Husband of Environment Minister Silman Pressures Netanyahu’s Office Ahead of Likud Primaries

Shmulik Silman, husband of Environment Minister Idit Silman, has recently contacted officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to exert pressure in support of his wife’s candidacy in the upcoming Likud party primaries. Silman reminded Netanyahu’s circle of Idit Silman’s pivotal role in orchestrating the political move that led to the fall of the Bennett-Lapid government, where she served as coalition chair. This intervention comes amid serious concerns within Silman’s camp about her chances in the primaries.

Previously, Netanyahu secured Silman the 16th spot on the Likud list for the current Knesset elections as a reward for her role in toppling the previous government. However, this time she must compete in the national list for the first time, a challenging task even for veteran politicians. The difficulty is compounded by Netanyahu’s intention to reserve eight guaranteed slots within the top 25 positions, leaving roughly 20 realistic spots on the national list. This situation threatens to exclude about half of the current Likud MKs from the next Knesset.

To improve Silman’s prospects, Likud is considering several measures. One key initiative, led by Minister Haim Katz, proposes allowing incumbent MKs to run in district slots, which require winning votes only from local party members rather than the entire nationwide electorate of about 150,000 Likud members. Another option under discussion is having district representatives selected solely by the Likud Central Committee instead of all party members. Nonetheless, district placements are expected to be ranked lower than 30th on the final Knesset list, limiting their impact.

These developments highlight the internal party maneuvering ahead of the Likud primaries and the challenges faced by ministers like Silman seeking reelection under a more competitive and restrictive system.