it doesn't matter who wins israel's elections prime minister neath's campaign has exposed a truth, israel and mesh do not see eye to eye on a lot of things. i'll look at the fractures that need to be fixed. plus, new clashes on the west bank reminding everyone of the crisis that's not going away no matter who leads israel. we'll ask the palestinian ambassador about state hood after the vote.

special coverage begins right now. israelis have cast their votes and negotiations will begin in earnest to begin a coalition to run the country how far long it takes. israel's next government will face three huge policy rifts with the united states that prime minister benjamin netanyahu do so much to expose. first off, the peace talks between israelis and palestinians. talks the u.s. sponsored before they broke down last year. the second is over continued expansion of israeli settlements in jerusalem and the united states. finally, they need to soothing the bad blood over negotiations with iran. it's no secret that president

obama and prime minister netanyahu don't get along. but the damage that's been done will take some time to repair. whether netanyahu stays on as prime minister or not. the prime minister's controversial speech before congress was just the latest in a string of clashes that illustrate the divergence of interests between the united states and israel. the next government of israel will still view iran as a long term threat that should be kept in a box preferably through sanctions or military force. the united states wantses to nail down a deal and there is a similar divergence with the united states that netanyahu has exposed on peace between israelis and palestinians. while a plurality of palestinians still support a two-state solution nearly two decades of u.s.-sponsored negotiations have failed to achieve that.

successive israeli governments whether on the left or the right have pledged to hold on to gentlemenjerusalem -- none of that is likely to change with israel's next government but the rift that netanyahu did so much to expose with the obama administration is going to confront whoever leads israel's next government. we go now to tel aviv and dana lewis. yesterday we spoke about whether or not this was a referendum over netanyahu's push for iran or negotiations in israel. do the exit polls tell us anything about which argument won out? >>reporter: well it may be overly simplistic to say -- netanyahu certainly focused on the security issues in his campaign but also here at the headquarters of the left they

really believe that people caught fire with the economy and the economic issues and their concerns about rental prices and housing. when i was at the polls today, some of the election centers, people were talking about how they wanted change because of the economy and they don't really feel that the security threat was number one here. i just talked to one of the elected members of the zionist block and she's quite prominent in that group. she says never mind netanyahu's tweet about victory, it's not done right now and then the president could still approach the left to form a government so they are not saying that they have lost tonight and in fact they believe that there is still a lot of negotiation to come in the coming days and they don't believe that netanyahu's coalition building favors his party right now. i think other analysts says otherwise that they seem initially to be in a better

place when you look at these election results but we'll have to see in the coming days when the president sits with the various parties. i can tell you the one thing in answer to your question about what issue really caught fire here. they're saying that netanyahu on the left the left wing says that he really resorted to dirty tricks calling the arabs a threat israeli arabs a danger to israel and today he was putting up messages that the left wing the zionist camp was busting arabs out and that netanyahu was using scare tactics to rally the vote tonight but one way or the other he's rallied his vote coming from 22 seats up to 27 or 28. we'll see the firm results in the next 12 to 24 hours or so. but indeed this issue of security seems to have faded but he did manage to get his motors out tonight. the right came out in very big

numbers giving them large numbers at zionist union headquarters al jazeera is in nazareth. she's at the joint list an alliance of arab parties expected to run third tonight. >>reporter: there are a lot of celebrations and this is an atmosphere of jubilation. the people have come together to run in this election under one ticket and encourage the arab population of israel to vote for this one political party are saying that this is a major achievement for palestinians and that the voting rates among palestinian residents of israel is the highest in this election since 1999. they say the major achievements they've been able to accomplish is that they are now the third

largest political party in the israeli -- this is unprecedented in israeli. it is a major and significant achievement for the palestinians because they only constitute 20% of israel's population and have long felt alienated by the population here. they're also saying that they're going to prevent a right wing government from being formed in the -- through -- because they are the third largest political party. they say they're going to block block people like netanyahu and leiberman. they've also said that they would not yet talk about whether they'll recommend a candidate to the israeli president when the

deliberations and discussions begin in the coming days between president riblin and the heads of the political parties where he will ask each party who they would recommend to form a coalition government. they say they want to wait they want to be patient, and they want to listen and really focus and concentrate on these deliberations. now, there is -- if hers is recommended unless he is able to get the joint list on board. the joint list has said that it has not decided whether it will join a coalition with hers or anyone else and may actually remain herzog -- to form a

coalition government or whether they only serve on committees. they say that this gives palestinian israelis a much bigger chance than before as blocking what they describe as racist israeli policies by the israeli government in the future. >> so they will have a very important role in the coming days even though they have said they will not form part of one of those two factions governments. thank you for joining us. palestinian statehood was not a major issue in the israeli elections but you can bet the outcome will play a big role in the issue going forward. new clashes hours away in the west bank. here with me in just two minutes.

>> sunday. >> you have to look at the suffering of these children. >> director of unicef, anthony lake. >> every one of those numbers is an individual child. >> helping the innocent victims of war. >> what can unicef do?

>> there's a very short answer... our best. >> every sunday night. >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping. inspiring. entertaining. talk to al jazeera. sunday, 6:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. welcome back. initial exit polling indicates prime minister benjamin netanyahu is neck and neck with the zionist union. let's go to tel aviv for more. >>reporter: the mood here is pretty interesting at the zionist union headquarters. people here very pleased. the fact of the matter is that it's going to be pretty tricky for the leader isaac herzog to

form a government. if you look at the he can to recall map and the various parties he may be able to form a coalition government with it doesn't quite look like he's got the right numbers. in saying that he may have a guardian angel if you will and that might just be the president. the president has the authority to effectively tap either mr. herzog or netanyahu to form a government. there's a precedence here. it may look like the night is in mr. herzog's favor, it's happened in the past where the president has allowed the party with less of a chance to form a coalition to at least try and one would imagine that the zionist union camp is hoping for, to do the horse trading they need to in order to get that crucial number of 61 seats to form a government. >> palestine's ambassador to the

u.n. says any successive government has to confront the issue of establishing an independent state for the palestinians. he says that that's still going to be a problem no matter who wins but a stronger arab israeli voice might change that. good to have you back on the show. >> thank you for having me. >> this issue, let's start with this issue of the joint list the arabs who have won the largest number of seats that they have ever won. how does that help or hurt the chances of a state of palestine. >> i think it would help a lot because first of all, this is the first time that we have among the palestinian israelis one united political party. it will be the third largest israeli political party so they will play a big role in determining many things and definitely there will be strong

support for the end of occupation and independence of the state of palestine. >> except that benjamin netanyahu who may well form a government has now said and made clear that he is not interested in a two-state solution. >> well i think that he did that in order to appeal to his extremist base. maybe that helped him a bit, taking some of the words from -- not that he added anything more. just from the shift ferv one extremist political party. he will be facing if he succeeds in forming a government. he will be facing a global isolation because there is global consensus on the two-state solution including the support from the united states and europe. in addition to the fact that he is reversing himself. a few years ago in the speech he supported the two-state

solution. so now for him to say that he will not allow a palestinian state to take place, it means that he is heading into further isolation for israel . >> going back to the speech in congress that benjamin netanyahu has done things outside the norm to win this election. but that said can the palestinians say that they're holding an election for their people at some point in the past? why won't we see an election in the west bank? >> well we had several elections and let me just say that we had elections under the control of the israeli occupation and we have agreed that different political parties when we form the national consensus government less than a year ago one of the main functions of this government is

to prepare for elections and i hope that we will succeed in doing so and we'll see whether israel will obstruct this process, for example, obstruct the palestinians who are citizens of jerusalem. for instance there's not a national election scheduled for the palestinian territories. >> once we declare the date of our national election. >> when do you think that's likely to happen? this was a government formed in 2005. elections were supposed to be four years later. they were extended 2010 2011 and just haven't happened. is it the fear that someone else will take over? >> the president in his speech in the central council three weeks ago said that i am ready to issue a decree deciding on the date of the election if all political parties agree to it including hamas and hamas is

saying that they agree to elections. so it is conceivable that an election date might be announced or decided upon hopefully soon. >> there's a lot of interest in israel about netanyahu as a character. there's a lot of interest around the world. but from a palestinian perspective, does it matter whether it's the zionist union or lecud leading the government. one is more apt to have conversation evers with the palestinians because the zionists didn't say we don't want a two-state solution. >> for us whoever is going to be leading israel if they abide by international law, by agreements that we have reached with them, by international resolutions including security council resolutions and by the

global consensus to end the occupation in order to allow for a two-state solution to take place. to stop the illegal activity of settlement activities and stop all the illegal things against the palestinian people under occupation including stealing our tax money because prime minister netanyahu decided unilaterally illegally to steal our tax monies that he collected. >> so you're saying that you'd rather have somebody rather than netanyahu as prime minister? >> regardless of who will be the next prime minister as long as they abide by these things and to give hope to both people that these will take place on the basis of the end of occupation and to have two states on the basis of 1967 borders, then if there is a prime minister we would welcome that. >> well we're covering this election quite thoroughly at al jazeera. when there are elections in the west bank we'll follow them as

carefully. >> and i will be delighted if you invite me to analyze it for you. >> good to see you, ambassador. thank you for being here with me. no matter who wins israel's relationship with america won't be fixed overnight. in two minutes we'll said to d.c. and jerusalem to find out what it will take to repair the rifts between these two allies.

we don't know and may not know for some time who the next prime minister of israel will be. what's at stake for america? >>reporter: well i think if benjamin netanyahu were to survive an remain prime minister of israel. it's going to be hard for him to turn back. general election in a different

constituency has to change his tune and move more towards the center. the prime minister has a very important constituency here in the united states. obviously a vital relationship of $3 billion a year in aid. that's just for starters. but to say that arab voters were turning out in record numbers and make that last minute desperate plea to turn out because of if threat to his own political party, that's not going to sit well with many on the left here in the united states and of course benjamin netanyahu's support on the left has been fraying over the course of the last couple of days. and of course going back on the two state solution the official israeli position for the last six years, the official u.s. position, since the previous administration of george w. bush that's going to but netanyahu in a bad position as well. it's hard to see how he's going to come back from this in terms of his relations with the

administration. i think the book is written and that is the last chapter in terms of any progress with the obama administration. the peace process which was in a shambles to begin with is now pretty much a goner. >> mike thank you so much. dan abell is a former israeli diplomat. how did you vote and why? >> how i vote is something i like to keep personal but obviously i'm hoping for change and am still hoping for change. 75% of israelis voted for change. it will be -- the jury is still out and we'll have to see how

that plays out in the next few days. >> right. this is obviously -- >> the numbers are not final and anything can still happen. >> this is one of those times -- >> anything could happen. >> correct. we're going to be paying attention to the peculiarities of the election system for a few days. but you did say that the zionist union will not play the u.s. congress against the administration the way bb has. interesting point, the issue though is one of style and not necessarily one of substance. if benjamin netanyahu is not the next prime minister of israel whoever is still does not want a bad deal with iran and is still going to be at odds with basic u.s. positions on the middle east. >> well, on iran i agree that if mr. herzog becomes prime

minister, he will not, you know be uncomfortable with the way negotiations are being handled at the moment. but i think that his style and what he wants to achieve will be to rather have a dialogue with the united states, a constructive dialogue and not play the card of congress against the administration. so if there are differences of opinion on iran then herzog would obviously want to air it out with the president himself in closed rooms and then see where it goes. obviously not to play with capitol hill. the palestinian issue, herzog is bringing a different message here. herzog supports the two-state solution which president obama supports and if herzog does become prime minister he will pursue the advancement of the two-state solution and negotiations. >> tell me about the type of

damage that these constant battles and slights that mike was talking about in the speech to congress by netanyahu and the comments that he will not have a palestinian state. how much will that ruin interactions between the united states and israel or will they be fixed? >> you know over the years, over decades, the united states and israel had unwritten rules and that actually guided the relationship. one of those ironclad unwritten rules was bipartisanship. and that was never crossed. once that red line was crossed by republicans on the american side and benjamin netanyahu on his side it creates a new situation where israel becomes a

political football between the two parties in the united states. that's something that for decades israel was trying to avoid. go back to business as usual with the obama administration for the 22 months that they still have on their clock. >> pleasure to talk to you. thank you for joining us tonight. he's currently a nonresident senior fellow at the center for policy. coming up issues for outrage over injustice did not begin in ferguson and won't end there either.

the cost of injustice right here. that's our show for today. thank you for joining us. >> an israeli election surprise, just hours after exit polls showed a dead heat, benjamin netanyahu moves ahead decisively in the race to become prime minister. >> congressman eric shock says he'll resign. his political career is over amid allegations of lavishly spending taxpayer money. >> volunteering, american veterans returning to the battlefield to fight isi