With Yariv Levin's return to center stage this week after the debate with Gideon Sa'ar, and ahead of the climactic moments in the President's House, the Likud is sharpening the division into groups – Levin's growing group versus that of David Bitan and Israel Katz. The person who made a sharp transition from Bitan's group to Levin's is the new Minister for the Advancement of the Status of Women, May Golan. "Since she wasn't appointed consul, something has gone wrong with her," said a senior party official.
The Golan has quite a few domestic rivals. Bitan's group, where they helped her in the primaries. "Bitan raised her and took care of her," Likud MKs say. "He did everything for her. When she realized that the power was in Levin's hands, she just switched to him. She stuck a knife in her back."
David Bitan. Raised her, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
This week it has already achieved its first success after switching between the teams. According to various reports, she is Levin's current candidate to serve on the Judicial Appointments Committee. "It won't go smoothly for her, it won't happen," her opponents in the party raged. "The world will die and it won't happen. Can't be, we won't let her. She doesn't deserve it."
Here is a story that is published here for the first time: In the highly publicized explosion at the beginning of May at the plenary session between Golan and MK Merav Ben-Ari (Yesh Atid) - immediately after the former was appointed minister, Golan shouted at Ben Ari "liar, hypocrite, bastard," and added various congratulations - in response to the claim that she did not serve in the IDF. Golan found it difficult to calm down. In front of the cameras it looks bad. Golan shouted and cursed, the ushers couldn't control her, even Golan's friend from the opposition, Boaz Toporovsky, tried unsuccessfully to calm her down. Likud Party Chairman Ofir Katz also tried unsuccessfully.
After a few minutes, the ushers managed to get Golan out of the plenum, but she didn't calm down. For many minutes she stood outside the plenum and continued to shout and curse juicy curses. Her shouts could be heard well inside the plenary hall. There was great confusion among Likud members. Many sent messages to Merav Ben Ari apologizing for Golan's behavior. According to them, Golan does not represent them, and some even added that they are ashamed of her.
Likud faction meeting (archive). Shame on her, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"This week we saw her for the first time at a cabinet meeting," says a senior party official, "She doesn't come to the faction meetings very often, and mainly she's busy finding an offset so that she won't stay in Knesset deliberations. She's looking for high-profile positions, but can anyone put their finger on one significant law or important reform that she led?!"
May Golan said in response: "My faction mate Yariv Levin, to whom there is no limit in my estimation, is certainly facing unprecedented attacks, and I am proud to stand by him these days. I am impressed by the journalistic and psychological observation from the incident with Mrs. Ben-Ari, who concludes that I was upset. People will continue to gossip and engage in care; I will focus more intensely on the Ministry for the Advancement of the Status of Women, whose budget has jumped more than sixfold as a result of tremendous efforts I have made on this issue. I will continue to do and succeed!"
Minister May Golan, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Gantz cleans dust
When the results of the last elections were announced, the mood in Blue and White was despondent. After the big promises and the addition of Gideon Sa'ar, the party was confident that they would go head-to-head against Netanyahu and leave Lapid in the dust. As we know, it ended with only 12 seats. Gantz sounded different, he gathered the team closest to him and together they began planning what then seemed particularly surreal - the way to the prime minister's chair.
A few months later, and one legal reform, Gantz finds himself high in the polls. On a good day, such results can show him the way to the most important bureau in the country. Gantz is working for the long term, and is not resting on his laurels. His party is quietly already working on putting together an orderly list for the next elections, with the understanding that it will be bigger. The main dilemma is how to open the party to the public.
Gantz. Long term worker, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Gantz wants to open the party to the public without the negative effects of the primaries. No centers of power that can take over the party, no delusional representatives who can get involved in business. Without primaries as we know it today. The realistic possibility of holding primaries from a group of people whose identity Gantz will decide is being examined. Either way, changes in the state camp are just around the corner.
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