Likud MK Tali Gottlieb Threatens to Skip Next Election Without Primaries

Likud Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb has warned she may not run in the party's next Knesset list if primaries are not held. Gottlieb, a prominent figure in Likud who is expected to secure a high spot on the list according to internal polls, emphasized the party's democratic nature and said, "If there are no primaries, I will consider not running in Likud." She criticized fears of low rankings as insufficient grounds to cancel the primaries.

Pressure is mounting within Likud to convene a committee to organize the primaries, but the proposal is likely to be rejected. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to present a proposal at a meeting to hold primaries as usual, with about 9 to 10 reserved spots, reducing the number of districts from ten to six or seven, and pushing district representatives down to around the 30th spot on the list.

Delays in convening Likud's institutions to plan and approve the primaries are causing concern both politically and financially. Ministers and MKs worry that further postponements in convening the Constitution Committee and the party conference, which must approve the primary date and method, could jeopardize their eligibility for campaign funding. According to regulations, MKs and ministers can receive about 380,000 shekels from the Knesset for 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 expected, the deadline for funding requests is this Wednesday. Any additional delay in officially deciding on the primaries could create serious problems for candidates. The process requires first convening the Likud Constitution Committee, where Netanyahu will present his proposed primary method, followed by a vote at the Likud conference. The committee meeting is scheduled for Sunday evening, with voting on Tuesday across 16 locations involving approximately 5,000 conference members.

The party had already postponed institutional meetings due to recent security and political developments related to Iran and the United States. However, there is concern that further delays could cause significant financial harm to candidates and cause them to lose state campaign funding. Likud officials acknowledge growing pressure as the deadline approaches, with the coming week expected to be decisive for holding the primaries on schedule.