economist Brooklyn College and member of 1776Unites
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Articles by Robert Cherry
Obama’s Legacy: A Stronger Iran and a Weaker Welfare System The former president’s approach to Iran, Israel, and government benefits helped create problems that America is still struggling to contain.
President Obama has taken some grief for claiming that Israel was founded on stolen land to house those fleeing European antisemitism. However, all land Jews held before the 1948 war was bought at often exorbitant prices, much of it from the leading Arab families. Moreover, in 1936 before the Holocaust, the Zionists but not the Muslims accepted the Peel Commission partition proposals which gave more than 80 percent of the British mandate to a Muslim-controlled state.
False assumptions about the 1948 war
(Oct. 11, 2026 / JNS) Much of the criticism of Zionism rests on the perception of what happened in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. The charge is ethnic cleansing, which allegedly undermined Palestinian national aspirations and proved the settler-colonialist nature of Zionism. The reality was strikingly different. During the war, there was no broad ethnic cleansing of an indigenous population.
Stop rewriting 1948: How the myth of Palestinian independence led to Oct. 7
Much of the criticism of Zionism rests with a perception that during the 1948 war, they defeated a broad-based Palestinian national movement. The 2025 documentary, 1936, claimed that the three-year revolt that began then crystallized these aspirations. The actual reality is strikingly different. The documentary totally misrepresents the uprising. It leaves out its leader, the grand mufti, who, after his exile in 1937, goes to Iraq to foment pogroms as he had in Palestine in 1921 and 1929.
Stop rewriting 1948: How the myth of Palestinian independence led to Oct. 7
Much of the criticism of Zionism rests with a perception that during the 1948 war, they defeated a broad-based Palestinian national movement. The 2025 documentary, 1936, claimed that the three-year revolt that began then crystallized these aspirations. The actual reality is strikingly different. The documentary totally misrepresents the uprising. It leaves out its leader, the grand mufti, who, after his exile in 1937, goes to Iraq to foment pogroms as he had in Palestine in 1921 and 1929.
Netanyahu’s Overlooked Record on Israel’s Arab Citizens His rhetoric has drawn fierce criticism, but Netanyahu’s governments presided over major improvements in the social and economic well-being of Israel’s Arab citizens.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance at the United Nations drew the usual condemnation, extending well beyond criticism of the war against Hamas and attacks on Iran to unfounded accusations of genocide and war crimes. But even some Israel supporters perceive in Netanyahu a deep-seated hostility toward Arabs, citing his support for Itamar Ben-Gvir and his own anti-Arab campaign rhetoric.
Netanyahu’s Overlooked Record on Israel’s Arab Citizens His rhetoric has drawn fierce criticism, but Netanyahu’s governments presided over major improvements in the social and economic well-being of Israel’s Arab citizens.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance at the United Nations drew the usual condemnation, extending well beyond criticism of the war against Hamas and attacks on Iran to unfounded accusations of genocide and war crimes. But even some Israel supporters perceive in Netanyahu a deep-seated hostility toward Arabs, citing his support for Itamar Ben-Gvir and his own anti-Arab campaign rhetoric.
‘Mein Kampf in reverse’? How the New York Times weaponizes Holocaust metaphors against Israel
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has joined those who seek to demonize Israel, suggesting the values of the hilltop youth who are committing West Bank violence harken back to Nazi ideology and actions. Friedman reported Moshe Ya’alon, defense minister a decade ago, “likening the ideology of extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank to that of Nazi Germany in local news reports.” “What is Jewish supremacy?” Ya’alon asked, “Eighty years after the Holocaust, ‘Mein Kampf’ in reverse.
New UNICEF Data Exposes the Gaza Starvation Farce After years of famine warnings from UN officials, experts, and the media, a comprehensive survey finds shockingly low levels of acute child malnutrition.
Almost from the beginning of the IDF-Hamas war, many UN officials and so-called experts have made dire predictions concerning famine and child malnutrition. These claims exploded when in 2025 Israel suspended and then restricted food deliveries for three months; and were uncritically accepted by broad sections of the media, helping turn Israel into a pariah state. Finally, in 2026 a comprehensive UNICEF report presented findings that fundamentally contradicted the famine and malnutrition claims.
Head Start Isn’t the Answer: Strengthen Parents, Don’t Replace Them The evidence shows that Head Start’s educational gains fade quickly. Programs that empower young mothers to become better parents offer a more promising path.
The Trump Administration has announced a reorganization of the Head Start program that annually serves 750,000 children. The adjustments include raising class size, requiring classes to be taught in English, and eliminating some health services provided. Head Start supporters claim that it has been an effective program in raising educational abilities and that the recommended changes threaten these benefits.
The good Jew, bad Jew test: Say ‘genocide’ or get blacklisted
Progressives have increasingly claimed they condemn Zionists, not Jews. However, in practice, their efforts often use a very broad definition of who is a Zionist, unfairly harming Jewish individuals and organizations that are deemed not sufficiently critical of Israeli policies. Thus, they severely limit the Jewish individuals who are acceptable. The two most visible Jews who have been accepted by the anti-Zionist movement are former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and activist Abby Stein.
Two Paths for Arab Citizens of Israel Robert Cherry challenges familiar narratives about conflict, compromise, and integration in Israel.
Arab Citizens of Israel: How Far Have They Come? By Robert Cherry Wicked Son, 2026, 320 pages, $20 In his new book Arab Citizens of Israel: How Far Have They Come?, Brooklyn College economist and frequent American Spectator contributor Robert Cherry debunks much of the leftist canards surrounding the Israeli-Arab conflict.
Two Paths for Arab Citizens of Israel Robert Cherry challenges familiar narratives about conflict, compromise, and integration in Israel.
Arab Citizens of Israel: How Far Have They Come? By Robert Cherry Wicked Son, 2026, 320 pages, $20 In his new book Arab Citizens of Israel: How Far Have They Come?, Brooklyn College economist and frequent American Spectator contributor Robert Cherry debunks much of the leftist canards surrounding the Israeli-Arab conflict.
Mamdani Peddles the Myths Fueling Democrats’ Antisemitism False narratives about Israel’s history, its Arab citizens, and Zionism are no longer confined to campus protests — they are shaping mainstream Democratic politics.
Daily, anti-Israel protestors are justifying their hate-filled speech and violence against Israel and Jews by saying that Israel is committing genocide, it’s a colonized state, and it’s practicing apartheid. A number of Democratic candidates won primaries on that platform. And in leadership of this onslaught of hatred has been NYC mayor Mamdani. Just as importantly, the Democrat Party must condemn the antisemitic rhetoric of a growing number of its candidates.
Mamdani Peddles the Myths Fueling Democrats’ Antisemitism False narratives about Israel’s history, its Arab citizens, and Zionism are no longer confined to campus protests — they are shaping mainstream Democratic politics.
Daily, anti-Israel protestors are justifying their hate-filled speech and violence against Israel and Jews by saying that Israel is committing genocide, it’s a colonized state, and it’s practicing apartheid. A number of Democratic candidates won primaries on that platform. And in leadership of this onslaught of hatred has been NYC mayor Mamdani. Just as importantly, the Democrat Party must condemn the antisemitic rhetoric of a growing number of its candidates.
The Growing Dangers of Ben-Gvir and His Hilltop Followers
In recent days, articles in the Washington Post and in The Guardian make claims about rampant anti-Catholic actions in the West Bank and Old City led by hilltop settlers and rightwing Zionist youth groups. This followed a sensationalized story of abuses of Palestinian prisoners promoted by their leader Itamar Ben-Gvir. The anti-Catholic claims primarily focus on hilltop youth attacks on Tabyeh, the last exclusively Christian community in the West Bank.
The Growing Dangers of Ben-Gvir and His Hilltop Followers
In recent days, articles in the Washington Post and in The Guardian make claims about rampant anti-Catholic actions in the West Bank and Old City led by hilltop settlers and rightwing Zionist youth groups. This followed a sensationalized story of abuses of Palestinian prisoners promoted by their leader Itamar Ben-Gvir. The anti-Catholic claims primarily focus on hilltop youth attacks on Tabyeh, the last exclusively Christian community in the West Bank.
The Iran peace plan, and what it means for Israel’s upcoming elections - opinion
One of the aspects of the pending Iran deal that has not been discussed in the US press is its impact on the Israeli election in the fall. Almost all polls prior to the deal have the opposition coalition of four Jewish parties in the lead but are falling short of the necessary 61 Knesset seats to take power. This shortfall has led them to struggle with the decision whether to include the Arab party Ra’am in its coalition, as it did in the past two elections.
Under Netanyahu, Arab Israelis are thriving Original
(June 21, 2026 / JNS) Since 2009, except for a brief interlude, Benjamin Netanyahu has been the Israeli prime minister. During his tenure, there has been an unprecedented improvement in the well-being of Arab citizens, both personally and in the towns in which the vast majority live. Starting in September 2000, the Second Intifada lasted five years, causing the deaths of hundreds of Jews and more than 1,000 Arabs.
Arab Citizens of Israel: The Real History
On college campuses and in city streets, people have been chanting for the past two and half years that Israel is a “settler-colonial enterprise.” Anti-Israel protestors make the audacious claim that the only Jewish country in the world is an apartheid state, and that Arabs are treated as second-class citizens. This is a nefarious false narrative.
Social justice: A Jewish perspective
By Robert Cherry Real Clear Wire Antisemitism has permeated the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Most troubling, Matthew Ynglesias, Ezra Klein and Jonathan Chait have all suggested that non-leftist Democrats should recommend ending military aid to Israel. They contend that Israel-related policies should not estrange centrists like themselves from the leftwing of the party. They also are willing to keep Hassan Piker in the big tent; someone who favors Hamas over Israel.
Social Justice: A Jewish Perspective
Antisemitism has permeated the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Most troubling, Matthew Ynglesias, Ezra Klein, and Jonathan Chait have all suggested that non-leftist Democrats should recommend ending military aid to Israel. They contend that Israel-related policies should not estrange centrists like themselves from the leftwing of the party. They also are willing to keep Hassan Piker in the big tent; someone who favors Hamas over Israel.
Social Justice: A Jewish Perspective
Antisemitism has permeated the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Most troubling, Matthew Ynglesias, Ezra Klein, and Jonathan Chait have all suggested that non-leftist Democrats should recommend ending military aid to Israel. They contend that Israel-related policies should not estrange centrists like themselves from the leftwing of the party. They also are willing to keep Hassan Piker in the big tent; someone who favors Hamas over Israel.
False pro-Palestinian narratives
THE GAZA GENOCIDE LIE HAS BEEN DEBUNKED BY AN UNLIKELY SOURCE In addition, the 19th century saw substantial Arab migration from Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and Czarist Russia to areas that became known as “Palestine.” Moreover, during the Mandate period, a large number of Arabs from the West Bank moved to the coastal areas for economic opportunity. They married women from their home villages and often went back there to help during harvest season.
Understanding the New Israeli Death Penalty Law
The Israeli Knesset passed a new law that Arabs terrorists, but not Jews ones, who kill Israeli citizens could now receive the death penalty. However, it is highly likely that the Israeli Supreme Court will rule against the law, not only because it is discriminatory but because it goes against Jewish tradition.
Stephen Miller: Our Ben Gvir
Pool, REUTERS There are many similarities between those who oppose ICE policies towards illegal immigrants and those who oppose Israeli policies toward Palestinians. For many, Palestinian behaviors that are criminal or put themselves in dangerous situations are ignored because as victims, their actions cannot be criticized. Similarly, illegal immigrants are considered victims so that their behaviors are ignored as are the often dangerous and irresponsible actions of their defenders.
Halftime Hype and Cultural Blind Spots – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
The legacy media and liberal celebrities have overwhelming praised Bad Bunny’s Superbowl performance. When longtime member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Steve Van Zandt, noted that without subtitles, the music was not inclusive, he was harshly criticized. For example, John Melloncamp tweeted, “I don’t know what Bad Bunny is saying, however, I do know he is standing up for Puerto Rico and I am stranding up for him.
The Blogs: Benny Morris’ Inaccurate Claims
In his recent Substack essay, the preeminent Israeli historian Benny Morris makes false claims concerning the situation of Arab citizens of Israel. He is grossly inaccurate when explaining their lack of protests; their attitude towards the Jewish state; and the impact of the war on Jewish-Muslim relations. As to their lack of protest, Morris claims, Some may have opposed the Hamas assault in principle.
The Philadelphia slavery exhibit is seriously flawed
Outraged critics accused President Donald Trump of “whitewashing history” on Friday after the National Park Service removed an exhibit on slavery at Philadelphia‘s Independence National Historical Park in response to his executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history.” It was the site of the residence of both President George Washington and John Adams before the District of Columbia was created. The exhibit centered on the enslaved people that Washington employed there.
The Blogs: Oscar Voters Reject Palestinian Propaganda
The Palestinian submission for the Oscar foreign film award, Palestine 36, had strong momentum from the usual anti-Israel leftists: Mark Ruffalo, Diego Luna, Susan Sarandon, Riz Ahmed, Ava Duverney, Mira Nair, and Ramy Youssef and a raft of stars lending their support. When viewed at the Toronto Film Festival, it got a 20-minute standing ovation and has a 100% rating from film critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Robert Cherry: The Philadelphia slavery exhibit is seriously flawed
President's House Site exhibit. National Park Service photo by Joseph E.B. Elliott. Robert Cherry: The Philadelphia slavery exhibit is seriously flawed A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size. There has been outrage in some quarters over the announcement that the Trump Administration would be reevaluating the “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” outdoor exhibit at the President’s House site in Philadelphia.
The Blogs: The Sad Evolution of Peter Beinart
Peter Beinart is a widely quoted anti-Zionist Jew, periodically writing New York Times opinion pieces. What is most troubling is not so much his evolution from a critical Zionist a decade ago but his genuflecting to some of the most extreme anti-Israel positions. This essay will discuss three incidents that document his descent, including the controversy over his November 25th talk at Tel Aviv University.
New York City Policing at a Crossroads – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed my Brooklyn College colleague Alex Vitali to his advisory committee on public safety. The author of The End of Policing, the right-of-center press has seized on his consistent position of “abolish the police.” As someone who extensively helped edit his manuscript, I feel that I can make some judgments on his views, how they have evolved, and what his position on the advisory committee may foretell.
The Gaza Famine Myth: Refuting NYT’s Kristof’s Libelous Claims – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
Nicolas Kristof has been a longtime critic of Israel. Most recently, he has aggressively promoted notions that Israeli policies created Sudan-like hunger problems in Gaza, and that there has been equivalence of violence between past Arab and Jewish actions.
False Claims Made by Globalist Anti-Israel Forces – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
There is increasing support for claims that Israeli policies are causing widespread malnutrition in Gaza. And many of the Ivy League schools amplify these claims to fortify their beliefs that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. These anti-Israel claims are strengthened by large foreign student enrollment and Qatari-Saudi funding at these schools, as well as biased legacy media.
Universal basic income Archives
Op-Ed Free Cash to Poor Families Isn’t Helping the Kids Post AI Analysis of Depression Era Stories Shows Jobs Shape Identity Op-Ed Kamala Harris Will Pay You Not to Work Article UBI Needs AGI to Make Sense Post A Bipartisan Solution to the Child Tax Credit Impasse Post New Study Exposes the Problem with Unconditional Aid Report American Enterprise Institute Evaluating Guaranteed Income Projects Op-Ed Cities Use Covid Funds to Run Guaranteed-Income Experiments Post Study Finds Unconditional...
The Hypocrisy of Zohran Mamdani’s Liberal Apologists – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has repeatedly refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” He was given a pass by a large share of liberal Democrats once he promised not to use it and counsel others not to either. Contrast this to how liberals reacted to the antisemitism of the white supremacists eight years earlier.
The Blogs: Combatting Ha’aretz’s Distorted View of the Arab Anti-War Demonstration
On July 25th, 10,000 Arab citizens march in Sakhalin, a stronghold of Palestinian nationalist sympathies. They, like a growing majority of Jewish Israelis have become hostile to the war and hold Netanyahu responsible for its senseless continuation. Rather than giving this unifying context, the Ha’aretz reporter Jack Khoury chose to exaggerate tensions Arab citizens have with the Zionist state and his article was eagerly picked up by the anti-Israel US press.
What Mamdani Gets Wrong About Arab Citizens of Israel
What Mamdani Gets Wrong About Arab Citizens of Israel [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"] New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani believes the phrase “globalize the intifada” speaks to “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.” Intercept writer Youssef Munayyer wrote, “By refusing to capitulate on ‘globalize the intifada,’ Mamdani rejected a long tradition of demonizing Arabic language.” The problem is that the actual intifada Israel...
The ‘BBB’ Brings Accountability to the Food Stamp Program — Not Catastrophe – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
Democrats lambasted changes to the food stamp program in the new legislation. AOC exclaimed: House Republicans: Voting for cuts to *every single American* on SNAP in exchange for some signed merch. Voting to starve babies. The disabled. The poor.
The Blogs: Olmert Attempts to Demonize Bennett
It is not uncommon for critics of Israel to demonize Israel political leaders, but Ehud Olmert has joined them. In a New York Times article, he called Bennett a “Ben-Gvir with a suit.” Because Ben-Gvir is widely thought to have Hitlerite political aspirations for Palestinians, clearing them from Gaza and much of the West Bank, Olmert is inferring Bennett is “Hitler lite.” Bennett’s “Shrinking the Conflict” policies toward the West Bank during his recent tenure as prime minister.
The Blogs: Distorted Perception of the Two-State Conundrum
According to the liberal press, the major stumbling block to a two-state solution is the right-wing Zionist ideology that Netanyahu champions. After all, PA President Mahmoud Abbas has long stated his desire for such a solution to the conflict. Indeed, Abbas’ predecessor Yasir Arafat was also in favor of a two-state solution. This liberal vision is the opposite of reality and as long as it is maintained, there is no hope for a solution.
Who wants to end Palestinian misery?
The demonizing of Israeli actions is sustained by a wide range of individuals and organizations, all purporting to be concerned about the welfare of Palestinians. However, they ignore the anti-Hamas actions by Gazans. When ceasefire talks broke down at the end of March, there were two days of widespread demonstrations against Hamas.
Tag Archive: Middle East
Op-Ed Trump’s Middle East Dealmaking Could Reshape the Global AI Race Press Discussing Trump’s Middle East Goals on his First Foreign Trip: Rubin on EWTN News Nightly Press Discussing Iran negotiations: Pletka on Salem Radio Network’s ‘The Hugh Hewitt Show’ Op-Ed The Real Experience of Palestinians in the Middle East Multimedia Discussing Iranian Influence in the Middle East: Rubin on the Middle East Forum Roundtable Multimedia Discussing the Global Implications of the Israel-Hamas Conflict:...
Daughters of Israel
Dear Ms. Margulis, I am writing this letter in response to the article in the May 12 TAPinto West Orange, "Daughters of Israel Professional Present Proposed Plans to the West Orange Town Council". I am a 91-year-old resident of the long-term care section of Daughters of Israel. I have been a resident for over a year. I came to Daughters of Israel originally through the rehab unit. I am a retired attorney, former owner and licensed nursing home administrator of Cherry Nursing Home in Montclair, NJ.
The Real Experience of Palestinians in the Middle East
Ta-Nehisi Coates, in his 2023 book, The Message, based on a 10-day West Bank trip, makes broad claims about Israel’s treatment of its Arab citizens. He focused his rhetoric on demonstrating that Israeli practices amount to apartheid by showing parallels to past South African and Jim Crow experiences.
The Blogs: Who really cares about the Gazans?
There has been an outpouring of condemnation of President Trump’s plan to at least temporarily remove Palestinians from Gaza.
Are Sugary Sodas Going to Disappear Under RFK Jr.’s Healthy Food Campaign?
While there is much uncertainty concerning Kennedy’s policies to encourage healthy eating, one very likely action will be to eliminate sugary sodas from being purchased with food stamps. This confronts one of the least discussed aspects of the liberal value system: In no circumstances should government anti-poverty policies impose behavioral requirements on recipients.
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