About a year ago or so I posted a news item about Yair Lapid, and the possibility that he would at some point exert influence on Netanyahu and those to his right.  Lapid is a former popular television commentator and ventured into politics only recently.  His political party, Yesh Atid ("There is a Future") won enough votes to become a power broker in the formation of the current Knesset majority, and he was named and continues to serve as Israel's Finance Minister.

Now, Lapid appears to be doubling down and is giving Netanyahu six months to take the peace process more seriously, or he threatens to withdraw from the coalition and force new elections.  As some of you know, Netanyahu's coalition also includes Tzvi Lipni as Minister of Justice, and she and her colleagues have been relentless in attacking Netanyahu and his right-wing head-ache inducers as well.  

Like her or hate her, Israel is governed by a parliamentary democracy and that makes the Knesset anything but a rubber stamp for Netanyahu and his cronies.  

Some of us who don't subscribe to cereal box-type assessments making the U.S. the evil empire or Israel as the lesser Satan were called delusional -- edited to add that this is as I read his comment anyway -- by a former contributor last week in a drive-by comment in which he also told us he has no time to try to change our minds. I was surprised by that, but in any event it's a reflection of what makes it so difficult to write  about the Middle East peace process on a website that tends to attract those of us to the left of the center.

This news article I provide provides facts for those who have a genuine interest in the dynamics about the peace process, and I offer it accordingly.  I would invite consideration of how, if at all, the Obama Administration might play a role in influencing Israel's internal politics -- as I would say Bibi blatantly (I think) tried to do on behalf of his buddy Romney back in 2012.