Aviators on, Joe Biden stepped out of Air Force 1 and down the stairs into the Israeli sunshine.

He fist bumped, y'all lipid, then Israel's Prime Minister, and then stood on a red carpet

laid across the tarmac as a military band played first the American and then the Israeli

national anthems.

The visit in July last year was Biden's 10th and most recent to Israel.

You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist, the President said in a speech at the airport

that day.

That staunch support for Israel has been on full display in the past week in the aftermath

of Hamas' horrifying attack.

I'm John Prado and this is Chex and Balance from the Economist.

Each week we take one big theme, shaping American politics and explore it in depth.

Today, what should America's Middle East strategy be now?

Israel is stepping up its strikes on Gaza as it responds to Hamas' assault.

In recent years, the US has facilitated a warming in relations between Israel and its

Arab neighbours, but that's no under threat.

America was once thought of as the world's policeman.

As conflict flares in the Middle East again, can the administration prevent it from getting

even worse?

With me this week to talk about Hamas' atrocities in Israel, Israel's response and America's

attempts to contain the violence are Charlotte Howard and Idris Kallun, who's back from Japan.

Charlotte, how are you doing?

I'm doing okay.

...