Playground bullies are likely to think twice about messing with a kid whose linebacker sibling is there looking out for their well-being.

But if that child just assumes the sibling will always back them up, no matter how many

insults they lob at the linebacker's friends, no matter how many rocks they throw, there might

come a point when the patience of their protector runs out.

Can the special relationship between Israel and the United States last, no matter how the two

country's strategic interests diverge?

From KERA in Dallas, this is Think.

I'm Chris Boyd.

While the U.S. has long treated Israel as its most important partner in the Middle East region,

we do want and need other allies, and we benefit from broad regional stability.

As my guest will explain, the past two years of war in Gaza have put a spotlight on the

areas in which the U.S. and Israeli foreign policy goals are out of alignment. And the near future

could reveal the limits of Washington's patience with actions Benjamin Netanyahu takes to secure

his domestic political survival. Natasha Hall is Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and

International Studies and co-author of the Foreign Affairs article titled, The Gaza Deal is Not Too Big

to Fail. Natasha, welcome to think.

Thanks so much for having me, Chris.

Prisoner and hostage exchanges and in some cases return of remains have been taking place according to this deal.

The U.S. helped strike between Hamas and Israel, but it has not been an entirely smooth process, has it?

Not at all in case. Actually, many people are not even calling it a ceasefire at this point,

given the clashes that are ongoing strikes, actually, that I'm

getting reports on today, and the lack of humanitarian aid flowing through.

...