Opinion

• Opinion

  ADL: We’re proud of our record defending Jews — and Muslims

  As one of the oldest civil-rights organizations in the Jewish community, we’re not unaccustomed to criticism, even in the pages of one of America’s oldest Jewish news outlets. But the OpEd by Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which the Forward published on Tuesday morning, was illuminating about how certain quarters in…

  By Jonathan A. Greenblatt

  5 min read
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  Opinion

  Hanan Ashrawi’s departure from the PLO exposes the crisis in Palestinian leadership

  Last week, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, an iconic Palestinian scholar, activist and feminist, and a decades-long fixture in Palestinian politics, resigned from the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee. The resignation of Dr. Ashrawi, the only woman on the committee, was accepted by PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Read: Statement by @DrHananAshrawi regarding her resignation from the PLO…

  By Muhammad Shehada Dec 16, 2020 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Hanukkah celebrates our triumph over genocide. Uighurs are undergoing one right now.

  Most years, the historical events that we celebrate on Hanukkah every year seem pretty distant. An empire invaded, banned the religion of our ancestors and attempted cultural erasure — but they failed, so we eat latkes. But this year is not like most years. This year, a tyrant has once again been putting up his…

  By Avi Ackermann and David Friedman Dec 16, 2020 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

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

  

• Jay Michaelson Mamdani’s victory is an opportunity for Jews to relearn the art of disagreement

  

• Rob Eshman Pro-Palestinian protesters are suddenly supporting Iran. They might want to talk to some Palestinians

  

• Nora Berman Did Netanyahu coerce Trump into attacking Iran? No — but he tried with Obama

  

• Dan Perry For Trump and Netanyahu, statecraft is now synonymous with stagecraft

  

• Emily Tamkin Zohran Mamdani’s victory proves it: The ‘gotcha’ mode of fighting antisemitism has to go

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  A liberal Jewish group just de-platformed a Muslim leader. That’s not OK.

  One of the main challenges of being a progressive Jew in America in 2020 is being asked to check our Zionism at the door in order to join conversations or coalitions around civil rights. It happens on college campuses. It happens in Black Lives Matter marches. It hurts. So it was particularly upsetting to learn…

  By Jodi Rudoren Dec 15, 2020 | 3 min read
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  Letters

  Letter | Amazon is no Hannukah miracle

  Dear Editor, One can only imagine The Forward’s founder Abe Cahan spinning in his grave at the current Forward editor’s inclusion of Amazon on her list of things to be thankful for this Hanukkah. In her latest piece, Jodi Rudoren included Amazon in her piece “What to do about Hanukkah 2020? Count your miracles.” In…

  By Jason Gitlin Dec 15, 2020 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  The ADL cannot have it both ways with Muslims

  Editor’s note: Hours after this article was published, its author was disinvited from the panel discussion. The organizer and moderator of the event, David Lehrer, said this was because he was afraid the issues raised in the OpEd might distract from the conversation. As president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, I am headlining a…

  By Salam Al-Marayati Dec 15, 2020 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Debate | Should the Biden Administration adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism?

  On a recent trip to Israel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. now officially considers the BDS movement to boycott Israel to be antisemitic. Soon after, news broke that Pompeo also plans to label Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam as antisemitic for their anti-Israel activism. In so doing, Pompeo was…

  By Ari Hoffman and Joel Swanson Dec 15, 2020 | 9 min read
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  Opinion

  The Israel-Morocco deal normalizes occupation

  (HAARETZ) — Morocco has won an obvious prize as a result of its agreement to normalize relations with Israel — American recognition of its sovereignty over Western Sahara. Official recognition of Israeli annexation is out, but Moroccan annexation is endorsed. The new relationship with Israel will include economic and cultural cooperation, direct flights and an…

  By Noa Landau/Haaretz Dec 12, 2020 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  What to do about Hanukkah 2020? Count your miracles

  This is an adaptation of our weekly Shabbat newsletter, sent by our editor-in-chief on Friday afternoons. Sign up here to get the Forward’s free newsletters delivered to your inbox. And click here to download and print a PDF of Your Weekend Reads. For our Big Fat Jewish Wedding in 2004, the husband and I registered…

  By Jodi Rudoren Dec 11, 2020 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  15 American-Jewish Leaders on how to bridge the divide between Israel and the Diaspora

  Last Tuesday, the Israeli Knesset held a special hearing of the Knesset Education Committee for what it designated as “Diaspora Day,” an event to “bring the voices and experiences of world Jewry into the halls of the Knesset and Israeli society.” It got us thinking: What do we wish Israelis interested in bridging the divide…

  By Zachariah Sippy Dec 10, 2020 | 7 min read
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  Opinion

  The real lesson in the Roald Dahl apology? Anti-Zionists hate Jews.

  This weekend, it was reported that the official Roald Dahl website was updated with an apology for “the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl’s statements.” Although Dahl is best known for his delightful children’s stories of giant peaches and chocolate factories, the author’s own head was filled with visions of misanthropic…

  By Gilead Ini Dec 10, 2020 | 4 min read