• MASSIVE UPSET! HOWARD JACOBSON WINS THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE! WAHOO! For links to all our Jacobson stuff, see here. More tomorrow. [Guardian]
• In a new American Jewish Committee survey showing slipping Jewish approval for President Obama, Ben Smith sees … slipping overall approval for President Obama. [Ben Smith]
• A new Palestinian Authority textbook, Learning the Historical Narrative of the Other, presents both sides’ narratives of Israel’s creation. Israel’s education minister has banned it. [JTA]
• The son of Israel’s head Sephardic rabbi said every Israeli should go Sephardic, even Ashkenazim. I smell a conflict of interest!! [Ynet]
• The Jewish comedy nerd: A history. [Jewcy]
• Holocaust-denial obfuscation at the New York Times. [Jeffrey Goldberg]
Distant observers of Israeli politics may have noticed the disproportionate care the society takes for its soldiers, including already-dead ones, as opposed to its civilians. It’s a sensitive issue, but that does not mean it’s not seriously misguided. The below video, which is about Gilad Schalit, is intended as satire, and while it’s a bit one-sided, I think it still makes an important point.
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.