Daily Kickoff
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2026
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at how Democrats on Capitol Hill are likely to legislate on Israel should they win control of either chamber in the midterms, cover Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly and report on a recommendation by a federal panel to suspend the American Psychological Association’s accreditation authority over its handling of antisemitism. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Stephen Ross, Ohad Ben Ami and Argentine President Javier Milei.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with an assist from Danielle Cohen-Kanik.
The Weekly Print
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, featuring stories from Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy, including: Sunkist Fruit Gems, a colorful staple of synagogue celebrations, discontinued; In new book, Zibby Owens weaves memoir with a reckoning of Jewish life after Oct. 7; and Saudi Arabia’s Houthi crisis is partly of its own making, analysts say.
Today's Agenda
Sukkot begins this evening at sundown.
We’re keeping an eye on President Donald Trump’s response to a proposal from Iran, announced on Thursday by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York, for a seven-day plan to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear talks. Araghchi indicated he hoped to make a deal before the midterms, as Republicans — who are facing tough headwinds to hold both the House and Senate — are working to assuage voters concerned over high gas prices and the cost of living.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are encouraging the White House to continue its economic pressure on Tehran and not to accept a deal that would ease either sanctions or its naval blockade of the Islamic Republic.
In Michigan, the annual Jewish Detroit Expat Reception is taking place tonight as part of the annual Detroit Homecoming events this week. Rebecca Blumenstein, president of NBC News editorial, will discuss her new book, The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America.
On Sunday, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) and Democrat Rebecca Bennett are set to participate in the only NJ-07 general election debate taking place this cycle.
One Thing to Know
By Marc Rod
If Democrats take control of Congress next year — or even if they win back a majority in only the House of Representatives — expect a legislative agenda that’s a lot tougher on Israel than it has been in a long time.
With growing support among House Democrats for legislation restricting U.S. aid and arms sales to Israel, bills such as the Block the Bombs Act, the Ceasefire Compliance Act or measures similar to this summer’s vote on cutting aid to Israel could come to the House floor, and continued fights over the U.S.-Israel relationship in funding bills and other legislation seem likely.
But the top target for senior Democrats at the moment is settlement activity and settler violence in the West Bank. Asked by Jewish Insider at a press conference on Wednesday what Israel-related legislation Democrats might bring forward for a vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — who has generally been a reliable supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship — pointed to a bill imposing sanctions related to West Bank violence.
The Big Reads
taking aim
Netanyahu targets Mamdani, Macron and foreign critics in UNGA address
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against criticism of Israel over the war in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, taking aim at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, French President Emmanuel Macron, Qatar and Turkey, Jewish Insider’s AJ Rodriguez reports. The prime minister also rejected accusations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, directly addressing Mamdani, who has repeatedly called Netanyahu a war criminal. “Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” Netanyahu said. He also raised that Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, had liked multiple Instagram posts celebrating Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Netanyahu went on to accuse foreign countries of spending “untold billions” to spread anti-Israel messages through traditional and social media, singling out Qatar for “massively funding American universities and toxic media outlets.”
Tumult in Turtle Bay: Several far-left Democrats expected to be elected to the House of Representatives in November — New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander, New Jersey’s Adam Hamawy, Pennsylvania’s Chris Rabb and Colorado’s Melat Kiros — attended a protest on Thursday organized by Jewish Voice for Peace that blocked the streets outside U.N. headquarters during Netanyahu’s speech, JI’s Marc Rod reports. Avila Chevalier was among those arrested by the NYPD for refusing to comply with an order to disperse.
apa fray
Federal panel recommends suspending American Psychological Association’s accreditation authority
A federal advisory board to the Department of Education recommended that the department suspend the accreditation authority of the American Psychological Association over the APA’s failure to address a “pervasive culture of antisemitism within the programs it accredits,” Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. The recommendation comes after years of concerns by Jewish students and professionals about pervasive antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in psychology education, which in some cases paints Zionism as a mental illness to be treated. A final decision on the issue will be made in the coming months by the Department of Education, and the exact implications and consequences may depend on the decision made. But the recommendation could create significant uncertainty for hundreds of programs and internships and throw into question the licensing of psychology students and professionals across the country.
regime reckoning
El-Sayed avoids acknowledging Iranian protester deaths, condemns Iran war instead
Pressed during an event at the University of Michigan on Wednesday to condemn the Iranian regime’s massacre of tens of thousands of protesters earlier this year, Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed sidestepped the question, focusing his answer on criticizing the U.S. war in Iran, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. A Persian American student pressed El-Sayed to “renounce” those who supported assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. El-Sayed responded by criticizing the U.S. for taking the role of the “world’s policeman,” adding, “Here’s my point: one can disagree with the governance of a foreign country. One can stand in solidarity with freedom and democracy movements, but my worry is when one decides that we are going to go in and take out the leadership of a foreign government.”
The Rundown
The rest of today’s original stories from Jewish Insider — full stories, all published on the site.
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.
In attendance at President Donald Trump’s state dinner last night for Chinese President Xi Jinping: First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance; Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Ivanka Trump and Arabella Kushner; Tiffany Trump and Michael Boulos, Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, NYU President Linda Mills, Larry Fink, Sam Altman, Stephen Schwarzman, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon, Michael Dell, David Solomon, David Ellison, Albert Bourla, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Rich McCormick (R-GA).
Musk, Cook and Huang were among those seated at the president’s table…
The Committee to Protect Journalists removed the names of 22 individuals it had listed as media workers or journalists who were killed during the Israel-Hamas war due to their ties to terror groups; among those removed from the list was Abdallah Iyad Breis, who was the lead photographer for the Hamas Education Ministry’s TV channel when he was killed in January 2024. Read more here…
Alex Soros attended a breakfast hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion on Wednesday titled “Building an Economy for the Many” that featured an address from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez…
A federal court ruled that a Jewish charter school in Oklahoma can operate amid an ongoing legal battle with the state’s charter school board that had rejected the institution’s application earlier this year…
The University of California, Berkeley will honor its long-delayed agreement to rehire an Israeli dance professor whom it declined to reappoint over her nationality…
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is moving forward with talks to sell a 20% stake in Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix, part of Ross Sports & Entertainment, to Otro Capital…
French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send “soldiers, radars and defense systems” to Saudi Arabia in an effort to help Riyadh protect energy facilities amid ongoing attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen…
The Washington Post spotlights the fighting taking place in Yemen between the Houthis and forces aligned with the internationally recognized government of the country…
Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen was named the president of Quantum X Labs’ Scientific Advisory Board…
Former Israeli hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana celebrated at the wedding of Ben Ami’s daughter on Thursday night; also in attendance were former hostages Bar Kupershtein and Segev Kalfon, as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal…
The IDF said two reservists were killed in the Gaza Strip after the first-person view armed drone they were operating crashed into their base and exploded…
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Malaysia’s Meddling: In The Wall Street Journal, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Mark Wallace, respectively the chairman and CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, call on the Trump administration to crack down on Malaysia over the support that entities in the country are providing to Iran. “While the focus has been on the Strait of Hormuz, a lower-profile maritime front thousands of miles away affects how much control Iran retains. The site is the Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone of the South China Sea, 100 nautical miles offshore from the Singapore Strait and Malaysia in the Eastern Outer Port Limits. Here lies a floating city of more than 200 tankers, cargo ships and bulk carriers, nearly all of which are linked to Iran. Many of these ships trade energy products in defiance of U.S. sanctions and serve as a lifeline for the regime.” [WSJ]
The ‘Fauda’ Factor: In The Atlantic, Palestinian British writer John Aziz considers the cross-cultural appeal of “Fauda,” the latest season of which has seen high viewership among Arab audiences even as it grapples with the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. “Drama is a universal language; in its own way, it can bring people together even if they drastically disagree with one another. Viewers don’t need to share Doron’s politics or nationality to understand his grief, loyalty, recklessness, fear, or love for his family. The same is true of the Palestinian characters. We all share the same vocabulary of human emotions and mistakes.” [TheAtlantic]
Picture of the Day
Argentine President Javier Milei — pictured wearing a yarmulke with his name written in Hebrew — on Thursday visited the Ohel, the burial site of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens, N.Y., where he met with Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, the executive director of Chabad World Headquarters. Chabad Global Networks
Wine of the Week
2001 Ben Haim Merlot
Opening any aged bottle of Israeli wine is a wager. The cork comes out, the glass fills and in an instant the wine declares itself: spoiled, merely drinkable or something closer to a revelation. Last Friday night, over a spectacular Shabbat dinner with dear friends from Rome and New Hampshire, we scored twice, and I was urged to share the highlights with my dear readers. The first bottle was a 2001 Ben Haim Merlot, a masterpiece on release and only more extraordinary for the quarter century it has spent quietly composing itself in the cellar. All port all the time, was the thought that crossed my mind as it touched my palate: deep, plummy, warm, its edges rounded by patience into something almost confectionary. Few of us will ever hold this bottle again. Take heart. The second wine on the table that evening remains within reach.
The Tulip Fingerprint 2014 is a work of art in a bottle. Five grapes married over 36 months in oak, it opens with a certain hauteur, rigid and demanding, presenting all five varietals for inspection in a single nanosecond, and every one arriving in full dress. The mid-palate yields to wild berries, and the finish unfolds at leisure into dark chocolate and hot fudge. For all its age, this wine will hold another 15 years with grace. Serve it alongside sautéed short ribs over a bed of farro, and give it the evening it deserves.
Birthdays
Jonathan Goldsmith, stage, film and television actor, he is best known as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” appearing in Dos Equis beer commercials, turns 88 on Saturday
CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES
friday
Vivien Stern, former member of the U.K.'s House of Lords, turns 85
Yehuda Lancry, former member of Knesset, he also served as Israel's ambassador to France and then the United Nations, turns 79
Dvora Millstone, Lakewood Ranch, Fla., resident, turns 78
Yardena Arazi, Israeli television anchor and popular singer, turns 75
Ruth Calderon, founder of ALMA, which seeks to acquaint secular Israelis with Hebrew culture, she served as a member of Knesset for Yesh Atid from 2013 to 2015, turns 65
Boaz Levy, chairman and former CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, turns 65
Marc Benioff, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, he acquired Time magazine in 2018, turns 62
Marissa Levin, best-selling author and serial entrepreneur
David Friedman, director and co-creator of the award-winning HBO series “Game of Thrones,” known professionally as David Benioff (Benioff is his mother's maiden name), turns 56
Rabbi Pinchas Eliezer "Pini" Dunner, son and grandson of leading British rabbis, he is the senior rabbi at the Beverly Hills Synagogue, turns 56
Inbal Gavrieli, former member of the Knesset for Likud, she has appeared on multiple Israeli reality television shows, turns 51
Tamara Keith, White House correspondent for NPR, turns 47
Jesse Gabriel, member of the California State Assembly where he serves as chair of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, turns 45
Carmiel Arbit, nonresident senior fellow for Middle East programs and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council
Lila Shapiro, features writer at New York magazine and its culture magazine Vulture
Zach Woods, actor and comedian, best known for his role as Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom “The Office,” turns 42
Mitch Malasky, former videographer for the State Department
Daniel Yadron, assistant appellate federal defender at Federal Defenders of San Diego
Jacob Greer Cohen, former center and power forward for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague, turns 36
Yanky Rodman, asset manager for Capital Realty Group
Destiny Albritton, creative director at BZ Media
Adam Basciano, strategic director at Laurel Strategies
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