Why won't Israel cease fire? An 'Iron Wall'

+ How Moscow attack fits ISIS-K's strategy US Edition - Today's top story: Israel's 'Iron Wall': A brief history of the ideology guiding Benjamin Netanyahu [View in browser]( US Edition | 25 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Who is hit hardest by high rent?]( - [Fighting every wildfire can make them worse]( - [How to keep students from falling behind over the summer]( Lead story The humanitarian disaster unfolding in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than a million people face famine after months of war with Israel, has many causes. There is, of course, the spark that began the war: the massacre of Israelis by Gaza-based Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023. But like so much in the Middle East, the roots of the brutal war in Gaza go back much further. In his story today, historian Eran Kaplan brings readers back 100 years to a prominent Zionist activist named Ze’ev Jabotinsky and his idea of how to build a Jewish state in Palestine, the land where both Jews and Arabs lived at the time. Kaplan quotes "On the Iron Wall," Jabotinsky’s manifesto: “Every native population in the world resists colonists as long as it has the slightest hope of being able to rid itself of the danger of being colonized.” That meant, writes Kaplan, “Zionism’s sole focus should be on developing Jewish military force, a metaphorical Iron Wall, that would compel the Arabs to accept a Jewish state on their native land.” That stark view of Palestine’s Arab population – that they were to be dominated with force – has [animated one strand of Israeli politics]( for the past century. Jabotinsky’s legacy can be found in Israel’s conservative Likud Party and the longtime leader of that party, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Writes Kaplan: “The massive and wantonly destructive war that Netanyahu has led against Hamas and Gaza … is the Iron Wall in its most elemental manifestation: unleashing overwhelming force as a signal that no territorial compromise with the Arabs over historical Palestine is possible.” [ [Understand what’s going on in Washington and around the world. Get our Politics Weekly newsletter.]( ] Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( A view of Khan Yunis in Gaza on Feb. 2, 2024, after weeks of continuous Israeli bombardment and bulldozing. Abdulqader Sabbah/Anadolu via Getty Images [Israel’s ‘Iron Wall’: A brief history of the ideology guiding Benjamin Netanyahu]( Eran Kaplan, San Francisco State University The destructive force that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has unleashed in Gaza is rooted in a century-old ideology that says overwhelming power is how Israel should deal with Palestinians. International - [How Moscow terror attack fits ISIS-K strategy to widen agenda, take fight to its perceived enemies]( Sara Harmouch, American University; Amira Jadoon, Clemson University At least 137 people were killed in the Moscow attack – the latest in a a series of ISIS-K operations outside its traditional stronghold. Politics + Society - [I’ve been studying congressional emails to constituents for 15 years − and found these 4 trends after scanning 185,222 of them]( Lindsey Cormack, Stevens Institute of Technology In taxpayer-funded email messages to constituents, Republicans prefer visual elements and strategic timing, and Democrats prefer more text-heavy missives. Environment + Energy - [Fighting every wildfire ensures the big fires are more extreme, and may harm forests’ ability to adapt to climate change]( Mark Kreider, University of Montana A new study offers a rare window into the hidden effects of aggressive fire suppression that go beyond fuel accumulation. It may even change the course of forest evolution. - [What is dirt? There’s a whole wriggling world alive in the ground beneath our feet, as a soil scientist explains]( Brian Darby, University of North Dakota Rock dust is only part of the story of soil. Living creatures, many of them too tiny to see, keep that soil healthy for growing everything from food to forests. Health + Medicine - [Princess of Wales and King Charles: one in two people develop cancer during their lives – the diseases and treatments explained]( Gavin Metcalf, Anglia Ruskin University Almost every family will be affected by a cancer diagnosis at some point – and the UK’s royal family is no different. Economy + Business - [Gary, Indiana’s lawsuit against gunmakers is shot down by a new law, after surviving 25 years of appeals]( Timothy D. Lytton, Georgia State University Expect other states to pick up the civil-litigation torch. - [Excessively high rents are a major burden for immigrants in US cities]( Madhuri Sharma, University of Tennessee; Mikhail Samarin, University of Tennessee The US economy relies on immigrants to fill jobs, but many of them are struggling with high rent burdens that make it harder to build productive lives and integrate into their communities. - [Amazon, SpaceX and other companies are arguing the government agency that has protected labor rights since 1935 is actually unconstitutional]( Kate Andrias, Columbia University Nearly a century after the National Labor Relations Board’s creation, big corporations are arguing that it violates the US Constitution. Education - [Schools can close summer learning gaps with these 4 strategies]( Rhea Almeida, New York University By targeting specific students, removing barriers and involving families and communities, school districts can make summer learning more accessible to students who need it. Science + Technology - [Fan of black licorice? Beware of its dark side − it can be dangerous for your health]( Bill Sullivan, Indiana University Who knew that black licorice could be dangerous? A scientist and new research explains when this treat becomes a threat. Trending on site - [Chilling out rather than blowing off steam is a better way to manage anger − new review of 154 studies reveals what works]( - [Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores]( - [Jon Stewart, still a ‘tiny, neurotic man,’ back to remind Americans what’s at stake]( Today's graphic 📈 [A chart showing the number of ballot measures each year from 2000 to 2022. The chart also shows whether the ballot measures were rejected or approved. Most ballot measures voted on since 2020 have passed, though in some years there are fewer successes, and in occasional years more are rejected than are approved.]( From the story, [Legislative inaction and dissatisfaction with one-party control lead to more issues going directly to voters in ballot initiatives, with 60% of them in six states]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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