Empathy first, then the pivot
Luntz report guidance: show empathy for both sides before delivering the message — 'persuadables won't care how much you know until they know how much you care.'
How it works
Opening with 'the suffering of innocent Palestinians breaks my heart' buys credibility that the following message spends. The empathy is the delivery vehicle, not the position — the policy content that follows concedes nothing the empathy implied.
How to recognize it
Warm acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering, followed by opposition to every concrete measure that would reduce it — ceasefire, aid access, accountability, statehood.
How to answer it
Accept the empathy at face value and hand it a test: 'I'm glad you feel that — so you'd support the ICJ-ordered aid access?' Sincere empathy passes; rhetorical empathy declines the invitation, visibly.