"It's time for a new leader": The closed conversations in Likud about the day after Netanyahu | First publication

First publication: Messages in a closed WhatsApp group of Likud activists reveal calls to put forward a rival to Netanyahu from within the party after October 7. Haggi Stern, a former MK, wrote that it's time for a new leader, and his father Shvach, a member of the election committee, shared the post. The remarks were made ahead of the Likud leadership election last November. The list of preferred candidates includes Yariv Levin and Amir Ohana.

A first publication in Maariv reveals messages from a closed WhatsApp group of Likud activists, in which calls are heard to put forward a rival to Benjamin Netanyahu from within the party, against the backdrop of the events of October 7. Haggi Stern, a former Likud MK, wrote that despite supporting Netanyahu in every election campaign, it is time for a new leader. His father, Shvach Stern, a member of the party's election committee and constitution committee, shared the post and recommended that Likud members read it. The remarks were made ahead of the Likud leadership election last November, in which Netanyahu was the only candidate. The post sparked a debate in the group, with another activist defending Netanyahu. The article notes that at least two of the names on the list of preferred candidates, Yariv Levin and Amir Ohana, have been mentioned in the past as potential candidates to succeed Netanyahu. In response, Shvach Stern confirmed the remarks and added that he had written a similar post even before his son, and that he had supported Netanyahu's request for reserved slots.