From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Likud primary vote count completed, with Eli Cohen taking top spot
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The vote count for the Likud primary has been completed, with Energy Minister Eli Cohen taking first place.
Out of roughly 140,000 eligible members, Likud said 75,177 cast ballots — some 53.5%.
The top 16 candidates, who are likely to enter the next Knesset given Likud’s current polling performance, are as follows:
1. Eli Cohen
2. Amir Ohana
3. Yariv Levin
4. Miri Regev
5. Ofir Katz
6. Yoav Kisch
7. Miki Zohar
8. Almog Cohen
9. Amichai Chikli
10. David Amsalem
11. Moshe Saada
12. Tally Gotliv
13. Shlomo Karhi
14. Boaz Bismuth
15. David Bitan
16. Nir Barkat
The primary results will be used to form Likud’s Knesset slate, alongside politicians Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself is selecting in reserved places.
Our combo photo shows the apparently final top 25 on Likud’s Knesset slate, with silhouettes showing slots reserved for party leader Netanyahu’s yet-to-be-named personal choices.
In a statement, the party says Netanyahu is “very satisfied” with the results and declares it will claim a “big victory” in the October election.
“This is the only way to prevent a leftist government of Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Liberman, and the Arab parties.”
The Times of Israel Community.