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
-
Opinion
Inspiring Women | Creating Cross-Cultural Community
“People are people. Human beings are human beings.” For Varda Gil, this idea is more than just words; it’s a way of life, and she has devoted hers to cross-cultural efforts that force Jews and Arabs in Israel to recognize each others’ humanity. Gil grew up in Masuot Yitzchak, in a Moshav Shitufi — a…
-
Opinion How To Criticize AIPAC Without Being Anti-Semitic
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC, recently made headlines when Congresswoman Ilhan Omar tweeted that they used “Benjamins” to influence U.S. politicians. Omar subsequently apologized, acknowledging that she had veered into the territory of anti-Semitic tropes. But the episode left lingering questions about how to talk about money in politics and U.S.-Israel…
-
Opinion Trump Stoked The Islamophobia That Led To The New Zealand Mass Murder
“If you find yourself using the tragedy in New Zealand to take backhanded swipes at conservatives in America,” tweeted Congressman, and rising GOP star, Dan Crenshaw on Friday, “then you really have no shame and you are part of the problem.” If you find yourself using the tragedy in New Zealand to take backhanded swipes…
Columnists View All
The Latest
-
Letters BDS Is Anti-Semitic, Because All Calls For Israel’s Destruction Are
In a recent op-ed in these pages, Peter Beinart argued that anti-Zionism — the ideology that posits that Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state — is not inherently anti-Semitic. Beinart’s claim stands in stark contrast to what polling has shown, namely, that anti-Semitic beliefs and anti-Zionism are positively correlated….
-
Opinion Denying Jews The Right To A State Is Anti-Semitic. So Why Is It Ok To Deny Palestinians?
It’s as if the concept of double standards was created for the Middle East conflict. One of the most glaring is the discussion surrounding self-determination for Palestinians and Israelis. If you declare that Israel has no right to exist, you’re rightfully labeled an anti-Semite. True, there are some who oppose that view, even within the…
-
Opinion Ilhan Omar Should Lead The Fight Against Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
In passing a resolution rejecting anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry last week, our representatives on Capitol Hill have taken an important step towards addressing patterns of violence and bigotry that continue to fester in our society. As anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric increasingly poison domestic and foreign policy debates around the world, it’s critical for…
-
Opinion Ilhan Omar Can Fix This. Here’s How.
The dust is settling from a recent brouhaha surrounding problematic remarks by freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota about money from pro-Israel lobbyists and foreign “allegiances.” The comments earned Omar censure from her fellow House Democrats for evoking anti-Semitic clichés. Omar also had many critics on the right, who took her words as an opportunity…
-
Opinion Ilhan Omar’s Words Hurt. But We Can’t Let Our Pain Be Weaponized Against Her.
The first time the accusation of “Jewish money” hurt me, I was in ninth grade. I sat in the cafeteria as classmates — people I’d thought of as friends — taunted me by snarling the word “Jew,” and pelted me with pennies and nickels. After sitting through what felt like an eternity of this, the…
-
Opinion Our Obsession With The Holocaust Made Us Blind To American Anti-Semitism
The historian Pamela Nadell made a fascinating point in an opinion piece in last week’s Washington Post: By focusing on the Holocaust, she argues, Americans have overlooked centuries of anti-Semitism on our own shores. “This focus on the Holocaust gets Americans off the hook. Anti-Semitism is something that happened over there, in Europe — an…
-
Opinion You Know Who Wants Netanyahu To Win? Hamas.
On Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Hamas’s use to him. He defended allowing Qatari funds to be transferred into Gaza as a crucial part of a broader strategy to keep Hamas and the Palestinian Authority apart, according to a source in Monday’s Likud faction meeting. Netanyahu also said…
-
Opinion How I Became My Father On Israel
His face turned beet red. In my 37-year relationship with my father, it was the only time I recall him getting very angry at me. What had I done? Criticized Israel publicly. My father, Victor, was a Holocaust survivor who lost his entire family to the Nazis, except his older brother. To him, Israel was…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
News Jews paused Indiana’s abortion ban — by turning a religious freedom law against the evangelical right
- 2
Culture In 1989, Harold Pinter and Jerry Schatzberg made the perfect Holocaust movie for 2026
- 3
Culture 70 years ago, this Jewish choreographer predicted our epidemic of loneliness and isolation
- 4
Fast Forward Connecticut Catholic school punishes students who targeted ‘Jew Canaan’ rivals on social media
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Frankfurt cinema declines to participate in Jewish film festival, spurring backlash
-
Fast Forward Israeli, Serbian leaders denounce antisemitic statements at Belgrade protest
-
Fast Forward Palestinian-French lawmaker arrested after praising 1972 bomber of Ben Gurion Airport
-
Fast Forward Michigan Democrats, Jewish leaders uneasy over Senate candidate’s alliance with Hasan Piker
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
