Netanyahu Secures Key Internal Wins Over Bitan in Likud Primaries

In the recent Likud party primaries, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decisively outperformed Member of Knesset David Bitan in several key districts, solidifying his internal party influence. Netanyahu publicly endorsed three candidates across various regions, all of whom defeated their rivals supported by Bitan and his allies.

In the Jerusalem, West Bank, and Shephelah district, Netanyahu-backed Erez Tadmor defeated Shabtai Katch, who was supported by Bitan and other organized Likud factions. This contest was widely viewed as a direct power struggle between the two camps within the party.

Similarly, in the Dan and Tel Aviv district, attorney and military reservist Shlomo Lerner, endorsed by Netanyahu, triumphed over Elishiv Rabin, Bitan’s candidate who had significant backing from the Haredi community. Netanyahu even released a public video supporting Lerner, highlighting the high stakes of this internal battle.

In the Galilee and Valleys district, Yehoshua "Shuki" Ohana, another Netanyahu-supported candidate, defeated Fares Sharif Abed, completing the trio of victories that underscore Netanyahu’s strategic effort to reduce Bitan’s influence ahead of the primaries. These results mark a clear victory for Netanyahu in the internal Likud power struggle and reinforce his control over the party’s candidate list moving forward.