Haredi Factions Reveal Endorsed Candidates for Likud Primaries

Ahead of the Likud party primaries, the endorsement lists from the Gur and Sanz Hasidic sects were disclosed on Monday, revealing the candidates these groups urged their affiliated members to support. The Gur Hasidic group backed six candidates: David Bitan, Dudi Amsalem, Miri Regev, May Golan, Miki Zohar, and Ofir Katz. Meanwhile, the Sanz Hasidic faction distributed a ballot recommending 12 candidates for the national list, including Ze'ev Elkin, Dudi Amsalem, Avichai Boaron, David Bitan, Miki Zohar, Yariv Levin, Hanoch Milvitsky, Idit Silman, Eti Atiya, Yoav Kish, Miri Regev, and Amichai Shikli.

Four candidates received joint support from both Gur and Sanz: David Bitan, Dudi Amsalem, Miri Regev, and Miki Zohar. Gur also supported May Golan and Ofir Katz, who were not on the Sanz list. The Sanz list included additional candidates not endorsed by Gur, such as Ze'ev Elkin, Avichai Boaron, Yariv Levin, Hanoch Milvitsky, Idit Silman, Eti Atiya, Yoav Kish, and Amichai Shikli.

These endorsements come amid a notable presence of Haredi voters in the Likud primaries, with estimates indicating about 7,000 Haredi members among roughly 142,000 eligible Likud voters. Hundreds of Haredi members from communities including Gur, Sanz, Karlin, and Belz, as well as other groups, participated in voting. Polling stations for the primaries will close at 9 p.m., after which the vote count will reveal the extent of influence these organized Hasidic endorsements had on the candidates' rankings on the Likud list for the Knesset elections.