Bibi: I plan to run in Likud elections
Former Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says following defeat in Likud Central Committee, which rejected his initiative to bring primaries forward, ‘I plan to run, there is a large ideological camp here, and I expect it to continue until we win in the primary elections’
Knesset Member Benjamin Netanyahu said he will accept the Likud Central Committee’s decision to refrain from pushing forward the ruling party primaries, but vowed to run for the party’s leadership and win.
"I will accept the democratic decision of the central committee, as I am a democrat," Netanyahu said Monday in response to his defeat in the Likud Central Committee vote.
The Committee supported Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and rejected Netanyahu’s initiative to bring the party’s primary elections forward.
"All candidates must accept the ruling and remain in Likud," Netanyahu, who resigned from government in the eve of the disengagement, said.
“There is a large and strong camp that went against the grain and stood up to all the pressures, the leadership and the temptations.
"I plan to run (in the primary elections), there is a large ideological camp here, and I expect it to continue until we win in the primaries. We lost by a few votes and we intend to continue the struggle for the Likud in the future. We will win in chapter two."
Knesset member Uzi Landau, who backed Netanyahu’s proposal for early primaries, told Ynet in response to Sharon's victory that "unlike others, I accept the Central Committee decision, and unlike others I'm staying in the party."
"We lost the battle, but the struggle is still ahead and we will succeed," he said.
Aides of Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said: “The big winner tonight is Sharon. The second winner is Silvan Shalom. Once again it has been proven that the Sharon-Shalom coalition is a winning coalition that cannot be defeated in the Likud. The big losers are Netanyahu, who will now be worn down for eight months until the primaries, and Gideon Sa’ar, who tried to play a grownups’ game. They have both lost their consensus”.
'Victory of political sanity'
Likud Faction Chairman Gideon Sa'ar, who supported early primaries, said "the Likud Central Committee has spoken."
"The committee's decision must be honored. I call on all party members to accept this decision," he said.
Likud Knesset Member Gilad Erdan, who also backed early party primaries, said following his camp’s defeat "we respect the results. At present, there is no reason not to unite the Likud faction and stay together until elections."
"We expect to hear from the prime minister what his next political move is and whether more unilateral concessions are expected. The factions must be united until elections," he said.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who supported the prime minister throughout the process, said, ‘the Likud Central Committee members wish to see the Likud strong and unified, a Likud in which its leader steers the country toward the right direction.”
"We must now unite and continue with action, as social, security and diplomatic obstacles are expected," he said.
Tourism Minister Abraham Hirchson said "the Central Committee has shown it trusts Sharon and his leadership."
Labor party Minister Dalia Itzik following the vote that "it is not clear how the prime minister can continue to work with ministers who tried to remove him from power."
Opposition Chairman MK Yosef Lapid (Shinui) said Sharon's victory over Netanyahu is “a victory of political sanity over aggressiveness that would have led us to eternal conflict with the Palestinians and the entire world."
