Examining the intimidating and often violent anti-Israel demonstrations that have broken out on city streets and college campuses in the past few months, Hannah Meyers observes:

The anti-Zionist protesters who have blocked bridges in Manhattan and the airport in Los Angeles, smeared paint on government buildings, burned police hats, and bludgeoned their opposition with megaphones aren’t the miraculous or demonic manifestations of the attacks of October 7. Their actions to disrupt, menace, and injure others have come about as the result of a policy, procedural, and moral failure—a failure that has led the perpetrators of these offenses to believe themselves not only justified but elevated somehow by their decision to take action. This failure is the logical conclusion of a profound societal change over the past two generations—a decision to teach our youth that true virtue comes from claiming you are deserving of an entitlement.

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.