No one doubts that Donald Trump’s approach to immigration is two parts bombast, two parts cruelty and two parts fear. Other than a general antagonism to immigration, illegal or legal, from non-Nordic countries, he offers no serious or comprehensive plan to solve the real and continuing problems at our borders. Unfortunately, many Democrats have largely given up on any effort to do so either.
Anis Modi
Almost two months have passed since Avigdor Liberman resigned as Defense Minister in early November, leaving the Likud-led coalition with a narrow, difficult-to-manage majority in the Knesset.
Did Donald Trump expect that his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria—a decision made spontaneously following his phone call with Turkish president Erdogan—would create such a stir?
It was a rainy day in Arad, one of the driest places on earth. I was on my first trip to Israel since becoming editor of Moment. It was February of 2008. A friend insisted I needed to meet Amos Oz (1960-2018). Amos was the soul of Israel, he said.
Ellen Wexler
As the end of 2018 nears, take a look back at Moment’s most-read stories this year.
Anis Modi
Famed Israeli author Amos Oz has passed away today, aged 79, after a short battle with cancer. Perhaps the most renowned Israeli author, Oz’s work has been translated into 45 languages and won dozens of awards, including the prestigious Goethe Prize and the Israel Prize for Literature. Oz was also an activist, repeatedly advocating in favor of the two-state solution and calling for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The legacy of this half-forgotten conflict is an important one for those who care about religious freedom and religious pluralism today.
In the roller coaster known as the Trump presidency, nothing lasts forever, and the president’s recent decision to pull American troops out of Syria is seen as a diplomatic and strategic blow to Israel.
Moment
In early December, under banners declaring “This is an emergency” and carrying signs with pictures of the 24 women murdered in 2018, more than 20,000 women gathered in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to protest against femicide and gender-based violence in Israel.
Regardless of whether the anti-BDS law gets attached and becomes law, the debate it triggered can serve as a useful map of pro-Israel politics on the Democratic side.
