On October 12, a girl was born in an Israeli hospital and given the name Be’ri, after the kibbutz that had so recently borne the brunt of Hamas’s onslaught. Since then, at least 44 other Israeli children have been given that name. This small fact reveals something profound about the Jewish state, writes Jacob Sivak:

On November 23, the Population and Immigration Border Authority reported that close to 18,000 babies had been born in Israel since October 7, many named after locations attacked by Hamas that day. Some might view this as a strange announcement to make in the middle of a war, a war that Hamas initiated by killing, torturing, and raping 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children, and kidnapping 240 more, but not if you are aware of what Ofir Haivry calls Israel’s “demographic miracle.”

An OECD chart for 2021 . . . shows that the disparity between the fertility number for Israel and that for other developed countries is even larger than [previously] reported. The value for Israel (3.00) is essentially unchanged from 2015, but the overall OECD average is 1.58, reduced from 1.68. The number for the U.S. went down from 1.80 to 1.66, for Canada from 1.61 to 1.43, and for Italy from 1.39 to 1.25, while South Korea’s number went down from 1.19 to 0.81, which is less than one child per woman!

Israel’s high birthrate has attracted a lot of attention and the reasons for it have been attributed to a number of factors. . . . Most importantly, however, . . . children represent survival.

Small in area and population and rich in natural gas, Qatar plays an outsize role in the Middle East. While its support keeps Hamas in business, it also has vital relations with Israel that are much better than those enjoyed by many other Arab countries. Doha’s relationship with Washington, though more complex, isn’t so different. Yoel Guzansky offers a comprehensive examination of Israel’s Qatar dilemma:

At first glance, Qatar’s foreign policy seems filled with contradictions. Since 1995, it has pursued a strategy of diplomatic hedging—building relationships with multiple, often competing, actors. Qatar’s vast wealth and close ties with the United States have enabled it to maneuver independently on the international stage, maintaining relations with rival factions, including those that are direct adversaries.

Qatar plays an active role in international diplomacy, engaging in conflict mediation in over twenty regions worldwide. While not all of its mediation efforts have been successful, they have helped boost its international prestige, which it considers vital for its survival among larger and more powerful neighbors. Qatar has participated in mediation efforts in Venezuela, Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones, reinforcing its image as a neutral broker.

Israel’s stated objective of removing Hamas from power in Gaza is fundamentally at odds with Qatar’s interest in keeping Hamas as the governing force. In theory, if the Israeli hostages would to be released, Israel could break free from its dependence on Qatari mediation. However, it is likely that even after such a development, Qatar will continue positioning itself as a mediator—particularly in enforcing agreements and shaping Gaza’s reconstruction efforts.

Qatar’s position is strengthened further by its good relations with the U.S. Yet, Guzansky notes, it has weaknesses as well that Israel could exploit:

Qatar is highly sensitive to its global image and prides itself on maintaining a neutral diplomatic posture. If Israel chooses to undermine Qatar’s reputation, it could target specific aspects of Qatari activity that are problematic from an Israeli perspective.