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
Israel’s Deplorable Boycott Of BDS Supporters Is Just The Beginning
Over the weekend, in a decision redolent of the repressive policies of the old Soviet Union, the Israeli government blacklisted 20 international organizations, officially barring entry to these groups’ officials and activists expressly for their peaceful opposition to the Israeli government’s policies. It would be bad enough – for all who cherish progressive democratic values…
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Opinion I Oppose BDS But Still Think This Blacklist Is a Dumb Idea
Every country in the world is allowed to decide who gets to visit. So the government of Israel was within its rights when it announced over the weekend that it would deny entry to senior leaders and high profile activists from 20 organizations that support the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel. Personally,…
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Letters Letter: More Efforts Should Be Made To Normalize Relations Between Jews and Palestinians
Dear Ms. Eisner: I very much enjoyed your piece about your West Bank trip and Palestinian non-violent resistance on January 3. It stimulated a couple of reactions, and since mine are different from those of Judge Djerassi whose opinion was published on January 6, I am writing now. I do think it is wonderful that…
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Opinion Why Ending Cash Bail Is A Jewish Issue
Last week, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to end cash bail for all misdemeanor and nonviolent felony cases across New York State. In his State of the State address, Cuomo acknowledged that the cash bail system, in which someone arrested for a crime awaits trial at home in exchange for money…
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Opinion Steve Bannon Used Israel As An Anti-Semitic Tool Against Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner, presidential son-in-law and senior adviser, believed anti-Semitism was the main driver behind then-chief strategist Steve Bannon’s White House turf war against Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump. That’s the biggest takeaway from Michael Wolff’s bombshell best-seller, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.” That is not how the press has covered the…
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Opinion What Happens To Israel When There Are More Muslims In America Than Jews?
Since the 1990s, American presidents have provided Israel the military capacity and diplomatic immunity to control millions of Palestinians who lack basic rights. Yet, at the same time, American presidents have insisted that Palestinians deserve those basic rights — that, in the words of George W. Bush, “it is untenable for Palestinians to live in…
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Opinion Israel Made Itself A Pariah By Barring Me And My Fellow Activists
As a Jewish mother, one of the most important things to me is to instill in my children a sense of Jewish identity and values. For my now 15- and 16-year-old children, this has over the years included Tot-Shabbat at our synagogue, Hebrew school, Jewish summer camp and even Jewish youth group trips to Israel….
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Opinion I’m A Jew And A Member Of JVP. Israel Just Banned Me.
In 2011, I visited the land of Israel on a trip for American Jews, organized by an Orthodox yeshiva — kind of like Birthright, only more religious. I remember how holy it felt to pray at the graves of the matriarchs and patriarchs in Hebron, to dunk in the mikvah (ritual bath) used by the…
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Opinion The Real Target Of Gaza’s Rockets Is Not Israel
Last week, the Islamic State published a video that appeared to show the execution of a Hamas militant. Meanwhile, Israel has been fending off rocket attacks from the Gaza strip, to the tune of 30 rockets since President Donald Trump’s announcement that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. But these two episodes reveal long-simmering tensions…
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Opinion I Am Living Under Apartheid In Hebron
I am a Palestinian living in Hebron. I live stateless with no rights. I have no rights to general assembly, no rights to free speech, to due process or to freedom of movement. I get 10% of the water illegal settlers living next to me get. I am not allowed to walk down the streets…
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Opinion Charles Bronfman: Abandoning The Two-State Solution Means Abandoning The Jewish Soul
I’m probably known to the Jewish community as a co-founder, along with my dear friend Michael Steinhardt, of Birthright Israel, a remarkable program that has seen 600,000 participants exercise their birthright via an educational visit to Israel. However, since I was 17 I’ve been involved in the Jewish world. My parents led the way, as…
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