| | Good Thursday morning. In today’s Daily Kickoff , we look at the responses from Capitol Hill and the Jewish community to President Joe Biden’s announcement that the U.S. is halting the sale of some weapons to Israel, and report on a new ad buy from the United Democracy Project targeting Rep. Thomas Massie. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff : Robert Kraft, Nir Bar Dea and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. In the wake of President Joe Biden’s comments on Wednesday that the administration will withhold certain weapons transfers to Israel if the IDF mounts a major ground operation in Rafah, mainstream Jewish groups and communal leaders are pushing back on efforts to halt military support for Israel, suggesting that the move hamstrings Jerusalem’s ability to prosecute the war, defeat Hamas and secure the release of the remaining 132 hostages. Abe Foxman, the former national director of the Anti-Defamation League, characterized Biden as sending conflicting messages in the CNN interview and a Holocaust memorial event the day prior. “There seem to be [two] Bidens, one that spoke at the Holocaust event, who flew to Israel during war [against] Israel, moved military/financial support,” Foxman said. “And the political Biden who engages in [party] politics — telling Israel it has [a] right to defend itself — but we will tell you when and how.” American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, a former Democratic member of Congress, said that the threatened move would be detrimental to Israeli security. “President Biden should not take steps that could impair Israel’s ability to prevent Hamas from attacking it again and again — as its leaders have promised,” Deutch said. “The U.S. knows that defeating Hamas is critical to Israel’s long-term security and to defeating the global threat posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies.” Read more here. Biden’s CNN interview marked the first time the president has explicitly stated that the U.S. is conditioning arms transfers to Israel, writes Jewish Insider senior national correspondent Gabby Deutch. Last month, the White House threatened to shift its policy toward Israel if it didn’t take additional precautions to protect civilians — and Wednesday’s interview confirmed that was not an empty threat. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, and I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone into Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem,” Biden said. It was also the first time the president acknowledged that U.S.-supplied weapons have been responsible for the death of civilians in Gaza. “We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks like [those that] came out of the Middle East recently, but it’s just wrong. We’re not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used,” said Biden. Israel has “not yet” crossed Biden’s red line on Rafah, he said, even as the IDF began a more limited operation in the southern Gaza city this week. But Washington has already held up one shipment, Biden acknowledged. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Politico he was surprised by Biden's comments, noting that he had gotten written and verbal confirmations from the administration in recent weeks that there would be no delays in weapons transfers. “I mean, 24 hours ago it was confirmed to me by top administration officials that the policy’s very different than what he stated there," Johnson said. "So I hope that’s a senior moment." In a speech on Tuesday, Biden said at a Holocaust memorial event at the Capitol that his commitment to the “security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree.” (The Associated Press reported that Biden waited to weigh in on Rafah until after he delivered his Holocaust remembrance address.) A senior Biden administration official told JI after Biden’s interview that withholding the arms shipments does not mean Biden’s support for Israel’s security is no longer “ironclad.” Instead, the official argued that there is a distinction between the U.S. giving Israel access to defensive weapons versus offensive weapons — and that the bombs the U.S. is withholding are not needed for defensive purposes. “It's ironclad to Israel's security, right, like, I mean, they need Iron Dome defense systems. You can argue that they don’t need a 2,000-pound unguided munition in order to defend themselves,” the official said. “He is drawing a distinction in the interview between defensive weapons, which he will always support, and some types of offensive weapons, for instance, the 500-pound, 1,000-pound unguided munitions that Israel would use in a Rafah operation if they decided to move forward with that.” Biden’s Wednesday comments signal a major shift in U.S. policy toward Israel in its seven-month war against Hamas in Gaza. From close to the beginning of the war, which began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, Biden and top administration officials have told Israel to do more to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza, warning Israel not to follow the path of America’s destructive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11. He echoed those concerns again on Wednesday while acknowledging the severity of the Oct. 7 attacks. “Nothing’s like that’s happened to the Jewish community since the Holocaust. When I went over immediately after that happened I said to Bibi, ‘Don’t make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get Bin Laden and we’ll help you get Sinwar,’” Biden said, referring to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. “Don’t make the same mistake. Focus on — and we’ll help you focus on getting the bad guys.” Read the full story here.
In the CNN interview, Biden didn’t mention the more than 130 hostages still remaining in Gaza, nor did he refer to Hamas by name. The senior administration official said that’s because CNN host Erin Burnett did not specifically ask Biden about the hostages. Biden’s interview and previous arms sales delays drew condemnation from pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, some of whom argued that the Rafah operation is Israel’s only remaining leverage in the ongoing hostage negotiations. (Read more on that below.) The senior administration official disputed this argument, saying the U.S. continues to exert pressure on Hamas. “We have been putting a lot of pressure on them for that and on Hamas for that. If anyone out there would want to conclude, ‘Oh, we're not doing that, we’re only pressuring Israel,’ that is absolutely not true. We've been putting a lot of pressure on Hamas and will continue to do that,” said the official. The comments are likely to reignite conversation about Israel’s own development of a domestic arms industry, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had floated earlier this year. Israel relies on the U.S. for roughly 70% of its military imports. In response to Biden’s comments, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X that "Israel will continue to fight Hamas until it is destroyed. There is no war more just than this." Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan told Israel's public broadcaster Kan: "I think that it's pretty clear that all the pressure on Israel, all the limitations put on Israel, even if they're from close allies who wish Israel well, are interpreted by our enemies — whether Iran, Hamas or Hezbollah — as something that gives them hope to succeed in their goals. It can encourage them, the enemies of the Jewish people and the State of Israel." The ambassador also noted that the Biden administration did not present Israel with "alternatives to an operation in Rafah that could bring down Hamas control and create a future and a horizon, including, of course, freeing our hostages." Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called the situation a "massive failure" by Netanyahu. "Of course, I prefer that the U.S. continue helping the IDF win the war," Lapid told Israel's 103FM. "That's why these relations have to be managed… The mistake is by the government of Israel, which made the arguments [with Washington] public...This is an unusual, extreme and dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the U.S. have a public dispute with Israel. The government of Israel should not be in this situation — certainly not in wartime." Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | taking heat Biden's Israel threats slammed by pro-Israel lawmakers, mainstream Jewish groups  BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images President Joe Biden’s CNN interview on Wednesday threatening to cut off offensive weapons transfers to Israel if Israel invades Rafah drew quick criticism from Israel-backing Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
Using the funds: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) noted to JI, “[Biden] came to this Congress and he said pass legislation… you can’t come to members and get them to vote for your bill, your package, and then throw away part of the package.” He added that, legally, the funds appropriated by Congress must be used.
Destroying Hamas: Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told JI, “I support Israel’s desire to destroy Hamas in Gaza. They attacked brutally on 7 October, and Hamas has to be destroyed in Gaza to the best that they can. To stand in front of that, that means President Biden wants Hamas to continue to exist in Gaza, which is a continuous threat to Israel. It’s wrong.” He also alluded to former President Donald Trump’s impeachment over his decision to withhold arms sales to Ukraine.
Wait and see: Another House Democrat, who voted against aid to Israel, seemed skeptical that the policy change would hold. "Let's wait and see what happens tomorrow," the Democrat told JI on condition of anonymity. "I don't know whether this is Biden going off-script, or if tomorrow his staff will go, 'Oh well what he meant to say is,' and reverse course."
Welcoming the move: Progressive Democrats, who’ve been pushing for such a move from Biden for months, were quick to praise the president. “[Biden] has long warned PM Netanyahu that invading Rafah would be a "red line” — it would result in untold civilian death & destruction, and undermine our efforts to return the hostages,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said. “I applaud him for making clear today that the U.S. will not be complicit in this suffering.”
Read the full story here with additional reactions from Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), and Greg Meeks (D-NY) and Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Double trouble: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday condemning his administration for placing holds on weapons sales and shipments to Israel. scoop AIPAC super PAC set to run TV ads blasting Thomas Massie's Israel record  NATHAN HOWARD/GETTY IMAGES The AIPAC-affiliated United Democracy Project is set to begin running television ads today opposing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a House Republican who has consistently voted since Oct. 7 against bills and resolutions to support Israel, combat antisemitism and counter Iran and its terrorist proxies. UDP spokesperson Patrick Dorton said the group is “not playing [around]” in Massie’s May 21 primary election, where he faces no serious primary opposition. The group is making an initial buy of $300,000 in TV air time on all Fox affiliate channels in Kentucky, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Spotlight: “We are shining a spotlight on Tom Massie’s atrocious anti-Israel record,” Dorton said. “We are going to make sure every voter in the state of Kentucky knows how bad Tom Massie is on Israel.” Massie, a libertarian-minded Republican generally opposed to foreign aid, is seen as a potential contender for Kentucky’s Senate seat in 2026; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has faced health issues and recently announced plans to step down as GOP leader, is not expected to run for reelection.
What it says: The 30-second advertisement asserts that Israel is “under attack by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Congressman Tom Massie. Republicans are trying to help Israel, but one Republican is standing in the way,” the narrator states. “Fifteen times in April, Massie was the only Republican voting with anti-Israel radicals. Massie’s votes: helpful for Iran, harmful to Israel. Everyone who cares about the Holy Land needs to know, Tom Massie is hostile to Israel,” the ad concludes.
Background: The super PAC previously ran a series of TV, radio and digital ads last year targeting Massie’s votes on Israel issues. Massie has publicly sparred with AIPAC over its attacks on him, accusing the group, whose members and supporters are American, of conducting “foreign interference in our elections” — a trope that many have called antisemitic. The ad campaign comes on the heels of a UDP ad blitz opposing former Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN), who also maintained an anti-Israel voting record during his time in office. Hostettler badly lost his comeback bid this week to a state legislator with a record of support for Israel.
Read the full story here. finding their voice Hundreds of Jewish Columbia students express pride for Israel and their Jewish faith in open letter  Spencer Platt/Getty Images Hundreds of Jewish Columbia University students signed on to an open letter to the university community on Wednesday, declaring that they are “proud to be Zionists” while speaking out against the anti-Israel protesters that have engulfed the Ivy League campus since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. The letter, titled “In Our Name,” was authored by four students — Eliana Goldin ‘25; Elisha Baker ‘26; Eden Yadegar ‘25 and Rivka Yellin, Barnard College ‘26. By Wednesday night, it had garnered more than 400 signatures, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen reports for Jewish Insider.
Speaking for themselves: “Over the past six months, many have spoken in our name,” the letter opens. “We are here, writing to you as Jewish students at Columbia University, who are connected to our community and deeply engaged with our culture and history. We would like to speak in our name. Most of us did not choose to be political activists,” the students wrote. “We do not bang on drums and chant catchy slogans. We are average students, just trying to make it through finals much like the rest of you."
Brushed off: “If the last six months on campus have taught us anything, it is that a large and vocal population of the Columbia community does not understand the meaning of Zionism, and subsequently does not understand the essence of the Jewish People,” the letter continued. “Yet despite the fact that we have been calling out the antisemitism we’ve been experiencing for months, our concerns have been brushed off and invalidated.”
Seeking dialogue: In an interview with JI, Goldin, a third-year political science major pursuing a dual degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary, said that the letter’s conclusion was most significant to her because it emphasizes that “we want to sit down and have a dialogue. The point of a university is to be able to have complex conversations. We even want to sit down with people who are saying ‘globalize the intifada.’”
Read the full story here. allied action Israel, Ukraine fighting against the same 'axis of evil,' ambassador says  JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images Israel and Ukraine are fighting off the same enemies and need U.S. support to continue, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov on Wednesday. “What unites us is that we are against the axis of evil,” Korniychuk said, describing “a trilateral coalition of Iran, Russia and North Korea, presumably backed by China – you see that in the transfer of technology.”
Not enough: “If the rest of the democratic world stops Russia now, they will save their future and the future of their children,” Kroniychuk added. “It’s not just about Ukraine. Russia basically assumes they’re fighting the U.S. in the territory of Ukraine; that’s what they are telling their public.” Korniychuk said the message often heard from American politicians — “we will not allow Ukraine to lose, we will not allow Russia to prevail” — is insufficient. “They need to help Ukraine win and Russia lose. That is a clear message,” he emphasized. “We do wake up in the morning and say thank you every day for what [the U.S. is] doing for us, but unfortunately, it’s not enough… Our people are dying on the front lines every single day.”
Looking to Israel: Ukraine took notice when Israel, the U.S., U.K., France and Jordan acted together to thwart Iran’s missile and drone attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X at the time: "The entire world witnessed allied action in the skies above Israel and neighboring countries. It demonstrated how truly effective unity in defending against terror can be when it is based on sufficient political will… European skies could have received the same level of protection long ago if Ukraine had received similar full support from its partners in intercepting drones and missiles.” Ukraine is “jealous of Israel – in a good way,” Korniychuk said, because “Israel has much better support from the Western alliance than we do.”
Read the full interview here. digging up history With a new book, Polish priest uncovers buried past of a Jewish community destroyed by Nazis  Courtesy Leszek Szkudlarek Polish priest Leszek Szkudlarek originally set out to write a history of Chocz, the small town in central Poland where he was raised. But the project took a dramatic change in direction — and turned into a full-fledged book on the town's Jewish history — after he read an article in a local paper written by a woman who taught him history at school. The piece focused on a Jewish girl from Chocz who died in the Lodz Ghetto, Lianne Kolirin reports for Jewish Insider.
Turning point: Up until that point Szkudlarek, a Catholic priest in the town of Paczków about 150 miles away, had no idea that Jewish people ever lived in Chocz, which is home to around 2,000 people. He contacted the teacher, who went on to share more information with him — including two school yearbook pictures believed to have been taken sometime in 1936-37 that she said were “taken by the Jew Lewin.” Intrigued, Szkudlarek, 54, then set about meticulously researching the identities of some of the individuals pictured in order to uncover the truth about the town’s Jewish community, which played a significant role in the town from the early 19th century until it was vanquished by the Holocaust.
Pivotal pictures: The project, a labor of love undertaken during Szkudlarek’s private time, took around three years to complete. To collect information, he dug through archives and recorded testimonies and materials from residents, including one man who uncovered a collection of old Jewish books during a renovation of his attic. But it was the photographs that proved crucial for his research. One of the pictures featured two Jewish children — Perla Jakubowicz and Abram Kluczkowski. The former perished in the Lodz Ghetto; Szkudlarek has still not uncovered the fate of Kluczkowski.
Read the full story here. | Beijing Boost: In The Wall Street Journal, Walter Russell Mead suggests that the Biden administration’s handling of the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea could embolden China. “Washington’s unwillingness or inability to stop Houthi piracy across sea lanes vital to regional trade is shocking. For 80 years the U.S. Navy has kept the trade routes to the Middle East and Europe open. Is that era ending? If so, must countries now court Iran and its ally Russia to ensure safe passage for their ships? Beyond that, Indo-Pacific observers are beginning to wonder whether the U.S. has the strategic vision, diplomatic competence and military strength to manage simultaneous crises in Europe, the Mideast and Indo-Pacific. China is intensifying the military and political pressure on its neighbors. North Korea is relentlessly expanding its weapons capabilities. Russia and Iran are rampaging unchecked. The increasingly integrated actions of the axis of revisionist powers threaten to overwhelm America’s limited ability to keep the peace. As Japanese commentator Hiroyuki Akita recently noted, the risk of a ‘negative chain reaction’ in which regional conflicts combine to set off a global conflagration is rising.” [WSJ]
Divestment Downside: In The New York Times, Gary Sernovitz makes an argument against universities divesting from companies with ties to Israel. “The institutions that divested from oil and gas made sure to describe it as financially prudent, albeit sometimes with shallow investment logic. This time, Israel’s social license is the only thing that is on the table. And if Israel is on the table, what other countries should lose their social license? How many years must pass since what some believe to be a country’s settler colonialist period or messy wars that kill innocent civilians to make it investable? And if divestment against Israel is carried out, when should it end? Oil and gas divesting is meant never to end; oil and gas consumption is meant to end. Divestment from South Africa ended with apartheid. So university leaders will be forced to ask an often heterogeneous group of students what would earn Israel its social license back. A cease-fire? A new Israeli government? A two-state solution? The end of Israel as a Jewish state?” [NYTimes]
Administrative Bloat: The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson considers the consequences of the focus in academia on hiring bureaucratic and administrative positions over tenure-track professors. “Confronted with the Gaza-war protests, colleges are again struggling to balance competing priorities: free speech, the safety of students and staff, and basic school functions, such as the ability to walk to a lecture hall. That would be hard enough if they hadn’t sent the message to students that protesting was an integral part of the university experience. As Tyler Austin Harper wrote in The Atlantic, university administrators have spent years ‘recruiting social-justice-minded students and faculty to their campuses under the implicit, and often explicit, promise that activism is not just welcome but encouraged.’ But once these administrators got exactly what they asked for — a campus-wide display of social-justice activism — they realized that aesthetic rebelliousness and actual rebellion don’t mix well, in their opinion. So they called the cops.” [TheAtlantic]
Ties That Bind: In Foreign Policy, Steven Cook opines that a Saudi-Israel normalization megadeal that includes U.S. defense guarantees for Riyadh could affect Saudi Arabia’s standing in the region, citing Egypt as an example. “Egypt is a prime example of how this dynamic may evolve. Throughout the era of former President Hosni Mubarak, but particularly during the latter years of his long rule, the trilateral logic of U.S.-Egypt-Israel relations provided a devastating political critique of the Egyptian regime. Mubarak’s opponents — especially the Muslim Brotherhood — argued that Washington had rendered Egypt a second-rate power in the region because of Israel. … Including Israel in the effort to secure a security pact with Saudi Arabia is only asking to further complexify an already complex bilateral relationship. It hardly seems worth it. Of course, there are many differences between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Given that they do not share a border, Israeli security concerns are unlikely to buffet U.S.-Saudi ties in ways they have in the U.S.-Egypt relationship. Still, what happens when Saudi Arabia’s nuanced approach to managing Iran freaks out the Israelis? Like the Egyptians, the Saudis are dependent on the United States security assistance and, if the Israelis do not like how the royal court is pursuing its foreign policy, the potential for trouble in U.S.-Saudi ties is real.” [ForeignPolicy] | Download Faces of Resilience, a free photo exhibit curated by ISRAEL21c featuring 11 exemplars of Israeli resilience, dedicated to forging a brighter collective future. Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | Badger State Ballot: A new Quinnipiac poll found President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump nearly even in Wisconsin; when third-party candidates are excluded from the sample, Biden leads Trump 50-44%.
House Vote: The House of Representatives voted 359-43 to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson.
Scott’s Lot: Bill Ackman and Marc Rowan are slated to speak at an upcoming gathering and fundraiser hosted by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in Washington.
Donor Dish: Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is meeting with GOP donors at a North Carolina retreat next week, but is not expected to endorse former President Donald Trump or discuss her future political plans.
Double the Fun[ding]: Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) is introducing legislation that would double the current $140 million in funding for the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights; the bill is being co-sponsored by Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Nikema Williams (D-GA) and André Carson (D-IN).
Honoring Jews: Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) introduced a resolution honoring Jewish American Heritage Month, particularly highlighting the spike in antisemitism since Oct. 7 and various accomplishments by American Jews throughout history, as well as urging increased Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding.
Nadler’s Vote: In a Washington Post op-ed, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) explains his vote against the Antisemitism Awareness Act.
Schiff Shape: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) endorsed her former primary rival, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), in California’s general election to fill the Senate seat previously held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Questionable Content: The Daily Beast reports that Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) continues to follow fringe and extremist social media content, citing several YouTube accounts that the New York lawmaker subscribes to, despite having previously distanced himself from the conspiracy theories he once espoused.
Problematic Posts: A campaign staffer for Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is under scrutiny for engaging with racist and antisemitic content on social media.
Raleigh Rules: The North Carolina House of Representatives passed legislation codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism; the bill will now go to the state Senate for a vote.
Meta Move: Facebook’s Oversight Board is considering whether “From the river to the sea” violates Meta’s community standards.
Grounded: United Airlines canceled its flights to and from Tel Aviv through June 1, weeks after it first halted flights following Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel.
School Settlement: Washington, D.C.’s largest public school reached an agreement with the local chapter of the ACLU to screen a controversial film about the Israel-Palestinian conflict that critics say contains antisemitic elements.
Police Beat: Thirty-three people were arrested after Washington’s Metropolitan Police broke up the anti-Israel encampment at The George Washington University.
Irish Goodbye: Dublin’s Trinity College agreed to divest from three Israeli companies in exchange for protesters at the university dismantling their anti-Israel encampment.
On the Case: Police in North Miami Beach are investigating an incident in which gunshots were fired outside of a local Jewish center, striking a patrol car at the scene.
Kahane Car Confrontation: A New York man who is a cousin of extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane was charged with second-degree assault after police said he hit an anti-Israel protester with his car following an altercation.
Father’s Files: In The Wall Street Journal, presidential historian Tevi Troy looks at the extent of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s overreach, noting that his own father, a public school teacher who died last week, had an active file with the bureau for decades.
Making Waves: Bridgewater CEO Nir Bar Dea said he has “rewired” the hedge fund a year after he was tapped to succeed founder Ray Dalio.
Market Watch: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft sold his Plaza hotel apartment in Manhattan for $22.5 million.
Asking Price: The Wall Street Journal spotlights former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder’s recent donation of his house to the American Cancer Society, which intends to auction the property for the same asking price that Snyder had listed it for but was unable to find a buyer.
Low Notes: "Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler detailed her struggles with early fame, an eating disorder and a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
Across the Pond: U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is meeting with university officials to discuss antisemitism on British college campuses; the meeting comes weeks after the National Union of Students voted in favor of a ban on the Union of Jewish Students over the group’s support for Israel.
Bagel Blokes: The Financial Times spotlights the bagel shop scene in East London.
Tehran’s Turn: An advisor to Iran’s supreme leader said Tehran will change its nuclear doctrine if it believes its existence is threatened by Israel.
Hostage Deal Details: The Times of Israel’s David Horovitz analyzes the terms of Hamas’ cease-fire counterproposal, which among other things delays the release of the hostages and allows Hamas to select the prisoners Israel must release.
Bruised Business: Reuters looks at how the Israel-Hamas war has stunted Israel-Emirati public economic cooperation.
Pride Parade Pause: Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, citing the ongoing war with Hamas and hostage situation, announced the cancellation of the city’s annual Pride parade, saying the city will instead convene a smaller-scale rally.
Remembering: Artist and graphic designer Barbara Stauffacher Solomon died at 95. Dr. Milton Diamond, a sexologist whose research focused on intersex individuals, died at 90. Poet and art historian David Shapiro, who as a Columbia student in 1968 garnered attention for being the subject of a photograph that came to symbolize the campus protests, died at 77. |  Rabbi Levi Shemtov Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), center, Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Kim Schrier (D-WA) met with Jewish students at The George Washington University earlier this week. |  John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Pianist, singer-songwriter and one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, Billy Joel turns 75...
Owner of St. Louis-based Harbour Group Industries, former U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Sam Fox turns 95... Holocaust survivor, philanthropist and social activist, she marched in Selma with Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965, Eva Haller turns 94... Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter, James L. Brooks turns 84... Guitarist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock-pop-jazz group Blood, Sweat & Tears, Steve Katz turns 79... Co-founder of Yeshivat Har Etzion, Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun turns 78... Spiritual guide Ner Israel Rabbinical College, Rabbi Beryl Weisbord... Winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Michael Levitt turns 77... Physician in Burlington, Vt., she was the first lady of Vermont from 1991 until 2003 when her husband was governor, Judith Steinberg Dean turns 71... Sharon Mallory Doble... Co-founder and CEO of PlayMedia Systems, Brian D. Litman... Film director and producer, Barry Avrich turns 61... Staff writer at The Atlantic, Mark Leibovich turns 59... Co-managing partner of Bain Capital and owner of a minority interest in the Boston Celtics, Jonathan Lavine turns 58... VP of global public policy at Meta / Facebook, Joel D. Kaplan turns 55... NYC-based celebrity chiropractor, Arkady Aaron Lipnitsky, DC... and his twin brother, managing director at Pimlico Capital, Victor "Yaakov" Lipnitsky both turn 51... Senior director of development at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Lesli Rosenblatt Gillette... Owner of NYC's Dylan's Candy Bar, Dylan Lauren turns 50... Deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Aaron Scheinberg turns 43... Founder and managing member at Revelstoke PLLC, Danielle Elizabeth Friedman... Opinion columnist and podcast host at The New York Times, Ezra Klein turns 40... Jenna Weisbord... Principal at Blackstone Growth Israel, Nathaniel Rosen... Mikhael Smits... | | | | | |
