in the eye of

1. in the eyes of . In the view or opinion of, from the standpoint of. For example, In the eyes of his fans Elvis could do no wrong , or In the eyes of the law he was a fugitive . The eyes here allude to their function, seeing. [Late 1500s]

2. In the center or focal point of something, as in They were right in the eye of this controversy . This term employs eye in the sense of “a central spot,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s.