Likud MK Dan Illouz Reveals One-Third of Party Wanted to Replace Netanyahu After October 7 Attacks

Dan Illouz, a member of the Knesset from the Likud party, announced he will not run in the upcoming Likud primaries scheduled for July 15, 2026, and officially declared his departure from the party. In an interview on the political podcast "120 and One" by ynet, Illouz disclosed that following the October 7 attacks, there was a significant internal movement within Likud to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He revealed that at least one-third of the Likud faction believed a leadership change was necessary amid the ongoing war, not through elections but via a vote of no confidence. However, the effort failed due to disagreements over who should succeed Netanyahu.

Illouz, who has served as a deputy member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, expressed deep frustration with the party's direction, stating that the goals he believed in when joining Likud, such as free-market economics, national unity, and universal military service, were not advanced. He emphasized the need for accountability regarding the failures leading to the October 7 attacks, calling for a state commission of inquiry and criticizing Netanyahu for bearing responsibility as a long-serving prime minister. Illouz also condemned the government's concessions to ultra-Orthodox parties, particularly regarding military conscription laws, arguing that these compromises undermine Israel's security and economic strength.

He recounted a tense conversation with Netanyahu in October 2024 over his opposition to legislation funding daycare centers for ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, describing it as a "shouting match" that later leaked to the media. Illouz warned that the coalition's reliance on ultra-Orthodox parties threatens Israel's future by preventing integration of a growing population into the workforce and military service. He concluded that the ultra-Orthodox parties' actions pose an existential risk to the state.

Illouz's revelations highlight internal Likud tensions and the challenges Netanyahu faces within his own party amid ongoing national security crises and political disputes over the role of ultra-Orthodox communities in Israeli society.