With Syrian forces advancing this month into the northwestern province of Idlib—the last major rebel stronghold—it seems that the civil war may finally be nearing an end. But, argues Jennifer Cafarella, the truth is much messier: Damascus has made these recent gains only after a grueling ten-month offensive, and Turkey has now poured thousands of troops into the area, some of whom have already clashed with the Syrian army. Bashar al-Assad’s previous victories, meanwhile, may yet prove Pyrrhic:

From synagogue shootings, to attacks on Jews on the streets, to the gathering strength and viciousness of anti-Zionism, especially in the corridors of political power, American Jewry has ample reason for concern about its safety and wellbeing. But, surveying both the present situation and the deep roots of what has made America a welcoming home to Jews with “no analogue in the 2,000 years after the destruction of the Temple,” Josef Joffe argues that the U.S. remains exceptional. The bad news, however, is still bad: