Rabbi Asher Lopatin on Israel and Zionism

A sourced history of statements and actions associated with this topic.

Disputes concerning Israel, Zionism, and their relationship to Jewish identity and political advocacy.

Scope: Distinguishes criticism of Israeli policy, opposition to Zionism, and claims about Jewish people while documenting where participants dispute those boundaries.

Condemned1Distinct events · August 31, 2026–August 31, 2026 — Not selected; activate to add.Defended or excused0Distinct events · No published events — Not selected; activate to add.Challenged the characterization0Distinct events · No published events — Not selected; activate to add.Minimized0Distinct events · No published events — Not selected; activate to add.Mixed or conditional0Distinct events · No published events — Not selected; activate to add.Explicitly stayed out0Distinct events · No published events — Not selected; activate to add.

Counts document individual events. They do not assign an overall position.

By category Timeline

Distinct documented events

Position history

1 event on this page · Inclusive range: August 31, 2026–August 31, 2026

1 matching event · Inclusive range: August 31, 2026–August 31, 2026

1 total published event · Inclusive range: August 31, 2026–August 31, 2026

Condemned

1 distinct published event overall · Inclusive range: August 31, 2026–August 31, 2026

1 event on this page · Inclusive range: August 31, 2026–August 31, 2026

August 31, 2026Condemned

Addressed record

El-Sayed's immediate response should have stopped at an unqualified condemnation; adding causal context at that moment was a mistake.

“nonapology apology”

Speaker capacity: Michigan rabbi and Jewish communal leader
Editorial rationale: The criticism directly challenges the sufficiency and substance of the apology.

Michigan Rabbi Says El-Sayed's Apology is a Non-Apology (opens in a new tab)

Full interview

Interview supporting Rabbi Asher Lopatin's rejection of the apology because El-Sayed retained the causal context.

View context Abdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack