Daily Kickoff
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026
Good Friday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the uncertain future of Trump administration efforts to crack down on campus antisemitism following the midterms, talk to Rep. Tom Suozzi about how the government can approach Iran issues in the next Congress and explore how Israel’s center-left plans to approach the U.S.-Israel relationship under a Democratic Congress. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Harmeet Dhillon and Rebeca Grynspan.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by JI Executive Editor Melissa Weiss, with assists from Tamara Zieve and 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 eJP, including: Inside the slow, convoluted demise of a beloved L.A. Jewish day school; Democratic Senate sweep puts Schumer back in the saddle; and Philly Jewish restaurant owners say they won’t be scared off by antisemitic boycott campaign.
Today's Agenda
President Donald Trump spoke this morning with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as Doha attempts to mediate an end to the conflict between the U.S. and Iran and calm tensions in the region, a day after Trump said his decision on Iran will come “soon enough.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will hold additional consultations today after meeting with the leaders of the parties of the next Knesset as he determines who will get the first mandate to form a government.
Herzog said last night that Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot received recommendations from factions representing 67 Knesset members, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received recommendations from factions representing 46. Herzog is expected to hand over a mandate to form a government on Sunday.
Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman confirmed reports that he has dropped his opposition to joining a coalition with Haredi parties, writing in an X post this morning, “I strongly oppose forming a government that relies on abstentions by the Joint List and Ra’am, and Yisrael Beiteinu will vote against such a government. On all other issues, it is permissible and desirable to be flexible and compromise, and to understand that you cannot have it all. This includes the issue of the conscription law.”
He also emphasized that he strongly opposes a government with Netanyahu, the formation of a minority government or going to new elections.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a senior envoy for the Board of Peace who was in Israel this week, met with Herzog and Netanyahu yesterday, and with Eisenkot this morning.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is organizing a lunch today in support of the Jewish-owned restaurants being targeted by an antisemitic bike rally on Sunday that has drawn criticism from local and statewide officials. Mayor Cherelle Parker on Thursday condemned the bike ride, days after she was asked about the event and pointed reporters to a statement from the city’s Commission on Human Relations rather than issuing a response of her own.
The Somos Puerto Rico Conference, the annual gathering in San Juan for New York Democrats, is running through the weekend. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are expected to attend.
The Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly kicks off on Sunday in Washington. The conference’s opening plenary will feature a sit-down with former Secretaries of State Tony Blinken and Mike Pompeo in their first public conversation together.
One Thing to Know
There’s little doubt that the underlying trends in American politics — the turn against Israel within the Democratic Party and elements of the far right, the rise of extremists within both parties and the underlying polarization in our social media-driven culture — make it challenging for advocates of a healthy U.S.-Israel relationship to reverse the gloomy political trajectory.
The election of a number of virulently anti-Israel lawmakers — capped by Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan, along with a number of DSA-affiliated candidates in the House — certainly captured the early wave of headlines in the Jewish community coming out of the results.
But in the aftermath of a giant Democratic tsunami Tuesday night that swept in a slew of red-state and red-district Democrats eager to show off moderate bona fides, there are some unexpected silver linings for those looking to maintain the strong alliance between Washington and Jerusalem.
The Big Reads
CAMPUS CROSSROADS
Campus antisemitism crackdown faces uncertain future after Democratic sweep, Dhillon exit
The Trump administration’s campaign against campus antisemitism may be entering a new phase, Jewish advocates and a former administration official told Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen — one complicated by a Democratic takeover of the House, the departure of a key Justice Department official and growing questions about the White House’s commitment to enforcement. One key enforcer of the Justice Department’s efforts to crack down on campus antisemitism, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, resigned from the agency on Thursday, just as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is set to return as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the committee with jurisdiction over universities.
SUOZZI SAYS
Suozzi: Trump needs to bring Congress, allies in on Iran war discussions
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), a leading moderate Democrat in the House and co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, argued after the decisive Democratic sweep in Tuesday’s midterm elections that the administration needs to bring Congress and U.S. allies in on issues related to the Iran war, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports. Asked how Democrats who have long described Iran as a threat but have been critical of President Donald Trump’s approach to the war should approach the conflict in the majority, Suozzi emphasized that the administration should be leaning on the knowledge and expertise of members of the congressional national security committees, of career military officials and of U.S. allies.
HOLDING OUT HOPE
Israeli center-left hopes to salvage U.S.-Israel relationship after Dem landslide
Leading figures in the Israeli opposition bloc faced pushback from friends and foes on Thursday after presenting themselves as being able to salvage the U.S.-Israel relationship by removing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office, in statements following the U.S. midterm elections this week, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports. Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid wrote a lengthy post on X calling for “a work plan instead of panic” in response to the midterm results, in which Democrats swept across the country. He noted that moderate pro-Israel Democrats still hold leadership positions in the party, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
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.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected reports that he was considering leaving the Trump administration following Republicans’ midterm losses, telling The New York Times that he intends to remain in his roles through the end of President Donald Trump’s term…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he would fight impeachment efforts after outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) indicated he would pursue impeaching Hegseth as soon as next week.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), meanwhile, alluded to Democratic plans to target Hegseth in the next Congress, posting on X on Thursday, “Why is Pete Hegseth still around?”...
The Trump administration held secret talks with Iran over the deportation of Iranian nationals during the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, according to court documents unsealed Thursday; the administration, which previously deported more than 100 Iranians before the war began in February, was still planning additional deportations as recently as mid-October, prompting a federal judge to require advance notice before any removals could proceed…
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held calls on Thursday with regional counterparts, including Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and the foreign ministers of Oman, Turkey and Kuwait; the conversations came as Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow…
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was surprised by President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that the U.S. would wind down aid to Israel by the end of the year, saying that the announcement “fell on me like a bolt from the blue”...
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has reportedly decided against mounting a challenge to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as the senior New York senator prepares to make a bid for Senate majority leader in the next Congress…
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), the No. 2 House Democrat, formally announced her bid for House majority leader in a letter to Democratic colleagues…
The Associated Press called the Los Angeles mayoral race for City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a democratic socialist, over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass…
Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), who earlier this year lost her comeback challenge to Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO), registered as a foreign agent for her work with the Brussels-based International Federation for Rights and Development, for which she will “coordinate fact-finding missions” in the West Bank…
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations suspended its operations after a federal judge rejected its request to block the state’s designation of the group as a domestic terrorist organization — which went into effect Thursday — while CAIR continues to challenge the law on First Amendment and due process grounds…
eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim does a deep dive into the closure of the Kadima Hebrew Academy in Los Angeles, which shuttered this summer after more than 50 years due to financial challenges, questions regarding board oversight and the school’s relationship with a prominent local real estate developer…
Oklahoma’s incoming state superintendent said he opposes an application by the Ben Gamla online religious charter school to the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board…
More than 20 flights across Europe were targeted by suspected hoax bomb threats Thursday, prompting security inspections, emergency landings and flight disruptions; among the affected flights was a KLM flight bound for Tel Aviv, which underwent a security inspection during a layover in Bucharest, Romania…
The hate crimes unit of the Montreal Police Department is investigating two arson attacks at a Jewish-owned bakery in the city in less than 48 hours…
A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who was shot during last year’s terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach died from complications resulting from injuries sustained in the December 2025 attack…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights the Houthis’ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, through which the Iran-backed terror group receives requests from ships to transit safely through the Red Sea…
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The Center Can Hold: In The Wall Street Journal, former Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) spotlights the growing influence of moderate Democrats after this week’s elections. “They are the clear majority-makers of this Congress and, by definition and self-description, they are moderates. A group willing to find common ground on contentious issues. A group that can organize and mobilize around an economic agenda built on innovation, entrepreneurship, fairness and growth. … I should know. I was one of them. A defiant, New Dem moderate. And our ranks are growing quickly.” [WSJ]
The Weirdo Right: In The New York Times, conservative commentator Erick Erickson criticizes the elements of the right whose focus on “social media meme wars, subversive racism [and] a fondness for dictators” contributed significantly to the GOP’s midterm losses. “Republicans have spent years warning that a party unwilling to confront its radicals will be defined by them. … Now that warning applies to the G.O.P. The weirdo right will not stop in its attempt to take over the Republican Party, and party leadership must resist it or watch a group that openly declares its contempt for conservatism do to the G.O.P. what the democratic socialists are trying to do to the Democrats.” [NYTimes]
Picture of the Day
Former Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal (left), his brother Gal (center) and Art Over Hate Collective CEO Craig Dershowitz (right) discussed Guy’s two years in captivity in Gaza and Gal’s efforts to raise awareness about his plight during a “Soundtrack to Survival” event on Thursday night at the Pico Union Project in Los Angeles. Gary Jacobs
Wine of the Week
2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Something I rarely do, and even more rarely admit to, is drink alone. From time to time I will sip one of my very rare Port Ellens or Broras, but only once a decade, maybe, will I open a bottle of red wine on my own. I cannot fully explain why, except to say that wine is meant to be shared with friends, and the experiences built around a bottle are the whole point of opening it. The other night, the company I sought was a Higher Authority, and when I noticed the 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte sitting on my credenza, I knew I was about to have a divine moment.
Smith Haut Lafitte is one of the famous Bordeaux estates where Les Vins IDS has produced a handful of vintages under full kosher supervision. It is a wine of rare greatness, the kind you don't find twice in the same decade. A Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, it pours petit-verdot inky. The nose is blackberries ground up with a handful of good earth. The opening palate is majestic and stately, and by the mid-palate you realize this bottle has enough tannin to last a generation. The finish is jam folded through with black currants. I didn't need any food with this wine. It gave me unlimited food for thought.
Birthdays
Aaron Thomas Korsh, creator, writer and showrunner of the legal drama series “Suits,” turns 60 on Saturday
RODIN ECKENROTH/GETTY IMAGES
FRIDAY
Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter, leading teacher in the Breslov Hasidic movement in Israel, turns 96
Ruth Messinger, former president and CEO of American Jewish World Service until 2016, now the organization’s inaugural global ambassador, turns 86
Andrew Saul, former commissioner of the Social Security Administration until 2021, turns 80
Sidney Blumenthal, former advisor to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, turns 78
Barbara Volsky turns 76
Joseph Shenker, senior chair of Sullivan & Cromwell, turns 70
Lori Singer, actor and cellist best known for her lead role in the 1984 film “Footloose” and the television series “Fame”
and her twin brother Gregory Singer, violinist, composer and conductor, he is the founder and music director of the Manhattan Symphonie, turn 69
Ira Fishman, former managing director of the NFL Players Association for 15 years, turns 69
Nicholas Goldberg, editorial page editor and op-ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times until 2023, turns 68
Erik Seidel, professional poker player from Las Vegas, he has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, turns 67
Joy Bauer, founder of Nourish Snacks, nutrition expert on NBC and author of 15 New York Times bestsellers, turns 63
Laurene Powell Jobs, philanthropist, she is the founder of the Emerson Collective and co-founder of XQ Institute, turns 63
Andrew S. Weinberg, principal and COO at Douglass Winthrop Advisors
Seth Radow, SVP of investments in the Beverly Hills office of Raymond James
Geoffrey Rochwarger, chairman at IDT Finance, he is a partner in Covenant Winery, turns 56
Dan Senor, host of the “Call Me Back” podcast, chief public affairs officer at Elliott Management and co-author of The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation, turns 55
Kari Alterman, founder of Good Name Advisors
Susan Downey, film producer, together with her husband Robert Downey Jr., turns 53
Earl Campos Devine, South Florida entrepreneur
Yaakov “Yanky” Lemmer, head cantor of Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York City, turns 43
And his younger brother, Shulem Lemmer, the first Haredi-born Jew to sign a contract with a leading record label, turns 37
Robert Eric "Robbie" Widlansky, former outfielder in the Orioles and Angels systems, he played for Team Israel in 2012 and is now a manager of business development at Robson Forensic, turns 42
Jake Pollack, producer on “The Ben Shapiro Show,” turns 31
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