Here is a fact that Israeli readers may not be aware of. In most American elections, foreign policy is barely discussed.

Ukraine, Taiwan, Syria, Greenland, NATO, China. Pick an international issue or crisis.  In America, these are issues debated in think tanks not at kitchen tables. American voters are primarily focused on the economy, especially the rising cost of living and financial insecurity in their daily lives. Alongside this, deeply polarizing issues like immigration, crime, and cultural identity debates shape political loyalties and turnout. Foreign policy typically remains low on the totum pole—barely on the political radar screen, unless it becomes tied to domestic identity politics or economic impact.

So here is a newsflash. In this election cycle, the 2024 midterm elections, one small country has become a defining fault line in American politics: Israel.

The question is not why Israel matters. From where I sit it always has. The question is: why now?

Here is a brief political history lesson at a glance. For decades, Israel occupied a rare space in American political life. It commanded broad bipartisan support. Democrats and Republicans alike saw it as a democratic ally, a strategic partner, and—however imperfect—a reflection of shared values. Even during periods of conflict, Israel did not divide Americans along identity lines. It was important, but not personal. A policy issue, not a litmus test.

That changed on October 7, 2023.

The scale and brutality of the Hamas attacks were shocking enough. But what followed—the war in Gaza, the shift in narratives, the college protests—did something more........

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