Netanyahu May Use Party Rules to Oust Nir Barkat from Likud's Knesset List

As the Likud party's primary vote count nears completion with 98 percent tallied, a tense battle unfolds over the last realistic spot on the party's national list. Former Jerusalem mayor and current Economy Minister Nir Barkat faces a steep decline, falling deep into the third tier of the list after years at the party's top ranks. Barkat is locked in a narrow contest with Ze'ev Elkin for the 24th position, the final viable slot securing a Knesset seat. Despite this close race, Barkat's real threat may not come from votes alone.

Historical precedent from 2009 shows that party leader Benjamin Netanyahu has previously used flexible interpretations of Likud's rules to remove candidates deemed problematic, as was the case with Moshe Feiglin. Now, a similar scenario looms for Barkat. Netanyahu could strategically reserve the 24th spot for Michel Buskila, a member of Gideon Sa'ar's "New Hope" party, effectively pushing Barkat down to 32nd place, which would likely exclude him from the next Knesset.

This maneuver would bypass the primary results and create a dramatic domino effect within the party list, threatening Barkat's political future despite his efforts to cling to a viable position. The unfolding drama highlights the internal power struggles within Likud and Netanyahu's continued influence over candidate placements ahead of the upcoming elections.