Radicalization doesn't help anyone

Palestine and Israel both need better friends and more realistic aspirations

I’ve been reluctant to write about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza, despite feeling, as many do, absolutely gutted over it. It’s easy to mock the idea of being “triggered,” but the wide circulation of antisemitic sentiments really has had an emotional impact on me that goes beyond any rational assessment of threat. I also find it distressing to see representatives of a state that claims to act and speak for my interests threatening barbarities of its own. Even before war broke out, I’d been avoiding this topic because my job here is to say things that are novel and interesting and in some way move the discussion forward. But when it comes to Israel and Palestine, I don’t feel like I have much to add.

Noah Smith published a post over the weekend arguing for a three-state solution rather than two. You should read it. It’s the kind of thing that I wish I could’ve written because it’s insightful and novel. But I couldn’t bring myself to say anything of the sort because it’s also reall…