Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to go ahead with a long-promised assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah‚ whatever the response by Hamas to the latest proposals for a halt to the fighting and a return of Israeli hostages. Expectations that a ceasefire agreement could be in sight have grown in recent days following a renewed push led by Egypt to revive stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas‚ Gaza's ruling Palestinian Islamist group.......

Columbia University will not divest from Israel‚ a top official at the Ivy League school said on Monday‚ rejecting a key demand of pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up camp at the New York City campus over the past couple of weeks. In a statement posted on the university’s website‚ Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said that talks between a small group of academic leaders and student organizers that began last week had broken down. “Regretfully‚ we were not able to come...

Student protesters who have brought Columbia University to a halt want the institution to sell its investments in companies linked to Israel. Their demands appear to be about finance‚ but to the extent the money makes a difference—not much—it would leave them worse off and Israel’s friends better off. The divestment campaign‚ along with the student demand to break academic ties to Israeli universities‚ can only succeed by isolating Israel culturally. It can’t work financially‚ so its only...