Gamliel Slips to 35th in Likud List After Vote Dispute

Two weeks after the Likud party primaries, and amid accusations of "election theft" and "unsupervised" ballot recounting, the ruling party announced Sunday that Innovation, Science, and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel has been pushed to the 35th spot on the party's Knesset list. MK Eti Atiya will take her place at number 25. The shift occurred following a close contest between Gamliel and Atiya for a reserved spot designated for women.

The vote reversal came after Likud claimed two ballot boxes in Be'er Yaakov showed improbable candidate results. Last week, a recount was ordered, and the final results of this recount, after appeals, were released Sunday.

An altercation developed between Gamliel and Minister Haim Katz, who is close to Atiya, over the Be'er Yaakov recount. Gamliel subsequently filed a police complaint against Katz and Likud Director-General David Sharan, alleging the ballot box was reopened without allowing time for appeals and that the recount was falsified. Video footage obtained by Ynet shows Gamliel's husband at a security hub in Holon, where the recount took place, demanding entry, being denied, and shouting, "They are stealing elections from me here!"

The Be'er Yaakov ballots were recounted at least three times last Tuesday, but the official results were not published until Sunday. According to the updated list, MK Moshe Saada is placed at number 10, before reserved slots, which would place him at 17th assuming all reserved slots are filled. Minister Haim Katz commented on the results, stating he endured "a series of lies and slander" from Gamliel and her associates, attributing his restraint to "the good of the Likud on the eve of fateful elections for Israel's future."

One day after the recount, Likud branch leaders reportedly contacted Netanyahu's chief of staff, expressing anger over the recount occurring a week after the initial primary results were published.