The West Bank's surge in settler violence | Top 10

+ threats from AI today; stingy airline rewards programs US Edition - Today's top story: West Bank's settler violence problem is a second sign that Israel's policy of ignoring Palestinians' drive for a homeland isn't a long-term solution [View in browser]( US Edition | 26 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation. Here are a few of our recently published stories: • [Pollution from coal power plants contributes to far more deaths than scientists realized, study shows]( • [A national security expert explains what the cease-fire deal means for Israel, Hamas and the remaining hostages]( Coverage of the Israel-Hamas war has focused on what’s happening in Gaza. Israel forces have killed an estimated 14,000 Palestinians in the enclave since Oct. 7, when Hamas stormed into Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages. While Gaza is certainly where most of the fighting is, it’s not the only Palestinian territory seeing a surge in violence. There have been over 200 settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank over the past month or so, displacing whole villages and killing at least 180 people. In one of last week’s articles that engaged readers the most, University of Richmond’s Dana El Kurd [connects what is happening in Gaza to the West Bank](, describing it as part of an “an Israeli policy of ignoring Palestinian national claims altogether.” “This policy disregards political solutions and pursues violent ones,” she writes. “The policy has not just taken hold in Israel but has been facilitated by American and Arab support.” Bryan Keogh Managing Editor [West Bank’s settler violence problem is a second sign that Israel’s policy of ignoring Palestinians’ drive for a homeland isn’t a long-term solution]( Dana El Kurd, University of Richmond While the war in Gaza has riveted public attention, the simultaneous escalation of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank is not disconnected from the violence in Gaza. - [Small-town America’s never-ending struggle to maintain its values hasn’t always been good for US democracy]( Joseph Patrick Kelly, College of Charleston Country singer Jason Aldean’s hit song triggered renewed attention on vigilante justice, racism and urban America. - [Gaza’s next tragedy: Disease risk spreads amid overcrowded shelters, dirty water and breakdown of basic sanitation]( Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida High levels of diarrhea, scabies and respiratory infections have been reported as bombing campaign progresses – and children are the most vulnerable. - [Good profits from bad news: How the Kennedy assassination helped make network TV news wealthy]( Michael J. Socolow, University of Maine The JFK assassination was a landmark event in TV news history. - [Thanksgiving stories gloss over the history of US settlement on Native lands]( Lisa Michelle King, University of Tennessee A scholar of Native American and Indigenous rhetorics writes about the harm done to Native American nations through colonization and what can be done to reduce it. Editors' picks [Airlines are frustrating travelers by changing frequent flyer program rules – here’s why they keep doing it]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University; H. Sami Karaca, Boston University Loyalty schemes tend to be the most generous when the economy has hit a patch of turbulence. - [In America, national parks are more than scenic − they’re sacred. But they were created at a cost to Native Americans]( Thomas S. Bremer, Rhodes College The idea of Manifest Destiny inspired Americans to push west, leading to the creation of the first national parks. But those beliefs spelled removal for many Native American groups. - [Thanksgiving sides are delicious and can be nutritious − here’s the biochemistry of how to maximize the benefits]( Julie Pollock, University of Richmond The turkey doesn’t have to be the star this Thanksgiving. Vegetable side dishes are packed with nutrients − depending on how you prepare them, they can help keep you energized this holiday season. - [Forget dystopian scenarios – AI is pervasive today, and the risks are often hidden]( Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University The explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and fears about where the technology might be headed distract from the many ways AI affects people every day – for better and worse. - [Immune health is all about balance – an immunologist explains why both too strong and too weak an immune response can lead to illness]( Aimee Pugh Bernard, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Dietary supplements claim to be able to ‘boost your immune system’ to combat disease. But attaining immune balance through a healthy lifestyle and vaccination is a safer bet to keep in good health. News Quiz 🦃 - [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( This week: a special Thanksgiving edition, stuffed with interesting facts. 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