Likud Lawmaker Tali Gottlieb Criticizes Netanyahu, Considers Defection

Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb of the Likud party launched an unusual attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, accusing him of working to thwart her candidacy in the party's primaries. Gottlieb claimed Netanyahu sidelined her from the party's campaign and decided against appointing her as Justice Minister or Chair of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee. She stated that despite her efforts to support Netanyahu and the right-wing government, she would not tolerate being "trampled."

Gottlieb alleged that Netanyahu followed his advisors' counsel to "specifically target" her in the primaries, though she still secured 12th place, which became 20th due to reserved spots. She further claimed that after the primaries, she was excluded from the election campaign, with campaign staff allegedly briefing against her and portraying her as a weakening force within Likud. She also mentioned that campaign officials decided not to address the need to curb the power of the Supreme Court.

Addressing her political future, Gottlieb stated that Netanyahu has decided not to allow her to serve as Justice Minister or chair the Constitution Committee, intending to relegate her to an "obscure back position." She acknowledged this is Netanyahu's prerogative.

However, Gottlieb left the door open to potentially joining another party, saying, "If I were to receive a realistic offer from a party that would respect my electoral strength and my clear ability to be a minister in a highly important role, in the name of my voters, I would consider it very seriously." She clarified that such an offer is not currently on the table.