''Do you think that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crossed the Rubicon?” That was the question I asked Knesset member [and former Minister of Justice, Minister of Internal Security and Minister of Intelligence and Nuclear Affairs] Tzachi Hanegbi. It is a question that political and diplomatic commentators alike have been trying to crack ever since the renewal of negotiations with the Palestinians was announced. “If he believes that the Palestinians have gone the necessary distance on such issues as security, Jerusalem, the settlement blocs and refugees and have reached their own red lines, Netanyahu will be prepared to take huge steps in their direction,” Hanegbi responded.

While he offered no solution to the original conundrum, he did provide an original distinction instead of the conventional wisdom within the political system, and particularly on the right, which contends that Netanyahu is not interested in reaching an agreement and simply wants to win himself some more time when dealing with the Americans. In contrast, Hanegbi thinks that the prime minister is ready to make concessions that will lead to an agreement ending the conflict. He also believes that if Netanyahu is persistent, the extremists in the Likud Party will not be able to undermine that agreement.

Hanegbi is one of the political figures closest to Netanyahu. He was a minister in his first government, and even after he left the Likud for the Kadima Party, Hanegbi paid frequent visits to Netanyahu’s office. As for Netanyahu, he constantly pleaded with Hanegbi to return to the Likud, and made sure that he would serve as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, a position he held for five years. Some claim that the reason the two men are so close is that they see eye to eye on the Iranian issue — Hanegbi has expressed support for unilateral action by Israel in the event that the Americans fail to act.

Hanegbi returned to the Likud just before the last elections. Netanyahu wanted to appoint him as a minister, but the Likud failed to receive the number of votes it anticipated, and Hanegbi was forced to make do with the position of chairman of the Knesset Committee. He is slated to change positions with Deputy Minister Ofir Akunis in two years, but as someone who served as a minister in governments headed by Netanyahu, former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert — and is considered to be an expert on both security and political issues — that is considered to be a minor post for him.