This is the Forward’s coverage of Israel, the Jewish state in the Middle East founded in 1948.
Israel
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Opinion Israel’s Shas, Right-Wing Kingmaker Party, Takes Sharp Turn to Left
Barely four months after the political earthquake of the January 22 Knesset elections, Israeli politics are about to undergo another seismic shift. This one will bring less drama, but it just might have a deeper impact on the system. The catalyst is Arye Deri, the onetime Haredi wunderkind and convicted felon, who returned on May…
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Fast Forward Palestinians Clash With Israel on ‘Nakba Day’
Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday during demonstrations to mark 65 years since what they call the Nakba (Catastrophe) when Israel’s creation caused many to lose their homes and become refugees. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to return to the region on Tuesday in another bid to…
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Fast Forward Yair Lapid, Israel’s ‘Golden Boy,’ Crashes to Earth in Austerity Push
Just months after a dazzling political debut, Israel’s new finance minister Yair Lapid has come crashing down to earth with a budget that critics say hits the very people he vowed to protect – the middle classes. The deficit-cutting package was approved by the cabinet early on Tuesday and now passes to parliament, where Lapid…
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Opinion A Wide Tent on Israel, of Respectful Tension
At Kolot Chayeinu , our congregation’s stance on Israel has been the result of a series of conversations, meetings, dialogues and decisions. Our Statement of Values says: “We believe that Jews have an obligation to grapple with the many issues and emotions connected to our historic attachment to Israel and the current political situation in…
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Opinion Rabbis Must Speak About Israel, Warts and All
For most of my congregants, Israel is an accepted and welcome fact of life at the top of our communal agenda, not a point of contention. People care about Israel and identify with it. They love it in the unconditional way in which parents love their children. They are at peace with it. Every Sabbath,…
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Opinion Use Israel To Build Bridges Not Walls
“They should be ashamed,” a friend wrote me recently. He was referring to the resistance of some Orthodox Jews to joining the Israel Defense Forces. His communication joined the lists of emails and conversations I have had recently with many a friend on the rising tension between the so-called “Orthodox” and “secular” Jews in Israel….
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Opinion Congregation Needs To Be Involved in Israel To Make a Difference
Thirty members of our synagogue community are in Jerusalem, standing by the side of the road in Gilo, looking at the security barrier, Bethlehem and a new settlement in the distance. An educator from Ir Amim, which advocates for “a more viable and equitable city,” explains the horizon before us. We knock our heads against…
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Opinion In Kansas City, Backyard Issues Higher on Agenda Than Israel
For my congregation, Israel is not the most important matter on the agenda. Oh, members care about Israel, want it to succeed, pray for it, support it and sometimes visit it. But it’s not our central focus. So when people ask me how I handle the many divisive feelings around Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,…
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Fast Forward A whites-only, no-Jews community says it’s found a legal loophole. A Jewish lawmaker in Pennsylvania wants to close it.
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Culture Why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas?
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Film & TV We need to talk about that honey scene in ‘Marty Supreme’
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Opinion What if Donald Trump puts his name on the US Holocaust Memorial Museum?
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Trump, hosting Netanyahu in Florida, says next phase of Gaza ceasefire plan will begin ‘as quickly as we can’
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Opinion It’s a classic trick of liars and crooks — and it’s shaping Israel’s response to war and disaster
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Fast Forward Mikveh unearthed beneath Western Wall plaza shows evidence of Temple’s destruction
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Film & TV We need to talk about that honey scene in ‘Marty Supreme’
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