Last Friday, the chairman of the National Union Party, MK Bezalel Smotritch, sent a large bouquet of flowers to Bayit Yehudi chairman Rabbi Rafi Peretz. It was a few hours before the two reached an agreement to jointly run in the elections, according to which Rabbi Peretz would head the list while Smotritch would be given the opportunity to choose the top job. But on Motzaei Shabbos, Peretz called Smotritch to tell him that he had reconsidered. “We will get to choose the first job also,” Rabbi Peretz said.

Smotritch was surprised and told Peretz it was doubtful that both parties would reach the Knesset if they ran separately. But Rabbi Peretz refused to back down, and now the deal is off. Both parties might find themselves outside the Knesset in April.

Over at Likud, party chairman Binyamin Netanyahu’s attempts to cut down rival Gideon Sa’ar ended in abysmal failure. Sa’ar placed fifth on the Likud list, and his ally, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, placed third. Meanwhile, candidates that had supported Netanyahu through his various investigations did not perform as well as expected, including David Bitan, a Likud heavyweight. All of those supported by Netanyahu in various regions lost to their rivals, among them Sa’ar or Katz loyalists.

In an interview with Mishpacha, MKs Bitan and David Amsalem said the poor results would require party members to reevaluate their relationship with Netanyahu and might require a transfer of loyalties altogether.

In this context it is wise to pay attention to remarks by Culture Minister Miri Regev and Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel, who said they included Sa’ar’s name on their list despite Netanyahu’s objections. Last week, Netanyahu called some of the new people on the list, including former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat and former chief of staff candidate General Yoav Galant, and congratulated them. It is needless to say who he didn’t call — namely Gideon Sa’ar.

But history might repeat itself. In the summer of 2014, Reuven Rivlin won the race for Israel’s presidency, over Netanyahu’s objections. In the weeks leading up to the vote, Netanyahu tried, among other things, to dissolve the position of president altogether and offer the job to Elie Wiesel and Shimon Peres, who both refused. After Rivlin was appointed, Rivlin went to Netanyahu and gave him an earful.

The next day, Sarah Netanyahu called First Lady Nechama Rivlin. “We supported you the whole way,” she said sweetly. “Don’t believe what they say in the media.” Given this precedent, perhaps Geulah Even-Sa’ar will be getting a phone call soon.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 748)