Opinion

• Opinion

  Artist and Writer Rachel Abrams Dies

  Writer, editor and artist Rachel Abrams died June 7 of stomach cancer, at age 62. Abrams came from a noted neo-conservative family that included her mother, Midge Decter, a founder of the Project for a New American Century; her stepfather and longtime Commentary editor Norman Podhoretz, and her husband, political scientist and diplomat Elliott Abrams….

  By Forward Staff

  < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  The One About Clinton, JNF, Peres and the $500K Bill

  Like many urban legends, the myth — and now mess — of the Jewish National Fund’s supposed agreement to pay former President Bill Clinton $500,000 in charitable funds to speak for 45 minutes to an exclusive group of Israeli dinner guests began with an incorrect press report — which then got repeated until it was…

  By Yermi Brenner Jun 6, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Genocide, Lies & Video: Sliming Samantha Power

  Even in a political culture as poisonous as ours is of late, there’s still something deeply disturbing about the perverse dishonesty of the right-wing attacks on Samantha Power, President Obama’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. There are so many layers of bad faith at work here that it’s hard to know where to…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jun 6, 2013 | 4 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 There’s a shocking new report on civilian deaths in Gaza. If only it were accurate.

  

• Nora Berman Is Netflix’s new show the most Jewish cartoon ever?

  

• Dan Perry Israel’s new gift to the far right could help end the Gaza war

  

• Emily Tamkin Entering motherhood — and an obsession with the works of an Italian Jewish literary hero

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Samantha Power Already Faces Knives Out From Some on Israel

  The knives are already out. Samantha Power, it is alleged, is an enemy of Israel — this based on comments she made in response to a “thought experiment,” comments she subsequently disavowed. Power was asked, back in 2002, how her support for liberal interventionism to defend human rights abroad might be applied to a situation…

  By Leonard Fein Jun 6, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Will Walmart Swamp Toronto’s Jewish Heart?

  Will Walmart’s arrival spell the end of Kensington Market, the quirky, vibrant Toronto neighborhood that housed most of the city’s Jews in the early 20th century? Locals think so. And more than 40,000 of them have signed a Change.org petition urging the city to reject a property developer’s proposal for a three-story mall whose anchor…

  By Michael Kaminer Jun 6, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Turkey’s Moment of Tumult

  Weeks before Turkish protesters took to the streets, alcohol fueled the flames of revolt. It was not drunkenness, however, that turned up the political heat; rather, it was government rhetoric that denied alcohol’s Turkishness. First, the conservative government initiated bans on selling alcohol. Then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pushed for constitutional reform in order…

  By Marcy Brink-Danan Jun 6, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Dueling Satmars Unite for Huge Anti-Draft Rally

  A rare joint rally sponsored by both of the dueling factions within the Satmar Hasidic movement could bring upwards of 20,000 protesters to downtown Manhattan this Sunday, according to Satmar insiders. The Satmar factions, led by two warring brothers who each claim the title of rebbe, rarely cooperate. Yet activist supporters of both sides are…

  By Josh Nathan-Kazis Jun 5, 2013 | < 1 min read
• Opinion

  News Quiz: L.I. Princesses, Female IDF Soldiers

  Welcome back to the Forward’s weekly news quiz! It’s time to think about diamonds, dementia and the fifth edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (Which may include a name for people who think about diamonds, dementia and diagnoses.) Also: Think about Michael Cera. Are you sure you’re thinking about Michael Cera?

  By Lenore Skenazy Jun 5, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  A Labor Agenda for the 21st Century: Less Work

  There are many icons of American labor: the Haymarket martyrs, Cesar Chavez, Joe Hill. But often overlooked are a cartoon pair who taught us a lot about resisting the wage system: Beavis and Butthead. In an episode titled “On Strike,” America’s favorite chuckleheads get inspired by the ongoing baseball strike to start their own work…

  By Ari Paul Jun 5, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Kerry to U.S. Jews: Prod Leaders to Back 2 States

  Secretary of State Kerry may have crossed a few lines and trod on some toes in his speech to the American Jewish Committee in Washington on Monday. The first half-hour was filled with predictable declarations about his love for Israel, the urgency of peace and the beautiful view from Masada, but his ending was a…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jun 4, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  When Gorgeous Israeli Soldiers Go Bad on Facebook

  When Israeli female soldiers get saucy, some Israelis can’t help but applaud. Columnist Halleli Jabotinsky published newly surfaced photographs on her blog, and declared that they actually performed an “important service” by humanizing the Israeli military and also looked “cute.” In the photographs, which went viral in social media, new recruits exposed their thongs under…

  By Nathan Jeffay Jun 4, 2013 | 2 min read