On Aug. 4, the investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned from dark clouds hovering over his head to the perfect storm. Netanyahu’s twice former chief of staff Ari Harow, the person who served as Netanyahu’s ultimate confidante, with access to all of his most intimate chambers, signed an agreement with the State Attorney's Office. Harow agreed to be a state witness against Netanyahu.

It is hard to imagine Netanyahu receiving any more of a resounding blow. Harow gave detailed testimony against the prime minister, giving a major boost to Case 1000 (the gifts allegedly received by Netanyahu from businesspeople in exchange for favors) and Case 2000 (Netanyahu's conversations with the publisher of Yedioth Ahronot Arnon Mozes for a positive coverage deal). It is also conceivable that Harow will provide information on other cases involving Netanyahu, such as the submarine affair or the far-reaching investigation into Bezeq phone company and the Ministry of Communications.

Once Harow signed the agreement with the State Attorney's Office, the question whether the prime minister will eventually be indicted suddenly became irrelevant. Unless something completely unexpected happens, all that is left to be asked is when he will be indicted. While Israeli law states that a prime minister can continue in office until he is convicted, Netanyahu's situation is desperate. Poll results released by Channel 10 on Aug. 6 show that some 51% of Israelis do not believe the prime minister's version of events, as compared to 27% who do. When asked whether Netanyahu will have to resign if and when he is indicted, 66% of respondents answered "yes."

This is very bad news for Netanyahu, but there is more. The polls now show that if Netanyahu resigns and is replaced as leader of the Likud, the number of seats the party stands to win rises from 27 to 31. While Netanyahu should find these numbers disconcerting, what really keeps him up at night are the ongoing investigations.