Free Republic

Palestinian officials largely view Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected re-election with despair, fearing the Israeli hard-liners’ ambitious plans for settlement construction over the next four years could prove lethal to their dreams of a state. Some in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ circle hold out hope that President Barack Obama will re-engage in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, freed from domestic electoral considerations in his second term, get tougher with Netanyahu on settlements. One aide suggested Europe is ready to jump in with its own peace plan if Washington is not. But short of trying to rally international opinion, it seems Abbas can do...

....Netanyahu is expected to redefine his "natural partners" after the upcoming election, shifting from a nationalist government to a more leftist one. The Ma'ariv newspaper quoted senior Likud members as saying that because of a need to focus on issues such as the economy and due to pressure that is expected to come from US President Barack Obama in regards to the peace process, Netanyahu is expected to shift his coalition more towards the center-left in an effort to build as broad a coalition as possible. "Netanyahu would prefer to give up the religious parties, especially in light of the...

JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel's prime minister on Wednesday dismissed President Barack Obama's reported displeasure with his hardline policies toward the Palestinians, a sign that the two could be headed for a showdown. Polls suggest Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to win Israel's elections next week and continue in office. This week an American columnist with close ties to the White House described Obama's disdain for Netanyahu, warning that Israel's all-important relationship with the U.S. could suffer in unprecedented ways if the Israeli government doesn't change its policies. Such a clash would come at a tense time when regional developments appear to...