Jews and the global tilt towards conservativism and populism Since the emancipation of the eighteenth century, Jews traditionally supported liberal, reform and even revolutionary movements which, in most cases, paved the way for them to achieve equality. This was not surprising as, by and large, the...
British Jews under pressure Reviewing the status of Anglo-Jewry can lead to diametrically opposing conclusions. Residing in a northwest London Jewish suburb, one can easily be deluded that life for Jews in the U.K. is rosy. Jewish cultural and religious life is thriving, as...
The global jihadist onslaught and European Jews That a massacre of at least 129 civilians in Paris, in the heart of Europe, could be engineered by half a dozen militarily trained killers is an indicator of what we can expect in the future unless ruthless measures are taken to confront the...
American Jewish leaders: Speak up now or be damned It is now evident that, by and large, the Jewish establishment has adopted a policy of deafening silence in relation to condemning or protesting against the virulent one-sided political attacks and sins of omission by the Obama administration...
Let My People Go Photo: Speakers at Begin Heritage Center book launch, L-R: Australia’s Ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma, Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, Isi Leibler, Natan Sharansky, and Ilan Greenfield, Gefen Publishing. Photo by Andres Lacko...
Rosh Hashanah: Confronting the challenges of 5776 The past year, like its predecessors, will once again be viewed by many as an annus horribilis. It has indeed been a bitter year on many fronts. Israel is an oasis surrounded by a sea of savagery which is reminiscent of the Dark Ages, with Islamic...
Passionate political conflict and civility The bitterness of the debate in the United States in relation to Iran has again raised questions concerning civil discourse when contentious and emotional issues arise. Israeli politicians are renowned for resorting to hyperbole and even outright...
Jews and the Lucky Country I have just returned from Down Under, Australia, the country that nurtured me prior to my aliyah. It remains one of the most delightful countries in the world, providing an unparalleled quality of life. Indeed, Australians remain so laid back that...
Abe Foxman’s retirement: End of an era I received a call recently from Abe Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, in which he castigated me for not consulting him in advance of my publishing strong criticism of his remarks. After a brief acrimonious exchange, he hung up...
A Disgrace: New York Attorney General Investigates Claims Conference Two years ago, at the annual Claims Conference board meeting, directors representing the World Jewish Congress, the Jewish Agency and others, failed in their efforts to introduce meaningful reforms to the organization. This week, the annual board...
