Steven Bayme
Parallels between the 2011 U.N. vote on Palestinian statehood and the November 1947 United Nations resolution on partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states are, at best, superficial. Although parallels may appear seductive, in truth the differences between the two cases are profound. … More »
Recognizing Israel, Recognizing Palestine: Legitimate or False Parallels?
Ronald W. Zweig
The intention of the Palestinian Authority to win recognition of a Palestinian state delimited by the borders of June 4, 1967 is intended to, and very likely will, upset the applecart of deadlocked negotiations between the emerging state of Palestine and the State of Israel. The outcome on the ground is unpredictable. … More »
Justice and Human Rights
Jill Jacobs
The difference between human rights and social justice is not a semantic one. The phrase “human rights” focuses on what each person deserves, simply by virtue of being human. The phrase “social justice” most highlights the responsibilities of society toward its members. … More »
Working with the United Nations
Harriet Mandel While the United Nations is the central address for world powers to convene, it is not a “world government” or even a world power. It has no jurisdiction over any country and no independent financial resources. It is a parliamentary forum where member states arrange and prioritize regional and international agendas that focus … More »
Discussion Guide - Jews & United Nations
1. Is it legitimate to draw parallels between the U.N. recognizing the State of Israel and a state of Palestine?
2. Should Israel care about what happens at the United Nations?
3. Do you think the Arab states will ever accept a Jewish state in the Middle East?
4. How might the Israeli leadership move forward toward a two state solution with Palestine? If so, how?
5. Why is attention — good or bad — disproportionately focused on Israel? Is Israel held accountable to a different, higher standard?
6. How has the U.N. vote influenced the position, or status of the United States in the Middle East and as a global leader? … More »
Video Games, Game Design, and 21st-Century Jewish Education
Owen Gottlieb Why are good video games so compelling and why are the answers to that question crucial for Jewish education today? Good video games model complex systems. They provide immediate feedback, and keep the player just at the edge of her or his competence — neither over challenged nor bored. Players take on roles … More »
Theater of the Absurd
Harry Reicher In his recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the U.N. as “the theater of the absurd.” In that theater, the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization/Palestinian Authority has now entered its third act. It is a play in which reality takes a backseat to theatrical … More »
The Vertical Alliance Today
Samuel Moyn A late colleague of mine, Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, famously proposed that since the Middle Ages, Jews have always sought a “vertical alliance” in politics. With this phrase, he meant that the main Jewish political strategy — a smart if not uncomplicated one for a typically beset minority — was to ingratiate ourselves with … More »
The United Nations’ War against the Jews: Destructive and Self-Destructive
Gil Troy Tragically, the United Nations has gone from being the Jews’ best friend to the Jews’ worst enemy. This descent not only hurts Israel and the Jewish people; it damages the U.N. itself. Like so many times before in Jewish history, the noxious, obsessive, attack on the collective Jew — in this case, Israel … More »