Likud Primaries: Regev Predicts 35 Seats, Defends Aviation Policy

As Likud's internal primary elections opened Monday morning, Transport Minister Miri Regev spoke with Radio 103 about the party contest and broader political issues. Approximately 133,000 registered Likud members across Israel are eligible to vote in the primaries to select the party's slate of candidates.

Regev claimed she faces organized opposition from El Al, Israel's national carrier. "Unfortunately, there are those who want to eliminate me," she said. "El Al sent out a list today to all their registered members saying they're going after me and won't give me their vote. This is part of the extortion and threats trying to influence me." The minister added: "I will bring the low-cost carrier Wizz Air or a similar company, it won't help El Al. A pressure group of committee members together with El Al management cannot settle scores with me here. We will not accept a monopoly with unreasonable flight prices for Israeli citizens."

Regev continued her defense of the aviation policy: "With all due respect, the El Al committee needs to understand that Wizz is part of the goal of benefiting the Israeli public. El Al is going after me, but I believe the majority of Likud members understand that what I'm doing is good for Israeli citizens and they will mark my name."

The minister also criticized Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party (referred to in Hebrew as "Yashar"). "Gadi Eisenkot, with all the respect due to him as a bereaved father, does not have leadership ability today, nor political, economic, or social experience to lead the State of Israel," Regev claimed. She argued that Eisenkot "cannot form a government without the Muslim Brotherhood and that dangerous party, the Democrats, whose leader says IDF soldiers murder babies as a hobby."

Regev then predicted that the Lkiud party would receive 35 Knesset seats. Israel's parliament has 120 seats total, making this a significant projection. She acknowledged one policy failure: "There was a major miss that we didn't manage to pass the conscription law. We reached understandings with the ultra-Orthodox and it was already closed, it will pass in the next term." On the contentious issue of military service for ultra-Orthodox men, she stated: "Whoever studies Torah should continue to study Torah, and whoever needs to enlist and doesn't enlist --- that person needs to be arrested."