| | Good Monday morning. In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the decisions facing Democrats following President Joe Biden’s poor showing in last week’s presidential debate — and how his performance might affect military calculations in Israel and Lebanon. We also report on Rep. Scott Perry’s sharing of an antisemitic meme, look at Rep. Colin Allred’s vote against sanctioning the International Criminal Court and talk to Joel Rubin, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ former director of Jewish outreach, about the antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment pervasive in some progressive circles. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff : Ken Marcus, Rep. Brad Schneider and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | - We’re continuing to monitor the fallout from President Joe Biden’s debate performance on Thursday night. While numerous columnists, editorial boards and pundits have called for the president to step aside, not a single elected Democratic member of Congress has done the same (even as many are reportedly panicking privately). More below.
- We’re keeping an eye on French politics, with six days to go before the second and final round of parliamentary elections. Exit polls from the first round of elections showed Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party — which has garnered support from broad swaths of the country’s Jewish community amid concerns over rising antisemitism on the left — in the lead.
- Secretary of State Tony Blinken will sit in conversation with Brookings’ Suzanne Maloney at 10:30 a.m. today for a conversation about the Biden administration’s foreign policy vision.
- How will the United States and its NATO allies respond to Turkey’s refusal to refuel an El Al flight, which made an emergency stop in Antalya to evacuate a passenger facing a medical situation? (After being stuck on the tarmac for hours, the plane eventually took off for Rhodes, where it refueled and later headed back to Israel.)
- In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) will hold an event alongside local faith leaders to discuss the recent uptick in antisemitism in the Peach State.
- The late Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will be remembered tonight at an event at the Begin Center in Jerusalem. Among those who will reflect on the impact of the Connecticut politician, who died in March, are Gil Troy and Natan Sharansky.
| Democrats have no good options now that they’re realizing that having an 81-year-old nominee at the top of the ticket is a serious political hazard, Jewish Insider Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar writes.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the White House that President Joe Biden’s advanced age was his biggest vulnerability. For the last year, polls have consistently shown that a majority of voters didn't think he was up to the job for another four years.
Biden’s senior struggles prevented him from effectively driving home the administration’s message, kept him away from agenda-driving press conferences or newsmaking interviews and have limited his daily schedule, including on the campaign trail.
But it took a historically bad showing at the first presidential debate to expose for tens of millions of Americans on live TV just how bad things have gotten. Biden lost his train of thought constantly, and was utterly unable to rebut former President Donald Trump’s attacks in real time.
The post-debate polling has been brutal for the president. A new CBS News/YouGov poll found nearly three-fourths of the country (72%) doesn’t think Biden has the cognitive wherewithal to be president — with the same share of voters believing he shouldn’t be running for president. By a whopping 40-point margin (56-16%), voters thought Trump won the debate.
The problem for Democrats is that if party leaders effectively pressured Biden to withdraw from the race, the party would run the risk of blowing up their ticket without much likelihood of political upside. Such a move would be an acknowledgment that Biden has next-to-no chance of defeating Trump — a stunning concession for a party that rallied around their aging nominee for months, and downplaying the concerns of those who raised questions about the president’s ability to serve.
If Biden were to step aside, Vice President Kamala Harris would likely be the replacement candidate, unless the party wanted to deny her the nomination on the convention floor — and risk alienating Black and progressive voters who make up her base of support. Harris’ numbers are weaker than Biden’s, her activist-oriented profile would likely turn off persuadable moderate voters and she’s got a long track record of political underperformance.
And even if Democrats could clean the slate and pick a brand-new ticket, a new candidate would have to build their national political profile on the fly, raise money from scratch and unite an increasingly fractious Democratic Party coalition, divided between progressives and moderates.
Empowering the DNC delegates at a contested convention could also end up being a disaster for the party. They are ideologically to the left of typical Democratic voters, and aren’t inclined to act in the interest of electability. Any anti-Israel contingent, for instance, could make a mess of the proceedings, and further damage the Democratic Party’s image.
It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation for the party. And if you’re a Democratic lawmaker up for reelection, running with a wounded Biden on an anti-Trump message is probably still the safer move than to change the top of the ticket and risk everything falling apart. It’s telling that no members of Congress have publicly called for Biden to step aside, even as many privately are apoplectic about the situation he’s put them in.
Biden’s top staff are insisting the president isn’t going anywhere and are calling on supporters to hold the line, even as the evidence mounts that he’s facing long odds to win the 2024 election. But the precarious political situation Biden is in has been evident for a while. The biggest surprise is that it’s taken so long for prominent commentators and pundits to come to the conclusion many voters arrived at months ago. | progressive positions Former Bernie Sanders operative laments that anti-Israel activism is now a litmus test in progressive circles  Kate Patterson for The Washington Post via Getty Images As much of the progressive left continues to center anti-Israel advocacy as a key issue — an approach that contributed to Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) primary loss last week — one Democratic Jewish political strategist with roots in the progressive world is speaking out about what he says are the missteps and problems plaguing the progressive world, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Speaking out: Joel Rubin led Jewish outreach for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 202o presidential campaign, was a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration and ran for Congress in Maryland this year. Speaking to JI on Wednesday, Rubin said that Bowman’s race reflects serious strategy and messaging issues on the left, including significantly overestimating the electoral appeal of their anti-Israel messaging and ignoring Jewish voters.
Read the full story here. mixed messages Despite un-endorsing Bowman, J Street doesn't view his loss as a victory  DAVID DEE DELGADO/GETTY IMAGES When Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) ran for reelection to Congress in 2022, J Street was a strong supporter. That ended early this year, when J Street PAC rescinded its endorsement of Bowman over his hostile rhetoric toward Israel after Oct. 7 — and his praise of a scholar who celebrated Hamas’ terror attacks. The move represented a major shift for the liberal Israel advocacy group: Just weeks earlier, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami had pledged to stand by Bowman through his 2024 primary. Bowman lost his primary last Tuesday in a landslide to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a moderate Democrat who appealed to the district’s large Jewish community, with the benefit of more than $14 million in AIPAC funding. Despite J Street’s unusual decision to withdraw its support for Bowman, Ben-Ami sounded downbeat about Bowman’s loss in an interview with Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch.
Not celebrating: Ben-Ami’s takeaway from the race was not to celebrate the defeat of a lawmaker whose extreme rhetoric on Israel had alienated even many progressive Jews. Instead, he has used the outcome to warn about the corrosive power of AIPAC’s record-breaking spending. Ben-Ami declined to say if he considers Bowman’s loss a victory. “It’s not either a victory or a loss for J Street,” Ben-Ami told JI in a Friday interview reflecting on the race and the state of pro-Israel politics. “We were not, as an organization, taking a side in that primary.”
Read the full interview here. the view from israel Biden debate performance won't sway Israel-Hezbollah war considerations, experts say  ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES President Joe Biden’s halting performance in last week’s presidential debate is unlikely to impact short-term decision-making in Jerusalem as Washington continues diplomatic efforts to prevent an escalation into all-out war on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, but it could have longer-term effects, experts told Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov on Sunday.
War worries: Defense and diplomatic analysts in Hebrew-language media across the political spectrum said a weak showing by a U.S. president would embolden Israel’s enemies, in a response so uniformly anxious that it warranted its own New York Times write-up. Yet some experts were more circumspect when asked if the debate impacts Israel’s considerations regarding Hezbollah. Shira Efron, senior director for policy research at the Israel Policy Forum, told JI, “I don’t think the debate performance necessarily emboldens the bad guys, Iran or Hezbollah … and I don’t think Israel thinks it emboldens them. According to all assessments, they have no interest in a full-scale war at the moment.”
Read the full story here. on board Youngkin appoints Brandeis Center's Ken Marcus to George Mason board of visitors  Brandeis Center Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Friday that he had appointed Kenneth Marcus, the founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, as a member of the board of visitors of George Mason University in Fairfax County, Va, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Fighting antisemitism: George Mason, a public university, is currently under Department of Education investigation for alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act over accusations of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Marcus, a former assistant secretary of education for civil rights, highlighted his past work in Virginia combating antisemitism in a statement on the appointment. Members of the board of visitors — 16 in total — serve four-year terms and are responsible for policy-making and oversight at the school, including hiring and salaries for faculty and staff and academic programs.
Read the full story here. menacing meme GOP congressman Scott Perry shares antisemitic meme on social media  LENIN NOLLY/SIPA USA VIA AP IMAGES Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) approvingly shared an antisemitic meme on his campaign’s Facebook page last week, underscoring a broader pattern in which the Pennsylvania Republican has espoused conspiracy theories and used inflammatory rhetoric while in office, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. “Says it all…,” Perry wrote above the meme, which depicts a cabal of stereotypically Jewish bankers with hooked noses gathered around a Monopoly board.
Campaign comment: The Perry campaign removed the post on Friday after JI reached out for comment. “After receiving your inquiry, learning the history of the image, and contacting several members of the Jewish community (some who were familiar with it and some who were not) out of grave concern that it is considered antisemitic — we removed it immediately,” the campaign said in an email.
Read the full story here. allred's record On ICC sanctions vote, Allred breaks with other Democratic Senate hopefuls  EMIL LIPPE/GETTY IMAGES Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) stood alone earlier this month among Democratic House members seeking Senate seats when he voted against a bill placing sanctions on the International Criminal Court, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Allred's rationale: “I remain deeply committed to ensuring that Israel has the resources it needs to defend itself against Hamas and free the hostages while we work toward a sustainable peace,” Allred said in a statement to JI. “I support pushing back on some of ICC’s findings and conclusions, but I fear this bill would have unintended consequences.”
Read the full story here. | What Bowman’s Defeat Means: The Atlantic’s Michael Powell reflects on Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) primary defeat last week amid a broader push by far-left Democrats imposing an ideological purity test on its flank. “Too many on the left wing of American politics have become inured to the effect of their overheated rhetoric and histrionic displays of fealty to in-group norms. This approach to politics promises more pain than hope for a Democratic Party with so many election-year worries — voters’ malaise, high food and housing prices, and a superannuated nominee whose feeble debate performance has sent his partisans into a panic. … Politicians and movements are most successful when they try to win people over, and change course when they fail — rather than chiding voters for being brainwashed.” [TheAtlantic]
Unconventional Convention: In The New York Times, Bill Maher calls for an open Democratic convention to choose the party’s nominee for president rather than back a second Biden term. “But whether it’s [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom or someone else, we need to start talking about who the Democrats should put on the ballot in November. Anyone with a ‘D’ by their name basically makes this race a tie. Being a fresh face who has spent less time in the spotlight equals ‘America’s less tired of you,’ equals that extra percentage that will make for a winning ticket. In 2016, Mr. Trump was the fresh, new thing, and it’s high time liberals harness the power of novelty. The electorate in this country is not particularly fond of studying up on the issues — a lot of the disappointment they feel in Mr. Biden stems from the fact that they just don’t have the facts. But what Americans are big on is: Screw it, let’s give that new thing a try … how much worse could it be?” [NYTimes]
Center Stage: Politico’s Michael Schaffer looks at the centrist think tank Third Way’s effort to build up a “talent bank” of like-minded political hires who, the group hopes, will staff future Democratic administrations. “More cynically, a think tank’s talent bank is just an updated version of a Washington perennial: maintaining a network. Most successful players in government and politics are also inveterate collectors of people. Anyone with even a little bit of power in the capital is apt to have a list of names — proteges, cronies, allies, folks who’d surely do a bang-up job — ready to share with an incoming occupant of the White House. … In an age of government paralysis, when a lot of wonky policy-crafting seems unlikely to ever lead to anything, being seen as a repository of personnel is also a chance to look relevant, get attention and raise money. At a place like Third Way, which has often been treated like an afterthought as progressives have gained influence in the Democratic coalition, it’s a savvy way to boost the organization’s profile.” [Politico] | Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | A new Gallup poll found that 81% of Americans consider antisemitism to be a problem today; 49% say it is a “very serious” issue, up from 9% when the question was asked in 2003…
The aid pier constructed earlier this year to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza has been dismantled, with U.S. officials saying it is unclear if it will be reinstalled...
The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd joined the chorus of pundits calling on President Joe Biden to drop his reelection campaign…
Anti-Israel protesters demonstrated overnight on Sunday morning outside the Highland Park, Ill., home of Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), who is Jewish. Highland Park officials said no arrests were made, and no citations were issued. Schneider's office said a red liquid that appeared to be animal blood was poured on the sidewalk…
Israel’s consulate in New York scaled back its participation in the weekend Pride parade in New York City over security concerns and the overall mood in Israel; Pride celebrations in Tel Aviv were similarly muted last month…
In a Denver Post op-ed, members of the University of Colorado Board of Regents address recent anti-Israel protests outside the homes of members of the board…
The building housing Hillel Dnipro in Ukraine was heavily damaged by a Russian missile barrage; no injuries at the site were reported in the Friday evening strike…
The New York Times interviewed Yad Vashem’s online exhibitions coordinator about the museum’s new exhibition on wartime weddings…
Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer, who is 102, was featured on the cover of Vogue Germany…
In a weekend speech to London’s Jewish community days ahead of the general election, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged that he “will not try and bully Israel into making concessions that are not in its interest. Israel deserves to live in peace”...
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich extended a waiver allowing cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian banks…
Israel’s left-wing Meretz and Labor parties agreed to merge into a new party, known as The Democrats; Labor leader Yair Golan will lead the newly formed group…
Thousands of Haredi men clashed with police in Jerusalem over a recent High Court order requiring men to enlist in the Israeli Defense Forces; protesters threw stones at police and at United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Goldknopf’s car…
Martin Griffiths, the head of the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, concluded his tenure; Griffiths announced in March he was stepping away from the position for health reasons…
Officials in Singapore charged three people with distributing leaflets calling on the government to end ties with Israel; authorities said the individuals had organized the event without the proper permitting…
The IDF is preparing to test the efficacy of “humanitarian enclaves” in Gaza as part of a postwar plan — despite what the Financial Times describes as “widespread skepticism” over the pilot project…
Iran threatened to counter a full-scale Israeli military operation in Lebanon with an “obliterating war”…
Voters in Iran will head to the polls again this Friday for a run-off between reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, the top two vote-getters in last week’s election to succeed President Ebrahim Raisi…
The Wall Street Journal assessed how Iran has evaded Western pressure over several decades and U.S. presidential administrations to become an international power...
Longtime Reuters correspondent in Israel Dan Williams is joining Bloomberg…
CNN’s bureau chief in Jerusalem, Richard Allen Greene, is stepping down…
Corey Jacobson, formerly the senior advisor to the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy, was named chief of staff at the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital (h/t Playbook)...
Former New York Times senior editor Soma Golden Behr, the paper’s first female national editor, died at 84…
Rabbi Sharga Feivish Hager, known as the Kosover Rebbe, died at 66…
Princess Lalla Latifa, the mother of the King of Morocco, died at 78... |  Orthodox Union Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice, spoke to officials from the Orthodox Union last Thursday about the agency’s efforts to combat antisemitism. |  Jeremy Chan/Getty Images Born in a DP Camp to her Holocaust survivor parents, she was the first Jewish woman to serve on the Canadian Supreme Court, Rosalie Silberman Abella turns 78...
Applied mathematician, statistician and physicist, professor emeritus at Harvard, Herman Chernoff turns 101... Former U.S. assistant secretary of education, Diane Silvers Ravitch turns 86... Nobel laureate in economics for 1997 and co-creator of the Black-Scholes model for valuing options and other derivatives, Myron Scholes turns 83... Noted British art dealer and founder of an eponymous London art gallery, Victoria Marion Miro turns 79... Television, film and theater actor, including early career roles in Yiddish theater, Michael Burstein turns 79... Former U.S. ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, now at the Council on Foreign Relations, Martin Indyk turns 73... Partner in the Century City-based law firm of Greenberg Glusker, Douglas E. Mirell... Hall of Fame player and coach in the Women's National Basketball Association and now an NBA broadcaster, Nancy Lieberman turns 66... Attorney and longtime Democratic activist in Pittsburgh, he ran for Congress in 2022, Steven Irwin turns 65... Contributing editor at The Forward and CEO of the A-Mark Foundation, Rob Eshman... President emeritus of the Orthodox Union and a retired partner at Ropes & Gray, Mark (Moishe) Bane... Under secretary of state for political affairs until this past March, Victoria Jane Nuland (family name was Nudelman) turns 63... Journalist, filmmaker and educator, Shraga Simmons turns 63... Professor of Jewish thought at Hebrew University, Benjamin Brown turns 58... Member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2014, Marcus Bertram Simon turns 54... Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) turns 54... Screenwriter, producer and film director, Marc Silverstein turns 53... Los Angeles resident, Adam B. Siegel... NASA astronaut, on her 2019 trip to the International Space Station she took socks with Stars of David and menorahs, Jessica Meir turns 47... Co-founder of Edgeline Films, Elyse Steinberg... Hasidic musician mixing elements of dancehall, reggae, hip-hop and R&B, known by his stage name DeScribe, Shneur Hasofer turns 42... | | | | | |
