Likud Primaries Conclude with Eli Cohen Leading and Tali Gottlieb Challenging Netanyahu's Circle

The Likud party's primary elections concluded with the counting of all votes, revealing clear winners and losers within the party ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Minister Eli Cohen secured the top spot with 46,182 votes, followed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Justice Minister Yariv Levin. Miri Regev and Ofir Katz completed the top five, with Katz expected to hold the 10th spot on the final list after reserved slots are factored in.

Tali Gottlieb, who finished 12th in the primaries and is projected to be placed 20th on the list, used the opportunity to openly criticize Prime Minister Netanyahu's inner circle. She accused them of attempting to undermine her campaign and warned against advisors shifting the party toward the center, signaling ongoing internal conflicts over the party's direction.

Among the winners, Almog Cohen, a recent entrant from Otzma Yehudit, celebrated his 8th place finish and expressed gratitude to Netanyahu for his support. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who placed 13th, acknowledged the challenges he faced during the campaign but remained optimistic. Education Minister Yoav Kisch, finishing 6th, already set his sights on continuing in his ministerial role.

On the other hand, several incumbents, including Hanoch Milwitsky, May Golan, Idit Silman, and Avi Dichter, were pushed to unrealistic list positions, effectively excluding them from the next Knesset. Milwitsky responded gracefully, emphasizing democratic acceptance of the results.

Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed satisfaction with the results, praising the renewal and new forces in the party's leadership while subtly criticizing political deals and urging unity ahead of the elections. Meanwhile, Nir Barkat, a longtime senior figure in Likud, barely secured a realistic spot at 24th place, with speculation about potential list reshuffling that could affect his position. Netanyahu's team currently denies plans to demote Barkat further.

The primaries have exposed deep internal divisions within Likud, with some members already preparing for continued battles over the party's future direction despite the official conclusion of the vote count.