Opinion

• Opinion

  Princes, Rabbis and the Danger of Dynasties

  A new prince was born this week, and two new chief rabbis were elected. One of them was my cousin. The common denominator for all three? Dynasty. Born into elite clubs, these very different individuals will serve according to some ancient human code of pedigree and privilege in which some people are worth more than…

  By Amichai Lau-Lavie

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  Letting Syria Go

  The rebels in Syria are losing. Over the past two years of revolt — a conflict that has now taken 93,000 lives — there have been moments when Bashar al-Assad looked like he was on the ropes. But that is not the case anymore. And our own government officials know it. Jay Carney, the president’s…

  Jul 26, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Will Prince George Face Circumcision?

  We know his gender. We know his name. Now it’s time to move on to the next critical news item from London. I speak, of course, of the newborn HRH Prince George of Cambridge, and whether or not the little royal foreskin will be snipped. Notwithstanding that the debate about the possibility that the new…

  By Renee Ghert-Zand Jul 25, 2013 | 2 min read

Columnists View All

• Alyssa Katz What I learned at a Holocaust survivors’ Purim party

  

• Rob Eshman Gavin Newsom isn’t waffling on Israel — he’s voicing sensible ideas in an era of outrage

  

• Dan Perry An abominable new Israeli law is a death warrant for democracy

  

• Emily Tamkin We must rewrite the rulebook for fighting antisemitism — or conspiracists like Joe Kent will win the narrative wars

  

• Jay Michaelson Passover’s 4 cups of meaning

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Benjamin Netanyahu Faces Political Obstacle Course on Road to Peace Talks

  It was on a Friday evening, July 19, that Secretary of State John Kerry announced the upcoming resumption of Israel-Palestinian peace talks after a three-year freeze. There were no preconditions announced. Kerry had met Palestinian demands by giving his own promise — in writing, Palestinian officials said — that negotiations would be based on Israel’s…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jul 25, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Top U.S. General: We Pay a Price for Backing Israel

  Marine Corps General James Mattis, who retired May 22 as chief of the U.S. Central Command, in charge of U.S. forces in the Middle East, said in a speech at the prestigious Aspen Security Forum in Colorado last Saturday (July 20) that America needs to work “with a sense of urgency” to achieve a two-state…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jul 25, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Ryan Braun Sparked Anti-Semitic Twitter Flood

  The recent suspension of Ryan Braun, the star Milwaukee Brewers outfielder known affectionately as “the Hebrew Hammer,” has brought in its wake a host of anti-Semitic tweets directed at Braun — and pretty much everyone else of Jewish heritage. The Huffington Post reported on the Tweets in the best way they could, by compiling a…

  By Doni Bloomfield Jul 24, 2013 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  News Quiz: Britain’s Royal, Baseball’s Scandal

  A royal baby and Bar Refaeli — they’re both in the quiz this week and for the exact same reason, just showing up not wearing much. The Brewers’ Ryan Braun is here, too, along with Allan Sherman. That’s not a pairing you are going to find anywhere else, so take the quiz already!

  By Lenore Skenazy Jul 24, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  May the Lord Bless the Royal Baby

  When the rabbi is asked, in “Fiddler on the Roof,” whether there’s a prayer for the Czar, he says, “May God bless and keep the Czar… far away from us.” But this week British and American Jewish communities have clasped one royal family close to its virtual bosom. Websites, facebook pages, twitter feeds have been…

  Jul 24, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  How Israel Sold EU on Banning Half of Hezbollah

  The European Union’s decision to slap the terrorist label on Hezbollah’s military wing, but not on its political wing, has been getting decidedly mixed reviews from Israel and the Jewish community. The American Jewish Committee said it “welcomes” the move as a “significant step forward in recognizing the true nature of Hezbollah,” even though AJC…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jul 24, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Ryan Braun’s Jewish Disgrace

  The best of times has turned into the worst of times for Jewish baseball fans now that Major League Baseball has suspended slugger Ryan “Hebrew Hammer” Braun in baseball’s latest performance-enhancing drugs scandal. The Milwaukee Brewers slugger and former National League Most Valuable Player, who is the son of an Israeli-born Jewish father and a…

  By Peter Ephross Jul 23, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Europe’s Anti-Settlement Plan Reveals Broken Moral Compass

  The European Union recently sent out a directive barring its 28 members from cooperating with Israeli entities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The boycott includes “all funding, cooperation, and the granting of scholarships, research grants and prizes” to Israeli entities in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. If this is how the E.U….

  By Noah Beck Jul 23, 2013 | 4 min read