This week U.S.-Israeli relations seems painted into the proverbial corner from which there is no clean escape. The question now is how to help everyone emerge cleanly from that tight spot. Some background: Last week, Vice President Joe Biden was in Jerusalem to reassure the Jewish state about its unbreakable bond with Washington. But an Israeli government office announced… read more

What are we to make of VP Joe Biden’s trip to Israel this week, which just created unexpected controversial headlines, and what are American Jews – who are getting as fed up with this intractable mess as anyone – to do about it? First the facts, Biden, long praised as a stalwart pro-Israel ally on the Democratic Party front… read more

Back in the 1990s, the Rev. Louis Farrakhan seemed to make headlines left and right for choice comments such as Judaism being a “gutter religion,” his praise of Adolf Hitler as a great leader and his chastising Pope John Paul II for wearing a dress. I have some interesting memories from attending one of his speeches in Atlanta back… read more

I’ve written in the past about the poor choice of the Simon Wiesenthal Center – known globally for promoting racial, religious and ethnic harmony – in wanting to build a new museum on disputed Jerusalem land. But I just can’t get over how they are continuing this fight. To quickly recap, the Center purchased some land in the center… read more

First the good news: For all the talk about how anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment in Europe and the Middle East is on the rise – and it is – out on Main Street America, Israel is now ranked fifth among countries viewed most favorably by Americans. That’s according to an update of Gallup’s annual World Affairs survey, conducted between… read more

As a guy who keeps promoting dialogue amongst Palestinians and Israeli Jews (and their very vocal supporters in this country), I’m baffled by how the United Nations keeps allowing the Palestinians to make so many pro-Israel advocates despise them. Consider the latest: The U.N. Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA) – the world’s only permanent refugee agency (meaning… read more

To say that President Barack Obama has a lot on his plate is akin to saying that Baltimore saw a little snow in recent days. But the president did have the time on Thursday, Feb. 4, to take his plate to the 58th annual National Prayer Breakfast. The audience, comprised of numerous political and religious leaders, presented a strong… read more

Sorry to break it to major Zionist organizations – who have transformed themselves into defenders of Israel’s every sneeze – but Zionism is a hackneyed, well-traveled ideology that long ago achieved its central goal of creating a Jewish state. Fortunately, something has come in its stead, something American Jews need to pay more attention to. Once you get beyond… read more

With apologies to Ronald Reagan in his 1980 debate with Jimmy Carter, “There they go again.” Some Jewish organizations are madly in love with the idea that one cannot criticize Israel under any circumstances because Israel’s enemies will eat it up (as if not saying something will make them love Israel and the Jewish people). In particular, they believe… read more

First, the conclusion: While we always have to watch out for it, anti-Semitism is no longer a major threat in the United States. In fact, non-Jews willingly marry us, there are two U.S. Supreme Court Justices who openly identify with their Jewish roots and Sen. Joe Lieberman (modern Orthodox) failed as a 2004 presidential candidate because he was, frankly,… read more