As Americans find themselves dragged into yet another Middle East conflict, it’s worth looking at how we wound up here, the role of Israel’s Prime Minister and his political problems, the impact of Hamas and how this has all increasingly undermined the American people’s support for Israel, as well as Israeli frustration with their regime.

American support for Israel was a given when I was growing up. The U.S. would defend the country and its people from the overwhelming numerical superiority of its Arab neighbors, though the Israelis were good at defending themselves. American Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton worked with Israeli Prime Ministers to conclude peace treaties with moderate Arab neighbors like Egypt and Jordan. Republican Presidents also joined in the bipartisan support.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.