Likud Party Finalizes Knesset List With Key Netanyahu Appointees

The Likud party has revealed its list of candidates securing guaranteed Knesset seats, chosen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the upcoming elections. Prominently featured is media analyst Yaakov Bardugo, who will occupy the 11th position on the party's slate. Bardugo, of Moroccan Jewish heritage, is considered a close ally of Netanyahu and a vocal supporter of the right-wing political camp, making his inclusion a significant decision.

Likud is presenting Bardugo as an influential figure capable of connecting with the party's base and right-wing voters, leveraging his extensive media presence, particularly on outlets aligned with the right. His entry into the Likud list follows years of media and political activity, during which he consistently supported Netanyahu and actively participated in discussions on government policy, the judicial system, governance, and security.

Bardugo's 11th-place ranking signals the political weight Netanyahu is assigning to this faction within the party. Beyond Bardugo, seven other candidates have been given fixed spots. These include Talik Guili, mother of officer Rani Guili killed on October 7th, at ninth place, and reservist soldier Elisha Meydan, who lost his legs in the Gaza war, at fifteenth place.

Other confirmed candidates are lawyer David Peter at sixteenth place, former Labor MK Eili Goldschmidt at twenty-sixth place, Itzik Pontzel, father of fallen soldier Amit Pontzel, at twenty-ninth place, and reserve Brigadier General Amir Avivi, founder of the "Security-Minded" movement, at thirty-fifth place. The selection reflects a blend of media, political, and security figures, alongside representatives of families of war casualties and the wounded, highlighting the issues Likud aims to emphasize in its election campaign, including security, the war, and conservative stances on judicial and governance matters.