With Israel heading into its fourth election campaign in two years with full force, the country's political parties are taking stock and planning ahead to when Israelis go to the ballots again, next March.
Likud institutions are set to convene Wednesday to discuss the issue of canceling the party primaries. Israel Hayom learned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Israel Katz, who also heads the Likud Secretariat, and Likud Caucus chairman MK Haim Katz decided Monday to work towards canceling the internal vote.
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Sources familiar with the issue said that there are several reasons for the decision, first among them is that the coronavirus that makes it impossible to hold primaries as social distancing directives would require massive logistical adjustments.
Another reason for canceling the primaries is the desire to save funds, and the third reason is that, after Gideon Sa'ar and his supporters' departure from Likud, Netanyahu and his supporters don't need to make the effort to push them out of the roster.
Likud Caucus chairman MK Haim Katz is likely to convene the party's charter committee on Wednesday to debate the issue. Should the forum pass the decision to cancel the primaries, the matter will be presented to the Likud Secretariat for final approval.
The party is formulating several proposals for minor changes to its slate, as Netanyahu would like to reserve five to six slots on the list for candidates of his choice, but will probably have to make do with two or three slots.
Several names were mentioned with respect to these potential slots, among them outgoing Israel Ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer, Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, Modiin Mayor Haim Bibas, and Gesher leader MK Orly Levy-Abekasis.
Polls predict that Gesher is unlikely to pass the prerequisite four-Knesset-seat electoral threshold. Ahead of the March 2020 elections, when polls were equally grim about her chances of getting elected, Levy-Abekasis formed an alliance with Labor and Meretz – which she bolted as soon as the Knesset was sworn in.
Levy-Abekasis' potential deal with Likud sparked criticism in the party, especially given her political zigzagging.
Those likely to be disappointed by the decision to cancel the primaries is former Jerusalem Mayor MK Nir Barkat, who said that "the Likud is the only democratic movement in Israel. That is why we need to hold primaries to select the list for the Knesset. It is our duty to the 140,000 Likud registered members."
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