The United States took a beating at the UN Security Council during this month’s 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. To the dismay of the other 14 members of the body, the Americans blocked three council statements on the matter, then stalled on a French-led resolution, preferring instead to work behind the scenes with Egypt, Qatar and others to bring about an expedited end to the violence. Diplomacy won out, with the duration shorter and the casualties lower than in past flare-ups. Still, pushback from the US on Security Council action during the height of tensions was still, apparently, up for debate.