Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged accusations with former minister and fellow Likud member Gideon Sa’ar over the past two days, with Netanyahu accusing Sa’ar of plotting against him. Netanyahu's actions can be seen as a reflection of the uncertainty of the next election, with criminal investigations hovering over him.

While it is possible that the prime minister is paranoid, the bottom line is that everything Netanyahu did is part of his fight for survival. It meant removing Sa’ar, who has regained public and political strength over the last few months and is frequently mentioned as Netanyahu’s heir. It also meant preventing a scenario based on rumors surrounding President Reuven Rivlin, who is despised by Netanyahu but is a close friend of Sa’ar. The rumor goes that Rivlin will prevent Netanyahu from forming the next government.

How? The law states that after the election, the president gives the task of forming a new government to the Knesset member he believes has the best chance of assembling a majority. The law does not require the president to pick the head of the largest party, nor does it state that it even has to be head of a party. After the 2009 elections, President Shimon Peres tasked Likud head Netanyahu to compose a government, though Kadima head Tzipi Livni amassed more Knesset seats.

Ostensibly, Rivlin could decide after the next election that Sa’ar is best suited to form a government even if Netanyahu, as head of the Likud, wins the election by a huge margin.