Israel's Likud Party to Hold Primaries Ahead of Snap Election

Israel's ruling Likud party will hold primaries on Monday to select its candidate list for the upcoming general election, widely seen as one of the most dramatic and unpredictable events in Israeli politics. The outcome holds particular significance for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his party.

The role of Likud

The right-wing Likud party broke the historical dominance of the left in Israeli politics when its leader, Menachem Begin, became prime minister after the 1977 general election. Since then, Likud has reshaped Israel's political landscape and shifted the center of gravity firmly to the right.

Likud-led governments have launched major wars and military campaigns, including the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the bloody military response to the second Palestinian Intifada that began in 2000, and the ongoing war in Gaza. The party also shattered previous consensus on West Bank settlements, challenging international law and increasing support for violent settler groups.

Simultaneously, successive Likud governments have blocked progress toward the two-state solution that Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) agreed upon in the 1990s.

How the primaries work

Under Israel's proportional representation system, each party submits a list of candidates, ranked from the most preferred to the least likely to win a seat. Seats in the 120-member parliament (Knesset) are allocated based on the percentage of votes each list receives. For example, if Likud wins 23.4% of the vote—as it did in the last election—the first 32 names on its list would gain seats.

Likud, along with the Democratic Party and the left-wing Hadash, is among the few Israeli parties that allow its members to decide who appears on the list and in what order. In addition to reserved slots for women, young candidates, and new immigrants, there are seats personally chosen by Netanyahu. Eight slots are allocated through his position as party leader, and three more are granted through agreements with other members.

Special deals

Beyond granting Netanyahu eight slots as party leader, Likud has also agreed to place three other lawmakers on the list without requiring them to compete in the primaries. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar secured his spot after his New Hope party merged into Likud in March 2025. Defense Minister Israel Katz was also given a non-competing slot, allowing him to focus on managing the wars Israel is involved in. Likud's Constitution Committee chairman, Haim Katz, was placed on the list through a special arrangement ahead of this year's primary.

Profiles of prominent candidates

Israel Katz is often considered one of the most hawkish and outspoken of Likud's ministers. A loyalist to Netanyahu, Katz has repeatedly taken a hard line on the Gaza campaign. In October 2023, he called for cutting off water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, as well as halting humanitarian aid until Israeli hostages were freed. As defense minister, he has supported maintaining Israel's security zone around Gaza and in July 2026 announced plans to build new settlements in the territory and new outposts in the West Bank. More recently, he emphasized the need to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

Gideon Saar has also taken a tough stance on the Gaza campaign and on Israel's international critics. He supports the removal of Palestinians from Gaza and has defended restrictions on humanitarian aid to the territory—measures that the United Nations and many organizations say contributed to famine in August 2025.

Haim Katz, a veteran politician, is a longtime ally of Netanyahu and also faces corruption allegations. He is a fervent supporter of the Gaza campaign and in 2024 called for building new settlements in Palestinian territories.

Netanyahu's picks

So far, Netanyahu has not formally announced his full list of nominees, though he has publicly endorsed several candidates running in the primary, including former lawmaker Almog Cohen.

Netanyahu has also given a slot to technology entrepreneur, restaurant owner, and television personality Oren Dobronsky. According to Likud, if elected, Dobronsky would lead artificial intelligence efforts in the economy, education, health, and finance. However, he had to apologize for an online comment in June, in which he called US President Donald Trump “morally rotten” over his decision to negotiate directly with Iran. Dobronsky also sparked controversy when he called for leveling all of Gaza following the October 2023 attack, suggesting that neighboring Arab countries should take in Palestinians, and that “not a single cat should be left alive” in Gaza.