Hamas’s attacks on Israel were always going to happen, regardless of America’s president

Better to side with transparently self-interested Saudi over transparently evil Iran

Threatening the US-Saudi partnership over of Saudi Arabian crimes would risk more American lives, cause greater conflict, and increase injustice and human suffering.

But it’s important for the souls of democracies that, even as they must make nasty accommodations in pursuit of a wider good, that they fully admit to themselves this reality, without self-delusion.

Religious diplomacy is important, but religious leaders should focus on representing the truths of their religion and the concerns of their constituencies rather than working toward meta-religious consensus. They will be most successful when their diplomacy is understated and narrowly-construed.