As with past conflicts in the Middle East, the Israel-Hamas war could provoke terrorist repercussions beyond the region, says RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins.
The magnitude and shape of the terrorist threat that emerges will depend on a few key factors. These include how long the conflict lasts; whether Hezbollah or Iran decide on full-scale intervention; whether Israel launches a preemptive attack to stop Hezbollah or Iran; and whether America is drawn further into the fight.
It's also important to note that Hamas's attack on Israel and Israel's ongoing response in Gaza have produced intense emotional responses and opened deep chasms in American society. This could lead to increased violence or mass attacks on U.S. soil, Jenkins says.
The violence to come, he warns, could “resemble the savagery of the October 7 attacks in Israel—unrestrained, deliberately bloody, gestural cruelty.”
Beginning in 1992, some cities across the country began adopting policies that either encourage or require owners of multi-unit housing complexes to evict tenants who are involved with the criminal justice system. In a new RAND study, researchers found no meaningful statistical evidence that such policies reduce crime. They did, however, find that these “crime-free housing” policies increased evictions in areas where more Black residents lived and where residents tended to have lower incomes. Read more »
Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Russia's military has struggled mightily. What logistics and sustainment failures may have contributed to these issues? To find out, RAND's Marta Kepe reviewed dozens of unclassified documents and articles from Russian-language sources. She identified several systemic issues, including resource inefficiency in the military and the defense industry, inadequate warehousing for fuel and food, and corruption. These factors can be viewed as one part of Russia's larger, poorly planned and executed operation in Ukraine. Read more »
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On CBS News, RAND's Raphael Cohen discussed the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Cohen said that, despite the intensity of the war, this agreement shows that diplomacy is possible—at least on very discrete issues.
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