Netanyahu refuses meeting with Barkat as tensions simmer within Likud

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined to meet with Finance Minister Moshe Barkat, stating there is no need for talks, amid mounting tensions within the ruling Likud party ahead of internal primary elections. The rebuff comes as Barkat attempts to clear his name following claims he tried to remove Netanyahu from office shortly after the 7 October attacks, allegations he has strenuously denied.

Barkat’s efforts to set the record straight appear to have fallen on deaf ears at the Prime Minister’s office, signalling a deepening rift between the two senior party figures. The timing of the refusal, just before the Likud primary elections, underscores the political sensitivities within the governing coalition as various factions jostle for position and influence.

Elsewhere in the party, tensions have also emerged between other senior figures. Knesset member Idit Silman filed a complaint with the Likud party’s internal court challenging the campaign tactics of Defence Minister Israel Katz, claiming his election efforts constituted a “grave procedural failure”. However, Silman subsequently withdrew the complaint after party judge Michael Kleiner ruled that Katz’s campaign conduct, whilst problematic, did not warrant further disciplinary action.

These internal disputes highlight the fractious state of relations within Netanyahu’s Likud party as members position themselves ahead of the primary elections. The various grievances and disputes suggest a party struggling to maintain unity despite its control of government.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.