In his recent book, Maimonides and the Shaping of the Jewish Canon, James A. Diamond examines the influence of the great medieval Jewish philosopher on a series of later Jewish thinkers, from the 13th-century rabbinic scholar Moses Naḥmanides to the 20th-century philosopher Hermann Cohen and even Franz Kafka. Menachem Kellner writes in his review:

Diamond sets out to prove that “at virtually every critical turn in Jewish thought, one confronts Maimonidean formulations in one way or another.” Diamond’s claim is actually much stronger than that. He [in fact] sets out to prove that the collected works of Maimonides, alongside the Bible, Talmud, and Zohar, “comprise the core spiritual and intellectual canon of Judaism.” . . . Diamond . . . makes a subtle and sophisticated argument to the effect that Maimonides set the agenda for the future of Jewish thought by providing an “inextricable link between philosophy, law, and narrative.”

Donald Trump’s recent visit to the Arabian Peninsula, where he was fawned over by Hamas’s patrons in Qatar, made deals with the Saudis but seemingly no progress on diplomatic normalization between Riyadh and Jerusalem, and met with multiple Arab leaders while neglecting Israel—has raised much concern that the president is putting distance between himself and the Jewish state and moreover, that Israel’s regional standing is sliding. These concerns strike me as exaggerated and even overwrought, and in some cases wishful thinking on the part of those who would prefer such outcomes.

To Dan Schueftan too, Jerusalem is in an excellent position both diplomatically, and—as the IDF again ramps up its operations in Gaza—military:

In the regional arena, Israel has already won the war that started on October 7, 2023. While the fighting is not over yet, a confrontation with Iran is potentially dangerous, and there is no sustainable “solution” available in Gaza, the balance of power in the Middle East shifted dramatically in favor of the Jewish state and its de-facto Arab allies.

Since October 7, Israel has devastated in Gaza the only Arab state-like entity controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood. The IDF also reduced Hizballah from an intimidating strategic threat, practically in control of Lebanon, to a major nuisance, fighting a rearguard battle for its position in Beirut and in the south. And Israel’s air force exposed the supreme vulnerability of Iran’s most-defended sites.

In Cairo, Amman, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Rabat, Arab leaders could not afford to infuriate their populaces by openly celebrating the dramatic weakening of their regional deadly enemies and giving Israel the well-deserved credit for inflicting the required blows. However, they know that sustainable Israeli resilience, strategic power, determination, and tenacity in the struggle against common radical enemies are indispensable for their own regional welfare, sometimes even their existence. Whereas America is immeasurably more powerful, Israel, in their experience, is an infinitely more trustworthy and dependable partner in this ongoing struggle.