Netanyahu’s Likud Party Recruits Prominent Businessman as New Armoured Candidate

Israeli businessman Oran Dobrovsky has accepted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal invitation to join the Likud party’s electoral list, becoming the party’s first candidate designated to run in an armoured (secure) position. Dobrovsky, a significant figure in Israel’s business community, described receiving Netanyahu’s approach as feeling like “a military draft order,” suggesting the weight and obligation he felt in accepting the role.

The Likud party has assigned Dobrovsky a specific portfolio focusing on artificial intelligence, positioning him as a key figure in the party’s technology and innovation strategy. The appointment reflects Netanyahu’s broader effort to strengthen Likud’s bench ahead of upcoming elections by recruiting experienced figures from outside traditional political circles.

An armoured position on an electoral list in Israeli politics guarantees a parliamentary seat following elections, as candidates are ranked in order and seats are allocated proportionally. By placing a business leader in such a position, Likud appears to be signalling confidence in Dobrovsky’s ability to contribute to the party’s parliamentary work, particularly in areas relating to technological development and economic policy.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.