Netanyahu seeks to reshape Likud list ahead of primary vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asserting significant control over his Likud party's candidate list for the upcoming October election, attempting to shape the party's representation in the Knesset. Despite Likud's tradition of primary elections, Netanyahu has taken the prerogative to pre-nominate several candidates, a move that has stirred internal dissent.

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If Netanyahu had gotten his way, the party would have abandoned its long primary election tradition, and he himself would have finalized the list.

Netanyahu's strategy appears aimed at moderating the party's image and broadening its appeal. He seeks to replace some of the more hardline and controversial figures within Likud with individuals he believes are more broadly respected and capable of attracting centrist voters. This effort is partly a response to the rise of challengers like Gadi Eizenkot and his new party, Yashar, which appeals to liberal and democratic Likud voters alienated by the party's more extreme elements.

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This means that eight of those who end up in an electable position today will still end up outside the Knesset.

However, Netanyahu's attempts to purge certain lawmakers are encountering resistance. Many within Likud, both in the Knesset and among the electorate, hold more extreme right-wing nationalist views than the Prime Minister himself. Figures like Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, known for his controversial press laws, and lawyer Tali Gottliv, who has made inflammatory statements, are among those Netanyahu reportedly wishes to sideline.

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Many in Likud, both in the Knesset and among the voters, are far more extreme right-wing nationalists than Netanyahu today.

Gottliv, in particular, has emerged as a significant challenge. Unlike other Likud politicians who publicly defer to Netanyahu, Gottliv has shown defiance. Recent polls indicate she is popular among Likud voters, raising concerns for Netanyahu about a potential loss of prestige if primary voters defy his directives and place her high on the election list. While Netanyahu's authority within the party remains formidable, this internal struggle highlights the complex dynamics and ideological divisions within Likud as it prepares for the election.

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All the more worrying for Netanyahu is that Gottliv is liked by 40 percent of these [Likud voters] in the latest poll – and leaves all her colleagues far behind.