In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
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Opinion
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Opinion
Ilhan Omar Is Right: Anti-Zionist Jews Don’t Speak For Us
In the wake of Rep. Ilhan Omar unfortunate tweet and apology, a host of anti-Israel Jewish groups leapt to her defense. It was the usual suspects, including the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, the anti-Occupation group IfNotNow, and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. These groups were quick to defend Omar on the grounds…
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Opinion If You Called Out The Women’s March Over Farrakhan, You Better Call Out Netanyahu
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, already saddled with a reputation of being willing to do or say anything to keep his job as prime minister, took a step that stretched that reputation even further. In an effort to prevent right-wing votes in Israel’s April 9 election from going to waste, he brokered a…
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Opinion Did Israel Just Lose American Jews?
A lot of ink has been spilled in efforts to explain exactly why Israel and American Jewry are drifting apart. This past December, Israeli MK Naftali Bennett put forward his own analysis: “There’s a terrible problem of assimilation and growing indifference of Jews overseas both to their Jewishness and to Israel,” he said. “That is…
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Opinion Netanyahu Isn’t The Problem. He’s The Symptom.
On Wednesday, it was reported that in the midst of a tense election cycle, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed the right-wing Jewish Home Party to join with the Jewish Power Party, which is populated by followers of the racist, banned leader Meir Kahane. So important was this merger to Netanyahu that he cancelled a…
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Opinion Netanyahu Just Invited Israel’s Equivalent Of The KKK To Join The Government
The Israeli election cycle currently underway has been awash in anti-Arab racism for a while now. But things just got much, much worse. On Wednesday, Haaretz reported that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed the Jewish Home Party to join another party, the “Jewish Power” party, which inherited its leaders and politics from the well-known…
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Letters Letter | Of Course Money Is A Part of AIPAC’s Power
Dear Editor, I appreciate how in your article “How To Speak About The Israel Lobby In A Non-Anti-Semitic Way” you thoughtfully attempt to navigate treacherous waters concerning discussion of the “Israel Lobby”. But I take issue with a couple of your assertions. One is your claim that “If there were no vigorously Zionist Christian right,…
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Opinion What Is Happening To My Democratic Party?
I was initially heartened when I read about House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats’ response to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s now-infamous and indisputably anti-Semitic remarks about AIPAC. As a registered Democrat, it made me feel not only proud but assured to read the nuanced statement. It recognized a difference so often overlooked, that…
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Opinion Yes, There’s Anti-Semitism In Labour. No, Those Politicians Didn’t Quit Over It.
On Monday, seven Members of British Parliament quit the Labour Party in an act of rebellion against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. They cited, among other things, anti-Semitism in the party, which they claim has become “institutional.” The seven MPs have dubbed themselves “The Independent Group.” Many on the left, and the Jewish left, have been quick…
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Opinion What Constitutes Anti-Semitism? While The Debate Rages On, Black Communities Pay The Price.
Last week, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar blamed AIPAC for U.S. politicians’ support for Israel. “It’s all about the Benjamins” she wrote on Twitter, sparking a firestorm of accusations of anti-Semitism. It’s all about the Benjamins baby ? https://t.co/KatcXJnZLV — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 10, 2019 Whether we agree with Rep. Omar’s ill-fated batch of tweets…
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Opinion Inspiring Women | Turning Suffering Into Service
Hadar Yosef came to Israel from Ethiopia in 1983 after traveling to Sudan by foot. She was 17 when she did this, with only her brother for company. Her parents and older brother remained behind in Ethiopia for another year, where the Beta Jews of Ethiopia are thought to have arrived sometime between the 1st…
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Opinion A 16-Couple Cuban Jewish Wedding, And 5 Other Happy News Stories From This Jewish Week
It’s been an immensely painful week in the world. The one-year anniversary of the mass murder of teens in Parkland, Florida arrived. The Jewish world was roiled by the controversy surrounding Representative Ilhan Omar’s tweets. The president declared a national emergency. But there was also mammoth generosity and giving this week. There was triumphant love….
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