10 thoughts on what is happening in Israel.

I’m Isaac Saul, and this is Tangle: an independent, ad-free, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day — then “my take.”

As the war Israel is waging in Gaza continues, I've been inundated every day with news reports about, commentary on, and images of the fighting. Much of that has evoked strong feelings in me, and it's often hard to decide where to focus my finite resources of brain power. As the weeks have gone by between Tangle's coverage of these events, I’ve found myself jotting down notes, saving articles, and increasingly staring blankly at the wall lost in thought about what we are all witnessing.

I don't know what to do with many of these thoughts except share them with the people who read my work and hope that they provide some value. So, today, that's what I'm going to do: Flesh out 10 thoughts I have about what has been happening and put them in a newsletter. Some might be offensive to you. Some might be aligned with your own perspective. Some of these might seem contradictory, but I insist that they aren't for me, and I assure you I am earnestly holding 10 of them together all at once. All I ask is that you read them with an open mind, and share your responses with some modicum of respect.

One: I've noticed from logging onto my various social media channels that a lot of people I've never seen say a single word about Israel or Palestine now have Israeli or Palestinian flags in their online bios and are happy to share authoritative, definitive, black-and-white stances about the conflict. I have to admit that I find this frustrating, and sometimes even infuriating.

I'm glad people are interested in this conflict. Genuinely. Maybe somewhere out there is a person new to this issue that has an answer. And I'm also glad many don't feel afraid to share their views about it. In an era where our culture of free speech is being chilled, that is encouraging.

But here is what I ask of you: Please come to this issue, as with any new issue, with humility. Be patient. You are new here. Some people have been thinking deeply about this issue for years. Many for decades. In recent weeks, I've seen dozens of my friends share explicit misinformation or propaganda (from both sides) with personal commentary taking a definitive stance about what is going on — when I know from years of interacting with them that they've spent close to zero time worrying or thinking about this conflict until a few weeks ago.

There are numerous examples I could use to illustrate this point, but perhaps the most illuminating comes from The Wall Street Journal. In a recent article, a political science professor examined the findings of a polling firm he hired to ask college students chanting "From the River to the Sea" about the expression. It turned out that 47% of the students who embraced the slogan couldn't name the river and the sea the expression referred to (it's the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea). The pollsters got answers like "Nile and the Euphrates" or "the Dead Sea" (a lake) and “the Atlantic.” Just 10% could name the first Israeli prime minister, and when asked what decade the Oslo Accords was signed, more than a quarter thought no such peace deal had ever been struck.

Not knowing things is fine. But speaking authoritatively or joining protests or being arrogant about your views when you are also ignorant is not. This specific example looks bad for some people joining "pro-Palestine" protests, but there are plenty of people on the pro-Israel side who look just as silly.

So please, remember: This is one of the most controversial and intractable issues in global history. Literally. It's possible (I'd say almost 100% certain) that you did not incontrovertibly figure out the good guys and bad guys in the last few days. Get off social media and read a few books, then come back and share your thoughts with an elevated level of knowledge.

Two: Relatedly, you don't have to say anything! Listening is good enough. Silence is not violence. You are not "complicit in the genocide of Palestinians" if you don't criticize Israel, nor do you need to "condemn Hamas" on behalf of your Jewish friends. You can listen and learn for as long as you'd like, perhaps indefinitely. I promise. Anyone who suggests otherwise is a charlatan or a bully — they are not interested in hearing your voice, but they are interested in hearing you conform to how they view what is happening right now. You don't have to adopt anyone's view but your own, and you do not have to speak up until you feel informed enough to do so. Or confident enough in your own conclusions. In fact, it'd be a mistake to speak up before then.