The rebellion in Likud has begun - Dudi Amsalem crowned Gadi Eisenkot as Prime Minister today | Miki Levin

Minister Dudi Amsalem, in an interview with Radio 103FM, attacked Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu over the eight slots he requested, and declared that the Likud does not belong to any person. He praised Gadi Eisenkot, called him a good man and said his natural place is in the Likud, and even offered to help him join. The commentator analyzes these remarks as a political coronation of Eisenkot as Prime Minister and a sign of an internal rebellion in the Likud.

Minister Dudi Amsalem, in an interview with Radio 103FM on August 5, 2026, delivered harsh criticism of Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, against the backdrop of his request for eight slots on the party's list. Amsalem said that "the Likud does not belong to any person, including the Prime Minister," and that the party existed before Netanyahu and will continue after him. He claimed that Netanyahu is strengthening his power at the expense of party loyalists, and that more than half of the current Knesset members may find themselves outside the list. Later, Amsalem praised Gadi Eisenkot, called him "a good man" who contributed to the state, and said his natural place is in the Likud. He even offered to help him join the party if he accepts its path. These remarks stand in contrast to Netanyahu's propaganda campaign against Eisenkot, which portrays him as a dangerous leftist. The commentator analyzes Amsalem's remarks as a political coronation of Eisenkot as the next Prime Minister, and a sign of an internal rebellion in the Likud. He notes that many Likud voters connect with Eisenkot's figure more than with Netanyahu, and that it is difficult to convince the public that he is an enemy when he is perceived as part of the people.