Gerald Seib in the Wall Street Journal writes (no free link available):

There is little public outcry back home in the U.S. tocompel Israel to pull back. This is the dog that isn’t barking in thecurrent crisis, giving President Bush and his secretary of state aconsiderably freer hand in responding — and in pursuing their staunchsupport of Israel — than they might have expected.This stands in stark contrast to the situation the last time this script played out, when Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982.

First, the U.S. itself now is directly engaged in itsown war on terrorism. That has produced more sympathy for Israel, whichis seen as the ultimate target of many Islamic and Palestinian terrorgroups. And while there also is a great deal of sympathy for theLebanese government, Americans now are more likely to share Israel’sdesire to bust up the Islamic militants of Hezbollah, who form a kindof state within a state in Lebanon.

Second, Israel has helped itself by havingunilaterally pulled its troops out of southern Lebanon and Gaza inrecent years. That has bolstered the feeling among Americans that ithas taken steps for its part to end the confrontation with Arabs aroundit. Never mind that critics see the withdrawals as a way for Israel toimpose its version of peace unilaterally.

Third, Israel benefits in American eyes because it wasseen as having tried to offer a mutually acceptable negotiated peace toPalestinians in the waning days of the Clinton administration, in peacetalks at Camp David. And the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat isseen as being the one who rejected it.

Finally, though it’s little discussed, Christianconservatives, a powerful constituency within Mr. Bush’s Republicanparty, have become a potent pro-Israel force on the political front inrecent years. That matters to this White House.