Writer. Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute
Articles by Samuel Hyde
Iranian women saw the revolution’s danger first
In the autumn of 1978, as the Shah’s regime was collapsing under the weight of mass demonstrations, Michel Foucault traveled to Iran as a special correspondent for Corriere della Sera. What he encountered there electrified him. He believed he was witnessing something that modern political theory had overlooked: a revolution not driven by class struggle, technocracy, or Western rationalism, but by what he called “political spirituality.” Foucault was not alone in his fascination.
The media obsession that keeps Israel in the headlines
BySAMUEL J. HYDEJANUARY 13, 2026 10:04Updated: JANUARY 13, 2026 10:05 When arguments about international coverage of Israel arise, they almost always begin in miniature. They circle around language. Is it a “settlement” or a “neighborhood”? A “security fence” or an “apartheid wall”? Was 1948 a war of independence or a Nakba? These debates have the feel of forensic disputes, as if the great drama of the Middle East might finally be settled by the correct choice of noun. They are not unimportant.
Ninth Circuit Opens New Path Back To State Court For Class Actions Removed To Federal Court
By design, the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) allows defendants to remove complex class actions to federal court. It avoids the onerous diversity requirements that defendants previously struggled to satisfy, and its $5 million amount-in-controversy threshold is often easy to meet in large class actions. In response, plaintiffs have often thrown up roadblocks to removal through artful pleading designed to avoid federal jurisdiction.
Free from the Jews: What 'Free Palestine' really means
In Washington, Netanyahu must prioritize bringing home hostages before Iran
In Israel's war with Iran, ordinary people pay the price
The missiles fall, and the headlines speak of strategy, of retaliation, of deterrence. But beneath the headlines, there is the quiet, stubborn pulse of human life. BySAMUEL J.
Revolution against Israel, US, and the West binds progressives to Iran - opinion
There is something persistently seductive in the specter of revolutionary violence. It beckons not only the downtrodden, as Marxist mythology would have it, but also the educated and the privileged. The bloodied banner of revolution – no matter how soaked with tyranny – continues to enchant a particular kind of progressive mind. It is a seduction not of the body but of the soul – a spiritual longing to be cleansed through the fire of someone else’s destruction.
How did Israel maintain democracy in the Middle East? The answer is Jewish tradition - opinion
To top it off, the land these people inherit will be devoid of the very things that have propelled so many nations into modern prosperity – oil, gas, and deposits of minerals to trade. Read More... Now, ask yourself: What are the chances that this country will not only survive but sustain a functioning democracy? If you were designing an experiment in political science, this would be a scenario in which democracy would be expected to fail almost instantly.
Islamism black hole: How the Left fails to empathize with Muslims
I have long struggled to understand how intelligent, well-educated liberals fail to recognize the unique dangers posed by Islamism. Elsewhere, I’ve argued that such people often don’t grasp what it means to genuinely believe in God or paradise and therefore assume that no one else truly does. At best, they believe that such convictions couldn’t possibly be the primary motivation behind the kinds of violent actions we’ve seen from Islamist movements in recent decades.
Post-Assad Syria: The end of Baathism and the rise of Islamism - opinion
Perhaps Abu Mohammed al-Julani will defy the grim precedent, maybe he will break away from Salafi jihadism and break the cycle that has consumed countless others. Anyone who remembers the Arab Spring knows that things can always get worse.
Hilltop Youth, Hardal: The anti-Zionist Jews threatening Israel - opinion
These fundamentalist Jewish groups twist Jewish tradition into an abominable chimera, mixing biblical literalism, ethno-nationalism, and theological obsessions similar Evangelical Christians. Since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had been largely smoldered, that was until October 7.
Hilltop Youth, Hardal: The Anti-Zionist Jews of Israel
These fundamentalist groups twist Jewish tradition into an abominable chimera, mixing biblical literalism, ethno-nationalism, and theological obsessions similar to Evangelical Christians.
Israel's path forward: Embracing the Jewish heritage of secularism - opinion
If the secular front in Israel wants to gain increased political support, it will need to begin not by stating what it is, but by defining who it is.
An Arab-Israel axis against the Islamic Republic of Iran is now a reality
The arsenal fired at Israel by the regime in Tehran in the early hours of Sunday morning was blunted not just by Israeli technology but also by an alliance of Western powers — the US, the UK, and France — working alongside friendly Arab nations. The full details of how these Arab states aided in protecting Israel, undoubtedly saving Israeli lives from IRI missiles and drones, may not be known for a while. Regardless, this moment marks a historic shift.
It's clear what the Palestinians really want
It's clear what the Palestinians really want Forget the Oslo Accords. The bottom line is that the Jews want a state and the Palestinians want the Jews not to have that state 31 March 2024 - 00:00 By Samuel Hyde ..
Cold Atmospheric Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition of Silica
Abstract CVD has become a significant process particularly for its use in electronics. We use cold atmospheric plasma to deposit silica in a much more scalable manner. Silica is deposited using CVD for applications in many microelectronic devices, but our process has the potential to greatly reduce the production cost of silica films. Bio I am a senior in Materials Science Engineering, and I have been doing research with Professor Rahimi for a year.
Psychological warfare: Hamas wants to turn Israel against itself
Through their brutality, its operatives reopened all the Jewish people’s collective scars – and they did so deliberately. Thus, their aim is to turn the war into a psychological war against ourselves What we know with certainty is that the objective of the Hamas attack was to infiltrate sovereign Israel and carry out as many civilian atrocities for as long as possible. We are aware that the objective of the Hamas attack was to assassinate any potential for peace.
Settler goals can't coexist with a Jewish-majority democracy - opinion
Most Israelis above a certain age remember exactly where they were on November 4, 1995, when prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot at a rally in Tel Aviv by Yigal Amir, an ultra-nationalist Israeli. I am not one of them. I was three years old, still in my birth country of South Africa and two decades away from making aliyah.
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10/7 as Jihad
Context matters, or so we have been reminded repeatedly over the past week. Advocates of this viewpoint stumble to contextualize the fatal incidents that transpired in Israel on October 7, when Hamas terrorists executed the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. By now, most of us are familiar with the meek context behind the event – “occupation,” “self-determination,” “resistance,” “siege”.
Settlements and Security: An Illusion?
Since the end of the second intifada in 2005, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been largely smoldered. Hamas has launched small-scale wars from the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian armed groups and individuals have carried out terrorist attacks in the West Bank, and in Israel, prompting stringent Israeli military responses. Recent months, however, have shown an increase in a distinct type of hostility accompanied by a deadly rise of violence among Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank.
Why Israel is not an Apartheid state, despite what you are hearing
Opinion | Like Benjamin Pogrund, I too am a South African immigrant to Israel.
Why Israel Is Not an Apartheid State, Despite What You Are Hearing - Samuel Hyde
It was 2 a.m. in Tel Aviv when I first finished reading Benjamin Pogrund's recent Haaretz article, "For Decades, I Defended Israel From Claims of Apartheid. I No Longer Can". These days, that is not an unusual time for me to be awake. Columnists Actual . Favourites . Archive Aa Aa Aa - A + It was 2 a.m. in Tel Aviv when I first finished reading........ © Haaretz visit website
Why Israel is not an Apartheid state, despite what you are hearing
Like Benjamin Pogrund, I too am a South African immigrant to Israel.
The Government's Total Dominance is a Fantasy
Israel’s Knesset voted on Monday to advance a key bill in the governing coalition’s judicial overhaul package.
Israel's new haredi draft exemption proposal is an ethical travesty
This year on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day), the contentious issue of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) military conscription sparked an intense public debate in Israel. Controversial as the timing may be, one cannot deny it holds significant symbolic importance.
The Old-New Separating Line
As we enter May, there is a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. For Israel, this means reopening the Knesset and resuming the highly contentious debate surrounding judicial reform. The political climate is reaching fever pitch and with good reason. It is a moment when the country will face a crossroads.
Dispelling the Myths of the Settlements
The agenda of Israel’s new government is seen by many as a significant danger to the bedrock of Israel’s liberal democracy. This, however, is not limited to the judicial system; it has roots in an issue that has received insufficient attention. The initiative to repeal sections of the 2005 disengagement law to rebuild the Chomesh settlement poses a threat that could lead to a future in which political violence takes precedence over the rule of law.
A Fight for the Fabric of the State
At the time of its birth, much of the Jewish world was skeptical, if not hostile to the idea of Zionism. From a secular perspective, Jews in Eastern Europe believed that only a socialist revolution including the Jewish proletariat could solve the Jewish question. From a religious perspective, return to the Holy Land would of course come eventually, but it was not the job of the Jewish people to determine when.
The State of Israel’s Democracy
The recent election results are the consequence of developments in Israeli society that have been analyzed extensively since November 1st. Many expert analyses have touched on vital aspects of Israel’s current reality, while others have exuded the usual dramatic pathos surrounding Israel and proven to be nothing more than overblown theatrics.
Under the Sudra
Rudy Rochman gained notoriety as a young Jewish leader during his studies at Columbia University, where he founded the school's chapter for Students Supporting Israel. His ability to engage with the most hostile characters in a calm and collected manner was not just unique, but aspirational to many.
So, you want to shrink the conflict? -opinion
With the dramatic election behind us, the all-consuming coalition talks and the current escalation of violence in the West Bank, a government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu will promise to breathe new life into a commonly used concept in the political discourse concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Cutting Through the Noise of Israel’s Election
When we speak of the upcoming elections, we are more often than not talking about the personal future of several dozen candidates and the personal fate of one, Benjamin Netanyahu. The fight over “Bibi yay or Bibi nay” has tainted much of the discourse to the point of rendering policy discussions meaningless. Where we are at is simple: Netanyahu’s supporters believe that there is no future without him, and his opponents believe that there is no future with him.
The Jewish Origins of Israeli Democracy
The Flag Revolution: How Israeli Liberals Showed the Power of Patriotism The ocean of Israeli flags that have dotted the landscape in 2023 speaks to a deep, visceral patriotism that cuts across much of Israeli society.
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