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Inevitably, the horrific bloodshed of the war in Gaza has entered American political discourse. It was inevitable because the US is not a neutral force in the conflict but very much a main actor in every aspect. As such, it can make a difference — for better or for worse.

The discovery last week of the bodies of six Israeli hostages in a tunnel in Rafah sent shock waves throughout Israeli society, resulting in a spontaneous outpouring of public grief and anger of a kind that has not been seen there for a long time.

One possible reason July’s advisory opinion by the UN’s top court, which stated that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories goes against international law, did not attract much international attention is that most observers felt this was no more than stating the very obvious.