Opinion

• Opinion

  Who’s Afraid of Al-Jazeera?

  When Al-Jazeera announced in early January that it was edging its way more aggressively into the American market (through the purchase of Al Gore’s fairly moribund channel, Current TV, for $500 million), the news was met with a predictable dollop of fear and loathing. Bill O’Reilly jumped to call the Qatari-based channel “anti-American.” Groups like…

  By Gal Beckerman

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  ‘Dear Abby’ Dies — And Ab Cahan Weeps

  Pauline Phillips, who wrote the ‘Dear Abby’ advice column, died yesterday at the age of 94. The daughter of Russian immigrants was born on the Fourth of July in Iowa and learned the lexicon of everyday middle American life growing up in the heartland. Her advice was always sharp, witty and sound — and her…

  By Liana Finck Jan 18, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Hillel the Hacktivist

  In an effort to drive home the point that everyone, regardless of their economic standing, is required to study Torah, the Talmud cites a story of Rabbi Hillel the Elder. Every day, Hillel worked and earned about half a dinar. He spent half of that to feed and clothe his family, and the other half…

  By Daniel Sieradski Jan 17, 2013 | 4 min read

Columnists View All

• Jodi Rudoren This is my last column as editor of the Forward

  

• Jay Michaelson Mamdani’s victory is an opportunity for Jews to relearn the art of disagreement

  

• Rob Eshman Want to understand what’s wrong with the ‘pro-Palestine’ movement? This Palestinian can help

  

• Nora Berman Did Netanyahu coerce Trump into attacking Iran? No — but he tried with Obama

  

• Dan Perry Trump wants to control the Israeli judiciary. Uh, good luck

  

• Emily Tamkin Zohran Mamdani’s victory proves it: The ‘gotcha’ mode of fighting antisemitism has to go

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Israel’s Election Race for Second Place

  So, we all kind of know who is going to take top spot in Tuesday’s general election in Israel — Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud-Yisrael Beytenu alliance. But who is going to come in second spot? Some Israelis were starting to eulogize the Labor party after its poor performance in the last election in 2009,…

  By Nathan Jeffay Jan 17, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  What Guns Mean

  President Obama’s forceful package of measures to curb gun violence and promote public safety is what this country needs. It also happens to be what this country wants — at least according to numerous polls that show a clear majority of Americans in favor of a ban on military-style assault weapons, limits on ammunition, universal…

  Jan 16, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Sandy Is Still With Us

  On Friday, October 26, staff members left the Forward offices with the warning that a wicked storm was going to bear down on New York City that weekend. Better bring home notes in case you have to write your stories from someplace else on Monday, they were told. One day turned into eleven weeks. Only…

  Jan 16, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Israel Wins PETA Stamp of Approval

  Israel has the PETA stamp of approval. Animal rights advocates are kvelling over a new law that bans animal testing on all cosmetics or toiletries produced, imported to or sold in Israel. Kathy Guillermo, a top official at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told The Forward that her organization is “just over the…

  By Renee Ghert-Zand Jan 16, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Morsi’s Words and Deeds

  The insulting remarks about Jews made by Mohamed Morsi in 2010 have been replayed enough that they don’t need to be repeated here. Morsi was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood then, and probably never thought he’d become president of Egypt in just a few years. That may explain his remarks. It doesn’t excuse them….

  By Jane Eisner Jan 15, 2013 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  Donald Likes Bibi

  The Donald is backing Bibi. Trump, the flaxen-haired publicity hound last seen pushing birther conspiracy theories in the U.S. presidential race, made what he likely considered a major announcement this afternoon (then again, he thinks everything he says is a major announcement). He’s backing Benjamin Netanyahu in the January 22 Israeli elections. “Vote for Benjamin….

  By Josh Nathan-Kazis Jan 15, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  French Jews Picked as Most Loved — and Hated — Figures

  The results are in from France’s annual flurry of end of the year polls to determine who is in and who is out, embraced or disgraced by the public. According to the newspaper Le Parisien, the nation’s most admired public figure is the singer and songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman. More or less at the same time,…

  By Robert Zaretsky Jan 15, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Everyone’s a Handwriting Expert — Even The Donald

  We know Jack Lew’s signature wouldn’t win any gold stars for penmanship. President Obama even joked that if he’d known Lew’s John Hancock was so loopy, he would have reconsidered his nomination for Treasury secretary. But self-proclaimed handwriting analyst Donald Trump says Lew’s signature isn’t just bad. Rather, it tells the real estate mogul-turned-wannabe Republican…

  By Susan Armitage Jan 14, 2013 | < 1 min read