It is the cruelest of ironies that Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin buried their son only 12 days after they spoke so passionately on his behalf at the Democratic National Convention. The discovery of the bodies of six dead hostages, including 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, has roiled Israeli society, triggered massive protests and widespread strikes, and dramatically increased the political pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a deal for the remaining captives鈥� release.

The tragedy may have even re-engaged the interest of the American public.

Like Ukraine and Afghanistan and so many other wars before them, the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been slipping off the front pages of American newspapers and toward the fringes of the nation鈥檚 consciousness. The fighting has not abated: If anything, the violence between Israel and a variety of Iranian proxies has been spreading. Ceasefire negotiations have also continued, albeit with little to no progress for most of the spring and summer.

Yet when Kamala Harris sat for her first interview since becoming a candidate for president, Gaza was not mentioned until the 21st question asked of her, more than halfway through the conversation. Harris repeated the relevant points from her convention speech, answered a single follow-up question and then the discussion returned to domestic policy and campaign-related topics. None of the follow-up news coverage mentioned the brief exchange.

To be fair, both national conventions featured speakers who addressed aspects of the crisis. The heart-wrenching testimony from Goldberg and Polin to Democratic delegates and the compelling accounts of prejudice that 51视频 college students shared with Republicans were among the most emotionally impactful moments at either gathering. But both seemed more like niche programming designed to reach targeted portions of the television audience rather than a core message from either party.听

While Harris and Trump themselves have frequently addressed the conflict, it is no longer a central part of their stump speeches and often seems to serve more as a proxy for other points they are attempting to make. Harris talks about Gaza in a way that demonstrates her empathy toward both the Israelis who died on Oct. 7 and the Palestinians who have died and suffered since. It has also become a helpful way for her to demonstrate toughness and exhibit her comfort on military and national security issues. Trump proclaims his support for Israel as part of broader criticism toward Biden/Harris and to solidify his backing from evangelical voters and other pro-Israel conservatives.

Both candidates would be talking about Israel more if their advisors told them that the voters wanted to hear more about it. But recent polling shows that Gaza ranks far down the list of issues most likely to determine votes this November.听

While the war and the surrounding political turmoil is still at the center of Israeli life, even many American Jews are not following news from Israel nearly as closely as they were earlier this year. The progress that the Israeli military has made against Hamas is significant but not easily visible. The frustration of seemingly endless diplomatic discussions regarding the fate of the hostages may have led to growing disengagement. And as the number of campus protests, violence against Jews and other overt examples of antisemitism has rapidly increased in this country, large portions of the American 51视频 community have shifted their attention to threats closer to home.

We care just as much as ever. But more and more American Jews simply aren鈥檛 watching nearly as closely anymore. That鈥檚 a luxury we have from thousands of miles away, and underscores many of the political and ideological differences between Israeli and diaspora Jews that have developed over the years.

We鈥檒l see if this latest, horrifying hostage heartbreak redirects our attention back to where it belongs now that this round of funerals is over.

For most of the 21st century, polls have shown that Israel is no longer as important a voting issue to the majority of American Jews as many domestic matters. Those numbers unsurprisingly spiked after Oct. 7, but that intensity has appeared to be subsiding. We鈥檒l see if this latest, horrifying hostage heartbreak redirects our attention back to where it belongs now that this round of funerals is over.

Dan Schnur is the U.S. Politics Editor for the 51视频 Journal. He teaches courses in politics, communications, and leadership at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine. He hosts the monthly webinar 鈥淭he Dan Schnur Political Report” for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall. Follow Dan’s work at .