Some of the great literary and scholarly works of medieval Spanish Jewry were written in Arabic, and many others in Hebrew. The 14th-century poet Shem Tov of Carrión, however, wrote in Castilian, the precursor to modern Spanish. Vivian Mills describes his work:

Some [scholars], like the late Yitzḥak Baer, have identified him with Shem Tov ben Yitzḥak Ardutiel, a prominent rabbi and author who lived in Carrión de los Condes, home to a flourishing Jewish community . . . that boasted its own rabbinical school. There are a few works in Hebrew that have been attributed to Ardutiel, among them the maqama (a fictional composition that alternates between prose and poetry and often has a humorous or satirical nature) known as The Rabbi’s Tale or The Battle of the Pen and the Scissors, Yam Kohelet (“The Sea of Ecclesiastes”), and a penitential prayer used in Sephardi Yom Kippur ceremonies.

But [the identity of the two Shem Tovs is uncertain, and some scholars have disputed Baer’s conclusion]. What is certain about our Shem Tov is that he was a Jew who lived in Castile during a time of political transition and uncertainty for the kingdom’s Jews, as the old king, Alfonso, had passed away and his heir, Peter, was establishing his reign.

In his poem, Shem Tov petitions the king to settle his father Alfonso’s debt and reminds him of his moral obligation to protect the Jews of Castile, as their lives and safety depend upon being considered “the king’s property.” He exhorts his king to follow in the tradition of his predecessors, who had extended their protection to the aljamas (Jewish settlements) of Castile.

Shem Tov then embarks on a literary reflection that touches on humanity’s fallibility and insignificance in the face of divine greatness, reflects on what makes a good man and the dangers of relying on fortune’s whims, as tragedy and affliction happen to all—even those who perform good deeds—and reminds readers that righteous acts and benevolence should not lead to complacency, because the world is a complicated place. . . . Shem Tov closes the poem by listing the qualities that make a good ruler and by bringing up once more the merçed, or favor, the new king owes him and the Jews of Castile—his protection and goodwill.

For some time, opponents of U.S support for Israel have been urging the White House to end the war in Gaza, or simply calling for a ceasefire. Douglas Feith and Lewis Libby consider what such a result would actually entail:

Ending the war immediately would allow Hamas to survive and retain military and governing power. Leaving it in the area containing the Sinai-Gaza smuggling routes would ensure that Hamas can rearm. This is why Hamas leaders now plead for a ceasefire. A ceasefire will provide some relief for Gazans today, but a prolonged ceasefire will preserve Hamas’s bloody oppression of Gaza and make future wars with Israel inevitable.

For most Gazans, even when there is no hot war, Hamas’s dictatorship is a nightmarish tyranny. Hamas rule features the torture and murder of regime opponents, official corruption, extremist indoctrination of children, and misery for the population in general. Hamas diverts foreign aid and other resources from proper uses; instead of improving life for the mass of the people, it uses the funds to fight against Palestinians and Israelis.

Moreover, a Hamas-affiliated website warned Gazans last month against cooperating with Israel in securing and delivering the truckloads of aid flowing into the Strip. It promised to deal with those who do with “an iron fist.” In other words, if Hamas remains in power, it will begin torturing, imprisoning, or murdering those it deems collaborators the moment the war ends. Thereafter, Hamas will begin planning its next attack on Israel:

Hamas’s goals are to overshadow the Palestinian Authority, win control of the West Bank, and establish Hamas leadership over the Palestinian revolution. Hamas’s ultimate aim is to spark a regional war to obliterate Israel and, as Hamas leaders steadfastly maintain, fulfill a Quranic vision of killing all Jews.

Hamas planned for corpses of Palestinian babies and mothers to serve as the mainspring of its October 7 war plan. Hamas calculated it could survive a war against a superior Israeli force and energize enemies of Israel around the world. The key to both aims was arranging for grievous Palestinian civilian losses. . . . That element of Hamas’s war plan is working impressively.