Likud Faces Ethiopian Community Representation Crisis as MK Tsega Melaku Withdraws from Primaries

Just three days before the Likud primaries, MK Tsega Melaku announced her withdrawal from the race, citing the current primary format as unfavorable for incumbent MKs to secure realistic positions. Melaku, 58, was placed 37th on the Likud list in the last elections by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a representative of the Ethiopian community. Her exit leaves the Ethiopian sector, estimated to hold about three Knesset seats, without representation on the Likud list.

Melaku joins a growing list of disappointed Likud members, including MK Eliyahu Revivo and Moshe Pasal, who also recently withdrew. This trend worries Netanyahu, who fears political risks from incumbent MKs remaining in the Knesset without a clear political future ahead of the elections. Likud officials are concerned about losing Ethiopian-Israeli votes and may seek to secure a reserved spot for an Ethiopian representative in the coming weeks.

However, Melaku struggled to gather significant Likud voter support previously and is unlikely to receive a reserved spot despite her attempts. Her main rival within the Ethiopian community is MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, the most popular figure among Ethiopian Israelis. The absence of Ethiopian representation in Likud is critical for the opposition bloc, as Ethiopian voters traditionally lean right but have occasionally supported the Blue and White party due to Tamano-Shata.

Tamano-Shata is estimated to bring tens of thousands of votes, potentially shifting one to one and a half Knesset seats from the right to the opposition. Likud leaders and community members have urged the party and Netanyahu’s office to reserve a spot for her, but she has declined offers and remains with Benny Gantz’s party. If Gantz’s party fails to pass the electoral threshold, the Ethiopian community could be left without any Knesset representation, especially after MK Moshe Solomon also announced his retirement from politics.