Senior Advisor to Gadi Eizenkot Wishes Tali Gottlieb Success in Likud Primaries Amid Controversy

Ronen Manlis, senior advisor to Knesset member Gadi Eizenkot, publicly wished Tali Gottlieb success in the Likud party primaries held on Monday. Manlis posted on social media, "Tali, good luck. Your success is our success," accompanied by heart and hamsa emojis. This gesture came amid a tense day for Gottlieb, who is fighting to secure her spot on the party's Knesset list.

Gottlieb has been at the center of controversy following reports by journalist Yinon Magal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a political meeting after receiving information about Gottlieb and fellow MK Mai Golan negotiating a potential move to Otzma Yehudit, the far-right party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir. Netanyahu described the reports as "disturbing" but instructed not to interfere in the primaries. Nevertheless, Likud faction leaders are reportedly working to remove her from recommendation lists.

In response to the controversy, Gottlieb highlighted her opposition to sending former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak to represent Israel at The Hague, contrary to the Attorney General's position. She said Netanyahu later admitted she was right and that sending Barak was a serious mistake that embarrassed right-wing voters. Gottlieb expressed pride in her stance and noted that since then, Netanyahu has been attentive to her professional advice.

The Likud primaries opened nationwide from Eilat to Kiryat Shmona, with voting expected to continue until 9 p.m. Approximately 140,000 party members are deciding among 124 candidates, but due to the crowded list and eight reserved spots controlled by Netanyahu, the real competition is for about 15 realistic seats. While some members like Yuli Edelstein and Dan Illouz have joined other parties and Gideon Sa'ar holds a reserved spot, Netanyahu officially supports candidates Almog Cohen, Erez Tadmor, and Shlomo Lerner.

The election day also focuses on Minister Nir Barkat, who faces attempts to remove him from the top ranks. Preliminary results are expected around 11 p.m., with the official outcome becoming clearer the following day.