Opinion

• Opinion

  Love Israel. Oppose BDS. Reject SodaStream.

  As counterintuitive as it may be, when you see Scarlett Johansson’s Super Bowl ad on Sunday, promoting a product that lets you make carbonated drinks at home, try to see through bubbles and think about the future of the Middle East. There is nothing wrong with the product itself. Under normal circumstances, I would buy…

  By Debra Delee

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  Can a Government Video Fight Racism in Israel?

  A new anti-discrimination video campaign by Israel’s Ministry of Justice sends an important social message and packs a powerful emotional punch. But that doesn’t mean it’s enough to do the enormous job of eradicating racism in the Jewish State. Still, it’s a start. Discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or religious group, nationality, country…

  By Renee Ghert-Zand Jan 28, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Pete Seeger Gave Folk Music Life — and So Much More

  If Pete Seeger had written or re-discovered or adapted just “If I Had A Hammer” and “This Land Is Your Land,” even without so very many more, his passing would be a sad day. But he did way more than that. Essentially, he gave birth to a new life for folk music in this country….

  By Leonard Fein Jan 28, 2014 | 2 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

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  News Quiz: Bill de Blasio, Elvis and HBO

  Bill de Blasio meets Elvis meets HBO in this week’s Jewish News Quiz – which also includes some Jews. We promise.

  By Lenore Skenazy Jan 28, 2014 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Israeli Teacher May Lose Job Over ‘Leftist’ Views

  A schoolgirl listens to language class on November 4, 2002 in Jerusalem. / Getty Images An Israeli high school teacher faces dismissal after a student complained that he expressed radical “leftist” views in the classroom. In a letter to Education Minister Shay Piron, 12th-grade student Sapir Sabah accused Adam Verete — who teaches philosophy in…

  By Mairav Zonszein Jan 28, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Corporations Aren’t People — Especially When It Comes to Birth Control

  Corporations are people, Mitt Romney famously said at the Iowa State Fair in 2011, and it’s easy now to dismiss the phrase as the awkward, revealing statement of a man so out of tune with the public that he lost an election he was supposed to win. But in March, the U.S. Supreme Court will…

  Jan 28, 2014 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  The Year Pete Seeger Didn’t Sing in Hebrew

  Pete Seeger, California, 1950s / Public Domain In the spring of 1998, Pete Seeger headlined a free concert in Central Park celebrating Israel’s 50th birthday, sponsored by the Cantors’ Assembly. The event prompted a critical press release from the Zionist Organization of America, protesting the Cantors’ Assembly’s giving a platform to a harsh critic of…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jan 28, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  An African Asylum Seeker’s Hellish Journey to Israel

  I was born and raised in Eritrea, where I was fortunate to be well educated. I studied business administration in college, and after graduation I taught high school math. At that time, I began helping opponents of the Eritrean regime flee the country. My life was at risk, and it became too dangerous for me…

  By Anonymous Jan 28, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Abbas Tells Israeli Parley: Peace, Recognition. Watch

  This is a news flash for anyone who’s waiting to hear the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declare publicly in Arabic that he’s ready to recognize and make peace with Israel. He said it. You can watch it here. The background: Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, in a taped interview to be screened this week at…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jan 27, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Scarlett Johansson Stars in ‘SodaStream’

  Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson is taking heat for her decision to represent SodaStream, an Israeli home beverage company that operates in the occupied West Bank. Cartoonist Eli Valley offers his own unique graphic take on the controversy.

  By Eli Valley Jan 27, 2014 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Who’s Dumber, Bill De Blasio or AIPAC?

  It is hard to know who was stupider in this case: AIPAC or New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Working together, they managed to take a routine political event intended to promote support for Israel and turn it into a mini-crisis and a major embarrassment for all concerned. This is what happened: On Thursday,…

  By Eric Yoffie Jan 27, 2014 | 3 min read