Dimona Mayor Says Primaries Won't Affect Likud List Order Amid Emergency Meeting

Benny Biton, the Likud-affiliated mayor of Dimona, spoke in an interview with ynet about a recent emergency meeting of local leaders supporting the ruling party. He noted that even Knesset member David Bitan, who opposes changes to the primary election process, "does not want primaries." Biton argued that members of Knesset and ministers prefer to avoid primaries because their positions on the party list would only shift slightly, saying, "If there are primaries, what difference does it make if someone is first or third?"

Biton emphasized the goal of the meeting was to demonstrate to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the strength of local government and the influence of Likud-affiliated municipal leaders. The discussion reflects ongoing debates within Likud about whether to maintain or reform the primary system for selecting party candidates ahead of elections.