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Netanyahu's mines the day after the primaries Israel today

2022-08-12T08:03:17.884Z


The primaries are over; The election campaign begins • Likud understands that the composition of the list will also determine the strategy • Fear in Bibi's environment: the disillusioned will act against him behind the scenes


The results of the Likud primaries provided quite a bit of drama with surprising winners, stinging losses and some landmines for the movement's chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. The big winner of the primaries is Yariv Levin, who brought a result that is no less than amazing with a gap of more than 4,000 votes from Eli Cohen, who finished in second place.

Another interesting statistic is the fact that all the claimants to the crown the day after Netanyahu were pushed back, and precisely Yariv Levin, who is considered to this day loyal to Netanyahu and is not a figure that threatens his leadership, received 48 thousand votes - about 13 thousand more than Nir Barkat, 1.5 times than Miri Regev, more than 1.5 times From Israel Katz and more than 2 times from Yuli Edelstein.

Did the deals crash?

Not sure.

Likud activists during the primaries, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

The big winners

The category of big winners also includes Eli Cohen, who managed to get high due to arduous field work against the activists, Yoav Galant, Amir Ohana, David Amsalem, Yoav Kish and Miki Zohar - who made a significant jump into the top ten.

As mentioned, Miki Zohar entered the top ten, after adopting a new and more state-oriented approach in the last year, and is considered to be identified with the same camp that was supported by Dilim also by Haim Katz, who managed at the last moment to bring in his close associate Eti Atia.

Nir Barkat's camp defeated Israel Katz's camp, when Barkat improved his position and even overtook Katz.

top ten

Regev and Barkat// Photo: Gideon Markovich,

overwhelming support for Netanyahu loyalists

The first ten shows that Likud officials expressed a lot of support for candidates who are considered loyal to Netanyahu, and for the big fighters against the prosecutor's office and the justice system.

Anyone who is considered a threat to Netanyahu has been pushed back, and now in the top five there is no figure marked as having ambitions to succeed Netanyahu.

Maybe now Levin's rival will be labeled as the one trying to be the successor.

The one who still managed to register a nice achievement is Danny Danon, who, despite being absent from the political scene for seven years, managed to secure a respectable place in the second ten, as well as Boaz Bismuth who managed to enter the national list after only a short campaign.

Will Edelstein finish his post?

In the category of big losers we can list the veteran Tzachi Hangabi who was relegated to an unrealistic position, along with several sitting MKs. In addition to that, Israel Katz was also pushed back out of the top ten.

Yuli Edelstein, who finished in first place in the previous primaries, was pushed far back, this of course against the background of his challenge to Netanyahu.

The assessment in Likud is that there is a likelihood that Edelstein will decide to end his position in the party if he does not receive a ministerial position in the next government.

Unreal place.

Tzachi Hanegbi, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Netanyahu's battles

The primary procedure and also the results provided Netanyahu with quite a few new mines.

During the last primaries, Netanyahu tried in an unprecedented way to block the candidacy of figures in the districts whose loyalty lies with other Likud officials, and who also have a criminal record that, according to him, could damage the list.

Netanyahu went with all his might against Bitan's candidates, such as his uncle Laniado in the Tel Aviv district and David Sharan in the Shefala, and also went against Haim Katz in changing the election system in the districts - moves that created a lot of friction between Haim Katz and Bitan and Netanyahu.

Those around Netanyahu went to bed on Wednesday evening when the polls closed with the feeling that the "deals collapsed" and the hope that Chaim Katz, Israel Katz and David Bitan were significantly affected by the number of freelancers who came to vote.

Moves that created friction.

David Bitan, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Fear of a faction within a faction

However, the deals did not collapse, Chaim Katz and Bitan managed to get along, Israel Katz was a little hurt, Bitan's candidates lost in the districts, but the anger at Netanyahu remained.

In light of this, those around Netanyahu fear that the same elements may create a faction for him within a faction in the Knesset that will work against him behind the scenes.

Also, Netanyahu also has a complex attitude to the list.

His ambition to run a national campaign that does not attack the justice system and the left in a radical way, was harmed when Dodi Amsalem was in the top five, with Amir Ohana and Miri Regev next to him, in addition to the entry of attorney Tali Gottlieb, who is considered to have a radical right-wing style in the fight against the justice system.

Damaged the chairman's ambitions. Amsalem, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

The battle for the 61st: a campaign against the justice system

Therefore, in light of the identity of the list, Likud is considering replacing the state campaign that winks at the soft right, with a campaign that emphasizes the struggle in the legal system.

The center-left parties will focus on a campaign that will emphasize Amsalem's style, they will accuse Likud of turning him into the top of Bibism, this is to deprive him of votes from the soft right.

However, at the top of the list were also figures with a less militant style than Amsalem, such as Gallant, Levin, Eli Cohen and Dichter.

But despite everything, there is an understanding that the list will not significantly affect the elections.

After a month of celebrating democracy, Likud enters campaign discipline, and the spotlight returns to Netanyahu, who is going to fight for the 61st mandate.

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2022-08-12

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