Opinion

• Opinion

  The Bomb and the Taliban

  Distant though it may seem from our day-to-day reality, Pakistan’s sudden descent into political chaos this month presents America and the West with a diplomatic and security challenge unlike any other on our crisis-ridden horizon. Simply put, the world’s second-largest Muslim nation — and the only one with nuclear weapons — is teetering on the…

  3 min read
• Opinion

  Defining a Nation

  Every time Middle East peace negotiations loom, leaders on both sides begin to strut and posture, loudly proclaiming how little they intend to give away. It’s intended partly to placate the domestic opposition before the tough decisions arrive, and partly to soften up the other side. The latest example is Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat, a…

  Nov 16, 2007 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  In Annapolis, Damascus Is More Important Than Ramallah

  America and its moderate friends and allies in the Middle East are already in bad enough shape without the setback awaiting them at Annapolis in a few weeks. It is not too late, however, to rethink this summit. As matters now stand, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will sit down in Annapolis with Palestinian President…

  By Yossi Alpher Nov 14, 2007 | 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 There’s a shocking new report on civilian deaths in Gaza. If only it were accurate.

  

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

  

• Dan Perry Israel is not deliberately killing journalists in Gaza. But it does bear responsibility for their deaths

  

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

  

The Latest

• Opinion

  Beating Stereotypes in China

  Three percent of all Americans are Jews. They have left themselves to be a minority. Although they are very clever and have much control over America, it is still considered almost impossible that a Jew could be elected President of the United States, because of Protestant prejudice that they are too sneaky… The sentences above…

  By Mike Levy Nov 14, 2007 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  The Charter School Temptation

  Florida’s Ben Gamla Charter School is more than just a place of learning. It represents a radical new vision for the future of Jewish education in America. The Ben Gamla school, which opened this summer, is the country’s first publicly funded, Hebrew-themed charter school. Its founder, former Democratic congressman Peter Deutsch, has said he wants…

  By Daniel Treiman Nov 14, 2007 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Oh, the Fun Walt and Mearsheimer Will Have

  Perhaps Iran does not intend to develop a nuclear weapons capability. That’s what they’ve said, but who knows what to believe? Perhaps even if they do intend to develop such a capability, they will not succeed; that’s what some experts say, but others tell us it’s imminent. How can we be sure? It is likely…

  By Leonard Fein Nov 14, 2007 | 4 min read
• Letters

  November 9, 2007

  Religious Committed to Dialogue With Israelis A November 2 editorial perceptively links Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit’s proposal to drop the law of return and the efforts of American Jewish philanthropists to disconnect the Jewish Agency from the World Zionist Organization (“One People”). Both reflect the growing distance separating Israeli and American Jewry. Let me add…

  Nov 9, 2007 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  And Now, Turkey

  The crisis coming to a boil along Turkey’s border with Iraq, pitting Turkish troops against Iraqi-based Kurdish rebels, could hardly come at a worse time for America or the West. Turkey, population 70 million, straddling the Asian and European continents, is the most secularized of Muslim nations and the one most critical to the strategic…

  Nov 9, 2007 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  The Jewish Lobby Israel Needs

  The next few weeks may determine the future of Zionism. This is not an exaggeration. If the upcoming Annapolis peace conference ends the same way as the Camp David summit of 2000, the future of the Jewish state will be in jeopardy. The Israeli people can deal with another deadlock in the endless “peace process.”…

  By Akiva Eldar Nov 7, 2007 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Slamming the Door on Converts

  Every year, thousands of non-Jews make the fateful decision to convert to Judaism. Some are seeking spiritual fulfillment. Many are married to or planning to marry a Jewish spouse. Others have a Jewish father or grandparent and desire a full sense of belonging to the Jewish people. Some have discovered Jewish ancestry and wish to…

  By Marc D. Angel Nov 7, 2007 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  We Cannot Forget Jerusalem

  People often ask us why we, as leaders of a largely North American Jewish organization, should take such a deep and personal interest in the fate of Jerusalem, a city nearly 6,000 miles away. It’s a fair question: Why should we care whether Jerusalem is divided into Jewish and Arab zones? The answer is simple:…

  By Stephen Savitsky and Tzvi Hersh Weinreb Nov 7, 2007 | 3 min read