The Supreme Court’s decision to recognize conversions performed by private Orthodox rabbinical courts in Israel is nothing less than a historic drama. The immediate significance is the loss of the Chief Rabbinate’s Orthodox monopoly over conversions, but it’s also a milestone in the privatization of religious services on the road to the Chief Rabbinate’s loss of relevance. Until now, anyone…

Accusations against Israel, both in Israel and abroad, allege that a democratic country cannot have a particularistic identity. Some believe that a state must be neutral and that preferential treatment of any national group unjustifiably compromises the equality of citizens of other nationalities. These voices contend that in order for its large Arab minority – some 20% of the population…

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This article was originally published in The Washington Post on March 16, 2016   At a moment of impasse over President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to fill the Supreme Court vacancy caused by Antonin Scalia’s death, it would be useful to remember this example: A…

Ludicrously, we are talking about the “Mikveh Bill,” which was advanced earlier this week by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation. The bill calls for forbidding the use of public ritual baths by anyone who is not prepared to acquiesce to the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, and immerse in accordance with its strict edicts. The bill seeks to cleanse the ritual bath…

This article was originally published in Forward. American Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro recently charged that Israel employs a doublelegal standard in the West Bank: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians. No one can question Shapiro’s friendship toward Israel. His worrying observation reflects the frustration of many Americans who are true friends of Israel and yet deeply concerned about its…

Here we go again, like a broken record, and the sound is dissonant, disappointing, and disgraceful. Israel’s Security Service Law, which drafts our sons and daughters into the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), compelling them to risk their lives for their country, has been amended again by the Knesset because of changes in the make-up of the coalition government. Made in…

Unfortunately, over the past several weeks, in the face of a wave of murderous terror, we have seen cruel and ruthless responses on the street and through social media. The Arab/Muslim side has callously called for further attacks. The Israeli/Jewish side has witnessed a societal outburst of racism and calls for “killing every terrorist” after each attack. Rabbis have partnered…

Published on: Haaretz.com  When Yigal Amir murdered Yitzhak Rabin, he did not target Yitzhak Rabin the man; he targeted the prime minister of Israel. This political assassination sought to change government policy and prevent the implementation of the Oslo Accords. The assassin used a gun barrel to change the results of the ballot box, seeking to overthrow Israel’s decision-making bodies…