The Monocle Minute

On 18 October 2023, 11 days after Hamas broke out of Gaza and killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, Joe Biden spoke in Tel Aviv. He reflected on the comparisons between the attacks on 7 October in Israel and 11 September in the US and urged Israel to learn from the US’s mistakes. “Shock, pain, rage,” said Biden. “An all-consuming rage. I understand and many Americans understand. But I caution this: while you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it.” In the year since, Israel – more specifically, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu – has paid little heed to Biden’s counsel of restraint. But what if he had?

In the immediate aftermath of 7 October, Israel had – and deserved – the world’s sympathy. It also had – and missed, amid its fury and grief – an opportunity. An assault on Gaza was always the likeliest option: Netanyahu is the proverbial monomaniac hammer-owner to whom everything resembles a nail. But it wasn’t the only option. His country would certainly have been entitled to reinforce its border with Gaza. Israel might reasonably have declared that it would (not for the first time in its history) hunt down those responsible for an attack upon its people, and deliver them to one kind of judgement or another.

And there Israel could have paused. Media would have had nothing to report but the funerals of the dead, the sorrow of their families and the plight of the hostages taken by Hamas. Israel could have asked Hamas’s allies and sponsors which side they really wanted to be seen to be on. The answer might well have strengthened recent diplomatic meshing with Arab nations and further isolated Hamas as insane and intransigent, without cost to Israel’s own reputation.

In a year of war, Netanyahu has repeatedly floated the line that he is fighting on behalf of the democratic ideal against a modern fascism – and on four fronts, if one also counts Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis of Yemen and their patron, Iran. He has also complained that Israel, when it defends itself, is held to different standards than other countries. But democracies should be held to different standards, not least by themselves.

Andrew Mueller is a contributing editor at Monocle and presenter of ‘The Foreign Desk’ on Monocle Radio. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Electric vehicles (EVs) were meant to be a standard bearer for the move to cleaner energy – but they aren’t proving to be the environmental silver bullet that many had hoped for. Expensive production and sales costs, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, have led to a dramatic slump in EV sales across Europe. This might explain why the EU is feeling jittery about the industry, anticipating a flooding of the market by cheap Chinese models.

China is currently a world leader in terms of price and scale, which many believe to be the result of unfair government subsidies. On 4 October, the EU decided to levy hefty taxes on Chinese EVs – a decision that was by no means unanimous, with Germany a notable dissenting voice. There is still room for a more amicable solution, with one possible path being an EU-minimum price for the cars. Whatever the case, European EVs clearly need an injection of va-va-voom.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam filled its reservoir for the fifth time over the summer, prompting fears that hundreds of millions of people downstream will soon find themselves short of water. Though November heralds the onset of the Nile Basin’s dry season, Egyptians and Sudanese have expressed concern about the months ahead. Decade-long talks between Cairo and Addis Ababa to negotiate a binding agreement on dam operations broke down in December 2023 and show no signs of resuming, while Khartoum is too mired in civil war to meaningfully participate.

For Ethiopia, its dam – the largest in Africa – is a source of national pride. But Addis Ababa’s insistence on acting unilaterally while its downstream neighbours are vulnerable has soured relations. “Ethiopia has been opaque, Egypt has been dogmatic and Sudan has been caught in the middle,” Natasha Hall, a Middle East analyst of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tells Monocle. “Water causes a great deal of panic. If there isn’t a trusting relationship between the riparian neighbours, conflict could ensue – something the region cannot afford”.

For more agenda-setting stories, insights and ideas from our global network of reporters, buy a copy of theOctober issue of Monocle, which is out now.

This Wednesday, London’s Regent’s Park will once again transform into the centre of the art world with the return of the bright-white tent of Frieze London. This year’s fair has a new floorplan, which should bring a breath of fresh air to its 21st edition. In addition to welcoming the outside world in by opening up the sides of the tent, the younger galleries section will be brought closer to the entrance.

“We’re making somewhat of an architectural statement about the importance of that area,” Frieze London artistic director Eva Langret tells Monocle. “It’s where we’re talking about the future of the art world.” Though Brexit has created challenges for London as an art hub – both for young artists and the movement of artworks – Langret remains optimistic about the city’s prospects. “There is a creative movement under way in London and it’s something that we’re really proud to be showcasing at the fair.”

Monocle drives down to Dallas to meet the city’s finest. Puerto Rico-born police chief Eddie Garcia is on a personal mission to restore faith in his force. With a close-shaven head and arms covered in tattoos, he isn’t necessarily the image of a traditional 10-gallon Texas lawman. But the chief has come up with a unique plan, using data and renewed accountability, to deliver change to his city’s crime rates.

To read thefull article, pick up a copy ofMonocle’s October issue, which is available online and on newsstands now. And, for more on this story, listen to this month’s dedicated episode of‘The Briefing’on Monocle Radio.

We report from the CTBUH International Conference at London’s Barbican Centre where keynote speakers and city-building experts discuss how to do density better.