Opinion Articles

Will the IDF strike in Doha kickstart a hostage deal?

Did the strikes in Qatar move the country closer toward ending the war and bringing the hostages home, or did it push both goals further away?
Will the IDF strike in Doha kickstart a hostage deal?
President Donald Trump, along with the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, is in the background on a computer screen. Photo by Shutterstock

To Repair the Whole, We Must Understand its Parts

On January 16, Novak Djokovic, the top-seed men’s Tennis player in the world, was deported from Australia after a legal saga that ultimately resulted in the cancelation of his visa on the basis of “health and good order” on the eve of the Australian Open. Although Djokovic is not vaccinated against Covid-19, he has not actively promoted anti-vax disinformation. A…

AIPAC’s Gamble

A few days ago, the Israel lobby in the United States, AIPAC, announced that it would no longer confine itself to its usual political activity in Washington, but would support specific candidates for elected office, Republicans and Democrats, who support Israel – even in the upcoming primary season. In so doing, AIPAC is changing its policy of avoiding direct involvement…

Political Extremism and the Jews

There is a natural tendency, when discussing political extremism and polarization, to assume that the extreme Right and the extreme Left are mirror images of one another. In so doing, one appears evenhanded, even broadminded, able to accept that one’s own side’s extremists are as bad as those of the other side.

So how, in fact, do Haredi women behave?

Ultra-Orthodox feminists aren’t just changing their own communities, they are posing a wider challenge: Can new and different models be tolerated in the Israeli secular space?

Europe needs to allow Jews to practice shechita

Eight European countries have banned the practice of shechita.
Democracy

Too many changes to Israel’s Basic Laws can erode democracy

Although legally permissible, these frequent changes constitute an abuse of the Knesset’s powers as a constituent authority.
Democracy

What’s Next for Israel-Saudi Arabia Ties?

For Saudi Arabia to be able to normalize relations with Israel, it is imperative that the reformist camp receive much needed support from Washington.

The Government’s Housing Plan: Too Little, Not Socially Innovative, and Where are the Local Authority Heads?

The government’s housing plan is a tiny bandage on a bleeding market * The plan doesn’t meaningfully address Israel’s high housing prices * Not much can be done in the housing market without the cooperation of local government * And not every program created by the previous government has to be completely overhauled   The government’s recently-unveiled housing plan does…

Measurement as a Policy Weapon in a New Age of Antisemitism

American Jews may now be experiencing something they have not faced in the century since the wave of nativism that swept the US after World War I: politically purposed antisemitism. Along with this resurgence has come a wave of incidents, both minor and all too deadly. There is the possibility of a fundamental shift in the relationship with larger US…