Member states of the United Nations are bound by the rule of law, both within their borders and in their interactions on the global stage. This legal framework includes international humanitarian law, which aims to protect civilians during times of armed conflict. Israel, as a member state, has an obligation under the Fourth Geneva Convention [...]
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. – Viktor E. Frankl Content warning: This essay briefly describes a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know are/is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please [...]
In early June, Israel carried out a daring rescue, freeing four hostages who had been taken and held for eight months by Hamas and, in flagrant violation of international law, embedding the hostages within families in housing full of civilians, including many children—also a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of war. All major news [...]
The recent defense agreement between North Korea and Russia, pledging mutual defense and assistance, signals a disturbing shift in the global geopolitical landscape. This pact, building on an increasingly visible camaraderie between these authoritarian regimes, raises the specter of a new axis of dictatorships. With China, Iran, and Belarus already exhibiting varying degrees of alignment [...]
In the final analysis, human fragmentation into separate and competitively hostile states is unnatural. Because it is contrary to intellectual understanding and natural law, such fragmentation always makes it impossible to fashion a just and survivable global order. Ipso facto, it also renders impossible any long-term American future. What should be done? Suitable transformations are [...]
As the United Nations prepares for its third meeting of international envoys on Afghanistan in Doha, concerns are mounting over the exclusion of Afghan women from the process and the lack of focus on the Taliban’s gender apartheid policies. The plights of women like Arzo — a teacher and a single mother of four — [...]
In the aftermath of the recent rescue of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, an analysis of such extraction operations is warranted. To put this event in context, three things must be understood. First, hostage taking is a war crime. Second, hostage rescue is extremely logistically difficult. Third, the American public [...]
Minutes before a New York jury convicted Donald Trump on thirty-four counts of falsifying business records, I had posted the following on social media: Many trial watchers were curious whether the law would prevail over mathematics. Here, I explain why mathematics predicted a hung jury. I also explain how legal realism theories that the Trump [...]
“That calm before the storm, when the aggressor is gathering new forces for a great blow, is most dangerous for the defender.” Carl von Clausewitz, On War A Gathering of New Forces Whether with contrived enthusiasm or calculated strategy, Iran is “gathering new forces for a great blow” against Israel. For the moment, at least, [...]
Recently, medical workers at Israeli hospitals told BBC News that Palestinian detainees from Gaza were “shackled and blindfolded” while they received treatment. Physicians owe a duty to their patients based on well-established ethical principles. In truth, the doctor-patient relationship is aspirational, and at the bedside, circumstance reveals a much more complex exchange. At the core [...]
