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Jun 4, 2026, 10:07 PM

Israel and the Crisis of UN Credibility

View of the United Nations Office in Geneva adorned with flags of various countries, a free non-commercial use download from the website Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/the-allee-des-nations-with-the-flags-of-member-countries-at-united-nations-office-geneva-switzerland-16146279/).

As authoritarian states gain influence within international institutions, growing questions surround the United Nations' treatment of Israel and its ability to uphold universal standards. For much of the postwar era, the United Nations has presented itself as the guardian of...

May 20, 2026, 8:40 PM

Ruth and the refugees

With the approaching holiday of Shavuot the Jews read about the giving of the ten commandments. We also read the Book of Ruth and commemorate the Yahrzeit (anniversary of death) - of her great-grandson, King David. Moses, the lawgiver,...

May 20, 2026, 4:21 AM

When Pete Seeger met Reb Zalman

Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Pete Seeger, seated in his wife Toshi’s wheelchair, studying the words of Ecclesiastes together in Pete’s living room in May 2012.

Photo credit: David Weisberg

An unforgettable encounter between two spiritual giants before Shavuot gave me a timeless lesson in compassion, curiosity, and human dignity

Apr 18, 2026, 12:50 AM

Turkish Diaspora Model: A Warning for Europe & Israel

30.03.2026: Press conference – Berlin German Chancellor Friedrich Merz received the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin. During the joint press conference, a journalist directed a two-part question to both. Addressing Ahmed al-Sharaa,...

Mar 31, 2026, 3:49 AM

Is the World Ready for Another War? Because Sudan’s Is Already Spreading

In August 2023, just four months after Sudan’s civil war erupted, I left Israel, my refuge country, for eastern Chad. Then, as a staff member of HIAS, the global Jewish humanitarian organization that has been serving Darfuri refugees in...

Feb 21, 2026, 4:58 PM

Al-Sharaa brings jihadi populism to Syria

Al-Shara father and two brothers. Photo curtesy

After replacing Assad's dictatorship, the country's new ruler built another family-led regime that blends sectarian rule, Islamist ideology and populist theatrics

Dec 14, 2025, 1:05 PM

UNRWA vs UNHCR: Two Systems, Two Standards

UNRWA vs UNHCR: Two Systems, Two Standards For more than seven decades, the world has operated two entirely different refugee systems under the United Nations. One is designed to resolve refugee crises. The other has institutionalized one. The contrast between...

Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden

Nov 13, 2025, 2:58 PM

Can the Syrian leader be trusted?

'Paranoids have enemies too' There are many conflicting aspects. Trust People can change, repent. In principle, terrorists can become democrats. Making Syria a true democracy, striving for what the population needs and peace, would propel the leadership to stardom and heroism in the...

Oct 21, 2025, 7:49 PM

‘Two State’ Is Dead

On September 12th of this year, the United Nations voted — over the abstention of ten nations including the United States — to endorse a non-binding resolution in favor of a proposal to formally recognize Palestinian statehood, evincing a...

Sep 18, 2025, 4:46 PM

The Tears of Friedrich Merz

Unterzeichnung des Koalitionsvertrages der 21. Wahlperiode des Bundestages

The Tears of Friedrich Merz When the German chancellor gave his speech for the reopening of Munich’s traditional old synagogue in the Reichenbachstrasse, he was visibly moved and struggled to hold back his tears. It was an authentic, emotional, almost...

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