Opinion

• Opinion

  Return to Durban

  Over the past year, citizens around the globe have joined hands in a series of events celebrating the 60th anniversary of a historic milestone, the signing in December 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The treaty spelled out for the first time in history an agreed international standard by which governments may be…

  4 min read
• Opinion

  Who’s Sorry Now?

  The seasons of the Jewish calendar have a way of surprising us, year after year, with their seeming relevance to life around us. Sometimes, though, the holidays have a bluntness that goes beyond poetry. It was in September 1998, on the eve of Yom Kippur, that Russia’s economy followed Thailand’s into meltdown and threatened global…

  Oct 8, 2008 | < 1 min read
• Opinion

  McCain Would Restore America’s Standing

  This year’s presidential campaign season has highlighted two very different approaches to issues such as Iran, Iraq, the peace process and our ongoing war on terror. Underlying the candidates’ Middle East policy differences are two divergent views regarding the sources of the regional rage aimed at America and, indeed, the entire West. The left’s explanations…

  By Meyrav Wurmser Oct 8, 2008 | 4 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

  Obama Is the Friend Israel Needs

  When George W. Bush entered office, Israel was in the throes of the Second Intifada, but its strategic position within the Middle East was as strong as it has ever been. Israel was at peace with Egypt and Jordan. Its northern borders with Lebanon and Syria were relatively quiet, and more distant foes in Iraq…

  By Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon Oct 8, 2008 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Olmert Speaks the Truth, 29 Months Too Late

  Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said only one wildly wrong thing in his September 29 interview with Yediot Aharonot, Israel’s largest-circulation newspaper: “The time has come to say these things.” Twenty-nine months after becoming Israel’s prime minister, quite literally on his way out the door — possibly to indictment on charges of corruption — now…

  By Leonard Fein Oct 8, 2008 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Ehud Olmert’s Parting Words Dared To Offer Painful Truth

  It is a rule of thumb in democracies that lame duck leaders should steer clear of bold new initiatives and sharp turns of policy. They’re supposed to sit tight until their elected successors can settle in and take the wheel. A decent respect for the opinions of the electorate demands that the voters’ decisions be…

  Oct 2, 2008 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Preaching Politics

  It is tempting to shrug off the campaign known as Pulpit Freedom Sunday as a futile attempt to change settled constitutional law. After all, among the thousands upon thousands of preachers who took to the pulpit across America on the final Sunday of September — and thousands of other clergy who addressed their congregations at…

  Oct 2, 2008 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  Why We Fear Sarah Palin

  A friend of mine in the media covered the Republican National Convention and brought me back a souvenir: a navy blue yarmulke with “McCain ’08” printed on it in English and Hebrew. I guess there wasn’t time for the campaign to make them up with Sarah Palin’s name, too, which is a shame. With all…

  By David Klinghoffer Oct 2, 2008 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Breaking Fast With a Hate-Monger

  Iftar is a beautiful custom within the liturgical practice of Islam. During Ramadan, the month of fasting, sunset marks the time when food may be taken again. Families and communities offer meals for friends and neighbors, often inviting those who are not practicing Muslims to join with them in sharing special dishes. This can be…

  By Bruce Chilton Oct 2, 2008 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Putting Politics Above Israel

  Policies that endure require bipartisan political support. And because Israel’s American supporters historically have placed its security ahead of partisan politics, Israel has enjoyed strong bipartisan backing in the United States. During the 10 years in which I served as a member of the United States Congress, I often introduced bills that were described by…

  By Mel Levine Oct 2, 2008 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why My Grandpa Was No Hitter on Yom Kippur

  Yom Kippur is rather inconveniently timed. Just ask any Jewish baseball player. It invariably falls during either the pennant race or the post-season, which poses a dilemma for players with teams that are championship contenders. In 1934, my grandfather, Hank Greenberg, was the first big leaguer to sit out a game on the Day of…

  By Melanie Greenberg Oct 2, 2008 | 3 min read