About 70,000 Likud Members Vote as Primaries Reach Climax

Approximately 70,000 registered Likud members have already cast their votes in the party's primaries held across Israel to determine the candidates for the upcoming Knesset elections. The voting, which began at 10 a.m., saw a slow start but gained momentum as the day progressed, reflecting the level of engagement and enthusiasm among party members. Polling stations will close at 9 p.m., followed by a lengthy vote count that will decide the political fate of many incumbent ministers and Knesset members.

Behind the festive atmosphere of handshakes and campaign signs, intense competition is underway among dozens of ministers and lawmakers vying for a limited number of realistic spots on the party list. Each vote is crucial, as it will determine who continues in the Knesset and who will be left out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team have been actively working behind the scenes to promote preferred candidates, despite Netanyahu publicly stating in recent days that he would not interfere in the list formation. Netanyahu himself voted at a Jerusalem polling station during the day, urging party members to participate.

For many candidates, this primary election is the culmination of months of deals, campaigns, and mobilization efforts. Some approach the vote with confidence, others project confidence, while some are acutely aware that their place on the list is uncertain. The results, expected after the vote count overnight, will reveal the composition of the Likud faction in the next Knesset and determine which politicians will remain in the political arena and which will be sidelined.