Opinion

• Opinion

  For Bibi, Two Setbacks on Tuesday

  Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reeling from not one but two disappointments on Tuesday. It is widely believed that he was desperate for Mitt Romney to win the American presidential election. But he also had an eye on another election at home. The main religious-Zionist party Jewish Home was holding its primaries to choose…

  By Nathan Jeffay

  2 min read
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  Opinion

  Calling Israel’s Discrimination What It Is

  Forward columnist Philologos recently took the Israeli daily Ha’aretz to task for using the term “apartheid” in its reporting on a poll that showed most Israelis support discrimination against Arab citizens. “Apartheid” and mere discrimination are two very different things, Philologos claimed. He suggested that Ha’aretz should be censured for using such a damning epithet….

  By Brant Rosen Nov 8, 2012 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Sheldon Adelson’s Self-Defeating Meddling

  In late July, Sheldon Adelson pledged $6.5 million of his casino empire’s fortune, and potentially as much as $100 million, to a campaign by the Republican Jewish Coalition. It was aimed at peeling away Jewish voters from the incumbent Democratic president, Barack Obama, in potential swing states like Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Just to underscore…

  By Samuel G. Freedman Nov 7, 2012 | 3 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 ‘Israel is seen as violent’ — and Israeli chefs, once global culinary icons, are feeling the heat

  

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

  

• Dan Perry For Trump and Netanyahu, statecraft is now synonymous with stagecraft

  

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

  

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  Opinion

  Sarah and Sheldon and Mindy, Oh My!

  Now that the serious stuff is out of the way, let’s list the best (or worst) Jewish viral videos of the 2012 election cycle. Silverman on Adelson Comedian Sarah Silverman offered sexual favors to billionaire Republican donor Sheldon Adelson in this video from the group behind 2008’s Great Schlep. Silverman’s deal: Donate to Democrats instead…

  By Josh Nathan-Kazis Nov 7, 2012 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Bad Night for the Jewish Echo Chamber

  American liberals are deservingly jubilant. Our standard-bearer has been reelected, liberal heroes such as Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren have won their elections, and marriage equality triumphed in all four states where it was on the ballot. And while Congress remains divided much as it was in the previous term, important trend lines show the…

  By Jay Michaelson Nov 7, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Obama Channels Bush’s Strategy To Win

  President Barack Obama inherited an economy from George W. Bush — he also inherited a re-election strategy. When running for re-election on a record where the successes and disappointments of the first term of office did not easily merit a second, the Bush strategy was to double-down on core supporters, fire a missile into the…

  By Noam Neusner Nov 7, 2012 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Israelis Care — But Not Enough To Wake Early

  Israelis professed great interest in the U.S. election — but evidently not enough to lose sleep over it. The US-Israel time difference meant that by getting up just a few minutes early, Israelis could watch the moment of truth. The Association of Americans & Canadians in Israel, with the support of the Jerusalem Post, offered…

  By Nathan Jeffay Nov 7, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  ‘Diva’ Comes Up a Bit Short

  Mindy Meyer won plenty of attention for her splashy pink-themed campaign for a Brooklyn state Senate seat. The young Orthodox law student dubbed the ‘Magenta Yenta’ did less well at the ballot box. She was crushed by incumbent Democrat Kevin Parker by a 97%-to-3% margin. According to the Daily News, Meyer garnered just 2,553 votes…

  By Forward Staff Nov 7, 2012 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Brad Sherman Crushes Berman in L.A. Battle

  The bitter fight to represent the newly redrawn 30th congressional district in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley is finally over. Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman swamped fellow Democrat Howard Berman to win the seat. With 83% of precincts counted, he held a gaping 60%-40% lead. The contest between the two incumbents, pitted against one another as…

  By Rex Weiner Nov 7, 2012 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Palestinians Barred from Studying in West Bank

  Since the beginning of 2012, Gisha and Al Mezan, an Israeli and a Palestinian human rights organization, respectively, have been arguing a petition before Israel’s highest court asking that five women from Gaza be permitted to enter the West Bank to complete their academic studies. In September the petition was rejected, against the backdrop of…

  By Tania Hary Nov 7, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Great Expectations

  Perhaps the great national achievement was not electing the first African American president. Perhaps the great national achievement was electing him again. The next four years — even the next four months — will present monumental governing challenges, especially in a Washington that, on the surface at least, looks remarkably as it did before the…

  Nov 7, 2012 | 2 min read