Rivlin sent dozens of world leaders personal invitations to the gathering, and nearly 50 accepted, including US Vice President Mike Pence, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prince Charles of Great Britain, King Felipe VI of Spain, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French President Emmanuel Macron.

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The logistics and coordination for the arrival of so many foreign dignitaries at one time required special preparation, including closing off one terminal of Ben-Gurion International Airport to all other air traffic. The King David Hotel was completely booked by world leaders including Macron and Prince Charles, forcing the American delegation led by Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Putin and his delegation to stay at the David Citadel Hotel.

Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, whose ministry is responsible for all the arrangements related to the leaders' visits, told Jewish News Syndicate that "this is the largest diplomatic event in the state's history," adding that "the Foreign Ministry is prepared."

A child of Holocaust survivors himself, Katz said, "I see it as a moral obligation to fight against all anti-Semitism, and the gathering will focus on the importance of both remembering the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism wherever it rears its head."

Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev told JNS that the current resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide makes this year's event more important than ever.

"This World Holocaust Forum is taking place against the background of a rise in hateful and violent expressions of anti-Semitism. This alarming situation makes this event more crucial and relevant than ever and strengthens the importance of efforts to educate about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia, and foster Holocaust commemoration and research worldwide," said Shalev.

This specific gathering, he continued, "provides an opportunity for all of these heads of state to stand united and clearly declare their commitment to remembering the Holocaust, to engage in true introspection about the origins and events of the Holocaust, and ultimately to fight modern-day expressions of anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred."

World Holocaust Forum Foundation Founder and President Moshe Kantor echoed Shalev's remarks, declaring that "Jewish life is once again under threat in Europe. It is under threat from the day-to-day harassment and attacks, on the streets, in schools, at universities, online and even in [Jews'] own homes. It has become so bad that the overwhelming majority of Jews in Europe no longer feel safe."

Anti-Semitism, said Kantor, "is a hatred that knows no boundaries and has been adopted by multiple ideologies. Jews are relentlessly attacked by the left, the right and the mainstream. This is another pivotal point in history where the leaders of the world have to stand up and act. Words are not enough."

This gathering of world leaders, said Kantor, will have a specific goal of creating an "action plan to aggressively fight back against anti-Semitism."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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While the Soleimani strike may be the subject of debate in the United States, in Israel, it's a very different story.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting that "President Trump is deserving of all esteem for taking determined, strong and quick action."

He noted that Soleimani "brought about the death of many American citizens, and many other innocents in recent decades and at the present. Soleimani initiated, planned and carried out terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East and beyond."

The prime minister said that "Israel fully stands alongside the US in the just struggle for security, peace and self-defense."

It comes as no surprise that Netanyahu and other leaders on the Israeli right applauded the strike. But in this case, those on the Israeli center and left also praised the move.

Netanyahu's political rival, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, seemed to mirror the prime minister's statement.

"I applaud President Donald Trump for his decision to assassinate Qassem Soleimani and for his bold leadership at large. This is the appropriate response to anyone responsible for the murder of countless innocent people and for undermining global stability," he said on Twitter.

"The message to the leaders of terrorism is strong and clear: you will be held accountable for your actions," wrote Gantz.

'This is a good day for humanity'

Left-leaning members of the Blue and White Party also expressed support for the strike. MK Ofer Shelah said that "the killing of Soleimani was justified self-defense."

MK Omer Bar-Lev, a defense expert in the left-wing Labor Party, similarly praised the act.

Bar Lev told JNS, "I congratulate President Trump and the American military for the successful assassination of the snake Soleimani. Precise intelligence, smooth operation and excellent results."

He added that "in the last decades, Soleimani was the primary person behind terror attacks against us in the world, for the growth of Hezbollah and for the Iranians establishing themselves in Syria. This is a good day for humanity."

The killing on Soleimani is just the latest action taken by the Trump administration that has received wide-ranging support across the mainstream Israeli political spectrum, including the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, withdrawing US funding from UNRWA and pulling the United States out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

Indeed, while like the US, Israel has not been immune to bitter partisan disputes, evidenced by the ongoing government stalemate that has led to an unprecedented third election in less than a year that is scheduled for March.

Nearly all mainstream political leaders in Israel from the left and right tend to exhibit unity concerning national security, especially when it comes to Iran, which is viewed as an existential threat to the Jewish state.

Such collaboration was displayed during the lead-up to the Iranian nuclear deal spearheaded by the Obama administration. Most Israeli leaders, including the opposition at the time, joined Netanyahu in condemning the agreement.

Moving forward, Shelah sees the need for continued unity in the face of Iranian aggression.

"Iran won't change its ways because of the assassination of one person," he affirmed. "To prevent war, it will require a framework that includes wide-ranging covert and economic policies, led by the US partnering with Israel and many other countries which Iran threatens."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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The biggest question hanging over that third election is whether Benjamin Netanyahu can even run for the position of prime minister given the fact that he faces three indictments. Israeli law allows for someone to continue serving under indictment and says that a prime minister must only step down if found guilty by a judge after a trial. But it is unclear whether someone can run for prime minister to begin with, while under indictment.

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Earlier this week, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit ruled that Netanyahu can remain as interim prime minister, but Mendelblit did not weigh in on the question of whether or not he can be chosen to form a government and become prime minister once a new election is declared.

Prof. Yedidia Stern, vice president of the left-leaning Israel Democracy Institute, told JNS that "it is better for decisions regarding who the country's leader will be to remain in the hands of the citizens and not the legal system."

He continued, "Therefore if he wins the next election, I believe the president should not be held back from giving Netanyahu the mandate to form the next government even while under indictment," Stern said.

Stern explained that "the law does not address the specific question of someone running for prime minister while under indictment. Given that reality, it would be far-reaching judicial activism to establish that the president cannot give the mandate to form a government to someone who the citizens of the country vote for, assuming that they vote in high numbers of Netanyahu."

Regardless, whether the attorney general decides to allow Netanyahu to run or not, the decision will be challenged by the disagreeing side and the question will likely end up before the Supreme Court.

Former Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein, who was involved in writing that law, told Army Radio this past week that the intent was to prevent a prime minister, who was elected by the people, from being removed from office by the prosecutor.

The removal of a prime minister from office leads the country into new elections and a prosecutor should not have the power to make that happen, Rubinstein noted.

"But the law shouldn't apply to a prime minister who is only in office by default and then the country is heading to an election anyway," he argued.

"The people have not elected Netanyahu to office at this time and he has failed to form a government twice. He should not be allowed to continue as prime minister and certainly should not be allowed to run for office in a new election while he is under indictment."

There is one important technicality that must be noted as part of this debate. The prime minister has not been officially indicted nor can he be until after a new government is formed, which will be after the election if no government is formed in the next two weeks.

In usual circumstances, when a member of Knesset is charged with criminal activity, the Knesset member can ask the Knesset House Committee for immunity. The indictment becomes frozen and cannot be officially submitted to the court until the Knesset decides whether to give the MK immunity or not. If the House Committee grants the immunity, then the full Knesset votes on it.

Since there is no new government and there is no new House Committee in the Knesset, the prime minister has no vehicle to ask for immunity and that freezes the entire process. If the country goes to a third election there won't be a new government until at least April 2020 at the earliest.

As a result, Netanyahu has not and cannot be officially indicted at this time and the earliest Netanyahu's indictment can even be submitted to the court will be more than five months from now, after the president has been tasked with giving a Knesset member, possibly Netanyahu, the mandate to form a new government.

This strengthens the likelihood that he will be permitted to grant this right to Netanyahu if he wins the election since the prime minister won't have been officially indicted at that time.

Several Likud Knesset members told JNS that they cannot believe that the attorney general would involve himself in an election by ruling that Netanyahu cannot become prime minister of a new government.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Netanyahu called the indictment an "attempted coup" and called Isrfaelfor an investigation of the investigators who he said were trying to topple him via the charges. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said that there is no coup, but rather a prime minister who is "trying to fortify himself in power" and many on the Left urged Netanyahu to resign.

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The Blue and White Party was quick to spread a video from 2008 showing then opposition leader Netanyahu saying that "a prime minister who is sunk up to his neck in investigations has no moral and public mandate to make significant decisions for the State of Israel."

Yet in the face of criminal indictments, many from within Netanyahu's Likud party and other key leaders in his right-wing bloc rallied around the prime minister, likely giving the embattled Israeli leader the political cover needed to fight the charges and remain in office.

Likud Justice Minister Amir Ohana, whose ministry is prosecuting Netanyahu, told Jewish News Syndicate that he is "proud to stand to the side of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."

"The prime minister is not guilty. He isn't guilty because that's what the law says and because that is how our judicial system works. A person's guilt in the State of Israel must be proven in court. Not in TV studios, not on social media, and not even in the prosecutor's offices."

Ohana added that "I have seen many indictments collapse in my professional life. There is a long list of public figures who had to deal with indictments, and they were exonerated in court."

Likud Tourism Minister Yariv Levin went even further, saying that the files against the prime minister should not have been opened to begin with.

"If anything," Levin said, "we are talking about ethical issues. But they are not criminal. The entire process has been invalid from the beginning."

Other members of Likud issued similar statements, focusing on Netanyahu's years of dedication to the success of the state, with the message that Netanyahu should not be judged until he has his day in court.

Netanyahu was also backed by others on the Right, who have had an up-and-down relationship with the prime minister over the years.

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett of the New Right Party tweeted that "this is a painful night for the nation of Israel. Many believe that this should not be happening to Prime Minister Netanyahu, a man who dedicated his entire life to the State of Israel. For us. On this night it's important to remember his many merits. He is the prime minister of Israel and deserves to be presumed innocent."

New Right MK and former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked tweeted similarly that "all people have the presumption of innocence and that applies to Prime Minister Netanyahu as well."

The Shas Party also backed Netanyahu, saying in a statement: "We support and give strength to the hands of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a man with great merits for what he has done for the security and building of Israel. Mr. Prime Minister, we believe and are sure that your innocence will be proven and that justice will come to light. Be strong and mighty and do not be afraid."

Even Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who has refused to join Netanyahu's coalition, echoed the notion that the prime minister is innocent until proven guilty.

Yet, despite the support within his party and political bloc, there are emerging calls for Likud to hold a party primary vote ahead of an expected third election within the past year.

Likud MK Michal Shir called for primaries for chairman of the party and said she would support her mentor and Netanyahu rival MK Gideon Sa'ar, who has said he would run against Netanyahu in primaries.

'Not worthy of leading Israel'

While Netanyahu's supporters remained firm, several leaders of Blue and White as well as others on the Left urged the Israeli leader to step down, arguing that he cannot govern effectively while facing criminal charges.

Blue and White MK and former Likud Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told JNS that it was time for Netanyahu to resign.

"It is [a] sad time for Israel. We expect our leader to be an example of how one should behave. A person who has been indicted on these charges is not worthy of leading Israel. He is not able to serve as an example for all boys and girls in the country and he is not worthy of sitting in the prime minister's chair."

Similarly, Blue and White MK Yair Lapid said: "The prime minister cannot deal with bombing Syria at night and then the next morning go to court to debate [state's witness] Nir Chefetz."

Labor Chairman Amir Peretz took the calls for Netanyahu to resign a step further, saying his party will turn to the Supreme Court to require Netanyahu to step down as prime minister while he addresses his legal issues.

Peretz explained that "since we are dealing with a prime minister during a transitional government who did not receive the support of the people to be prime minister now," the law allowing a prime minister to continue serving under indictment doesn't apply here.

With both sides of the political spectrum lining up either for or against Netanyahu, it remains clear that the political paralysis that Israel has faced over the past year will likely continue as the prospects of a unity government seem dimmer.

Blue and White faction chairman MK Avi Nissenkorn announced that in light of the indictment and the fact that the mandate to form a government has been handed to the Knesset, he will petition lawmakers in an effort to get 61 signatures supporting Benny Gantz for prime minister.

This will be no easy feat since Blue and White, Labor and Democratic Union, which have already announced their support for Gantz, comprise just 44 seats.  Time will tell whether any member of Netanyahu's 55-seat right-wing/religious bloc will support such an effort due to the prime minister's legal situation.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Likud Knesset Member Keti Sheetrit, who has been close with Benjamin Netanyahu for years, insists that the prime minister does not want a third election, but that he does want to remain in the job as part of a unity government.

"Sadly, the 'Just not Bibi' campaign has continued beyond the election and into the coalition negotiations," Sheetrit said.

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"The other side is willing to join with the Joint Arab List as long as this will remove Netanyahu from serving as prime minister," Sheetrit went on, referring to a possible Blue and White-led minority government that is tacitly supported by the Arab parties.

While a third election may not be preferable, Sheetrit confirmed that the only option from the Likud's perspective is Netanyahu as premier. Even if at some point he would be willing to lead with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz as part of a rotation, he would not step down until his trial is set, meaning that he would be prime minister when that happens, guaranteeing him the optimal court.

Whether or not Netanyahu is actually looking to a third election, others in the political sphere also seem to want to avoid such a scenario.

This week, senior members of Israel's right-wing bloc floated the idea of returning to direct elections for the prime minister as a solution to the current impasse. However, Netanyahu quickly dismissed the idea, with his office saying, "Prime Minister Netanyahu is not promoting a law for direct elections; rather, he is working on forming a broad national unity government, the only government that can be established and what the State of Israel needs at this time."

An additional report this week indicates that Blue and White offered the positions of defense minister and justice minister to New Right's Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, respectively if they would bring their party's three mandates to a minority government led by Gantz, which would give him an edge in seats over Netanyahu.

Assuming that the Joint Arab List abstains from the vote on the establishment of this government and abstains from all laws put forth by the government, such a plan could pass and could lead the country as a minority government. The very fact that New Right on the far right could sit with Democratic Union on the far left, and vice versa, coupled with the fact that two such high-profile ministries could be offered to a party with just three mandates, indicates just how badly most in the Knesset wants to avoid another election.

Netanyahu has apparently taken this report seriously and called the leaders of the parties in his 55-seat right-wing/religious bloc to a meeting on Monday. At that time, Bennett acknowledged that Blue and White made an offer and that he replied in the negative.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri told the gathering that an offer was made to him as well and that he, too, rejected it. Not taking any chances, Netanyahu met with Bennett and offered him a ministerial position and a spot in the security cabinet. He did so to reduce the temptation that Bennett may have to accept Gantz's offer, especially as the country gets closer to a third election, thereby helping to secure Netanyahu's reign as prime minister until at least when his trial begins and possibly beyond.

Yet Bennett also refused the Netanyahu offer, saying that such an appointment at this time is unnecessary.

Instead, there is work underway to try to woo Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman into a right-wing coalition.

Jeremy Saltan, director of English Operations for New Right, told JNS that Shaked, the party's leader, "has been talking to Lieberman and the ultra-Orthodox parties in an effort to see if a compromise can be found that would lead to a right government."

If Lieberman joins Netanyahu's 55-seat bloc, it would lead to a 63-seat government and Netanyahu would achieve his goal of remaining as prime minister without the need for a third election.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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"Blue and White has decided to focus on taking votes away from the Labor party and other parties in the center-left camp," former Knesset Deputy Speaker and Labor Party secretary Hilik Bar told JNS.

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Within the past two months, Blue and White, which counts three former generals among its top four positions, tried to woo right-wing voters based on their security credentials. Bar explained that this has largely failed and that the party's leaders realized that they cannot bring voters over from the Right.

Instead, he said their focus now is to try to become the larger party by appealing to center-left voters in the hope that this will lead President Reuven Rivlin to task their leader, Benny Gantz, to form the government.

"Blue and White will fail in their attempt to drain votes from Labor," said Bar.

Bar went as far as calling on those traditional Labor supporters who voted for Blue and White in the April election to return to their political home. He argued that "Blue and White is just a temporary party, which will disappear just like Kadima and others. But the Labor party, which founded the State of Israel, will always exist."

Bar said the Labor Party will likely go on the offensive against Blue and White, pointing out to voters that they are a party without an ideology, and that they are better off staying with Labor.

Blue and White has similarly shifted its strategy to targeting secular voters.

This past week, Gantz, who had been reaching out to the ultra-Orthodox population, including through visits to their communities and not speaking out against them, announced that the government he formed would be "a secular government." It was a clear message he prefers not to include the ultra-Orthodox parties in a coalition he would form. This change of direction reflects an attempt to become the largest party by drawing votes away from Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu party, which according to the polls, is predicted to double its number of Knesset seats thanks to his attacks on the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Gantz was immediately subjected to sharp attacks from ultra-Orthodox leadership for the move.

When asked for comment about Gantz's plan to form a "secular government," Shas Knesset member Yakov Margi, who also serves as chairman of the Knesset education committee, told JNS, "such a government will not be established." The ultra-Orthodox political leadership believes that Gantz has no path to a Knesset majority without the ultra-Orthodox parties, and therefore, the promise of a "secular government" is simply a ploy to try to win more votes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has similarly focused their attention on trying to be the largest party by taking votes away from Yamina, the party to their Right led by former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. To counter this, Shaked and others in her party have gone on the offensive, telling voters that if they don't vote for Yamina, which has been predicted to win very few Knesset seats, Netanyahu will turn to the Left to form a government.

Likud may also need to contend with the far-right Otzma Yehudit party. According to one recent poll, Otzma Yehudit is predicted to pass the 3.25% electoral threshold, earning four seats in the next Knesset. Until recently, Likud had been pressuring the party to drop out of the race, but if the party were to somehow pass the electoral threshold, it could be an important boost for Netanyahu, giving him the 61 seats needed for a governing coalition. It could also, however, prove problematic due to their more hard-line views.

While Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir told JNS, "There is a very good chance that we will cross the threshold," he said that his party would not automatically join a Netanyahu government.

Aside from his demand to be made a minister before joining a coalition, Ben-Gvir said, "Netanyahu would have to accept important components of the party platform, including capital punishment for terrorists, harsher conditions for terrorists in Israeli prisons, and a stronger response to Hamas rocket and balloon/kite fire from Gaza."

As the campaign enters its final week, and the parties shift direction and change their messaging in a final push to win more votes, one thing remains certain: No one knows how this election will end and what kind of government will emerge.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Yitzhak Pindrus, a Knesset member from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism, told JNS that his party will win more seats than the polls indicate "because the anti-religious rhetoric in this campaign will inspire more of our voters to come out."

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Pindrus is referring to several campaigns his party and voters see as anti-religious. Yisrael Beytenu, led by Lieberman, has been running on the slogan that only Lieberman "can prevent a theocracy." The implication is that the ultra-Orthodox parties seek to impose religious laws on broader Israel, and that Lieberman is the only one who will fight such efforts. Ultra-Orthodox leaders have emphasized repeatedly that they do not seek to impose any religious laws on the general population and view Lieberman's campaign as outright incitement against them.

Additionally, one of Lieberman's core issues – one of the factors, in fact, that derailed coalition negotiations last spring – was his insistence on the passage of a military draft bill that would raise ultra-Orthodox participation in mandatory Israeli military service, an issue that was a non-starter among ultra-Orthodox party leaders.

Those leaders and their respective voters resent being painted in such a negative light – a factor that could motivate this sector to come to the polls in high numbers.

The ultra-Orthodox population is similarly motivated by what they see as the anti-religious campaign of Knesset member Yair Lapid of the Blue and White Party. Lapid ran a campaign advertisement in which he showed a fake WhatsApp group, where ultra-Orthodox lawmakers said they wanted the country's money for themselves. Ultra-Orthodox politicians and media outlets were quick to label Lapid's ad as downright "anti-Semitic," calling on their voters to make sure that what they view as Lapid's "anti-religious agenda" will not be implemented.

Pindrus told JNS that his party is reaching out to populations beyond its own, such as those who "want a Jewish state based on tradition" and are upset with the anti-religion tone.

A recent Israel Hayom-i24News poll shows that only 61% of eligible voters plan to vote in the Sept. 17 elections. The combination of low national turnout but high ultra-Orthodox turnout could lead to more seats for the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Knesset member and chairman of the education committee Yakov Margi from the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Shas party told JNS that "we will win more seats than the eight currently predicted by the polls."

According to recent aggregate polls, Shas and United Torah Judaism are slated to win seven seats, each down one from the April election.

Margi explained that Shas always polls lower than the final result, just like in April when the party was polling at four seats and won eight. Margi told JNS that Shas is reaching out to new blocs of voters during their campaign and are presenting themselves as the socially-minded party in a Netanyahu government. "Voters know that we mean it when we say that regardless of the election results, we will only suggest Netanyahu as prime minister. They see all the work that we have consistently done to address pressing social needs, especially in the periphery."

Professor Yedidia Stern, vice president of the Israel Democracy Institute, told JNS that "the ultra-Orthodox will win more seats because of lower voter turnout."

He noted that interest in the current elections is lower than usual for four reasons.

"First, this is the third election in one year counting the municipal election last fall, and people simply don't feel like voting again. Second, this election is not surrounding any specific issue, and voters feel that it will [result in] a tie anyway. Third, the election comes on the heels of the summer, when people tend to be much less focused. And the fourth and strongest reason is that people feel that they have no one to vote for."

Stern explained that ideological parties and particularly the ultra-Orthodox – who tend to vote as homogenous blocs according to the instructions of their religious leaders – will receive a greater percentage of the total vote and more seats if there is lower voter turnout among the general population. He similarly believes that far sides of the political-ideological spectrum, including the Democratic Camp on the Left and Otzma Yehudit on the Right, could also win more seats than expected.

A recent Israel Hayom-i24News conducted by the Maagar Mohot Institute under Professor Yitzhak Katz shows that only 61% of eligible voters plan to vote in the Sept. 17 elections. This is a sharp drop from the 71.8% who voted in 2015 and the 68.5% who voted in April 2019. The combination of low national turnout but high ultra-Orthodox turnout could lead to more seats for the ultra-Orthodox parties.

With only three weeks until voting time, it's looking more and more likely that the election, which interestingly enough was initiated to prevent the ultra-Orthodox from holding positions of power, could crown them with more influence than ever before.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Since the creation of the state, no Arab party has ever recommended a Jewish candidate for prime minister or sat in a ruling coalition. Yet, with neither Israel's right- or left-wing blocs able to secure a coalition following the previous election, Arab party mandates would represent a significant boost to the left should they break their longstanding tradition of remaining outside the government.

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Yet such an alliance remains unlikely. Blue and White No. 3 and former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said that "as long as the Arab parties do not accept Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, Blue and White cannot sit with them in a government."

Odeh, for his part, poised four conditions for entering a Blue and White-led government.

"The first," said Odeh, "is the construction of a new Arab city and redoing the rules to allow for more Arab construction and stopping demolitions in Arab areas."

The second condition, he said, was "governmental focus on fighting crime in Arab areas, including an operation to gather all the illegal weapons in the Arab population. Third is in the welfare realm, including building a public hospital in an Arab city and raising stipends for the elderly."

The last condition was "direct negotiations with the Palestinian leaders to bring an end to the occupation and to establish a Palestinian state, alongside canceling the nation-state law."

"I want to lead Arab politics from a politics of protest to a politics of influence," said Odeh. "We are 20% of Israel's population and we are needed to bring equality, democracy and social justice to Israel."

The most problematic of these conditions for Blue and White would likely be the last. The nation-state law, passed by the Knesset in 2018, sets in law that Israel is "the national home of the Jewish people." Blue and White has talked about "correcting" the law to make sure it emphasizes equality for all of Israel's citizens, but they do not favor repealing it completely.

Gantz, who is also a former IDF chief of staff, stressed that his party's sights are not on negotiations with the Arab parties, saying, "We are calling for a unity government" and clarifying that such a coalition would include "anyone who is sane and Zionist."

Even if Blue and White found a way to accept the Joint List's conditions, polls currently indicate the left would still need the help of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu party to secure a 61-MK majority needed to form a government.

Yet MK Oded Forer of Yisrael Beiteinu told JNS that "there is zero chance we would join a government which includes the Arab parties."

Forer's statement makes it extremely unlikely that the Joint Arab List would ever be invited into a Blue and White-led coalition.

Ironically, the greatest impact of Odeh's dramatic announcement could actually be a boost to the Likud party.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin told JNS that a potential alliance between Blue and White and the Arab parties may ultimately bring more votes to the Likud party, boosting Netanyahu's chances of winning the election.

"Now it's official and the truth has come to light," said Levin. "Ayman Odeh's declaration proves what we have been saying all along: Gantz and [Blue and White co-leader Yair Lapid] are planning to form a government with the Arab parties."

Levin issued a warning to all voters: "A vote for Blue and White or a vote for Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu party is a vote for Ayman Odeh as education minister and Ahmed Tibi for public security minister."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said "all members should visit Israel if they come with open minds, open eyes and open ears – ready to hear all sides."

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He told JNS that "coming to Israel and seeing it for themselves transforms every member from simply believing that the United States should support Israel to feeling the strong bond the United States has with Israel."

McCarthy led the Republican contingent of a visit to Israel that wrapped up this week, sponsored by the American Israeli Education Foundation (AIEF), a division of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Both Omar and Tlaib rejected the AIEF-sponsored tour.

Despite their known hostility toward the Jewish state, Israel initially permitted Omar and Tlaib to visit the country "out of respect for Congress." However, after it emerged that the two congresswomen's visit would be one-sided and include only meeting with BDS groups, some with ties to terrorist organizations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed course.

"The itinerary of the two Congresswomen reveals that the sole purpose of their visit is to harm Israel and increase incitement against it," he said in a statement.

The pronouncement came shortly after a tweet by US President Donald Trump to deny entry to what he says is a radical element within the Democratic Party.

Members of the Republican delegation said the focus should be on the large majority of moderate Democrats and Republicans who support the Jewish state.

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), there for the first time, said the bipartisan visit was more than symbolic, relating that "Democrats and Republicans had a few days to spend time together in Israel, during which we talked with one another about the issues and developed working relationships."

The more radical side of the Democratic Party is "merely a distraction," said Estes, adding that "social media allows them to try to build themselves up with outlandish statements."

Estes also came away impressed with the "entrepreneurial spirit and startup business capabilities," which he has seen in Israel. Israel's water technology "can be used to solve water problems" in his home state of Kansas, he said, "and to solve water problems throughout the world. Israel is the world leader when it comes to this issue."

He also noted that he was moved by touring and seeing "the phenomenal history of all faiths."

As to the fringe element of the Democratic Party, Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) went further and told JNS that "they are just 2.5% of Congress, and they are simply attention-grabbers. The less time we spend on the loudest voices, the better. The edges will always be unhappy."

McCarthy explained to JNS that since becoming a House Republican leader in 2014, he believes that nothing cements support for Israel like bringing members of Congress to visit Israel's borders with Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as well as meeting with decision-makers in the region.

'A testament to the people of Israel'

Several members of the Republican delegation to Israel explained how the trip offered new insight into the country and the region.

Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), on his third trip to Israel, told JNS that visiting for the first time as an elected official exposed how the US-Israel relationship is "all about shared values of freedom."

Riggleman, who served in US Air Force intelligence, said he was "blown away by Israel's technology in air defense," going as far to say that "there is no country in the world better than Israel when it comes to air defense, both technologically and operationally. There is expertise in Israel that cannot be found anywhere else in the world."

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), as a first-timer, told JNS that "as a man of faith, the visit has been moving, uplifting and sobering." He said that he expected Israelis to live under a constant sense of threat, with nervousness permeating the society as a result. "But the people in Israel are so joyous," he observed. "It's easy to forget that this is the Middle East. They go about their daily lives with a sense of confidence and security, and are thriving."

He stated that "this is a testament to the people of Israel, and the power of the cornerstone of Jewish strength, enduring faith and beautiful spirit."

Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc.) had been to Israel before on business, though told JNS that "coming to Israel as an elected official, I saw shown Israel's unique security situation."

After touring the borders and receiving briefings from political and military officials, the visit, he said, has "reaffirmed the need for the US commitment to Israel's security."

Timmons, who had not been in Israel for 11 years, told JNS that two things struck him later: "When I was here in 2008, the climate felt much more intense; there was a sense that people were focused on their survival. The environment feels more moderate now because of the relative peace."

Despite the goodwill, the Republican House members did say that extremism on both sides of the aisle needs to be tackled.

Steil said "our partners across the aisle need to address some of their issues," with Higgins calling for stronger condemnation of their anti-Israel element.

"There must be public condemnation and consequences for such statements," he said. "They must be censured. How are they still sitting on their committees?"

Riggleman spoke with emotion to JNS as he as he recalled the two-year anniversary of the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., which is in in his district, noting that anti-Semitism on the Right must also be confronted.

He said based on his background in counterterrorism and intelligence, he knows that people are being radicalized online. "We have the laws to go after them, and we must go after them," he said.

Moving forward, McCarthy assured that the goodwill developed in Israel will remain and bipartisan support of Israel will continue.

"As leader of the Republican Party in the House, I will continue to work with the Democratic leadership to combat BDS, fight against anti-Semitism and to make sure that the loud anti-Israel voices remain a minority in Congress."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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US House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who led a delegation of 31 Republicans to Israel this week, echoed such realism, telling Jewish News Syndicate that he believes it's not his job to "pick a solution for the conflict."

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"The world is constantly changing. Look at Lebanon. Look at Syria. Things are always in flux in these areas, so how can we choose a solution now without knowing what's going to happen in a few years?" he posed.

McCarthy's comments come amid a larger push to re-evaluate the long-standing policy of a two-state solution. The Trump administration, which has not yet unveiled its own peace plan, has broken with the consensus and so far has not endorsed a two-state solution. This past week also saw 21 right-wing Israeli Knesset members, including two deputy ministers, tell Congress that they view the establishment of a Palestinian state as "far more dangerous to Israel than BDS."

McCarthy pointed to the 2005 disengagement from Gaza as an example of how solutions that look promising at one moment can turn dangerous very quickly.

"The idea looked good at the time, but then Hamas took over, and now we have missiles falling in Israel," he said. "I would not tell Israel, 'Here is the solution,' but would rather give Israel whatever it needs for its security."

Other Republicans in the delegation echoed the minority leader's stance.

Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc.) said that "all we should do is help Israel negotiate from a position of strength."

Similarly, Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), who has a background in air force intelligence, said "it's up to Israel and [the Palestinians] to find the solutions to the conflict. The United States must step back and simply support Israel's right to exist and to secure itself."

He continued, by saying "there is no easy fix" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and asked rhetorically, "Who am I to tell Israel what to do?"

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) said the issues of the conflict run deeper than just borders.

"I would never suggest dividing Chicago to end the troubles stemming from cultural differences and economic disparities in different parts of the city," he said. "No matter where you draw the map, someone will be ticked off."

Issues related to the land and the conflict, he said, run deeper than anything that can be solved "in a political solution drawn up in a map room."

'There is no trust between the two sides'

Not all Republican members of the delegation are ready to give up on a two-state solution.

Rep. William Timmons (R-SC) said the situation in Gaza is preventing progress on a two-state solution and not enabling negotiations to move forward.

He explained that while he was disappointed that Abbas did not agree to meet with the Republican delegation, after meeting with PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, he supports President's Trump effort to reach the ultimate deal.

"We are most certainly further away from resolving the conflict than ever before, and there is no trust between the two sides," said Timmons. "But it is still a worthy effort."

Similarly, Ron Estes (R-Kan.) related to JNS that the Palestinian leadership the delegation met with in Ramallah seems to "adamantly want peace," and he believes that the two-state plan "is the correct one."

Estes acknowledged that "there are thousands of years of complicated history that needs to be sorted through," and that it "will take time."

Israel also hosted a Democratic delegation of 41 congressional members, led by US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), which arrived on Aug. 9, which overlapped earlier this week for a couple of days with the Republican contingent, bringing nearly 16% of the House together in Israel this summer.

For their part, Democratic lawmakers have been divided on a resolution in the House to reaffirm a two-state solution.

Despite the bipartisan support for Israel expressed by this symbolic act, there does seem to be growing disparity between the parties regarding the best way for the United States to approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the Democrats staunchly support the two-state solution, it is now clear that many in the Republican Party, including its leadership, are beginning to question the relevance of that plan.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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