5.21.2024

Israeli defense establishment learned ICC news watching CNN

D.C. and Jerusalem slam request for arrest warrants ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
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Jewish Insider | Daily Kickoff
May 21st, 2024
Good Tuesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff we look at the fallout from the ICC announcement that it is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and report from the Jewish American Heritage Month reception at the White House. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Emi Palmor and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

President Joe Biden and a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers slammed the International Criminal Court on Monday after the body’s lead prosecutor announced plans to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

Biden called the move “outrageous,” and Secretary of State Tony Blinken called it “shameful” that the ICC’s prosecutor announced plans to issue warrants for Israeli leaders at the same time that the body seeks the arrest of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. More on Washington’s reaction to the ICC news here.

But Biden and congressional Republicans diverged when it comes to whether the U.S. should take any action, including sanctions, against the ICC. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called the announcement a “baseless and illegitimate decision” and pledged to consider action against the ICC. More on congressional reactions here.

Biden administration officials declined to say if the White House would consider any sanctions or other actions targeting the ICC.

“I would just say we're going to stay in touch with members of Congress here. This is only early hours here right after this television interview announcement, and I just don't have anything more to add,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was even more noncommittal: “You should not read into my statement … that we are either considering anything or not considering anything,” he said.

The White House also walked a fine line in its language condemning the ICC, likely wary of discrediting an institution whose work it supports on other matters, including the arrest warrant the ICC issued last year for Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Miller said that while the U.S. does not believe the ICC should issue an arrest warrant for Israeli leaders, the U.S. takes the same stance on Hamas leaders. "We do not believe that they have jurisdiction over either of the parties of this conflict, and that includes Hamas,” Miller said.

Israeli leaders across the political spectrum responded with outrage to the announcement, with Netanyahu slamming the comparison between Hamas and the IDF as “audacious” and Gallant calling for the rejection of an “attempt to deny the State of Israel the right to defend herself and ensure the release of the hostages held in Gaza.” More on Israel’s reaction here.

When asked by a reporter about the details of the allegations against Netanyahu and Gallant — that they “bear criminal responsibility” for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a method of war — Miller spoke carefully. Washington called South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice “meritless,” the reporter followed up, So would the State Department call the substance of the arrest warrant applications meritless?

“I will say we believe it is fully unfounded, should not have been brought. Now, with respect to the underlying allegations, we’ll have time to look at that,” said Miller. “I will say the process itself calls into question the underlying substance.”

Speaking at a Jewish American Heritage Month reception at the White House on Monday afternoon, Biden said that he will "always ensure Israel has everything it needs to defend itself against Hamas and all other enemies" — seeming to push back on criticism of the administration for halting some arms transfers to Israel and threatening others — to somewhat muted applause.

"Let me be clear, we reject the ICC's application for arrest warrants against Israeli people," Biden continued, to louder cheers. "Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas." He also said that "contrary to the allegations made against Israel by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that."

"We stand with Israel to take out [Yahya] Sinwar and the rest of the butchers of Hamas," Biden continued.

Addressing the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a U.S. citizen still being held in Gaza, in the crowd, Biden vowed, "I will not rest until we bring your loved one home" — Biden also met personally with the couple, according to Israeli Channel 13’s Neria Kraus.

And Biden reiterated that "there's no place on any campus in America, any place in America for antisemitism, or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind against Jews or anyone else." He said that colleges are "on notice" that antisemitic discrimination is prohibited under the Civil Rights Act.

Elected officials spotted at the reception: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Reps. Kathy Manning (D-NC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Steve Cohen (D-TN). Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt was also in attendance.

Among the highlights on the White House menu: glatt kosher brisket stuffed inside dates, along with mini lamb sliders.

Oregon is holding congressional primaries today. The race we’re watching most closely is the Democratic primary featuring Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, the sister of Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and more-moderate state Rep. Maxine Dexter. Jayapal voted against a resolution in the Multnomah County board expressing support for Israel days after Oct. 7.

In California’s 20th District, Republican voters will also be choosing a likely successor to former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in a special election. State Assemblyman Vince Fong, backed by former President Donald Trump and McCarthy, is facing off against Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.

Also on the campaign trail, Democratic Majority for Israel announced its first list of general election endorsements including Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

DMFI also gave several key House Democratic recruits a pro-Israel stamp of approval in closely contested races. They’re backing retired fire captain Joe Kerr, running against Rep. Young Kim (R-CA); former state Assemblyman Rudy Salas, running against Rep. David Valadao (R-CA); and former TV news anchor Janelle Stelson, running against Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA).

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warrant woes 

Israeli defense establishment learned of ICC warrant application through CNN

LEV RADIN/PACIFIC PRESS/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

Israel’s defense establishment learned of the International Criminal Court’s effort to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday through CNN’s report on the issue, Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss has learned. The defense establishment did not have prior notice that the ICC was preparing to issue the warrants, a senior official with knowledge of the matter said. Officials found out about the move when CNN International’s communications team touted the “exclusive interview” between CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.

PR stunt: “We were informed of the warrants via a CNN interview,” the official said. “The ICC produced a PR stunt — reflecting their political and corrupt nature over professional channels or even over communicating via its official platforms. Aside from the method of publication, in requesting the warrants themselves, the court is making a mockery out of its own values and the entire premise of humanitarian law.” The official added, “the double standard and refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself, as well as the failure to recognize our extraordinary efforts to protect human lives, is in fact, antisemitic.”

Nixed visit: A delegation had been slated to travel to Israel on Monday to prepare for an upcoming visit by  Khan, but did not board the plane. Khan announced his application for the arrest warrants in an official statement shortly after the publication of the CNN interview.

Read the full story here.

dem discussion 

Schumer, Manning accuse GOP of politicizing antisemitism at JDCA gala

KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY IMAGES

Speaking to a gathering of the Jewish Democratic Coalition of America on Monday night, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) accused Republicans of politicizing Israel and antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Calling out: Schumer emphasized the need for bipartisanship on Israel, attacking Republicans who he said, “seem to care more about attacking Democrats on Israel than they actually care about keeping U.S.-Israeli relations strong.” Schumer claimed that the GOP legislation relating to Middle East policy and antisemitism “doesn’t make meaningful progress, doesn’t ensure that Israel has the tools it needs to defend itself, but [is] just to make a political point.”

Community comms: He said he had told Jewish communal groups in a private meeting that “they and we have an obligation to fight partisanship when it comes to Israel. We can’t have half of America desert Israel, whether it’s the younger half or the more progressive half, or whatever. That hurts Israel.” Even as Schumer painted the legislation as partisan, some leading Jewish organizations have embraced the GOP-led bills.

Campus crisis: Manning, who sits on the House Education and Workforce Committee that has grilled university presidents on campus antisemitism, said she’s “glad that our committee is highlighting those problems. However, my Republican colleagues care only about grabbing the news headlines, and they have no real interest in actually solving this frightening and growing problem.”

Eyes on November: Schumer also made the case for why Jews should stick with the Democratic Party, amid intensified GOP efforts to attract Jewish voters concerned about the administration’s shifting posture on Israel. “What the other side doesn't understand is that Jewish voters are not a monolith,” he said, highlighting issues like abortion rights and democracy. “The values we hold as Jewish Americans are intimately tied to the values we all hold.”

Read the full story here.

scoop

Senate lawmakers push for increased funding for nonprofit security grants

MARCO BELLO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

A bipartisan group of Senate lawmakers is pushing for increased funding in 2025 for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps religious institutions and nonprofits beef up their security, while an overlapping group of more than 30 Democrats is asking for $400 million — a record-high request level, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Record levels: One letter, signed by 33 Democrats, requested $400 million for the program, the highest-ever request level from Capitol Hill lawmakers for full-year funding for the NSGP. It surpasses a $385 million request from bipartisan House lawmakers last month. The letter was led by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Gary Peters (D-MI).

Increasing demand: “The NSGP is a critical component to the nation’s response to domestic and international threats targeting the nonprofit sector, but the program is significantly over-subscribed,” the letter reads, revealing that there was a 97% increase in applications this year to the tranche of NSGP funding for non-urban institutions, outpacing the number of applications for the entire NSGP funding pool in 2020. The letter also notes that, for the first time, institutions in all 55 eligible states and territories applied for NSGP funding.

Very robust: A second letter, which is bipartisan, calls for “very robust funding” for the NSGP, without specifying a request level, as has often been the practice in the Senate in past years.The letter’s text is otherwise exactly identical to the Democratic letter. The bipartisan letter was signed by Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND).

Read the full story here.

inside the shalit negotiations 

'No one appealed against Oct. 7 mastermind Sinwar's 2011 prison release'

courtesy

Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader in Gaza, is today among the most famous antagonists of Israel and the Jewish people. Yet in 2011, when the Oct. 7 mastermind was released from Israeli prison as one of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners exchanged for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, he was not seen as one of the most dangerous terrorists to release, Emi Palmor, a member of the Israeli negotiating team, told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov in a recent interview.

‘Butcher of Khan Younis’: While the Shin Bet “stood on its hind legs” to strongly oppose the release of terrorists who murdered Israelis, Sinwar was not one of them, Palmor recounted.  “A lot of people don’t know this, but Sinwar’s nickname is ‘the butcher of Khan Younis’ because he was known for his cruelty to the Palestinians,” she said. “He was in Israeli prison for murdering Palestinians, not Jews. He murdered four Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel. He killed them himself – he strangled one, he hanged another by his feet… He is a sadist; there is no question.”

No petitions: According to the law in Israel, victims of a violent or sexual crime have the right to submit their opinion on any request for clemency or a pardon for the perpetrator to the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department, which Palmor led at the time. Because Sinwar was not in prison for killing Israelis, “there were no families who said at the time, in 2011, ‘don’t free the man who murdered our father,’ which is the classic Israeli response,” she said. Palmor, who later became director-general of Israel’s Justice Ministry and is now a member of Meta’s Oversight Board, was the only member of the Shalit negotiations team who was part of the process for all five years. As a result, Palmor said, “I know Sinwar’s whole file.” 

Read the full interview here.

proxy push

Iranian proxy from Bahrain joins efforts to destabilize the region

MORTEZA NIKOUBAZL/NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

An unverified claim by an Islamist terror group with roots in Bahrain that it launched a drone strike against Israel last month is a clear indication that Iran is working to broaden its proxy war against the Jewish state with new fronts across the region, analysts and experts on Iran and its militant offshoots told Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash last week. The Al-Ashtar Brigades, a U.S.-designated terror group originating from the Gulf state but not based there, said in a statement on May 2 that a week earlier it had targeted the headquarters of Trucknet Enterprises, an Israeli transportation company with headquarters in Eilat, which provides services between countries that are signatories to the 2020 Abraham Accords.

Uptick in attacks: While Israeli authorities did not confirm such an attack took place, over the past eight months – since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel – there has been an increase in drones, rockets and missiles being fired towards Israel from the east and south by an increasing number of Iranian-backed groups. On April 13, Iran — which is now in a state of mourning over the death this week of its president, Ebrahim Raisi — launched a full-scale missile attack against Israel directly from its territory.

Northern front: That was thwarted by a coalition of mostly regional countries led by the U.S.’ Central Command but Israel’s northern border continues to be battered daily by the militant Shiite group Hezbollah, Iran’s closest terror ally, based in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s attacks have significantly intensified in the past few weeks, with at least a dozen Israeli civilians and soldiers killed.

Other players: From the south, most of the projectiles have been attributed to the Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia based in Yemen, who have disrupted global shipping routes via the Red Sea. And from the east, most likely Iraq, the attempted attacks – none of which have succeeded in hitting Israeli targets – come from an array of extremist groups that are believed to be receiving funding, arms, and orders directly from Tehran. 

Read the full story here.

girls on a mission 

For a group of Jewish 2nd grade girls, a lesson in advocacy — and a life-changing trip to Washington

Kara Goldman

It was a meeting that began like countless others at the White House: “Thank you for inviting us to meet with you today. We are so honored to be here,” said Hazel Nisenbaum, the advocacy group’s leader. She wore a sky-blue suit and white kitten heels. What followed made clear that the group’s business in Washington was anything but typical, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. “We are a group of second grade girls at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago, Ill.,” Hazel continued, before White House Jewish liaison Shelley Greenspan interrupted and asked if she could take notes. Eight-year-old Hazel, all business, agreed. “We may only be 7 and 8 years old, but we know we can make a big difference in the world. We are proud to be Jewish and are proud to be girls.” 

Busy day: In the Friday meeting at the White House, Hazel was tasked with introducing the Jewish Girls Rights Club, whose 11 members were in Washington with their mothers for a high-level advocacy day that even the most seasoned Washington veterans would envy. Their day began on Capitol Hill, in meetings with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and the chief of staff to Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and a private tour of the Capitol, followed by a White House visit that included conversations with Greenspan, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby and White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein. They ended the day at the Supreme Court. (They all read I Dissent, a biographical picture book about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, before the trip.)

Grown-up issues: “I was so encouraged by how tenacious and precocious these girls were. Yet as young as they all were, I was very impressed by how they had a keen sense of the ancient prejudices that fuel this recent rise in antisemitism that they have grown up with, and the need to stand up for the rights of women and girls,” Wasserman Schultz told JI on Monday.

Read the full story here.

Relief Over Raisi: In Newsweek, Sheila Nazarian, an Iranian-American plastic surgeon, explains why as a woman born in Iran, she feels “not just a sense of celebration at the death of this evil man [Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi], but of relief.” “Raisi's tenure was marked by blatant Holocaust denial and virulent antisemitism… Raisi's antisemitism was not limited to rhetoric. On Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists — supported by Iran — invaded southern Israel and slaughtered 1,200 men, women, and children in a single day… Raisi's unrelenting hostility towards Israel was a cornerstone of his foreign policy, reflecting the regime's broader ideological commitment to the eradication of the world's only Jewish state, with Raisi pledging to ‘destroy’ the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv… Raisi epitomized the worst of Iran's theocratic regime. Nevertheless, many nations that should know better have expressed sympathy for his overdue demise, with the European Union sharing ‘condolences’ on the death of this mass murderer. This compassion for such a killer is misplaced. The death of Raisi is not the end but a pivotal moment in the struggle against tyranny in Iran.” [Newsweek]

The Day In Between: In Foreign Affairs, Dana Stroul, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, warns that Israel should be focusing on “the day in between” in Gaza, or it will miss the opportunity to successfully execute a “day-after” plan. “When officials and commentators talk about ‘the day after,’ they are referring to the period after Israel ends its active military operations to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. In this ‘day after’ scenario, the expectation is that the IDF will have effectively collapsed Hamas as an organized entity, leaving it unable to govern the Gaza Strip. It is also expected that there will be an agreement, acceptable to Arab capitals, Israel, the United States, and international bodies, to create a security force on the ground, a framework for non-Hamas governance, a plan for increased humanitarian aid delivery and distribution, and funding for stabilization and reconstruction. Such an ambitious plan for postwar Gaza requires detailed planning and sequencing, civilian-military coordination, and international support that should have started concurrently with the IDF campaign in Gaza in October 2023. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intentionally avoided that kind of planning, seeing it as a concession that relieves pressure on Hamas.” [ForeignAffairs]

Follow the Money: The Free Beacon’s Joseph Simonson writes about the sketchy finances of Students for Justice in Palestine: “Since at least 2016, WESPAC [Westchester Peace Action Committee] has been the fiscal sponsor of National Students for Justice in Palestine, a leading force behind the anti-Israel protests held across the country since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. Lawmakers from both parties have described much of the group's messaging as anti-Semitic and supportive of Islamic terrorist groups. According to WESPAC's latest tax filing, the group employs just a single part-time staff member: Ainsley Zimmer, an administrative assistant and digital media coordinator who makes less than six figures and receives no health care or retirement benefits. On her LinkedIn profile, Zimmer says WESPAC oversees nearly "a dozen partner organizations." Those fiscal sponsorships include National Students for Justice in Palestine and Adalah-New York: Campaign for the Boycott of Israel. WESPAC has seen a triple-digit increase in donations since 2020, when the charity raised just $635,678. The next year, WESPAC raised more than $1 million and, in 2022, nearly $2.4 million — the most money since its founding.” [FreeBeacon]

Echoes of ’39: In the Wall Street Journal, the Hudson Institute’s Walter Russell Mead compares the current international moment to 1939: “Many Americans still don’t fully grasp how serious the international situation has become. Iran has set the Middle East ablaze, Russia is advancing in Ukraine, and China is pursuing pressure campaigns against Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. Even more challenging times lie ahead. While Washington and its allies try to calm things and return the world to something like normalcy, the revisionists are strengthening their cooperation and mobilizing their societies and economies for war…This can’t last. Our adversaries have ambitious goals. We face an increasingly successful and ambitious assault on the U.S.’s international position. Either we and our allies recover our military might and political will, or our foes will fatally undermine the edifice of American power and the international order that depends on it.” [WSJ]

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Around the Web

Covering the Bases: Three of former President Donald Trump’s foreign policy officials, Robert O'Brien, John Rakolta and Ed McMullen, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and several other Israeli officials on Monday, Reuters reported. 

Michigan Moves: The Washington Post reports on the Trump campaign’s efforts to win over Arab and Muslim American voters, activists and donors who are unhappy with President Joe Biden’s approach to Israel’s war against Hamas. On Tuesday, a group of Arab American donors and activists from around the country plan to convene in Oakland Hills, Mich., for a private dinner initiated by Trump’s former ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell.

Money Matters: Trump and the Republican Party outraised Biden and the Democrats last month for the first time in this election cycle, the New York Times reported.

The Reich Stuff: A video posted to Trump’s Truth Social account on Monday included a reference to a “unified Reich” among theoretical news headlines if he wins the presidential election. 

Not Just Jared: Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) told The Bulwark that he has spent days trying to calm down pro-Israel donors outraged with campus protests and President Joe Biden’s threat to pause the delivery of some weapons in a CNN interview last week. 

Delicate Diplomacy: On the heels of the State Department’s “official condolences” over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, The New York Times looks at the diplomatic dance that the U.S. performs when foreign hostile figures die.

Whipping Post: The ADL accused the Washington Post of “unabashedly” playing into “antisemitic tropes by inferring a secret cabal of Jews is using wealth & power to influence governments, the media, the business world & academia,” in reaction to Jewish Insider’s reporting on the paper’s coverage.

Funding the Left: Francis Najafi, an Iranian-American businessman who bankrolls the country’s largest pro-regime lobbying organization, the National Iranian American Council, has also contributed to several anti-Israel Jewish organizations. 

Stefanik Stop: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza yesterday, where she received a briefing from Israel Defense Forces Maj. Liad Diamond on Israel’s security and the impact of U.S. aid.

Seinfeld Targeted: Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy show in Norfolk, Va., was targeted by an anti-Israel demonstrator who interrupted the stand-up routine with chants of "Free Gaza.” 

Unfriendly Skies: Dutch airline KLM suspended flights to Israel starting in July until at least the end of August, citing “the ongoing unrest."

MBS Trip: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman postponed a visit to Japan this week amid concerns over the health of his father, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

New Gig: Former deputy representative of Israel to Taiwan, Ossi Menache, has been appointed as the head of public diplomacy at Israel’s Embassy in France. 

Campus Beat: The Times of Israel interviews professor Barbara J. Risman about her decision to retire early from the University of Illinois, Chicago, due to antisemitism.

Defund ICC: In the New York Post, Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, calls on Washington to push allies to defund the ICC and impose financial sanctions on the court.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff during yesterday’s reception celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Birthdays
Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

Guitarist and composer, Marc Ribot turns 70... 

Former U.S. senator from Minnesota, he was previously a comedian, actor and writer, Al Franken turns 73... EVP of American Friends of Bar-Ilan University, Ron Solomon... Chief rabbi of Mitzpe Yericho and dean of Hara'ayon Hayehudi yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yehuda Kroizer turns 69... CEO of the Boston-based hedge fund Baupost Group, Seth Klarman turns 67... Northern California-based comedian, he celebrated his bar mitzvah at 52-years old in Israel, Josh Kornbluth turns 65... Legal analyst at CNN, Jeffrey Toobin turns 64... Founder and former co-owner of City & State NY, Thomas Allon turns 62... Director of antisemitism education and associate director of the Israel Action Program, both at Hillel International, Tina Malka... Actress, artist and playwright, Lisa Edelstein turns 58... Former head of Dewey Square's sports business practice, now a freelance writer, Frederic J. Frommer... Author and journalist, she was a reporter with The New York Times for eight years, Amy Waldman turns 55... U.S. cyclist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, she is now the executive director of the New England Mountain Bike Association, Nicole Freedman turns 52... President and CEO since 2015 of the Michigan-based William Davidson Foundation, Darin McKeever... University chaplain and rabbi for NYU, Rabbi Yehuda Sarna turns 46... Naomi Kovitz, chief operating officer at the Yael Foundation… Senior principal at Cityfi, Brandon Pollak... Professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin, Scott Joel Aaronson, Ph.D. turns 43... EVP and chief legal officer at Sinclair Broadcast Group, David Gibber... President of Mo Digital, Mosheh Oinounou... Los Angeles-born, raised in Israel, international fashion model for Versace, Sharon Ganish turns 41... Partner at CreoStrat, Steve Miller... Windsurfer who represented Israel in the Olympics (Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016), she is now a SW delivery lead at SolarEdge, Maayan Davidovich turns 36... Player on the USC team that won the 2016 NCAA National Soccer Championship, she is now an associate in the LA office of Foley & Lardner, Savannah Levin turns 29... Comedian, actress and writer known for starring in the HBO Max series “Hacks,” Hannah Marie Einbinder turns 29...

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