BI in Context [Old MOOS Additional References]

We end this dismal series of links with an uplifting reminder, from David Brooks, about the power of humanism -- our best defense against the forces of dystopia.

From someone who has devoted much of their life to making peace between Israelis and Palestinians, an agonizing account of his decision to support the invasion of Gaza. Now, the challenge is to mount that invasion in ways that will lead to a better world.

A look at what Hamas (and, before it, Al Qaeda) had hoped to accomplish with their terror attacks and an analysis of how their "hoped for" victory led, instead, to catastrophe.

The combined horror of the October 7 attack on Israel, the use of human shields by Hamas to protect itself, and global condemnation of anything that Israel might do that harms these civilians is leaving Israelis with the sense that they are fighting for their very existence.

The very real hardships faced by Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars are only one side of the refugee flows associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict. This article explores a lesser-known story of what happened to Jewish refugees from Arab countries.

A Foreign Affairs article that is starting to think seriously about how the Israeli campaign against Hamas might be followed by an international effort to bring peace and stability to Gaza. This is critical topic that demands a lot more attention.

A critique of the Obama/Biden strategy of trying diffuse the Iranian threat by negotiating some sort of détente and an argument that Iran was never interested in any kind of reasonable compromise.

A window into how extraordinarily difficult it is for Gazans to mount any sort of effective opposition to Hamas (and why brutal authoritarianism is so dangerous).

A summary of the specific steps Israel's Defense Forces have historically taken to limit civilian casualties during its many responses to Hamas' terror attacks — a sharp contrast to Hamas' direct targeting of Israeli civilians and use of civilian shields.

Strong reason to believe that the Hamas' callousness and total disregard for civilian welfare extends to the citizens of Gaza.