Opinion | Who Is a Reform Jew?
How many Reform Jews live in Israel?
The proper answer to this question ought to be: Who cares? And yet some people do care, me...
Opinion | The Israeli Elections Were Bleak, But Don’t Give Up On Us
Just thinking about the government that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is forming fills me with a deep sense of dread.
Opinion | Nobody’s Talking About Peace
In Israel, the left still exists in the minority despite right wing rule.
Debate | What Do We Need More Of—Nationalism or Globalism?
Yoram Hazony argues that Nationalism is better for the world than Globalism.
Debate | What Do We Need More Of—Nationalism or Globalism?
Which is better, globalism or nationalism? Which does the world need more of right now?
Everything else being equal, globalism is better—globalism coupled with policies...
Opinion | Why We Need Taboos
It took the Holocaust to make casual anti-Jewish talk so toxic that polite society wouldn’t stand for it. Eroding that sense of toxicity is much easier; internet memes can do it. But it’s also possible to invite backlash against strong, important taboos by clinging to weaker ones that are broader than necessary. We ignore the distinction at our peril.
Opinion | Jews of Color Are Us
Until white members of our tribe repudiate default correlations between religion and race, and until we treat our black and brown brothers and sisters with equal dignity, we can never fulfill the promise of becoming a diverse, welcoming community in which every individual is seen as tzelem elohim, a mirror image of God
Opinion | Ilhan Omar’s Blast from the Past
Ilhan Omar’s tweets caused a controversy. But anti-Semitism in Congress is nothing new.
Opinion | Is the Left Israel’s New Lost Tribe?
So on the eve of another round of Israeli elections, in which a “right” is supposedly battling a “left,” we have to ponder two options. The first is to agree that most of what Israelis argue about is either relatively unimportant (should we pass a nationality law?) or strictly tribal (do you belong to this or that segment of the population?), or just personal (do you approve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?). The second option is to change the definition of our political camps and what they mean. Do not contrast the small, vocal and largely irrelevant minority of people who still call themselves a left with the majority—because it skews the real political picture. Do not even call it a left—it’s confusing. Do not pretend the major debate in Israel is about the peace process—because it’s not. What is it about then? Hmmm. Good question.
Opinion | How Trump Mainstreams Anti-Semitism
President Donald Trump has brought the mental habits of anti-Semitism from the political fringe into the White House. And yet this is the same Trump...
Opinion | Americans Want an Immigration Fix
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.