| | Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how some of President Donald Trump’s recent foreign policy moves align more closely with the Obama administration than with Trump’s own first term, and report on hostage envoy Adam Boehler’s efforts to conduct direct negotiations with Hamas. We also cover the Trump administration’s cutting of $400 million in federal funds to Columbia University, and report on Amazon World Services employees who are spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Rep. Don Bacon, Yuval Raphael and IDF Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.
Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | - We’re keeping an eye on cease-fire and hostage-release talks, with White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff slated to travel to Doha, Qatar — where discussions are restarting today — in the coming days for continued discussions. Over the weekend, Israel halted electricity to Gaza as it looked to increase pressure on Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages. More below on the status of the negotiations.
- President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney are expected to speak in the coming days following Carney’s election to lead Ottawa’s Liberal Party, succeeding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced in January that he was stepping aside.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Witkoff are heading to Saudi Arabia for Riyadh-brokered discussions with Ukrainian officials.
| For the first time, several leading conservative voices are warning about the growth of noxious antisemitism emanating from far-right fever swamps — and increasingly finding a receptive audience on podcasts and social media platforms, Jewish Insider Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar writes.
We reported last week about Joe Rogan platforming some of the most vile antisemitic conspiracy theorists and Holocaust deniers on his show, which is one of the most popular in the country. We broke the news about how the Trump administration’s new Pentagon deputy spokeswoman, Kingsley Wilson, is a prolific purveyor of neo-Nazi tropes and antisemitic bile.
And we’ve long been tracking the rise of antisemitism on the right, noting last summer that Republicans were tolerating the promotion of many of these extremist voices, most prominently talk show host Tucker Carlson, who received a prime-time speaking spot on the final day of the Republican National Convention.
There’s been only a little public pushback from Republicans against the growth of antisemitism on the far right — just as we witnessed far too little pushback from Democrats as pro-Hamas sentiment metastasized on campuses after Oct. 7.
Republican lawmakers who have been typically outspoken against the rise of antisemitism on the left had little to say about the Pentagon’s hiring of an unadulterated antisemite. Few spoke out when Carlson hosted a Holocaust denier on his show or when Candace Owens trafficked in antisemitic tropes and blood libel, all too content that they were only speaking for a tiny fringe.
But that fringe is growing, and in the no-holds-barred world of social media, is hard to contain. There’s a marketplace for extremism in a media ecosystem where winning a few thousand devoted supporters — with nutty but dangerous views — can be as lucrative as building a broader, mainstream audience. Many prominent conservatives are now noticing — and are alarmed.
Palantir founder Joe Lonsdale, a Trump supporter, wrote over the weekend in response to some of the antisemitic slurs circulating online: “For the first time in my lifetime, a lot of successful Jewish friends called me worried this week — names we all know — asking what is going to happen as these libels re-enter the mainstream, and are shared by millions.”
Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on X in reaction to anti-Israel tropes circulated by Carlson: “As a Christian, Judaism is the foundation of my faith. Israel provides more freedom and protection to Christians than Iran does even for Muslims—while it slaughters Christians… Those who assert moral equivalence between the US/ Israel and Assad/Khamenei should be ashamed.”
Hudson Institute senior fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs added: “Our Jewish friends and neighbors have millions and millions of allies who see this too. A threat to our Jewish neighbors is a threat to freedom and security for all of us.”
What’s even more concerning, as a tracker of public opinion, is that polls show that the highest levels of antisemitism are concentrated among the youngest Americans — on the left and on the right alike. Not only does that underscore the problems of social media and the failures of our educational system, but it also suggests antisemitism will only be getting worse in the coming years — at least without a concerted effort to turn things around.
The words of the late, revered Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, delivered during a 2018 House of Lords debate, ring true in this fraught moment: “Antisemitism, or any hate, becomes dangerous in any society when three things happen: when it moves from the fringes of politics to a mainstream party and its leadership; when the party sees that its popularity with the general public is not harmed thereby; and when those who stand up and protest are vilified and abused for doing so.” | familiar steps Trump’s latest Middle East moves taking page from Obama playbook  OLIVER CONTRERAS/SIPA USA VIA AP IMAGES President Donald Trump’s decision to negotiate directly with Hamas for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal, to keep Israel in the dark about elements of the secret back-channel conversations, and then write a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressing interest in negotiating a nuclear deal are being viewed warily by some pro-Israel leaders as a break from the president’s first-term toughness against the Islamic Republic, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Unlikely allies: But the unconventional moves, particularly the push for a nuclear deal, are being received favorably by an unlikely group — progressive foreign policy officials from the Obama and Biden administrations. The administration’s moves, which have drawn objections in private from the Israeli government and public concerns from pro-Israel conservatives, are reminiscent of former President Barack Obama’s unpopular efforts to reach a nuclear deal at all costs with the Islamic Republic, foregoing tougher sanctions and military pressure.
Read the full story here. talking about the talks Adam Boehler touts direct negotiations with Hamas, acknowledges Israel’s concerns  SCREENSHOT/FOX NEWS Adam Boehler, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, said on Sunday that recent direct talks between the U.S. and Hamas on continuing the cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Israel were “very productive.” Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Boehler said negotiators had “very productive talks” and that Hamas “provided some very interesting views,” Jewish Insider’s Danielle Cohen reports.
What they discussed: Boehler said, in addition to discussing the release of hostages, the parties “discussed what the end [of the war] might look like” and Hamas “did orient toward a long-term truce … where they would be disarmed, a truce where they would not be part of the political policy, and a truce where we would ensure that they are in a place where they can’t hurt Israel.”
Read the full story here.
The view from Jerusalem: Israel expressed concerns to the Trump administration after Boehler’s media blitz, Hebrew media outlets reported. The Trump administration reportedly responded that the talks with Hamas would not happen again – though Boehler told CNN: “You never know. Sometimes, you’re in the area and you drop by.” When Israeli Channel 13 reporter Neria Kraus asked Boehler about his reportedly "tough conversation” on the matter with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is leading the Israeli negotiating team, the Trump envoy chuckled and said, "I don't really care about that that much." Read more from JI’s Lahav Harkov here. campus consequences Trump administration slashes $400 million from Columbia University funding over campus antisemitism  MOSTAFA BASSIM/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES The Trump administration announced on Friday it will cut $400 million from Columbia University’s federal funding due to antisemitic demonstrations that have roiled the campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The announcement comes in the wake of the Trump administration saying it would conduct “a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities.” The review included a multiagency assessment of the federal government’s $51.4 million in contracts with Columbia University, citing the academic institution’s “ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students.”
Series of events: The cut announced on Friday, first reported by The Free Press, comes days after Trump posted on social media that “all Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests.” A Columbia University spokesperson told JI that the university is “reviewing the announcement from the federal agencies and pledge[s] to work with the federal government to restore Columbia’s federal funding.”
Read the full story here.
More news from Columbia: A Palestinian-American Columbia student who was a prominent activist in last year’s anti-Israel campus activity was arrested by federal immigration officials. speaking out Rep. Don Bacon says antisemitic Pentagon press secretary is ‘completely unacceptable’  BILL CLARK/CQ-ROLL CALL, INC VIA GETTY IMAGES Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) on Friday criticized the hiring of Kingsley Wilson, who has a lengthy history of sharing antisemitic conspiracy theories, as deputy press secretary at the Pentagon in a statement to Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod on Friday.
What he said: “Antisemitism and all forms of racism are completely unacceptable and have no place in the Pentagon or government,” Bacon, a new co-chair of the House antisemitism task force, said. “With the alarming rise in antisemitic rhetoric and attacks, we must firmly stand united with the Jewish communities here in the United States and around the world.” Bacon is now one of just a small number of Republicans who have publicly addressed the situation, with many telling JI this week that they were not familiar with the situation or not responding to requests for comment.
Read the full story here. wide lens Rep. Abe Hamadeh brings a unique perspective to conflicts in Syria, Middle East  ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES Freshman Rep. Abe Hamadeh’s (R-AZ) background — he is the child of Syrian immigrants with Druze, Kurdish and Muslim heritage, along with his experience as a former U.S. servicemember deployed to Saudi Arabia — gives the 33-year-old a unique perspective among members of Congress on the conflicts ongoing in the Middle East, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Speaking to JI last week, Hamadeh expressed strong support for Israel and its recent military moves inside Syria, which Israel has said aims to protect the Druze population in southern Syria.
On Israel and Syria: “I think it’s a really good path to protect not just the Druze in Syria, but also Israel’s security as well,” Hamadeh said. “I think Israel right now has a prime opportunity to be seen as protecting the minorities of the Middle East, like the Kurds, the Druze, and I think it establishes a lot of stability within that region.” Speaking to JI prior to the recent outbreak of violence that has killed hundreds of civilians, particularly from the Alawite minority community, Hamadeh said he wants the U.S. to keep an open line of communication with each of the actors in Syria, including the Kurds, the Druze and the new government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former leader of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham paramilitary group. “If we’re not talking, somebody else is. We have to at least have a line of communication” with al-Sharaa and others, Hamadeh said.
Read the full interview here. scoop Amazon workers equate release of ex-hostage Sasha Troufanov with terrorists’ release  ABDALLAH F.S. ALATTAR/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES Amazon workers spread conspiracy theories about Israeli control of American leaders and drew an equivalence between Palestinian terrorists and Sasha Troufanov, an employee of the company who was taken hostage by Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Oct. 7, 2023, and released last month, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov learned over the weekend.
Slack chat: In messages viewed by JI from an Amazon employee Slack channel called “#arabs,” one staffer wrote: "Yes Hamas will release 3 Israelis, one being Sasha, in exchange for 369 Palestinian hostages kept in Israeli dungeons." Over 40 employees sent emojis expressing approval. One responded: "Praying Israel doesn't re-kidnap them again after their long awaited release, as has been the case many times." An Israeli employee noted in the channel that the Palestinians the original poster referred to as "hostages" included Ahmed Barghouti, who was involved in several terrorist attacks in which 12 Israelis were murdered; Mantzur Sharim, who was involved in a mass shooting at an event hall in Hadera in which six Israelis were killed and 26 wounded; and Nael Obeid, convicted in connection to the 2003 Cafe Hillel bombing in which seven Israelis were murdered and 57 wounded. "Are you praying for these 'hostages’?" she wrote. According to an Amazon source, the Israeli employee's message was deleted by moderators soon after.
Read the full story here. | Top Cop, Heimische Roots: New York magazine profiles New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, as the city’s top law enforcement official manages the department as the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, finds himself with mounting legal and leadership challenges. “She and her family are close, but it’s her mother’s side — which included a rabbi and a Jewish community-center principal from the immigrant, working-class heimische era of the Lower East Side — where Jessica had her strongest bond. She was her maternal grandmother Sylvia Hiat’s favorite and vice versa. ‘I think perhaps a lot of my strength comes from having someone who was just so unconditionally focused on me,’ she says. When she decided to go into policing, Sylvia was the most supportive. When Jessica later became Sanitation commissioner, responsible for cleaning up the city after a snowstorm, Sylvia ‘would wake up every morning, four in the morning — she was in her 90s at this point — and pray to Hashem that it wouldn’t snow. Every day, 365 days a year, even in the summer,’ Tisch says.” [NYMag]
Trump World Order: The Wall Street Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov looks at the global implications of the Trump administration’s shift away from decades of traditional U.S. foreign policy. “In his first presidency, Trump openly questioned the value of alliances and free trade, while expressing admiration for authoritarian leaders and contempt for fellow democracies, particularly in Europe. But today, with virtually no opposition in Congress or within the administration, those impulses are pursued with unrestrained, and unmatched, vigor. There is also a new, much more destabilizing ingredient: predatory claims on foreign land, such as Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and even the Gaza Strip. ‘In his first term, Trump believed that America was played for a sucker. His response was retrenchment,’ said Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute think tank in Australia. ‘In his second term, the same conviction is pushing him outwards. Now Trump wants more protection money and more territory — and he is prepared to use coercion to get those things.’ Trump administration officials frequently refer to their policy in the Western Hemisphere as ‘Monroe Doctrine 2.0’ — a new incarnation of the 19th-century claim to dominate the Americas.” [WSJ]
Hamas at the Table: In the Jewish Telegraph Agency, retired IDF Gen. Noam Tibon argues in favor of negotiating with Hamas as a last resort to bring about the release of all the hostages held in Gaza. “If I found myself sitting across the table from one of the top leaders of Hamas, I don’t know if I would have been able to control my emotions and not try to kill him. On October 7th, when I drove from Tel Aviv to the Gaza border area, in order to save my family and their neighbors, I saw with my own eyes the cruelty, sadism, and hatred of this evil terror organization. But if someone had told me that by sitting across the table from these monsters, and negotiating with them instead of trying to kill them, I would increase the likelihood of releasing our hostages from the dark tunnels of Gaza, I would absolutely do it, without any hesitation. Not because I have any bit of sympathy for Hamas, but because after 17 months of war, it is time to put an end to the hostage crisis, and bring home all our people.” [JTA]
Kicking Up Some Dust: The Financial Times’ Brooke Masters interviews Boaz Weinstein following the Saba Capital founder’s effort to move into the U.K.’s investment sector. “By the time we dig into the lamb steak, the restaurant has grown noisy as the rest of the staff arrive and start setting up for dinner. Our conversation has also started ranging more widely, from his general political views — ‘slightly conservative but not on social issues’ — to how his status as the child of a Holocaust survivor affects the way he thinks about the Israel-Palestine conflict. He is critical of current prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu but sharply rejects those who see Israel as a coloniser. He was so disappointed by the candidates in last November’s presidential election that he did not vote at all, but now he says he welcomes Elon Musk’s current efforts to disrupt the way the US government does business. ‘I am so thankful that really smart people are kicking up a dust storm on government bureaucracy,’ he says.” [FT]
Lone Wolf: The Detroit Free Press’ Mitch Albom spotlights University of Michigan basketball player Danny Wolf, as the Wolverines enjoy a 22-8 run in the lead-up to the NCAA’s March Madness. “Wolf is not ‘accidentally’ Jewish, i.e. the non-practicing son of a mixed religious marriage, or someone Jewish by birth who can’t tell you where a synagogue is. Quite the contrary. Wolf, whose parents are both Jewish, attended a Solomon Schechter Jewish day school until fifth grade, where Hebrew and biblical lessons were part of the curriculum. He keeps kosher at home and on the road. … ‘The most beautiful thing about Judaism,” he says, ‘is the way it connects me with my family. It transcends other things and brings us together.’ Now let’s be honest. It’s common in sports to hear Christian athletes speak loudly of their faith, cite its influence, point to the heavens, credit Jesus before issuing postgame comments. But how often do you hear testimonials from a Jewish player? It’s not only rare, but in today’s climate of ever-growing antisemitism, it’s also brave. Wolf doesn’t look at it that way. He’s just being who he is.” [Freep] | Start Speaking a New Language in Just Three Weeks with Babbel. Start speaking a new language in just 3 weeks! Their expert-designed lessons, immersive podcasts, interactive games, and AI Conversation Partner make learning fun and fast. Don't wait—get 60% off your subscription during Babbel’s Countdown to Summer Sale and start speaking today! Save 60% and Start Speaking Today!
Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | The Trump administration’s halting of most foreign aid in January froze funding to two programs that assist international nuclear inspectors; the funding to one of the programs has since resumed…
Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Bill Keating (D-MA) introduced legislation to require the administration to determine whether to sanction the Houthis under additional sanctions laws and report to Congress on Houthi human rights violations and obstruction of humanitarian aid. It also condemns antisemitic indoctrination by the Houthis…
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) reintroduced legislation last week targeting universities that have failed to stem the surge of antisemitism taking place on college campuses, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports…
President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Hamtramck, Mich., Mayor Amer Ghalib to be ambassador to Kuwait; Ghalib had worked to boost support for Trump among Arab Americans in Michigan during the campaign…
Film director Brett Ratner is working on a documentary about the Abraham Accords, including interviews with Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman…
The Wall Street Journal does a deep dive into FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s efforts to secure a pardon from Trump; prior to the collapse of his company and his subsequent arrest, Bankman-Fried, who is serving a 25-year sentence for fraud, had been a major Democratic Party donor…
An anti-Israel referendum will not move forward in Pittsburgh’s upcoming elections after the measure’s organizers failed to secure enough signatures to appear on the ballot, ending weeks of legal tumult following pushback from the city’s Jewish community and city controller, who opposed the referendum…
A group of Syrian American Jews met with White House officials last week to push for the lifting of sanctions on Syria that they said was affecting efforts to restore the country’s historic Jewish sites…
Israel’s Defense Ministry said that it would allow Syrian Druze workers to enter the Golan Heights from Syria…
More than 1,000 people were killed in weekend attacks by Syrian forces targeting backers of the ousted Assad regime…
IDF Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin will succeed Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari as the army’s spokesman…
Recently released Israeli hostage Agam Berger, a musician, was gifted a violin whose original owner was a Czech Jewish man who was killed in the Holocaust…
A Turkish defense firm is reportedly supplying Sudan’s army with drones and missiles for use in the country’s ongoing civil war; the U.S. determined in January that a genocide was taking place in the African country…
Children’s book author Uri Shulevitz, who incorporated his experiences surviving the Holocaust as a child into his works, died at 89…
Voice actor George Lowe, who voiced the title character in the Cartoon Network's “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast,” died at 67… |  youtube Singer Yuval Raphael, Israel’s performer in this year’s Eurovision, released the music video for “New Day Will Rise,” Israel’s entry to the annual singing competition. |  Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Spotify Record producer, former co-president of Columbia Records and a co-founder of Def Jam Records, Frederick Jay ("Rick") Rubin turns 62...
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he played for the San Diego Chargers of the AFL and then for the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, Ron Mix turns 87... Long Beach, Calif., general surgeon, Leonard M. Lovitch, MD... Author and publisher of the Phoenix Scottsdale Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook, Michael Alan Ross... Senior cryogenics engineer at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, he is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, Lawrence Sobel... Founder and CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Pegasystems, Alan N. Trefler turns 69... CEO at two Israeli companies, Strategy3i Ltd. and Fluenzy, Jeffrey Kahn turns 67... Winner of four gymnastics medals (including one gold and one silver) in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, now in the reverse mortgage business in Sarasota, Fla., Mitch Gaylord turns 64... Peabody Award-winning financial journalist and market news analyst for CNBC and one of the co-hosts of its morning show "Squawk on the Street," David Faber turns 61... Former executive director the America Israel Friendship League, Wayne L. Firestone turns 61... Stage, screen and television actor, he is the son of novelist Norman Mailer, Stephen Mailer turns 59... Investigative reporter for The New York Times since 2000, Danny Hakim... Former White House official in the Clinton administration, she is now the first lady of Pennsylvania, Lori Shapiro turns 52... Co-founder of Twitter, and then Jelly which he headed from 2014 until its acquisition by Pinterest in 2017, Christopher Isaac "Biz" Stone turns 51... Real estate agent on Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing," Josh Altman turns 46... Former IDF officer, then a financial executive, Aliza Landes... Former deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. State Department, now executive director at The Vandenberg Coalition, Carrie Filipetti... Actor and director, Sawyer Avery Spielberg turns 33... Editor-at-large of Mishpacha Magazine, Binyamin Rose... | | | | | |
