Last Friday night, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett offered a short “Dvar Torah” teaching to launch the impromptu Washington DC Shabbat with stranded aides and reporters, caused when President Joe Biden postponed their summit. The Jerusalem Post’s Lahav Harkov reported that Bennett concluded, with ten minutes …
How Israelis can fight the Durban conference’s Jew-hatred – opinion
On September 22, the United Nations will waste a day celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration, adopted at the UN’s 2001 World Conference against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa. In a just world, the UN would mourn this debacle, for reducing an …
Do Jewish studies courses require warning labels? – opinion
It’s August. As many Jewish college students finalize course schedules, naïve parents or grandparents might advise: “Why don’t you take one of those nice Jewish Studies courses?” Beware what you wish for. Many Jewish Studies professors have gone “Woke” – while some have gone mad …
A Year Later, The Abraham Accords Are Worth Celebrating | Opinion
A year ago, on August 13, 2020, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States announced normalization agreements between the Jewish state, the UAE and Bahrain. A month later, on September 15, representatives of the four countries signed the Abraham Accords at the White …
A deep dive into the writings of visionary Theodor Herzl
In 1901, Theodor Herzl described the “Jewish proletariat” as “the poorest and unhappiest” in Europe and “also the most restless and disquieting.” Herzl saw one solution to this Jewish problem – come home! In returning to Palestine, the Jewish homeland, these “settlers” would become “permanent dwellers …
Here’s how to keep Jews safe from antisemitism
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid stumbled badly last week – he attacked Jew-hatred subtly, thoughtfully. Weaving the particular with the universal, the world’s unique obsession against Jews with humans’ tendency to hate others, Lapid first described how the Nazis menaced his father as a 13-year-old Jew. Lapid …
Second Lebanon War heroes brought sounds of silence to the North – opinion
Fifteen years after a Hezbollah ambush began the Second Lebanon War, the consensus about who won is shifting. For years, most believed Israel had lost. Forty-nine Israeli civilians and 121 soldiers were dead, with another 1,384 civilians and 1,244 soldiers wounded. Hezbollah’s guerillas made the …
Birthright: A breath of fresh Zionist air – opinion
For years, when meeting Zionist activists on campus, I’ve heard their tales of woe. It often feels like Zionists Anonymous – or group therapy. One student describes being bullied or cancelled for being pro-Israel. Suddenly, the dam breaks. Others share their stories – then others. …
Un-Jews use Trojan horse slogans that delegitimize Israel and Zionism
Those of us who believe in Jewish unity, who have long sought an open dialogue, increasingly face a dilemma: what happens when some fellow Jews cross red lines, canceling Zionism and Jewish peoplehood, denying Israel’s right to exist while popularizing Trojan horse terms that have …
Isaac Herzog’s mission as president: Shaping Israel’s soul – opinion
It’s easy to mock the Israeli President’s to do list: kiss babies – check; issue holiday greetings — check; host another reception for another ambassador – check. But in a young democracy with a volatile political system, the President’s to do list is more challenging. …