A dead end

Israel, Palestine, the US, India, Greenland, and the Pacific.

Death Triumphant, Felix Nussbaum, 1944, oil on canvas, Felix Nussbaum Haus, Osnabrück, Germany.

Hello,

Here are the five things you need to know today:

• ISRAEL. PALESTINE. Netanyahu doubles down on his calamity.

• UNITED STATES. The White House pays compliment to woke’s excess.

• INDIA. Modi finally answers Trump’s call.

• GREENLAND. Denmark shuns the US, eyes Russia.

• THE PACIFIC. Canberra struggles with alliances.

And don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn.

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ISRAEL. PALESTINE. Flaming out

Netanyahu doubles down on his calamity.

Benjamin Netanyahu said he had been misunderstood Tuesday when markets slumped after he said Israel might become an isolated "super-Sparta". Israel's defence minister said "Gaza is burning" as a new ground assault began.

INTELLIGENCE. Netanyahu, who faces more immediate legal woes at home, has shrugged off a UN finding that Israel has committed genocide, but his visit to this month’s General Assembly will demonstrate just how isolated he is. Luxembourg is the latest country to pledge Palestinian recognition. Portugal and New Zealand are expected to join a growing list soon. Spain has scrapped almost €1 billion in defence contracts. Europe is mulling an arms embargo.

FOR BUSINESS. In defending his remarks, Netanyahu pointed to the Tel Aviv 35's outperformance against the S&P500, but the tech-heavy index is more reflective of trends in Silicon Valley than the calamity at home. Annualised GDP for the second quarter dropped 4%. Small businesses, which comprise around 90% of the economy, have been roiled by the labour impacts of reservist mobilisation. The opposition claims Netanyahu has made Israel “third world”.

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UNITED STATES. Right and wrong

The White House pays compliment to woke’s excess.

Donald Trump filed a $15 billion defamation claim Tuesday against the New York Times and Penguin Random House. Pam Bondi walked back earlier comments that the Department of Justice would target "anyone with hate speech".

INTELLIGENCE. The Republican Party is using the same thought policing it accused