Opinion

• Opinion

  America’s Not ‘1984’ Yet — So Why Can’t I Refuse To Back Gay Marriage?

  Some of us who consider the teachings of a religious tradition to define our purpose on earth have been feeling a bit like Winston Smith enduring Hate Week in ‘1984.’ The protagonist of George Orwell’s novel was distressed by his totalitarian society’s collective projection of ill will against a nebulous enemy. Thankfully, even 31 years…

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  The Sham Logic Behind Iran’s Holocaust Cartoon Contest

  Carlos Latuff – Second place winner at the 2006 International Holocaust Cartoon Contest Let’s face it: When Iran announced it would be holding its second International Holocaust Cartoon Contest in May, it was nothing but cheap provocation. That’s it. You don’t have to be a cartoonist — as I am — to take issue with this…

  By Lior Zaltzman Apr 13, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Jews Souring on Obama — Bad News for Hillary?

  In what could be a warning signal for Hillary Clinton, President Obama’s approval advantage among American Jews dipped during the first quarter of 2015 to its lowest point since he took office in 2009, according to a Gallup poll published today. Obama’s approval rating among Jews averaged 54% over the first three months of the…

  By J.J. Goldberg Apr 13, 2015 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

• Jodi Rudoren This is my last column as editor of the Forward

  

• Jay Michaelson American Jews were played — now what?

  

• Rob Eshman A new humanitarian outrage is unfolding in the Middle East. It’s not in Gaza

  

• Nora Berman The left is turning on AOC over Israel — and imperiling its own agenda

  

• Dan Perry Actually, Trump made things between Israel and Iran way worse

  

• Emily Tamkin Zohran Mamdani’s victory proves it: The ‘gotcha’ mode of fighting antisemitism has to go

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  What Hillary Clinton Needs To Tell the Jews

  Getty Images Now that Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid is official, American voters will want to get a whole lot clearer on her policies. For the Jewish community, some of the major questions will revolve, inevitably, around Israel and Iran. And we shouldn’t be surprised if, on these topics, we hear her sounding a more hawkish…

  By Sigal Samuel Apr 13, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  How France’s Le Pen Family Feud Is Manna From Far Right Wing Heaven

  When I arrived in Paris last week for a research trip, little had changed from my many previous trips. Though spring, the weather was drizzly and cold; despite the economic crisis, charming stores displayed tempting breads and books; and notwithstanding the “défense de fumer” signs, café terraces were dense with cigarette smoke. And while Marine…

  By Robert Zaretsky Apr 13, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Iran Rumblings Show Need for Tough Nuclear Diplomacy

  Those of us who believe that the framework agreement between Iran and the United States and five other nations represents, on balance, serious progress in preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East were thrown off-balance by the recent remarks of Iran’s supreme leader. Whether Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s bellicose assertions were tactical moves aimed…

  Apr 11, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  A Muslim Champion in the Fight Against Anti-Semitism

  Siavosh Derakhti Siavosh Derakhti, a 23-year-old Swedish Muslim, seems an unlikely champion in the fight against anti-Semitism. But Derakhti, whose parents immigrated to Sweden from Iran, has been recognized for his work in combating hatred and bigotry. When he was 19, he founded Young Muslims Against Anti-Semitism, now known as Young People Against Anti-Semitism and…

  By Donald Snyder Apr 10, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  The Promise of Nuclear Deal With Iran — for Israel

  The senior politicians of the State of Israel really need to calm down and stop behaving as if the world is about to end. It is not. The new draft framework agreement between Iran and the P5+1 needs improvement and clarifications. It is not perfect. It’s understandable for our politicians to be concerned about parts…

  By Meir Javedanfar Apr 10, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How To Include LGBT Jews in ‘Who Sets the Table?’

  Illustration by Anya Ulinich The Forward recently released the first survey in the “Who Sets The Table?” series, a new, year-long multimedia project that will try to discover “to what degree domestic observance of Judaism still relies on the efforts of women,” as well as the general ways in which the patriarchal structure of religious…

  By J.E. Reich Apr 9, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Thanks for Passover, Mom

  “Who Sets the Table?” is a year-long multi-media project looking at who does what to make Jewish holidays happen at home. Let’s begin with gratitude to our mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts. According to the over 500 of you who answered our “Who Sets the Table?” survey, around 80% off all the domestic work for…

  By Elissa Strauss Apr 9, 2015 | 8 min read
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  Opinion

  For the Iran Nuclear Deal, on Balance

  The April 2 announcement of a framework agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon left many Americans and Israelis worried about what will happen next. If the framework becomes an agreement, one that’s approved by June 30, will it give Iran enough leeway to cheat, spend and build its way to a nuclear…

  Apr 9, 2015 | 2 min read