Israeli roller coaster politics continues to break its own records. Over one weekend, two dramatic records were broken that turned the political map upside down, created a new reality and updated the rules of the game toward the showdown anticipated in the coming weeks.

The impression is that a real struggle is taking place between two veteran wolves who were once allies, but became bitter adversaries: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman. The opening shots were fired by Netanyahu who, on the afternoon of Nov. 8, only a few minutes before Shabbat, announced that he had decided to appoint New Right senior Naftali Bennett as defense minister in the transition government under his aegis. This surprising turn of events, which aroused much talk throughout the entire Middle East, is the result of the heavy pressures on Netanyahu. It was rumored that Bennett and his partner Ayelet Shaked were in contact with the Blue and White heads and were seriously considering jumping Netanyahu’s ship and crossing the lines to join the other side.

These contacts were part of the psychological warfare that Bennett inflicted on Netanyahu — and it worked. In his nightmares, Netanyahu saw the three Knesset members of the New Right — Bennett, Shaked and Matan Kahane — join the Gantz government, thus enabling it to pass the government confidence vote in the Knesset even without the support of the Arab members of Knesset (who could choose to absent themselves on the day of the vote, or appear but abstain from the vote). Netanyahu made the decision to eat the frog; he even ignored his wife’s forceful opposition to entrust the person who had once been chief of Netanyahu’s staff, to be the new patron of the entire Israeli army.

Netanyahu’s decision reflects the level of his panic. It complicated his position in his inner front within the Likud, where heavyweights — such as Knesset member Avi Dichter, the former Shin Bet head, and Knesset member Gen. (Res.) Yoav Galant — were vying for the important position. But Netanyahu is not interested in Likud-internal politics now. His highest ultimate is to retain the right-wing, ultra-Orthodox bloc he created, at any price. Fifty-five Knesset members swore allegiance to him: They are the insurance policy for his political life, and perhaps also for his personal liberty.