Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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**Oct. 26, 2023
The Failure of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza are intensifying, with troops and tanks on standby in preparation for a ground invasion of the territory that could begin any day. This is likely only the start of Israel's response to the horrific attacks carried out by Hamas earlier this month.

According to RAND's Raphael Cohen, Hamas's assault underscored the inevitable--and ongoing--failure of Israel's strategy in Gaza, which many Israeli analysts have called "mowing the grass."

The last decade and a half has been dominated by a grim cycle, Cohen says. Some Palestinians who are frustrated by the awful conditions in Gaza turn to groups like Hamas. Israel then imposes restrictions, making living conditions in Gaza even worse, and unrest grows. Hamas and others capitalize on this unrest and attack Israel. Then, Israel responds by "mowing the grass," killing the perpetrators of the attack, along with some number of Palestinian civilians. This buys Israel, at best, a few years of relative peace, while fueling more radicalization. And then, the cycle continues.

Although attention is currently focused on the immediate situation on the ground, Cohen says that, after "mowing the grass" has failed so spectacularly, it's essential to ask what can break this deadly cycle. Once Israel's fight against Hamas has ended, he says, it will have to rebuild Gaza into something better, give Palestinians a chance at economic prosperity, and help ensure that they have political options besides Hamas or the corrupt Palestinian Authority.

This will be difficult. It may also be hard for some Israelis to stomach, considering Hamas's atrocities. But as Cohen writes, "It is nevertheless what's necessary to end the cycle of mowing the grass only to watch it grow back."

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Protecting Free Speech and Regulating Social Media

Free speech is essential to democracy. But as online extremism has grown, protecting free speech has also shielded bad actors who spread hate and disinformation. The status quo simply isn't working, say RAND experts. (If you need evidence, just look online.) That's why it's time for a close look at the costs and benefits of the three main policy approaches used to address the problem: federal regulation, holding tech platforms liable, and requiring data transparency.

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Lithuania's Success May Offer Hope to Ukraine

Lithuania spent 50 years under Soviet occupation. Today, this small Baltic nation is an independent, stable democracy and a leader in supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia. What united Lithuania after the Soviet collapse? According to RAND's John Tefft--who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Lithuania and Russia, among other countries--it was support across the political spectrum for achieving membership in NATO and the EU. This success story is now "an advertisement for democracy and market economics during a dark period in Eastern Europe."

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- For kids, Halloween means nighttime trick-or-treating, a lot of candy, and even more excitement. RAND's Wendy Troxel explains how spooky season can disrupt children's sleep--and what parents can do to help.
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** Events
A New Approach to Power Projection: Reversing the Erosion of U.S. and Allied Military Power and Influence
Friday, November 3, 2023 (Washington, D.C., and Online)
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RAND Behavioral Finance Forum 2023
Monday, November 6, 2023 (Washington, D.C., and Online)
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** About RAND
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

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