Internal Polls Warn Netanyahu of Electoral Risk if Tali Gottlieb Rises in Likud Primaries

On the eve of the Likud party primaries, internal polls presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a significant electoral risk linked to the potential rise of Knesset member Tali Gottlieb within the party list. According to the polls, Gottlieb is expected to secure a spot in the second top ten of the Likud list due to strong support among party members, but her high placement could cost the party two to three Knesset seats in the general elections by alienating key voter segments.

The findings, reported by Amit Segal on Channel 12 News, sparked concern among Likud leadership, who fear that Gottlieb’s prominence might reduce the party’s appeal and hinder its efforts to broaden its support base. During a closed-door discussion last Friday, some participants recommended taking steps to moderate the backing for Gottlieb among party members to prevent her from reaching the upper ranks of the list.

Prime Minister Netanyahu described the poll results as "disturbing data" but chose not to intervene directly or officially in the primaries. Instead, he sent a strong indirect message to party members, expressing confidence that they would make the right choices in the primaries. The Likud primaries are scheduled for the following day, with party members set to determine the order of candidates on the Knesset list. It remains uncertain whether Netanyahu’s subtle signal will influence voters or if they will decide based on other considerations.