Opinion

• Opinion

  After the Uprising, Whither Iran?

  No one knows, or can know, what the short-term result of the uprising in Iran will be. The demonstrations may continue, frequently or intermittently, or darkness may again descend on the land. But it is well to remember — as one interesting precedent — that Poland’s Solidarity movement, which ultimately led to the downfall of…

  By Leonard Fein

  4 min read
• Letters

  July 3, 2009

  Nonprofit Salaries, and ‘Sharing the Pain’ I wish to congratulate you for your June 19 article “As Layoffs Mount, which Jewish Executives Shared the Pain?” and the corresponding editorial “CEOs Should Lead.” You have brought to the attention of the public the huge sums of money being paid to the chief executives of too many…

  Jun 24, 2009 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  The Legacy of June 12

  Back on June 12, 2006, Iranian activists took to the streets of Tehran in a peaceful protest to demand changes in the laws that discriminate against women. The protest was dispersed violently, and more than 70 people were arrested. In the years since, women activists designated that date — June 12 — as their day…

  Jun 24, 2009 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

• Jodi Rudoren This is my last column as editor of the Forward

  

• Jay Michaelson American Jews were played — now what?

  

• Rob Eshman Charlie Kirk and Alan Berg: 2 murders, 41 years apart, show the painful perils of polarization

  

• Nora Berman Is Netflix’s new show the most Jewish cartoon ever?

  

• Dan Perry Israel’s strike in Qatar: An audacious bid for victory, or just another foolhardy provocation?

  

• Emily Tamkin Trump’s attack on George Soros is ludicrous. It also endangers Jews (and everyone else)

  

The Latest

• Opinion

  Some of His Best Friends…

  It comes as no surprise that Richard Nixon had an issue with Jews, but the latest disclosures are too delicious to ignore. Buried within the 150 hours of tape and 30,000 pages of documents just made public by the Nixon Presidential Library is this February 21, 1973 phone conversation the former president had with the…

  Jun 24, 2009 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  Bibi’s Missed Opportunity

  There’s a saying that Israel has no foreign policy, only a domestic one. In a sense, the observation reflects the existential question that has hung over Israel since the moment of its birth — a foreign policy distinct from domestic concerns is the kind of luxury enjoyed by nations old enough and secure enough not…

  Jun 17, 2009 | 3 min read
• 
  Opinion

  How Iran’s Hardliners Shot Themselves in the Foot

  When Iran’s presidential campaign began two months ago, few expected much excitement or voter interest. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s first four-year term had been characterized by increasing repression and an expanded role for the state’s security agencies. The major institutions of the state were firmly in the hands of conservatives and hardliners. The main opposition party…

  By Shaul Bakhash Jun 17, 2009 | 5 min read
• Opinion

  To Remove Settlers, Call the Goyim

  As the Obama administration contemplates what is required to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it had best take into account that reaching an agreement between the parties may not turn out to be the most difficult part. Indeed, it will almost certainly be easier for an Israeli government — any government, left or right — to…

  By Yossi Alpher Jun 17, 2009 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  The Netanyahu Speech: A Primer

  Q: Prime Minister Netanyahu promised that his speech of June 14 would provide a detailed response to President Obama’s recent statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Did it? **A: **Yes and no. **Q: ****Can you be more specific? **A: **Alright, first the “yes.” He began by saying, “Let’s begin negotiations immediately without preconditions.” And it is…

  By Leonard Fein Jun 17, 2009 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  On the March in Iran

  The images coming out of Iran are nothing short of horrifying: Peaceful protesters savagely beaten by black-clad police. University dormitories ransacked by the regime’s thugs. Demonstrators shot and killed by Basij militiamen. Other images, though, have been heartening: Hundreds of thousands of ordinary Iranians taking to the streets, at genuine personal risk, to demand, “Where…

  Jun 17, 2009 | 2 min read
• Letters

  June 26, 2009

  ‘Triumphalists’ Don’t Have ‘Heavy Hearts’ Predicting the future of the Jewish community can be a dangerous exercise, as historian Jonathan Sarna correctly points out (“Saying Kaddish Too Soon,” June 5). However, when you look at the intermarriage statistics and the resulting loss of Jews, and then apply these numbers to future generations, it’s hard to…

  Jun 17, 2009 | 2 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Rescue Inside Buchenwald

  When President Obama visited Buchenwald, he connected the camp with the larger story of the Nazi destruction of the Jews. Accompanied by Buchenwald survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Obama laid a wreath at the camp memorial, honoring the memories of the 56,000 prisoners who died there. But there is an additional dimension to the…

  By Kenneth Waltzer Jun 10, 2009 | 3 min read