The decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to guarantee spots on the Likud party's parliamentary list has sparked controversy, with senior political analyst Amit Segal highlighting a stark contrast between different appointees and what it signals about Netanyahu's relationship with veteran party leaders.
Segal drew a sharp distinction between the various figures added to the list. "There's simply no way to explain this as anything other than two completely different types of appointments," he said. Figures like Elisha Madan and Tali Goaili represent an effort to soften Likud's image, Segal explained. But the inclusion of Yaakov Bardogo, a Netanyahu confidant and media figure, tells a different story. "This isn't just about going to the base, it's a second consecutive slap in the face that the prime minister is delivering with the back of his hand to senior Likud members," Segal observed.
The analyst pointed to Bardogo's strained relationships with senior Likud ministers in recent years. "To put it delicately, Bardogo's relations with Defense Minister Israel Katz are not the best, he 'slaughtered' him on air over his appointment of the chief military prosecutor," Segal noted. He also cited well-publicized feuds with Miki Zohar, Yariv Levin, and Shlomo Karhi. "He told Miki Zohar he was a failed minister, and Yariv Levin claimed Bardogo was extorting him. Now Netanyahu is telling them: 'Listen friends, accept him, we have a new guy.'"
