Labor leader Avi Gabbay is trying to evade responsibility for the party's crash and burn in the April 9 election, but the truth is that Israel's oldest political party was on the skids long before he was even elected chairman.

The main reason for Netanyahu’s triumph is that Israeli voters instinctively feel his expertise and experience remain critical. All signs point to the formation of a right-wing government, but if his satellite parties make extreme demands or try to block a reasonable American peace plan, he can still form a unity government, which most Israelis would applaud.

Speaking at a military ceremony in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani says Islamic Republic's armed forces "stand against invaders … the roots of our problems are the Zionist regime and American imperialism."

President Reuven Rivlin formally tasks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on track to surpass David Ben-Gurion as Israel's longest-serving prime minister, with building the next government, urges him to "heal the wounds" in Israeli society.

Israel is keeping mum on a recent interesting U.S. proposal to solve the disputes over land and maritime borders between it and Lebanon. Meanwhile, the proposal has sparked conflict within Lebanon.