Yes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to prevent Blue and White leader Benny Gantz from forming a new government. Still, there is no real value to the letters of commitment that Netanyahu has gotten his partners in the ultra-Orthodox parties and on the right to sign. The effort is futile. Under the right circumstances, any potential coalition partner can choose to ignore such a document after signing it, citing the need to follow a ruling by their movements or the dictates of the rabbis. Thus it makes no sense that most of the partners in Netanyahu’s bloc responded so positively to his demand for absolute loyalty. Surely they must have noticed that for the second time in half a year, their leader can’t form a government.

The document that Netanyahu’s “natural partners” — Shas, Yahadut HaTorah and HaBayit HaYehudi–National Union — were coaxed to sign Oct. 16 is disturbing. The agreement reads, “If, God forbid, a minority government is sworn in with the support of the Joint List, either from outside the coalition or as a part of it, we will not join the government at any stage, we will vote against it in every vote, and we will do everything we can to topple it.” Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked of the New Right declined to sign the agreement. It is especially worth noting the formula used to appeal to the ultra-Orthodox parties. The expression “God forbid” in this context is reserved for natural disasters or other cataclysmic events, which man alone cannot prevent.

As if that were not enough, Knesset member Miki Zohar (Likud), Netanyahu emissary and henchman who led the initiative to dissolve the 21st Knesset on the prime minister's behalf, added clarity to the situation, tweeting a suggestion that treated the mandate to govern as if it were some kind of personal object belonging to Netanyahu: “I call on the prime minister, do not return your mandate to form a government to the president until [Yisrael Beitenu leader] Liberman announces that he will not allow [Blue and White leaders] Gantz and [Yair] Lapid to form a minority government with the support of the [Arab] Joint List. If, God forbid that does happen [i.e., such a government is formed], the people who form that government will be exposed to extortion on security affairs by the Joint List. This puts all of our safety at risk, without even knowing what the Iranians learned by tapping Gantz’s phone.”

In other words, Zohar asserts that anyone who cooperates with Arab Knesset members is prone to extortion by them, thereby becoming security threats to the State of Israel. In short, a person cooperating could essentially be considered a traitor. Netanyahu and his Likud associates have a long history of inciting against Israeli Arabs in general and Arab Knesset members in particular. This time, however, it looks like his breaking point is a lot more brittle. Unable to form a government, he is prepared to cross every red line imaginable.