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Jonathan S. Tobin

Jonathan S. Tobin

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of the Jewish News Syndicate, a senior contributor for The Federalist, a columnist for Newsweek and a contributor to many other publications. He covers the American political scene, foreign policy, the U.S.-Israel relationship, Middle East diplomacy, the Jewish world and the arts. He hosts the JNS “Think Twice” podcast, both the weekly video program and the “Jonathan Tobin Daily” program, which are available on all major audio platforms and YouTube. Previously, he was executive editor, then senior online editor and chief political blogger, for Commentary magazine. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of The Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia and editor of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger. He has won more than 60 awards for commentary, art criticism and other writing. He appears regularly on television, commenting on politics and foreign policy. Born in New York City, he studied history at Columbia University.

Obama, Biden
From the Editor-in-Chief
Whatever happened to the Emergency Committee for Israel?
What should we think of those who considered Barack Obama a threat to the Jewish state’s survival, but who now seek to revive his policies merely to spite Trump?
May. 28, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. Credit: Troy Holden via Wikimedia Commons.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Who checks Twitter’s Trump fact-checkers?
As the unwelcome scrutiny given the extreme tweets of the social-media giant’s “integrity” chief shows, the company has started something it can’t finish.
May. 27, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden appears with Charlamagne tha God on "The Breakfast Club." Source: Screenshot.
From the Editor-in-Chief
When should politicians think they’re entitled to your vote?
Joe Biden and Donald Trump have no right to determine who is authentically black or Jewish. Voters, however, have a duty to hold leaders accountable for defending their interests.
May. 26, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence look on as U.S. Attorney General William Barr delivers remarks during a coronavirus update briefing on March 23, 2020, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. Credit: D. Myles Cullen/The White House.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Is there a right to in-person religious services during a pandemic?
While many disparage efforts to reopen houses of worship before authorities assure that it’s safe, questions about the discriminatory treatment of faith must be answered.
May. 22, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaking at the U.S. Department of Justice Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism on July 15, 2019. Credit: DOJ.
From the Editor-in-Chief
The pandemic doesn’t discriminate; neither should federal education aid
Criticism of administration plans to help private and religious schools is off base. All students need assistance in this crisis.
May. 21, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting of the P.A. leadership in the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 7, 2020. Photo by Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
The Abbas comedy and the ongoing Palestinian tragedy
By insincerely again declaring that he is withdrawing from agreements with Israel, the Palestinian Authority leader is helping to perpetuate the conflict.
May. 20, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs speaks at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly. Credit: Robert A. Cumins/JFNA.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Will the movements survive the pandemic?
While American denominations are being battered by the impact of the lockdowns, the losses synagogues will suffer are a product of long-term trends accelerated by the coronavirus.
May. 19, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
U.S. troops begin a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula in 2015 as part of the Multinational Force and Observers. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Israel and Egypt don’t need American peacekeepers in the Sinai
Trump’s plan to withdraw troops recognizes that obsolete paradigms need not be preserved. His critics are thinking about the requirements of the past, not the present.
May. 18, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Palestinians clash with security forces during a protest to mark the 70th anniversary of the “nakba” (“catastrophe”), the term used to mark the events leading to Israel’s founding in 1948, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, May 15, 2018. Photo by Wisam ashlamoun/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
The unlearned ‘nakba’ lesson about compromise
The Palestinians aren’t just reliving the “disaster” of their losing war to prevent Israel’s birth. By refusing to negotiate, they’ve ensured that their losses will continue to grow.
May. 15, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before U.S. Congress about the social-media giant's use of ads, political content and more. Source: WikiTribune.com.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Should an Islamist on Facebook’s new oversight board scare users?
The problem with Mark Zuckerberg punting responsibility for his site to a committee is bigger than one troubling appointment.
May. 14, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
A spray-painted swastika was discovered on the concrete next to a baseball field at Dos Vientos Community Park in Conejo Valley, Calif., in 2019. Photo courtesy of the Anti-Defamation League Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Is the panic about a rise in American anti-Semitism justified?
ADL statistics feed a growing sense of insecurity, especially about right-wing hate. Although concern is warranted, a sober look at the numbers debunks the hysteria.
May. 13, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Israeli American Malka Chana (“Malki”) Roth, who was killed at the age of 15 in the Sbarro pizzeria suicide bombing in August 2001. Credit: Courtesy
From the Editor-in-Chief
Why there’s no justice for Malki Roth
The need to keep radicals and Islamists out of power in Jordan continues to foil efforts to force the extradition of an unrepentant Palestinian murderer.
May. 12, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
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