Status checked: July 21, 2026 Central finding The legislation commonly described online as “combining the United States and Israeli militaries” has not been enacted into law as of July 21, 2026. The proposal would not legally merge the United States Armed Forces with the Israel Defense Forces. It would create a much more extensive framework for joint military-technology research, development...
Research report current through July 21, 2026 Executive findings AIPAC began in the early 1950s as a small Washington lobbying operation focused principally on obtaining diplomatic and financial support for the newly established State of Israel. It gradually became one of the most organized foreign-policy advocacy groups in the United States, building influence through congressional lobbying...
Who was Isaiah Kenen? Isaiah Leo “Si” Kenen was a Canadian-born American journalist, lawyer, Zionist activist and political lobbyist. He is best known for establishing the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs, the organization that was renamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—AIPAC—in 1959. He directed the organization until retiring in 1974. Kenen’s significance extends...
A simple Persian saying has survived for centuries because it reminds us of something we constantly forget: nothing stays the same forever. Few phrases appear more often during difficult times than “This too shall pass.” We hear it after the loss of a loved one, during illness, in moments of financial uncertainty, or when life seems to be falling apart. At first, the words can feel...
A long-standing stereotype has shaped how we hear one another. The science tells a far more interesting story. Few gender stereotypes have been repeated as casually as the claim that women talk more than men. It appears in sitcoms, workplace conversations, relationship advice, and everyday jokes. Entire industries have been built around the idea that women are naturally more talkative while men...
Moving on doesn’t mean leaving your love behind. It means learning how to carry it differently. Few experiences feel as impossible as grief. When someone we love dies, a relationship ends, a dream falls apart, or life changes in ways we never expected, people often offer well-intentioned advice. They tell us that time heals all wounds, that everything happens for a reason, or that we simply...
What if grief doesn’t simply reflect what we’ve lost—but also reveals who we’re becoming? Grief has a way of dividing life into two chapters. There is the life that existed before the loss, and the life that follows it. Whether we lose a parent, partner, child, friend, home, dream, career, or even the version of ourselves we once believed we would become, grief rarely leaves us...
What one classroom experiment—and decades of psychological research—can teach us about prejudice, identity, and the human need to belong. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Across the United States, grief, anger, and confusion followed. Cities erupted in protest, while many Americans struggled to understand how a leader devoted to nonviolence could be murdered because of...
Is homophobia driven by fear of being gay, fear of femininity, or something deeper? Homophobia is often discussed as though it has a single cause. Some people argue it comes from religious beliefs. Others see it as a product of culture or politics. A popular claim suggests that people who express homophobic attitudes are secretly gay themselves. Another argues that homophobia is rooted in...
Understanding internalized sexism, identity, social media, and why people sometimes support systems that appear to work against their own interests. It can seem like a contradiction. Some women campaign for greater equality and expanded opportunities, while others advocate for more traditional gender roles, criticize feminism, or even express support for limiting rights that many women have...
