Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also chairs the Likud party, responded Tuesday to the results of the party's primary elections, expressing satisfaction with the slate chosen by party members and thanking voters for what he described as independent decision-making rather than following organized deals.
Sources within Likud said Netanyahu is "very pleased with the primary results" and congratulated those who secured spots on the party's Knesset list. According to party officials, the outcome represents a significant shift in the party's leadership tier, with new faces entering high positions on the list.
"The new Likud list reflects renewal and the integration of fresh forces at the top," party sources stated. Alongside the candidates elected through the primary process, Netanyahu is expected to appoint additional candidates using reserved slots at his disposal, a mechanism that allows party leaders to place specific individuals on the list without a vote.
Likud officials clarified that the prime minister intends to use these reserved positions strategically to bolster the party's electoral prospects. "Together with the reserved candidates that Prime Minister Netanyahu will appoint to further strengthen the list, Likud's team under Netanyahu's leadership will lead to a major victory and the formation of a broad national government immediately after the elections," party sources said.
The party framed the upcoming election as a choice between Likud and an alternative coalition. "This is the only way to prevent a left-wing government of Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Liberman, and the Arab parties," officials stated, referring to opposition figures and parties.
Netanyahu also addressed the issue of organized voting blocs and recommended candidate lists that circulated among coordinated groups during the primary. He thanked party members "who voted according to their own judgment and not according to deals."
Beyond acknowledging the winners, the prime minister sent a message to ministers and Knesset members who failed to secure positions on the list. Likud sources said Netanyahu "greatly appreciates those who did not make it onto the list, thanks them for their contribution, and intends to involve them in the effort for Likud's victory."
Netanyahu is now expected to complete the list composition using the reserved slots, with Likud officials estimating that his appointees will strengthen the party's ticket heading into the elections. The primary system in Israeli parties typically combines direct member voting with slots reserved for party leadership to ensure representation of key figures or constituencies.
