The New York Times’ Vivian Nereim and Shuaib Almosawa do a deep dive into efforts by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen to use the current geopolitical situation to obtain concessions from Saudi Arabia. “The battle-hardened Houthis apparently believe they have little to lose and much to gain from escalating their confrontation with Saudi Arabia, including obtaining access to Yemeni oil revenue and greater authority over Yemen, according to officials and diplomats who have dealt with the militia. The Houthis are acting to aid their main ally, Iran, but also to force the kingdom and the international community to make political concessions in Yemen, according to researchers who study the group.”

In The Washington Post, Matthew Gould, who served as a former British ambassador to Israel and a former deputy ambassador to Iran, explains the decision-making processes of Iranian leaders. “First: Iranian leaders are focused single-mindedly on preserving their grip on power. They know that the overwhelming majority of Iranians despise them and that the people will not be forgiving if the regime is finally removed. … Second: Iran’s actions often have more to do with internal regime dynamics than with statecraft. Western governments tend to interpret Iranian actions as aimed at them. But often, they are aimed internally.”

A Faustian Bargain: In Airmail, Jamie Kirchick argues that the Democratic Party’s embrace of far-left streamer Hasan Piker constitutes “political malpractice” and will drive voters away from the party. “A growing number of Democratic candidates and left-wing commentators are enthusiastic about Piker, seeing in him an appealing figure who can rouse support among young, and particularly young male, voters. A Joe Rogan for the left, if you will. But Piker’s politics fall far outside the American liberal tradition and are in many ways in direct opposition to it. … Piker is the poster boy for the ’vote-repelling platform’ [the late Rep. Barney] Frank warned about, yet only a handful of Democratic officials and liberal commentators have condemned his baleful influence. Many act as if Piker, while rough around the edges, is well intentioned and that he can ultimately be reasoned with. Whether they truly believe this or are too afraid to speak the truth, they are making a Faustian bargain.”

Hit Them Where It Hurts: In her “Shtetl & State” Substack, Sara Forman calls on Jewish donors to rethink their political engagement and cut off any Democrat who legitimizes the Democratic Socialists of America. “Forget every other issue where we may have compromise or coalition. It doesn’t matter. And we need to be merciless. Jewish Democrats should not fund any other Democrats who have ever congratulated a DSA primary winner. Jews should not fund any Democratic leader who appoints DSA members to positions of authority within any legislative body. Jews should not fund any Democrat who co-sponsors legislation with a DSA member. Jews should not fund any Democrat who rallies with any DSA members. Jews should not fund any Democrat who gives any credibility to any DSA member. Hit them where it hurts: in their pocketbooks.”

In The Wall Street Journal, Adam Louis Klein examines the parallels between those who accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza and the language employed by the Hutus as they conducted a genocide in Rwanda. “As in Rwanda, anticolonialism and genocide inversion have converged. Israel is imagined not only as a state accused of genocide, but as a people whose identity as foreign settlers makes genocide their destiny. … Whether directed against the Tutsis in Rwanda or against Israelis — now cast as genocidal colonizers by a cohort of anti-Zionist academics and nonprofit advocacy groups — portraying a people as foreign usurpers and inherent perpetrators isn’t neutral. It is a well-recognized prelude to violence.”

The Free Press’ Douglas Murray argues that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s video conceding he lacks the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was never a serious legal effort but a bid to raise his own profile and erode Israel’s legitimacy. “Squabbling with other mayors is one thing. A duel with the leader of an allied power is quite another — and a quick way to advance the political profile of the hungry junior fighter. … Aside from personal advancement it is obvious what his real motivation is. Like other democratic socialists, Mamdani would like to shift the Overton window on Israel policy and vet candidates for future primaries over whether or not they condemn the ’genocide’ in Gaza.”