Tali Gottlieb’s committee battle reflects a new political code inside Likud

A long committee hearing on Tali Gottlieb’s request for immunity from criminal prosecution, held in the Knesset and chaired by Ofir Katz, became a highly charged nine-hour political and legal showdown. The article frames it as a kind of “derby,” with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on one side and Gottlieb, a veteran criminal defense lawyer and prominent MK, on the other, while reporters, TV cameras and even Gottlieb’s own cameras documented the session.

Baharav-Miara focused on a line she said Gottlieb had uttered on the first day of debate, quoting her as saying, at 13:03, that she had “committed a criminal offense intentionally.” The attorney general presented that sentence as decisive evidence that could help sink Gottlieb’s hopes, and even her broader political ambitions, including any future cabinet role. The article notes that this would be the line Baharav-Miara would want to use if the matter reaches court.

But the piece argues that, regardless of the committee outcome, Gottlieb may have come out politically stronger. It portrays her as a constant presence in Knesset battles, someone who obsessively follows parliamentary procedure, challenges authority, and refuses to back down. Supporters see that as fighting spirit, while critics view it as disruption or worse.

The broader point is that Gottlieb has altered Likud’s unwritten rules. For years, the party avoided direct public confrontation with the prime minister, internal discipline and open rebellion against the leadership. Gottlieb has repeatedly broken those norms, confronting Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Katz and Yariv Levin, while remaining highly popular among Likud activists. The article says she has taught the party a new kind of politics, one without filters, and has already changed what is considered acceptable inside Likud, even if legal and political fights still lie ahead.