Week of December 7, 2025

Three Pictures of Houthi Demonstrations in Yemen

Last January, I found a picture of a fun-looking Houthi man and shared it with you all. He showed up again three months later. In the interim nine months, he got a hippie hat. I’m excited to see what’s in store for him next!

Sunday 12.7

While working in politics, I learned about the Veep-West Wing scale, which compares a political office to the serious drama or disorganized comedy shows. A candidate challenging Rep. Ritchie Torres, Michael Blake, seems to land all the way at the comedic and messy Veep end, opportunistically positioning himself as anti-AIPAC, when his past position papers, appearances, and pronouncements clearly supported the group. [1]

Monday 12.8

A new report finds that massive foreign influence campaigns seem to be artificially boosting, unabashed antisemite and Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes’ content on social media to fill the gap left in right-wing circles by the murder of Charlie Kirk. Personally, I didn’t need a report to know this, because no matter what app I open, I can’t escape clips from his show. [2]

Tuesday 12.9

The Speaker of the Knesset met with the Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader, and concluded that the U.S.-Israel relationship is in good legislative hands. [3]

Wednesday 12.10

Rabbi Amiel Hirsch was among the lead opponents of Mamdani during the election, but after meeting with the mayor-elect, he feels “encouraged” that Mamdani will protect the community. He left open the possibility that he may have an overly optimistic view, ending with saying, “but we’ll have to wait and see.” [4]

Thursday 12.11

The Syrian government approved a Jewish heritage organization to protect Jewish sites and bring Jewish delegations to the country! [5]

Friday 12.12

Zohran Mamdani started naming picks for his administration, except that some of the most controversial ones’ names were mispelled, purportedly to hide their identities. However, one could argue that he was simply following the precedent of how often his name was mispronounced. [6]

Saturday 12.13

The IDF called off a strike to work towards disarming Hezbollah, because the Lebanese military decided to do so itself, as the Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire agreement stipulates. [7]

Week of November 30, 2025

I was verbally harassed for being Jewish once or twice, but was nothing compared to the attacks leveled at me this week for outwardly being a Knicks fan at a Celtics game. Antisemitism pales in comparison to New England sports fans’ disdain for New York…

Sunday 11.30

Prime Minister Netanyahu requested a pardon from Israeli President Herzog to end his ongoing corruption trial. Israeli pardons are different than American ones, in that they are generally an admission of guilt followed by a resignation. Netanyahu framed his as a way to restore national unity without the admission and resignation. President Herzog is considering how to make the difficult decision. [1]

Monday 12.1

Nick Fuentes, leader of the far-right Groyper movement, tweeted that he was upset not to be considered for Stop Antisemitism’s antisemite of the year award. And after witnessing all his hard work in persuit of that accolade, I get his dissapointment. [2]

Tuesday 12.2

Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno introduced a bill to ban dual citizenship. I truly believe his intentions are pure, but, like the ADL, I am also concerned about how highlighting this issue can embolden classical antisemitic tropes of Jews having dual loyalties. [3]

Wednesday 12.3

The Guinness Book of World Records announced that it won’t be taking submissions from Israel. I guess there won’t be a new award for the country with the lowest urban warfare civilian to combatant casualty ratio this year. [4]

Thursday 12.4

A new survey finds that the rate of increase in people holding antisemitic beliefs has slowed. To clarify, this means that the rate at which people hold antisemitic beliefs is growing, but just at a slower rate. Small wins, I guess. [5]

Friday 12.5

Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia said they won’t participate in Eurvision because Israel hasn’t been banned. Given Israel’s recent success in the competition, they may just be sore losers. [6]

Saturday 12.6

Israeli president Herzog thanked President Trump for his support, but said his advocacy for Netanyahu’s pardon will not play a role in his decision making process. [7]

Week of November 23, 2025

I hope everyone followed the often-broken national tradition of not bringing up too much politics at the Thanksgiving table this year, but if you did, I hope some points from The ZioKnight helped!

Sunday 11.23

Israel launched a strike into Lebanon, killing Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff, who had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head. More surprising than the news to me was the fact that Hezbollah has a “chief of staff.” Imagine being in the room with the sheikh, jihad council, and shura council, and being called the “chief of staff?” Pretty embarrassing if you ask me. [1][2]

Monday 11.24

President Trump signed an executive order designating certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations because of their transnational backing of terror, including being a benefactor of Hamas. [3][4]

Tuesday 11.25

When COVID misinformation reached an apex, social media executives decided to censor posts. The rising influence of extreme elements of the right and left led Elon Musk to take a different route with X. He made each account’s country of origin public, exposing extreme isolationist and leftist accounts being based outside the United States. Maybe we aren’t as divided as it seems. [5]

Wednesday 11.26

“The Rent is Too Damn High” Guy

Wizz, a Hungarian airline, announced a $1 billion investment in its Israeli operations. I’ll celebrate any investment in Israeli aviation because the flight prices are “too damn high.” [6][7]

Thursday 11.27

It feels like forever ago when Israel and Iran were lighting up each other’s skies, but looking back, it feels strange that despite the domestic opposition to the government, the protest movement amounted to nothing. Reporting is showing that in the face of failure, the Iranian regime doubled down on internal oppression, repressing dissenting voices. [8]

Friday 11.28

Hezbollah opened the possibility of waging war on Israel. I hope that when they announce it to their ranks, the news is “explosive.” [9]

Saturday 11.29

Dublin, Ireland, city council members are scheduled to vote on renaming “Herzog Park” to “Free Palestine Park." Shocker. [10]

Week of November 16, 2025

In the 1997 movie, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Dr. Evil thought $1 million was a lot of money, to be corrected by his number two, that $100 billion was more like it. We learned this week that due to inflation, that figure lies around $1 trillion now. Keep reading to learn why!

Sunday 11.16

Last week, I joked about Code Pink’s rabble-rousing not being very welcome on Capitol Hill, but maybe I was wrong, because 21 House Democrats just co-sponsored a bill backed by them to call the war in Gaza genocide. I guess it depends on who you ask. [1]

Monday 11.17

The UN Security Council voted to adopt President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. This is historic for the possibility of a framework for peace in the Middle East, and equally as much as for the UN supporting something proposed by President Trump. [2]

Tuesday 11.18

President Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salaman, yielding commitments to sell the kingdom the most advanced F-35 fighter jets and an increase in investment into the U.S. from $600 billion to $1 trillion. The Gulf leader even suggested he may be interested in joining the Abraham Accords. The administration claimed the sale would not interfere with Israel’s congressionally mandated qualitative military edge in the Middle East. [3]

Wednesday 11.19

Russian nuclear scientists made a trip to Iran. The Mossad is about to be very busy… [4]

Thursday 11.20

House Democratic Members of Congress created a political action committee to uplift members who reject antisemitism. I am excited for a now-needed potential GOP equivalent. [5]

Friday 11.21

The UN-backed hunger tracker, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification System, downwardly revised its hunger estimates, which wouldn’t meet its definition for a famine. However, this news didn’t get the same fanfare as the original report… [6]

Saturday 11.22

A new Iron Dome production facility just opened. One may expect it to be in Israel, but instead, it calls Camden, Arkansas, home. The U.S.-Israel relationship runs deep. [7]

Week of November 9, 2025

This week, I gave a presentation to the Brandeis Hebrew Consortium on my summer internship they funded. I dusted off my Hebrew and spoke about the experience, but what came most naturally was talking about this newsletter. אולי הגיע הזמן לקצת עברית בזיוקנייט (maybe it’s time to introduce some Hebrew to this newsletter).

Sunday 11.9

Senator Tom Cotton started pushing the Department of Justice to investigate Code Pink’s ties to the terrorist group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Chinese Communist Party. The evidence he shared was pretty dammning, but the only thing I can say nearly for sure is that their activists constantly disrupting Congress won’t be missed. [1]

Monday 11.10

I knew the Syrian Leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, was cozying up to Western governments by dressing up like a modern president, but I didn’t know that he would be dressing up like our president. [2]

Tuesday 11.11

Netanyahu’s right-hand man, Ron Dermer, resigned from the Israeli government. While rumors were quick to swirl around whether there was a disagreement, the true reason was far simpler. He promised his family it would be a two-year gig, and after two extensions, his time was up. [3]

Wednesday 11.12

President Trump called on the Israeli President, Mike Herzog, to grant Prime Minister Netanyahu a pardon amid the legal case that has been engulfing Israeli politics. Netanyahu thanked Trump, but hasn’t made any indication that he would take the first step towards setting the request into motion in Israeli law, admitting guilt. [4]

Thursday 11.13

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, said that Israel hopes Turkey doesn’t get F-35 fighter jets, and that Israel would still have a regional qualitative military edge if Saudi Arabia were to receive them, giving an insight into Jerusalem’s perspective of the regional threat(s). [5]

Friday 11.14

Growing up learning geography, it was a common trick to remember Italy as the country shaped like a boot. That is why I found it so fitting that the country announced it would be purchasing none other than Israel’s “Achilles Shield” missile defense system. [6]

Saturday 11.15

Back to the F-35s, President Trump strongly suggested that he would condition any Saudi purchase of the jets on normalization with Israel. [7]

Week of November 2, 2025

Rabbi Meir Muller and Dr. Devin Randolph

A Critical Race Theory Professor and a Chabad Rabbi walk into a room, sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it is how I spent my Thursday night. Dr. Devin Randolph and Rabbi Meir Muller made it their mission to share the parallel Jewish and Black American heritage with students around the country. It was an honor to be reminded that our historic and ironclad bond is still alive today.

Sunday 11.2

Iran says it will rebuild its nuclear facilities “with greater strength” following the U.S. strikes this past June. I am confused about why they have anything to “rebuild,” because last I heard, their Supreme Leader, Khomeini, said following the strike that it didn’t “accomplish anything significant.” [1][2]

Monday 11.3

I am imagining Congressman and Senate hopeful, Seth Moulton, picking petals off a flower, saying “he loves me, he loves me not,” because he was just reported to be courting AIPAC’s unconditional support prior to rejecting any further collaboration with the group. I guess he landed on the wrong petal. [3]

Tuesday 11.4

Zohran Mamdani is New York City’s mayor-elect. Many are uncertain of the city’s future, but there is one thing I am certain about, and that is where Mamdani’s first foreign trip won’t be. [4]

Wednesday 11.5

Norway’s nearly $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund put its BDS decree on hold. It turns out their economic model only works when their investments actually make money. [5]

Thursday 11.6

Kazakhstan is the newest member of the Abraham Accords! I am somewhat surprised, given the country’s history of clandestine operations in the U.S. conducted by one of my favorite Jews, Borat! [6]

Friday 11.7

There is a turf war happening over the future of the Republican Party. Senator Ted Cruz is the latest of the party’s elite to flatly reject the antisemitic apologism of Tucker Carlson and the neo-nazism of Nick Fuentes. [7]

Saturday 11.8

Ireland submitted a request to ban Israel from some of the world’s largest soccer competitions. They claim ideological reasons, but after losing enough soccer matches against Israelis at Camp Lavi, I think they’re just scared. [8]

Week of October 26, 2025

Picture of Me

Brandeis University just published a video highlighting my internship with Congressman Hoyer. And while it may look like a campaign video, I am not running for anything… yet…

Sunday 10.26

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of the city he calls home. He highlighted his disagreement with the candidate, but is committed to supporting the winner of “a free and fair” primary. [1]

Monday 10.27

An unidentified man kicked the door of the Jewish resource center at the University of Michigan and yelled antisemitic comments. Here is what my friend and a student, Ethan Marcus, had to say following the incident:

While I’m deeply disturbed by the actions that took place, I am not surprised in the slightest. I certainly hope this particular student doesn’t truly hate Israel, Israelis, or Jews. I hope he is simply parroting what he sees on his TikTok feed. The UMich community is hopeful he will be found and prosecuted for his actions.

Tuesday 10.28

Ben and Jerry’s was blocked by its parent company from releasing a “Palestine” flavor. So the co-founder is going to create his own. Hopefully this means I can have Ben and Jerry’s again soon… [2]

Wednesday 10.29

Despite the seemingly endless stream of “Jews for Mamdani” ads, a recent poll found that only 16% of New York City Jews support the mayoral hopeful. [3]

Thursday 10.30

The most influential American right-wing think tank, the Heritage Foundation, called Tucker Carlson a “close friend” and refused to condemn the Neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes. The group said about Israel:

When it serves the interest of the United States to cooperate with Israel and other allies, we should do so with partnerships on security, intelligence and technology. But when it doesn’t, conservatives should feel no obligation to reflexively support any foreign government. [4]

Friday 10.31

With the stability of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire under his belt, President Trump has started to suggest to the Indonesian Prime Minister that the largest Muslim country should be next to join the Abraham Accords. Indonesia is committed to being a major player in the ceasefire’s implementation and wants to strengthen its ties with the U.S. [5]

Saturday 11.1

Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is planning a trip to the U.S. He hopes to secure a defense pact with the U.S., and Trump hopes he recognizes Israel. They also both tend to get what they want... [6]

Week of October 19, 2025

For my creative arts core requirement in college, I’m taking a class called “Movement for the Stage.” This week, we experimented with masks. Before we covered our faces, the professor gave an ominous warning that it is natural for people to feel more violent when covering their faces, and she would yell “stop” if anyone lost control. She may be on to something… maybe even a solution for Hamas’ violence in Gaza.

Sunday 10.19

After Hamas killed two Israeli soldiers last week, the ceasefire was temporarily broken. Israel announced its resumption of the deal. [1]

Monday 10.20

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s architects of the ceasefire deal, landed in Israel to protect its progress and work towards the next stage. [2]

Tuesday 10.21

The leading democratic candidate for Senate in Maine had a nazi tattoo, and the republican nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel said he was on a “Nazi streak.” While the tattoo was since covered and the nomination rescinded, such instances of Jew hatred are frightfully on the rise. [3]

Wednesday 10.22

Over 800 rabbis signed a letter calling democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a threat against the “safety and dignity of Jews in every city.” Still, polling shows that 43% of Jewish New York City voters support him. [4][5]

Thursday 10.23

Trump’s appointment for ambassador to Kuwait has so many controversies in his past, it is difficult to summarize them in this blurb. I think Senator Jacky Rosen put it best when she told him:

You liked a Facebook comment comparing Jews to monkeys. You characterize leaders you don’t like as ‘becoming Jewish.’ As mayor, you failed to comment after one of your political appointees suggested the Holocaust was ‘advance punishment’ for the war in Gaza, and you denied the Hamas used sexual violence as a weapon of war on Oct. 7… You can disagree with the Israeli government, but peddling antisemitism in such a public manner, as an elected official, as a community leader, is beyond the pale. [6]

Friday 10.24

American Airlines became the last of the major U.S. carriers to resume flights to Israel. [7]

Saturday 10.25

The war might be over, but Hamas’ metro system is still better than most, because 60% of the tunnels remain intact. [8]

Week of October 12, 2025

I will finally retire my hostage necklace because all twenty living hostages are home! This week, I heard from a Nova survivor that the overwhelming sentiment at the festival was that the attendees preferred death over being taken hostage. Few had the chance to make a decision. Yet still, those last twenty maintained a flickering spark of hope for freedom, which, thank God, paid off.

Sunday 10.12

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a deal to open a Qatari Air Force flight training base in Idaho. The news was met with mixed reactions to say the least. [1]

Monday 10.13

President Trump showed that the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship is so strong that he framed his address to the Knesset like a State of the Union, usually reserved for Congress:

And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace…

The State of Israel is strong, and it will live and thrive forever. And that is why Israel will always remain a vital ally of the United States of America. [2]

Tuesday 10.14

The Ceasefire started, and the “Ceasefire Now” crowd is the most angry about it. One of its loudest voices, the Irish Hip Hop Group Kneecap said, “This isn’t a peace deal—it’s further dehumanization and oppression. I wish all ‘dehumanization and oppression' were this good. [3]

Wednesday 10.15

Speaking of ‘dehumanization and oppression,’ Hamas made an example of what it actually looks like this week, publicly executing Gazans who they claim cooperated with Israel. I will spare you the ISIS-style graphic footage. [4]

Thursday 10.16

Massachusetts member of Congress and Senate candidate, Seth Moulton, is returning AIPAC’s donations and refusing future support. I can think of no better comparison than how a friend described it to me, like Paulie Gatto betraying Vito Corleone in The Godfather.

Rep. Moulton, a former champion for Israel and political moderation, is now a former inspiration to me. [5]

Friday 10.17

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s right-hand man and key negotiator for the ceasefire, predicts that the Abraham Accords will “seriously expand” after the ceasefire. I know I have my picks for which countries are first. [6]

Saturday 10.18

Poll Results

Despite what Kneecap had to say, approval of President Trump’s handling of the Gaza War soared after the ceasefire was reached. [7]

Week of October 5, 2025

I had extra devotion in my Shabbat prayer blessing the U.S. government this week because President Trump mediated a hostage release and ceasefire deal. In the coming days, the remaining 48 hostages will be freed, the fighting will stop, and aid will flood into the Gaza Strip. The two years of devastation are over: peace is on the horizon. And the news coming out on my birthday was the best gift I could have received.

Sunday 10.5

Soon after President Trump signed an executive order giving a security guarantee to Qatar, their state-owned news outlet, Al Jazeera, dampened its critical coverage of Israel. Pundits suggest that the editorial shift was linked to the executive order in negotiations. [1]

Monday 10.6

A Harvard Harris Poll conducted in early October found that 70% of U.S. voters would support a Gaza peace plan if all Arab countries signed on. The other 30% are hard to please. [2]

Tuesday 10.7

To commemorate the October 7th massacre’s second anniversary, President Trump hosted former hostage Edan Alexander in the Oval Office. The news was quickly overshadowed by another fortuitous development from the office. [3]

Wednesday 10.8

My pride in having interned for Congressmen Gottheimer and Hoyer redoubled after they held a joint press conference emphasizing Hamas’s blame for the war and criticizing Israel’s detractors. [4]

Thursday 10.9

The Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate came out strongly supportive of Trump’s peace plan. [5][6][7][8]

Friday 10.10

The ceasefire began, and the IDF moved out of the agreed-upon territories. Israeli hospitals are preparing to take in the 20 living hostages. [9]

Saturday 10.11

Reports state that the hostages will be returned on Monday in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. [10][11]

Week of September 28, 2025

Congratulations to everyone on some powerful prayers this Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, because it looks like lots of them are being answered.

Sunday 8.28

World Zionist Congress Election Results

While it seemed like the entire Jewish world made a concerted effort to encourage us to vote for the World Zionist Congress elections earlier this year, the same wasn’t the case when announcing the results. To my surprise, no communal announcements, social media posts, or conversations came alongside the mere email enumerating the results above. Perhaps it is because the slates I received the most advertising from don’t have much to celebrate. [1]

Monday 8.29

President Trump officially announced the much-rumored 20-point peace plan for Gaza with Israel’s backing. Trump says that Hamas “is the only one left” to withhold its support of the agreement, which will include amnesty for Hamas members who lay down their arms, return of the hostages, Israel’s release of 250 life-sentenced prisoners, the deradicalization of the Strip, comprehensive economic redevelopment, a temporary independent technocratic government, and reforms of the Palestinian Authority. [2][3]

Tuesday 8.30

News broke that the University of Maryland student government was set for a vote on Yom Kippur, calling on the University to enact BDS. Despite condemnation from Jewish communal leaders, the vote went on to pass 29-1. I am especially sad from this news because my existence hinged on my parents meeting there. [4][5]

Wednesday 9.1

While Hamas remains indecisive, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey urged its leaders to accept the deal. [6]

Thursday 9.2

Jihad al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, committed a terrorist car ramming and stabbing killing two and seriously injuring three at an Orthodox Yom Kippur Service in Manchester, UK. The police shot him and labeled it an official act of terrorism. My sorrow and teffilot lie with the Manchester Jewish community. [7]

Friday 9.3

President Trump posted a reminder to Hamas that he thinks they should accept the deal, which has a deadline of Sunday evening.

Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. [8]

Saturday 9.4

Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a speech that he believes we are “on the brink of a great achievement.” Trump announced that Netanyahu agreed to the withdrawal line, which he says “will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE.” [8][9]

Week of September 21, 2025

My Portable Coffee Setup on the Beach

While back at home for the weekend, going into Rosh Hashana, I had an itch for an adventure. So I channelled my experience at Abraham’s Tent in Israel and went on an expedition to connect with nature while enjoying some specialty coffee.

Sunday 9.21

The U.K., Canada, Australia, and Portugal jointly announced their recognition of a Palestinian state. This diplomatic blow towards Israel rewards the terrorism of October 7th, a dangerous precedent. [1]

Monday 9.22

Kamala Harris notes in her new book that, contrary to past reports, she did have disagreements with President Biden over the his handling of Israel. Saying,

I had pleaded with Joe, when he spoke publicly on this issue, to extend the same empathy he showed to the suffering of Ukrainians to the suffering of innocent Gazan civilians… But he couldn’t do it: While he could passionately state, ‘I am a Zionist,’ his remarks about innocent Palestinians came off as inadequate and forced.

She also noted that the potential for protests was a factor in why she did not select Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate. [2]

Tuesday 9.23

Amid most countries blasting Israel at the dais of the UN General Assembly, President Trump took the opportunity to speak positively of the country and condemn other states’ moves towards unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. [3]

Wednesday 9.24

Over half of House Democrats signed onto a letter warning Israel against annexing the West Bank. On the other side of the aisle, Republican representatives formed the Friends of Judaia and Samaria Caucus and directed Foreign Affairs Committee documentation to refer to the West Bank by that name, which is the biblical designation of the territory. [4][5]

Thursday 9.25

Trump agreed with the House democrats on this one, pledging he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. [6]

Friday 9.26

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected claims of genocide, condemned recognition of a Palestinian State, and hailed his military successes. [7]

Saturday 9.27

China and Russia failed to delay snapback sanctions on Iran in the UN Security Council. The UN will reimpose restrictions on arms sales, ballistic missile tests, assets, and uranium enrichment this morning. [8]

Week of September 14, 2025

Photos from my Capitol Hill Trip

Despite what some pockets of the media may be saying, the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship is strong! How do I know? Well, thanks to AIPAC, I had the opportunity this week to meet with ten Congressional offices at the forefront of our partnership with Israel while in DC. Pictured above are from my meetings with the offices of the number two House Democrat, Whip Clark, Rep. Auchincloss, Rep. Smith, Rep. Menendez, Rep. Sherrill, and Rep. Amo!

Sunday 9.14

Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a trip to Israel, where he opened an ancient tunnel to the public. Highlighting the closeness of the U.S.-Israel bond, the tunnel was used by ancient pilgrims en route to the temple. [1]

Monday 9.15

The Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City. She said they agreed on the importance of putting a strong figure at the helm of the police department and addressing antisemitism. In a vacuum, this would be pretty good news, but it is dampened by his past call to defund the police and rap song he wrote glorifying terrorism. [2]

Tuesday 9.16

The IDF began its Gaza City operation to clear the enclave of its remaining 2,000-3,000 Hamas terrorists. The campaign may take months. [3]

Wednesday 9.17

Israel was protected on two fronts this past Wednesday. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson met with top pro-Israel GOP leaders to shore up support for the U.S.-Israel relationship amid party infighting.

Israel announced it completed the Iron Beam Missile defense system, which will become operational by the end of the year, and costs less than $5 per zap! The innovation will join the country’s multilayered missile defense apparatus where the surface to air interceptors cost thousands of dollars each. [4][5]

Thursday 9.18

The House Foreign Affairs Committee rejected conditions on aid to Israel in two 45-5 votes. It was reassuring to see that the sentiment I observed in Congress is reflected at crunch time! [6]

Friday 9.19

Former hostage and fellow New Jerseyan, Edan Alexander, said the following at a sold-out Friends of the Israel Defense Forces event:

Next month, God willing, I will return to Israel. I will once again put on the IDF uniform, and I will proudly serve alongside my brothers. My story does not end with survival – it continues with service. [7]

Saturday 9.19

A Times of Israel journalist was part of a two-day tour of the Jewish sites of Syria. My dream trip is one step closer to reality… [8]

Week of September 7, 2025

Hearing the news of Charlie Kirk being shot, I followed his advice to "say a prayer." And I didn't stop saying prayers beyond internalizing the world-altering news of his assassination, because I hoped to add to the momentum of the rise of his soul in the world to come.

Growing up in the modern political environment, it was rare to see respectful dialogue. The demagoguery of echo chambers disillusioned much of my generation. Yet, Charlie Kirk leveraged his historical skillset to promote public debate and show us that there is another way.

He asked clarifying questions to deliberate over contentious topics, came prepared with facts, and maintained the humility of a willingness to be proven wrong. By proudly championing these characteristics and more, he revealed the purest form of the most prized trait: authenticity, to an extent few others of his stature emulate.

Support of the Jewish people and Israel was among his most passionate topics while inviting conversation on college campuses. I personally owe an innumerable debt to his determination to protect the co-founders of Western civilization.

Now that Charlie Kirk is no longer with us, his memory lives in a spirit of public debate, which I am devastated will never be the same. My prayers, and those of millions of others, now go to his wife, his one-year-old, and his three-year-old children to overcome this traumatic hurdle and carry on his legacy.

Sunday 9.7

We were provided a horrific reminder of what it means to “globalize the intifada” with a terror shooting killing six on a bus in Israel. [1]

Monday 9.8

Spain doubled down on its anti-Israel bona fides, formalizing an arms embargo on Israel and banning ships that provide Israel with fuel from passing through its ports. I am not as proud of my family’s Spanish heritage this week. [2]

Tuesday 9.9

Israel unilaterally launched a strike on Hamas leaders within Qatar, a U.S. ally. Competing accounts suggest the operation was a partial success, failing to eliminate key leaders. Israel said it had notified the U.S. in advance, and the U.S. said it was made aware during the operation. While acknowledging that targeting Hamas leaders is a worthy goal, President Trump expressed displeasure following the Israeli move and assured Qatar that this will not happen again. [3][4][5]

Wednesday 9.10

While his show might have ended, Jerry Seinfeld showed at an event at Duke that he can still riff like the old days:

Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews. By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think. So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ OK that’s honest. [6]

Thursday 9.11

A poll was released showing that in a head-to-head match-up, Brad Lander, New York City’s progressive comptroller, would beat pro-Israel Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman by 19 points for his seat. Lander supports blocking arms sales to Israel and has divested New York City from Israel Bonds. Lander has not made a statement about whether he will run and is expected to hold a position in a potential Zohran Mamdani city administration. [7]

Friday 9.12

The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to end the war in Gaza and implement a two-state solution. The U.S., Israel, and 8 others voted against it. Of the remaining countries, 12 abstained, and the rest voted for the resolution. This would be bigger news if the General Assembly had the power to implement the resolution. [8]

Saturday 9.13

In advance of the full-fledged Gaza City operation, Israel has been evacuating the area’s one million residents. So far, the IDF confirms 280,000 have left for humanitarian zones. [9]

Week of August 31, 2025

Last week I told you about my club fair game – and I think you will be as surprised as I was by the result. It started normally, with the protesters circulating flyers, until I was shocked to hear that the police had removed them. Speaking to friends at other universities, I heard there have been crackdowns across the country. The bad news is that this takes away from the purpose for this newsletter.

Sunday 8.31

Apparently, there was a heated Israeli cabinet meeting over disagreements over the prospect of a deal and the occupation of Gaza. I can’t say much more than that because I wasn’t ♩ ♪ in the room where it happened ♫ ♬. [1]

Monday 9.1

The U.S. suspended granting visas to Palestinians. The move (and most of the rest of the newsletter) follows many European countries’ motion towards recognizing a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly. [2]

Tuesday 9.2

Also in response to the Europeans, Israeli Minister Smotrich announced a plan to extend Israeli sovereignty over 82% of the West Bank. The move would preempt unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by making it nearly impossible to form a state in the territory. [3]

Wednesday 9.3

Last week, the International Association for Genocide Scholars deemed the Gaza war a genocide. The news made a splash, completely covering my feeds. The revelation that anyone can pay a nominal fee to become a voting member of the organization, on the other hand, was met by crickets. [4]

Thursday 9.4

Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to Israel’s plan to annex 82% of the West Bank “wholly predictably” because it is the most obvious actionable response to the unilateral France-led campaign of recognition. He also noted that it would make a “ceasefire harder” to achieve. [5]

Friday 9.5

As Smotrich’s proclamation marinates, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee signaled the U.S. wouldn’t oppose Israeli annexation of the West Bank. [6]

Saturday 9.6

President Trump gave some insight into the black box that is the hostage negotiations. He described them as "very deep." Some of the remaining 20 hostages are believed to be alive, and some have "recently died." He said that if Hamas doesn’t return the hostages, “it will be very nasty.” [7]

Week of August 24, 2025

The semesterly Brandeis University Club fair is taking place today. That means I can play the game of “spot the protestor.” There are always a handful of students who come up to the pro-Israel table and are secret protestors. Some will just take some Bamba, while others will offer a snarky comment after hearing the pitch. My favorite part of the game is seeing how our presence promotes innovative ways to disrupt; it’s how we embody the start-up nation.

Sunday 8.24

Charles Kushner, the ambassador to France, published an op-ed highlighting the “dramatic rise in antisemitism in France” and called on the Prime Minister to “enforce hate-crime laws without exception; ensure the safety of Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, prosecute offenders to the fullest extent; and abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.”

The French Foreign Ministry called the move “unacceptable” and summoned him. [1]

Monday 8.25

The IDF expressed its “regret… to uninvolved individuals” following its strike on the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza that killed 20 Gazans, including four journalists. [2]

Tuesday 8.26

The Democratic National Committee rejected a motion to adopt the policy of overt anti-Israelness. The party chair rescinded a resolution to adopt a pro-Israel stance and instead formed a task force to continue discussing the subject. [3]

Wednesday 8.27

A school shooter tragically opened fire, killing two children and injuring at least 17 people in a catholic school. The gun was inscribed with anti-Jewish language. [4]

Thursday 8.28

Brad Pitt joined the team producing the film “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” highlighting the plight of Gazans. Everyone who said the Jews control Hollywood looks very silly right now. [5]

Friday 8.29

France, Britain, and Germany initiated the thirty-day snapback mechanism under the Iran Nuclear Deal to reimpose veto-proof and onerous UN sanctions on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. [6]

Saturday 8.30

The IDF confirmed the elimination of the Houthi Prime Minister and eight other ministers. More surprising than this success is that the Houthis have a leader with the title “Prime Minister.” [7]

Week of August 17, 2025

While it may still technically be summer, I am moving to school today, so welcome to the ZioKnight “campus edition” for the next few months.

Sunday 8.17

Laura Loomer was not a fan of the flow of Gazans entering the U.S., so she reportedly made her case to the president, and their visas were halted. [1]

Monday 8.18

Rep. Katherine Clark and I

The Member of Congress representing my university and the #2 House Democrat, Katherine Clark, repeated the claim of a constituent who called the war in Gaza a genocide. A day later, she walked back the statement. Throughout my relationship with her and her staff, she proudly stood with Israel, so I was waiting for the rescission when I heard the initial news. [2]

Tuesday 8.19

Seb Gorka, the White House senior director for counterterrorism and a deputy assistant to the president, made clear that the anti-Israel Tucker Carlson wing of the Republican Party has no sway over the President’s Middle East policy. [3]

Wednesday 8.20

Israel called up 60,000 reservists to embark on the operation to take Gaza City, the last untouched territory on the strip. One of those soldiers is my brother’s OU Rabbi at school. Hopefully, he’ll be back soon, so the operation is over and my brother can have a rabbi. [4]

Thursday 8.21

On a podcast, Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified that, regardless of what members of his coalition may be saying, he has no plans to start Jewish settlements in Gaza. [5]

Friday 8.22

An anonymous government official in Libya confirmed that there is the possibility of eventual normalization with Israel. So I’ll repurpose a negative phrase from Back to the Future to positively say that hopefully “the Libyans are coming” to the table! [6]

Saturday 8.23

Times of Israel Headline

Hats off to the Times of Israel for this headline. Touche. [7]

Week of August 10, 2025

Article Screenshot

This week, I had the special opportunity to reflect on the safety of Jewish students on campus for this coming semester with the publication MassLive. In the article, I expressed my hope that the attention around the issue will lead school administrators to enforce the new policies they have been crafting over the summer. University classes start for the next three weeks, so now it’s a waiting game.

Sunday 8.10

Prime Minister Netanyahu partially walked back his claim to conquer Gaza fully. The plan that passed included moving Gaza City’s population into a humanitarian zone with abundant aid. He struck in the middle of both political poles to the anger of each of them, evident by their respective protests. [1]

Monday 8.11

Me Driving Through the Blue Ridge Mountains

I know this isn’t entirely Israel-related, but stick with me. A Jewish real estate developer is working to establish an orthodox community in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. This happens to be one of my favorite places in America because of the clean air, natural beauty, and abundant expanses. Just look at my joy driving through them last January! [2]

Tuesday 8.12

A group of Hamas terrorists was struck while masquerading as World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza. The aid group condemned the terrorists. [3]

Wednesday 8.13

The Toronto Film Festival initially blocked the showing of an October 7th documentary because the clips from the massacre didn’t have permission from Hamas to be shown. Amid struggling to think of a way to describe the absurdity of it, I received a notification that the decision had been reversed. I’m glad they came to their senses. [4][5]

Thursday 8.14

Me on the University of Notre Dame’s Campus in South Bend, Indiana

Former Secretary of Transportation and Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg had some not-too-great things to say about Israel this week. While the news dampened my trip to his hometown of South Bend, Indiana, this week, I still enjoyed exploring Notre Dame’s beautiful campus in the north of the city. [6]

Friday 8.15

A common criticism of the war in Gaza is that Israel hasn’t made its intentions clear. Netanyahu clarified them:

1. Disarm Hamas

2. Return all the Hostages

3. Demilitarize Gaza

4. Establish Israeli Security control in Gaza

5. Establish a new civil administration in Gaza that’s neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority [7]

Saturday 8.16

Indonesia is one of 11 countries to execute air-drops of aid into Gaza, and I respect the move. Unlike unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state (which some of these countries have done), this is a way to make a material difference on the ground. [8]

Week of August 3, 2025

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced it will be quadrupling its aid distributions. I was excited to hear about the “flood” of aid, but sad I didn’t predict it first as a “Noah” myself.

Sunday 8.3

Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, at the Kotel

Both Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and I had a meaningful Tisha Be’Av. I had the special opportunity to hear from Rabbi Dweck, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of London, and the speaker joined AIPAC on a visit to the site of the destruction itself! [1]

Monday 8.4

Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the IDF will “conquer” Gaza. The IDF maintains control over 75% of the strip and plans to expand it to 100%. The Prime Minister’s stated purpose of the move is that “If [Israel doesn’t] act now, the hostages will die of hunger and Gaza will remain under Hamas’ control.” [2]

Tuesday 8.5

House Intelligence Committee Members with Ambassador Huckabee

Both my former bosses in Congress, Reps. Hoyer and Gotthiemer are also visiting Israel with AIPAC! I hope they enjoy this bonding experience. [3][4]

Wednesday 8.6

New Jersey-Israel Commission Logo

New York City launched a joint economic council with Israel to deepen business ties. This is a nice development, but as a proud New Jerseyan, I have to note that New Jersey established its version in 1989. [5][6]

Thursday 8.7

Congressman Jared Moskowitz

I have been bombarded with headlines about redistricting congressional seats in Florida and Texas. Amid the news, I noticed Rep. Jared Moskowitz’s district may be cut in Florida. That would spell disaster for my favorite group in Congress that he chairs, the Congressional Sneaker Caucus… [7][8]

Friday 8.8

Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to be taking pages out of President Trump’s playbook. The Prime Minister says he is “looking into” suing the New York Times for its reporting on a false picture of starvation in Gaza. [9]

Saturday 8.9

Israeli Leadership congratulated President Trump for brokering a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, praising his “passionate commitment to help reach peace in our world [and hope and prayers] we will see many more historic achievements around the world under [his] leadership.” [10]

Week of July 27, 2025

Me Being Filmed this Week

I’ve been having a lot of fun writing this weekly brief on Israel news. After two video shoots this week, I’m thinking it may be time for a ZioKnight Podcast!

Sunday 7.27

At the Israel on Campus Coalition’s yearly student summit, I heard the Department of Justice official tasked with combating antisemitism, Leo Terrell, describe a “Jewish Tax.” While it is not officially in the books, Jewish organizations have to spend out of pocket to protect themselves from antisemitic attacks. Given how many Jewish accountants I know, I’m surprised I heard it from him first. [1]

Monday 7.28

There was suddenly an avalanche of condemnations of Israel for purported starvation in Gaza. I hope these personalities got their information from somewhere other than the New York Times, because the child they portrayed as starving was actually suffering from a health condition. I think the rage should be directed at the people who are preventing the aid from going to the Gazans, which isn’t Israel. [3]

Tuesday 7.29

All Democratic Senators except Senator John Fetterman signed at least one of the two letters condemning Israel’s distribution of aid in Gaza. The letter with 40 signees was less intense in its wording than the one with 19.

A majority of the caucus voted to block certain arms sales to Israel. Many of them defended their decision, saying it was a message disapproving of the way Prime Minister Netanyahu is prosecuting the war, despite the real-world implications if it were to pass. [4][5][6]

Wednesday 7.30

Trump slammed Canada for moving towards recognizing a Palestinian state, saying:

Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!! [7]

Thursday 7.31

Congressman Ro Khanna also wants the U.S. to recognize a Palestinian State. Now I’m waiting for another presidential punny response. [8]

Friday 8.1

The White House announced a 15% tariff on Israel. It was among the smallest tariffs in the proclamation. [9]

Saturday 8.2

Hamas released a propaganda video of hostage, Evyatar David, in an emaciated state, digging a grave he said he worries will be his own. This is the most damming example of starvation I've seen. [10]