Likud Primaries Spark Sharp Criticism of MK Tali Gottlieb Over Electoral Impact

Following the recent Likud primaries, candidate Smadar Hila Shmueli launched a fierce critique against MK Tali Gottlieb, accusing her of damaging the party's electoral prospects. Shmueli, who failed to secure the "new woman" slot on the Likud list, coined the term "Gottliebism" to describe what she calls a viral political confusion style that alienates moderate voters and costs the right-wing bloc up to four Knesset seats. She warned that this loss could prevent the right-wing bloc from reaching a majority of 61 seats without relying on a centrist party as a veto player.

Gottlieb, who secured the 12th spot on the national list and the second woman position after Miri Regev, has been a controversial figure throughout the primaries. Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly supported Regev and Idith Silman, expecting Gottlieb to place high regardless. Earlier reports revealed attempts to push Gottlieb out of the top ten through reserved slots. Criticism of Gottlieb's style began even before the primaries, with MK Eliyahu Ravivo accusing her of "cheap populism" and alienating moderate voters.

Despite the backlash, Gottlieb maintained significant support during the primaries, leading rankings on the C14 portal for a time. Shmueli's post, which sparked debate, included a dismissive comment about Gottlieb's heavily made-up appearance and described her as "scary" to parts of the "soft right" and "old school" factions. Shmueli pledged to continue her public criticism, emphasizing that right-wing accountability is a two-way street.

The internal conflict highlights ongoing tensions within Likud over the party's direction and leadership style ahead of the 2026 general elections. With the primaries concluded and the list set, the battle over Likud's image and electoral strategy appears far from over.