Netanyahu’s takedown of Barkat: A chronicle of a political elimination foretold

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is actively working to politically sideline Economy Minister Nir Barkat ahead of the August 17 Likud party primaries, a move described as a "political elimination foretold." This action stems from Barkat's past attempts to oust Netanyahu, particularly after the October 7 Hamas attack, when Barkat privately argued that Netanyahu's policies led to the catastrophe and that he should resign. Barkat's strategy included pushing for early Likud primaries and engineering a constructive vote of no-confidence to replace Netanyahu with Yuli Edelstein, a plan that ultimately failed. Netanyahu's counter-offensive, coupled with his son Yair's direct intervention against Barkat, has significantly weakened Barkat's standing. Despite Barkat's recent efforts to praise Netanyahu and align himself, the prime minister's inner circle remains wary, viewing Barkat as a continued threat. Barkat is now contending for one of the limited realistic spots on the Likud slate amidst a campaign against him, including a legal dispute with Channel 12.