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Photo: Gil Yohanan
Likud primaries begin.
Photo: Gil Yohanan

Party members compete for top spots as Likud primaries begin

Polls open for the Likud primary Wednesday morning; behind the scenes - candidates hard at work trying to hurt their rivals' chances of securing a high spot on the party's Knesset list.

Hours before the polls open for the Likud primary elections on Wednesday morning, candidates have been hard at work behind the scenes to try and hurt their political rivals' chances of securing a high spot on the party's Knesset list.

 

 

"The primaries are imprtant for the State of Israel," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday morning after he voted in the elections. 

 

Netanyahu votes in Likud primary. (Photo: Gil Yohanan) (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
Netanyahu votes in Likud primary. (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

 

Netanyahu added, "We need a strong list, and I asked for the right to reserve two positions to strengthen the list further. The Likud is one of the only parties in which democratic elections take place. It is important to have a strong unity against the left in order to lead Israel in security."  

 

Polls opened at 10am across the country in 600 sites, where some 95,000 delegates will be asked to rank the Knesset list and mark 11 names of current MKs or other candidates.

 

 

The main battle will be between Gilad Erdan and Israel Katz for the 2nd spot on the list - following Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. In the last two primaries, Gideon Sa'ar managed to secure that spot but now that he quit political life, Erdan and Katz are left fighting for the honor.

 

Likud primary candidate Gilad Erdan. (Photo: Yaron Brener) (Photo: Yaron Brener)
Likud primary candidate Gilad Erdan. (Photo: Yaron Brener)

 

Likud MKs and prominent activists say that supporters of Transportation Minister Katz have a "hit list" against three candidates Katz is worried will reach higher spots than him on the list. According to those members of Likud, Katz has asked his supporters not to vote for Gilad Erdan, MK Yariv Levin and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

 

Katz (right), Netanyahu and Erdan fight for the top spots within the Likud. (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/ Amil Salman) (Photos: Alex Kolomoisky, Emil Salman))
Katz (right), Netanyahu and Erdan fight for the top spots within the Likud. (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/ Amil Salman)

 

The Likud sources claim that up to this moment, candidates were focusing their work on support lists rather than "hit lists," but on Monday night they learned that Katz's allies are working relentlessly on the ground to hinder other candidates who threaten Katz's spot.

 

"There's vast activity to remove Minister Erdan, Levin and Edelstein out of a lot of support lists," a source in Likud said. "There are many unions and companies whose livelihood depends on Minister Katz, and there's fear within the Likud that the lists are compiled as a result of fear among delegates rather than relevant considerations."

 

The source said Tuesday that "until last night, none of the Knesset members was focusing on 'hits' but tomorrow is the primaries day and all of those MKs who have people working against them will do anything to stop that."

 

Katz's office said in response that "these are blatant lies that have no grasp in reality. The minister's allies are not working against anyone in the Likud and do not have a 'hit list.' This story joins a series of stories Ynet publishes against Minister Katz in an attempt to hurt him and his status as a prominent symbol in Likud and ahead of the elections tomorrow."

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.31.14, 09:03
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