The Israeli right is terrified. The rumor has been going around for weeks, perhaps even months. Ministers, Knesset members, settlers, lobbyists and right-wing journalists have all been murmuring — sometimes loudly — about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move. The big plan. The historic abandonment of Judea and Samaria.
Even though he has been serving as the official leader of Israel's right since 1993 — with a short hiatus in favor of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon — Netanyahu has nonetheless not enjoyed the trust of the hard-core right. These people trust neither him nor his resilience. They are concerned by his low breaking point. They are convinced that under heavy, combined pressure, Netanyahu will have no problem "breaking" or feigning it. They are convinced that this moment is imminent.