Likud MK Tali Gottlieb Rejects Primary Cancellation Rumors, Affirms Democratic Process

Likud Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb firmly denied reports that the party leadership is considering canceling the upcoming primaries in favor of forming a selection committee. In a radio interview with Kol Chai, Gottlieb expressed full confidence that the party list for the next Knesset elections will be determined as planned by the party members. She emphasized that Likud is a democratic party where loyal members decide their representatives, stating, "The one who decides are the members loyal to its values, and they are the ones who choose their Knesset representatives."

Gottlieb dismissed rumors about abandoning the democratic mechanism as unfounded, asserting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not give up on the primaries or disregard the voters. She said, "Whoever fears primaries is afraid of the public's decision." Furthermore, she warned that if the party ultimately chooses to forgo the democratic process and switch to a selection committee system, she would reconsider her future in the movement, since "no one elects me except the public."

Addressing reports that Netanyahu is personally pushing her to an unrealistic position on the next party list, Gottlieb labeled these claims as "fake news" and noted that Netanyahu himself denied them to her. She also stressed that even if the party uses reserved slots for candidates, it would not diminish the influence and decision-making power of the party members.