Former Jerusalem Mayor, MK Nir Barkat, is calling for elections in Likud to elect a party member to a new post, an acting party chairman to prevent a hostile takeover and to plan the ‘day after’ the Netanyahu era. He also hopes this will prevent primaries for the party’s leadership position.

In the wake of Gideon Saar’s rebellion within Likud, and his challenge to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continuing in his position, Barkat is now calling to elect an acting party chairman.

According to a Yisrael Hayom newspaper report released by Yehuda Schlesinger, Barkat wants to calm the party and proposes to establish a new role in the party – an acting party chairman.

Barkat calls to name the person who will fill the news post towards preventing a coup within the party, as well as planning for the ‘day after’ in the event Mr. Netanyahu is compelled to step down temporarily, to declare himself “incapacitated” due to criminal indictments that are going to be filed against him.

The former Jerusalem mayor hopes this will suffice towards permitting Likud to conduct coalition negotiations towards forming a national unity coalition government with Blue & White and to prevent a third round of Knesset elections.

Schlesinger adds that Defense Minister (New Right) Naftali Bennet is working towards preventing new elections by amending the law to have direct election of the prime minister. Persons close to Bennet explain that Mr. Netanyahu has refused to address this to date, but they feel that now, after the announcement by the attorney general that he is going to be indicted, he may be willing to change his mind.

During a motzei Shabbos appearance on the Meet the Press program, Likud MK Gideon Saar repeated his call for immediate primaries in the party to elect a party leader. He is confident that he will b e able to unseat Netanyahu from his Likud leadership role.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)