Netanyahu Wins Likud Leadership Battle Despite Some Setbacks in Primaries

In the recent Likud party primaries, Benjamin Netanyahu secured a significant overall victory despite losing several individual contests. While Netanyahu's preferred candidates did not win every slot, notably David Bitan survived and his candidate won the new women's slot against Netanyahu's favored contender, demonstrating the enduring influence of local party alliances and independent power centers within Likud.

The primaries revealed a tension between Netanyahu's vision for a party lineup reflecting his political agenda and the entrenched grassroots networks that maintain traditional deals and loyalties. Despite these challenges, Netanyahu succeeded in placing key loyalists such as Yariv Levin, Amir Ohana, and Miri Regev high on the list. These figures symbolize the "new Likud," focused on judicial reform and uncompromising governance.

Successes in strategic districts like Tel Aviv and the Shfela region, along with the advancement of candidates like Moshe Saada and Ofir Katz, contributed to a largely cohesive and combative slate aligned with Netanyahu's leadership. Although he could not control every detail, Netanyahu retains a crucial advantage through reserved slots ("shiriunim"), which allow him to finalize the list by filling gaps and adjusting the team ahead of the upcoming elections.

Ultimately, Netanyahu emerges from the internal party contest with dominant influence over the Likud's direction, steering the party toward his political goals despite some micro-level defeats. The primaries underscore the complex, dynamic nature of Likud as a major right-wing force in Israeli politics, balancing leader authority with local power structures.