Likud Primaries Yield Conservative List Dominated by Older Men and Ultra-Orthodox Influence

About 15 years ago, a group of young, moderate right-wing and liberal Israelis, frustrated with the political stagnation, joined the Likud party under the name "New Likudniks." Despite varying estimates of their numbers, their influence on the party's candidate list was minimal and eventually faded amid internal disputes, with most leaving the party. This group was not composed of leftists attempting a hostile takeover, as some claimed, but rather members of a once integral stream within Likud.

The recent Likud primaries revealed one of the party’s most uninspiring candidate lists in years, featuring few surprises and almost no new faces aside from Netanyahu’s reserved slots. The list is largely made up of men mostly in their sixties or older, many known for poor performance in the outgoing government. The main contest in the primaries centered on the ranking of Tali Gottlieb, the only woman to secure a realistic spot on the list.

The vacuum left by the departure of the "New Likudniks" was filled by organized ultra-Orthodox factions within the party, some of whom are not nationalist or even Zionist, such as members of the Gur Hasidic sect. These thousands of coordinated voters played a decisive role in shaping the candidate list, becoming a key factor in internal party deals. Their influence extends beyond politics into social issues, exemplified by their opposition to military conscription and support for legislation favoring draft evasion.

This ultra-Orthodox sway has also contributed to the near absence of women in leadership positions within Likud. Only two women, Miri Regev and Tali Gottlieb, appear in realistic slots on the list, with Netanyahu’s reserved spots potentially raising that number to seven at most. This reflects a broader trend of female exclusion from decision-making roles in both the party and government ministries.

Overall, the Likud’s candidate list for the 2026 elections underscores the party’s retreat from youthful, value-driven renewal toward a conservative, ultra-Orthodox-dominated composition, marking a significant shift from its earlier identity as a proud, diverse political movement.