Likud Primaries Reveal Ministers Losing Seats and Surprising Front-Runners

More than half of the votes in the Likud party primaries have been counted, revealing a preliminary list with several unexpected outcomes. Ministers Avi Dichter, May Golan, and Idit Silman appear to be losing their realistic chances of securing Knesset seats. Meanwhile, Eli Cohen, Yariv Levin, and Amir Ohana are leading the race, with Miki Zohar achieving a significant rise in ranking. Former Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has dropped sharply from eighth place in the previous primaries to near the bottom, risking exclusion from the list.

Among female candidates, Miri Regev leads by a wide margin, followed by Tali Gottlieb. The competition for the 25th spot, which guarantees representation, is tight between Gila Gamliel and Eti Atiya, with the final vote count expected to determine the winner. Keren Bublil Atias, backed by David Bitan, is securely leading the race for the new women’s slot, potentially adding to Bitan’s influence in the primaries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s endorsed candidates are performing strongly in regional districts. Erez Tadmor leads in the Shfela, Jerusalem, and West Bank areas; Shlomo Lerner is first in Dan-Tel Aviv; and Shuki Ohana heads the Galilee-Emek region. If these trends continue, Netanyahu’s power within the party will be further consolidated.

Several incumbent Knesset members, including Shaklim, Hanokh Milvitsky, Nissim Vaturi, Shason Guetta, Ariel Kallner, Keti Shitrit, and Shalom Danino, are at risk of losing their seats. Boaz Bismuth and Boaron are on the borderline, with final results pending. Official results are expected on August 20, with an appeals period until August 23, meaning the final Likud list for the 2026 elections will only be confirmed after these dates.