What is the future of our policy toward Israel under Joe Biden?

This article was originally published in The Hill on March 11, 2021. What will the strategic alliance between the United States and Israel look like under President Biden? It really is too soon to tell. On a number of crucial strategic issues, including this vital relationship, the administration does not appear to be of one mind. Like watching James McAvoy’s character in the movie Split, we must wait and see which personalities dominate. Clearly, Biden wishes to build consensus on foreign policy matters. He also hopes to keep complicated geostrategic issues on the back burner while his administration focuses on  Read More…

How to Practice Philanthropy to Create a Lasting Impact

This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on February 9, 2021. Some say that it’s more challenging to effectively donate money than to earn it. I agree. It’s a no-brainer to choose the nonprofit organizations you support based on your personal acquaintances or social affiliations, but real impact can only be achieved by creating a strategic philanthropic plan and being willing to implement it. There have been few experiences in my life more rewarding or meaningful than becoming an active philanthropist. I arrived in America in 1981, after serving in the Israel Defense Forces, fighting in the 1973 Yom  Read More…

Whether You Voted for Trump or Biden, All Americans Must Come Together Against Radicalization

For the past four years, I have been a supporter of President Donald Trump. Yet with the impending inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden, I recognize that now is the time for all Americans—Republicans and Democrats—to come together.

Why Going Back to Iran Nuclear Deal is Folly

This article originally appeared in the Washington Times on January 4, 2021. Rejoining the Iran deal puts Middle East normalization and regional peace at risk During the presidential campaign, Joe Biden declared he wanted to go back to the Iran deal if Tehran returns to “strict compliance.” European leaders have urged the U.S. to rejoin the deal to prevent further Iranian violations and continued expansion of its nuclear infrastructure. The problem with the rush to reaffirm the old, flawed deal is that it would benefit only one country: Iran. The cascading consequences of that decision could destabilize not just the Middle East, but trigger problems around  Read More…

Seven Reasons Why Philanthropy Is Essential for Jewish Life

Article was originally published in the Times of Israel Blogs on November 23, 2020. Philanthropy should be an essential part of every faith-based community. The Jewish tradition speaks generously about tzedakah, the closest word to “philanthropy” in the Hebrew language. While some might translate tzedakah to “charity,” tzedakah like philanthropy is much more than a charitable act. tzedakah is a value that inspires community responsibility and involves the act of sharing God-send wealth with others. tzedakah is done with someone rather than to someone. In Hebrew, the word natan means “to give”. Read backwards, the word also reads natan, suggesting that giving is a two-way street. So, when we think about giving, we should also think  Read More…

Arab-Israeli normalization is the way to peace with Palestinians

This article was originally published in the Washington Examiner on October 20, 2020 The American-brokered Abraham Accords pave the way to full normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab nations of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. This has raised the prospects of peace and stability in the region to the highest point in decades, making it all the more stunning to see forces lining up against the U.S. initiative. Criticizing the administration and condemning Israel will not help Palestinians. In fact, it will do the opposite, abandoning the Palestinian people to a corrupt and oppressive governance that thrives  Read More…

Defining antisemitism as a Jewish problem is a lose-lose proposition

Article originally published in the Jerusalem Post on August 16, 2020. We will lose as Jews and as Americans if we continue accepting our prescribed role as the sacrificial canary in the coal mine. Antisemitism is an ancient problem. Throughout Jewish history in the diaspora, Jews lacked the power and resources to do much of anything to fight Jew-hatred except condemn it. Today, however, American Jews have established themselves as one of the most successful immigrant communities in the country. Yet, in the face of intensifying antisemitism, they have done little to combat it. Instead, they have focused on merely  Read More…

Jews Must Be the Brave Eagle, Not the Sacrificial Canary in the Battle Against Antisemitism

This article was originally published in Newsweek on July 10, 2020. For decades, Jews living in the diaspora have spoken about the Jewish community as the metaphorical “canary in the coal mine.” This metaphor accepts the notion that Jews are powerless victims, sacrificed for the benefit of others. Using the powerless canary to symbolize Jews reveals a deeply flawed mindset that paralyzes us from properly taking brave action and defending ourselves. The canary in the coal mine is a practice that dates back to the early 1900s. British miners utilized the sensitive and vulnerable canary to detect high levels of  Read More…

Never Again the Canary in the Coal Mine

This article was originally published on JNS.org on June 10, 2020. Though a perfect storm of anti-Semitism is looming, we should not be seeking shelter. When it comes to Jew-hatred, we can’t afford to be passive any longer. Facing ever growing anti-Semitism in the decades following the Holocaust, the Diaspora Jewish community’s common response has been to cry “Never Again” and to describe ourselves as the “canary in the coal mine,” which implies that whatever begins with the Jews never ends with the Jews. While these ideas are echoed by millions, words are not enough. Jewish leaders fail to realize  Read More…

Is fighting violent antisemitism and saving lives our responsibility?

This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on June 1, 2020. While the observant communities are the easiest targets within the Jewish community today, too often they are reluctant to join this fight. Antisemitism in the United States (photo credit: ADL) Each Passover, we sing “Ve’hi She’amda La’avotainu Ve’lanu” (“This is what has stood by our fathers and us”) to remind us that in every generation our detractors try to physically destroy us and Hashem is there to save us from their hands. So, what exactly is our role in preventing the violence inflicted on us, our families,  Read More…