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Barkat launched the battle for inheritance in the Likud.

But Netanyahu is not going anywhere yet

Barkat's support conference was almost surreal: while Likud ministers evacuated bureaus, thousands of activists came for a huge celebration.

The demonstration provoked outrage in Balfour, but was intended to send a message to Likud members waiting in line to evacuate the place.

But the campaign will be postponed: Netanyahu will wait in opposition to overthrow the Bennett-Lapid government and comeback

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• The Likud

• Nir Barkat

• Benjamin Netanyahu

• Yossi Cohen

• Israel Katz

• July Edelstein

His dew

Friday, 11 June 2021, 10:00 Updated: 10:13

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Three days before the Likud leaves power after 12 consecutive years of power and authority, MK Nir Barkat held a never-before-seen political conference last night (Thursday). It was an almost surreal sight: while Likud ministers begin to pack their bags, filter their aides, and evacuate Their offices in favor of the opposition benches - Thousands of Likud activists came to a huge production in the exhibition grounds, with the best refreshments and pyrotechnics and jubilant atmospheric music. He is a people and is starting to go. "

It was almost confusing to think that this was a victory celebration for the bloc of change, and to forget that next week, if there is no last-minute drama, the Likud will recognize defeat and lose power.

The artistic part of the evening opens with a video starring Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he praises and glorifies Barkat and his skills as the next designated finance minister (the part about the promise of a violated position they chose not to mention on stage, shock).

In his speech, Barkat made an effort to convey backing, solidarity and support to the incumbent leader, but the setting, the messages and the display of the whole purpose - left no room for doubt that he is deep in the race to be the next Bibi.

His people and associates reject the biblical accusations of infidelity, but the slogan he chose to give his vision, "entrepreneurship, innovation, courage," implicitly cries out that Netanyahu is the past, while he is - the future.

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Shouts implicitly that Netanyahu is the past, while he is - the future.

Barkat at the conference, last night (Photo: Reuven Castro)

The sensitive timing in any case has already raised the level of suspicion in Balfour and woken up the heavy guns there. Netanyahu and his associates tried to pressure Barkat to cancel the conference, and when they did not respond, they moved to direct pressure on the Likud leadership to boycott. It didn't really work. Although all the ministers withdrew from the event, senior MKs, such as the center's chairman Haim Katz, and even associates, such as Miki Zohar and Shlomo Qara, came to take part in the prestigious celebration, which is estimated to have cost more than half a million shekels.

Among the masses of Likudniks who flocked to the conference were also quite a few ardent and devoted supporters of the leader with all their hearts, and the impressive turnout does not necessarily signal a real challenge to his leadership from Barkat, but in a large and democratic party it is possible. Throughout the last Corona year, the Likud's field activity has been frozen, and an event with 4,000 functionaries is an opportunity that future primaries are in no hurry to miss. But in the small battle over the event Barkat won, and the Balfourist pressure lever failed.

Barkat's show of strength is not only for Netanyahu's eyes, but mainly for the others waiting in line for the end of his rule.

He fired the opening shot of the succession battle to establish his image as the leading candidate, and one by one they joined him so as not to leave the arena empty.

Veteran Chilba Israel Katz was quick to attack and accuse the subversive - but at the same time revealed that he also offered Netanyahu to move so that the Likud would choose another temporary leader who could form a right-wing government.

Later, Yuli Edelstein also joined, who began to spread clear statements about his intention to face Netanyahu in the primaries.

Unlike Barkat and Katz, who are careful to emphasize that they are only aimed at the day after, Edelstein makes it clear in closed conversations that he wants to run in the next primaries and that his goal is to replace the mythological Bibi.

And the ambassador to America, Gilad Ardan, is also listening intently to the party noises in Israel.

An opportunity that future primaries are in no hurry to miss.

The conference in the exhibition grounds, yesterday (Photo: Reuven Castro)

It just seems that the battle of succession will have to wait.

In 1999, the last time Netanyahu lost power, he immediately announced his resignation from political life.

The current generation has a little less luck.

Not only does he intend to continue in opposition, he also hopes the Bennett-Lapid government will disband soon, perhaps even before the first budget.

After several months of embarrassment and turmoil from the opposition to Saar and Bennett, his associates believe, he could make a third comeback from the films and recapture power.

Arrived at the prestigious celebration despite the pressure from Balfour.

Zohar (Photo: Reuven Castro)

At Barkat's conference, there were several other optimistic Likud members who are still waiting for the last rabbit that Netanyahu will pull out before the inauguration, and refuse to believe that next week Bennett, Lapid and Saar will take the bureaus, entourages and jobs from them.

This is a real political trauma, and it is difficult to predict what the consequences will be.

Netanyahu's political control in the last 12 years is based first and foremost on the uncompromising support he has enjoyed at home, and on the long - standing tradition of the Likud not ousting an incumbent leader.

It is also the starting point of the envelope of political immunity he has enjoyed since his criminal and legal troubles began.

As long as he remained in power, senior Likud officials were afraid to challenge him, and the only one who dared to challenge him from within - Gideon Saar in the 2019 primaries - suffered a dire failure and only strengthened his power, becoming a warning sign to anyone who tried to confront him.

Now that the Likud has been ousted from the top of the pyramid, the links in the chain of immunity around Netanyahu may be released.

The vertebrae may loosen.

Netanyahu (Photo: Official website, Michael Kramer)

The combination of the loss of power and power with the public auction of the future succession battle undermines its most important nucleus of control, within the home. Therefore, immediately upon the move to the opposition, he aspires to make quick primaries for the party leadership to determine his power and status.

Only the potential heirs are strongly opposed, and are in no hurry to give him the Likud leadership right now for the next elections, which could be in four and a half years. Barkat announced yesterday that "this is not the time for unnecessary primaries," and the two Katzim, Israel and Haim, which control the Likud's decision-making bodies, also vetoed it. In the last two and a half years, the Likud's debt has grown to an astronomical sum of NIS 80 million, and no one - except Netanyahu - sees any reason to spend the money.

If Netanyahu does not succeed in achieving what he wants in the Bezeq primaries, the battle for succession will be postponed until the next election, which depends on the success of the Bennett-Lapid government.

Simultaneously with Barkat's conference, the retirement interview of Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, another marked as a potential successor, was broadcast on "Ovda".

Cohen has a cooling-off period of 3 years, and if the government expires, he can join Paul, who is running for office, and mix Barkat's leadership position.

The battle for succession may have begun, but it may go into a deep coma, because Netanyahu, meanwhile, is not going anywhere.

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