Citing U.N. statistics showing that the vast majority of U.N. aid convoys are diverted or looted before reaching their intended destination, a group of House Democrats is set to call on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres this week to request a peacekeeping operation to secure those convoys.

ANALYSIS | The coordinated announcements by the U.K., Canada, Australia and Portugal, with more to come, mark a significant shift in the West’s posture — one that, while largely symbolic, underlines concerns about growing efforts to isolate Israel diplomatically.

Read today's #DailyKickoff: U.N. showdown looms with Palestinian state recognition Full briefing 👇 ji.news/47njs

Tucker Carlson used his address at the memorial for conservative influencer Charlie Kirk to subtly compare Kirk’s assassination to that of the Jews killing Jesus. While he never brought up the Jewish people by name, he made references to Jewish culture to suggest that he was referring to Jews.

Authorities said on Sunday that they believe the suspected gunman in the fatal shooting at a country club in New Hampshire on Saturday night shouted “Free Palestine” in order to “create chaos” at the scene, suggesting they do not view the case as motivated by antisemitism.

Netanyahu’s planned U.N. speech on Friday is being overshadowed by European moves to isolate Israel, with the U.K., as well as Canada and Australia recognizing a Palestinian state and more to come, as well as an upcoming EU vote on sanctions against Israel. @lahavharkov reports:

One Jewish community activist said “there are some groups secretly talking to” Mamdani “or his top people,” though he added it was “hard to believe any groups will openly endorse him, especially if Adams is still in the race.”

"Keep an eye on the subtle yet shifting ways each of them approaches Israel and the Middle East to better understand the paths open to Democrats, as the party considers how to move forward and rebuild its battered brand in the era of Trump." Full analysis:

Even as Mamdani has engaged in outreach to the Jewish community to address concerns about his platform, among other issues, some Jewish leaders indicated they did not anticipate there would be any common ground on which to develop a relationship with a potential Mamdani administration.

The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, capping off a months-long confirmation process that was marred by delays with just days before the start of the U.N. General Assembly next week.

“It’s a contagion of lies that we have to battle together, because if you don’t battle lies, you end up battling for your life,” said Yechiel Leiter at the Israeli Embassy. “This era of Rosh Hashanah, please be aware: the Protocols of the Elders of Zion 2.0 are being written right now.”

Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen told Jewish Insider that in the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, “the Japanese government stood by Israel, called for an immediate and unconditional release of our hostages and said publicly that Hamas should be dismantled."

ANALYSIS | When a president leaves office, his former staffers tend to get rather loose-lipped — an opportunity for them to rehabilitate their reputation and, perhaps, tell the truth about their views (or at least the narrative they’d like to put forward on their own terms, not those of their boss).

Senate and House lawmakers met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, in the first trip by a Syrian government official to Congress in decades. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that their meeting was “very encouraging and constructive.”

SCOOP | A group of 28 Republican lawmakers in the Senate and House wrote to the leaders of Australia, Canada, France and the U.K. urging them to walk back their plans to recognize a Palestinian state this month and threatening potential retaliation if they proceed.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee, during a marathon markup of legislation to reform and reorganize the State Department, resoundingly rejected amendments seeking to condition U.S. aid to Israel on a bipartisan basis.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. compared congressional efforts to block U.S. weapons transfers to Israel to the antisemitic “blood libel,” the false accusation that medieval Jews used the blood of Christian children to cook matzah — and he took aim at Sen. Bernie Sanders for leading the charge.

A group of seven Senate Democrats introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. The resolution was led by Sen. Jeff Merkley and co-sponsored by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Tina Smith, Tammy Baldwin and Mazie Hirono.

“We can agree to disagree when it comes to policy matters, but as a visible Jew, I should be able to walk the streets of New York City safely, without fear of harassment,” said Simcha Eichenstein, a Democratic assemblyman from Brooklyn.

“I join my foreign minister in appreciating Japan, a member of the G7, and an important factor of the international community, and for the deep friendship of our nations," Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen told Jewish Insider.

UPDATED | On Friday, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya called his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, to update him that after weeks of deliberation, Japan decided it will not recognize a Palestinian state at the UNGA.

As reports swirl that Japan indicated it is no longer considering recognizing a Palestinian state, Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen remains wary, but hopeful, he told Jewish Insider during a wide-ranging interview in Tokyo.

Read today's #DailyKickoff: Biden’s Mideast architects go off-script Full briefing 👇 ji.news/47dvf

Several leaders in the community told Jewish Insider they continue to have concerns about Zohran Mamdani's record, while others are quietly engaging.

As Jewish leaders reckon with the increasing likelihood that Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City, many who have voiced anxiety over his avowedly anti-Israel policies are reacting with a mix of fear and resignation.

Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the New York Democratic Party, said on Thursday he will not endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, notably breaking with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who recently announced her support for the Democratic nominee.

In an interview with @lahavharkov on the “Mideast Horizons” podcast, Richard Goldberg explained the snapback procedure and how the sanctions are expected to damage Iran’s economy. Goldberg said it is important not to stop the snapback process, even if Iran suddenly agrees to cooperate.

A breakdown of survey data shows that the impact of “the surge” is waning more quickly among Jews from minority populations, including LGBTQ Jews, Jews of color, Jews with disabilities and financially vulnerable Jews, than it is among the broader Jewish community.

"For the Doha strike to truly represent a crossroads for Qatar, at which it will have to choose between continuing to harbor terrorists or deepening its economic ties with the West, real pressure must be applied." Full analysis by @lahavharkov:

Ken Marcus, the founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, told Jewish Insider he had faith in Linda McMahon to ensure that any settlements the Trump administration were to make with Harvard or other schools would ensure concrete reforms to address campus antisemitism.

Members of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center met with Education Secretary Linda McMahon to discuss federal efforts to counter antisemitism and new legislation promoting school choice.

ANALYSIS | "Another important question is whether the strike marks a turning point for Qatar — and whether the Gulf nation may now be considering a shift in its own role and behavior." Read the full analysis by @lahavharkov:

The ADL filed a new lawsuit on behalf of more than 140 U.S. victims of the Oct. 7 attacks alleging that several different terrorist groups carried out the attacks with material support from U.S.-designated state sponsors of terror: Iran, Syria and North Korea.

Citing NYC Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s stated plans to revoke the city’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, Reps. Mike Lawler and Josh Gottheimer called for the House to pass the long-stalled Antisemitism Awareness Act.

The world’s first laser-based missile defense system, known as “Iron Beam,” will be delivered to the IDF by the end of 2025, the Israeli Defense Ministry and arms manufacturer Rafael announced. More from @lahavharkov:

Read today's #DailyKickoff: ⚖️ Qatar at a crossroads Full briefing 👇 ji.news/479ji

One attendee of a private meeting between pro-Israel leaders and Mike Johnson said the House speaker expressed a strong interest in finding new funding methods for humanitarian aid in Gaza, outside of the United Nations.

“The speaker was very, very direct about the U.S. role with Israel and in the world and understands that there are voices that don’t agree in both parties, on both extremes, and urges us all to be involved in fighting back against those extremes,” Eric Fingerhut told Jewish Insider.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, speaking to a gathering of Jewish activists on Capitol Hill, highlighted concerns about rising left-wing antisemitism and the ways that antisemitic narratives are being spread to and by college students.

"The glue holding the Gen Z conservatives together is their support for President Donald Trump... Trump’s stalwart support for Israel, undoubtedly, is a major factor behind most young Republicans continuing to side with the Jewish state despite the pockets of disapproval within." Full analysis:

“We were literally in the safe room that was turned into a room where the terrorists brutalized these young women Israeli soldiers. And then they took us into the control room where the Hamas terrorists locked the young female IDF soldiers and burned them to death,” Sen. Steve Daines said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke about his efforts to hold the line against the isolationist wing of the Republican Party in a private meeting with pro-Israel leaders on Capitol Hill, several individuals who attended the meeting told Jewish Insider.

The House Oversight Committee asked the Trump administration to investigate if far-left billionaire Neville Roy Singham’s bankrolling of “extremist organizations fueling division and civil unrest" would qualify him for federal sanctions or make him eligible for criminal or legal penalties.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp said he sees some who oppose the Jewish community as suffering from “Jewish derangement syndrome” and attacking Jews who are “a metaphor for agency and meritocracy” as part of a broader effort at “annihilating our societies.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said on Wednesday that the Trump administration’s goal is not to engage in a prolonged legal battle with Harvard and expressed hope that the federal government would be able to reach a settlement that delivers meaningful reforms to the elite campus.

EXCLUSIVE | Rep. Josh Gottheimer wrote to the president of the New Jersey State Board of Education to urge the state to reject calls from the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations for the state’s education boards to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League.

Sen. Steve Daines told Jewish Insider he left Israel from a weekend visit with a renewed belief in the U.S.-Israel relationship and the necessity of fully eradicating Hamas, as the IDF begins expanded operations in Gaza City.

ANALYSIS | A new poll of young conservatives shows that Gen Z Republicans are decidedly more supportive of Israel than their liberal counterparts, but that there is a notable faction of those who take a more critical view towards the Jewish state. Full analysis by Josh Kraushaar:

Palantir CEO Alex Karp said he’s “deeply, deeply grateful” for the Chabad award, “but I think we need a world where I don’t win this award, and there’s huge competition for it. … Why are so few people speaking up? There are very, very few people speaking up.”

SCOOP | Fifty Senate Republicans wrote to the foreign ministers of the U.K., France and Germany urging them to hold firm in triggering snapback sanctions on Iran and requesting their cooperation in sanctions enforcement.