For Chava Rosenfarb and Zenia Larsson, the Shoah was a formative experience, one that they kept coming back to in their writings, and, it seems, in their more private thoughts. How could it not be? It was also a formative experience for those who barely escaped. Among them was the German Jewish scholar Leo Strauss, who was formed intellectually by the rich ferment of Weimar philosophy, only to see one of the thinkers who had influenced him the most, Martin Heidegger, embrace Nazism and anti-Semitism.

Strauss was lucky enough to find his way to England and then to the U.S. in the 1930s, but what happened in his homeland led him to rethink the pursuit of political theory as a whole—giving rise to his many brilliant, compelling, and controversial works. In conversation with Jonah Goldberg, Steven B. Smith explains Strauss’s ideas and those of his disciples, his views on religion, and much else. (Audio, 89 minutes.)

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.