On Monday - the facelift: the big battles in the Likud primaries

Ahead of the Likud primaries on Monday, candidates are canvassing the field in a tight race for a realistic spot on the list. About 140,000 registered members, the list is among the smallest in recent years, and the main battles are over a place in the top five and women's representation. The central issue driving members: the judicial overhaul and anger at the Attorney General.

Ahead of the opening of polling stations on Monday in the Likud primaries, candidates are in the final days of an intense race. Ministers and MKs visit seven to eight locations a day, hold many phone calls and meetings with activists, aiming to secure a realistic spot on the list. The number of registered members is the largest ever in Likud, about 140,000, but the national list includes only about 40 candidates, making it one of the smallest in recent years. Each voter can mark up to 12 candidates in the national slot, and in previous primaries turnout stood at 55-57 percent. The main battles are over a place on the list, with high density and many incumbents expected to be left out. There are struggles over a place in the top five, over women's representation (seven of the eight incumbent women are running, but only three realistic spots are guaranteed), and over the districts, where Netanyahu intervenes and tries to tip the scales. To be elected in a realistic spot, more than 20,000 votes are required, with a reasonable average being 25,000. The central issue driving members is the judicial overhaul and anger at the Attorney General. Polls conducted by candidates showed that the judicial system is the driving force behind the vote, and those identified with the critical line are more popular. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the reform's leader, spends time at conferences and talks with activists about the system's shortcomings. Transportation Minister Miri Regev launched a branded broadcast van with podcasts on right-wing topics. Coalition chairman Ofir Katz, running on the national list, describes an intense workday including travel, meetings, and interviews. Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, who left Otzma Yehudit, received a shortened reserve duty on Wednesday and is running a short, focused campaign, including a video with Netanyahu. Additionally, the election of district representatives will take place in the shadow of a legal drama: the party court did not allow incumbents to run in the districts, and the district court and Supreme Court rejected the petitions. Either way, the Likud list is facing a real facelift.