Left-Wing Activist Costa Black Supports Likud Candidates Tali Gottlieb and May Golan in Primaries

Costa Black, a prominent left-wing protest activist, publicly expressed support for two Likud candidates, MK Tali Gottlieb and Minister May Golan, ahead of the party's primaries held on Monday. Black acknowledged that at least half of the incumbent Likud MKs are expected to lose their seats, calling it a positive development. He criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to undermine Gottlieb, Golan, and others, noting he is indifferent to the fate of some candidates but believes Gottlieb and Golan accurately represent the current Likud.

Black highlighted polls showing Gottlieb in second place behind Interior Minister Ofir Akunis by a narrow margin, suggesting a possible upset. He predicted Gottlieb would likely finish second in the primaries or sixth on the list after Netanyahu's reserved slots, making her the highest-ranking woman in Likud since former Minister Miri Regev. He also forecasted that some controversial figures like Sharren Haskel would be placed unrealistically low or excluded, along with Miri Regev and David Amsalem. Other candidates such as Saada, Bismuth, and Shikli were expected to rank highly. Black estimated voter turnout would be around 50%.