Opinion

• Opinion

  English Soccer Kicks Off — Minus Israelis

  The new English Premier League season will kick off on Saturday without a single Israeli on any of the top league’s 20 teams. It shouldn’t be seen as entirely out of the ordinary for a nation of Israel’s size and resources not to have any representatives in the Premier League. As Joshua Halickman, aka The…

  By Liam Hoare

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  Settlement Shenanigans

  Thanks to political, bureaucratic and logistical requirements, Israel’s settlement project is inherently complicated. The approval process for new units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has more layers than a thick piece of baklava. In the more contested areas, where even some hard-liners believe there could be a Palestinian state, there are additional administrative…

  Aug 15, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  As Peace Talks Begin, Good Will In Short Supply

  Secretary of State John Kerry had promised that the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would be kept confidential, so that the negotiators could exchange ideas without being subject to pressure from extremists on each side until a package of mutual concessions was ready that could show each side what it received in return for what it gave…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 15, 2013 | 4 min read

Columnists View All

• Jay Michaelson What can really be done to prevent antisemitic attacks like Bondi Beach?

  

• Rob Eshman Australia shooting terrifies Jews worldwide — and strengthens the case for Israel

  

• Nora Berman Did crypto-Jews invent the modern tarot deck?

  

• Dan Perry An Israeli media mainstay is crumbling. Will liberal democracy go with it?

  

• Emily Tamkin The fundamental miscalculation behind the GOP’s antisemitism crisis

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Bob Filner’s Too Bad for Hooters

  Hooters is drawing a line in the sand — and his name is San Diego Mayor Bob Filner. The jiggle joint restaurant chain, not normally known for its political correctness, has announced it will no longer serve the embattled Jewish pol, according to signs posted outside locations across the city. Filner, recently slammed with a…

  By Doni Bloomfield Aug 14, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Gay, Orthodox and Outspoken

  The Supreme Court’s decisions around marriage rights may have elated gay and lesbian Jews and their allies. But for LGBT Jews in the Orthodox community, the ruling might have the opposite effect. The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations issued a statement reiterating Judaism “forbids homosexual relationships”; Agudath Israel went a step further, claiming the “sanctity”…

  By Michael Kaminer Aug 14, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Giving Palestinians More Freedom of Movement Is Win-Win — Even for Israel

  If Israeli and Palestinian negotiators want early agreement on a critical component of a peace deal, they should start by immediately and significantly expanding access between the West Bank and Gaza. I can’t think of a more important — and more easily resolved — issue than securing a connection between the two parts of the…

  By Sari Bashi Aug 14, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  How Yiddish Could Save the Jewish People

  The American Jewish community and its media frequently express concern about the Jewish future in America, citing mounting rates of assimilation and increasingly liberal trends in religious practice. In this discussion, intermarriage is frequently conceived of as being both the standard measure and the primary symptom of just how assimilated Jews are. What is usually…

  By Jordan Kutzik Aug 13, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Bibi’s New Settlement Plan: Just Talk, Not Action

  Israel’s latest announcement of permits for 1,200 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has stirred a hornets’ nest of angry responses. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it could undermine the negotiating process before it’s even started. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said America does “not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 12, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Israel’s Everyday Racism — and How American Jews Turn a Blind Eye to It

  The Anti-Defamation League and the rest of the American Jewish establishment owe Jesse Jackson a big apology. They put the man through the wringer, they made him apologize in every possible forum for his “Hymie” and “Hymietown” remarks back in 1984. Yet look at the kinds of things Israeli leaders — senior government ministers, chief…

  By Larry Derfner Aug 12, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How Education Can Combat Israeli Racism

  Please resist the urge to stop reading this article as soon as a certain word rears its ugly head. This is not an indictment. On the contrary — it’s a letter of commendation, a borderline puff piece. But the good news only makes sense in the context of the bad news, and I don’t know…

  By Marc Grey Aug 12, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Marijuana Legalization Is Freedom of Religion Cause

  Medical marijuana is spreading in acceptance, with Illinois this month becoming the 20th state to legalize medical marijuana. But so far no states have legalized religious marijuana use, even though there is compelling reason to do so. People consume alcohol for religious reasons, especially Jews. At least 25 states even allow minors to consume alcohol…

  By Eliyahu Federman Aug 12, 2013 | 2 min read