Netanyahu Meets New Likud Members Following Party Primaries

Following the recent Likud party primaries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has begun a series of meetings with newly elected Likud Knesset members in his office. While Netanyahu is familiar with most of the party's current lawmakers and ministers, several new members who won district slots remain less known to both the public and the Prime Minister himself, including some candidates he personally supported.

During these meetings, Netanyahu congratulated the newcomers on their victories, outlined the general principles of the Likud campaign, introduced them to his office team and party leadership, and encouraged them to maintain close contact with their voter base to energize support ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Among the new faces are notable figures such as Erez Tadmor, a well-known political commentator and former speechwriter for Netanyahu; attorney and reservist Shlomo Lerner, who campaigned on representing reservists and self-employed citizens; former mayor of Safed Shuki Ohana; local politician Moshe Peretz from Netivot; and Keren Atias Bublil, a city council member and deputy mayor of Nahariya who secured the "new woman" slot on the list.

Erez Tadmor stands out as the most recognizable new member, having long been active at the intersection of media and politics, including co-founding the "If You Will" movement and authoring political books. Shlomo Lerner, supported by Netanyahu, has accumulated over 400 days of reserve duty since October 7 and ran in the Dan-Tel Aviv district. Moshe Peretz opposed merging the Negev district with Judea and Samaria, arguing it would weaken southern voters' influence, and secured his place with backing from Netivot's mayor. Shuki Ohana brings extensive public service experience, including military and local government roles.

Keren Atias Bublil's campaign was backed by MK David Bitan, reflecting internal party dynamics. She won the "new woman" slot and placed 34th on the Likud list. Netanyahu plans to continue meeting other new members in the coming days as the party prepares for the national elections.