'I should be justice minister': Tally Gotliv blames party machinery after Likud primary slide

Member of Knesset Tally Gotliv has sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle following her performance in the Likud party primaries. Gotliv declared that she "should be the justice minister" and attributed her 12th-place finish to "backroom deals" orchestrated by local authority heads and labor unions, suggesting external forces worked against her.

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I should be the justice minister.

Gotliv expressed frustration over the perceived lack of support from Netanyahu's immediate surroundings, stating they "don't understand" the party dynamics. She urged caution to those around the prime minister, warning them not to cause his failure. Gotliv asserted her independence, saying, "I don't bow my head to anyone. No one gives me orders."

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I have no doubt that thanks to the blessings of my special-needs daughter, I succeeded like David against Goliath. This is her victory, thanks to her. I reached 12th place in the primaries. There were backroom deals against me - all the local authority heads, all the labor unions. It was said out loud.

Furthermore, Gotliv voiced strong criticism regarding the representation of women on the Likud party list. She questioned the party's approach, asking, "What kind of woman is capable of taking so much?" She called on Netanyahu to intervene and reserve spots for additional strong female candidates, specifically mentioning Keti Shitrit, May Golan, and Osnat Zohar, arguing they deserve places on the list.

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I agree with Guy Levi that the prime minister did not intervene; it was his surroundings. I don't bow my head to anyone. No one gives me orders, with all due respect: those surrounding the prime minister don't understand.

Dismissing claims that ultra-Orthodox voting negatively impacted her results, Gotliv stated that many haredi voters personally supported her. She also touched upon her personal resilience, noting that "failure isn't easy, heartbreaks aren't easy, but from heartbreaks, you only grow."

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You want a poster-child woman, as the song goes. What kind of woman is capable of taking so much? In principle, you enter a party with primaries. Why would a career woman want to enter this? It's hard to remember that these are just background noises. You need immense resilience.