On Israel’s eighth front, rabbis should be on the front line

We are in a moment of unprecedented challenges for Israel and the Jewish people. Discourse about Israel, unlike any other foreign policy issue, has become toxic and increasingly polarized. Political hatred of Israel has united the far right and far left in a vitriolic and twisted union. School board candidates are issuing platforms that spend …

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The Danger of Candidates Refusing Donations from Certain People

On any given day, Americans of all backgrounds participate in the political process—lobbying for policies and engaging lawmakers on a wide range of issues. Yet one group, those who support Israel and more specifically the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is increasingly singled out and demonized, as if its participation in the political process …

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Fighting Antisemitism Before It’s Too Late

Fighting the “world’s oldest hatred” requires more than words. It demands that each sector of society that fuels harmful impressions about Israel and Jews examine how they have contributed to the toxic environment that has led to hateful words and violent acts against Jews. The cold-blooded murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky in Washington, …

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On the New York Times Attempt to Smear the IDF

The New York Times recent lengthy front page article, “Israel Loosened Its Rules to Bomb Hamas Fighters, Killing Many More Civilians” is disturbing – not necessarily because of the veracity of the allegation, but because of its reputation and the presumption of objectivity, reliability and accuracy of the New York Times. Yet it is fair …

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Is it okay for a rabbi to be anti-Israel?

Rabbis should not use their High Holiday sermons to engage in unfair denunciations of Israeli policies. Instead they should display “more rabbinic courage” in helping to create a revival of support for Zionism in Reform and Conservative Judaism. This is the message that JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin hopes will sound from pulpits this Rosh Hashanah as Jews …

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