Diaspora English: An American Election in Israel

By Daniel Crasnow December 2, 2020

“While American Jews continue to care about Israel, Israelis do not care as much about America.”

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Why Palestinian Advocacy Groups Don’t Partner With Hillel

By Tom Pessah July 2, 2014

In his post on New Voices last week, Tomer Kornfeld recounts how he worked with his campus Hillel to set up “a debate, or ‘mock peace talk’ with Students for Justice in Palestine.” But “instead of reciprocating our goodwill, sitting down with us and working things out, S.J.P. sent out an email to club members…

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Doppelgänger Week

By Simi Lichtman February 6, 2013

In case you couldn’t tell, this week is Doppelgänger Week on Facebook. What does this mean? Practically, it means your newsfeeds will suddenly become overrun with a steady stream of highly attractive people who you’ll recognize not as your friends, but as actors, athletes, and an assortment of other famous people. Your friends will choose the…

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Israeli Politics: A Glorified Personality Contest

By Gabriel T. Erbs January 28, 2013

As Obama signaled a more liberal second term during his second inaugural speech, I braced for the Israeli election. International media predicted a “right-wing doomsday,” decrying the end of once dominant “secular liberalism” in Israeli politics. One article from Israel/Palestine-based +972 Magazine projected that Prime Minister Netanyahu was losing ground—to the extreme right. In other words,…

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Is Bibi Changing the American Vote?

By Joshua Lapidus October 11, 2012

A few weeks ago there were too many headlines blaming Netanyahu for intervening in U.S. elections. “The clash has led Netanyahu to brazenly intervene in the U.S. election, but is that all that new, asks Lawrence Davidson” in Netanyahu’s ‘Red Line’ on Obama is a great example. This got me to toying with some grim thoughts. Are Israel…

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Iran and My Dog Chester

By Joshua Lapidus October 3, 2012

I just got a two-year old Beagle/Dachshund, Chester. He’s as smart as a dog could be – but he started barking ferociously at me the other day when I wouldn’t let him have a bite of my mint-chocolate CLIF Bar.  All he is thinking is: You have food, I want food. You don’t need food. I…

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$50,000 a Plate? Romney’s Israel Fundraiser Too Steep for Me

By Joshua Lapidus July 29, 2012

Mitt Romney, presumptive Republican nominee for President, is in Israel now to hold high-level meetings with his “friend,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to host a fundraiser for high-rollers. I thought about going myself, but $50,000 a plate was a tad too steep for my taste. (Of course, I could also get a few…

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Talking about Beit Shemesh; inequality indexes; kosher cola; and more. [Required Reading]

By John Propper April 9, 2012

“We need to talk about Beit Shemesh” [Sh’ma] In this article from Sh’ma, Laura Frank explores the connections between true modesty (an ambiguous idea) and the misogyny of many ultra-Orthodox Jews. Can a balance between inner and outer appearance, and the implications of “legislating” dress as a form of social control, be reached? “As a…

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Obama at AIPAC: “I Have Israel’s Back” [AIPAC 2012]

By Zach C. Cohen March 5, 2012

President Barack Obama continued to lobby for Jewish support as the November 2012 elections loom near, saying he has been a strong advocate for Israel. Obama cited his administration’s advocacy on behalf of Israel at the United Nations, during the flotilla incident, against BDS and during the Arab Spring. But Obama also warned against “loose…

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The Palestinians Could Recognize a Jewish State – They Don’t Think They’ll Have To

By greback May 25, 2011

Both Israel and the Palestinians have a precondition for negotiations to continue. The Palestinians want construction in the settlements to stop and the Israelis want the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel as a “Jewish” state. The fact that these are the two things that the two governments have to declare publicly demonstrates neither side wants…

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I Don’t Think Netanyahu is Mad at Obama

By greback May 20, 2011

There is nothing new under the sun. Nothing Barack Obama said is dramatic. But Benjamin Netanyahu is making it seem so. “He doesn’t get it,” said one Netanyahu aide: Referring to the US president’s Mideast policy speech, a Netanyahu associate said: “He (Obama) didn’t deliver the goods…Obama apparently does not understand the reality in the…

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What We Talk About When We Talk About the GA

By ckessler November 11, 2010

Clearly, I like to riff on the wisdom of Raymond Carver in my blog posts–but so what? I like repetition. And repetition is just one of the million things I want to talk about after having just gotten back from the General Assembly (of the Jewish Federations of North America) less than 24 hours ago….

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JVP Protests Netanyahu’s GA Speech

By admin November 8, 2010

This article was reported from the Jewish Federation General Assembly in New Orleans by Caroline Kessler and written by Ben Sales. Five activists from Jewish Voice for Peace disrupted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the Jewish Federation General Assembly in New Orleans today. The activists stood in five separate locations near the front of the room and shouted slogans saying…

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The Reading List: The beginning of the end for Netanyahu’s government?

By Ben Sales October 22, 2010

The coalition can’t hold, says Reven Rivlin and other Israeli political figures. The new question: how long until the next elections? [+972] Meanwhile, as that coalition refuses to renew the settlement freeze, Jewish building accelerates in the West Bank. [NYT] And on the peacenik side, Roger Cohen lists ten keys to the peace process that…

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The Reading List: Israelis love Palestinian Beer, fear Palestinians?

By Ben Sales October 7, 2010

It’s possible: Reportedly, Israelis are making their way to the Palestinian Oktoberfest in the Christian town of Taybeh… [Forward Schmooze] And meanwhile, the Israeli government is advancing a bill requiring all Palestinian-Israelis to take a loyalty oath to the state. The shandas for the goyim never stop… [YNet] As long as we’re on the topic…

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