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Good Monday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we preview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump that is slated for this evening, and talk to former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is mounting a Senate bid in Michigan, about the Trump administration’s approach to Iran. We also interview the chancellors of Washington University and Vanderbilt about their approaches to antisemitism and anti-Israel activity on campus, and look at the regional effects of the deepening relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sen. Jim Risch, Yoram Hazony and Dennis Ross.

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When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits down with President Donald Trump today, one question will be on observers’ minds: What will each walk away with?

Netanyahu appeared to come away empty-handed from his April meeting in Washington, after the U.S. imposed tariffs on Israel, among other countries. Weeks later, Trump skipped Israel on his first trip abroad, while visiting three other countries in the region. 

Few knew at the time about Netanyahu’s plans to take on Iran. Following last month’s joint U.S.-Israel military effort to degrade Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure, relations between the two leaders have improved to such a degree that last week Trump called twice for an end to the legal proceedings against Netanyahu. A post-strikes-on-Iran victory lap is top of the public agenda for Netanyahu’s White House visit today, while Trump’s other goals, as they relate to Israel, remain works in progress.

The White House wants to wind down the war in Gaza, as Trump has said many times in recent months. After the American bunker busters dealt Iran the final punch that Israel pushed for, the president has newly gained leverage to push Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza — a move the Netanyahu government has thus far resisted until it has achieved its goal of “total victory” against Hamas. Trump told reporters on Sunday night that “there's a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week pertaining to quite a few of the hostages.”

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Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), making his second bid for Michigan’s Senate seat, is leaning into his support for the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear program on the campaign trail, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Iran angle: Rogers emphasized, in an interview with JI last week, that he has long been suspicious and concerned about Iran’s nuclear program and other malign activities dating back to his time as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in the early 2010s, when he had access to highly classified information. “I couldn’t have supported [the operation] more,” Rogers, who served in the House from 2001 to 2015, said. “I was for all of this when it wasn’t very cool to be for all of this. The former lawmaker said he believes that Iran was much closer to a nuclear weapon than many believe, noting that its development of advanced supercomputers would likely have allowed it to reliably simulate a nuclear weapons test, an undetectable alternative to actually testing a nuclear bomb.

Read the full story here.

Bonus: Rogers’ Senate campaign recently named a conservative influencer with an extensive history of anti-Israel posts as county chair for his campaign in five counties — but Rogers distanced himself from the volunteer’s views on the Middle East in an interview with Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod.

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Many universities are still navigating the post-Oct. 7 maelstrom, trying to handle competing concerns from students, parents, alumni and faculty — all while facing civil rights investigations by the federal government. In March, Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote a letter to 60 schools under investigation for antisemitic discrimination, including Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, Stanford and Princeton. Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis were not on the list. That presents an opening for them to reach Jewish students with concerns about what they’re seeing elsewhere, particularly as the Jewish student populations at many top universities have shrunk. Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and WashU Chancellor Andrew D. Martin talked to Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch about why they’re pushing back against “creeping politicization” on college campuses.

Political play: The two university leaders have joined together in something of an informal pact — a joint effort to promote principled leadership in higher education, presenting their two schools as a refreshing counterweight to the dysfunction plaguing higher-ranked competitors like Harvard and Columbia. Martin and Diermeier see themselves and their institutions as the stewards of a forward-looking case for higher education at a time when the institution is under attack, both from Washington and from Americans, whose trust in higher education has plummeted. It’s not just about values: It’s a savvy political move. After all, both Vanderbilt and WashU would be in trouble if federal research dollars stopped flowing to the schools, or if President Donald Trump made the call that they could not admit international students, as is the case with Harvard. 

Read the full story here.

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Following the Israel-Iran ceasefire and amid questions about the extent of the damage Israel and the U.S. inflicted on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, an important piece of news flew under the radar: Azerbaijan's national energy company, SOCAR, finalized its purchase of a 10% stake in Israel's Tamar gas field. The deal and its timing amid hesitation from other countries that have considered investing in Israel, reflect a growing strategic partnership between Jerusalem and Baku — one that has garnered increasing pressure from Iran toward Azerbaijan, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.

Details: The day after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran was announced toward the end of last month, Union Energy, owned by Israeli businessman Aharon Frenkel, received the final approval from Israel's Petroleum Council and Competition Authority to sell half its shares of the gas field in the Mediterranean, which provides 60-70% of Israel's electricity each year, to Azerbaijan's SOCAR. Chevron owns 25% of the Tamar field and the UAE's Mubadala sovereign wealth fund owns an 11% stake. Azerbaijan supplies as much as two-thirds of Israel's oil, and Israel was the largest supplier of arms to Azerbaijan from 2016-2020. Israel continued to sell drones and missiles to Baku during its war with Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020, as well as satellites and a missile-interception system in 2023, during another war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. 

Read the full story here.

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Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris urged the U.S. to end the war in Gaza at the American Embassy in Dublin's Fourth of July party, days after the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), warned that the U.S. may reconsider its economic ties with "antisemitic" Ireland. Harris, who is also Ireland's deputy prime minister and defense minister, began his speech by focusing on the close relationship between the U.S. and Ireland, according to Dublin-based The Journal, before pivoting to the war in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. Harris said at the event on Thursday that his country "want[s] the bombs to stop, the killing to stop … because the cry of a child is the same in any language.” 

U.S.-Ireland tensions: “It compels us to provide comfort and protection from harm. As human beings in positions of power, we can no longer bear the heartbreaking cries of the children of the Middle East," Harris added. “And I join, I know, with everyone here in urging everybody involved to support and engage in efforts underway to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement, to redouble those efforts and to end the violence once and for all." U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh did not applaud the remarks, The Journal reported. Harris has previously called Israel's war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza a "genocide." Earlier last week, Risch posted on X that "Ireland, while often a valuable U.S. partner, is on a hateful, antisemitic path that will only lead to self-inflicted economic suffering." The post came after Harris introduced legislation to ban trade with Israelis operating in the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem. 

Read the full story here.

Tragedy in Tamra: In The Wall Street Journal, Fania Oz-Salzberger reflects on how the death of her student, an Israeli-Arab woman whose home was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile, underscores the ways in which the Israeli government has fallen short in protecting citizens. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked Iranian nuclear and military sites to defend the country — rightly, in my view. But the current Israeli government has failed in multiple ways to defend its citizens, both Jewish and Arab. … The Khatib family was killed by Iran, and they represent the exact opposite of the ayatollahs’ regime. They are democrats, moderates — crucial partners in any future Israeli society that might emerge from the current ruins and smoke.” [WSJ]

China First: In The Free Press, Yoram Hazony posits that President Donald Trump is guided by a doctrine that prioritizes alliances with regional powers and stunting China’s global ambitions. “According to the Trump Doctrine, America’s role in such a world is focused on countering China and on rebuilding itself at home. Beyond that, America will be interested in alliances with powerful, independent nation-states that can take care of themselves and their regions, coordinate with each other where beneficial, and look to America to supplement their strategic capabilities where necessary.” [FreePress]

Bibi Still Needs a ‘Day-After’ Plan: In The Washington Post, Dennis Ross suggests that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will need to end the war in Gaza and present a viable plan for the enclave’s future in order to cement his own legacy. “Almost a decade and a half later, Netanyahu has now acted on what he considered to be his primary mission as prime minister. He has done so after the Israeli military, on his watch, transformed the regional balance of power by devastating Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran’s most formidable regional proxies, with the Assad regime in Syria collapsing soon thereafter. But these admittedly breathtaking decisions will not automatically vault Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s founder in the history books. To surpass [founding father David] Ben-Gurion, Netanyahu will need to take these great military achievements and turn them into enduring political outcomes.” [WashPost]

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The Wall Street Journal reports on a letter from a group of sheikhs from the West Bank city of Hebron to Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat calling for “cooperation” and “coexistence” with Israel as well as the city’s break from the Palestinian Authority in an effort to bolster ties with the Jewish state…

The Financial Times looks at initial plans for a “Trump Rivera" in Gaza that included the creation of “MBS Ring” and “MBZ Central” highways named after the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as an “Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone” for electronic vehicle production along the Israel-Gaza border…

Nvidia is planning to expand its footprint in Israel as it looks to build a high-tech campus in the country with building rights up to to 180,000 square meters…

Columbia University is continuing negotiations with the Trump administration to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding and grants; recent conversations have not included discussion of a “consent decree” that had previously been considered, under which a federal judge would have oversight of the school’s compliance with the terms of a potential agreement…

The New York Times reports that New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani identified as “Asian” and “Black or African American” on his application to Columbia University; the Queens assemblyman, who was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, told the Times last week he “did not consider himself either Black or African American”...

Victoria, Australia, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the creation of a new anti-hate task force following the weekend firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue and the vandalism of an eatery in the city owned by Shahar Segal, a spokesperson for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to apply the “full force” of the law against “those responsible for these shocking acts”…

Former U.K. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he is in “ongoing” discussions about the creation of a new political party, a day after MP Zarah Sultana announced that she was leaving Labour to form a new party with Corbyn…

The New York Times looks at an ongoing effort to locate and return a Stradivarius violin to the descendants of the Jewish family who had owned the violin until it was looted near the end of World War II…

The Bank of Israel will hold its interest rates at 4.5% for the 12th consecutive time, amid the shekel’s rally following last month’s ceasefire between Israel and Iran…

The Washington Post looks at efforts by members of the Syrian Jewish diaspora to restore sites and rebuild connections inside Syria, whose Jewish population was just six people by the end of the Assad regime…

The Guardian reports on Israeli court documents that detail Iranian efforts to recruit spies inside Israel…

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors left Iran, days after Tehran suspended cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog…

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance since last month’s war between Israel and Iran…

Hezbollah head Naim Kassem, speaking outside Beirut during an event marking the Shiite Muslim holiday of Ashura, doubled down on the terror group’s refusal to cease fighting until Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon…

Israel carried out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend, the first attacks on the Iran-backed terror group since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last month…

The crew of a Liberian-flagged commercial vessel transiting through the Red Sea abandoned ship following an attack believed to have come from the Houthis in Yemen…

Broadway executive Paul Libin, who for many years ran Circle in the Square Theater, died at 94…

HOSTAGES FAMILIES FORUM

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid a wreath earlier today at the Paneriai Holocaust Memorial in Vilnius, Lithuania.

JOEL SAGET/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Cardiologist and former president of CRIF, the umbrella organization of French Jews, Richard Prasquier turns 80...

Retired president of The Seeing Eye, the world’s premier guide dog school for the blind, Kenneth Rosenthal turns 87... Early collaborator on object-oriented computer programming in the 1970s, Adele Goldberg turns 80... Michigan-based real estate developer, he served as U.S. ambassador to Slovakia during the Bush 43 administration, Ronald N. Weiser turns 80... Board member of the Israel Policy Forum, he spent 27 years as a bankruptcy attorney at Cooley LLP, Lawrence C. Gottlieb turns 78... Israeli businessman with vast holdings in energy (Delek Group) and real estate (El-Ad Group), Yitzhak Tshuva turns 77... Former president of Hebrew University and a past member of the Knesset, Menachem Ben-Sasson turns 74... Co-founder and CEO of the biotechnology company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Leonard Steven Schleifer turns 73... Pioneer of Israeli punk rock, nicknamed "HaMeshuga," Rami Fortis turns 71... USAID official for 28 years until 2008, he now consults internationally on Rule of Law issues, Richard Gold... President of The Lapin Group, Avrum Lapin... Rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion located in Alon Shvut, Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein turns 64... Academy Award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer, Akiva Goldsman turns 63... President of the United Synagogue of the U.K., Michael Howard Goldstein turns 62... President and CEO of HIAS since 2013, he first joined HIAS in 1989 as a caseworker in Rome, Mark Hetfield turns 58... Comic book creator and a cappella singer, he published the Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel, Jordan B. Gorfinkel turns 58... Chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, David Jeremiah Barron turns 58... Television and film actress, Robin Weigert turns 56... Azerbaijani-born businessman, he is a VP of the Russian Jewish Congress and the president of the International Charity Foundation of Mountain Jews, German Zakharyayev turns 54... Communications director for the Democratic Majority for Israel since 2019, Rachel Rosen... Consultant and project manager for nonprofits, Amy Handman... Head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team that won the NCAA national championship last season, Todd Raymond Golden turns 40... WNBA player in her 13th season, she has also played on Israeli teams for six seasons, Alysha Angelica Clark turns 38... Ethiopian-born Israeli actress, Netsanet Mekonnen turns 37... Prime Video analytics expert on “Thursday Night Football,” Sam Schwartzstein turns 36... Olympic sports sailor, she competed for Israel in both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, Gil Cohen turns 33... Originally a figure skater and later a pairs skater, now a skating coach, Megan Wessenberg turns 27... Shalom Klein… U.S. editor at Jewish Insider, Danielle Cohen…