A serious crisis loomed over the inauguration of Benjamin Netanyahu’s first government back in June 1996. The newly appointed Foreign Minister David Levy gave Netanyahu a stern ultimatum and said that he would not be joining Netanyahu's government unless an appropriate position was found for Ariel Sharon. The two men, Levy and Sharon, had a political alliance at the time, so when Netanyahu, who felt threatened by Sharon, decided to keep him out of the government in an effort to eliminate him politically, Levy rose to his colleague’s defense. As a result, a new economic portfolio, the Ministry of National Infrastructures, was created especially for Sharon, and the Netanyahu government was sworn in on schedule.

Similarly, just two days earlier during that same time period, senior Likud Knesset member Benny Begin had threatened Netanyahu that he would also stay out of the government unless an appropriate post was found for Dan Meridor. Even though he was originally shunted aside as a dangerous political rival, Meridor was eventually appointed finance minister.

Now, exactly 23 years later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is about to form his fifth government — but today, he is politically stronger than ever. This time, the role of the dangerous enemy from within has been taken by senior Likud member Gideon Saar, the person thought to have the best chance to take over from Netanyahu one day.

Saar is considered quite popular. He is also thought of giving voice to values within the Likud. In the last primary to choose the party’s Knesset list in February 2019, he was elected to the fourth-place slot. Over the last few days, however, he reached the inevitable conclusion that he would not be appointed to a senior position under Netanyahu, and that he may not even be made a minister at all. Under these circumstances, he had no qualms about going to the media and saying what many other senior members of the Likud thought to themselves but were afraid to say openly: The Immunity Law being pushed by Netanyahu is intended entirely for his own personal protection and would eventually cause serious damage to the party as a whole. In an interview with Channel 12 News, Saar explained that personal legislation would undermine public trust in the government and that someone gave the prime minister bad advice. Saar added that he “isn’t the only one who’s concerned” within Likud’s top ranks.