Since Israeli media began reporting on opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu’s possible signing of a plea deal, numerous Likud members have announced they will run for leadership of the party.
Netanyahu’s departure would open up the Likud’s leadership race for the first time since Netanyahu became the chairman in 2005, after previously serving as its chairman from 1993 to 1999.
Candidates who have announced they would run for Likud leadership include frontrunner former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, Yuli Edelstein, Yisrael Katz, Miri Regev, Gilad Erdan, Avi Dichter, Tzachi Hanegbi, Amir Ohana and Moshe Feiglin.
Meanwhile, Channel 13 News reported on Motzei Shabbos that Katz, aware that Barkat is likely to win if Likud primaries are held, is planning to bring New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar back to the Likud and form a new coalition, in which they will serve as leaders in a rotation. Rumors are also flying that Ayelet Shaked is joining Katz and Sa’ar in creating a right-wing secular party that will siphon votes from Likud, Yamina and the Religious Zionist party.
Katz denied the rumors, saying that he remains loyal to Netanyahu as long as he remains the leader of the party, but that didn’t stop Regev from attacking Katz, writing on Sunday morning: “Yisrael Katz,..you’re undermining the Likud and Netanyahu and having contact with Yamina and New Hope, who are responsible for the fact that we’re in the opposition – those who lied to a million and a half right-wing voters.”
“The Likud has a chairman, Binyamin Netanyahu, who was elected time after time by an overwhelming majority, who is supposed to lead contacts such as these and others. No one gave you the mandate to speak in the name of the Likud.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Any & all of them way better than wicked bennett
Let these political animals kill each other out and feast on each other’s political carcasses.
They had the same problem after Begin and Shamir. The only question is whether the Likud will spinoff factions which can be reconsolidated after the faction tests its strength in the election. The danger is they’ll end up with a situation, such as now exists, whereby Likud “alumni” in various spinoff parties outnumber Likud.
Likud itself is a “coalition” with limited common political themes. I wouldn’t be surprised if some Likudniks split off and join other political parties more aligned with their narrower priorities. In some cases, this may include joining one of the two religious party coalitions.
No self respecting right wing Likudnik will vote for either Gideon Saar or Ayelet Shaked.