In the wake of the latest Gaza flare-up, the United States will likely focus on managing Israeli-Palestinian tensions instead of deeply engaging in a new peace process. But with the conflict unresolved, U.S. bipartisan support for Israel will likely continue to weaken, introducing new diplomatic stress and skepticism into the close U.S.-Israeli relationship. Following the 11-day war between Gazan militants and Israel, the United States has been increasing its diplomatic profile in the Levant, appointing a temporary Israeli ambassador and, on May 24-26, dispatching Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region to solidify the recent cease-fire reached between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Israeli government. But while Blinken kept open the option of making progress toward new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the conditions on the ground do not appear favorable for a major restart of that process. ...
