
Daily Kickoff: Backlash to Abbas + Talking Musk with Greenblatt
👋 Good Friday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the status of Israel’s efforts to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, and talk to Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt about online antisemitism. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Sen. Bob Menendez, Itai Anghel and Arleen Sorkin.
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider, eJewishPhilanthropy and The Circuit stories, including: Israel on track to join U.S. Visa Waiver Program as deadline looms; Top Republican donors like Nikki Haley, but wary of financial commitment; ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ — Change my bat mitzvah date. Print the latest edition here.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time in nine months on Thursday night. The readouts from Jerusalem and Kyiv led with Israel’s aid to Ukrainians fleeing the war and ended with assurances that Hasidic pilgrims will be able to visit the Ukrainian site of Uman, the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, on Rosh Hashanah.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Kornichuk had threatened in August that Kyiv would block the entry of some of the expected 50,000 Israeli pilgrims to Uman, a warning that came after Israel denied entry to growing numbers of Ukrainian citizens, despite a visa-free agreement between the countries.
Netanyahu initiated the call with Zelensky in light of concerns from his coalition partner United Torah Judaism that constituents will not be able to pray at Rabbi Nachman’s gravesite on the Jewish new year.
Uman has been the site of repeated Russian missile attacks, the latest in June. Zelensky said that “Ukraine always welcomes pilgrims with warmth and hospitality and is responsible for their security,” but also said that Israeli police forces may take part in securing the events.
Netanyahu is also seeking to meet with Zelensky at the United NationsGeneral Assembly in New York later this month, diplomatic sources tell Jewish Insider, but Zelensky wants him to show his support by visiting Kyiv, as other Western leaders have.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent comments questioning the origins of European Jews and claiming that the Nazis targeted Jews “because they were dealing with usury and money” were roundly condemned in Washington — and beyond — yesterday.
Antisemitism envoy Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt wrote that she was “appalled by President Abbas’ hateful, antisemitic remarks” and called for an “immediate apology.”
Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the comments, “in addition to being antisemitic, [undermine] prospects for a secure and peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians,” while Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ellen German said the comments were “horrifying examples of #Holocaust distortion and efforts to rewrite the history of WWII and the Holocaust.”
On Capitol Hill, multiple lawmakers said the comments highlight why Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are not viable negotiating partners for peace with Israel.
“These offensive comments are not only wrong and contribute to Holocaust distortion, but they also incite violence and undermine the prospects for peace,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said Abbas’ “Jew-hatred and corruption have only served to perpetuate the suffering of his own people while lining his own pockets” and that it is outrageous that “Abbas is considered a ‘moderate.’”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), running for the Senate, said he “strongly condemn[ed]” the comments, which “add fuel to the fire at a time when antisemitism and violence against the community are so alarmingly on the rise.”
Condemnations also emanated from Europe, with the E.U. saying that Abbas’ comments are “inflammatory, deeply offensive, [and] can only serve to exacerbate tensions in the region and serve no-one’s interests,” adding that “They play into the hands of those who do not want a two-state solution, which President Abbas has repeatedly advocated for.”
visa-free travel
Israel on track to join U.S. Visa Waiver Program as deadline looms

Israel is on track to become the next country to join the U.S.’ coveted Visa Waiver Program, with an official announcement expected from the Department of Homeland Security before the end of this month, officials with knowledge of the process told Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash.
Minor matters remain: While some of the fine details of the arrangement still need to be resolved before Israel formally qualifies for the program, those appear to be minor matters and should be settled within the next week, according to the sources. A signing ceremony could even take place ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline set by the U.S.
Timeline: If accepted, Israel will become the 41st country to join the program, which will enable most Israelis to travel visa-free to the U.S. for cultural exchanges, tourism and business purposes for visits up to three months, and the first country from the Middle East. Sources said it would likely take a further six weeks for the U.S. to update its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in order to allow Israeli nationals to register. If all goes according to plan, Israeli passport holders could be eligible to travel visa-free to the U.S. sometime in mid-November.
POV: “Israel has met all of its commitments, and all that is left is for the U.S. to say the word,” a source in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told JI. A U.S. State Department spokesperson was more cautious, saying that Israel’s application still needed to be fully processed and that Israel would face the same scrutiny as “any candidate for the VWP. We will carefully evaluate the government of Israel’s efforts to meet the program’s requirements, including extending reciprocal privileges to all U.S. citizens – just as the United States does with citizens of all VWP countries,” the spokesperson said.