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Good Wednesday morning.

In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner’s recent comments to staffers doubling down on the company’s adherence to corporate principles including support for Israel’s right to exist, and cover Georgia’s first-in-the-nation legislation requiring the disclosure of foreign government funding in statewide K-12 schools. We have the scoop on a new bipartisan resolution from Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mike Lawler condemning Hasan Piker and Candace Owens, and talk to U.S. senators about the United Arab Emirates’ decision to withdraw from OPEC. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: former Rep. Barney Frank, B.J. Novak and Eyal Shani.

Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik. Have a tip? Email us here.

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The near-consensus among Israeli political pundits is that the merger of the parties led by former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid is a huge moment in the campaign ahead of the next Knesset election, scheduled for Oct. 27. 

However, judging by polls published by six major Hebrew-language media outlets after the merger on Sunday, not much has changed since the announcement that Bennett and Lapid were joining forces. 

The newly formed “Together” opposition party polled around 24 seats — nearly the same number of seats as the two parties combined before the merger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is, according to the average of the latest polls, still the largest party at 29. 

According to the latest polling, it would be difficult for either side to build a governing coalition. The opposition Zionist parties did not get a 61-seat majority in any of the six polls. The most favorable poll for the opposition showed the anti-Netanyahu Zionist parties at 60 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while the current coalition received over 61 seats in two polls (from those commissioned by Channel 14 and I24NEWS, which are more sympathetic to Netanyahu than the other media outlets).

To be sure, polls taken within 24 hours of an event are not the most reliable, and much can change in the six months until the election. 

The key question after the Bennett and Lapid merger is whether they are fighting other opposition candidates for dominance within their bloc – in which case, Bennett has likely solidified his status as Netanyahu’s main competition for the premiership – or to broaden the bloc’s appeal to win a majority in the Knesset.

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

Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of Politico’s parent company, Axel Springer, doubled down in defense of the German publishing giant’s corporate values while addressing criticism from Politico’s editorial staff on Monday, suggesting to journalists that if they do not feel fully comfortable with a mission statement that includes support for Israel’s right to exist and other principles known as “the essentials,” they should find work elsewhere, according to audio of the discussion obtained by Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel.

Loud and clear: “Nobody should work for Axel Springer despite the essentials or in disagreement with one of the essentials,” Döpfner said on a 40-minute call that also included feedback from Politico executives who expressed alignment with the CEO. “If the essentials are not attractive, if the essentials are not a magnet, if the essentials are not a reason why to work for this company, I can only recommend to work for other companies.”

Read the full story here.

Following a report spotlighting Qatari funding in Georgia public schools, the state’s General Assembly became the first in the country to pass legislation requiring the disclosure of foreign government funding in statewide K-12 schools, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.

Details: The Foreign Funding Transparency and Accountability Act, HB 1379, requires public school districts, public universities and technical colleges to report funding of $10,000 or more from foreign countries or entities, naming specifically Qatar and Saudi Arabia — the two largest foreign funders of American universities. The bill — which passed both chambers of the Assembly earlier this month and now awaits Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature — was spearheaded by Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia Statehouse, as well as Rep. Houston Gaines and the pro-Israel Georgia Solidarity Network. 

Read the full story here.

An activist at this month's Michigan Democratic Party convention in Detroit screamed an antisemitic slur at the husband of Michigan Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow, in front of the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, McMorrow revealed in a radio interview airing Wednesday, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

What she said: McMorrow, a state senator seeking the Democratic nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat, is not Jewish, but her husband is and their daughter attends a Jewish preschool. “At the convention a few weeks ago, there was a mood,” McMorrow said in an interview with WHMI, a radio station in metro Detroit. “They booed [Rep.] Haley [Stevens (D-MI)], but there was a man who walked up to my husband and my daughter — I was not there, just my husband and my daughter — and screamed an antisemitic slur at him in his face, in front of my 5-year-old.” 

Read the full story here.

A House resolution set to be introduced on Wednesday by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) condemns far-left streamer Hasan Piker and far-right podcaster Candace Owens for spreading antisemitism, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.

Inside the resolution: Piker, the resolution states, “has often used antisemitic rhetoric, including expressing support for Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization,” outlining a series of antisemitic and pro-Hamas comments by the far-left influencer. Owens, the resolution states, “has employed rhetoric that has included conspiracy theories accusing Israel of controlling the United States Government, promoting false claims that Jews are taught by ancient religious texts to hate non-Jews, and casting doubt on the truth of the stories of Holocaust survivors.”

Read the full story here.

New York City Council candidate Lindsey Boylan, who was backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in this week’s special election, was resoundingly defeated on Tuesday night by community activist Carl Wilson — a result that also marks a step forward in the evolving fight over a buffer zone bill vetoed by Mamdani last week, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports.

Wilson’s lead: With 99% of the vote in, Boylan received just over 25% in the contest for the Manhattan district, while Wilson, the preferred candidate of Council Speaker Julie Menin, had clinched a plurality of 43%. Wilson also had the backing of Next NYC PAC, which JI reported last month represented a coalition of forces linked to two men Mamdani defeated on his path to City Hall: former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

Read the full story here.

Lawmakers said that the United Arab Emirates’ decision to withdraw from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries could yield positive economic benefits for the U.S. and is a sign that the regional alignment of the Gulf countries is shifting, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.

Senators say: Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) told JI that the recent move shows “the continued fragmentation of the Gulf Cooperation Council and of the relations between our Gulf partners as Saudi and the Emirates are pursuing different security paths.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told JI he was “trying to understand” what the move would mean, noting that if the UAE “wouldn’t be limited in terms of what they can produce into the world’s oil supply,” it would be a positive development.

Read the full story here.

Bonus: Ynet’s Ilan Levinsohn posits that “Israel should take the hint” that the UAE’s departure from OPEC signals that it no longer feels bound by established frameworks and that “Abu Dhabi’s break with OPEC is a chance to move beyond symbolism, business delegations and polite conferences, and turn the [Abraham Accords] partnership into something far more consequential.”

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Mitch’s Pitch on Ukraine: In The Washington Post, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) raises concerns about the status of U.S. aid to Ukraine that was approved by Congress months ago but has not moved beyond the Pentagon. “When Senate appropriators have sought an explanation from the department’s policy shop, led by Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, they’ve been stonewalled. … If we’re serious about ‘drone dominance,’ we shouldn’t sandbag a relationship with the world’s foremost drone experts. And if we’re keen on remaining the world’s preeminent superpower, we shouldn’t let unelected defense officials undermine U.S. leadership and obstruct deepening ties with Ukraine’s innovative military and industrial base.” [WashPost]

Manifesto Destiny: The New York Times’ Bret Stephens posits that the growing acceptance of violent political rhetoric across broad swaths of society is creating a breeding ground for extremism. “In short, it’s the philosophy of people who believe that democracy is actually despotism, provided they don’t like its results; that the laws of such a democracy are an oppressive sham that must be actively resisted; that the way to bring about change isn’t through political participation and elections but rather through multiple homicides. On the right, this is called fascism. On the left, communism. They are functionally almost interchangeable.” [NYTimes]

OPEC’s Obit: The Financial Times’ Verity Ratcliffe and Malcolm Moore look at the impact of the United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC. “‘This is the beginning of the end of Opec,’ said Saul Kavonic, an energy analyst at MST Financial. ‘Saudi Arabia will struggle to keep the rest of Opec together. We could see other members follow suit, including Venezuela.’ … Meanwhile, markets have become increasingly attuned to statements from the U.S., including President Donald Trump’s social media accounts. ‘The Iran war has shown that the U.S. can have as much, if not more, influence over global oil flows than Opec,’ said Kavonic.” [FT]

Power to Wage War: The Wall Street Journal’s William Galston suggests that President Donald Trump is unlikely to be constrained by war powers resolutions, which have proven in recent decades to be ineffective. “Congress would gain leverage over Mr. Trump only when the Defense Department runs out of discretionary funds and the president is forced to request a supplementary appropriation to continue the war. Until that happens (and no one knows for sure when it will), the president holds the cards. The post-World War II emergence of the U.S. as a superpower with global reach and responsibilities has changed the constitutional balance between the executive and legislative branches, especially regarding the power to take the nation to war.” [WSJ]

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Former Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) departed his role as the State Department’s principal advisor for global religious freedom, three months after the position was created for him after he fell short of the Senate support necessary to be confirmed as ambassador-at-large for religious freedom, which he was initially nominated for last year…

The Treasury Department announced sanctions on nearly three dozen companies and individuals associated with Iran’s shadow banking system, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “serves as a critical financial lifeline for its armed forces, enabling activities that disrupt global trade and fuel violence across the Middle East”...

The Financial Times reports on remarks made in February by U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. Christian Turner, who said he considered the term “special relationship” — a phrase commonly used to describe ties between London and Washington — to be outdated, adding, “I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States — and that is probably Israel”...

During a meeting on the 2027 funding bill for the State Department, several Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee pushed, ultimately unsuccessfully, for the committee to adopt new conditions on the $3.3 billion in U.S. military aid allocated for Israel annually in the bill, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…

Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who championed liberal causes during his decades-long tenure in the House, is releasing a book excoriating Democrats for having “embraced an agenda that goes beyond what’s politically acceptable” as he enters hospice care…

A Los Angeles megamansion built on property purchased in 2010 for $35 million by an entity tied to Qatar’s Al-Thani family was put on the market for $400 million, becoming the most expensive home listed for sale in the country; Colony Capital, which was previously led by now-U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, played a key role in the property’s development…

An active-duty soldier stationed at a Louisiana base was arrested after posting on Discord that his “goal in life” was to go to a synagogue armed with a weapon and “kill every single Jew I know”...

Duke University reinstated the school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine after the group was suspended for having posted on social media an image of a pig holding a staff with the Star of David that had previously been used in Black Panthers imagery in the 1970s…

California’s secretary of state said the office is considering making changes to the state’s elections code after the statewide distribution of a voter guide that included antisemitic conspiracy theories from a fringe gubernatorial candidate…

The Wall Street Journal interviews B.J. Novak about his childhood and career trajectory ahead of the release of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which stars the former “The Office” actor… 

Israeli chef Eyal Shani opened his fourth South Florida restaurant, Naked Tomato, in the South Beach Moxy Hotel…

Israeli kosher burger chain Ruben is opening its first outpost in the U.S.; the restaurant is expected to open in Cooper City, Fla., next month…

The U.K.’s Foreign Office summoned Iran’s ambassador to London after a statement posted to the embassy’s social media that called on Iranians living in the U.K. to “all stand together, ready to sacrifice our lives, for it is better than surrendering our country to the enemy”...

Two Haredi men were reportedly stabbed outside a synagogue in the heavily Jewish London suburb of Golders Green…

The New York Times spotlights the British Navy’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre, an around-the-clock agency monitoring shipping routes in the Gulf and serving as an emergency service for vessels under attack…

Newly released correspondence between J.D. Salinger and his editor indicates that the Catcher in the Rye author wanted references to his Jewish-Irish background removed from the book’s jacket, saying he would “end up being expected to wear a Star of David and a Shamrock on the back of my sweatshirt”...

A Sydney, Australia, benefit concert meant to spotlight unity and benefit the Bondi Beach Jewish community following a deadly terror attack at a Hanukkah party in December was canceled after members of the Australian Hellenic Choir voted to withdraw from the event, where they were set to perform alongside the Sydney Jewish Choral Society…

The jury of the Venice Biennale said it will not consider submissions from “those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court,” putting both Israeli and Russian entrants out of contention; Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the move “transformed the Biennale from an open artistic space of free, boundless ideas into a spectacle of false, anti-Israeli political indoctrination”…

Former Washington Post reporter Rachel Siegel is joining CNN as a reporter for CNN Business, working out of the network’s Washington bureau…

Simon Amiel is joining Birthright Israel as executive vice president for North America…

COURTESY

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro spoke to a group of more than 200 Jewish day school students at the State Capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday during Teach PA's annual Advocacy Day.

JOHN NACION/VARIETY VIA GETTY IMAGES

Comedian, actor, writer, producer and director, he is best known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the sitcom "Seinfeld," Jerry Seinfeld turns 72... 

Nobel Prize-winning economist, professor emeritus at MIT, known for his analysis of Social Security policy, Peter Diamond turns 86... Co-founder of the NYSE-traded homebuilding company Toll Brothers, Bruce E. Toll turns 83... Retired U.S. senator (D-MI), she completed her 24 years in the Senate in 2025, Debbie Stabenow turns 76... Marcy Smith... London-born actor with three Academy Awards for best actor, knighted at Buckingham Palace in 2014, Sir Daniel Day-Lewis turns 69... Sportscaster, best known as the radio and television play-by-play announcer for MLB's New York Mets, Gary Cohen turns 68... Co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Bernays Randolph turns 68... Israeli diplomat, she was Israel's ambassador to Latvia and then to Ireland, Lironne Bar Sadeh turns 67... Former NYC comptroller, he ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 2021 and 2025, Scott M. Stringer turns 66... CEO and chairman of 20th Century Fox until its acquisition by Disney, Stacey Snider turns 65... CEO of the United Democracy Project, Rob Bassin... Professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, he is the author of many books including Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely turns 59... NY-based award-winning artist who works with sound, kinetics, optics, magnetism and other materials to make sculptures and photographs, Julianne Swartz turns 59... Film and television actor, Paul Adelstein turns 57... Israeli-born, NYC resident, stand-up comedian, actor and sometimes chazzan, Modi Rosenfeld turns 56... Executive at a NYC-based investment management firm, Bennett J. Schachter turns 51... Former minister of environmental protection in Israel, Tamar "Tami" Zandberg turns 50... SVP of the Leon Levine Foundation and director of operations for the Levine family office, Justin Steinschriber... Israeli model and actress, she has appeared in many American movies, TV shows and advertisements, Bar Paly turns 44... Director of the office of government relations at the Smithsonian Institution, Anne Brachman... Commercial, industrial and residential real estate developer in the Mid-Atlantic region, Samuel A. Neuberger... Leader of public affairs for New York at Success Academy Charter Schools, Daniel Mitzner... Baseball pitcher for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Jonathan de Marte turns 33... Surfer, she represented Israel at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, Anat Lelior turns 26...