Israel Election: Likud Chooses Candidates Ahead of General Vote
JERUSALEM — Likud members voted Monday to choose their candidates for Israel’s October 27 general election, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing party faces a tight race and potentially significant losses.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving premier, is now in a weakened position after pursuing controversial judicial reforms and waging war across the Middle East since Hamas’s October 7 attack. Polls predict Likud’s parliamentary seats could fall from 32 to as low as 22.
Monday’s primary saw Likud’s 140,000 members choose their candidates, with Netanyahu reserving around 10 spots for his own selections, a move local media described as an attempt to ensure loyalty. Some members condemned the move, with one saying, “That’s not democratic… They’ve destroyed Likud.”
Elie Cohen, an 79-year-old central committee member, dismissed such criticism, saying he was convinced Netanyahu was “entrusted with a divine mission.” Staunch activists said they supported Netanyahu’s management, describing the party as diverse, with a mix of Mizrahi Jews, Ashkenazis, Arabs, and others.
Many religious Jews, including the ultra-Orthodox, who joined Likud in recent years to defend their interests, were also present at the voting. Party officials mingled with candidates, smiling and taking selfies with voters.
Outgoing lawmaker Amit Halevy said he would have preferred fewer reserved spots but noted, “In the end, the vast majority will be chosen through the primaries, and that’s what matters.”
Turnout stood at 53 percent, up 10 percent compared to the 2022 primary, a figure being watched as a barometer of mobilization ahead of the general election.
Also Read:
New Aircraft Carrier Deploys to Middle East as USS Lincoln Faces Reported Issues
