| | Good Thursday morning. In today’s Daily Kickoff , we talk to Jewish leaders concerned about Rep. Marc Pocan’s anti-Israel rhetoric — which at times has veered into antisemitic tropes, report on how anti-Israel activity on college campuses is affecting Israeli students’ study-abroad choices and interview House and Senate Democrats about how their colleagues are approaching Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s still-unscheduled address to Congress. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff : Volodymyr Zelensky, Stephen Schwarzman and Sen. Jacky Rosen. The global attention centered around cease-fire discussions in Gaza in recent days has distracted from another pressing Israeli security issue: heightened tensions along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where the situation is rapidly deteriorating, Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security assessment along the Lebanese border on Wednesday following a sharp escalation in rocket fire by the Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, amid increasing demands from within his government that Israel begin responding more forcefully to restore peace and security in the area. Visiting a military base and Israel’s northernmost city of Kiryat Shmona, the prime minister was briefed by the army on the situation, and received an operational assessment on the home front’s preparedness and how the IDF might contend with a second front as the war in Gaza enters its eighth month. Accompanied by his chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and his military secretary, Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, Netanyahu said that “one way or another” he would “restore security to the north” and respond with force to “whoever thinks they can hurt us,” according to a statement from his office. Hours after Netanyahu’s visit, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which fought a full-blown war with Israel in 2006, fired deadly armed drones into the Druze village of Hurfeish, one of the few towns where steadfast residents have decided to remain. Dozens of civilians were injured, at least two critically, and one IDF soldier was killed, the army said. Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said in a press briefing this morning that the incident in Hurfeish was “another example of how Hezbollah is trying to penetrate Israel's defensive mechanisms and that it had the devastating result of a soldier being killed in an explosive drone attack.” “Hezbollah, for the last eight months, is constantly trying to escalate the situation almost every day,” Lerner said. “We are taking the necessary steps in order to defend ourselves and engage and preempt the attacks that Hezbollah is trying to conduct.” Netanyahu’s visit to northern Israel came one day after rockets fired by Hezbollah sparked a massive wildfire that raged in the area for more than 24 hours, destroying several homes and large swaths of forest reserves. As firefighters, with assistance from the IDF, battled to control the blaze, Israel’s war cabinet met on Tuesday to discuss the deteriorating security situation along the northern border. Israeli media reported that no definitive decision was made on how to deal with the escalating tensions. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who also visited the area, said that Israel was “approaching the point where a decision will have to be made.” He said the army was ready and prepared for a possible offensive. Hezbollah’s increasingly bold attacks on Israel are directly tied to the rising tensions between Jerusalem and Washington over ending Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who has been tracking events on the northern border for the last eight months, told JI. Owing to the unprecedented tensions between the U.S. and Israel, including the halt of weapons shipments, the continued verbal tensions and following President Joe Biden’s call last week to wind down the war, Hezbollah understands that the U.S. tolerance for war in Gaza or Lebanon is done, Daoud said. “That allows Hezbollah to believe it can get away with hitting Israel harder and that Israel will not be able to respond.” Israel has two options — either all-out war or peaceful diplomatic efforts — said Daoud. Diplomatic efforts “neither go deep enough nor [will] be sustainable enough … which makes war between Israel and Hezbollah increasingly likely,” he said. The U.S. expressed its concern over the rising tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller saying that the situation is “untenable” for Israel right now as tens of thousands of Israelis cannot return home due to “constant Hezbollah shelling & drone attacks.” Meanwhile on Israel’s southern border, an Israeli air force strike on an UNRWA compound in the Nuseirat area in Gaza overnight killed 20 to 30 terrorists who were hiding in a school, Lerner said. Those who were killed were terrorists who took part in the Oct. 7 attack and had used the facility to plan and launch attacks from the school, according to Lerner. “A number of steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming uninvolved civilians during the strike,” Lerner said, including “conducting aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence information." Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | pocan posts In social media war against AIPAC, Rep. Mark Pocan advances antisemitic tropes  CELAL GUNES/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES For months since Oct. 7, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) has taken to social media, on a regular basis, to level barbs at the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, offering wide-ranging attacks on the organization’s political spending and support of Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza. Pocan is among the most outspoken critics of Israel in the House outside of the Squad and he’s often been even more actively involved in the progressive battle against AIPAC than his more high-profile colleagues, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Back and forth: Pocan’s jabs at AIPAC — often coming in the form of X (formerly Twitter) exchanges with the group, which frequently tags Pocan in its own posts — have frequently echoed or outright embraced a slew of antisemitic tropes, including dual loyalty, control of government and even blood libel, experts say.
Bloodlust: In some of the most striking attacks, Pocan — who maintains a combative social media presence on a range of subjects — has accused supporters of AIPAC of being indifferent to, or even reveling in, the deaths of civilians in Gaza, particularly children. Just last week, responding to a video of an Israeli bombing in Rafah, which included graphic imagery of the attack’s aftermath, Pocan declared, “This is porn for @AIPAC. Doubt they’ll show any regret.”
Read the full story here. hard lessons Israeli students in U.S. warn peers against studying at American campuses  SELCUK ACAR/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES Hundreds of Israeli students who traveled to the U.S. in the last year to enrich their academic knowledge and enhance their professional skills found themselves the targets of fierce anti-Israel activists, as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza played out. Beginning on Oct. 7 and through to the hostile anti-Israel encampments that sprung up on campuses during the spring semester, many Israelis studying in the U.S. have experienced both the pain of the Hamas attacks and the negative climate on campus, and are warning future Israeli academic fellows, doctoral and postdoctoral students to stay home, Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash reports.
Toxic environment: Amit, an Israeli student now wrapping up a yearlong fellowship at Columbia University, described her experience as toxic. “We were supposed to be these very prestigious students that the university is happy to have, they even gave me a big scholarship and so theoretically my program should have been very proud to have me,” Amit, who asked that her real name not be used for fear of retribution from the department and faculty assessing her final research paper, told JI. “But it has not been a good experience at all, and if another Israeli applicant came to me to ask if they should do this, I would tell them not to.”
Shut down: Barak Sella, who recently completed the mid-career Masters Degree in Public Administration at Harvard’s Kennedy School, said that his American campus experience up until Oct. 7 was “fantastic,” as one of around 20 Israelis in a program of some 200 students, but it soon became very difficult. “There were many sessions and protests against Israel, and being visibly Israeli was a burden,” he said, describing how the debate over Israel, its actions, and its right to exist ended up permeating into every subject – even topics that were totally unrelated to the Middle East. Whenever he tried to speak up and defend Israel, Sella said, “I was rudely shut down.”
Read the full story here. bibi boycott Democrats speak out against left-wing efforts to interrupt Netanyahu's congressional speech  MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Democrats, including both prominent critics and strong supporters of Israel, pushed back on Wednesday against the prospect of their colleagues protesting during or attempting to disrupt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s as-yet-unscheduled address to a joint meeting of Congress, as some comments by lawmakers have suggested, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
Wrong setting: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who has been vocally critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, said, “I don’t think [disrupting Netanyahu’s speech] makes any sense.” He alluded to the case of two members of the Tennessee House who organized a gun violence protest on the Statehouse floor, and were ultimately expelled by Republicans. “I don’t know that that’s the best place to call for a protest in the United States of America,” Raskin said.
Never support: Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), who led a May letter accusing Israel of violating U.S. regulations on foreign aid recipients by restricting humanitarian aid, said, “I never support disruptions and protests on the House floor. That’s not something that I would support or condone.”
Fueling Hamas: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one of the party’s loudest pro-Israel advocates, firmly denounced potential protests. “For any member that boycotts, it makes a Hamas terrorist smile,” Fetterman said. “I don't think it's helpful; I don't think performance art is important during a war."
Read the full story here. campus break-in Anti-Israel Stanford students take over president's office; university arrests 13 protesters  STEPHEN LAM/SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE VIA GETTY IMAGES Months of intense anti-Israel protests at Stanford University escalated on Wednesday morning — the last day of classes for the spring quarter — when 13 students and alumni broke into and barricaded themselves inside President Richard Saller’s office, insisting that the university meet their demands to cut ties with Israel. Within hours of the 5:30 a.m. break-in, law enforcement arrested all of the rioters and the university shut down an anti-Israel illegal encampment that has engulfed campus since April, eJewishPhilanthropy's Haley Cohen reports for Jewish Insider.
Trashing the president’s office: The demonstrators filmed themselves covering Saller’s desk in red paint, destroyed property and renamed the building to “Dr. Adnan Office,” in honor of Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, “the Palestinian General Surgeon who was murdered in April by the Israeli genocidal campaign,” the group told The Stanford Daily. Al-Bursh died while in Israeli prison, where he was being held due to national security reasons, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Chaos on campus: Meanwhile, chaos ensued outside of the building as well; a public safety officer was injured after being shoved by the demonstrators, who were interfering with a transport vehicle. The Main Quad, the historic center of the university, was scrawled with graffiti such as “De@th 2 Isr@hell,” “Pigs taste best dead” and “F*** Amerikkka.” Dee Mostofi, a Stanford University spokesperson told JI, “There has been extensive damage to the interior of Building 10, [where Saller’s office is located], and exterior of the buildings in the quad.”
Read the full story here. exclusive Rosen, Ernst push for integrated Middle East space defense architecture  SCOTT EISEN/GETTY IMAGES/ PAUL MORIGI/GETTY IMAGES Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced legislation on Wednesday to integrate efforts among Abraham Accords member countries and other U.S. Middle East allies to defend against Iranian malign activities in space, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Following up: The lawmakers framed the bill, known as the Space Technology and Regional Security or STARS Act, as a follow-on to bills they’ve advanced over the past two years: the DEFEND Act, seeking integrated missile defense, and the MARITIME Act, seeking integrated maritime defenses. A similar provision has already been added to the House’s version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress’ annual defense and national security policy bill. The bill seeks to promote cooperation between the U.S. and its Middle East allies on space and satellite security, to protect against and improve awareness of potential threats.
Quotable: “As Iran and its terrorist proxies escalate their aggression against Israel and continue to destabilize the Middle East, it’s critical that we work with our allies in the region to bolster collaboration in all areas of defense,” Rosen said in a statement. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to strengthen space and satellite security cooperation with our allies and partners in the Middle East, and improve collective security to address urgent threats from Iran.”
What it does: The bill would require the secretary of defense to develop an “integrated space and satellite security capability,” describing the initiative as building “upon the historic opportunities created by the Abraham Accords and the incorporation of Israel” into U.S. Central Command. The envisioned cooperation would include security measures as well as a data-sharing agreement to protect the “people, infrastructure, and territory” from adversaries’ attacks on space systems.
Read the full story here. on the hill House subcommittee pushes for funding boosts for U.S.-Israeli cooperative programs  ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES The House Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee proposed funding increases for cooperative U.S.-Israel anti-tunneling and anti-drone and missile programs. Like another draft funding bill released on Monday, it also seeks to force frozen Israeli weapons transfers to proceed, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
By the numbers: Committee Republicans are pushing for $80 million for U.S.-Israel counter-tunneling programs, nearly doubling the 2024 allocation, and $55 million for counter-drone and missile programs, including directed energy and laser projects. That would likely include Israel’s Iron Beam system.
Looking back: The counter-tunneling program was funded at $47.5 million for the 2024 fiscal year, while the counter-drone program received $40 million. The administration did not make specific line-item requests for either program in its budget proposal.
Arms transfers: The bill would also bar the Pentagon from withholding any military transfers to Israel, and includes language that would require that any withheld weapons or defense services be transferred to Israel within 15 days. It would additionally require the Pentagon to obligate any outstanding funds for Israel within 30 days. The State Department Appropriations bill released on Monday threatens funding to other areas of the Pentagon if the administration ignores these provisions; the defense bill contains no such compulsory mechanisms.
Read the full story here. | The Case for Hard Power: In The New York Times, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reflects on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. “American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines joined allies and took the fight to the Axis powers not as a first instinct, but as a last resort. They ended a war that the free world’s inaction had left them no choice but to fight. Generations have taken pride in the triumph of the West’s wartime bravery and ingenuity, from the assembly lines to the front lines. We reflect less often on the fact that the world was plunged into war, and millions of innocents died, because European powers and the United States met the rise of a militant authoritarian with appeasement or naïve neglect in the first place. We forget how influential isolationists persuaded millions of Americans that the fate of allies and partners mattered little to our own security and prosperity. We gloss over the powerful political forces that downplayed growing danger, resisted providing assistance to allies and partners, and tried to limit America’s ability to defend its national interests.” [NYTimes]
Pressure Point: The Washington Post’s David Ignatius calls for global as well as domestic Palestinian pressure on Hamas to accept the terms of the cease-fire deal proposed last week. “So here’s a blunt question: Why aren’t Palestinians demanding that Hamas’s leaders, who are hiding in tunnels under the ravaged enclave, accept this agreement so that reconstruction can begin? Hamas’s existence has been predicated on saying no to peace with Israel. But surely, it’s in the interest of Palestinians civilians who have suffered so much in this conflict to say yes. Like so many observers of this terrible war, I’ve been urging Israel for months to finish its campaign and move to ‘the day after.’ Israeli military leadership has backed a plan to do that, thanks to prodding from Biden. The world should now make a similar demand of Hamas: Take the deal.” [WashPost]
Spotlight on Sinwar: The Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Henninger suggests that blame for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war be placed on Hamas leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar. “Pointedly, the Biden administration’s proposal for a six-week cease-fire includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza. Such a departure surely would be interpreted as a victory for Hamas, and in particular for its military leader, Yahya Sinwar. Mr. Sinwar, the primary architect of the Oct. 7 invasion, who presumably resides inside the Gaza tunnel system, should be seen as the central figure in the conflict, more important to its resolution than Mr. Netanyahu or President Biden. … The debate over the Israel-Hamas war has fallen deeply into a moral imbalance. The conflict’s grinding status quo — with Palestinians and the Israeli hostages continuing to die — has little hope of changing until the statements of foreign leaders, analysts, the media and not least Mr. Biden and his many translators begin to impose serious political and moral pressure on the man who put this horror in motion: Hamas military commander in chief Yahya Sinwar. Blame him first.” [WSJ]
Shoe Saga: Bloomberg’s Tim Low spotlights Birkenstock’s transition from a family-owned to a luxury footwear brand. “In the 1930s, Carl [Birkenstock] also repeatedly tried, unsuccessfully, to accelerate wider adoption by getting Nazi authorities on board. He pitched his insoles to the Hitler Youth and performed tests on the feet of 170 members of the SS, according to a forthcoming Birkenstock-commissioned book. He failed to secure any government orders. Still, even without a formal deal, Nazi soldiers, after marching around Europe in ill-fitting boots, bought his insoles, and production more than doubled from 1938 to 1942. Carl joined the Nazi Party himself in 1940 — ‘relatively late,’ the company writes on its website, clarifying that he never did business with Hitler’s government, confiscated assets from Jews or relied on forced labor. (The new book qualifies some of those assertions, noting that Carl repeatedly sought to secure government contracts and in 1943 even tried to join the Sturmabteilung, the Nazi paramilitary group of storm troopers that played a key role in Hitler’s rise, though he wasn’t accepted.) The influx of money from soldiers helped sustain Carl’s real passion, the pursuit of an ‘ideal shoe’ that would incorporate the family’s ideas into a mass-produced product. After decades of tinkering, Carl retired in 1961, still flummoxed by the challenge of efficiently binding the family’s insoles into shoes.” [Bloomberg] | Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | VPOTUS Call: Vice President Kamala Harris responded to a disruption at a Bay Area fundraiser, saying that the war between Israel and Hamas “must end, we need a cease-fire, we need the hostages out, we need aid going in and we need to be committed to a two-state solution.”
Foreign Affairs: Politico looks at how President Joe Biden’s foreign policy is increasingly becoming a liability in the run-up to the November election.
Veepstakes: Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein shortlisted Dearborn, Mich., Mayor Abdullah Hammoud as a potential running mate, even though Hammoud, at 34, is too young to appear on the ballot.
Winnowing the List: Former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign distributed vetting materials to top contenders for his running mate; those reportedly being considered include Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC) and J.D. Vance (R-OH), as well as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Timeline Talk: Trump told Sean Hannity that Israel needs to end the war with Hamas “quickly, strongly — and they have to get back to life again because it's taking too long.”
Hostage Talks: The New York Times looks at the challenges facing negotiators trying to reach a cease-fire and hostage release.
Lack of Compassion: Commentator Briahna Joy Gray is under fire for an interview on The Hill’s “Rising” with the sister of an Israeli hostage; Gray appears to roll her eyes while the guest pleads for her loved one’s release.
Rapping Iran: In a letter led by Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Brian Mast (R-FL), a dozen House lawmakers urged the administration to apply all sanctions on any individuals involved in the torture and death sentence of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi.
Credit Check: Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a bill that aims to protect the credit scores of Americans held hostage abroad, who often face financial hardship upon their release.
Jersey (Un)sure: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dodged a reporter’s questions on whether he will back Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) in New Jersey’s Senate race; Kim is the Democratic Party nominee, while Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is facing federal bribery charges, is mounting a bid as an independent.
Scaling Up: The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area will spin off its Institute for Curriculum Services, which works to improve K-12 curricula about Judaism and Jewish history, into an independent, national organization next month, eJewishPhilanthropy reports.
Yearbook Controversy: A school district in New Jersey is investigating why a high school yearbook omitted the names of members of the school’s Jewish student union and swapped in a photo of Muslim students where the group’s photograph was intended to appear.
Campus to Court: UCLA is facing a lawsuit from three Jewish students who allege that the anti-Israel encampment that was constructed on the California campus impeded their ability to attend classes; the students also allege they were subjected to antisemitic harassment by those in the encampment.
Buzz Around Buzbee: Puck’s Dylan Byers does a deep dive into Sally Buzbee’s departure from the Washington Post following the announcement of an organizational restructuring.
‘Picture of The Nation’: The Israeli social policy think tank Taub Center released its annual “Picture of the Nation” analysis of the State of Israel yesterday, breaking down its economy, demography, education and health-care system, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports.
Looted Art: Two 17th-century paintings currently hanging in the Louvre were officially donated to the museum by the descendants of the paintings’ owner, whose Paris home was looted by the Nazis in 1944.
Past As Prologue: The New York Times reviews the new Netflix documentary series “Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial.”
Zelensky in Doha: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha as part of an effort to drum up global support for the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland.
In the Black(stone): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, met with Blackstone co-founder and CEO Stephen Schwarzman in the Emirate on Wednesday.
Spanish Steps: Spain requested to join South Africa’s International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide.
Across the Pond: An Iranian dissident protesting outside of a London memorial service for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was partially paralyzed after being attacked by regime supporters.
Jerusalem Day Arrests: Israeli police arrested 18 people at the contentious Jerusalem Day march in the capital city.
Nuke Watch: The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency voted to censure Iran for not cooperating with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
What’s in a Name?: Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen unveiled a new “Palestine” rocket, which it fired at the southern Israeli city of Eilat earlier this week. |  The Western Wall Heritage Foundation Thousands of people gathered at the Kotel in Jerusalem on Wednesday for prayers marking Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. |  John Lamparski/Getty Images Four-time Tony Award-winner, he is an actor, playwright and screenwriter, Harvey Fierstein turns 70...
U.S. District Court judge since 1994, on senior status since 2005, serving in the Eastern District of New York, Frederic Block turns 90... Real estate entrepreneur, member of the Pritzker family and executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Thomas Pritzker turns 74... U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) turns 72... Diplomat who has served as Israel's ambassador to South Sudan and then Egypt, Haim Koren turns 71... Comedian, political critic, musician and author, Sandra Bernhard turns 69... Radio news personality, known as "Lisa G," Lisa Glasberg turns 68... Past chair of the board of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools and president at Micah Philanthropies, Ann Baidack Pava... CEO of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Steve Koonin turns 67... Israeli conductor and musician, Nir Brand turns 63... Former majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives and now vice chairman of Moelis & Company, Eric Cantor turns 61... Partner in the strategic communications division of Finsbury Glover Hering (FGS Global), Jonathan Kopp... Israeli-American behavioral economics professor at UCSD, Uri Hezkia Gneezy turns 57... Best-selling author, journalist and television personality, she has focused on addiction and recovery as well as relationships, Anna Benjamin David turns 54... Chairman of Israeli fintech entrio (formerly The Floor), he is the only child of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, Elisha Wiesel turns 52... Hedge fund manager and founder of Saba Capital Management, Boaz Weinstein turns 51... Producer of 11 network television programs, Jennie Snyder Urman turns 49... 2019 Trump impeachment witness, he was director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, Lt. Colonel (retired) Alexander Semyon Vindman... and his twin brother, Colonel Yevgeny Vindman, a candidate for Congress in Virginia's 7th district, both turn 49... Political strategist and writer, Michael L. Goldfarb... Senior reporter at ABC News, Katherine B. Faulders... Director at Finsbury Glover Hering (FGS Global), Anna Epstein... Member of the New York State Assembly until 2023 when he resigned to become VP of government relations at UJA-Federation of New York, Daniel Rosenthal turns 33... White House staffer, Jordan G. Finkelstein... Communications manager at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Allie Freedman... | | | | | |
