The American problem with Israel - and American and Israeli politicians and lobbyists know this - is that Americans have absolutely no long-term memory or long-term position about it. We're mad for exactly the duration necessary to show smoke-filled clouds, anguished parents speaking Arabic, some square-jawed merciless IDF spokesman and then we're done. News cycle changes, fresh outrage is manufactured, and everyone defaults to their long-term comfy story of Israel - a bastion of freedom that is unfortunately dependent on crushing Palestinians, who aren't a country anyway, and America was founded by "settlers" so how can they be bad in the West Bank, besides they speak English, and you know at least a few people who have been to Israel but who's ever been to Gaza except journalists? Know who remembers?Yang’s tweet was posted one day after Politico New York reported that he was close to “locking down almost universal support among leaders of New York City’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community — a loyal bloc of voters that can make or break a campaign.”
But what we do have long term memory for is terrorism, at least of the Arab variety (not so much of the white variety). One really bad terrorist attack was enough for us to start a forever war and spend like $6T or whatever and get the worst president in modern history reelected. I think Americans are basically forgiving of Israel because it's really easy to see ourselves reflected in their image (beyond the settlers aspect, as you mention). If we dealt with what they dealt with we would have gone nuclear like 2 decades ago. (And before anyone jumps down my throat, yes, I think that Netanyahu is a disaster, and yes, I think that Israel needs to play the part of the developed and militarily capable neighbor a lot better than it does sometimes.)
In the eyes of Western culture, South Asia managed to go from "Moors" to "Ottomans" to "terrorists" without ever passing through "citizens." LOL. Let me show you a hole in the ground. That used to be Cuyamungue, a third-world shithole at the intersection of the top two worst roads in the United States for drunk driving. Visiting friends would always ask why there were so many graves outside of graveyards; we'd explain to them that every roadside cross was a drunk driving fatality and they'd be quiet for a few minutes. Cuyamungue was mostly known for Owl Liquor, which didn't charge tax and didn't card anyone. It's also a ten-minute drive from the unattended airstrip that used to be in Chimayo, inspiration for The Milagro Beanfield War and principle importation site for American black tar heroin from 1992 to 2000. Funny thing about that congressional testimony - they keep referring to Chimayo as a "border town" despite the fact that it's 90 minutes south of Colorado because Wypepo just can't think outside of their stereotypes. So anyway about 1989 the Pojoaque tribe decided that they were poor, they had freeways people sped and drank on (two worst roads yadda yadda) so maybe they'd do a little enforcement. I shit you not - the Attorney General of the State of New Mexico did a live news conference where he told all the fine upstanding citizens of NM that tribal cops have no jurisdiction over wypepo, if they're given a ticket they should tear it up and if they're hassled by "Indian cops" they should ask to speak to a lawyer and that the State of New Mexico had their backs. So the Pojoaque tribe decided "fukkit we'll build a goddamn casino" and the Feds said "nah" and denied their claim, despite the fact that casinos were erupting everywhere. So the Pojoaque tribe got out their guns and blockaded the roads. There's no mention of this anywhere anymore. It was big news at the time - it was a legitimate Native American insurrection in 1993, under Clinton, Great White Hope of the Neoliberal Race. But there they were, shotguns and ARs, not letting Wypepo get to the mall. It lasted two days. Janet Reno flew down and made all sorts of threatening noises. Not a gun was lowered. Doors on "Buffalo Thunder" opened a year later. Cuyamungue? it's where white women align their chakras now. The Feds tried to get uppity again in '95 and Pojoque went "Who run Bartertown" and that was that. Janet Reno? Who threatened to bring in the National Guard? Who told Pojoaque they'd spend forever in jail? Rolled over like a puppy. I am not a fan of American treatment of Native Americans. I grew up in the midst of it and didn't really understand it until my '30s so I've got a lot to answer for. But I'll say this: if the Tribes of the Desert Southwest had Qassam rockets, Native American policy would be a whole lot more inclusive.If we dealt with what they dealt with we would have gone nuclear like 2 decades ago.