These primaries were probably the least democratic and most manipulative to ever have been held in the Likud, since the party\u2019s leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was intent on creating the most attractive (or rather least unattractive) list possible under the circumstances.<\/p>\n
His goal was to put unattractive candidates out of realistic places on the list \u2013 or as low on the list as possible. In many cases Netanyahu was successful, or at least partially successful.<\/p>\n
Thus, the outrageous MK Tally Gotliv<\/a>, who everyone believed would emerge as one of the winners of the primaries, was pushed down to the 20th slot.\u00a0<\/p>\n Four ministers \u2013 Ze\u2019ev Elkin, May Golan, Avi Dichter, and Idit Silman \u2013 were pushed out of realistic slots, as were nine MKs, including the controversial chairperson of the Knesset Finance Committee, Hanoch Milwidsky.<\/p>\n Netanyahu still has some slots that he can use for attractive candidates of his choice, after using three slots for Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar, and Tourism, Construction and Housing, Health, and Welfare and Social Security Minister Haim Katz.<\/p>\n He might still decide to use one slot to \u201csave\u201d Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter. However, Netanyahu has been unsuccessful in finding impressive new candidates for the remaining slots, and currently, there is no significant military expert on the list.<\/p>\n While the list has shed some of the more embarrassing current Likud ministers and MKs, it is far from resembling the quality of Likud lists from the more distant past, and is unlikely to improve the Likud\u2019s position in the polls.<\/p>\n However, until the lists are finally deposited with the Central Elections Committee by September 8, some changes might still be introduced.<\/p>\n The second set of occurrences last week that could affect the election results concerns the four Arab parties<\/a> running in the elections \u2013 Hadash, Ta\u2019al, Balad, and Ra\u2019am.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last Wednesday, the first three announced that they have decided to run together in a single list. Ra\u2019am decided to run on its own.<\/p>\n In the 25th Knesset elections in 2022, Hadash and Ta\u2019al ran together, while Balad and Ra\u2019am ran separately. Balad, considered to be the most extreme of the Arab parties, failed to pass the qualifying threshold, and the Arab parties attained only 10 seats together.<\/p>\n The most seats the Arab parties have ever attained was in the elections for the 23rd Knesset in 2020, when the four Arab parties ran together and attained 15 seats.<\/p>\n Even though this time they are not running together as a foursome, they are predicted to attain a total of 15 seats.<\/p>\n While the threesome is expected to receive more seats than Hadash\/Ta\u2019al in the elections to the 25th Knesset, Ra\u2019am, which last December loosened its previous organizational ties with the Islamic Movement, is also expected to increase the number of its MKs from its current five.<\/p>\n Last Saturday, Ra\u2019am\u2019s National Council left the door open for its leader Mansour Abbas to appoint a Jewish candidate \u2013 former Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz \u2013 to the second place on its list.<\/p>\n Segalovitz served as head of Lahav 433 until 2013 and then the Investigations and Intelligence Division in the police. He has also served as an MK since 2019.<\/p>\n If both these plans go through, it is assumed that the percentage of Arab voters who will come out to vote will be high.<\/p>\n This means the number of Jewish Knesset seats could decline from its current 110 to 105, and reduce the chances of a narrow Jewish government of any sort being formed after the elections without the backing of an Arab party.<\/p>\n This is part of the reason for Abbas\u2019s decision to include Segalovitz on his party\u2019s list, with the hope that if a new government of change will emerge from the elections, Ra\u2019am will be able to join the coalition, and Segalovitz might be appointed national or internal security minister on its behalf.<\/p>\n Don’t get your hopes up<\/p>\nMK Tally Gotliv speaking in Knesset May 25,2026. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM\/THE JERUSALEM POST)<\/p>\n