The Israel-Hamas war continues to crowd out most other news. It’s the kind of topic where you see lots of links, posts, and stories about it on Instagram — the least political/news oriented of the social media sites. That explains why more than a third of the 23 articles linked below and one of the two tweets of the week address some aspect of this story.
It’s been hard to find good, nuanced information on the situation for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it has provoked intensely strong emotions, and while polling shows that most Americans side with Israel and its right to defend itself, the loudest voices come from those on the other side. Second, Hamas controls the government in Gaza, and terrorists aren’t exactly known for providing good, accurate information. Third, really covering this story well requires substantial historical knowledge and a willingness to delve into nuance, which isn’t something our soundbite culture does well. Fourth, fully exploring the conflict requires understanding the role of multiple other Middle Eastern countries.
The story has also spawned lots of related news: from the fierce battles on college campuses over the issue, to a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism, to a generational divide on the political left, the story isn’t just about the war itself.
For all of these reasons, I’ve carefully selected nine articles on an array of topics related to the war, including the three stories that I think are the most important to read this week.
If you’ve been stunned by the numerous incidents of hideous anti-Semitism on American campuses, in addition to the “Free Palestine” rallies and protests where many attendees are crusading to eradicate Israel, the single most important piece of the week is a nuanced, Atlantic deep dive. The piece debunks a toxic theory at the root of much of this behavior. This decolonization theory has misled many Americans, especially young ones, about the history of Israel and Palestine. It has also taken a deeply complex, nuanced situation — where every side has some degree of fault over 75 years — and distorted it grotesquely.
What I especially liked about the article was that while debunking this theory, it remained nuanced and balanced, including ample criticism of Israeli misdeeds over the years, especially the Netanyahu government. That’s important to being credible and accurate. On a topic where such nuance is in short supply, this is the sort of piece where reading it makes you smarter.
If you’ve got time for a second piece, I’ve included an article by the law school dean at Berkeley on the state of campuses. Where should a commitment to free speech end, and how should university administrations balance such core values with the need to address the anti-semitism permeating campuses in 2023? The piece delves into these topics with care and offers what should be a template for universities everywhere.
And if you’re wondering what exactly ought to be acceptable to us in terms of casualties and destruction as Israel roots Hamas out — where is the line between the horrors of war and something much worse? — the third must read of the week comes from a longtime American envoy to the region, who answers this question. He also explains why he doesn’t support a cease fire now, though he would have in the past.
As usual, I also have 14 articles (and a tweet) linked below that cover domestic politics, including several previewing Tuesday’s elections.
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