Delays in Likud Primaries Raise Financial Concerns for Candidates Ahead of August Vote

The ongoing delay in convening the Likud party institutions to plan and approve the upcoming primaries is causing growing concern among senior party members, both politically and financially. Ministers and Knesset members fear that further postponements in convening the party's Constitution Committee and the party conference, which must approve the date and method of the primaries, could jeopardize their eligibility for state campaign funding. According to regulations, Knesset members and ministers are entitled to receive approximately 380,000 shekels from the Knesset to finance their primary campaigns, but funding requests must be submitted at least 20 days before the election day. If the primaries are held on August 4, as currently planned, the deadline for funding applications is this Wednesday, making any additional delays potentially problematic for candidates.

To proceed, the Likud Constitution Committee must first convene, where Prime Minister and party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present the primary election method he supports. Following this, the Likud conference must vote to approve the plan. The Constitution Committee meeting is scheduled for Sunday evening, with the vote by approximately 5,000 conference members to take place on Tuesday at 16 voting sites nationwide. However, the meeting was postponed this week due to Netanyahu's decision to focus on recent security and diplomatic developments involving Iran and the United States.

Party officials acknowledge increasing pressure as the deadline approaches, emphasizing that the coming week will be critical for determining whether the primaries will proceed as planned. Separately, Talik Gvili's candidacy for the Likud Knesset list has been finalized, with reports indicating she declined offers from other parties and will be a secured candidate in the upcoming elections.