ReligionDispatches.org

Shalom Goldman.

20th century Jewish aspirations for a revived national home were supported by three centuries of Christian enthusiasm—bolstered by biblical literalism—for the return of the Jews to "their land." In this excerpt from the newly-released Zeal for Zion, Shalom Goldman traces the Christian roots of Zionism.

Mark LeVine.

The Israeli ambassador to the US recently joined the American right charging that pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian J Street put the very “survival of the Jewish state” into question. Indeed, recognizing the full humanity of Palestinians would require a radical transformation of Israeli, Zionist, and even Jewish-American identity.

Sarah Posner.

Breaking down the messaging and calls for change.

Louis A. Ruprecht.

You can either trust Rush Limbaugh or look at past awards for clues. 

Kim Chernin.

In this lyrical excerpt, author Kim Chernin envisions a new solution that rises up from the Sinai desert nurtured by two little girls.

Ira Chernus.

A new study reveals that the majority of Israelis view the conflict with Palestine through the lens of fear, throwing their support behind a parade of bellicose and paranoid leaders. Until the cycle of victimhood and aggression is broken no amount of pressure from the U.S., vain military adventures, or Labor Party victories will alter the tragic stalemate in the region.

Ira Chernus.

Beneath the violence and inability to find peace in Israel/Palestine lie a series of narratives and myths American and Israeli Jews employ to understand the situation. One such narrative has shifted toward hope recently, but does it go deep enough?

Laurie Patton.

Buying locally reminds us that purchasing is a mythical act that cements us to community in some magical way. But what if the very morality of a “local” act is being marketed in its own right? Is it just as moral to help a Palestinian cultural center build community as it is to buy Cisco products whose ads promise the same?

Dan Fleshler.

In an excerpt from a new book Dan Fleshler, an American Jewish activist from “the pro-Israel left,” explains the reluctance of Jewish liberals to criticize Israel on the human rights front, even when they share the rest of the world’s objections to Israeli behavior.

Jonathan L. Walton.

A Jewish professor is under fire for comparing the suffering of Jews in WWII to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Do these comparisons serve any purpose?

Rabbi Michael Lerner.

When representatives of many Arab and Muslim nations publicly applaud Ahmadinejad’s racist rant, the real losers are the Palestinians.

Benjamin Weiner.

Seven Jewish Children, which tells the story of the recent Israeli war in Gaza, stirs up discomfort among some Jews, and support from others.

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd.

All nations contribute to the management and definition of religion so it’s neither necessary, nor possible, to identify any state as definitively “religious” or “secular.” To choose is largely political.

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd.

All nations contribute to the management and definition of religion so it’s neither necessary, nor possible, to identify any state as definitively “religious” or “secular.” To choose is largely political.

Ira Chernus.

A scholar of nonviolence shares his struggle with Jewish identity during a time of escalating conflict and violence in Israel.

Rabbi Michael Lerner.

There is a method to the madness indicated by the incoming Obama Administration but what kind of solution would it be?

Rabbi Michael Lerner.

There is a method to the madness indicated by the incoming Obama Administration but what kind of solution would it be?

Richard Silverstein.

An Israeli reporter documents the ways in which Israel's military intelligence has spread disinformation going back to the failure of Camp David and the beginning of the second intifada in 2000.

Louis A. Ruprecht.

Why did Bush not do more for peace during his failed presidency? Because someone is always lobbing a rocket or detonating a bomb, and this invalidates any and every gesture toward peace, in his simple view.

David Biale.

A recent book by an eminent Israeli has caused a sensation in Israel as it calls on Jews to move past the Holocaust, which has rendered them oblivious to the suffering of others. Though Burg is firmly rooted in the tradition of Israeli apostates, his thesis overlooks several critical phenomena.

Hussein Rashid.

Responses to the taking of innocent life vary according to whose innocent life has been taken.

Rabbi Michael Lerner.

Israel is still using a strategy of domination in its struggle with Hamas, trying to use force to gain security. But this is a recipe for endless war.

Mitchell Plitnick.

Political economist Bernard Avishai thinks that Israel's best hope for peace and a bright future is to embrace European-style secular democracy, integrating its Arab citizens into a business-driven globalized economy.

Mark LeVine.

The author discusses his journey through a Muslim subculture, the connection between Nietzsche and Hendrix, and how heavy metal might end the war on terror...

Ira Chernus.

Though Zionism sought to establish a state of normalcy, Israel has become an institutionalized mechanism for perpetuating a sense of abnormality.