Opinion articles that represent the views of the Forward’s editors.
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Opinion When It Comes to New Israel Envoy David Friedman, Bibi Should Be Careful What He Wishes For
Oh, the hawkish corner of American Jewry is jubilant with President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of David Friedman to be his ambassador to Israel. The Republican Jewish Coalition is kvelling on Twitter. Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, declared that Friedman — a bankruptcy lawyer with no diplomatic experience — has “the potential…
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Opinion Jared and Ivanka, Separate Business From Politics Before You Become Walking Anti-Semitic Tropes
Dear Ivanka and Jared, Please excuse the informality of my greeting. Your celebrity has become so ubiquitous that first names are all that’s needed. You are, right now, the most powerful Jews in America, and I trust you recognize the significance of your position seriously enough to listen to my plea. Because I’m worried. The…
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Opinion Responding to Sex Abuse Claims, Men Behave Badly — Again
For centuries, victims of sexual harassment and assault — some men, mostly women — have been muzzled by society’s demand for silence. Occasionally, there’s been an inflection point, a moment when a case is so public or so egregious that it breaks the silence, at least temporarily, and victims suddenly feel able to speak. Anita…
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Opinion Israel Has Disappeared From the Presidential Campaign. Should We Care?
This presidential election cycle has seen an unprecedented number of words and phrases enter the campaign lexicon, repeated again and again until they take on a life — or a hashtag — of their own. Loser. Crooked. Deplorables. Nasty woman. Build the wall. Putin’s puppet. And a few other choice ones I’d rather not repeat…
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Opinion Why Jewish Journalists Like Me Face Unprecedented Online Abuse in Age of Trump
After decades in journalism, you would think that I would be used to this by now. I weathered a barrage of hateful emails when, as editorial page editor of a major regional newspaper, we took a tough line against President Bill Clinton during his impeachment scandal in the 1990s. I had to deal with nasty…
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Opinion Shimon Peres and the Case for Unstoppable Israeli Optimism
The first time I met Shimon Peres was 20 years ago, at a heartbreaking stage in his long career. He was in Philadelphia to receive the Liberty Medal, awarded annually to world leaders who promote the blessings of liberty. The prize was to be shared with Jordan’s King Hussein. But just weeks before the July…
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Opinion 6 Things I Expect From the First Presidential Debate — and One I Don’t
I don’t envy NBC news anchor Lester Holt, moderator of the first presidential debate this evening, whose every word and gesture will be scrutinized by a polarized American public. I don’t envy the candidates, either, for the same reason, though they did sign up for this excruciating job interview. But as a journalist, a Jewish…
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Opinion How Obama’s Aid Package to Netanyahu Functions as a Rorschach Test for Jews
You can consider the unprecedented 10-year, $38 billion military aid package that the United States just signed with Israel by the numbers. It’s $3.8 billion a year. That’s $73,076,924 a week. Roughly $10,410,959 a day. Or you can consider it as a Rorschach test for the waning days of the tempestuous relationship between President Obama…
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Culture The crucial Bob Dylan question that ‘A Complete Unknown’ fails to answer
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Opinion My favorite Jewish Christmas tradition: do a mitzvah for children in need
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Fast Forward US ambassador to Israel calls Gaza famine warning ‘inaccurate,’ prompting review
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News RFK Jr. wants fluoride out of drinking water. Israel has a decade of lessons to offer.
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