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JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. |
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WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION |
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Harris camp says it’s “absurd” to suggest that rejecting Shapiro was antisemitic, Cori Bush loses primary after AIPAC spent millions to defeat her, Hamas mastermind gets promotion, Trump says Kanye West has “good heart” — and how a pair of tefillin and a grenade launcher played into Missouri’s primary. |
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Tuesday in Philadelphia. (Getty) |
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It’s Tim!
Minnesota’s Jews celebrate as their ‘mensch’ Gov. Tim Walz enters the national spotlight: After Hamas’ attack on Israel, Walz stood before a room of Jewish Minnesotans and condemned the invasion. “If you did not find moral clarity on Saturday morning, and you find yourself waiting to think about what you needed to say, you need to reevaluate where you’re at,” the governor said at the event. Locals say he’s kind and supportive, even when he disagrees. Read the story ➤
For voters unhappy with Democratic support for Israel, Harris’ VP pick is a victory of sorts: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may be the best that pro-Palestinian progressives could have hoped for, but they also made clear that he falls far short of what they want: a national leader who will call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to the war in Gaza and stop U.S. military transfers to Israel. Read the story ➤
Walz learned how to be a politician at a progressive boot camp founded by Jews: Walz, a former teacher who wrote his master’s thesis on Holocaust education, took part in Camp Wellstone, which taught aspiring leaders the basics of door-knocking and coalition-building. It is named after the late Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Jewish senator. Read the story ➤
Related: What the Tim Walz pick means for American Jews and Israel
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“I lean on my faith, which calls me to serve,” Shapiro told the crowd at the Harris-Walz kickoff. (Getty) |
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It’s not Josh!
‘I lean on my faith’ | Josh Shapiro quotes the Talmud in opening Harris-Walz rally: Shapiro delivered a rousing speech in front of thousands — and leaned heavily into his Jewish identity. Shapiro also referenced a saying from Ethics of Our Fathers, a Jewish text: “I’m not here to preach at y’all. But I want to tell you what my faith teaches,” he said. “My faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it. That means that each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game and to do our part.” Read the story ➤
Harris team calls out ‘absurd’ GOP claim that sidelining Shapiro was antisemitic:Some say Harris’ decision to go with Walz was influenced by an aggressive social media campaign led by pro-Palestinian activists and progressives aimed at keeping Shapiro off the ticket. Republicans JD Vance and Nikki Haley echoed this sentiment on Tuesday. An aide to Harris called the claim “absurd,” and “absolutely ridiculous and offensive.” Read the story ➤
Opinions… |
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Rep. Cori Bush, a Missouri Democrat, at a press conference in May. (Getty) |
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In other election news…
Democratic Rep. Cori Bush, who has been harshly critical of Israel, lost the primary in a St. Louis area after AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups spent millions to defeat her. She is the second member of the so-called “Squad” to lose this cycle, after Rep. Jamaal Bowman was defeated in June.
From my colleague Louis Keene: “An exceptionally weird, occasionally explosive and surprisingly Jewish primary race for Missouri attorney general concluded Tuesday with the defeat of a tefillin-wrapping Republican who came under fire (figuratively) after shooting a grenade launcher in a campaign ad (literally).” Read the story ➤
Plus…
In a new interview, former President Donald Trump said that Kanye West, who has a long history of making antisemitic comments, is “a really nice guy” with a “good heart.”
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Most airlines have paused flights to and from Israel this week, but not El Al. (Getty) |
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How it feels to leave Israel when an attack is coming and every airline is canceling flights: With an Iran assault possibly imminent, our columnist Aviya Kushner cut short her research trip to Israel and made plans to return home to Chicago (by way of a layover in Paris). The in-flight entertainment was not the latest blockbuster, but a lesson in belief, mourning and prayer. Read her essay ➤
The warfront… Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the attack on Israel and the highest-ranking leader of Hamas, has been selected to lead Hamas' political bureau moving forward. He replaces Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated last week in Tehran. Israel is believed to be behind the killing, but has not taken responsibility for it.
Haniyeh, who lived comfortably in exile in Qatar and engaged with world leaders, was viewed as more open to ceasefire discussions. Hostage negotiations have been put on hold as Israel braces for a retaliatory strike from Iran.
Israel confirmed that Bilha Inon, 75, who had been officially listed as missing since Oct. 7, was killed that day alongside her husband, Yakov Inon, 78. Until Tuesday, Bilha was considered to be the last Israeli still missing since the attack.
Palestinian prisoners have been abused while in Israeli detention centers, according to a new report from a human rights group.
Dozens of Haredim, protesting new orders to draft them into the army, stormed an Israeli army base Tuesday. It was reminiscent of a similar incident last week, which our senior columnist, Rob Eshman, called “a particularly dangerous form of far-right patriotism.”
Elsewhere… Ambassadors from Western countries, including the U.S., will not attend a ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. The decision follows the exclusion of Israel from the event.
Organizers of an international Frisbee tournament in Belgium have barred the Israeli team from participating. The decision comes amid security concerns stemming from ongoing anti-Israel protests.
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Protesters face off at Baruch College in New York City in June. (Getty) |
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Major Jewish groups want ‘Zionist’ to be a protected class on campus: A remarkably broad coalition of leading Jewish organizations including Hillel International, the American Jewish Committee and the Conservative movement have endorsed a set of guidelines for college and university officials to “support Jewish students” during the coming school year. At the center of the recommendations? A call for schools to ban students from discriminating against their peers based on what they think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. |
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The above story is part of our weekly antisemitism newsletter. Subscribe to it here.
Related… Harvard must face a lawsuit from Jewish students who accuse the Ivy League school of allowing rampant antisemitism on its campus, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The school had hoped to get the lawsuit tossed.
For college students arrested protesting the war in Gaza, the fallout was only beginning.
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READERS LIKE YOU SHAPE EVERY PART OF OUR WORK |
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Reporting on war, antisemitism and a high-stakes election takes resources. Help us expand our ability to bring you independent, unbiased news and analysis. |
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WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY |
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The NYPD has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. (Getty) |
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📈 New York City officials reported 30 antisemitic incidents in July, three times higher than the 10 anti-Jewish hate crimes reported during the same month last year. (NY Jewish Week)
🎥 An independent New York City journalist who filmed pro-Palestinian activists hurling red paint on the homes of leaders of the Brooklyn Museum has been charged with a hate crime, angering free press advocates. (AP)
😲 Public officials in Portland are standing by a presentation made to county health workers about the war in Gaza that encouraged them to tell patients to “speak up” about “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian enclave. (Oregonian)
🇻🇪 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro blamed “international Zionism” for the protests against his rule following the country’s recent elections. Despite widespread suspicions of foul play, Maduro claimed victory. (Algemeiner)
😷 A county on Long Island introduced a law that bans mask at protests. Those in favor of the bill claim it will make it easier to identify people who misbehave at protests, while civil rights groups opposed the law. There is an exception for wearing a mask for health purposes. (NY Jewish Week)
What else we’re reading ➤ Rabbis are inundated with questions from Israeli soldiers on Jewish laws of war … A railway museum in Zambia offers a clue to the African country’s rich Jewish history … Meet the mahjong mavens who play in a New York City park every Thursday.
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Amit Elor celebrates after winning a gold medal on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics. (Getty) |
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Thanks to Louis Keene, Julie Moos, Arno Rosenfeld and Talya Zax for contributing to today’s newsletter, and to Beth Harpaz for editing it. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com. |
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