On college campuses, in workplaces, on city streets and inside the Capitol building and the White House, opinions around the Israel-Hamas war are starkly divided — and the chasm is growing.

Why it matters: The deep divisions are roiling American society, and they have the potential to reshape U.S. politics.

Zoom out: “Most foreign policy issues do not generate these kinds of strong feelings in the U.S.,” says Guy Ziv, a professor at American University’s School of International Service. “There has always been a disproportionate interest in this issue.”

• That’s in part because of strong connections that Jewish and Christian communities in the U.S. have to Israel, as well as the historical alliance between the two countries.
• There’s also a larger media presence in Israel than other hotspots around the world, Ziv notes.

On top of that, social media platforms are catalyzing heated debates and provocations, he says. “Social media tends to shed more heat than light, and there’s a lot of misinformation and disinformation on there.”

Read Full Article Here!