The Great Divide: American Jews and Israel Today — Bret Stephens and Jeremy Ben-Ami
Bret Stephens and Jeremy Ben-Ami debate the widening rift between American Jews and Israel in a frank exchange at Temple Emanu-El.
Why we picked this
Stephens and Ben-Ami represent genuinely opposed positions within the Jewish mainstream — this is a debate where both sides actually disagree, not a staged performance of civility.
Bret Stephens, New York Times columnist and longtime defender of a hawkish Israel posture, faces off against Jeremy Ben-Ami, founder of J Street and advocate for a two-state solution and diplomatic engagement. The pairing ensures a real argument rather than two people agreeing from slightly different angles.
The divide between American Jews and Israel has widened sharply in recent years, driven by settlement expansion, democratic backsliding, and generational shifts in how younger Jews relate to Zionism. Stephens and Ben-Ami bring credibility from opposite ends of that spectrum, making this one of the few forums where the internal debate within American Jewry gets aired honestly.
Tickets required. Temple Emanu-El, New York.