There are prosaic works filled with their own form of poetry, and then there is poetry itself. Two of the greatest Hebrew poets by any standards were Solomon Ibn Gabirol and Moses Ibn Ezra (not to be confused with his cousin, the Bible commentator and poet Abraham Ibn Ezra). Both products of the Jewish cultural efflorescence of medieval Spain, the two men adapted Arabic stylings into Hebrew verse, described both sacred and profane subjects, and authored learned treatises as well as poems. Tamar Marvin writes:

Ibn Gabirol is a true original; you won’t find another medieval person of his particular flavor anywhere in Jewish history. There are others, of course, of whom this is true, but the singular voice available to us through Ibn Gabirol’s poetry allows us a particularly intimate glimpse into his personality, while his philosophy surprises us with its detachment from Jewish tradition (which also caused it to become detached from him for centuries).

Moses ben Jacob Ibn Ezra (also called Abu Harun) (c. 1055–after 1135), a younger near-contemporary of Ibn Gabirol, ended his life with a hefty dose of the tragedy that infected the elder poet’s. However, Moses Ibn Ezra was, temperamentally speaking, much more in tune with the cultural power brokers of al-Andalus. . . . Moses Ibn Ezra exhibits heights of technical proficiency in his poetic creations along with an evident love of classical Hebrew, but perhaps most of all, joyfulness in language and unmitigated beauty in expression.

In his inauguration speech, Donald Trump put forth ambitious goals for his first days in office. An additional item that should be on the agenda of his administration, and also that of the 119th Congress, should be defunding, and ideally dismantling, UNRWA. The UN Relief and Works Organization for Palestine Refugees—to give its full name—is deeply enmeshed with Hamas in Gaza, has inculcated generations of young Palestinians with anti-Semitism, and exists primarily to perpetuate the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Robert Satloff explains what must be done.

[T]here is an inherent contradiction in support for UNRWA (given its anti-resettlement posture) and support for a two-state solution (or any negotiated resolution) to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Providing relief to millions of Palestinians based on the argument that their legitimate, rightful home lies inside Israel is deeply counterproductive to the search for peace.

Last October, the Israeli parliament voted overwhelmingly to pass two laws that will come into effect January 30: a ban on UNRWA operations in Israeli sovereign territory and the severing of all Israeli ties with the agency. This includes cancellation of a post-1967 agreement that allowed UNRWA to operate freely in what was then newly occupied territory.

A more ambitious U.S. approach could score a win-win achievement that advances American interests in Middle East peace while saving millions of taxpayer dollars. Namely, Washington could take advantage of Israel’s new laws to create an alternative support mechanism that eases UNRWA out of Gaza. This would entail raising the stakes with other specialized UN agencies operating in the area. Instead of politely asking them if they can assume UNRWA’s job in Gaza, the Trump administration should put them on notice that continued U.S. funding of their own global operations is contingent on their taking over those tasks. Only such a dramatic step is likely to produce results.