Former Netanyahu Adviser Criticizes Likud Primaries, Warns Party Faces Challenges

Aviv Bushinsky, former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, analyzed the recent Likud primaries and stated that Netanyahu has secured near-total control over the party by eliminating all rivals. However, Bushinsky criticized the emerging party list as weak and unlikely to attract new voters. Speaking on 103fm, he said, "Netanyahu enjoys hegemony, he has no rivals, he wiped out all his opponents. All his opponents disappeared." Despite this dominance, Bushinsky described the list as "very pale," though convenient for Netanyahu.

Bushinsky noted that Netanyahu achieved key goals before the vote, including placing Miri Regev as the top woman candidate and excluding Idith Silman and Mai Golan, whom he considered minor losses for Israeli politics. He also commented on Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s strong second-place finish despite internal criticism over his harsh stance on judicial reforms, saying the result was not disastrous for Levin.

Conversely, Bushinsky was surprised by the low ranking of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth, who was expected to rank higher due to support from the Gur Hasidic faction. He also mentioned that Avi Dichter, a security-focused Likud member, might miss out on the next Knesset, reflecting the list’s unattractiveness to those wanting to be in the ruling party.

Bushinsky suggested Netanyahu will need to recruit new figures to refresh and strengthen the list. He identified a new power axis between David Bitan and Nir Barkat, despite their mutual dislike, which Netanyahu wants to prevent from becoming a faction or splinter list. Regarding the upcoming general elections, Bushinsky expressed pessimism, stating, "This list? I don’t think it will be very attractive, Likud is not in a good state." He noted Netanyahu is counting on about 640,000 new right-leaning voters.

Summary: Aviv Bushinsky, ex-adviser to Netanyahu, says Netanyahu dominates Likud after primaries but warns the party list is weak and unlikely to attract new voters ahead of general elections.