Netanyahu Denies Hadar Mukhtar's Request to Shorten Likud Membership Requirement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided not to grant Hadar Mukhtar a shortened membership period in the Likud party, preventing her from running in the upcoming party primaries. Mukhtar, who recently applied to compete in the primaries, needed special approval from Netanyahu due to the short time since she joined the party. She had expressed confidence that Netanyahu would approve her request, believing she could attract a younger voter base to Likud.

Even if Mukhtar's request had been approved, her path to the Knesset list was challenging, as she was slated to compete for the "new woman" slot placed at number 48 on the Likud list, a position considered unlikely to secure a seat based on recent polls. Netanyahu's decision effectively blocks her from running in the party primaries and pursuing a Knesset seat through Likud.