Netanyahu Faces New Challenge From Right-Wing Factions After Likud Primaries

After securing the Likud party list in the recent primaries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now turning his attention to a new challenge in the upcoming elections: the proliferation of small right-wing parties competing for votes. Netanyahu acknowledged after the primary results that the political landscape remains "wide open," and he is not placing decisive weight on current polls, whether they favor the opposition or predict a strong Likud victory.

While Netanyahu maintained a neutral public stance during the primaries, reports indicate he was significantly involved behind the scenes, including shaping recommended candidate lists and excluding certain figures such as David Bitan, Tali Gottlieb, and Nir Barkat from key deals. Ultimately, Gottlieb secured a spot in the second tier of the list, Bitan was weakened but elected, and Barkat will have to wait until the final list submission to see if he gains a realistic position.

The emerging threat to Netanyahu comes from several new right-wing lists, including two new ultra-Orthodox parties and those led by Yaron Zelekha, Moshe Feiglin, Gilad Erdan, Ofer Winter, and the Noam party. Hili Tropper’s list may also attract some right-wing voters. According to political analyst Amit Segal, the two figures causing Netanyahu the most concern are Moshe Feiglin and Ofer Winter. Feiglin ran independently in 2019 but failed to enter the Knesset, while Winter is expected to announce his candidacy as head of a right-wing list soon, potentially competing for votes with Likud and Religious Zionism.

The main worry is that not all right-wing lists will pass the electoral threshold, risking that at least 100,000 votes might be wasted and not counted in seat allocation. Such a scenario could weaken Netanyahu’s bloc and benefit Benny Gantz in the race for prime minister.