Back in power, Israel’s Left finds its influence is limited

By TIA GOLDENBERG
Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Small dovish parties that support Palestinian statehood are back in Israel’s government after years in the country’s political wilderness – but they are finding their influence is limited. West Bank settlement advocates in Israel’s governing coalition are showing little appetite for compromise and the country’s decades-long occupation is churning on. The parties are having to rein themselves in as hopes for a Palestinian state slip further away. Settlement construction is booming and peace talks are a distant memory. These settlement opponents say their presence in the coalition is important and that the alternative is worse.