Middle Israel: Netanyahu's Likud list for the Israeli election highlights PM's cowardice – opinion

The recent Likud primary election saw several controversial lawmakers demoted, reflecting a desire by voters to remove figures deemed unfit. Nissim Vaturi, known for inflammatory statements, dropped to slot 43, while May Golan, facing fraud allegations, fell to slot 30. Idit Silman, whose defection from the Bennett coalition led to its collapse, was placed at slot 37, and Ze'ev Elkin, who returned to Netanyahu's fold after criticizing him, landed at slot 32. Finance Committee chairman Hanoch Milwidsky was also ousted.

“this was never about love.”

However, the article argues that the new list ultimately highlights a culture of cowardice within Likud, particularly among potential successors to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz avoided the primaries by securing reserved slots, a move described as self-serving. Economics Minister Nir Barkat, who allegedly sought to remove Netanyahu after October 7, barely survived the primaries, ending up at slot 24 due to Netanyahu's efforts to oust him. The author concludes that these individuals, like Netanyahu himself, exhibit political cowardice.