Netanyahu said to claim victory in Likud primary despite rival Sa’ar placing high

Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claim victory in the Likud primaries, despite the relatively high placing of rival Gideon Sa’ar who he actively worked to prevent reach a high slot.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is very pleased with the expected results of the primaries,” they say. “Netanyahu did not want Gideon Sa’ar in first place – and succeeded.”

Sa’ar, the former no. 2 of the ruling Likud party, is poised to take the fourth or fifth slot on the party’s Knesset slate after returning to politics from a four-year hiatus.

A day before the vote, Netanyahu put out a video in which he rehashed claims that Sa’ar was working to oust him from power and sources close to the premier said at the time that he was working hard to prevent Sa’ar from emerging at the top of the list.

“Netanyahu defined three goals,” the same sources say on Wednesday, “A high-quality list, that Gideon Sa’ar will not lead the list, and that his proposal for the reserved spots will be accepted by a large majority.”

“All these goals have been successfully achieved,” the sources add.

Netanyahu has sought approval of a proposal to allow him to appoint any candidate he likes to to the 21st, 26th and 36th spots, in a move that could allow him to merge the Likud slate with a smaller party without getting separate permission from the Central Committee.

— Raoul Wootliff