Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Articles written by Jonathan Tobin


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  • Why the Crown Heights pogrom still matters

    Jonathan Tobin|Sep 3, 2021

    (JNS) Three decades have passed since the Crown Heights pogrom, and any assessment of the memory of that tragic event must start with an acknowledgment that New York City is a very different place than it was in August 1991. It’s also true that the series of events that set in motion three days of violent rioting during which African-Americans targeted ultra-Orthodox Jews were complicated, as well as the result of a set of circumstances that were in some ways peculiar to that time and place. Distance from the trauma has also induced a fair amou...

  • The bombing of Sbarro's and why Oslo failed

    Jonathan Tobin|Aug 20, 2021

    (JNS) — Next month, Americans will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The trauma lingers in the memory of everyone who was then alive. But while that day of terror will never be forgotten, as an event that informs foreign and defense policy, it is fast becoming as irrelevant as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The last American troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan as Washington is reacting with indifference to the evidence that the Taliban — the group that hosted and enabled the 9/11 attackers — will soon be back in charg...

  • The bullying of Bari Weiss and the end of classic journalism

    Jonathan Tobin|Jul 24, 2020

    (JNS) — For most observers of American journalism, The New York Times has long been regarded as the flagship of liberal thought and opinion. But after a woke mob essentially hounded Bari Weiss, a centrist Jewish writer who has been outspoken about anti-Semitism, to the point where she thought that her continued presence at the paper was untenable, it’s no longer possible to describe the Times as “liberal.” It’s true that in the shorthand of American politics, the paper’s point of view can be described as left of center. But while the meaning...

  • Why the Palestinians can't say 'yes' to Trump

    Jonathan Tobin|Jun 8, 2018

    (JNS)—Can the Palestinians finally not miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity? That paraphrase of Abba Eban’s famous quote provides the key question to ask about the Middle East peace plan the United States is expected to unveil during the coming weeks. It’s also a point of disagreement between me, and my friend and esteemed colleague Daniel Pipes, the president of the Middle East Forum. Pipes disagrees with my May 22 column, in which I argue that the putative peace plan that will be presented in the name of U.S. President Donald Trump... Full story

  • Why everyone should care about the fate of Z Street

    Jonathan Tobin|Feb 16, 2018

    (JNS)—Justice was finally done last week for a Jewish activist organization. After nearly eight years of stalling, disingenuous excuses and outright lies, the Internal Revenue Service finally admitted wrongdoing in preventing Z Street—a pro-Israel group—from obtaining nonprofit status when it applied for it back in 2010. Z Street’s story is unique in some ways in that it ended in the group’s vindication. Its founder, lawyer and journalist Lori Lowenthal Marcus, proved that contrary to the old saying, you can fight city hall and win. But there... Full story

  • Is Trump being played by the Palestinians?

    Jonathan Tobin, JNS.org|May 26, 2017

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s optimism about Middle East peace might be justified. Perhaps Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’ pledge that he will be a “true partner” to Trump in the search for peace is genuine. Or maybe Trump’s negotiating skills—and his lack of interest in the details or his loyalty to formulas like the two-state solution—will provide what is needed to achieve progress. But a statement issued only a few days before Trump’s meeting with Abbas shows that there’s more at stake here than the real estate deal... Full story

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