Opinion | The Tough Task of Defining Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish...
Opinion | What Will It Take to Get the Haredim to Enlist?
For Israelis, bringing teenage sons and daughters barely out of high school to the army induction center to begin their compulsory military service is one of the most fraught and difficult realities of life. Underlying the cheerful, almost celebratory sendoff is the terrifying possibility of one day being forced to join the crowds at Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery, part of the growing “family” who have paid the ultimate price for living in the world’s only Jewish country.
Opinion | The Many Gradations of #MeToo
In the year since the Harvey Weinstein case hit the headlines and the #MeToo movement exploded in every direction, I’ve felt increasingly distressed by the number of prominent Jewish men among the accused. Aside from the obvious names—from Senator Al Franken to conductor James Levine, from actors and journalists to Judge Alex Kozinski—one that particularly troubles me is scholar-macher Steven M. Cohen, the sociologist whose in-depth surveys have helped American Jews understand ourselves better, and who happens to be my long-term acquaintance.
Opinion | Poland and Hungary Are the Tip of the Iceberg
The news from Central Europe seems to be uniformly bad: democracy threatened, rule of law subverted, historical revisionism triumphant. It all carries a nasty 1930s flavor. To Western readers, moreover, most of that news seems to come from Budapest and Warsaw. We don’t hear much from such places as Bratislava, Bucharest or Ljubljana—and no news is good news, right? Look again.
Debate | ‘The traditional’ family was a relatively late invention’
Is the traditional family the foundation of democracy?
It depends what kind of traditional family you’re talking about. Throughout most of European and American history,...
Debate | ‘We’ve lost touch with what gives our lives shape and significance’
Is the traditional family the foundation of democracy?
It’s the foundation of many things—happiness, social order, identity—and it’s essential to the good working of democracy too....
Who Should Be Jerusalem’s Next Mayor?
As Israel’s municipal elections, scheduled for October 30, come closer, we are caught between two Jerusalems.
Why Hagai El-Ad Needed to Speak at the UN
I didn’t want to listen to Hagai El-Ad, director of the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, as he provided an official briefing to the United Nations Security Council about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank last week.
Opinion | Online Misogyny Is Hate Speech
For women who work or spend time online, the idea that online misogyny is dangerous seems like basic common sense. Female journalists, politicians, celebrities and other women with work-related internet presences often face daily harassment, hacking or doxxing—the release of their private information, including phone numbers and home addresses.
Is Israel an ‘Apartheid State’? Depends on Your Goal
Does the nation-state law cement Israel’s status as an apartheid state? And what does that mean?
A Haredi Rabbi’s Rumination on Racism
Like many of his generation, Mr. Paskow harbored some deep, overt racial prejudices against what he referred to as shvartzes, Yiddish for “blacks.” It was 1969, and race riots in a number of cities provided the elderly shulgoer with ample fodder for his racial railings.
Moment Debate | ‘If People Can’t Get Across, They Won’t Have to be Arrested’
I think there should be a limit on immigration, but we shouldn’t restrict it to zero. I think we need to be smarter about its composition and prioritize people with skills that could help the economy.