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You open the newspaper or log onto your favorite news Web site and see a headline about a new controversy engulfing the state of Israel. You're motivated to learn more and form an opinion, because friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors may ask you what you think. But how do you interpret the immediate story, while also accounting for all the background information you need to understand it well?

I suggest that you think of it as one of four episodes in a well-known movie series.

Consider, first, the cast of characters.

ISRAEL -- Established by United Nations vote in 1948 and besieged ever since, with most of its neighboring countries refusing to recognize its right to exist and instead supporting war or terror against it. Its declaration of independence calls for coexistence with Arab neighbors and its laws and courts protect the rights of all citizens.

UNITED STATES -- Strong supporter of Israel due to shared democratic values, shared military intelligence, and shared strategic interests. Large majorities in Congress and the general public, from both political parties, advocate a strong alliance between the two countries.

EGYPT and JORDAN -- Neighboring countries that signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 (Egypt) and 1994 (Jordan). Continued anti-Israel incitements in their press outlets and anemic economies have produced a curious result -- some of the most anti-Israel populaces in the entire Muslim world.

ENGLAND and FRANCE -- European countries with colonialist pasts and burgeoning Muslim populations. Both now reflexively condemn Israel when it appears to be acting in a colonial manner.

LEBANON -- A country with a nominally democratic government, which is dominated by the terror group Hezbollah and neighboring despot-led SYRIA. Syria provides a home to a number of recognized terrorist groups.

UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) -- international organization dominated by Muslim countries and routinely used as a forum for one-sided criticism of Israel.

GAZA -- Area with large Palestinian population ruled by HAMAS, whose charter calls for the complete destruction of Israel. Under Hamas' rule, more than 10,000 rockets have been launched from Gaza at Israeli cities in the past five years and instruments of humanitarian aid, like ambulances, hospitals, and building supplies, have been expropriated and used to support terror operations or personnel.

WEST BANK -- Area with large Palestinian population ruled by the PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (or PA). Though the PA signed an interim peace treaty with Israel in 1993 and subsequent statements of principles, they have not managed to effectively implement one key requirement of all agreements: to end incitement against Israel in their media and schools. Israel made comprehensive final settlement offers to the PA in 2000 and 2009 -- the PA did not accept either offer nor did it present a counteroffer.

TURKEY -- initially a secular and modern Muslim state with strong links to Israel. In recent years this alliance, and Turkey's secular nature, has been methodically undermined by the Islamist party AKP, which won the parliamentary election in 2003 and won reelection in 2007. Invited Hamas leaders for an official state visit in 2006 and supported the "aid" flotilla to Gaza in 2010. The Turkish Prime Minister publicly rebuked Israeli President Shimon Peres at an international conference in January 2009 over the Israeli incursion into Gaza.

IRAN -- Country ruled by theocratic totalitarian regime that uses torture and terror to keep their population in check. Government leaders are virulently anti-Israel and anti-American and have lavishly funded Hezbollah and Hamas. Despite signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement the country is developing nuclear power and shows signs of obtaining the capability to produce nuclear weapons, while ignoring repeated sanctions and criticism from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N., the U.S., and other nations.

OK, now we have a sense of our main characters. Let's take a look at the story lines of the four episodes of our movie series.

UNEXPECTED TRAGEDY -- A mysterious explosion in Gaza or the West Bank kills Palestinians. Reflexively, the PA and Hamas blame the Israeli military and other nations may echo the criticism. Often later investigations will prove that a "work accident" (code name for Palestinian terrorists working on or storing explosives for use against Israel) was the true culprit.

HUMANITARIANS GET HURT/KILLED -- "Peace activists," with documented sympathy for terrorists and antipathy for Israelis, deliberately interfere with Israeli defensive actions and/or directly confront Israeli soldiers. One or more of the "peace activists" is hurt or killed in the violent confrontation and Israel is roundly condemned.

THWARTED PEACE PROCESS -- PA leaders declaim the injustice of their circumstances and urge the United States and other Western powers to push for a settlement with Israel. Yet the PA makes no novel offer or inviting concession to facilitate the peace process. Israel will make a few modest steps to encourage peace talks, such as removing roadblocks, freeing some Palestinian prisoners, and/or dismantling illegal Israeli settlements. Soon PA leadership will seize on some Israeli act -- such as expanding an existing Israeli settlement -- as a deliberate provocation and "proof" of Israel's disdain for peace. Arab and Western nations, and sometimes even the U.S., will condemn Israel and urge that it make further unilateral concessions.

PROVOCATION, PROVOCATION, RESPONSE -- Israel will endure multiple bomb strikes or terrorist incursions, which inflict significant damage and injury and spread fear amongst local civilians, while making only token responses. After suffering repeated attacks the Israeli military will launch a massive military response against the terrorists, while taking pains to minimize civilian casualties. Israel's response will be termed "disproportionate" by Arab and Western critics and its individual military tactics will be subjected to close scrutiny, in a search for "proof" of Israel's inherent criminality. The precipitating terrorist offenses will be forgotten or minimized in the clamor against Israel. On a rare occasion, one of the main characters may do something surprising, or there'll be a novel variation of one of the episodes. But like a reliable movie franchise, the overall story line will -- sadly -- stay the same.

Harry Glazer is a former monthly columnist for the Home News Tribune, a daily newspaper based in East Brunswick. He invites responses to this article and may be reached at donlegofzechut@yahoo.com.