The White House’s much-anticipated national strategy to combat antisemitism is set to be released on Thursday, after months of behind-the-scenes work and input from more than 1,000 Jewish community members.

An individual familiar with the strategy told Jewish Insider that supporters of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism — which has become a key sticking point in recent weeks — have been “reassured” by the White House that they will be “pleased” by the final product and that “we have nothing to worry about.”

Rabbi Philip Rabinowitz of D.C.’s Kesher Israel congregation was a tragic figure even before his gruesome murder nearly 40 years ago. A native of Poland, he lost most of his family during the Holocaust, only to lose his wife suddenly decades later in the middle of their daughter’s wedding reception. 

Rabinowitz was known as a generous and beloved leader within the congregation — at times even allowing homeless community members to sleep in the synagogue’s social hall — which is why the entire community was left shaken when his body was found, lifeless and with multiple stab wounds, in his home on the morning of Feb. 29, 1984.

As Israel moves toward expected admission into the Visa Waiver Program later this year, a group of 16 Democratic senators suggested in a letter to top administration officials on Wednesday that Israel continues to fall short of the requirements for admission into the program and is unlikely to fix these alleged issues before its expected entry date.

Israel has long pursued entry into the program allowing visa-free entry into the United States, but has faced obstacles, including its rejection rate for visa applications and concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian Americans at its borders. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said earlier this year that Israel will likely be added to the program in July or August. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is expected to enter the program in September and that it has enacted all of the necessary legislative changes to secure entry.

Maryland’s Senate primary isn’t for another year, but Rep. David Trone (D-MD) — one of the frontrunners in the Democratic primary — is already running TV ads in prime time. The millionaire founder of a beverage store chain has said he might spend $50 million of his own money in the race. 

His chief competitor, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, does not have a personal fortune to draw upon. But Alsobrooks’ supporters say the early excitement she is generating, along with a large slate of endorsements from elected officials across the state, give her a good shot at winning the seat. 

In a new book examining “the new Israel,” New York Times reporter Isabel Kershner investigates the myriad ways Israel has changed since its founding 75 years ago — a change, she argues, that is no more apparent than when she visits the dairy aisle at the grocery store.

Kershner first lived in Israel more than 30 years ago as a gap-year student learning Hebrew at a kibbutz near Zichron Yaakov, when the socialist ethos of the kibbutz movement was still strong and the high-tech “Startup Nation” was in its infancy.   

President Joe Biden has been engaged behind the scenes in crafting the White House’s national strategy on combating antisemitism, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who has been one of the leading players in formulating the plan, said Tuesday evening.

“[Biden] has been doing a lot of work with us behind the scenes on the plan,” Emhoff said at a Jewish Democratic Council of America leadership gala in Washington, D.C. “And of course the vice president, she has been so powerful in continuing to push me on this journey of the fight against hate and antisemitism.” The strategy is expected to be released this week.

Even as Rep. George Santos (R-NY) refuses to resign amid a dizzying swirl of scandals and ongoing investigations, his recent indictment suggests he could be pushed out of office before the end of his term, triggering a possible special election to fill a vacant Long Island swing seat. 

But while a special election seems increasingly likely at this stage, the race remains highly unpredictable — and it could become even more convoluted should Santos leave office sooner than later. That’s because, if a special election were to be called, party leaders would choose the nominees themselves, adding uncertainty to a regularly scheduled primary that is already well underway, with five Democrats and two Republicans having filed to run in 2024.

Nearly a dozen Republicans reintroduced a bill last week directing the president to sanction individuals, entities and governments providing support to Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The bill has been introduced in the Senate twice before, but struggled to progress both times. It underwent some significant changes before being reintroduced last week. When first introduced in the Senate in 2019, the bill had significant bipartisan support, but was reintroduced in 2021 with only Republican support.