| | Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview this week’s Senate confirmation hearings and report on the newest hires in the incoming Trump administration's National Security Council. We talk to the father of Israeli hostage Itay Chen about the ongoing cease-fire negotiations and report on a bipartisan push from lawmakers from New York and New Jersey to expedite the Department of Transportation and FAA’s consideration of applications from Israeli airlines looking to begin flights to the tristate area. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff, Susan Zirinsky, Ari Emanuel and Marc Andreessen.
Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | - Hamas has reportedly accepted a draft cease-fire and hostage-release agreement. More below.
- Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET today. Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Pentagon, will be introduced by Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), the Trump administration’s incoming national security advisor, and former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), the chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, who was Hegseth’s Capitol Hill “sherpa” as he met with senators in recent weeks.
- Outgoing Secretary of State Tony Blinken is slated to lay out the administration’s “day-after” rebuilding plan for Gaza at an Atlantic Council event at 10 a.m. ET.
- Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the outgoing special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, is hosting a roundtable for journalists this afternoon in Washington.
| A packed week of confirmation hearings for a series of Trump Cabinet nominees begins on Capitol Hill today with Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
Kristi Noem (Homeland Security secretary), Pam Bondi (attorney general), Marco Rubio (secretary of state) and John Ratcliffe (CIA director) are set to testify to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Judiciary, Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees on Wednesday.
Scott Bessent, the nominee for Treasury secretary, is set to testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, alongside additional testimony from Bondi to the Judiciary Committee. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the nominee for U.N. envoy, was originally expected to testify Thursday as well, but that hearing was never formally scheduled and it’s not clear when it will be held.
Barring major surprises, all of the nominees whose hearings are scheduled this week are expected to be confirmed — despite earlier doubts about Hegseth’s prospects — and Republicans are aiming to confirm some of them immediately after Trump’s inauguration or in the following week.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a critical swing vote in the Hegseth nomination, told JI that she was “going to be watching it [the hearing] intently because this is such an important nominee.” She added, “I don't want to prejudge what's going to happen at the hearing, but I'm sure that he will face a lot of tough questions, and I think that's the way the hearing process should work.”
Several of the nominees are likely to receive a much chillier reception from Senate Democrats, and this week’s hearings will provide a preview of the extent of Democratic support that the Trump Cabinet picks can each expect.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who serves on the Armed Services Committee, told JI that she plans to focus her questioning on Hegseth’s “qualifications for the job,” noting, "I'm going to focus on his ability to do the job and run a three million personnel organization with an $845 billion budget.”
Such questions, as well as past allegations of misconduct, are likely to be priorities for Democrats, but one key area to watch will be whether Hegseth discusses his approach to countering Iran and its proxies.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), also a member of the Armed Services Committee, told reporters: “There’s already ample and abundant information on the public record that shows that Peter Hegseth lacks the character and competence to be secretary of defense. There has never been a nominee for this position as unqualified as he is by virtue of financial mismanagement, as well as sexual impropriety and alcohol abuse.”
Blumenthal and Collins have both said they would like to see Hegseth’s FBI background check, which has currently only been reviewed by the chair and ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. Collins said she recognized there “is a process” for how these matters are handled.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said after meeting with Bondi he “remain[s] concerned about her ability to serve as an attorney general who will put her oath to the Constitution ahead of her fealty to Donald Trump.” Democrats have also pressed for more information about Bondi’s past lobbying work, including for the Qatari government, a subject that could come up at her hearing.
Bondi’s hearing could also provide insight into how she’ll approach antisemitic hate crimes and Iranian malign activity in the United States. Noem could face questions on those issues as well, and on her views on funding levels for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Blumenthal said he’s concerned that Noem’s “experience is less than what it should be” in national security to lead DHS. Sen Gary Peters (D-MI), the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, said he’s had two “very productive” conversations with Noem but said he has not yet received all of the documentation he expects before her hearing.
Rubio, meanwhile, is expected to sail through with substantial support from Democrats. “I’m already inclined to support Sen. Rubio,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) told reporters last week. “I’ve served with him for years. While we don’t align on the issues of foreign policy, I know his values, I know his work ethic, there’s so many things I respect about Sen. Rubio that make me inclined to support him.”
Rubio could face grilling, especially from the several Democrats on the committee who are critical of Israel, about how the Trump administration plans to approach the conflict in the Middle East and issues such as annexation of the West Bank. That said, Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, who’s been critical of Israeli operations in Gaza, said yesterday he plans to vote to confirm Rubio.
Bessent’s hearing could also touch on the Trump administration’s plans for sanctioning Iran and its proxies abroad, as part of the expected reinstatement of a maximum pressure policy.
One key national nominee whose hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled: Tulsi Gabbard, the nominee for director of national intelligence, with Ratcliffe taking the first hearing slot for the Intelligence Committee instead, because Gabbard’s pre-hearing paperwork was incomplete. Some Republicans had been skeptical of Gabbard, but several appear to be turning around on her.
Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director, also isn’t on the schedule yet, and may not have a hearing until February. There’s also no clear timeline for a hearing or confirmation at this point for Mike Huckabee, who was announced as the nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Israel. | doha dialogue Hostage deal appears closer than ever, U.S., Israeli officials say  Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images With just a week remaining in office, President Joe Biden and other senior officials in his administration are conveying a new sense of optimism about reaching a hostage-release and cease-fire deal before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week. “We’re on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition,” Biden said in a speech on Monday at the State Department, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. Speaking on Newsmax on Monday, Trump acknowledged that "there was a handshake and that they are wrapping things up - maybe by the end of the week." On Tuesday afternoon local time in Doha, Qatar, reports emerged that Hamas had accepted a draft cease-fire agreement.
Israeli statements: Meanwhile, an Israeli diplomatic official confirmed yesterday, “There are advances in all components of the agreement,” Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. “We are certainly in advanced stages … Reaching an agreement could be a matter of hours or of days.” While the agreement was still not final, two Israeli diplomatic sources said Hamas was showing greater seriousness than it had in the past year, during which “Hamas was not part of the negotiations” that were taking place between the Israeli team, the U.S. and Qatari mediators. Read the full story here.
Hostage family fears: Ruby Chen, the father of a U.S.-Israeli hostage who was killed on Oct. 7, is fearful that the developing hostage-release and cease-fire deal will not bring back all of the 98 hostages still held in Gaza. In an interview with Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve this morning, following a visit he and his wife, Hagit, made to Doha, Qatar, over the weekend to meet with U.S. and Qatari officials, Chen, who did not learn until March 2024 that his son Itay had been killed on Oct. 7, said, “We see what's being materialized ... We have deep concerns that our son will be left behind [for] an unknown period of time.” Read the full interview here. flight turbulence New York, New Jersey lawmakers urge expedited approval of additional Israeli flights  Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images A bipartisan group of lawmakers representing districts in New York and New Jersey urged the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration on Monday to expedite consideration of any applications from Israeli airlines to begin flights between Tel Aviv and JFK or Newark Liberty airports, as U.S. carriers have kept their flights suspended, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
What they said: The lawmakers said their “strong preference would be” for U.S. airlines to resume flights, but, in absence of that, Israeli national carrier El Al “enjoys a monopoly on direct flights” which “has led to burdensome price increases for our constituents.” They urged U.S. regulators to ensure “expedited consideration of any application that may come before you from an Israeli airline, especially for low-cost direct service between the greater New York area and Tel Aviv.”
Read the full story here.
Elsewhere: Travel site Dan’s Deals raises questions about American Airlines’ full blockage of tickets that terminate in Israel, while allowing bookings on flights that transit through Ben Gurion Airport, such as a ticket that originates in London and ends in the United Arab Emirates with a layover in Israel. new picks Trump’s National Security Council staffs up  MANDEL NGAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES President-elect Donald Trump’s National Security Council team is taking further shape, with several additional picks finalized in recent days, drawing heavily from Capitol Hill staff, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Coming onboard: David Feith, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will be joining the NSC team, a source familiar with the pick picks told Jewish Insider, as will Walker Barrett, currently a House Armed Services Committee staffer and alum of incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s congressional office, and Thomas Boodry, currently a staffer for Waltz, another source told JI. Politico reported on Monday that Feith will oversee national security and technology issues, while Barrett will be handling defense issues and Boodry will be coordinating between the White House and Congress. Feith and Barrett will both have senior director titles.
Read the full story here. changes in attitude Imam ridiculed by Sean Hannity is giving benediction at Trump’s inauguration  Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images An imam who was previously ridiculed by Fox News host Sean Hannity for his refusal to acknowledge Hezbollah as a terrorist organization is among the religious leaders scheduled to deliver benedictions at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
What he said: Imam Husham Al-Husainy, who leads Karbalaa, a prominent Islamic education center in Dearborn, Mich., was asked by Hannity in a 2007 Fox News interview whether Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. “First of all — first of all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization,” Al-Husainy replied. “And I’ve got nothing to do with that. But there is a biblical meaning of Hezbollah. It is in Judaism and Christianity and Islam meaning people of God and that means yes.”
Read the full story here.
Inauguration talk: Yeshiva University President Rabbi Ari Berman will deliver a benediction at the inauguration. In a statement to Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen, a Yeshiva University spokesperson said that “at a time of great disruption on college campuses, Rabbi Berman will be the only university president delivering remarks during the ceremony and will speak to the aspirations of faith based and values driven universities across the nation.” Berman will become the second Orthodox rabbi to ever give a prayer at a presidential inaugural, following the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Rabbi Marvin Hier at Trump’s first inauguration in 2017. conference controversy Major LGBTQ confab maintains ‘Zionism-free space’ at conference event  CHARLES SYKES/INVISION/AP Next week in Las Vegas, thousands of LGBTQ activists will gather for the annual Creating Change Conference, a major confab hosted by the National LGBTQ Task Force. The driving value for the event’s organizers, according to the conference website, is “radical welcome: love, curiosity and respect for each other and our LGBTQ family.” But the gathering has already drawn controversy for being unwelcoming to some, with one planned session — a meeting of queer Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) attendees — explicitly defining itself as a “Zionism-free space,” Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Drawing lines: The approval of a “Zionism-free space” — even if it’s just a small gathering hosted by an independent organization — at a conference focused on inclusion has raised alarm bells among some Jewish LGBTQ advocates. “There’s these lines that are drawn for people who call themselves tolerant,” said Mike Rogers, a media executive who served as the director of development at the National LGBTQ Task Force in the late 1990s. “I don't go to the conference anymore. I'm uncomfortable as a Jew,” added Rogers.
Read the full story here. primetime problem ‘60 Minutes’ slammed for relying on CAIR-connected sources for anti-Israel segment  Mario Tama/Getty Images CBS News is facing renewed accusations of anti-Israel bias over a “60 Minutes” segment criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza that relies largely on two former State Department officials with ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), whose executive director has drawn condemnation from the White House for praising Hamas, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. The new segment, which aired on Sunday, appeared highly skeptical of Israel’s war against Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks — drawing almost exclusively on interviews with two disgruntled former officials who resigned from the State Department in protest of President Joe Biden’s support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict.
Key details: The former officials, Josh Paul and Hala Rharrit, claim the U.S. has been “complicit” in helping Israel to carry out alleged violations of international law — saying American weapons transfers have enabled “devastation” in Gaza that the administration has ignored. But the segment omits key details about the two subjects, including their connections to CAIR, the Muslim advocacy group whose leader, Nihad Awad, has said that he was “happy to see” Hamas’ terror attacks and argued that Israel does not have a “right to self-defense.” The White House denounced his comments as “shocking” and “antisemitic.”
Read the full story here. | Muscle Against Moscow: In The New York Times, outgoing Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin call on the incoming Trump administration to continue to press for a policy of “peace through strength” in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. “After more than 1,000 days of Mr. Putin’s reckless war of choice, he has failed to achieve a single one of his strategic goals. Russia’s power and influence are greatly diminished; it couldn’t even prop up a valued client like the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Meanwhile, Ukraine stands strong and defiant as a free and sovereign democracy, with an economy rooted in the West. All this is a testament to the resilience of Ukraine’s troops and the strength of Ukraine’s people. It is also the product of steadfast American leadership, which has rallied allies and partners worldwide to help Ukraine survive the Kremlin’s imperial onslaught. The United States should build on this historic success, not squander it. Mr. Putin assumed that the world would stand by when he sent his troops across the Ukrainian border. He was wrong. The United States has rallied some 50 countries from around the planet to help Ukraine defend itself — and to uphold the bedrock principle that borders may not be redrawn by force.” [NYTimes]
Ramallah Rom-Com: The Atlantic’s Gal Beckerman interviews Palestinian-American author Betty Shamieh, whose debut novel takes a lighter approach to its Palestinian characters. “I was taken aback when, as we talked, she described herself as essentially writing ‘fan fiction.’ What Shamieh meant is that she creates stories to entertain herself, as a kind of wish fulfillment. Her plays — she has written 16 — have something of this quality too. In Malvolio, produced by the Classical Theatre of Harlem in 2023, she took the tragic fool of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night — who is tricked into thinking that the noble lady he serves, Olivia, is in love with him — and gave him a sequel that ends in marriage and triumph over his tormentors. Shamieh has rejiggered Palestinian characters in a similar spirit in other plays, making them irreverent and flawed instead of avatars of victimhood, carnal where they tend to be portrayed as saintly. In fan-fiction mode, she plays with genre, which gives her a structure to complicate. With Too Soon, she told me, ‘More than anything, I wanted to create a Palestinian American Sex and the City.’” [TheAtlantic]
Kuwait Conundrum: In The Times of Israel, Middle East Forum fellow Amine Ayoub condemns the arrest by Kuwaiti authorities of journalist Fajr Al-Saeed over her support for normalization with Israel, as he calls for diplomatic ties between the countries. “By aligning itself with Israel, Kuwait could play a constructive role in facilitating peace and cooperation in the Middle East, positioning itself as a forward-thinking, pragmatic actor in a region that has long been defined by its ideological divides. At the heart of Kuwait’s debate over normalization with Israel is the tension between pragmatic policies and ideological beliefs. The Muslim Brotherhood, through the ICM and the SRS, remains a powerful force in the country, often blocking attempts at reform or political change that would challenge their conservative vision. While the Brotherhood’s influence is undeniable, their opposition to normalization represents a broader ideological struggle that pits religious conservatism against economic pragmatism and geopolitical realities.” [TOI] | Don’t let a broken heater break the bank. Home repair costs have surged in recent years due to inflation and supply chain issues, making unexpected breakdowns a financial burden for homeowners. Fortunately, a home warranty could help cover the repair and replacement of your home appliances and systems for a reasonable monthly fee. Check out Money’s list of the Best Home Warranties and start protecting your essential appliances. VIEW LIST Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | In a farewell address at the State Department on Monday, President Joe Biden said he was leaving the incoming Trump administration with “a very strong hand to play”…
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