David H.—We are just four days into the war, and the Middle East is changed forever. For half a century, the Iranian regime has been by far the largest source of war and instability, through its nuclear ambitions, ballistic missiles, and above all its proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

But while so much of our attention is focused on the details of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation and the Iranian military response, bigger questions loom: How will this affect the global antizionist movement and the “Red-Green Alliance” that has assaulted the foundations of Western society? Now that Qatar has come under attack, will it continue supporting anti-Western movements? With the demise of Shiite political Islam, what will happen with Sunni Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood?

To start asking these questions, I’m thrilled to host Z3 Institute fellow for a 45-minute conversation via Zoom webinar.

See the video here:

David H.—Last Wednesday in Jerusalem, I spoke with Yardena Schwartz about her important and beautifully written new book, Ghosts of a Holy War.

The conversation was about history, but it was just as much about our the present war: How a single event, the 1929 Hebron massacre, not only foreshadowed but directly led to the conflict in its present shape. It was the Grand Mufti, of Jerusalem Amin al-Husseini, who took the lead in creating Palestinian nationalism on the basis of the complete rejection of Zionism and, later, the State of Israel. He took his maximalist position with him to Berlin, where he headed up the Nazis’ Arabic-language propaganda machine—and inspired a new generation led by Yasser Arafat and the PLO, the forerunners of today’s Hamas.

The lesson is powerful and simple: This conflict will remain stuck where it is until Palestinians abandon the dream of Israel’s destruction. Watch it here:

I’m proud to be able to host this ongoing Z3 Project Jerusalem Series event at the Begin Center. Many thanks to all involved!

David H.—I’m sharing with you a really powerful conversation I had this week with Rabbi David Gedzelman, President and CEO of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, and author of the essay “Teach the Idea of the Jewish People,” included in Jewish Priorities.

This discussion, published as a Z3 Podcast, covers the crisis of American Jewry in the wake of October 7 in the wake of two terrible developments, generations in the making: The failure of Jewish education at all levels to teach the idea of the Jewish People as a discrete subject, and the consistent assault in academia against that same concept.

The conversation goes on to discuss the elections currently taking place in America for the World Zionist Congress—and why every American Jew should vote!—as well as a deep dive into efforts to revolutionize Hebrew language education in America.

Enjoy!