Israel Katz: Likud powerhouse
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Benjamin Netanyahu: Bringing in his associates
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Netanyahu plans Likud overhaul, securing top spots for his own allies
Following Minister Gideon Sa'ar's departure from politics, Netanyahu has moved for quick internal elections, striking deal with Likud strongman Israel Katz.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to hold early internal elections in his ruling Likud party and is already engaged in political wheeling and dealing to ensure the vote goes smoothly, after party leader and Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced his abrupt departure from political life.
Netanyahu is working with the chairman of the party's secretariat, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, to reach a political deal that will ensure political stability within party ranks through a number of political appointments of their close affiliates.
Netanyahu and Katz agreed to dismiss Likud Director-General Gadi Arielli – a move Netanyahu announced but then reneged upon after political pressure last year – and appoint a new director and deputy director from their own inner circles.
Netanyahu, the two agreed, would appoint Kobi Tzoref, a close confidant who has served as a political advisor to the prime minister, to the position of director-general, while Katz affiliate Moshe Sheetrit would be made the party's deputy director-general.
Netanyahu and Katz: Secret deal (Photo: Haim Ziv / Archive)
Party officials say the political deal between Netanyahu and Katz is supposed to replace the current director-general with a yes-man, a move that a senior Likud official called an attempt by the two to "take over the Likud" ahead of a drastic overhaul of the party Netanyahu hopes to implement, including the holding of primaries soon and securing top spots on the Likud's Knesset list for those close to him.
Family business
The appointment has also raised eyebrows within the Likud ranks over of what some say is an illegal conflict of interests: Sheetrit is the son of Keti Sheetrit, who heads Katz's ministerial office - a high-ranking, non-political position.
Ynet recently revealed that the senior Sheetrit was appointed to the post while also vying for a spot on the party's Knesset list – which the law forbids – prompting Sheetrit to drop her political aspirations for the now.
"The position to which her son is to be appointed is a senior and prominent role in the party apparatus. It comes with a lot of political power. This appointment dramatically increases Keti's chances of being elected as an MK during the next elections," a top party official said.
The Likud "will become a family business: The mother will head Katz's office while Katz will appoint the son to a position in which Katz (by virtue of his position as party secretary) will be his immediate boss," the official claimed.
"Netanyahu knows that only through Katz's power in the Likud he can spearhead dramatic changes, and thus the alliance between them has found new life through Netanyahu's new agenda. This deal has sparked massive criticism. According to its naysayers, Netanyahu and Katz are attempting to take over the party's institutions and key positions in an undemocratic fashion."
Party politics
The Likud is set to convene at the end of October and, according to some, Netanyahu could well seize the opportunity to vote on holding early internal elections.
A central reason for Netanyahu's adamance on early elections is, with Sa'ar's departure, his current lack of a strong opponent for the party leadership. Sa'ar was considered by many to be Netanyahu's biggest threat for the party leadership, and insiders say that at the moment there is no one even interested in running against Netanyahu.
Netanyahu could face two possible candidates, although the chances of either taking the party look slim: MK Danny Danon, who has yet to announce any bid and was dismissed from his position as deputy defense minister during the Gaza conflict for being overly critical of Netanyahu; and MK Moshe Feiglin, a hardline rightwinger considered by many to be an outsider.
In the previous primaries in January 2012, Netanyahu won a whopping 74 percent of the party vote with Feiglin taking 24 percent - a slight increase from the 2007 primary.
Since then, however, a number of young and promising Likud MKs have left the party, most recently Sa'ar. This has triggered criticism of the prime minister, with some claiming that he is scaring off party talent and failing to secure the next generation of party leadership.
Insiders say that the 2015 budget will be the last one passed by the current government, and it is likely that during the coalition will disperse and elections will be called during the drafting of the 2016 budget.
