This week, I talked with Matt Duss, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy, about the recent death of Henry Kissinger and how the violence in Israel and Palestine could realistically give way to diplomatic solutions.

We take up two pieces Matt has written. One is a New Republic essay on how Henry Kissinger trafficked his public service into a lucrative private career. Kissinger was a actually a pioneer in this type of self-enrichment through influence peddling.

With Nancy Okail, president of the Center for International Policy, Matt wrote an important essay in Foreign Affairs laying out a road map for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians. This path would require the United States to seriously push for a political settlement. We talk about the political obstacles to such a plan, including Joe Biden’s long held ideological convictions. But we also take note of the changing politics of this issue, particularly among progressive voters.