From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 10, 2026
Netanyahu reserves Likud spot for entrepreneur who has slammed ‘piece of shit’ Trump
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party announces political newcomer Oren Dobronsky as the premier’s first pick to fill one of the eight slots he has been granted for his handpicked candidates.
Likud’s Central Committee voted last month to grant Netanyahu control of the 3rd, 5th, 9th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 26th and 29th spots on the list, giving him unprecedented influence over more than a third of the party’s realistic slate.
The move came after months in which he sought unsuccessfully to cancel Likud’s primaries and have a committee select candidates instead.
In a statement announcing the pick, the party describes Dobronsky, who has no background in politics or government, as “a successful businessman, one of the founders of Israeli high-tech, and a right-wing figure.”
It adds that he will lead efforts related to artificial intelligence in the economy, education, healthcare, and other sectors.
Dobronsky is known as one of the investors, or “sharks,” on “The Sharks,” Israel’s version of the reality TV show “Shark Tank,” who has made a number of controversial remarks.
In June, he called US President Donald Trump “a morally corrupt piece of shit” for not including Israel in negotiations with Iran in a post on X, and in a separate post, accused him and his team of being “imbeciles” responsible for a “colossal failure” against Iran worse than former president Joe Biden’s “debacle” in Afghanistan.
US intelligence assesses: Iran will be able to block the Strait of Hormuz whenever it wants from now on. (CNN)
Great job Trump and your imbecile team. You have managed to worsen the status quo as of before the war.
And now with the funds you are releasing to them (which is no…
— Oren Dobronsky (@ODobronsky) June 17, 2026
Set aside for a moment whether the agreement with Iran is good or bad, in what world is it normal NOT TO INVITE YOUR SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER WAR ALLY to the negotiating table?
Do you understand that not only did Trump not invite Israel to the negotiating table, but he DIDN’T SHARE…
— Oren Dobronsky (@ODobronsky) June 17, 2026
During the war in Gaza, Dobronsky wrote in a Facebook post in 2024 that Israel should fight “as if we don’t have hostages there” and that defeating Hamas should take precedence even if it meant risking the lives of hostages in Gaza.
According to the IDF’s data, 38 of the hostages were abducted alive and killed in captivity after October 8, 2023. In many cases, they were murdered by their captors, and in others, the military has confirmed that its own actions, including airstrikes, led to the deaths of hostages.
The Times of Israel Community.