TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has left the Middle East with public divisions between the United States and Israel at perhaps their worst level since Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began in October. Wrapping up a four-nation Mideast trip — his fifth to the region since the conflict erupted — Blinken was returning to Washington after getting a virtual slap in the face from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a proposed cease-fire plan, Netanyahu said the war would continue until Israel is completely victorious and appeared to reject outright a response from Hamas to the cease-fire proposal. Yet Blinken and other U.S. officials said they remained optimistic that progress could be made.