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Rehovat, a suburb of Tel Aviv shows how divided Israel has become on the issue of Netanyahu continuing as prime minister. Israel now faces the prospect of a third election and no clear idea of what happens next with no party having a majority in the second election. In the second election Benny Gantz, a retired army chief, had a slight edge in Rehovat, 31% to 27%.

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Prime minister Netanyahu of Israel says he will call snap elections if secular and religious parties in his centre right alliance do not come together to form a new government. Likud lacks the 61 seats for a majority in parliament resulting in negotiations with other religious and secular parties that back Netanyahu. Mr. Lieberman one of the secular party leaders says the ultra orthodox must serve in the military with other Israelis.

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The conviction of prime minister Netanyahu on corruption charges by the attorney general adds another element of uncertainty to Israeli politics and the formation of a new government after inconclusive elections.

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Prime minister Netanyahu of Israel recovers from early stage prostate cancer after he is treated with radiation. His approach was to treat it right away. Netanyahu says- "I went in for a few short treatments, read a book, and continued working."

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Rivals Netanyahu and Gantz try to form a government in Israel as another election fails to provide a conclusive result.

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Israeli prime minister Netanyahu meets President Obama in Washington D.C. the day after Obama called for Israel to return to pre-1967 borders in a negotiated settlement. Netanyahu rejected Israel's return to pre-1967 borders, calling these borders "indefensible" and also "unrealistic" because of the large Israeli settlements inside the West Bank. He told Obama "this does not take into account certain demographic changes that have taken place on the ground over 44 years." Netanyahu is looking for clarification from Obama on a critical issue for Israel- keeping forces in the Jordan Valley, its eastern boundary with the proposed Palestine state, because of Israel's small territory which is narrow in the middle. Obama had called for a "full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces" from the West Bank.

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A former military chief of staff Mr. Gantz and a former finance minister Mr Lapid agreed to take turns as foreign minister and prime minister if elected. The centrist candidates derided the approach of "divide and conquer" of Mr. Netanyahu and called for a restoration of national unity, in an effort to take Israel into a direction of repair and unity.

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The Likud party led by Netanyahu wins 30 seats in Israel's 120 seat parliament in the March 2015 general election. The Zionist Union wins 24 seats. The party of Israeli Arabs wins 13 seats.

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Biden's visit to Israel brings Israel and Mr. Netanyahu closer to a two state solution of the Israeli Palestinian problem. Mr. Biden and Mr. Blinken attend a meeting of the cabinet of the Unity government in Israel that includes the Opposition leader Yair Lapid. Once the shooting stops this opens the way for a comprehensive solution to the Israeli Palestinian problem with all sides, including all sides inside Israel. Mr. Netanyahu is seen as having lost authority, and the confidence of Israelis. this could bring Israel to the centre, says Steve Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe of NYT.

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This report in the NYT by Halbfinger and Kershner shows a Israel that is divided in its views about prime minister Netanyahu. In early 2018 with the police report on the investigation into Mr. Netanyahu on campaign finances, half of Israelis support Netanyahu, with the other half thinking that Netanyahu should resign. Mr. Netanyahu has dismissed the investigation as full of holes like Swiss cheese. His supporters see it as part of a left wing conspiracy including state prosecutors and police. Supporters of Netanyahu see him as having improved Israel's security in its region, people who oppose him see him as being too divisive, using divisive rhetoric to improve his own position.  Younger voters in particular have a distaste for divisive politics practiced under Netanyahu, which extends to the supporters of Israel in America, and the policies leading to delaying of the peace project.  That peace project is also seen as part of the nation's mission to seek peace with its immediate neighbors, an unfinished project for Israel as a nation. After many years in office Netanyahu's party lacks the dynamic vision needed and it now appears only to see remaining in office as its goal, according to this NYT report. This is happening at a time when a larger centrist constituency is developing in Israel as most of the moderates are outside government. ...

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Israeli politics, Netanyahu and Barak on the threat from Iran.

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Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party is tied in the 2019 elections with Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party with 35 seats each in parliament. Netanyahu's right wing party bloc controls 65 seats giving it a majority in the 120 member parliament.

Gantz says "we founded a true alternative rule to Netanyahu." Extreme right wing parties did not get elected to the Knesset. Labour Party and left parties also lost votes in the contest between Gantz and Netanyahu, leaving Gantz without enough seats from his left bloc in parliament.

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A look at Israel at 70 by the Economist magazine shows a country that has combined early achievements of socialist governments such as free health care system and good education system with the addition of 1 million immigrants from the collapsing Soviet Union, to build a highly trained technically skilled workforce and international companies.  It says the Israeli Arabs are still poor and unable to integrate. With ultra Orthodox Jews they make up 30% of the population, and many of them who do not work. Infrastructure has suffered from lack of investment and public transport is in poor condition. About 4.5 million Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza remain a continuous source of tension with no settlement in sight. The shift of the capital to Jerusalem is recognized by the U.S. Trump administration, a win for Israel, but leaving the divisive politics of Mr. Netanyahu in place. So that with the growing economy, there are social problems and political division which need to be addressed as much as the economy. A problem left for another administration, another leader from possibly a revived Labor party and another day. ...

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In this WSJ op-ed, Michael Oren, Israel's former ambassador to the U.S. 2009-2013, describes the difficult moments in the Israel- U.S. relationship during the 7 years of the Obama administration. He says prime minister Netayahu made mistakes, but president Obama acted deliberately against Israel's interests. Oren says two core principles of the Israel-U.S. relationship, that of "no daylight" or no open disagreements, and "no surprises," were broken during the two terms of the Obama administration. One such moment says Oren was in May 2011, when Obama endorsed the 1967 lines with land swaps- a former Palestinian position- as basis for peace-making. M. Netanyahu was seen as lecturing the U.S. president about this the next day, according to Oren, because he was assured by the Israeli ambassador that this was not going to happen and it came as a surprise to Netanyahu.

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Benny Gantz puts forward a realistic plan for Gaza's future that is completely different from Netanyahu's, with provision for international responsibility with Palestinians to run Gaza and demilitarization of Gaza strip. He sets June 8 as the deadline. Gallant and Benny Gantz say Netanyahu's plan only has two outcomes that lead to endless conflict- Israeli control or Hamas control both having led to this disastrous situation for the people of Gaza and Israel and of Palestine.  This comes as US Defense Secretary Blinken plans visit to Israel.