DeepSummary
The episode discusses the recent Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iranian military officers in Syria. Israel successfully shot down most of the attacks with the help of allies like Jordan, causing minimal damage. The panelists discuss Israel's potential response and the possibility of a broader regional war.
They also analyze the situation in Gaza, where Israel has withdrawn troops from the south but still wants to invade Rafah to defeat Hamas. Violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank is increasing. The complex dynamics and lack of clear solutions in both Gaza and the West Bank are examined.
The Supreme Court's oral arguments in the case Fischer v. United States are dissected. The case challenges whether a statute prohibiting obstruction of official proceedings applies to the January 6th Capitol attack. The justices' skepticism of the government's argument and the potential impact on Trump's prosecution are discussed.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel risk escalating regional tensions, despite Israel successfully intercepting most of them with help from allies.
- The security situations in Gaza and the West Bank remain very complex, with Israel facing difficult choices and no easy solutions despite withdrawing troops from Gaza.
- The Supreme Court case Fischer v. United States could significantly impact prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol attack based on how the statute on obstructing proceedings is interpreted.
- Netanyahu's handling of the conflicts is criticized, especially for not taking responsibility for failures during his time in power.
- Political divisions seem to be influencing Supreme Court justices' views on what should be a non-partisan legal issue in Fischer v. United States.
- Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank is increasing tensions in the region.
- Israel appears to face conflicting goals of freeing hostages held by Hamas while also seeking to destroy the militant group, making civilian casualties difficult to avoid.
- The complex situations in Gaza and the West Bank highlight the long-standing challenges in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “If you just read the statute, it just seems dumb to read otherwise in that narrow way. And you can dress that up with all kinds of terms, in terms thinking about statutory interpretation, about why that is. It just seems silly to read it that way.“ by Quinta Jurecic
- “This is an issue where how to interpret 1512 C is a matter about which nobody's politics obviously bear. And yet you see this division.“ by Benjamin Wittes
- “You articulate two goals that are not really consistent with one another, and you operate in an environment in which it is simply impossible to operate effectively without killing a very large number of civilians.“ by Benjamin Wittes
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Episode Information
Rational Security
The Lawfare Institute
4/18/24
This week, Alan and Quinta sat down with Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week’s big national security news, including:
- “Ayatollahs and Airstrikes.” In retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed several high-ranking Iranian military officers in Syria, over the weekend Iran launched a wave of drone and missile attacks against Israel. The vast majority of these were shot down by Israel and its allies, including notably Jordan, causing minimal injuries and damage in Israel. As Israel considers whether to respond, its American and European allies are putting pressure on it to deescalate. What’s Israel’s next move and can broader regional war be avoided?
- “Beginning of the end or just the end of the beginning?” It has been six months since Hamas’s attack on October 7 and the start of Israel’s war in Gaza, which appears to be entering a new, potentially lower-intensity phase. Israel has withdrawn most of its troops from southern Gaza, although it still argues that it needs to invade Rafah, on the border with Egypt, to defeat Hamas. Meanwhile, violence between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank continues to increase. What’s next in the ongoing conflict?
- “What’s a little obstruction between friends?” Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Fischer v. United States, a case challenging the government’s use of a common statute used to prosecute participants in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The six conservative Justices appeared skeptical of the government’s argument that a statute that makes it a crime to “obstruct any official proceeding” applies to physical disruptions. How is the Court likely to rule and how might such a ruling affect Donald Trump’s federal trial for trying to overthrow the 2020 election?
For object lessons, Quinta recommended a throwing-the-wife-under-the-bus update in New Jersey's Senator Bob Menendez's ongoing legal troubles, and Alan and Ben both recommended excellent, if anxiety-inducing, national security themed movies: the recently released Civil War and the upcoming War Game.
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