Disgruntled Likud Lawmakers Break Silence on Primary Results

Several Likud lawmakers who were pushed to non-realistic spots on the party's Knesset list following the recent primaries are speaking out about internal party struggles, deals, and their disappointment with the results. Some are sharply criticizing the party's internal operations, with one MK directly accusing elements within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office of working against him.

MK Nissim Vaturi, who secured the 32nd spot and later announced he would not run in the next election, expressed his frustration. Vaturi, a staunch supporter of Netanyahu during the past term, claimed that "people in the Prime Minister's office went after me." He stated, "I expected to receive more after my work in the Knesset and after being the most prominent fighter for Netanyahu. I didn't expect this."

MK Chanoch Milwidsky, chairman of the Finance Committee, who landed at the 38th position, also voiced strong criticism, focusing more on internal Likud mechanisms. Milwidsky suggested he "doesn't understand political maneuvering enough" and that "old cronyism still rules in Likud." He recounted a senior minister promising him support in front of his family, only to later discover his support was non-existent in key voting areas, calling it an "important life lesson."

MK Osher Shkalim, who ended up at 65th place on the list after anticipating a better showing, blamed internal deals and "Netanyahu's ten reserved spots" for pushing out loyal lawmakers. He felt he competed against "17 ministers, committee chairs, and well-oiled apparatuses," despite being one of the MKs who "carried the cart" for the past four years. Shkalim also mentioned Netanyahu had told him personally before the primaries that he was "in his plans for the next Knesset."

MK Kتي Shtrit, ranked 44th, believes she paid a price for her conduct in the Knesset, suggesting that more aggressive criticism of the judicial system or Arab MKs would have yielded better results. She criticized colleagues who would attack Arab MKs and then "go hug them," finding that approach "really bothered" her. Shtrit anticipates the next Knesset will be "more terrible and more violent."

In contrast, MK Ariel Kellner, who finished 47th, accepted the results without blaming the party apparatus or colleagues. He described the primaries as "difficult," involving many senior figures and candidates with high public standing, compounded by a reduced number of realistic spots on the list.