Everyone Against Everyone in Likud Primaries: The Deals, the Clashes – and the Battle for Defectors

A week before the Likud primaries, ministers and MKs are intensifying efforts to secure high spots on the list, amid grim polls and a relatively large number of reserved slots for Netanyahu. The deals between lawmakers, the struggle for free party members, and the ferment ahead of the ruling on the petition against the ban on running in districts – all these shape the battle for the party's future.

A week before the Likud primaries, ministers and MKs are making final efforts to secure high spots on the list, in one of the toughest contests for a seat in the next Knesset. The large number of reserved slots promised to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the relatively low number of places according to polls, make the battle harder than usual. Ministers and MKs are spending the last days at conferences in Likud strongholds, meeting activists, and producing videos for social media to reach free party members. Likud has about 142,000 eligible voters, about 60% of them free members and about 40% large blocs and organizational deals. Deals work so that an MK who aggregates many members promises their support to another candidate in exchange for support. Minister Haim Katz, who almost completely controls the vote of Israel Aerospace Industries members, is considered one of the strongest figures. MK Tally Gotliv exposed a 'political elimination' campaign against her, and one of the prominent campaigns came from MK Eliyahu Revivo who claimed that 'Gotlivism' is destroying the Likud. Netanyahu, more involved than ever, seeks to produce a moderate and balanced list and bring back an audience that partly moved to the 'Yashar' party led by Gadi Eisenkot. According to the deal with the Likud central committee chairman, Netanyahu will receive 8 reserved slots up to place 29, and one of them was promised to Minister Haim Katz, with the possibility it will pass to MK Etty Atiya if the petition is rejected.