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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.

MK Ahmad Tibi speaks in Shfar'am in the Galilee, March 2, 2020. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
A right to vote but not to dismantle the state
In comparing Arab doctors to Joint List Knesset members, Israel’s critics are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to promote the lie that Zionism is racism.
Mar. 17, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
A man prays at synagogue. Credit: Pixabay.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Is the virus hurting Jewish communities or showing their strength?
Social distancing could further weaken institutions already shaken by a changing demography. But could going online and the imperative to social action help revive them?
Mar. 16, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Trump, Netanyahu
From the Editor-in-Chief
An unexpected crisis debunks the Trump-Netanyahu analogy
The coronavirus panic has hurt the president, but the prime minister’s handling of it reminds Israelis of his best qualities and has changed the dynamic of the government coalition standoff.
Mar. 13, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Black Death, Jews
From the Editor-in-Chief
Pandemic panic a breeding ground for the virus of Jew-hatred
Like every other calamity in history, the coronavirus provides an excuse and a platform for anti-Semites. But blame on it those who legitimize hate, not the disease.
Mar. 12, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, meet with then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on March 9, 2016, during Biden's official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Photo by Amos Ben Gershom/GPO.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Biden’s revival means a return to Obama’s Middle East policies
A Trump-Biden matchup will give voters a choice between two different visions of relations with Israel, the Palestinians and Iran.
Mar. 11, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Bernie Sanders
From the Editor-in-Chief
Two kinds of anti-Semitism become part of the presidential campaign
Bernie Sanders is proving that it’s possible to be both a victim of Jew-hatred and someone who has also enabled anti-Jewish hate.
Mar. 10, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
An American tourist wearing a face mask for fear of the coronavirus prays at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on Feb. 27, 2020. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
A fine line between sensible caution and outright hysteria
The Jewish communal response to the coronavirus must be guided by the principle of “pikuach nefesh”—the obligation to save lives—while not feeding paranoia or panic.
Mar. 9, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Members of the Joint Arab List at the party’s headquarters in the Arab city of Shfar’am during Israel's election on March 2, 2020. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Israel’s Arab parties and defending democracy
Making common cause with those who wish to destroy the Jewish state is indefensible. Still, Netanyahu’s defenders must be careful not to bolster slander that Israel isn’t a democracy.
Mar. 6, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
From the Editor-in-Chief
An object lesson in misplaced American Jewish priorities
The bankruptcy of Philadelphia’s National Museum of American Jewish History was the inevitable result of a decision to build an overpriced monument to the vanity of its builders.
Mar. 5, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Former New York City mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg at the Presidential Gun Sense Forum hosted by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 10, 2019. Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Did Bloomberg give ammunition to anti-Semites?
Spending on political speech is a cherished right, even if you’re trying to buy the presidency. But doing so doesn’t give you immunity from criticism—no matter that you’re Jewish.
Mar. 4, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to supporters on the night of the Israeli elections at Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv, March 2, 2020. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Three Israeli elections reconfirm two basic facts
The effort to break the logjam established that there is a broad consensus on national security, and that only judges, and not political rivals, can topple Netanyahu.
Mar. 3, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
View of the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv. November 06, 2019. Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90
From the Editor-in-Chief
Israel’s First World problems are real, but so is its progress
Traffic jams, crumbling and inadequate infrastructure, and a clunky political system are lamentable; however, historical perspective is needed on all of the Jewish state’s challenges.
Mar. 2, 2020
Jonathan S. Tobin
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