Likud Faces Internal Disputes Over Primary Voting Irregularities and Contested Ballot Box

The Likud party's primary elections have concluded, but allegations of voting irregularities persist, prompting the party's election committee to convene on Tuesday to address these concerns. Central to the dispute are typing errors that could alter candidate rankings in realistic list positions, and notably, one ballot box in Be'er Ya'akov that has sparked significant controversy. Official data shows this polling station's results deviate markedly from others nationwide, with MK Shason Gueta, who did not secure a list spot, receiving 487 votes, the highest among Knesset members, followed by Mai Golan with 450 votes. In contrast, popular Minister Dudi Amsalem received only 21 votes there, and Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz, fifth on the list, garnered just 17 votes, equal to relatively unknown MK Shalom Danino.

Behind the scenes, intense competition continues for every vote. MK Eti Atiya, backed by Minister Haim Katz, is contesting the reserved women's slot at position 25 against Gila Gamliel and is actively seeking votes in polling stations where counting errors were found. Current tallies show Atiya surpassing MKs Amit Halevi and Avichai Boaron in ranking. In recent days, several sitting MKs and ministers have visited the Likud's Tel Aviv headquarters, where an entire floor is dedicated to candidates verifying vote counts. Some have already identified typing mistakes, and there are claims that the published results may still change.

Amid these internal struggles, it was revealed this week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Dr. Keren Asayag, a breast cancer researcher, offering her a reserved spot on the Likud list. Sources told ynet that Asayag expressed reluctance to enter politics, but Netanyahu attempted to persuade her. Following the primary results, Netanyahu is seeking to reserve an additional women's slot, as currently only three women appear in the top 25 positions on the Likud list: Miri Regev (8th), Tali Gottlieb (20th), and Gila Gamliel (25th).