How we've covered Israel-Hamas war so far

+ why we're stuck with political polls US Edition - Today's top story: Hamas assault echoes 1973 Arab-Israeli war – a shock attack and questions of political, intelligence culpability [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 October 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( I woke up early on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 7, to a cascade of alerts on my phone. Hamas had launched an untold number of rockets into Israel from Gaza and had made incursions into southern Israel. Israel had responded by saying it was at “war.” My colleagues and I – in the U.S. and abroad – quickly got to work, scanning news websites in the U.S. and Israel, monitoring television reporting and determining what stories we wanted to do. Then we started chasing down scholars to write those stories. Being that busy, battening down the hatches and focusing on work, enabled us to be productive at a time when the news was filled with horrible images that tugged at the emotions of anyone who saw them. Here are some of the stories we have produced over the past five days: - [The Israel-Hamas war: No matter who loses, Iran wins]( - [Hamas assault echoes 1973 Arab-Israeli war – a shock attack and questions of political, intelligence culpability]( - [The Gaza Strip − why the history of the densely populated enclave is key to understanding the current conflict]( - [Israel has no good options for dealing with Hamas’ hostage-taking in Gaza]( - [Why the crisis in Israel is putting pressure on GOP to act over vacant House speaker role]( As 300,000 Israeli reservists gather near the Gaza border in anticipation of an expected ground assault, it’s clear this war is nowhere near over. The Conversation will stay on this story, providing you with context and analysis that can help deepen your understanding of the forces at play. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy The 1973 Yom Kippur War proved a watershed moment in Middle East conflict and Israel’s politics. Daniel Rosenblum/Keystone/Getty Images [Hamas assault echoes 1973 Arab-Israeli war – a shock attack and questions of political, intelligence culpability]( Dov Waxman, University of California, Los Angeles Failings leading up to the Arab-Israeli War of 50 years ago cost the then Israeli prime minister their job. Could history repeat? Destruction from the latest siege of Gaza. Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images) [The Gaza Strip − why the history of the densely populated enclave is key to understanding the current conflict]( Maha Nassar, University of Arizona The enclave abutting Israel has been described as the world’s ‘largest open-air prison.’ Conditions have deteriorated for the population there under a 16-year blockade. Pictures are put together on a pavement beside candles during the ‘Jewish Community Vigil’ for Israel in London on Oct. 9, 2023. AP Photo/Kin Cheung [Israel has no good options for dealing with Hamas’ hostage-taking in Gaza]( James Forest, UMass Lowell An estimated 150 hostages were taken by Hamas in Israel and brought back to Gaza. The government of Israel faces tough choices in dealing with the crisis. [The Israel-Hamas war: No matter who loses, Iran wins]( Aaron Pilkington, University of Denver The Palestinian fighters who launched deadly attacks into Israel on Oct. 7 are not Iranian puppets – but they are doing the work Iran wants done. [Often in error but still seductive: Why we can’t quit election polls]( W. Joseph Campbell, American University School of Communication The unusual candidacy of former President Donald Trump has made election polling especially appealing, more than a year from the election. But consumers beware: Those polls may be wrong. [Health on the ballot as Argentina poised to elect ‘anarcho-capitalist’ bent on slashing social protections]( Eric D. Carter, Macalester College Argentinians will vote in a new president on Oct. 22, 2023. But the front-runner’s plans to slash health funding might find resistance. [Claudia Goldin’s Nobel Prize win is a victory for women in economics − and the field as a whole]( Veronika Dolar, SUNY Old Westbury Goldin is showing the world that economics is about more than just finance. - [Why the crisis in Israel is putting pressure on GOP to act over vacant House speaker role]( Laura Blessing, Georgetown University A major crisis abroad may exacerbate internal divisions within one of the US’s major political parties. - [Intelligence failure or not, the Israeli military was unprepared to respond to Hamas’ surprise attack]( Liam Collins, United States Military Academy West Point A special forces officer explains why an overreliance on intelligence is a recipe for disaster. - [Rising oil prices, surging inflation: The Arab embargo 50 years ago weaponized oil to inflict economic trauma – sound familiar?]( Jim Krane, Rice University; Mark Finley, Rice University Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine reprised the risks of energy weaponization, but the oil landscape today and energy security itself are changing. - [Peace in Sudan is elusive for any would-be mediators – but a new window of opportunity has opened for outside intervention]( - [Today’s white working-class young men who turn to racist violence are part of a long, sad American history]( - [Supreme Court to hear arguments in key case about gerrymandering]( Like this newsletter? 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