Robert Siegel

and Israel were militarily this close.

On the other hand, when it comes to public opinion in the United States, Gallup has been asking Americans for decades about their sympathies for Israel and for the Palestinians.

They'd been converging for several years, but this year was the first time that more people said they felt sympathy for the Palestinian cause than for the Israelis.

Mona, as Trump continues to coordinate an air war with Netanyahu, and as American support for Israel seems to wane, what do you think about the relationship going forward?

So you're saying the loss of some American support has the perverse effect of

of creating a greater complaint against Israel in the United States.

I'm thinking about this in our own domestic politics.

We've gone from very strong bipartisan support for Israel to each party having a pretty considerable faction within it that is extremely anti-Israel.

Looking ahead to the next presidential year, I mean, the conventions.

Do you expect fireworks over Middle East policy?

Is it that big an issue?

Yes.

This brings us more broadly to Democrats, Republicans, and the election coming up this year in November.

Republican loss of the House of Representatives is talked about quite a bit.

It's very possible.

There's even some talk about the possibility of Democrats winning the Senate.

Obviously, in states where the Democratic Party has a pulse,

Donald Trump is not a big help to Republican candidates.

And E.J., I wonder, what do you make of what seems to be a very strong loyalty to Trump among Republicans, even as he makes very public, unpopular moves, whether they're in the war or with the economy or in his remarks about the passing of former FBI Director Mueller?

Just one more point about politics here.