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Articles & Publications
Barak writes about American Politics, Israel, and World Jewry and has been featured in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, The Forward, Ynet, Davar News, Israel HaYom, and more.
American Jews adopting American views is not necessarily bad news for Israel - E Jewish Philanthropy, December 5, 2024
The apparent contradiction of young Jews simultaneously supporting Israel while believing it commits genocide reflects a fundamental shift in how young Jews see Israel.
Winning on seven fronts, losing on the eighth: The real cost of Jewish safety - Jerusalem Post, December 1, 2024
We’ve mastered the art of crisis response in supporting Israel. Now, we must apply that same urgency and innovation to securing Jewish life everywhere. It’s time to start winning on the eighth front.
When everything is genocide, nothing is - Jerusalem Post, October 31, 2024
The genocide campaign aims to invert the most sacred element of post-Holocaust Jewish identity, using “never again” against the Jewish state itself.
Reevaluating Israel’s role as a US ally amid changing politics - Jerusalem Post, August 26, 2024
We must start thinking about how Israel remains a vital ally for all Americans.
Israel’s record Olympics: How systematic planning made seven medals normal - Jerusalem Post, August 19, 2024
Israel’s amazing achievement was not exceptional at all, even though it certainly felt that way. It was a normal achievement by all standards, and that’s what’s truly amazing.
The Golden Age of American Muslims is Starting - Jerusalem Post, June 30, 2024
In recent years, we’ve been seeing a crawling acceptance of Muslim and Arab identity in American politics and culture.
The campus protests are no longer about Israel. They’re about America - The Forward, May 9, 2024
American college students are channeling genuine domestic political frustration into blaming Israel.
Israel has a unique reconstruction challenge resulting from Oct. 7 - Jerusalem Post, April 4, 2024
Israel needs to rehabilitate its infrastructure on a national scale while simultaneously addressing the multifaceted needs of evacuated citizens, the wounded, trauma victims, and uprooted families.
We must not think that everyone is against us and must invest in creating allies - Ynet, March 28, 2024
As a student at Harvard, I know that the majority is not against us. There is indeed a vocal and violent minority, but we must not fall into the narrative of "everyone is against us" and "everyone is antisemitic." Especially in such a difficult moment, we must remember our ability, both Israelis and American Jews, to recruit partners for our cause.
Encouraging open discourse at Harvard on the Israel-Hamas war - Jerusalem Post, February 10, 2024
While it is essential to press universities to condemn any antisemitic activity and ensure a safe space for Jewish and Israeli students, it doesn’t mean we are incapable of addressing opposing views.
What's Harvard like for an Israeli student amid the Hamas war? - Jerusalem Post, December 22, 2023
Israel’s war with Hamas, more than any other conflict, exposes tensions that the West would prefer to sweep under the rug.
University presidents are hired to protect the brand, not Jewish students - The Forward, December 15, 2023
University presidents are not the guardians of American democracy. They are bureaucrats appointed to maintain their endowments.
4 reasons why Harvard isn't really condemning antisemitism - YNET, December 12, 2023
The hesitation of Harvard, Penn, and MIT's leadership is rooted in a federal investigation, ignorance, financial interests, and progressive ideology. It's yet another American left-right debate where Jews will end up paying the price.
The war with Hamas must be a moment of reckoning for elite American universities - E Jewish Philanthropy, October 26, 2023
Harvard's failure to unequivocally condemn the terrorist group signals a broader moral crisis in elite American universities. But this could also be the opportunity to make bold decisions to prevent their total descent into irrelevance.
The meeting between Netanyahu and Musk proves: Israeli leaders are compromising the fight against antisemitism for political purposes - Davar, September 19, 2023
The meeting with Musk, who led an antisemitic campaign against a Jewish organization, is a slap in the face to the American Jewish community from the leader of the Jewish state. Despite Netanyahu's criticism of Lapid, both have erred in downplaying the uniqueness of antisemitism.
This country song could decide the 2024 US presidential election -
Ynet, August 23, 2023
A conservative anthem is taking America by storm: An obscure singer from rural Virginia has been propelled to stardom overnight, capturing conservative American hearts with a populist song that decries the way DC bureaucrats are taking Americans' hard-earned money and ignoring their concerns.
US dems can be be model for Israelis - Jerusalem Post, August 7, 2023
Biden will not save Israeli democracy, but Democrats can teach us how to do it ourselves.
Are the days of unreserved support for Israel over? - Times of Israel, May 29, 2023
A Turning Point in US-Israel Relations: How the JFNA General Assembly in Israel highlighted deepening divisions and sparked a new era of dialogue.
Israel’s Path to Becoming a Middle Eastern Democracy - Times of Israel, March 27, 2023
How Israel can evolve into a unique Middle Eastern Democracy by balancing tradition, innovation, and regional realities.
What can Israeli and American Jews build together? - Times of Israel, February 28, 2023
How Israeli and American Jews can strengthen their connection, embrace shared values, and address global challenges together
An open letter from two American Israelis to our American Jewish friends - Times of Israel, February 25, 2023
Israel's internal democratic struggles reverberate across the global Jewish community, sparking critical reflections on identity and unity.
Remembering Martin Luther King: A Labor Union History - Davar, January 16, 2023
How did a radical trade unionist and social critic become the darling of neoliberal America? A forgotten history of the labor unions in the struggle to recognize Martin Luther King’s legacy.
The Hanukkah ceremony at the White House should raise concern - Ynet, December 27, 2022
For the first time in years, the name "Israel" was not mentioned at the event with the Jewish community. The reason: Israel has become a divisive rather than a unifying factor among Jews. Biden chose not to provoke controversy.
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Instead of focusing on "Hasbara" Israel should build more tangible bridges to the world - Davar, July 21, 2022
President Biden's visit and Ben & Jerry's lifting of their boycott demonstrate that concerns over the BDS movement are exaggerated. Rather than engaging in campaigns doomed to fail, Israel needs political, economic, and cultural initiatives that highlight the benefits of collaboration with the country.
Kanye West: Delusional or a Voice for the Masses? - Davar, May 11, 2022
Kanye West's recent antisemitic remarks, as well the support of Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving for an antisemitic documentary, have caused a storm in the media, sparking both condemnation and support. However, antisemitism in the Black community has much deeper roots.
The American Right may find that banning abortions backfires - Ynet, May 10, 2022
Republicans can win legally and "ideologically," but face political backlash. Democrats will unite, young people will reconsider their views, and the public will resent interference in their lives.
One TikTok video encapsulates the drama of the white working class in the U.S. - Davar, April 10, 2022
This class, which once enjoyed dominance, has shifted its support from Democrats to Republicans and is struggling for power and influence. The crisis worsened after Trump's loss and will significantly impact the upcoming midterm elections.
The Ukraine Crisis Reveals the True Balance of Power in the Jewish World - Davar, March 21, 2022
The Jewish establishment was quick to help hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees in Europe, while younger organizations found it difficult to respond effectively. The lack of response on their part to the war in Ukraine could lead to a future leadership crisis in the Jewish community.
On the surface, it's just a new Marvel series about "Moon Knight," the son of a rabbi from Chicago who became a superhero fighting crime. However, behind it lies a phenomenon that involves erasing and blurring the Jewish identity that was so significant in the development of comics.
They're not antisemitic, you're just white to them - Ynet, February 2, 2022
Whoopi Goldberg's statement is another anecdote in the complex history of Black-Jewish relations in America and a troubling symptom of identity politics in the U.S. It represents a competition over victim status and accusations of aligning with the oppressive white establishment.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Visible and Hidden Antisemitism in the U.S. - Davar, January 27, 2022
The attempted attack on a synagogue in Texas and the responses to it reveal new ways in which Jew-hatred is expressed in the world's greatest superpower.
All the Signs are There: Spider-Man is Jewish - Davar, January 16, 2022
A sense of guilt, tikkun olam and a love for bagels: clues to uncover the Jewish identity of Spider-Man.
Obama, Trump, and Biden: The vision of U.S. Presidents through Hanukkah ceremonies at the White House - Davar, December 5, 2021
The traditional presidential event has shifted over recent decades from Obama's universal messages to Trump's commitment to Israel. Biden chose to focus on internal challenges: addressing political polarization, social diversity, and combating antisemitism within the United States.
Bennett is right; the relationship between Israel and American Jewry needs to change, but not in the way he means - Davar, October 8, 2021
In a meeting with Jewish Federation leaders, the Prime Minister said Israel no longer needs donations and that the relationship must be "replanned." Bennett ignores the real needs that American donations fulfill and doesn't understand the profound change required.
American Zionism has Almost Disappeared - Davar, September 11, 2021
Violence between Israel and Hamas over the summer heightened anti-Israel trends on the Jewish-American left. Israel must act before alienation from the Jewish State becomes a strategic danger.
The country is closing - the neighborhood is opening - Israel Hayom, October 4, 2020
The charm of the neighborhood that we thought had disappeared from our lives is now returning with a new spirit. This time, it's not just for the atmosphere, but a real need that is urgently emerging from the ground and is more necessary than ever.