Likud Leaders Warn Delays Could Derail Party Primaries Amid Security Concerns

The Likud party's internal primaries have faced another postponement in the vote on the primary election regulations, raising growing concerns among senior party members that the process may be indefinitely delayed. Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent public commitment to hold the primaries, uncertainty persists within the party, with some fearing that the current security situation, including potential escalation with Iran, could be exploited to cancel the elections altogether. Critics accuse Netanyahu's circle of deliberately stalling the process, contradicting public statements and ongoing legal proceedings that are crucial to the matter.

In response, Netanyahu's team denies any political motives behind the delays, emphasizing that security considerations are entirely separate from political calculations. Meanwhile, there is speculation within the party that Netanyahu aims to form a "steering committee" composed of five mayors loyal to him to influence the candidate list. Additional demands from Netanyahu include increasing the number of reserved spots within the top 35 candidates to eight, pushing district representatives to lower positions beyond the 35th slot. Supporters argue these moves are intended to create a more balanced and controlled list to avoid alienating potential right-wing voters.

Despite Netanyahu's stated preference for democratic primaries, the repeated postponements and ongoing legal uncertainties have left no new date set for the Likud Constitution Committee's next meeting. The situation fuels fears that the primaries could be canceled under the pretext of exceptional security circumstances, potentially undermining the party's internal democratic process ahead of upcoming elections.