Daily Kickoff
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2026
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at what the GOP midterm losses mean for Vice President JD Vance’s presidential ambitions and report on his X post attributing the losses to the Iran war and U.S.-Israel relationship. We spotlight Chuck Schumer as the Senate minority leader takes a victory lap after winning back control of the Senate and talk to Jewish leaders and officials in Michigan about their concerns regarding the community’s future in the Wolverine State following Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate win. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Phil Friedman, Nadav Shachmon and Sivan and Patrick Dumont.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with assists from Tamara Zieve, Lahav Harkov and Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
Today's Agenda
Join Jewish Insider today at 2 p.m. ET for a conversation with Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar and senior political correspondent Lahav Harkov breaking down the results of the U.S. midterms and Israel’s elections. This online event is open to JI’s premium subscribers. Upgrade your subscription today to join the conversation.
In Israel, President Isaac Herzog is spending the day meeting with representatives from the political parties that passed the threshold for inclusion in the next Knesset to receive their recommendations as to who should get the mandate to form a government.
United Torah Judaism, which recommended that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receive the mandate after the last several elections, did not recommend anyone to Herzog, in protest against the coalition not reinstating the Haredi exemption from IDF enlistment. The party’s abstention tips the scales in favor of Yashar head Gadi Eisenkot to be tasked with forming a government.
Opposition parties in the Knesset sent an official request today to hold a vote to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Netanyahu ally, immediately after the swearing-in of the new Knesset on Tuesday, with their candidate expected to be former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Ohana responded that he will hold a vote immediately after the opposition gathers 61 signatures, as required by the Knesset’s rules.
In Washington, Crooked Media’s Crooked Con begins today with speakers including Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Sarah McBride (D-DE), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN); Rep.-elect Melat Kiros from Colorado; Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; former State Department official Joel Rubin; and Democratic consultant Morris Katz.
In Los Angeles, former Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal and his brother, hostage advocate Gal Gilboa-Dalal, will appear at the Pico Union Project tonight for “Soundtrack to Survival,” an “MTV Unplugged”-style music and storytelling event focused on the brothers’ experiences during Guy’s captivity.
In Brooklyn, N.Y., Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick and former House Judiciary Committee staff director Amy Rutkin will sit in conversation at Park Slope’s Congregation Beth Elohim for a discussion about antisemitism and the U.S. elections.
Elsewhere in New York, the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries runs through the weekend.
One Thing to Know
In the immediate aftermath of a landslide election like Tuesday night's, there’s inevitably going to be a predictable flurry of overreaction.
But after examining the sheer scope of the Democratic victory, it’s worth considering the significant political implications the midterm results carry for Vice President JD Vance, whose path to the presidency in 2028 looks a whole lot cloudier after the GOP’s shellacking.
Vance is in the unenviable situation that a lot of vice presidents face — serving as the loyal No. 2 to the president, with limited ability to showcase much necessary independence, even when it’s politically necessary. Just look how former Vice President Kamala Harris was hamstrung by her relationship with unpopular and aging President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
But Vance is also impaired by his adherence to a compassionless conservatism that’s defined the second Trump term, to the GOP’s detriment. His low point in the campaign was when, against the impulse of many Republicans, he cheered on Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s ugly ad featuring Democratic Gov.-elect Amy Acton’s estranged mother trashing her own daughter. Ramaswamy lost in the red state by eight points, running notably behind Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who also lost his own election.
The Big Reads
BLAME GAME
Vance blames GOP’s dismal midterm performance on Iran war, U.S.-Israel relationship
Vice President JD Vance blamed Republicans’ poor performance in the midterm elections on the U.S. war in Iran, calling it “obvious to almost everyone,” as well as the current state of the U.S.-Israel relationship, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. The vice president said in a lengthy X post on Wednesday that a pollster, whom he described as “one of the smartest people I know in politics,” told him on Tuesday that some voters who supported President Donald Trump in 2024 “were angry and planning to vote for Democrats” due to four primary reasons: a desire to “end the war” in Iran, to “focus on cost of living/inflation,” to “put America First,” and to “change our relationship to Israel.”
Pushback: Former White House press secretary and Republican Jewish Coalition board member Ari Fleischer issued a scathing rebuttal to Vance's comments: "The problem was not the Iran War. It was the cease fire. If you start a war, you need to win it and finish it – otherwise don’t start it."
Blue Dogs of War
Democratic Senate sweep puts Schumer back in the saddle
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spent much of 2026 looking like a dead man walking — bleeding support from longtime Jewish backers for his endorsement of anti-Israel candidates, as left-wing figures circled over his seat and crowed about plans to strip him of influence in the party’s conference. But experts told Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman and Marc Rod that Tuesday’s midterm elections — which saw Democrats retake the Senate — revived and recharged the Empire State senior senator’s powers, and even resuscitated the once-remote chance he might seek reelection when his current term ends in 2029.
MICHIGAN POSTMORTEM
Some in Michigan Jewish community worried about future after El-Sayed victory
Prominent Jewish leaders and longtime Democratic donors in Michigan made a substantial push to prevent Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) from achieving victory on Tuesday. That effort failed — and now some say they’re grappling with questions over the community’s future in the Wolverine State, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Jewish Democratic leaders who opposed El-Sayed said they felt conflicted — excited about the Democratic gains across the board in Michigan and around the country yet disappointed about the results of the Senate race in their own backyard, and, in some cases, even afraid for their community’s safety.
The Rundown
The rest of today’s original stories from Jewish Insider — full stories, all published on the site.
MAJORITY RULES
Democratic sweep raises questions for U.S.-Israel ties and Iran war
SORE WINNER
Mehdi Hasan tells Jewish advocates, lawmakers to ‘cry more’ after El-Sayed victory
EXTREMIST EMBRACE
Florida voters elect Republican with neo-Nazi ties to state Legislature
DEEP BLUE WAVE
Far-left challenger ousts Rep. Jimmy Gomez, as other DSA allies lag in Dem-on-Dem races
NOT IN MY TOWN
Shapiro blasts antisemitic bike rally targeting Philly Jewish businesses
On Our Radar
● The Live Briefing. Word on the street, clips, podcasts and quick updates — the items we’re tracking all day in our Live Briefing on our app (on Apple and Android) and website.
Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) plans to trigger a vote next week to begin the process of impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which CNN reports could pass due to anger among GOP lawmakers over his push for the Iran war and inability to manage its political fallout.
The upcoming vote comes as President Donald Trump has reportedly been asking advisors whether Hegseth should remain in his position following Republicans’ midterm losses; asked if he’s thinking of replacing Hegseth, Trump told reporters on Wednesday, “No, I think he’s doing a very good job”...
The Treasury Department announced sanctions on an India-based maritime network accused of providing false vessel registrations and certifications to ships transporting sanctioned Iranian oil, including ones operating on behalf of Iran’s military and its proxies…
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) formally launched his bid for speaker of the House in a letter to Democratic colleagues following the party’s midterm election victory…
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan conceded to state Sen. Scott Wiener in California’s 11th Congressional District on Wednesday evening; Chan, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) preferred successor, had leaned into anti-Israel attacks on the campaign trail, while Wiener described the war in Gaza as a genocide amid intense left-wing pressure and antisemitic harassment…
Allies of Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) launched a draft campaign, led by former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and progressive strategist Nomiki Konst, to fundraise and lay the groundwork for the California Democrat’s potential 2028 presidential bid…
American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) announced this week that Phil Friedman, the CEO of Computer Generated Solutions, Inc., will serve as general chairman of Chanukah 250, Chabad’s initiative aimed at holding 250 menorah lightings in all 50 states during the holiday; the group also announced that the main event, the lighting of the National Menorah on the White House Ellipse, will take place on Dec. 6...
The Wall Street Journal spotlights the growing popularity of second-row seats to Knicks games as a less-pricey alternative to courtside seats, with season ticket-holder Andrew Murstein describing those who sit one row behind courtside as “people that could afford to have their own team”...
Sivan and Patrick Dumont, the daughter and son-in-law of Dr. Miriam Adelson, have taken a controlling stake in the Dallas Mavericks following their purchase last month of Adelson’s shares in the team…
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was again nominated as one of five contributors out of more than 40 candidates to the Pro Football Hall of Fame; a subcommittee of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee is set to meet in mid-November to vote to advance one contributor’s nomination…
Montgomery County, Md., Executive-elect Will Jawando tapped former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and former White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young to serve on his transition team…
The U.K.’s House of Lords passed 94-90 a “motion of regret” on Wednesday over Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new sanctions regime targeting West Bank settlements, with a cross-party group of peers warning the policy appears “singularly aimed at Israel”...
A new exhibition opening this week at London’s Wiener Holocaust Library, the oldest Holocaust archive in the world, spotlights France’s Dreyfus Affair, which the library’s co-director called the first case of antisemitism that had “gone viral”...
Australian education ministers endorsed the inclusion in new curricula of resources developed by the country’s antisemitism task force that focus on Jewish history, the contributions of Australian Jews to society and antisemitism…
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a defense cooperation agreement during Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh on Wednesday, during which he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman…
The Wall Street Journal reports that after Saudi Arabia reached out to the Iran-backed Houthis to explore a negotiated halt to hostilities, the group demanded $51 billion and that the Gulf kingdom officially recognize the Houthis as the rulers of Yemen…
Yemen’s interior minister alleged that nearly two dozen officials from Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were supplying assistance and training to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, and had recently begun to expand into directing Houthi military operations…
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned Hezbollah against pulling the country into another regional war, saying he was renewing “my warning of the dangers of dragging Lebanon into a new senseless adventure in service of outside interests”...
Nadav Shachmon is joining JCC Association of North America as the group’s senior vice president and director general of its Center for Israel Engagement…
Rabbi Capers Funnye, the first Black member of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and a cousin of former First Lady Michelle Obama, died at 74…
JI Live Briefing · Free preview
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Resist Impeachment: In The Wall Street Journal, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) considers how Democrats can push forward a successful agenda in Washington over the next two years, adding that he opposes potential efforts to impeach President Donald Trump. “Finally, we must scrutinize the administration’s decisions on spending, healthcare, energy and national security, especially the wars in Iran and Ukraine, and develop a clear plan to replenish munitions and ensure readiness. … Some Democrats will demand a third impeachment of Mr. Trump. That would become another partisan spectacle, drowning out the issues voters elected us to address.” [WSJ]
Sinking Strategy: The New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman report on the Trump administration’s electoral losses this week, indications of which were evident during a midterm strategy session a week ahead of Election Day. “For roughly 30 minutes, the call ran on gallows humor: funeral arrangements, prison food, presidential pardons, even a brief riff on fleeing the country. ‘At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us,’ Mr. Blair said sarcastically of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country had voted the day before. … ‘Maybe we could get asylum in Israel,’ Mr. Fabrizio said.” [NYTimes]
Shapiro Rising: The Washington Post’s Tim Craig examines what Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Election Day victories — his own reelection, as well as flipping the state Senate and several congressional districts by candidates he personally recruited — mean for his 2028 presidential odds. “Shapiro’s successes on Tuesday offer a window into a politician who has developed a reputation for being a pragmatic, moderate focused on ‘getting [expletive] done,’ as his campaign motto put it. He has tried to position himself as a champion for lowering political rhetoric ever since a man approached the governor’s mansion last year and set it ablaze as Shapiro and his family were sleeping after a Passover dinner.” [WashPost]
Picture of the Day
Bob Dylan, nΓ© Robert Allen Zimmerman, had a private audience with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday at the Vatican. Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images
Birthdays
Art Garfunkel, singer, poet and actor, best known as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, turns 85
EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE RECORDING ACADEMY
Richard Ziman, co-founder and former chairman of Rexford Industrial Realty, turns 84
Jeffrey Lyons, television and film critic, turns 82
Bernard-Henri LΓ©vy, French public intellectual, media personality and author, turns 78
Jeffrey Sachs, economist and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, turns 72
Daniela Yaniv-Richter, Israeli ceramic artist and sculptor, turns 70
Sara Netanyahu, psychologist and wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, turns 68
Diane Eidman, director at The Gottesman Fund
Kevon Glickman, music producer and entertainment attorney
Yair Lapid, former prime minister of Israel, turns 63
Michael Schmidt, former regional director of AJC New York, now CEO at Healthcare Foundation of NJ
Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare and senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, turns 57
Dana Jacobson, sports anchor and correspondent, turns 55
Keath Blatt, founding executive director of the Jewish Action Coalition
Orli Shaham, Jerusalem-born pianist, she has performed with major orchestras worldwide, turns 51
Max Eden, director of federal education policy at America First Policy Institute, turns 38
Tara Khoshbin, co-founder of Los Angeles-based Aesthetics and Edits
Jacob Shamsian, features and investigations correspondent at Business Insider
Yuval Raphael, Israeli singer and survivor of the Nova Music Festival, she won second place in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, turns 26
Talia Katz, policy advisor to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA)
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