Is it possible to convene a major academic conference devoted to Jewish studies without addressing the war in Gaza?
The organizers of the 19th World Congress of Jewish Studies – scheduled to open in Jerusalem on Monday – apparently thought so. Indeed, none of the hundreds of sessions included in the original program for the four-day gathering mentioned Israel's actions in Gaza in the context of Jewish law and ethics.
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If there was any doubt, it turns out that things can still get worse. After very immoderate American pressure, Israel lifted the siege on the Gaza Strip and allowed goods to enter through entities other than that failed American project, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
But the international shock from the pictures showing starvation in Gaza is now undermining any progress toward a hostage deal, and if there is no direct and determined intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump, the hostages' fate may be sealed.
