Opinion

• Opinion

  Cairo Truce Hopes Fading As Sides Stiffen Terms

  Indications are mounting that the indirect Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire talks in Cairo could be heading for failure, possibly resulting in renewed fighting when the current 5-day truce expires Monday night. Early reports were that the two sides were close to agreement on an Egyptian compromise proposal for a long-term cease-fire. On Friday and Saturday, however, declarations…

  By J.J. Goldberg

  5 min read
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  Opinion

  From Gaza to Sderot, Trauma Marks The Past — And The Present

  There’s a line in one of Godard’s films: “I’m trying to be humane. Too bad I’m only human.” Shmaryahu Levin, a prominent American Zionist of the mid 20th century, said it even better: “Kh’bin bloys a mentsh, un amol dos oykh nisht.” “I’m only human, and sometimes not even that.” Leonard Fein was not a…

  By Leonard Fein Aug 16, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  ‘Unhappy Happiness,’ Or What Rabbi Nachman And Pharell Have in Common

  Presaging the hit song of Summer 2014, Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav famously taught, “It is a great mitzvah to be happy always.” In fact, Rabbi Nachman further observed, a century ahead of his time, sadness can lead to illness; poetically, he explained that this was because the body needs ten different kinds of music to…

  By Jay Michaelson Aug 16, 2014 | 5 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 I have the answer to Jon Stewart’s toughest question about Israel

  

• Nora Berman ‘Eddington’ is full of conspiracy theories but it’s not about Jews. Or is it?

  

• Dan Perry Recognizing a Palestinian state is a great way to doom Palestinians

  

• Emily Tamkin Is starvation in Gaza really Israel’s fault? The facts are clear

  

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  Opinion

  Better The Enemy You Know — Gaza’s Other Terror Groups

  Getty Images (JTA) — After four weeks of a punishing Israel air and ground campaign that left nearly 2,000 dead and much of Gaza in ruins, Hamas has lived to see another day. For Israel, that might not be the worst thing. That’s because for all of Hamas’ violent extremism, it also governs a territory, maintains…

  By Ben Sales Aug 15, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  A Fight Worth Fighting

  When President Barack Obama announced his reasons for allowing limited air strikes against the militant group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, his decision came along with a number of justifications. There did seem to be a possible impending genocide, yes. Yazidis, a religious minority group closely allied with the Kurds, were then huddling on…

  Aug 15, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  8 Things You Didn’t Know About The U.N. War Crimes Commission

  1) The head of the inquiry commission comes from a Jewish family William Schabas, chosen to chair the inquiry committee, a move compared by Israel to “inviting ISIS to organize religious tolerance week,” has strong Jewish roots. His paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Galicia in Central Europe who moved to New York at…

  By Nathan Guttman Aug 15, 2014 | 5 min read
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  Opinion

  Exchange in the Air

  Eli valley envisions a conversation on Zionism and the course of Jewish history during a military mission over Gaza. Eli Valley is finishing his first novel. His website is www.evcomics.com, and he tweets @elivalley SCROLL DOWN TO ENLARGE

  By Eli Valley Aug 14, 2014 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  France’s Acceptable Anti-Semitism

  Getty Images (JTA) — My friend Alain Azria gave me a puzzled look when I told him, with some indignation and disbelief in my voice, that I had just heard talk of killing Jews at an unauthorized anti-Israel demonstration in Paris. I had heard one young black man with a Parisian accent telling a dozen…

  By Cnaan Liphshiz Aug 13, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Getting Serious About the Mystery

  Robert Frost once wrote, “We dance round in a ring and suppose. But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.” I’d like this to be a Jewish credo. We have the first part right anyway: Jews do a lot of dancing round in rings, on holidays, at weddings. We also do a lot of…

  By Jay Michaelson Aug 13, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Stereotypes and Similarities at Muslim Jewish Conference

  Participants of the Muslim Jewish Conference visit the main synagogue in Vienna, Austria. / All photos copyright Daniel Shaked As a grassroots youth organization, the Muslim Jewish Conference has worked for five years to provide a framework for real interaction and dialogue between young Muslims and Jews from all over the world. The six-day meeting…

  By Aziz Sohail Aug 12, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  News Quiz: A Wig by Any Other Name

  Lox and socks. No, it’s not a newly discovered Dr. Seuss book – it’s this week’s quiz, including a visit to Starbucks , nursery school and Yankee Stadium. Jump in!

  By Lenore Skenazy Aug 12, 2014 | < 1 min read