Magazine

Despite the Likud winning the hearts and minds of Israeli voters, the political impasse of the past year has only been cracked – not broken.

America might be grudgingly willing to let a transitional Israeli government redraw its lines (not "borders"), but for the most part, diplomatic activity is at a halt because of Israel's ongoing domestic political crisis.

In a special interview with Israel Hayom, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes war in Gaza must remain the last resort, vows to continue to bolster Israel's diplomatic standing worldwide, and warns against missing the historic opportunity presented by the US Middle East peace plan.  

A week before Israel’s third election in under a year, Yamina leader and Defense Minister Naftali Bennett talks to Israel Hayom about the need for new tactics against terrorists in Gaza and reiterates that Yamina is the only party that can guarantee Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz believes the Center-Left bloc has a real chance of winning the March 2 elections and believes the Labor-Gesher-Meretz faction "needs to be the influencing force over Blue and White." Labor-Gesher-Meretz "offers clear and precise solutions to people who need to ask themselves who really represents them in the Knesset," he says.

Blue and White MK Zvi Hauser used to be Netanyahu's right-hand man, and now he wants to unseat him. But even he agrees that the ideological differences between the Right and the Left are almost nonexistent.

Yamina MK Ayelet Shaked is ready to storm policymaking once again and warns against voter fatigue and petty politics. "Likud likes it when the national-religious parties are small, weak, pathetic, with the Science and Space portfolio. They don’t want us with Justice or Defense. That’s less convenient. Why? Because we challenge them," she asserts.

Secretly, devoid of any of the traditional religious paraphernalia, a growing number of Jewish worshippers have been praying on the Temple Mount with the tacit consent of the police. This change is also at the heart of the fact that the US's peace plan seeks to ensure the status quo in the holy place permits Jewish visits, and the possibility of exercising the right of prayer in the open. 

Much of the diplomacy takes place over time and under the radar, says Malcolm Hoenlein, longtime executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, "by building meaningful relationships across the board."

Along with its increasing popularity come some significant challenges, such as finding qualified educators to run classes and programs.