Likud faces crunch day on primary elections as Netanyahu weighs concessions to coalition partner

The Likud party’s constitutional committee will decide tomorrow whether to scrap or significantly reform its primary election system, according to reports. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who backs two competing proposals, is considering offering substantial concessions to keep his coalition partners on board. Among eight key positions Netanyahu is reportedly willing to control, he is weighing surrendering half of them to Smotrich and his far-right Religious Zionism faction—potentially as a sweetener to prevent Smotrich from running his own rival party.

The internal party manoeuvring reflects ongoing tensions within Netanyahu’s governing coalition. Smotrich’s faction holds considerable leverage in the current government configuration, and Netanyahu appears willing to make significant sacrifices to maintain stability. Sources suggest these positions relate to ministerial portfolios and government appointments that Netanyahu typically controls.

However, not everyone within Likud is convinced these negotiations will resolve the primary dispute. Likud member Dudi Gvir told media outlets that any closed-door committee arrangements are meaningless. ‘This is just empty talk,’ Gvir stated. ‘There will be primaries’—suggesting that rank-and-file party members will ultimately force the issue to a membership vote regardless of what the constitutional committee decides.

The dispute over Likud’s internal democratic processes has become a proxy battle over power distribution within Netanyahu’s coalition government, with the decision expected to have significant implications for both the party’s future leadership structure and the stability of the current administration.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.