Understanding the U.S. Role in the Israel-Hamas War

Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war have reverberated across the world. In the United States, debate about the conflict has intensified, and it has resurfaced long-standing questions about policy toward Israel and the Palestinian territories. What is the U.S. goal for the region? And how is the United States responding to the war?

Play Button Pause Button
0:00 0:00
x
Host
  • Gabrielle Sierra
    Director, Podcasting
Credits

Asher Ross - Supervising Producer

Markus Zakaria - Audio Producer and Sound Designer

Molly McAnany - Associate Podcast Producer

Episode Guests
  • Steven A. Cook
    Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and Director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars

Show Notes

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are again at war. The most recent iteration of the conflict, which erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has stoked public debate throughout the world. In the United States, heated debates about the issue have played out at universities, in boardrooms, and on social media. Thus far, the U.S. government has strongly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, sending warships and high-ranking officials to the region, but concerns are mounting about the civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. U.S. support for Israel is not new, but it has grown increasingly controversial, particularly among young people. Still, experts are skeptical that shifting U.S. public opinion of Israel and the Palestinian territories will influence the war’s trajectory.

 

This episode was taped before Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire to facilitate the release of some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

 

From CFR

 

Read the full suite of CFR.org and Foreign Affairs resources on Israel and the current conflict.

 

 

From Our Guest

 

The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East [forthcoming June 2024]

 

This War Won’t Solve the Israel-Palestine Conflict,” Foreign Policy

 

Will Egypt Play a Role in Easing Gaza War?,” CFR.org

 

 

Mentioned on the Pod

 

Elaine Kamarck and Jordan Muchnick, “The Generation Gap in Opinions Toward Israel,” Brookings Institution

 

Lydia Saad, “Democrats' Sympathies in Middle East Shift to Palestinians,” Gallup

 

 

Read More

 

Henri J. Barkey, “The Hamas War Is Far More Dangerous to Israel Than the Yom Kippur War,” National Interest

 

Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh,Prepare for an Iranian Escalation,” Wall Street Journal

 

 

Watch and Listen

 

The Future of the Israel-Hamas War, With Linda Robinson,” The President’s Inbox


What Do Palestinians Think of Their Own Leaders?,” Foreign Affairs Interview

Maternal and Child Health

In the past thirty years, sixty countries have expanded access to abortion care as an underpinning of maternal health. The 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade made the United States the fourth country ever to decrease access to abortion—and the world took notice. Some countries have since reinforced protections for abortion care, while others have moved to further restrict it.

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular man in India. On track to be elected for a third term, he has boosted the country’s global standing and propelled strong economic growth while consolidating power and galvanizing majoritarian support for his Hindu nationalist agenda—all while growing closer to the United States. How could Hindu nationalism reshape India?

Media

In a wide-ranging conversation, Foreign Affairs Editor Dan Kurtz-Phelan joins Why It Matters to discuss nonpartisan publishing in a polarized political climate, the state of press freedom around the world, and the future of journalism.

Top Stories on CFR

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

The war in Ukraine marks a new era of instability in Europe. Countering Russia’s efforts will require a stronger, more coordinated NATO.

China

After the rise of Chinese power during the 2010s and failed U.S. policies in the Indo-Pacific, the United States should renew the Pivot to Asia and place the region at the center of its grand strategy.*

France

Far-right advances in the European Parliament elections have destabilized politics in France, a longstanding pillar of the European Union, and highlighted fault lines in the bloc.