[Sarah Merly]

Brilliantly put, Jonathan! I agree that the United States should maintain its authenticity in its position toward Israel—while it will upset the other parties involved in the conflict, if we pretended to be neutral, no side would be appeased, much less consider conducting peace talks with us.

Oh, and thank you so much for the reminder to see Israel as its own autonomous state and not some abstract duty to maintain the American spirit. Our patriotism can blind us sometimes to international realities, and Israel is no exception.