“After the spectacular collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to build a coalition threw Israel into an unprecedented do-over election, Israeli public attention on Thursday was glued to two politicians,” the New York Times reports.

“One was Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister for the last 10 years, but the other was not Benny Gantz, his main challenger in the election last month. Instead, the first day of the new election campaign was dominated by Mr. Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of a small ultranationalist party and former coalition partner who has become anathema to Mr. Netanyahu.”

“That divide, between the ultrareligious right and the secular right, has for the moment eclipsed the old left-right divide in Israel. It proved to be Mr. Netanyahu’s undoing on Wednesday, his deadline to form a governing coalition, and could be critical in the next election, scheduled for Sept. 17.”

President Trump claimed the Golan Heights is “important strategically” for Israel because “heights… you’re up high,” Vox reports.

He explained: “So that’s been under consideration for 52 years, for 52 years they told me they’d been studying it. This is very important strategically for victory, heights, because you’re up high, very important. Fifty-two years ago this started and I did it quickly. Done. It’s all done.”

Israeli Prime Mininster Benjamin Netanyahu said he will name a town in the Golan Heights after President Trump, the Jerusalem Post reports.

“President Trump’s tweet recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory surprised members of his own Middle East peace team, the State Department, and Israeli officials,” McClatchy reports.

“No formal U.S. process or executive committees were initiated to review the policy before Trump’s decision, and the diplomats responsible for implementing the policy were left in the dark.”

“Even the Israelis, who have advocated for this move for years, were stunned at the timing of Trump’s message.”

President Trump will officially recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the Middle East Monitor reports.

Said Trump: “After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!”

Playbook: “This could be a massive boost to Benjamin Netanyahu, who will be in the United States next week to meet with President Trump. Elections in Israel are April 9.

“Palestinians’ anger erupted as American and Israeli officials prepared to celebrate President Trump’s move of the embassy to Jerusalem, which previous American administrations have been unwilling to do,” the New York Times reports.

“Many Israelis see the relocation of the embassy as simply acknowledging that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. But Palestinians, who hope to see the eastern part of Jerusalem become the capital of a Palestinian state, see the move as an abdication of any vestige of American impartiality in determining the region’s future.”

“Palestinian officials say at least 41 people have died in the latest round of protests… At least 1,700 Palestinian demonstrators were also wounded along the border fence with Gaza.”

“The Trump administration is considering an offer from Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson to pay for at least part of a new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem,” the AP reports.

“Lawyers at the State Department are looking into the legality of accepting private donations to cover some or all of the embassy costs, the administration officials said. The discussions are occurring as the new embassy clears its final bureaucratic hurdles.”

“The Israeli police recommended on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, casting a pall over the future of a tenacious leader who has become almost synonymous with his country,” the New York Times reports.

“The announcement instantly raised doubts about his ability to stay in office.”

The BBC has a good backgrounder on the scandal.