January and then move to a more low-intensity operation, including potentially withdrawing most IDF troops to the Gaza periphery. Avivi said that such an idea was, “completely detached from reality on the ground” — a sentiment echoed by others with whom JI spoke. “If the expectation in the U.S. is that they will go into elections and things will be quiet then they do not understand that what is happening right now is not just about Gaza,” Avivi said, noting that there is also the additional threats emanating from Iran’s terror proxies, mostly Hezbollah, which sits on Israel’s northern border, but also the Houthis in Yemen.
Read the full story here. shapiro says Pa. Gov. Shapiro: Israel has 'responsibility' to 'defeat Hamas'  JUSTIN MERRIMAN/GETTY IMAGES Since taking office earlier this year, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has focused more on state policy than on foreign affairs. But since an antisemitic incident at a kosher Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia earlier this month brought the Israel-Hamas war to his home turf, the Democrat has become increasingly outspoken about the war in Gaza. Last week, the popular swing-state governor offered his most detailed comments yet on the war that was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Strong feelings: “Israel not only has a right to defend itself, I think Israel has a responsibility to combat Hamas head-on and to defeat Hamas,” Shapiro said at a Dec. 13 virtual event hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America. He began his remarks with a caveat: “I'm a state actor, not a federal actor. I don't get a vote in the Congress in terms of what happens. I do have strong feelings.”
Pressure’s on: While pledging his support for Israel’s war effort and the Israeli people, Shapiro commended President Joe Biden for his handling of the war and his continued advocacy for a two-state solution — and for the pressure Biden has put on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has in recent days expressed sharp opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Read the full story here. hill watch House Republicans press Education Secretary over efforts to combat antisemitism  BILL CLARK/CQ-ROLL CALL, INC VIA GETTY IMAGES Every Republican on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which is currently probing antisemitism on college campuses, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Monday questioning his and the department’s commitment to combating antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Regulation delay: The letter focuses on a recent announcement from the department that it would not issue regulations reinforcing a 2019 executive order designating antisemitism as a form of discrimination prohibited on college campuses under the Civil Rights Act until December 2024. The committee members demanded that the department provide an explanation of why the regulations have been delayed by the end of the year
Quotable: “To be clear: not only has the Department failed to meet its obligation to create rules necessary for the execution of the EO, but it is also delaying any such action by another year,” the letter reads. “This is particularly egregious in the face of increased anti-Jewish hatred sweeping across American schools and college campuses which deserves action from the Department now, not later.”
Investigations: The lawmakers further accused the department of being unresponsive to Jewish groups, parents and students, and speculated that the department may not be taking antisemitism investigations seriously or is approaching them with “predetermined” outcomes — pointing to comments by Cardona indicating hesitance to withhold federal funds from schools. Since the executive order on antisemitism was announced, the department has investigated and reached settlements with several universities over antisemitism on their campuses, including under Cardona’s leadership.
Read the full story here.
Elsewhere on the Hill: Several House Democrats with national security backgrounds, including Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who is running for Senate; Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who is running for governor of Virginia; and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), a potential gubernatorial candidate, said in a letter that they are “deeply concerned” by Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, which they said is “not in line with American interests” and do not “advance the cause of security for our ally Israel.” They called on President Joe Biden to “use all our leverage to achieve an immediate and significant shift of military strategy and tactics in Gaza." | Survivors’ Testimonies: The Wall Street Journal’s Chao Deng and Anat Peled spotlight the survivors of the Hamas attacks on Kibbutz Be’eri, the majority of whom are living in a Dead Sea resort while the Gaza envelope remains uninhabitable. “Some members of Be’eri had lived there for decades when Hamas attackers streamed in on Oct. 7, shooting adults and children, ransacking and razing homes and abducting 27 people. More than a dozen members held by captors in one house in the kibbutz were killed. Soon after Oct. 7, hundreds of Be’eri members moved to the David Dead Sea Resort & Spa, overlooking palm trees and a pale blue sea. Few were in the mood to swim or tan, leaving lounge chairs and beach umbrellas mostly untouched. Behind the door of his hotel room, Iohanan Druker, an artist, worked on his struggle. He survived the attack with his wife in their shelter, gripping the door handle as he listened to attackers rummaging through the house. The fear they would find and kill him still haunts him. Over and over, he paints pictures of the handle in different colors, sometimes floating in space. ‘The handle closing or not closing was the difference between life and death,’ he said.” [WSJ]
Deciphering the Daylight: In Foreign Policy, Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, observes the Biden administration’s strategy vis-a-vis Israel. “There are no doubt differences between the Biden administration and Israel on its ground campaign and on what should follow — especially on what role the Palestinian Authority should play in Gaza and what Israel should do to advance a two-state solution. But anyone expecting a major blow-up in U.S.-Israeli relations now or in the coming days should lay down and wait patiently until the feeling passes. All one has to do is read the entire text of the president’s remarks — a veritable love letter to Israel — to see that, tensions notwithstanding, the frame Biden set on Oct. 10 in one of the most powerful speeches of his presidency has remained largely intact. Sure, the discourse has evolved in the face of the exponential rise in Palestinian deaths and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. But several factors virtually guarantee that instead of accentuating those differences, let alone imposing conditions on Israel, the Biden administration strongly prefers to manage them.” [ForeignPolicy]
The Day After: In Foreign Affairs, Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, considers what the day after the Israel-Hamas war will look like in Israel, taking into consideration the inner turmoil it was experiencing over the government’s judicial overhaul efforts, among other issues, before Oct. 7. “Amid one of their greatest tests in the country’s history, Israelis have a series of important opportunities. Rebuilding and strengthening Israeli democracy will be a long and difficult process. But if new leadership emerges after the war that can begin to repair the country’s frayed unity, the catastrophe that began on October 7 could also become the moment when Israelis are pushed to finally rectify the mistake made by our founders in 1948 when they chose to avoid the most fundamental questions relating to Israel’s character. New leadership could bring Israelis together in a grand project of national renewal that would include a new social contract that all sectors of society would respect. This would allow Israel to rebuild its defenses that were so badly compromised in this war, and also to set the stage for more enduring and broad-based economic prosperity. By codifying this new social contract into a long-overdue constitutional document, Israelis can also protect the country from future threats to Israeli democracy.” [ForeignAffairs] | Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | Survey Says: A New York Times/Siena poll released today found voters evenly split between supporting Israel’s military operations in Gaza and wanting the war to end to stem the number of casualties.
PA Pressure: Biden administration officials are encouraging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to cede some control of the Palestinian government as part of a broader effort to revamp the PA’s structure.
Supplemental Update: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was vague yesterday about whether he would call another vote this week on advancing the Israel and Ukraine aid bill. He said that talks over border policy need "more time." Lead GOP negotiator Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said "there's no way" the Senate can vote on the package this week.
Rush Hour Protests: Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held last night at New York’s Penn Station and Grand Central Station. Actor Alec Baldwin, who walked past one of the demonstrations, got into a verbal confrontation with protestors who berated him.
Neutral Stance: Affiliates of Harvard University are encouraging the school to develop a policy of political neutrality on the campus.
Crimson Chat: New York magazine interviews Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker about the university’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and his vision for the school’s future.
Campus Concerns: The Times of Israel talks to medical students at Georgetown University Medical School and The George Washington University School of Medicine about their concerns following increasing displays of antisemitism since Oct. 7
Keep the Faith: Singer Jon Bon Jovi wore a blue “stand up to Jewish hate” pin at the Chiefs-Patriots game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, where he was “keeper of the light” and rang the ceremonial bell before the game.
Underground Magazine: The New York Times spotlights Holocaust survivor Curt Bloch, a German Jewish man who, while in hiding during the Holocaust, published dozens of issues of a magazine containing original art, poetry and songs, often mocking the Nazis and their Dutch collaborators.
U-Turn: British Airways reversed a decision to postpone the inclusion of a TV program about a Jewish family in its in-flight entertainment offerings, following an outcry over the airline’s stated intention to “remain neutral” in the Israel-Hamas war.
Law & Order: Federal prosecutors in New York are working to build a case against Hamas that is expected to focus on the terror group’s expansive financial network.
At Sea: A U.S. warship responded to an attack that involved “multiple projectiles” on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea.
Call to Action: A Wall Street Journal editorial calls for strong U.S. deterrence against the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. |  Amir Levy/Getty Images An Israeli soldier plays the violin while sitting on a military vehicle on Monday in southern Israel. |  Roberto Serra - Iguana Press/Getty Images British cellist, distinguished for his diverse repertoire and distinctive sound, Steven Isserlis turns 65...
Co-chair of the Democratic Majority for Israel, she was the communications director in the Clinton administration, Ann Frank Lewis turns 86... Journalist and playwright, he worked as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times based in Saigon, London, Nairobi and New Delhi, Bernard Weinraub turns 86... NYC-based real estate investor, he is the developer of four of Manhattan's tallest towers in recent decades, Douglas Durst turns 79... Ardsley, N.Y., resident, Ruth Wolff... Israeli computer scientist and high-tech entrepreneur, she is a technical director at Google Cloud, Orna Berry turns 74... Former town justice in Ulster, N.Y., Marsha Weiss... Host of RealTalk MS Podcast, Jon Strum... SVP at the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, Eli Schaap... CFO at wine importer and distributor, New York Wine Warehouse, Jane Hausman-Troy... U.S. senator (R-OH) from 2011 until this past January, Rob Portman turns 68... Author of 25 best-selling thriller and espionage novels whose main protagonist is an Israeli intelligence officer, Daniel Silva turns 63... Member of the Knesset for the Meretz party until 2022, Moshe "Mossi" Raz turns 58... Founder and CEO of MyHeritage, Gilad Japhet turns 54... President and chief creative officer of Rachel G Events, Rachel L. Glazer... VP and head of federal government relations at American Express, Amy Best Weiss... Acclaimed actor, his mother is Jewish, he reports that on his 13th birthday he performed a "bar-mitzvah-like act without the typical trappings," Jake Gyllenhaal turns 43... Film and television actress, Marla Sokoloff turns 43... Deputy Washington bureau chief for the Boston Globe, Tal Kopan turns 37... Head of community programs at LinkedIn, Callie Schweitzer... Co-founder and CIO of Apeiros, Aaron Rosenson... Actress, best known for her role in Amazon Prime's Sneaky Pete, Libe Alexandra Barer turns 32... Member of the Minnesota Senate, Julia Coleman turns 32... MBA candidate at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Haim Engelman... Founding partner of Puck, Theodore Schleifer... Freshman at the University of Chicago, Sarah Wagman turns 19... and her brother, Daniel Wagman turns 17... David Ginsberg... | | | | | |
