Read the online version of the Daily Kickoff 

Good Wednesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report the latest on the Israeli strike targeting senior Hamas officials in Doha, and look at how Capitol Hill is responding to the operation. We report on Texas state Rep. James Talarico’s criticism of Israel following the launch of his Senate campaign, and talk to friends of Israeli hostages Gal and Ziv Berman, who are marking the twins’ second birthday in Hamas captivity. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Elizabeth Tsurkov, Scarlett Johansson and Amb. Mark Wallace.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Marc Rod and Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.

Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇

🔓 Still reading JI like you always have?
You’ll continue getting the Daily Kickoff — no changes there.
But to read articles on our website, you’ll now need a free login.
👉 Set up your login »

Nearly a day after an Israeli airstrike targeted a meeting of high-level Hamas officials in Doha, Qatar, there are more questions than answers, both in Jerusalem and Washington. Israel has not confirmed which officials were killed in the strike, while Hamas has said that five officials from the group, including the son of Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, were killed in addition to a member of the Qatari security forces. 

Israeli reports earlier today indicate that the strike did not kill the most senior echelon of the terror group, which for years has been based in Qatar, a U.S. ally.

Amid ongoing uncertainty over the success of the strike, the operation was met with rare condemnation from the White House, first from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and then from President Donald Trump himself, who said he “was very unhappy about it, very unhappy about every aspect” — perhaps, in part, because the operation is not believed to have taken out the most senior Hamas officials.

But it was Trump himself who said over the weekend on his Truth Social site that he had “warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting” the ceasefire and hostage-release deal that had been put forward by the U.S.

At the same time that Trump officials, including the president, were criticizing the operation, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was embracing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the U.S. Embassy’s belated Independence Day celebration in Jerusalem, where the prime minister addressed a smaller group of VIPs attending the party.

Read the rest of 'What You Should Know' here.

Upgrade now and get access to our new Daily Overtime afternoon briefing — available only to premium subscribers.

A partisan divide quickly emerged Tuesday over the Israeli strike on Hamas leadership in Qatar, with senior Republican lawmakers expressing support for the attack, while top Democrats criticized it, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What they’re saying: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told JI, “I support it.” He continued, “I think Hamas has got to be destroyed, and there’s no sense in doing half measures.” But Wicker’s Democratic counterpart, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), called the strike “extremely disruptive, provocative and dangerous” and a “great strategic mistake.” He praised Qatar as “a strong ally of the United States” and argued that the strike, which targeted Hamas leaders who were part of negotiations with the U.S. and Israel, showed that Israel is not serious about reaching a ceasefire deal.

Read the full story here.

The Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar is dividing the White House, which strongly criticized Israel for attacking Qatari territory, and Senate Republicans, who have been overwhelmingly supportive of the Israeli action, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.

Divisions: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), asked about the White House statement on the attack, told JI, “I understand we have troops there, but my focus is Israel. Hamas has had every chance. … Lay down your weapons, release the hostages — you live. If you don’t — it keeps going.” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), the most outspoken supporter of Qatar among Senate Republicans, stood alone in offering a full-throated criticism of the Israeli strike.

Read the full story here.

Breaking rank: Breaking with many of his Senate Democratic colleagues, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sounded a supportive note on the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar on Tuesday. “I strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas,” Blumenthal told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod. “I want to know more about the details of this particular strike — I’m learning about it in real time and anything done to destroy Hamas’ leadership or its terrorist capability or military capacity is a step in the right direction.”

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher at Princeton University, was released by an Iranian-backed terrorist group in Iraq to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

What he said: “I am pleased to report that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton Student, whose sister is an American Citizen, was just released by Kata’ib Hezbollah (MILITANT Hezbollah), and is now safely in the American Embassy in Iraq after being tortured for many months,” Trump said on Truth Social. “I will always fight for JUSTICE, and never give up. HAMAS, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, NOW!”

Read the full story here.

James Talarico, a Democratic state representative in Texas seen as a rising star in his party, launched a campaign for Senate on Tuesday, joining a crowded primary to claim the seat held by veteran Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The 36-year-old former public school teacher, who has studied to become a Presbyterian minister, has drawn national attention for openly embracing his Christian faith to connect with voters. In his launch video, he referred to Jesus, invoking him as “a barefoot rabbi who gave two commandments: love God and love neighbor,” Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.

Israel approach: Talarico, who is calling for a generational shake-up in a party he sees as largely out of touch with voter concerns, until this week had no apparent record of public commentary on Middle East policy, a subject that is likely to stir debate in the upcoming election cycle amid Democratic divisions over Israel’s war in Gaza. In interviews published on Tuesday, he indicated that he would adopt a more critical approach to Israel, calling the war a “moral disaster” that his party has failed to address. “One of the primary reasons that the Democratic Party lost young voters in particular last election was our party’s failure to recognize the moral disaster in Gaza, and I hope that we have leaders who recognize that mistake,” he said in comments to Punchbowl News that were echoed in an interview with The Washington Post.

Read the full story here.

Much of the antisemitism on college campuses is fueled by faculty and staff — both on campus and within professional academic organizations — according to a survey released on Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League and the Academic Engagement Network. Seventy-three percent of the 209 Jewish faculty members polled from universities around the U.S. reported observing antisemitic activities or statements from faculty, administrators or staff on campuses, including calls to boycott Israel and doxxing campaigns. Forty-four percent said they were aware of an organized Faculty for Justice in Palestine chapter on their campus, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Testimony: “My chair is pro-Hamas (explicitly so) and has turned our department into an encampment, full of ‘river to the sea’ slogans and propaganda,” an anonymous faculty member shared in the survey. “When I and a few other Jewish faculty objected, the chair organized about 50 people to verbally attack us, including one who told me that we had all the money and power. Consequently, my department is a hostile work environment, and I can no longer attend events or participate in departmental life there.”

Read the full story here.

As Israeli twins Ziv and Gali Berman mark their 28th birthday in captivity on Wednesday — their second since being kidnapped to Gaza from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Hamas-led terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 — their close-knit group of friends is quietly commemorating the day while continuing their public campaign for the brothers’ release. Known to their loved ones as inseparable, Ziv and Gali are not only the best of friends but also deeply connected to — and the center of — their childhood circle in Kfar Aza. Ziv, the more quiet and reserved twin, and also the funny one, and Gali, the loud, extroverted and charming one, complement one another and gravitate toward each other, friends say. But testimonies from released hostages suggest that the two have been separated from each other while in captivity, Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve reports.

Friends reflect: Their birthday, said Inbar Rosenfeld, a lifelong friend of the twins, “makes us stop for a moment and remember, and get a sense of the time that they haven’t been here — and this is the second birthday [in captivity.]” Rosenfeld told JI on Tuesday, “It’s crazy, it’s tough — we never thought we would get to this situation.” Ido Felus, another close friend of the twins from Kfar Aza, said that their second birthday in captivity fills him with a mix of pain and perseverance. “I am sure they are coming back, I have no doubt of that,” Felus told JI.

Read the full story here.

Another birthday in captivity: Another Israeli hostage, Yosef Haim Ohana, is also marking his second birthday, his 25th, in captivity in Gaza today. Ohana was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 after he chose to stay and help the wounded instead of fleeing. “On your 25th birthday, we gather not to celebrate, but to remember, to pray, and to amplify your voice until you come home. Let us surround Yosef with love, with faith, and demand: bring them all home now,” his father, Avi Ohana, said in a message.

Empty Gestures: The New York Times’ Bret Stephens considers the ramifications of the “gesture politics” that politicians and activists engage in around the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “What, then, do these gestures accomplish? The legitimate needs of the Palestinian people are these: an end to this war; an end to being dragged into future wars by Hamas; an end to the chronic misgovernance of the Palestinian Authority; the establishment of a self-governing political order that improves the lives of Palestinians without endangering the lives of Israelis; the eventual creation, under conditions of mutual trust, of a Palestinian state. Immediate recognition of such a state advances none of this. It is the proverbial cart before the horse. France and its fellow travelers aren’t aiming to do much to help actual Palestinians. Mainly, they seek to congratulate themselves. Countries achieve irrelevance when moral onanism takes the place of serious policy as the principal instrument of national policy.” [NYTimes]

Bullish Economy: In The Wall Street Journal, Nimrod Sapir considers why Israel’s economy has “defied expectations and displayed remarkable resilience” over nearly two years of war and growing international isolation. “Demographics further bolster Israel’s prospects: a growing, youthful labor force. Israel has the highest population growth rate among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, and that growth goes far beyond the Haredi and Arab sectors. Surging global demand for Israeli defense systems likewise strengthens the export base and opens new markets. Israel’s military achievements — particularly in neutralizing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and diminishing threats from its proxies — are reshaping the geopolitical landscape. For the first time in decades, investors can anticipate a gradual easing of geopolitical risks that have long weighed heavily on Israel’s economic potential.” [WSJ]

New Stage of War: The Free Press' Jay Solomon spotlights Qatar's years of engaging in "one of the Middle East’s most dangerous games of double-dealing" by hosting Hamas officials as it benefits from its allyship with Western nations. "Israel’s attack on Qatari soil, and the U.S.’s connivance, marks the crossing of another boundary in the Jewish state’s two-year war with Hamas, sparked by the October 7 attack. ... Israel’s attack inside Qatar may open a new chapter of direct conflict between Netanyahu’s government and the Al Thanis, though likely not involving their militaries. Qatar is one of the world’s richest nations per capita and possesses vast resources to challenge the legitimacy of the state of Israel through Doha’s global media operations, including the Al Jazeera television network and support for international bodies like the United Nations and the International Criminal Court." [FreePress]

Articles on our site now require a free login.
It’s fast, easy — and unlocks access to our website.

Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) wrapped up a bipartisan delegation to Italy, Tunisia and Morocco…

Democrat James Walkinshaw is won the special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, succeeding Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who died earlier this year and for whom Walkinshaw served as chief of staff until 2019…

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is slated to travel to the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly later this month; al-Sharaa, who will speak to the gathering on Sept. 24, is expected to meet with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the annual confab…

Northwestern University announced the hiring of Henry Bienen to succeed outgoing President Michael Schill; Bienen previously led the school from 1995-2009, during which time he spearheaded the launch of Northwestern’s campus in Qatar…

The FBI is investigating threats made to several Pittsburgh-area Jewish organizations, including the Tree of Life… 

Police in Oregon are searching for an individual who spray-painted swastikas on the Oregon Jewish Holocaust Museum earlier this summer…

Actress Scarlett Johansson said she intentionally cast Holocaust survivors in “Eleanor the Great,” her directorial debut, about an elderly American Jewish woman who assumes the childhood storyline of a deceased friend who had survived the Holocaust…

United Against Nuclear Iran CEO Mark Wallace sent a letter to the head of the U.S.-based Marriott International, inquiring about the hotel chain’s hosting of Hamas officials at the Ritz Carlton in Doha, Qatar…

The Wall Street Journal reports that Turkey and Egypt warned Hamas officials abroad in recent weeks to tighten security measures around their meetings…

Spain banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, amid rising tensions between Jerusalem and Madrid over the war in Gaza and a Spanish arms embargo on Israel…

Former National Security Council staffer Oliver North quietly married his former secretary, Fawn Hall, nearly four decades after the Iran-Contra affair both were involved in…

The son of a British couple detained since January in Iran said his parents’ situation is “dire” following their meeting with the British ambassador in Tehran…

The International Atomic Energy Agency reached an agreement with Iran to resume inspections of the country’s nuclear facilities, three months after cooperation ceased amid the 12-day Israel-Iran war…

Zachary Isakowitz, who previously worked at the Semiconductor Industry Association as head of government affairs and at the Treasury, is joining Nvidia as a director of government affairs.

MELISSA WEISS

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (on guitar) and Paul Singer (on keyboard) jammed out to Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” at the embassy’s belated Independence Day celebration last night at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem.

ARCHIVIO ELENA DI VINCENZO/MONDADORI PORTFOLIO VIA GETTY IMAGES

Writer, columnist and author of four New York Times bestsellers, Amity Ruth Shlaes turns 65...

Chairman of Shamrock Holdings, Roy Disney's private investment company, Stanley Gold turns 83... Retired realtor in Southern California, Dianne Varon... Former EVP and general counsel at Chicago's futures broker Rosenthal Collins Group, Gerald Fishman... Past president of Congregation Ahavas Israel in Passaic, N.J., Howard Penner... Retired coordinator at Truman Heartland Community Foundation, she had been a Hebrew teacher at Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kan., Henri Goettel... Houston attorney, and Republican Party activist, Gary M. Polland turns 75... Denver attorney and politician, he served in the Colorado House of Representatives for eight years, Joel Judd turns 73... Executive assistant to the office managing partner of the E&Y office in Tampa, Nancy Carol Finkel... U.S. senator (R-WY), Cynthia Lummis turns 71... Retired VP at Goldman Sachs, now a part-time elementary school teacher, Matthew Fried... Real estate attorney in South Florida, Steven A. Greenspan... Award-winning journalist and author, he wrote a 2024 book on Bernie Madoff, Richard Behar... Former acting administrator of the DEA, now a senior counsel at D.C.'s Crowell & Moring, Charles Philip "Chuck" Rosenberg turns 65... Founder and managing director at Beacon Global Strategies, Andrew Shapiro... NYC trusts and estates attorney, Lawrence Ira Garbuz... Co-founder and partner of One Madison Group, Jonathan Soros turns 55... Television writer and producer whose work includes “The Big Bang Theory,” Eric Kaplan turns 54... Executive director of the Maryland/Mid-Atlantic region of Agudath Israel, Ariel Sadwin... Writer, actress and comedian, she was a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” Sarah Schneider turns 42... Principal at Blue Zone Partners and managing partner at Precision Infrastructure Management, Charles Szold... PR strategist, Josh Nass... Chief foreign correspondent for Fox News, his 2024 book, Black Saturday, covers the events of Oct. 7 and the war that followed, Trey Yingst turns 32... Jennifer Meyer...