As Israel’s Straight Chips, Netanyahu is provoked by the former protégé

But after failing to challenge Mr Netanyahu for the Likud leadership in late 2019, Mr Saar broke away to form his own party, called the New Hope. That group offers a right-wing alternative to Mr Netanyahu for the upcoming March 23 elections, the fourth parliamentary election in less than two years.

Unlike the Israeli elections of the last decade, where Mr Netanyahu defended the challenges of the left and center, Mr Saar poses a serious leadership challenge to his former mentor on the right.

This poses a significant threat to Mr Netanyahu, who faces criticism over how he has treated the coronavirus pandemic and its corruption process. If Mr Saar can continue to remove Mr Netanyahu’s support among right-wing parties in parliament, he could block the return of the incumbent prime minister.

“Everything is paralyzed,” Saar said in an interview in his Tel Aviv apartment, where he lives with his wife and two young children. Mr. Netanyahu “puts his personal interests on the good of the country,” he added.

It is unclear whether voters will put their faith in an untested leader like Mr. Saar. Mr Netanyahu, known as Bibi, has been in power for 15 years, through two wars with Hamas militants in Gaza and increased tensions with Iran. In recent months, Mr Netanyahu has been involved in brokering diplomatic normalization agreements with Arab neighbors in the Gulf and is chairing the world’s fastest launch of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Netanyahu’s supporters dismiss Saar as a “political opportunist” who left Likud after losing support in the party.

“Saar brings together a group of backbenchers shouting ‘No Bibi’ from the stands as the prime minister leads the revolutionary vaccination program ‘Operation Back to Life’, which is a model for the world,” said a statement from the Likud party refers to the vaccination campaign.

Mr Saar’s political positions are similar to those of Mr Netanyahu. He is a staunch supporter of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which have expanded under Mr Netanyahu and drawn criticism abroad, including in the past from President Biden.

Mr Saar does not support a freeze on construction or the establishment of a Palestinian state, but would support Mr Netanyahu’s recent promise not to annex parts of the West Bank as part of diplomatic normalization agreements. Mr Saar also opposes the US return to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, which Mr Biden has said he wants to renegotiate.

While Mr Saar does not differ much from Mr Netanyahu’s policy, he says it will bring a new beginning to the relationship with the new US president. “I can handle the Biden administration better than Netanyahu and do so while protecting our national interests and without bringing anything from the past that could bother us,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu’s relationship with the Obama administration has been strained, in part because of the US nuclear deal with Iran, a staunch rival of Israel. In the last election, Mr. Netanyahu campaigned with huge billboards to shake hands with former President Donald Trump, calling the Republican leader Israel’s best friend ever in the White House.

“Even though they are from different political perspectives, he is not Netanyahu,” said Martin Indyk, a distinguished colleague at the Foreign Relations Council. “Biden will want to have a positive constructive relationship with the Israeli prime minister.”

Although Mr Saar is pushing some supporters away from Mr Netanyahu, Likud is projected to remain the largest party in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. The Yesh Atid party, under centrist Yair Lapid, is also growing at the polls, complicating Mr Saar’s request to frame the next vote as a right-wing contest.

The role played by ultra-Orthodox religious parties could be important in the race between Netanyahu and Saar. Mr Netanyahu relied on them for political support. Mr Saar has not ruled out staying with them in a future government, but so far those parties have indicated they will continue to support Netanyahu.

For both politicians, navigating in support of the ultra-Orthodox is politically complex.

Israeli ultra-Orthodox communities resisted coronavirus restrictions and clashed with police during protests against them. This has sparked anger among other Israelis and frustration among public health officials, who believe the continued violation of the rules undermines the coronavirus effort.

To become prime minister, a candidate must gather a 61-seat majority coalition in the Knesset. A recent poll by an Israeli radio station shows that New Hope is gaining 17 seats out of Likud’s 30. In this scenario, Mr Netanyahu could no longer form a ruling coalition, given that a number of parties refuse to form a coalition with the prime minister.

“By the time Saar broke out, you were reluctant to say that Netanyahu was the only game in town,” said Reuven Hazan, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Now, all of a sudden, Netanyahu is surrounded by enemies.”

The loss of Israel’s top government office would push Mr. Netanyahu into dangerous territory. He was indicted last year for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with allegations that he accepted expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen in exchange for official favors and offered two media moguls regulatory and financial benefits. in exchange for positive press coverage. He denies wrongdoing. He failed in an attempt to gain parliamentary immunity that would have protected him from prosecution while in office last year. His trial is set to resume next month.

If Mr Netanyahu does not return to the post of prime minister, he cannot serve in a governing coalition because of an Israeli law requiring ministers to resign if they are accused. This law does not apply to prime ministers. Such a setback would also complicate any efforts by the loyalists to pass a law to protect Mr Netanyahu from being tried while working as prime minister.

Daniel Tarlow, a 48-year-old man who owns a catering business and lives in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Elazar, said this time he would support Mr Saar instead of Mr Netanyahu because he believed the prime minister did not managed to help small businesses during the pandemic.

“I’m tired of his politics and tricks,” Mr Tarlow said of Mr Netanyahu. “I believe Saar is a real Likud politician … If Bibi has been forced aside, that means there is enough substance for you.”

—Dov Lieber contributed to this article.

Write to Felicia Schwartz to [email protected]