More
EN
Newsletter
More
Newsletter
EN
Support JNS
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.

Protesters demonstrate against Israel's plan to demolish certain houses in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah on July 30, 2021. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
What those who accept the ‘stolen land’ myth don’t understand
Woke culture demands ritual acknowledgements about Native Americans. Those, however, who think this should also apply to Palestinians don’t understand that Jews are indigenous in Israel.
Jan. 21, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
U.S. President Joe Biden at a White House press conference on Jan. 19, 2022. Source: Screenshot.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Who’s coarsening American public discourse now?
If Trump unleashed a wave of over-the-top and abusive speech, is Biden’s angry and divisive rhetoric equally to blame for the latest round of abusive Nazi analogies?
Jan. 20, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen as he arrives for a court hearing at the District Court in Jerusalem on Nov. 22, 2021, Photo by Oren Ben Hakoon/POOL.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Plea bargains should not be for prime ministers
The talk of Netanyahu’s corruption trial ending in a possible plea bargain is bad for Israeli democracy, even if it offers a chance to move on from a long-running nightmare.
Jan. 19, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
JNS TV
Doug Feith: ‘Afghanistan Sent Signal of Bad Thinking, Weakness and Irresolution’ | ‘Top Story,’ Ep. 32
Hear Jonathan Tobin’s take on the top news stories of the week and then his interview with former Pentagon Official and author Doug Feith.
Jan. 18, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
A reportedly armed assailant took Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, a married father of two who has served the synagogue since 2006, and three others hostage during Shabbat-morning services in a reported attempt to free a Pakistani woman who has ties with Al-Qaeda, Jan. 15, 2022. Source: Twitter.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Will devotion to dialogue stop us from understanding another synagogue attack?
The Texas hostage-taker wanted to release an anti-Semitic terrorist whose freedom is sought by Muslim groups. Is it Islamophobic to discuss who might have inspired the incident?
Jan. 17, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
Martin Luther King Jr.
From the Editor-in-Chief
The lost legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. gives the lie to holiday rhetoric
The civil-rights hero’s beliefs are irrelevant to partisans who invoke his legacy and rejected by woke activists besotted with critical race theory.
Jan. 14, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
From left: Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz, Foreign Affairs Minister Yair Lapid, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Israeli Minister of Justice Gideon Sa’ar during a plenum session and a vote on the state budget at the Knesset in Jerusalem on Nov. 3, 2021. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
The war to save democracy could kill democracy
The notion that Americans should emulate Israel’s coalition is based on a fallacy about both countries. And the more liberals talk about democracy dying, the more it’s in danger.
Jan. 13, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
Sign at the building entrance to CAIR headquarters. Credit: DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Islamist bigots are in no position to accuse Jews of backing hate
The anti-Semitic advocacy group CAIR issued a report intended to intimidate Jewish institutions into defunding organizations that monitor hate. It shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Jan. 12, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
JNS TV
Yossi Klein Halevi: ‘Anti-Zionism Greater Threat to American Jewry Than to Israel’ | ‘Top Story,’ Ep. 31
The author joins JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin to discuss relations between Arabs and Jews, the current Israeli government, the peace process and anti-Semitism.
Jan. 11, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt. Credit: Courtesy.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Politics and combating anti-Semitism don’t mix
Historian Deborah Lipstadt’s nomination to be State Department envoy shouldn’t be held hostage to partisan anger. Still, her own outrageous partisanship undermines outrage about what’s happened.
Jan. 10, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
American business magnate Sheldon Adelson attends an American Independence Day celebration on July 1, 2009. Photo by Moshe Shai/Flash90.
From the Editor-in-Chief
The billionaire who cared about Israel and the Jews
Sheldon Adelson wasn’t like the others on the Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people. And he didn’t care if his efforts to help the Jewish state thrive made him unpopular.
Jan. 7, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the building. Credit: Tyler Merbler via Wikimedia Commons.
From the Editor-in-Chief
Who’s helping to heal a divided nation? Not those who claim to speak for the Jews
The Jan. 6 anniversary ought to make us ask why the nation is stuck in a partisan tribal culture war. Instead, leading Jewish groups are taking sides and fueling the fires of division.
Jan. 7, 2022
Jonathan S. Tobin
Load More