19/08/2026
๐ต Israelโs governing Likud party held its internal party primary ahead of the general election.
Party members voted for the most part for Netanyahu loyalists to front the partyโs electoral list. Garnering the most votes were Eli Cohen, who has served in several prominent cabinet positions, Amir Ohana, the combative Knesset speaker known for being Israelโs most successful gay politician and for being fiercely loyal to the Netanyahu family, and Yariv Levin, the justice minister who spearheaded the contentious judicial reform in 2023.
๐ Many prominent Likud figures from the outgoing parliament fared poorly in the primaries and are unlikely be returned to the next one. These tended to fall into two rather different categories.
First were the far-right firebrands whose provocative statements were often seen as alienating centre-right voters, as well as providing grist for the mills of anti-Israel activists abroad.
Together with them were senior Likud figures with more sober reputations who had been seen as potential Netanyahu successors, but whose loyalty to the long-reigning Prime Minister had been questioned.
๐ณ๏ธ Turnout for the Likud primary was slightly higher than the last time the party put together a list for a general election in 2022. Of the parties roughly 140,000 registered members, nearly 54 per cent showed up to vote in the primary in the middle of summer holidays.
Find out below who secured the top positions on the list, and visit our Election Centre for further details, including who lost out.
๐
๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ:
1๏ธโฃ Benjamin Netanyahu โ Prime Minister
2๏ธโฃ Eli Cohen โ Energy and Infrastructure Minister; previously served as foreign minister, intelligence minister and economy minister.
3๏ธโฃ Reserved slot for a Netanyahu appointee
4๏ธโฃ Israel Katz โ Defence Minister and veteran Likud politician who has also served as foreign, finance, transport and intelligence minister.
5๏ธโฃ Gideon Saar โ Foreign Minister and former Likud minister who founded New Hope before returning to Netanyahuโs government.
6๏ธโฃ Amir Ohana โ Speaker of the Knesset and former public security and justice minister; Israelโs first openly gay Knesset speaker.
7๏ธโฃ Yariv Levin โ Justice Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and a leading architect of the governmentโs judicial reform programme.
8๏ธโฃ Miri Regev โ Transport Minister, former culture minister and a former IDF chief spokeswoman.
9๏ธโฃ Reserved slot for a Netanyahu appointee
1๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ Ofir Katz โ Likud MK, coalition whip and chair of the Knesset House Committee.
1๏ธโฃ1๏ธโฃ Oren Dobronsky โ Israeli-American technology entrepreneur and angel investor, known in Israel as a panellist on the Israeli version of the Dragonsโ Den television programme.
1๏ธโฃ2๏ธโฃ Yoav Kisch โ Education Minister, former fighter pilot and senior Israeli Air Force reservist.
1๏ธโฃ3๏ธโฃ Miki Zohar โ Culture and Sport Minister and former Global Likud chairman.
1๏ธโฃ4๏ธโฃ Almog Cohen โ Former police officer and Jewish Power politician serving as a deputy minister in the Prime Ministerโs Office.
1๏ธโฃ5๏ธโฃ Reserved slot for a Netanyahu appointee
1๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ Amichai Chikli โ Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister; entered the Knesset with Yamina before joining Likud.
1๏ธโฃ7๏ธโฃ Dudi Amsalem โ Veteran Likud politician and minister responsible for governmentโKnesset liaison, regional cooperation and an additional portfolio in the Justice Ministry.
1๏ธโฃ8๏ธโฃ Haim Katz โ Veteran Likud politician, former Israel Aerospace Industries trade-union leader and holder of several ministerial portfolios.
1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ Moshe Saada โ Likud MK and lawyer who formerly served as deputy head of the Justice Ministryโs Police Internal Investigations Department.
2๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ Tally Gotliv โ Likud MK and criminal-defence barrister known for her provocative speeches on legal and security matters.
2๏ธโฃ1๏ธโฃ Shlomo Karhi โ Communications Minister, who holds PhD in industrial engineering and management.
2๏ธโฃ2๏ธโฃ Boaz Bismuth โ Likud MK, former editor-in-chief of Israel Hayom and former Israeli ambassador to Mauritania.
2๏ธโฃ3๏ธโฃ David Bitan โ Veteran Likud MK and former coalition chairman who previously served as deputy mayor of Rishon LeZion.
2๏ธโฃ4๏ธโฃ Nir Barkat โ Economy and Industry Minister, technology entrepreneur and former mayor of Jerusalem.
2๏ธโฃ5๏ธโฃ Gila Gamliel โ Innovation, Science and Technology Minister and long-serving Likud politician who has held several previous cabinet posts.
2๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ Reserved slot for a Netanyahu appointee
