The long winter session of the Knesset began this week with a feeling of trepidation within the ruling Likud party on two accounts.

The first is the lingering suspicion of many MKs that a peace treaty with the Palestinians is being hatched behind their backs. They were not reassured by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s hawkish speech last week at Bar-Ilan University.

The second is that as the verdict in Avigdor Lieberman’s breach of confidence case looms, uncertainty is growing over the future of Likud’s partnership with Yisrael Beiteinu.

A guilty verdict could force Mr Lieberman out of politics, although he would retain control of his party. Should Mr Lieberman decide to end the partnership between the two parties that ran together in the elections, Likud will be left with only 20 MKs, just one more than Yesh Atid.

One bone of contention between the partners could be the Governance Law proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu, which includes raising the electoral threshold to four per cent, making it very difficult for Arab parties to be elected. Likud originally supported the law but Mr Netanyahu is now reconsidering it.

Other issues that could cause coalition trouble include Yesh Atid’s push to allow civil marriage and wider public transport on Shabbat. Habayit Hayehudi’s religious constituency will expect it to oppose both of these laws.