Netanyahu Prepares for Digital Primaries in Likud Amid Security Concerns

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing for the possibility of holding digital primaries within the Likud party, according to a report by Kan News on Tuesday evening. Netanyahu was impressed by the Democratic Party's recent secure and fully digital primaries in the United States, which saw very high voter turnout. The primary motivation for considering digital voting is the concern over potential security escalations in Israel.

In addition to addressing security risks, digital primaries offer two key advantages: they could save the party millions of shekels and reduce the influence of pressure groups that mainly operate at physical polling stations. The main proponent of this idea is David Sharan, the acting CEO of Likud, who discussed the concept in a radio interview earlier that day.

Currently, Netanyahu views digital primaries as a contingency plan for complex security scenarios, but insiders believe it could become a standard option even during routine times. This follows a recent ruling by the Likud party's court, which rejected attempts to cancel the primaries in the event of an emergency. The court emphasized that the party is not centered around a single individual and that canceling the primaries would threaten its vitality, stating there is no room to preemptively allow for their cancellation.