Likud Primaries Spark Political Maneuvering by Other Party Leaders Ahead of 2026 Elections

The Likud party has launched its primaries, turning what is usually an internal party event into a battleground influenced by leaders of other Israeli parties. Despite being a primary for Likud members only, figures such as Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, Aryeh Deri of Shas, and Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit are actively trying to shape the candidate list to serve their political interests.

Lieberman views Likud as a rival, especially among Russian-speaking voters who tend to lean right and support him personally. He is focusing efforts on removing Ze'ev Elkin, a prominent Russian-born candidate who returned to Likud with members of the former Tikva Hadasha party. Lieberman aims to portray Likud as unrepresentative of the Russian community, leveraging a loyal faction of Likud members from his own past affiliation. He prefers candidates like Edi Cohen, an immigrant from Lebanon, over Russian-born contenders, following a Likud rule change that expanded eligibility to immigrants arriving since 1990.

Aryeh Deri of Shas, heavily reliant on Likud support due to his party's grassroots network and close ties with Likud officials, has urged his supporters to back Likud candidates who have supported Shas’s interests, particularly regarding the military conscription law. Deri endorses candidates such as Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and Hanoch Milwitsky, chairman of the Finance Committee, both of whom enjoy broad Haredi backing.

Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit is also involved, opposing Almog Cohen’s candidacy after Cohen left his party. Ben-Gvir supports Sara May Golan, with whom he has cooperated in opposing alleged funding to Arab crime organizations. The three party leaders’ interventions could significantly influence not only Likud’s internal character but also the composition of the next governing coalition ahead of the 2026 elections.