The son of East European Jewish immigrants, Jack Benny—né Benjamin Kubelsky—began his career as a vaudevillian and went on to be a pioneer of the radio situation comedy, crafting in his eponymous show a model that remains with us on television today. Reviewing a recent biography of the comedian, Terry Teachout explains the tightrope he walked with regard to his Jewish identity:

In the past few decades, the Jewish state has vastly expanded its diplomatic, economic, and sometimes military ties with South and East Asia, while doing its best to stay away from the conflicts that divide the countries in the region. Daniel Samet surveys the potential for these relationships, urging Jerusalem to avoid deepening cooperation with China and instead to focus on cultivating further its alliances-in-the-making with China’s competitors: