The outcome. And an outspoken rabbi visits. Its real money and im ali velshi. In a few hours voters in israel will decide if Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu gets to keep his job. The latest polls shows the right Wing Likud Party losing ground to opponents. Harder time cavern ugh out a coalition, at a had a can keep him in leadership. If true, high stakes game in washington might be for nothing. He took a gamble to boost his chances in an israeli election by playing hardball with american politics. Sure netanyahu told israeli voters that his controversial speech in front of congress was done to protect israels are National Security interests not to give in to a bad deal for irans nukes but netanyahu did all that by participating in a bald faced republican attack on president obama over foreign policies and that sent u. S. Israel relations to their lowest point in years and that should be a concern to israelis. After all the u. S. Provides more than 3 billion in military aid annually to israel but the polls show that israelis think iran is less of a threat to their wellbeing than israels widening economic disparities. Just like here in the United States. And while they may be concerned about a rift in relations with their biggest benefactor in the world, they are more concerned with the skyrocketing cost skyrocketing cost of living in israel, playing up the threat of iran and showing israeli public that he is willing to rock relations with the United States to do so is so important. It remains to be seen if that bet is going to pay off. For more on the view from washington, Mike Viqueria joins us now. Mike good to see you. Prime minister netanyahu is fighting to hold on in israel. Secretary of state john kerry is trying to salvage a deal with iran right now hes in switzerland and in washington there is public fallout from that letter signed by 48 republicans saying any deal they make with president obama could be undone. Whats the latest . Its interesting because the white house is making arguments two sides of the same coin. Give us time if they can work out a deem with iran they are still putting the odds at less than 5050. You see a note of optimism, john kerry is in switzerland for the end game of those talks. It is an executive agreement not a treaty, a sort of arrangement that the president s have entered into since the start of the republic does not need advice answer consent of the senate or the legislature. All they do want obviously is the Senate Support and congressional support on this. On the other hand, only congress they remind us have has the power to lift the sanctions. The sanctions have been crippling iran and brought them to the table to begin with, the white house says yes congress has the power to lift the sanctions but the president if a deal is reached is going to be waiving, if he has the power under that law waiving sanctions on avery graduated pace over weeks not months but years. In order to supply the carrot to the stick in these negotiations with iran. Mike these are legalities, neither the president nor the senate has been shy on that with obamacare. Youre a veteran there. Whats the reality does the president have the Traditional Authority to make the deal with iran or is congress right . I think theres no question that hes holding most of the cards here. Because he can in fact waive those sanctions. According to his own plan according to any deal, if there is a deal thats worked out with the iranians. The senate can put on a vote and certainly the house can put on a vote and pass virtually anything they want to pass. The house is a different story they have plans to put a bill on the floor that would require the president to come to congress to get a bill more specifically. They decided to yank that, the unforgiving math in the senate, they have 54 what they do not have is 60 to break a filibuster. Mitch mcconnell says they can govern and get things passed, so far not much luck on that score expect he doesnt want that fight, he has other fish to fry other fights at the white house. Most of all he wants to pass something. You said theres a hint of optimism coming into play with those in switzerland with a deal with iran. The deadline for a political deal with iran, revised deadline now march 30th. Why do you think theres optimism . You just hear it, for example today josh earnest the white house spoke spokesman was saying, the secretary of state said this was less than 5050 its probably not going to happen, you know theres going to be plenty of time to ratchet up sanctions. The only option here other than sanctions is the military option so lets give this a try for heck of it. Theyre not leading with that. They are leading with what were the mechanisms by which the sanction he would be eased we heard from the white house today. There are no guarantees here but the subtext is that there is going to be a deal and they dont Want Congress to meddle with it, as has already been done with the letter from republicans and now this effort to pass a bill requiring the senate or giving the senate the right to prove or disapprove any agreement. Ali. Mike viqueria, in washington. Rabbi smooli bataic, joins me now. Good to be with us. Good to be in your city. This is a big thing for israeli elections i on my facebook i liked a note you put on today so my viewers could also read it. You wrote on facebook to bibi or not to be, about the election. Where you argue that not electing Benjamin Netanyahu in tomorrows elections might be existential. Sonch might be what issovereign might be good for israeli people. Belief that thears theyre going to repair beliefs for president obama. Im going to have the best relationship with america the french would say what about us. This is a sovereign independent state. President obama is a friend United States is the greatest friend. That doesnt mean their considerations should play the most vital role in israels elections. Hold that there. Out of bill clintons handbook, its the economy stupid. Im going to take a look at that coming up. I he ais is going to continue our conversation with rabbi shmuley in a moment. Most of them live below the important linepoverty line. More than 1. 6 Million People and in this election for the first time theyre trying to unify to give themselves a bigger voice. Dan arvetion lewisa lewis in jerusalem with that story. Telling potential arab voters who make up 20 of israels population youve got to make your voice heard in israeli elections this week, dont stay home he says. Cotter explains four of the arab israeli parties are united under one group. Using social media to get the word out expected voter turnout could be much higher than in other elections. Recent arab student cavism activism has been intense. Ahmed teedy first elected to the Israeli Knesset in 1999 predicts a larger turnout. We decided to react to the demand in the street. Unite, you should unite. And accomplish what . One voice. Strong and influential. We want the citizen in the street, wants us to have much more influence on the decisionmaking process. Reporter not every student agrees with participating in elections in which minority arab parties are never invited into Jewish Coalition governments. They could easily say what, what are you talking about . Look we have arabs in our Zionist Parliament right they tear up bills we make in our own parliament. We have arabs who talk about the rights, they have freedom of express freedom of speech everything. What are you talking about . That is not freedom. Thats just illusion. I cannot contribute to that illusion. More and more seem to be willing to participate. Believing they will emerge with a more powerful voice. I think they can do something at last. Because when they got united together all the parties together all the arab parties together they can make a step forward much easier right now. What would be a step forward . To make a voice of the minority to make it louder for people to hear it. Ali, these arab parties will not be asked to join any Jewish Coalition that might be put together after tuesday night but if they get 13 o15 seats it gives them quite a big voice in the knesset and more importantly more immediately than that is tuesday night there is not going to be any clear winner likely. So the president who has a ceremonial position in israel suddenly becomes more important hes got to go to the parties he thinks more likely to form a Coalition Government and the aishz may havearabs would have a piece in that and ahmed told me it would be good to have netanyahu defeated going around. Would it be a collection of votes that they otherwise would have gotten . Well you know up until now theyve sort of been a side show a fringe party but no, they will have a much greater voice in the knesset. Some important votes were lost on the relocation of 70,000 bed 70,000 bedoins in the israeli desert. Bigger voice absolutely. Youve spent a lot of time in israel. One of the Big Questions was the cost of affordable homes. A lot of people associate that with netanyahus term in office. Hes not shifted his campaign to address housing and cost of living issues. Well, thats right. I heard your guest the rabbi say that these parties that are running against netanyahu are in fact running on some platform of just getting cozier with the United States on foreign policy. It is far from that. The absolute largest issue in this campaign, while netanyahu has tried to make it security, it is the economy. We were out in peoples homes today where they pay 800 in rent and they basically take 35 of their salaries to pay for their housing. There has been no large Public Housing plans that have come to fruition under netanyahu. And an economist told me today he is so far behind the train he couldnt shift his policy, his Campaign Policy right now if he wanted to. Because if you put in planning or the construction for affordable Public Housing in israel there is so much bureaucracy it takes you about ten years from the time you put in the planning to the time it comes to fruition. Billions of dollars of settlement in the west bank but the domestic issues when it came to housing and the economy, it is the big issue in the selection for voters and it may cost netanyahu the election tuesday night. Dana lewis joining us there from jerusalem. I want to go back to the rabbi for a moment on this particular topic. The opposition to netanyahu is not just focused according to dana on issues with america but daytoday issues that Prime Minister netanyahu has gambled away from. Foremost in peoples mind payingpeoples minds ispaying your rent. But they live with genocidal threats from hezbollah and iran, its just that the opposition is saying nefnlt cant netanyahu cant fix this because he is too bellicose. Is iran truly a threat . Now of course when you are dealing with daytoday existential issues of paying the rent the view of the leader is to look beyond. Is iran still threatening to wipe israel off the map . Yes, daily which makes kind of a mockery to all the negotiations were having on that. What has been write a lot by israel this move may be strategic about the opponents of netanyahu to focus on the economy because they might actually win. Listen, netanyahu has been Prime Minister for nine years broken up, they speak of bibi fatigue, most people believe that israel is disproportionately focused on the United States, but netanyahu has international stature. Hertzog nobody has heard of him. Foreign leader Winston Church hill the only other foreign politician who last spoken before the u. S. Congress three times. Let the israeli Voters Decide what is the most important. Stay right there. Why the u. S. Depends on a robust presence in the west bank. Building new settlements is counterproductive to peace . Back in two minutes. Im journeyed again by rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Rabbi good to have you here. Thank you so much. I want to get your reaction to dana lewiss story and the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu cleared whatever misconceptions, if he is elected there will be no two state solutions no palestinian state. There were many that thought that was his position for a while. Even in a 2009 speech he says otherwise. What do you feel about that . I like your reporting on israel, even though i dont agree with the policies. Of course. Here you have arab Political Parties running free and fair in israel, they dont have to fear their government in lebanon syria, egypt, that is the beauty of israel, it is a democracy. Is it to have the west bank to go to Mahmoud Abbas who hasnt had elections in six years he throws anyone against him in jail. Israel is a full and functioning democracy, people are afraid that the demographics they are 20 of israel. Im not afraid of that. I want to see arabs being fully fledged citizens. What i dont want to seize is another terrorist organization like hazmat which is a far greater issue for palestinians, the suppression of Political Rights the beauty about israelis and palestinians is they both have a desire for Self Determination not for israelis to make it for them. The world is full of people who dont make good decisions on their own behalf. Fair enough but where do we draw the borders as to who makes decisions . United states to let South Carolina in 1860 go its own way but its part of the United States. Is there room for another palestinian state there . Good for palestinians and israelis . Take gaza for example israelis withdrew completely from gaza, there are no more elections there, they are brutalizing the israelis, my fear is theres going to be another hazmat on israels eastern and western border. What is the solution Going Forward . What the Zionist Union is they will still go for a two state solution, again israel is split on this. Im not sure that the palestinians are still in favor of a two state solution, why does hazmat not in favor of a two state solution, hazmats charter calls hamas abbas hasnt visited gaza for six or seven years hes afraid for his life. The solution is one state solution small timetable where they can vote for knesset just like 1. 5 arabdescraisrael citizens can. You and i can disagree, a persons right to be governed how they want. They stopped all votes. They were elected through votes and so was the palestinian authority. And the nazis were elected through votes they abolished all votes. Why didnt hamas go to a vote now, why doesnt abbas to go to a vote now . Whats he afraid of. I dont want palestinians in the wrchg of west west bank not to have votes. Only to have them under israeli governance. Through voting for parliamentary elections where they can have parties in a country that said it is a jewish country. Then again i lived in the United Kingdom i was a rabbi at oxford. I didnt feel i was a second class citizens. Iraq the United States last several months. I dont think having a definition would in any way disenfranchise citizens, former israeli president to jail for Sexual Harassment that could never happen in a place that practiced any kind of prejudice. It can have a jewish character with still according full rights to Israeli Citizens. No palestinian state . I dont think a two state solution is realistic. With abbas so the viewer doesnt think were getting looked up on lingo. The state of israel which now has 1. 5 million equal arab citizens voting, id like them giving votes you say danas reporting part of their complaint is they are not equal. I believe that they are but if they feel that way then we have to address that. They are full Israeli Citizens i love that israel has full Israeli Citizens and the fact that they are speaking openly, are they afraid of anyone, they are talking under international television. It actually happens when al jazeera reports on them, we go and find these guys. Rabbi thank you very much being i enjoy very much being on your show. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach the author of 30 books. Some have only sold 30. Thank you rabbi. That is our show. We will have coverage of the israeli election on Al Jazeera America, thank you so much for joining us. On Al Jazeera America technology. Its a vital part of who we are. They had some dynamic fire behavior. And what we do. Dont try this at home tech know where Technology Meets humanity. Only on Al Jazeera America going to the polls. Voters in israel prepare to choose a new parliament and Prime Minister. How the outcome could impact the relationship with the palestinians and the u. S. Full disclosure a. C. L. U. 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