As tensions rise in the Persian Gulf, some observers, among them some prominent former Obama-administration officials, have criticized the Trump administration for provoking the Islamic Republic. Not only is that not so, writes Eli Lake, but their misconstruction of events has already led U.S. allies to dangerous conclusions:

Last week, the White House announced its plan to resume funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)—which had ceased in 2018—to the tune of $150 million per year. UNRWA, unlike the UN organization that cares for refugees from every other conflict the world over, does not seek to resettle its charges or to integrate them into the countries where they live, but instead keeps them and their descendants refugees in perpetuity. While the administration justified its decision as “a means to advance a negotiated two-state solution,” Einat Wilf argues that it will do nothing of the sort: