President Biden is the latest in a long line of presidents to place himself in the middle of a Middle East conflict. U.S. efforts have seen failed starts, wrong turns and dead ends, but some progress.
The GOP hasn't always been so focused on Israel, but evangelicals, partisan sorting and neoconservatism all helped change that. Those ties take center stage now as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.
Biden says he knew he had a lot on the line during his 31-hour dash to Tel Aviv. Now he'll follow that with an Oval Office speech to push for foreign spending, another gamble he can't afford to lose.
President Biden has shown strong support for Israel in the wake of a deadly attack by Hamas, even traveling to the region. But it isn't making political waves in a deeply divided America.
On the heels of the devastating blast at a hospital in Gaza City, President Biden reaffirmed support for Israel, saying it did not cause the carnage. He also brokers a deal for limited aid to Gaza.