The only reason that Israel hasn't had a government for the past half year is because Netanyahu did not want to go to jail. This will probably change things, but I don't totally understand why it will. Everyone knew those indictments were coming. Bibi made granting him immunity from the inevitable prosecution an express condition on giving Likud's support to any government. So if indictments were a given, why does the formal announcement of those indictments even matter?
It will matter. Likud might now actually dump Netanyahu and find another front person who doesn't insist on a get-out-of-jail card for his personal corruption, which would clear the way for a deal on a governing coalition. I just don't understand why the inevitable indictment wasn't already baked into the negotiations once it became clear that Netanyahu was not going to be able to negotiate impunity for himself even as he held the entire country hostage over that demand.
