Heard on the Hill – 10/07/24
What we’re hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill – please send us more tips!
Light ‘em up: Gov. Doug Burgum (R., N.D.), freshly back from a trip to Israel, lit up his mansion in blue and white lights to commemorate the anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks. His team sent us pictures you can see here.
Desperate times: Shortly before the anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks, Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks announced plans to host a fundraiser with Sen. Chris van Hollen (D., Md.), one of the Senate’s most stridently anti-Israel members.
Help is on the way: Since Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7, there has been a sharp drop in investment in Israel. Texas Venture Partners (TVP) founder Lorne Abony is focused on investing in Israeli companies in the defense technology and artificial intelligence sectors. TVP wants expanded partnerships between American and Israeli partners; its new fund will partner with Israeli businesses and startups to fund products and technologies that will be of use to Israel, America, and allied countries.
With friends like these: One day before the anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack, Kamala Harris refused to say if Israel’s prime minister is an ally. Watch here.
Palestinian “Week of Rage” hijacking Oklahoma: Students for Justice in Palestine at both Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma to plan the “end of the Zionist regime” in the words of SJP at OSU.
Double standards at UMD: Following a court order, the University of Maryland is hosting a “vigil” by the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine today, in which the protesters will falsely and baselessly accuse Israel of “genocide.” Posts for the event, reviewed by the Reporter, contain zero mention of Hamas’s terrorism, but do beg attendees to “leave any pepper spray or sharp objects as the university has set up bag checks upon entry.” Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R., Md.) has led the bipartisan criticism of the event. The campus, on the other hand, was quick to ban fraternities, a move that was ultimately also overturned after legal action.
Not very neighborly: Hours before the October 7 anniversary, a group of masked, anti-Israel protesters set up camp outside the home of Rep. Greg Landsman (D., Ohio), a Jewish member of Congress from Ohio, “forcing police to escort my family in and out of our house for safety,” the lawmaker noted.