Dateline Washington: Between Peace, Washington and Israel’s Elections

It was nearly impossible to walk in the hallways outside the House Foreign Affairs Committee this Wednesday without being asked about the upcoming elections in Israel. Members of Congress, staffers, journalists and think-tankers alike are trying to speculate on who’s going to win. Israel is a small country with a population of nearly nine million, but for the last few weeks you could see people on the Hill interested in the small parties which are fighting to pass the threshold or in reading the latest analysis about the chances that Yair Lapid will give up the rotation with Benny Gantz.

The elections in Israel are highly anticipated – not only because of the natural curiosity and the charged atmosphere, but also because of the long-awaited peace plan. The plan was expected to be made public a few months ago, but in December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for early elections, a move that stirred things up. Since then, US President Donald Trump recently signed a proclamation that recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a decision that caused countless speculations regarding the administration’s next step.

Read the full article and more in The Jerusalem Post.