“Barack Obama was correct in opposing the Iraq war. He was correct in conceiving an Iran policy that is, in many ways, its opposite. But part of that has to be a willingness to engage in the open and rigorous debate that we never got on Iraq. If an Iran deal is the anti-Iraq war, let’s have it be that in every way, including the time we spend discussing it. Given the significant impact that an Iran nuclear deal could have on U.S. security and that of our partners, I think President Obama owes the American people that discussion, just as his Congressional critics owe the American people more than attention-getting stunts.”

“Without the Joint List, Herzog would need to bring in both religious parties and Kulanu,” writes Mitchell Plitnick. “That might not be possible with Meretz and Yesh Atid in the coalition, both of whom are unlikely to be deemed acceptable to the religious parties (and the feeling is mutual). Even if the Joint List agreed to join with Zionist Camp, Yesh Atid might bolt as a result. The road forward for Netanyahu is much cleaner. He could, potentially, get as many as 64 or 65 seats in a coalition of Likud, Jewish Home, Kulanu, Shas, UTJ, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yachad.”

After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s much-publicized and controversial address to Congress, Americans’ opinions of him have worsened. His favorable rating is down seven percentage points, to 38%, while his unfavorable rating has increased five points, to 29%. These changes are largely confined to Democrats; Republicans’ views are essentially stable.

“Reconciling support for Israel and a liberal worldview has become increasingly difficult in the grassroots progressive environment,” writes Nathan Guttman.

“Zionist Union has a plan. Yisrael Beytenu has a plan. Jewish Home has a plan. Meretz has a plan. Even the centrist Yesh Atid has a plan. But the Likud party, which has ruled Israel for more than half a decade, has no clear-cut program on how to deal with the Palestinian question” writes Raphael Ahren.

“Netanyahu likes to say he has “no partner for peace” but that he has ‘natural partners’ for forming the next government, Naftali Bennett and his right wing religious-settler party, Bayit Yehudi. Bennett is an outspoken foe of Palestinian statehood, wants to unilaterally annex three fifths of the West Bank and says the Torah is Israel’s deed to the land. That should give some idea what Netanyahu means when he says Palestinian statehood is ‘simply not relevant’ for the indefinite future,” writes Douglas Bloomfield.

Voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel has historically been lower than that of Jewish Israelis – sometimes because of boycotts, at other times because of disinterest. The Joint List’s success may well be determined by its ability to win over Arab citizens of Israel alienated from the electoral process.

+972 sits down with four young, prominent, politically active Palestinian citizens of Israel to discuss their demands, how they are different than the generations that preceded them, and their hopes for the Joint List.

There is a real possibility that the Joint List representing Palestinian citizens of Israel might get even more than the 12 seats that it is expected to win based on a series of recent and consistent polls. The implications of this are significant. Although the Joint List has expressed unwillingness to join a coalition, it could become key to forming a non-Netanyahu government and it could play a bigger role in opposition.

“As Israelis prepare to elect a new government next week, the view from the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza is not one of hope,” write Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ali Sawafta. “The decades-old conflict has barely featured in the campaign, leaving Palestinians with the sense that whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secures a fourth term in office or the center-left opposition pulls off a victory, as the latest polls suggest, little is likely to change.”

“Let’s be clear: the decision to negotiate a fair deal with the Palestinians is in no way risk-free. But the risks to the State of Israel if it does not do that are far higher,” writes Gershon Baskin.

Six days before Israelis head to the polls, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his challengers, Herzog-Livni, are closer than ever. According to a new survey, most Israelis support a continued peace process, but don’t think it will succeed — regardless of who is at the helm.

“According to Israel’s official records, the 600 inhabitants of Dahmash village live in a single building – one that no longer exists, ” writes Jonathan Cook. “The villagers’ story may sound like the basis for a sinister fairy tale, but their plight is all too real. Next week their case reaches Israel’s highest court and the outcome is likely to decide whether Dahmash, survives or is destroyed.”

Two cramped Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem face the prospect of a national park on their doorstep, a proposal that could siphon off much-needed land.

“Despite resolutions by Israeli administrations to adopt the 2003 Road map for Peace and the Sason report on illegal West Bank outposts, settler violence against Palestinians continues unabated,” writes Akiva Eldar.

The Deputy Head of the Hamas political bureau, Mousa Abu-Marzouk, said yesterday that the movement “rejected” an Israeli proposal which would effectively separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank in return for a five-year truce.

Activists supporting the Palestinian movement to boycott Israeli products reportedly stopped a truck distributing ice cream in the Rafidia neighborhood of Nablus and removed all the Israeli products from inside. They then smashed the products before setting them on fire.