QOSHE

I am not a fan of teaching the Arab-Israeli conflict in K-12 public schools: K-12 public schools already struggle to teach the basic subjects that children need to succeed in life (English, Math, the History of the United States and Civics come to mind). The Arab-Israeli conflict is not one of them. It would be wiser to concentrate on the basics and avoid diverting funds, teacher resources, and precious student hours to this subject.

Jews faced discrimination, humiliation, periodic persecution and violence from Muslim rulers across the centuries, but it was only in modern times that Muslims systematically organized their political life with Jews as the enemy. Neither of the typical explanations seems adequate on its own.

Recently, my friend forwarded me this mildly antisemitic Wojak meme he saw on X, showing the different races of Jews. He asked me which Jew I was, and I said I was most likely the “Israelmutt,” a “race” of mixed-origin Jews unique to Israel. The Israelmutt is a growing population in the Jewish community. Jews are blending into something new. The labels of Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi are becoming antiquated, and a new Israeli Jewish identity is replacing our diasporic ones.

I have had the honor of meeting Tom Homan multiple times in the past, a true American Patriot and dear friend of Israel. Tom Homan, the border czar for the Trump administration, has been associated with  Israel primarily through federal immigration crackdowns on anti-Israel campus agitators in the United States and U.S. foreign policy spillover threats. Tom Homan is an American law enforcement officer. In November 2024, Donald Trump designated Homan as “border czar” for his second presidency.

For a country who really loves basketball, that it took so long for an Israeli to make it in the NBA really was an anomaly. Omri Casspi was player-zero. When the Sacramento Kings drafted him in the 2009 NBA Draft, he became the first Israeli-born player to appear in an NBA game. He would go on to spend a decade in the league, playing his part as the wandering Jew playing ball for seven teams.

For years, the easiest way to explain the relationship between India and Israel was through defense. Israel had technology that India needed, and India had the scale and strategic importance that made it an increasingly valuable partner for Israel. Israeli drones, radar systems, missiles, and other defense technologies became an important part of India’s security architecture. That relationship remains central, but it no longer tells the whole story.

Amcha Yisrael — the people of Israel. The phrase sounds self-evident until one asks who is actually contained in that “people,” who may enter it, under what conditions, and what happens to those whom the security of the community places outside its political horizon. That question has become newly urgent because Israel now occupies a peculiar strategic position: too strong to be defeated, yet perhaps too weak to produce the conditions of a durable victory.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told counterparts around the world that Washington does not currently expect to launch new offensive strikes against Iran, as the Trump administration shifts its focus to economic pressure and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Channel 12 reported Tuesday. Rubio did not rule out US military action if Iran initiates new hostilities, according to two sources familiar with the conversations.

Ukraine Schedules Elections for the Fifth of Never While the West seems to specialize in deciding which elections are valid, “free and fair,” and worthy of recognition, it also seems to specialize in turning a blind eye when their handpicked puppet dictators suspend elections and rule as tyrants. Ukraine is on track to have elections, well, never.

The death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday should indeed be a reason for reflection, as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said. Reflection, however, should mean that we resist both the sanctification of Arday and his complete condemnation. We do not yet know the whole truth behind all of the allegations, while the Arday case is already at the center of a broader discussion about academic ethics, the responsibility of universities, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.