Likud Primaries Show Eli Cohen and Amir Ohana Leading, Bitan and Gottlieb Outside Top Ten

The Likud party primaries concluded after an 11-hour voting period, with vote counting beginning overnight to finalize the party list for Israel's 26th Knesset. After tallying approximately 70% of the votes, Minister Eli Cohen appears to hold the top spot, followed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Other ministers such as Yariv Levin and Miri Regev also rank high, with Ofir Katz closing the top ten. Outside the top ten are Knesset members David Bitan and Tali Gottlieb, followed by Boaz Bismuth, Nir Barkat, and Ze'ev Elkin.

Further down the list, candidates like Hanoch Milwitsky, May Golan, Idit Silman, and Avi Dichter are competing for realistic Knesset positions. Voter turnout stood at 53.5% of the approximately 75,000 Likud members, slightly lower than the 58% turnout in the 2022 primaries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah voted at a temporary polling station in Jerusalem's Binyanei HaUma.

Key contests include the race for the top spot, with strong contenders including Ohana, Gottlieb, Levin, and Cohen. The relatively low turnout increases the chance that candidates benefiting from political deals could rise in the rankings, as "free votes" are estimated to comprise 50% to 60% of the electorate. The large number of candidates compared to available seats complicates predictions, with some sitting Knesset members possibly pushed to lower list positions.

Following a report on Channel 13 about a revenge move by the Gur Hasidic sect against Netanyahu, several candidates supported by the sect include David Bitan, Dudi Amsalem, Miri Regev, May Golan, Miki Zohar, and Ofir Katz.