Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu left no shortage of hot potatoes on his desk. Some are political time bombs that are still ticking, such as the deeply rooted enmity between Israel and Jordan.

The importance of the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace agreement for Israel’s national security cannot be overstated. The same goes for Jordan, which depends on Israel in many significant aspects, such as the 50 million cubic meters of Sea of Galilee water that Israel provides Jordan annually, as well as intelligence, military and economic cooperation. Analysts have long contended that Israeli power is practically the only deterrence to efforts by dangerous waves of radicals, such as the Islamic State group, Iranian militias or other subversive elements to unseat and expel the Hashemite family and establish a de facto Palestinian state in Jordan.

Netanyahu’s successor is troubled by a question: What made the veteran leader sabotage highly complex and sensitive relations with the state that shares Israel's longest border? Israeli prime ministers have always valued relations with Jordan as a strategic anchor and a tremendous national security asset. Netanyahu obviously knew this, despite reportedly approving the failed assassination attempt of Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Jordan in 1997 during his first term as prime minister.

When Netanyahu returned to power in 2009, he sought to preserve this important relationship, but his actions in more recent years defy explanation. His reluctance, say analysts, brought about the cancelation of the Red-Dead agreement signed with Jordan under the auspices of the World Bank and various international funds with sweeping US backing.