Netanyahu Plans to Undermine New Right-Wing Parties Ahead of 2026 Elections

Following the completion of the Likud primary list, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a familiar challenge reminiscent of the 1992 elections: how to neutralize small right-wing parties that risk splitting the right-wing vote and failing to pass the electoral threshold. Netanyahu’s strategy involves a combination of incentives, threats, and the use of nine reserved slots on the Likud list to absorb or sideline potential rivals.

The recent Likud primaries reinforced Netanyahu’s control, with key figures like Eli Cohen emerging stronger by focusing on grassroots work rather than confrontational politics. Meanwhile, other potential successors, such as Nir Barkat, have seen their independent power bases weakened, increasing their dependence on Netanyahu’s goodwill and the number of Likud seats.

However, the broader right-wing landscape remains fragmented. Many defeated primary candidates may form or join new parties, threatening to siphon votes away from Likud. Netanyahu’s reserved slots serve as a strategic tool to bring some of these figures back into the fold, preventing them from strengthening rival parties. This tactic aims to bridge the gap between the Likud’s primary voters and the wider electorate, which includes many right-wing voters disillusioned with Netanyahu’s leadership but unwilling to shift to the center-left.

The political math is complicated by the presence of former military chief Benny Gantz’s political rival, Yoaz Hendel, and other right-wing factions competing for the same voters. Netanyahu must negotiate late into the campaign season, balancing offers, promises, and pressure to unify the right-wing vote and avoid the vote-splitting that undermined the right in 1992.

Netanyahu’s challenge is to convince ambitious politicians to prioritize the right-wing bloc’s overall success over personal leadership ambitions, sometimes requiring them to accept lower list placements or merge their parties. The coming weeks will be critical as Netanyahu attempts to consolidate the right-wing camp and secure a governing majority in the 2026 elections.