While it has long been known that the Prague-born German-language author Franz Kafka at times evinced deep interest in his Jewish heritage—attempting to learn Hebrew and becoming enthralled by the Yiddish theater—much more about his attitudes can be learned from his diaries, which for the first time have been published in English in unexpurgated form. The original expurgation, ironically, was largely the work of Kafka’s close friend and literary executor Max Brod, an ardent Zionist who settled in Tel Aviv in 1939 and later won Israel’s prestigious Bialik literary prize. Andrew Lapin writes:

For an author most famous for his depictions of loneliness, alienation, and unyielding bureaucracy, Kafka often saw in Judaism an opportunity to forge a shared community. “The beautiful strong separations in Judaism,” he [wrote] at one point, in a disjointed style that is a hallmark of his diaries. “One gets space. One sees oneself better; one judges oneself.”

Later, writing about a Yiddish play he found particularly moving, Kafka reflected on its depiction of “people who are Jews in an especially pure form, because they live only in the religion but live in it without effort, understanding, or misery.” He was also involved with several local Zionist organizations, and toward the end of his life fell in love with Dora Diamant, the daughter of an Orthodox rabbi who taught him Hebrew (though she receives scant mention in the diaries).

The author of “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial,” and “The Castle” was raised by a non-observant father in Prague, and he hated the small amounts of Jewish culture he was exposed to at a young age, including his own bar mitzvah. In addition, the city’s largely assimilated German-speaking Jewish population tended to look down on poorer, Yiddish-speaking East European Jews.

Considering the current state of Israel-Arab relations, Ghaith al-Omari writes

First and foremost, no ceasefire will be possible without the release of Israeli hostages and commitments to disarm Hamas and remove it from power. The final say on these matters rests with Hamas commanders on the ground in Gaza, who have been largely impervious to foreign pressure so far. At minimum, however, the United States should insist that Qatari and Egyptian mediators push Hamas’s external leadership to accept these conditions publicly, which could increase pressure on the group’s Gaza leadership.

Washington should also demand a clear, public position from key Arab states regarding disarmament. The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed this position in a June letter to Saudi Arabia and France, giving Arab states Palestinian cover for endorsing it themselves.

Some Arab states have already indicated a willingness to play a significant role, but they will have little incentive to commit resources and personnel to Gaza unless Israel (1) provides guarantees that it will not occupy the Strip indefinitely, and (2) removes its veto on a PA role in Gaza’s future, even if only symbolic at first. Arab officials are also seeking assurances that any role they play in Gaza will be in the context of a wider effort to reach a two-state solution.

On the other hand, Washington must remain mindful that current conditions between Israel and the Palestinians are not remotely conducive to . . . implementing a two-state solution.