海角大神

In times of war, nations normally rally around their leader. But in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 numbers are plummeting. The anger people felt before the war over a series of controversial moves has not dissipated. That鈥檚 uncharted territory. But something fascinating is happening instead. Israelis are rallying around one another.

Does it matter that Russia has pulled away from a nuclear test ban treaty that the U.S. never ratified? That鈥檚 unclear. But Moscow鈥檚 increasingly bellicose talk about nuclear weapons has come with a realization, some say. The dialogue and deterrence of the Cold War era is worth trying to revive.

Here鈥檚 a different look at superpowers and responsibility. President Joe Biden is maintaining America鈥檚 historic support for Israel. But many nations crucial to American global influence want Israel to dial back its violent assault on Gaza. At a time when America鈥檚 global clout is already waning, Mr. Biden has tough choices ahead.

Amid America鈥檚 culture wars, this is probably not a story you have heard much about. Gay politicians in the South are thriving, winning even in some of the deepest red districts. There is important nuance, but the trend shows how the narratives that drive so much of the nation鈥檚 political conversation don鈥檛 tell the whole story.聽

We often think of climate action as huge or tiny 鈥� countries wrestling with monumental laws or you deciding how to sort your trash. But maybe that鈥檚 the wrong way to look at it. Maybe climate action is a web of connections, from towns to businesses to nations. And maybe states can play a role, too. California certainly thinks so.

A new survey of 173 countries might be a helpful guide for the coming decision on who will rule the Gaza Strip if Israel鈥檚 military takes over the enclave of 2 million Palestinians. While the survey, by a Sweden-based think tank, confirms a steady decline in democracy worldwide, it also notes a countervailing trend 鈥� or 鈥済reen shoots鈥� 鈥� in a number of places where citizens have lately achieved lower levels of corruption.

For Palestinians in Gaza, such a hopeful sign of the irrepressible desire for clean governance could be a starting point in creating a new democracy.

Polls bear this out. Just months before the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, an opinion survey found that 73% of Gaza residents believed the Hamas government to be corrupt. And that percentage had been rising, which may help explain one possible reason why the Islamist group launched the attack on Israeli civilians to provoke a response. After previous conflicts with Israel, Hamas鈥� popularity rose, even if temporarily, until Palestinians in Gaza again noticed corruption in their public institutions.

A poll of Gaza residents earlier this year, done by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, found that 25% saw corruption as the first problem in their society. That is behind only聽the 38% who said the establishment of a Palestinian state should be the first goal.

鈥淭he vast majority of Gazans have been frustrated with the armed group鈥檚 ineffective governance as they endure extreme economic hardship. Most Gazans do not align themselves with Hamas鈥檚 ideology,鈥� wrote Amaney Jamal and Michael Robbins, scholars at Princeton University, in Foreign Affairs last month.

The global survey on democracy, conducted by the International Institute聽for聽Democracy聽and Electoral Assistance, found anti-corruption efforts increasing in countries as diverse as Zambia and Ukraine. Much of that progress comes from informal actors who provide checks and balances on government, such as journalists, election organizers, and anti-graft activists.

Since the approval in 2003 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the world has 鈥渦nited around a common vision for integrity, transparency, and accountability,鈥� Ghada Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, said last month. Those qualities, she added, 鈥渁re essential safeguards to protect the values of democracy, preserve the rights of everyone, and prevent breakdowns in the rule of law.鈥�

Palestinians in Gaza, too, can rely on such safeguards to build a resilient state that commands both legitimacy and accountability.