In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
Opinion
On Monday afternoon, House Democratic leaders decided to put a resolution on the floor in response to more remarks from Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The decision came after Omar’s accusations that some have sworn allegiance to a foreign country, a claim viewed by many as an anti-Semitic stereotype. This time, she did not apologize but…
A few weeks ago, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar misattributed American politicians’ support for Israel to money from AIPAC. (AIPAC sponsors all-expenses paid educational trips to Israel, but does not donate to candidates.) “It’s all about the Benjamins!” She wrote in a now deleted tweet. Castigated by the Democratic leadership for treading into the anti-Semitic trope…
Jisr az-Zarqa is a coastal Israeli Arab village known more for its crime and poverty than the archaeological treasures it houses. Riddled with socio-economic problems, it’s a place most people avoid. Now, one woman born and raised there is working to change this image, making it proud even as she breaks with its tradition. Ever…
The idea that the Left hates Israel is a commonplace one in the oped pages of major publications as well as at Shabbat tables and in synagogue pews nationwide. It’s certainly easy to think of many examples to defend this claim: the leadership of the Women’s March, Ilhan Omar’srecent tweets, and even the fact that…
In another professional life, I was in charge of the Liberty Medal ceremony at the National Constitution Center, where every year the medal is given “to men and women of courage and conviction who have strived to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.” One year, I lobbied hard to select Aung…
There’s been a lot of chatter about the role Israel will play in the 2020 elections. On the right as well as the far left, many have been pushing the narrative that Israel will feature heavily, with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party forcing Democratic candidates to the left. Just as Bernie Sanders and…
Listen, we can admit it — it was not the greatest week for Jewish news. The double-whammy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s upcoming indictment charges and Michael Cohen’s congressional hearing, more troubling comments by Ilhan Omar, and the unsettling news about Jared Kushner’s security clearance the news this week by turns depressing and scary, not…
In the ongoing fight against hate in the world, one of the true tests of success is whether or not one is ready to take on the extremists and bigots within one’s own community. It is, of course, vitally important. But sometimes it is a lot easier to call out purveyors of hate from other…
It’s a bewildering and alarming time to be a Jew, both because anti-Semitism is rising and because so many politicians are responding to it not by protecting Jews but by victimizing Palestinians. On February 16, members of France’s Yellow Vest protest movement hurled anti-Semitic insults at the distinguished French Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut. On February…
It’s no longer deniable that anti-Semitism is on the rise across the globe. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose by a record 57% in 2017. Beyond the vivid and terrifying displays of anti-Jewish hate in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and the 2018 Tree of Life…
In 1948, the international community enshrined the promise of “Never Again” into international law when the United Nations General Assembly passed the Genocide Convention. Still reeling from the industrial scale mass murder that took place on both the European and Asian continents between 1936 and 1945, UN member states agreed to prevent and punish fellow…
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