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
9 Ways The International Community Is Being Hypocritical Over Jerusalem
President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has provoked virtually universal international opposition. Jerusalem, diplomats agreed, is a final-status issue that should not be so recklessly pre-empted with unilateral declarations. But here are nine ways in which the international community is being hypocritical over Jerusalem: 1. Jerusalem is already recognized in practice as Israel’s…
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Opinion Video Of A Palestinian Girl Hitting Soldiers Shows The IDF’s Moral Fiber
Video of a violent confrontation last Friday between a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, and two IDF soldiers went viral. As Tamimi proceeds to hit the soldiers, they refrain from any reaction, stoically absorbing her blows without responding to them. In retrospect, it was obvious that the video would go viral. For Israelis, the video…
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Opinion Sholom Rubashkin Is Free. Now He Must Redeem Himself.
When the cheering stops, and the visits to the Ohel come to an end, I hope that Sholom Rubashkin can find purpose and meaning in his life moving forward. It is tragic to spend one’s life behind bars for crimes committed. While the president has commuted his sentence, Sholom Rubashkin remains a convicted felon and…
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Opinion Converts Are Constantly Asked If We Miss Christmas. It’s Complicated.
Whether from a fellow Jew or a non-Jew, I’m pretty sure the most common question asked of a convert to Judaism is: “Don’t you miss Christmas?” So far, my personal answer to the query has been: “No. Not really. Once in a while… maybe.” My more expanded answer leans mostly toward the negative. I emphatically…
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Opinion The Nazi Who Saved Jews
Karl Rudolf Werner Best was your average run-of-the-mill Nazi, until he wasn’t. A curious footnote to history, Best both ordered and subsequently sabotaged the deportation of Denmark’s Jews, rendering him an enduring mystery. Born in Darmstadt on July 10, 1903, Best was an early and staunch German nationalist who founded the first local group of…
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Opinion Is The Liberal Media Giving Linda Sarsour A Pass On A Sexual Assault Cover-Up?
Earlier this week, the Daily Caller published a piece alleging that Women’s March founder and Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour covered up sexual harassment during her time as executive director of the Arab American Association. A woman named Asmi Fathelbab accused Sarsour of ignoring complaints against a man named Majed Seif who she claimed would regularly…
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Opinion That Palestinian Girl’s Viral Video? The Real Scandal Is That Israeli Troops Were There At All
The video is striking — no pun intended. A 16 year-old Palestinian girl in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh grapples with Israeli soldiers in full combat gear and armed to the teeth. Despite the fact that she swats and kicks at them, the soldiers, likely hardly older than their tormentor, show admirable restraint,…
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Opinion A Yeshiva U Rabbi Called Feminists ‘Whores.’ They’re Not Backing Down.
There is a famous scene in the movie “Casablanca” in which Renault asks Rick why he came to Casablanca. “I came for the waters,” Rick says. When Renault reminds Rick that Casablanca is in the desert, Rick answers wryly, “I was misinformed.” I thought of this exchange when I read about recent events at YU’s…
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Opinion As An Arab Jew, I Am Exposed To Anti-Semitism From The Right And The Left
“I was just waiting for her to say she was Jewish.” This was my colleague’s reaction to the white, female narrator of a very problematic video we were watching together. Despite the fact that we worked at a non-profit that had integrated an anti-oppressive analysis in their values and internal systems, my colleague, who was…
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Opinion American Jews — Not Just the Orthodox — Should Join Christians in Defending Religious Liberty
In a recent piece entitled “Why are Orthodox Organizations Embracing Christian Values?” Rabbi Jill Jacobs attacked Orthodox Jews for opposing the Obama Administration’s now-rescinded health insurance mandate, which required employers to provide or be complicit in providing some abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations. She incorrectly suggested that this position conflicts with Jewish law, suggesting that these…
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Opinion Muslim Anti-Semitism In Europe Hurts Jews. But So Does Islamophobia
As the new Austrian government was being sworn in on Monday, bringing the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) back into power for the first time since 2005, thousands partook in resistance demonstrations across Vienna. Among those protesting against the introduction of a twelve-hour work day, tuition fees for college students, and reductions in benefits for asylum…
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