Argument
Between Pain and Pride
The death of NYPD officer Didarul Islam brought rare recognition for Bangladeshi Americans in the force but, for the younger generations, shaped by post-9/11 surveillance and Black Lives Matter, it exposed painful questions about representation and belonging.
Europe’s East Turns West
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to many unintended consequences, but none so quick and profound as the consolidation of the Nordic and Baltic regions under the NATO umbrella following Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to the alliance in the past two years.
The Catholic Church, the Mafia and the Limits of Infallibility
The late Pope Francis was a vehement opponent of the Mafia, but he failed in his years-long effort to excommunicate them and thereby prevent organized crime bosses from using religion to legitimize their power. His failure demonstrates the Vatican’s complex relationship with the Mafia and the limits of papal infallibility.
The Misunderstood Purpose of Economic Sanctions
In 2024, the Biden administration issued an executive order imposing sanctions on specific West Bank settlers and entities that profited from the settlements. Critics said the sanctions were ineffective. But the criticism rests on a misunderstanding of how they were supposed to work.
The Israeli Left Is Not Going To Save Gaza
An open letter to President Trump from over 600 retired Israeli military and intelligence officials demanding an end to the war in Gaza made global headlines. Yet inside Israel, the letter barely registered as news and will have no policy impact.
The Ordeal of the Syrian Nation-State Today
The new Syrian government’s base is narrow and its politics sectarian. No “state” can unify a nation while aggressively alienating wide segments of its people, nor has it any right to demand patriotism from others if it displays none itself.
Israeli Liberals Grapple With the G-Word
For nearly two years, support for Israel’s war on Gaza was nearly unanimous among Jewish citizens, with blanket rejection of accusations that the army was committing war crimes. But the images of starving children have forced some liberals to grapple with the reality.