| | Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Washington and report on the weekend release of three hostages, including American Keith Siegel. We also look at the Washington ties of Eyal Zamir, who takes over as IDF chief of staff next month, and report on the Republican Jewish Coalition’s notable backing of Elbridge Colby for a top Pentagon post. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sen. Lindsey Graham, Danielle Sassoon, Chuck Todd and Elliot Kaufman.
Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington today, having arrived in the U.S. last night. More below on the prime minister’s plans in D.C.
- Today is the date slated for talks to begin on the second phase of the cease-fire and hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas. More below.
- In Florida, the Orthodox Union is holding its inaugural attorneys conference in Fort Lauderdale this week. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) are speaking on a panel this morning about legislative approaches to combating antisemitism.
| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first trip to the U.S. since last summer could not look more different than his last trip in July 2024, Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss and Lahav Harkov write.
The threats from Iran’s proxies on Israel’s borders have been largely wiped out, with the heads of Hamas and Hezbollah having been eliminated by Israel and former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad living in exile in Russia. Beyond Israel's borders, the Houthis have largely halted their attacks amid the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu will be staying at the Blair House — marking his 14th stay at the building across from the White House, more than any other foreign leader — unlike in July, when he and the Israeli delegation stayed at the Watergate Hotel, and became a target for anti-Israel activists who released maggots and other critters in the complex.
There is also new leadership in Washington, where Netanyahu expects to be met with a friendlier reception than in July, when his trip was overshadowed by tensions with the Biden administration over the cease-fire and hostage-release talks that had been scuttled weeks prior, as well as the administration’s hold on shipments of 2,000-pound bombs.
Netanyahu’s gambit to wait out the Biden administration appears to have paid off. With the first phase of the cease-fire deal in place, Netanyahu will meet with President Donald Trump, senior congressional leaders and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. And the main topics of conversation are expected to be about channeling Israel’s military achievements in the war into a diplomatic win that may go beyond defeating Hamas and bringing home the hostages.
Netanyahu will start his meetings in Washington on the same day that talks aimed at solidifying the second phase of the three-phase agreement between Israel and Hamas are supposed to begin. Netanyahu’s first meeting today, with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, will be focused on the second phase of the agreement.
Sources tell JI that Netanyahu is likely to press for an extension of the first stage, which would mean the continued release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners without the IDF having to further withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Doing so would likely keep Netanyahu’s fragile coalition together in the short term — but it would also give Trump time to turn the cease-fire deal originally formulated by the Biden administration into a bigger and grander plan.
Hamas’ patrons in Doha are pressing for talks on the second phase to start imminently. Speaking at a press conference in the Qatari capital yesterday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called on Israel and Hamas to “immediately” resume negotiations on the second phase of the cease-fire.
The Qatari prime minister also said his country “maintains a firm and clear position against the displacement of the Palestinian people,” putting him at odds with the Trump administration. Doha’s position as mediator may be weakened by its refusal to consider Trump’s proposal, in addition to its continued patronage of Hamas. Ultimately, Doha, Jerusalem and Washington appear to be pushing different — and irreconcilable — ends to the war: Qatar is mediating a deal to keep Hamas alive, but Israel and the U.S. want Hamas dead.
Netanyahu said in a statement last night that later this week, Witkoff will talk to Al Thani and with senior representatives from Egypt. “After that, he will discuss with the prime minister [Netanyahu] steps to advance the negotiations, including dates for delegations to leave for the talks,” Netanayhu’s office said.
Trump has repeatedly called to temporarily remove large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza, and Israel is quietly supportive of the idea. Doing so could significantly weaken Hamas, eliminating its governing ability such that it would be possible for an alternative to be installed in the terrorist group’s place. The problem is that, so far, no one wants to take in large numbers of Gazans.
But that suggests another major topic for Netanyahu’s meetings this week: Israel-Saudi normalization. To be clear, that doesn’t mean Saudi Arabia would house Palestinians. But Riyadh wants a Palestinian element to any normalization deal, and talk about expanding the Abraham Accords and ending the war in Gaza are already overlapping.
When Netanyahu boarded the Wings of Zion prime ministerial plane on Sunday, he told the press assembled, “I believe that we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength." In their meeting in Washington this week, Netanyahu and Trump may be aiming for one grand bargain that does all three. | hostage release Keith Siegel, Ofer Kalderon, Yarden Bibas released from Hamas captivity  MAYAN TOAF/GPO Israelis Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas and Israeli-American Keith Siegel were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza on Saturday, 484 days after they were kidnapped during the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve reports. The men were transferred to the Red Cross and then to IDF forces who took them back to Israel as part of the first phase of hostage releases, as per the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The Bibas family: Bibas’ wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 2, remain in captivity. Israeli officials said the fates of Shiri and the children had not yet been confirmed, demanding earlier this week that Hamas clarify their statuses. They are also included in the first phase of releases being conducted over six weeks. Yarden Bibas’ family said in a statement following his release, “Yarden is home. A quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months. There are no words to describe the relief of holding Yarden in our hands, embracing him, and hearing his voice. Yarden has returned home, but the home remains incomplete. Yarden is a father who left his safe room to protect his family, bravely survived captivity, and returned to an unbearable reality.”
Read the full story here. seal of approval Republican Jewish Coalition backs Elbridge Colby for top Pentagon post  DOMINIC GWINN/MIDDLE EAST IMAGES /VIA AFP The Republican Jewish Coalition urged the “swift confirmation” of Elbridge Colby as undersecretary of defense for policy in the Trump administration, according to a new letter, even as he has faced scrutiny from pro-Israel conservatives over his dovish views on Iran and frequent calls to scale back U.S. involvement in the broader Middle East, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
What they said: In the letter, which was sent on Thursday to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, RJC leadership said it was “confident” Colby “will enact the strong pro-Israel policy of” President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, arguing the nominee “will be an asset to” the administration’s national security team.
Read the full story here. striking statement Sen. Lindsey Graham reiterates support for Israel striking Iran’s nuclear facilities  ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reiterated his hope that the United States would support Israel if it chooses to strike Iran’s nuclear program. Graham made the comments during a "Fox News Sunday" appearance after being asked about a resolution he introduced alongside Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) stating that “all options should be considered” with respect to addressing the nuclear program, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Decision time: “The Israelis are going to have to make a decision relatively soon [on] what to do about the Iran nuclear program,” Graham said. “I am here to tell you and the audience in the world that I think America should support an effort by Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian nuclear program because I think it's a threat to mankind. Israel is strong. Iran is weak. Hezbollah, Hamas have been decimated. They're not finished off, but they've been weakened. And there's an opportunity to hit the Iran nuclear program in a fashion I haven't seen in decades.”
Read the full story here. familiar face New IDF chief Eyal Zamir has Washington ties  THOMAS COEX/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES The Israeli government announced this weekend that Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, currently the director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, will succeed Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi as chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces in March, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Background: Zamir authored a report for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy in 2022 proposing a coordinated response between the U.S., Israel and Arab allies to counter Iranian aggression in the Middle East. Rob Satloff, the executive director of The Washington Institute, offered strong praise for Zamir, who was a Washington Institute visiting military fellow between 2021-2022. “The best description of General Zamir [is] he is a soldier’s soldier. Smart, instinctively insightful, doesn’t put on airs, no false modesty, no pretense,” Satloff said. “Having known and admired many of his predecessors, I am confident he will meet the unprecedented challenge faced by the IDF today.”
Read the full story here. widely welcomed Trump’s executive order combating antisemitism wins bipartisan praise from lawmakers  MANDEL NGAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who have been leaders on speaking out against antisemitism and advocating for Israel largely praised the Trump administration’s executive order on antisemitism, issued last week, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
What they’re saying: Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) told JI, “I’m thrilled to see clear-eyed, moral leadership has returned to the White House.” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) praised the order while emphasizing the need for due process protections — a concern shared by some Jewish groups. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) expressed strong agreement with the executive order and said, “A visa is not a right but a privilege, and that privilege, once abused, should be revoked.”
Read the full story here. | Jake’s Take: In an interview with the Financial Times’ Demetri Sevastopulo, former White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reflects on the Biden administration’s approach to foreign conflicts and challenges. “Sullivan thinks the regime in Tehran is weaker than at any time since the Iran-Iraq war, which ended in 1988. How does he expect Trump to handle the issue? ‘I predict a robust debate in this administration between an audacious diplomatic play and an audacious military play,’ he responds, prompting me to ask whether he thinks Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be tempted to launch a military strike. ‘Without personalising it to Netanyahu, I would say the senior leadership of Israel, both political and military as well as intelligence, will be sorely tempted to take advantage of this moment.’ I ask about Gaza and whether he believes the Biden administration had the right balance amid criticism that it did not put enough pressure on Netanyahu to stop the killing of civilians. ‘There was immense human suffering in Gaza, and so for me to sit here and say, “No, no, it all went great,” would display a total lack of human empathy. On the other hand, the idea of cutting weapons off from Israel when they were taking incoming from several fronts all at once . . . I’m not sure how I could have justified that. So, it’s hard. It’s probably the single biggest thing in the four years where only some level of perspective gained over time will allow me to fully judge what I thought we did right and what I thought we didn’t do right.’” [FT]
A Deal With the Devil: In The Free Press, Rabbi Gideon Black, who was injured in a 2002 Tel Aviv terror attack that killed his cousin, considers how the moral imperative to free the remaining 79 hostages squares with the emotional trauma of releasing Palestinian terrorists who killed Israelis. “These moments — of justice undermined and pain reignited — are devastating for victims of terror. It isn’t simply releasing our enemies that vexes us. Israeli society — and Jews around the world — find ourselves in an impossible ethical quagmire. We cannot leave our hostages in Gaza. We are morally and mystically connected to their well-being and dare not return to normal daily existence until they are free. We need to use every lever at our disposal — financial, diplomatic, military, and spiritual — to bring them home. … There is no simple answer. We dare not leave the hostages in Gaza. We dare not free the terrorists, and endanger our people for years to come; truly, a deal with the devil. We should not be having to make this decision in the first place: given the sea of enemies that surrounds Israel, its security apparatus simply cannot afford to have any blind spots. But woven into the anguish is a fundamental truth that will ultimately be our saving grace: We have an irrepressible bond with each and every Jew that transcends logic and reason. The hostages being held right now in Gaza are my family, and I will risk life and limb to bring them home.” [FreePress]
Expert Opinion: Air Mail’s Johanna Berkman interviews former U.N. Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu, whose contract was not renewed after she refused to label Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide. “‘It’s too much, the focus on Israel,’ Nderitu says, adding, ‘I really don’t think people care about Africans.... I went to Chad, and I met the refugees from Sudan, and they were telling me, Right now, nobody is paying attention to our country. If there is ever peace and the cameras go in, you will face the most shocking thing of the century, a genocide that was completely ignored.... The I.C.C., the I.C.J.: Where are you when it comes to Sudan? You are very efficient when it comes to Gaza.’ The secretary-general and his staff ‘have made every effort to bring to the attention of the world … the horrendous tragedy unfolding in Sudan — the only country in the world at present where famine has been officially declared — where civilians, including those who are starving, are being killed indiscriminately by the warring parties,’ says the U.N. spokesman. With the war in Gaza now apparently winding down, there is a ‘huge sense of expectation that the U.N. should play a key role in ending it,’ Nderitu says. ... Citing the transformative moment that took place in the Balkans back in 1995, she says, ‘In Bosnia-Herzegovina the parties also didn’t trust the U.N., and so it was an American, Richard Holbrooke, who ended up brokering the peace. We should be looking for more Richard Holbrookes.... We should stop relying too much on institutions.’” [AirMail]
Whither Syria?: In The Wall Street Journal, Jonathan Spyer raises concerns about Syria’s new leadership following a recent trip to the country. “The announcement formalizes the government that has existed since [Ahmed] Sharaa and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, made their remarkable march from Idlib to Damascus eight weeks ago. It appears to herald the foundation of a centralized Islamist government in Syria after 14 years of civil war. But not so fast. The new rulers’ declaration is belied by a complex reality on the ground. During a recent reporting trip to Syria, I saw a broken, divided country in which many armed factions are competing. Mr. Sharaa’s ‘presidency of the country’ is more aspiration than reality. … European and other Western officials traveling to Damascus to meet what they imagine to be the new government of Syria should bear in mind that the country remains divided. The Islamist organization controlling Damascus is only one of many groups vying for control in the region. The task it faces is consolidating its power. It’ll be up to the West to decide whether to support a new, centralized, authoritarian, Islamist Syria — or consider other options.” [WSJ] | The Season of Learning. Through award-winning lessons, addictive games, and more bonus content, you can start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel— just in time for fall adventure! Jewish Insider readers can use this exclusive link to get up to 55% off today! Get up to 55% off today!
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