PM to press Likud central committee on early leadership vote

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to take part in an emergency Likud Central Committee Monday afternoon in an effort to persuade activists to support his proposal advancing the party leadership primary. He canceled the weekly Knesset faction meeting in order to attend.

The meeting was called after an internal Likud body ruled that a vote on the proposal, which was scheduled for Tuesday, could not take place until the committee members had been given the opportunity to debate the matter. Rejecting petitions to cancel the vote altogether, the court said that if a debate did take place, the vote could go ahead as scheduled.

Netanyahu hopes the powerful Central Committee will support holding the primary to February 23, and has argued that bringing the election forward would strengthen the Likud and the coalition it heads.

The prime minister told senior Likud activists Sunday that the move would stabilize the governing coalition, according to the Israel Hayom daily.

In what was described as an open and informal get-together at the Rishon Lezion home of businessman and close associate Sefi Sasson, Netanyahu said, “Although the coalition is very stable, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. We have to be prepared for every scenario.”

“Likud leads the State of Israel according to our values, and we have to continue to do so. We are leading the country in a very responsible and decisive way. I’m asking you to help me to lead,” Netanyahu reportedly told the gathering.

But opponents have argued that bringing forward the primaries instead of holding closer to the next general elections may stymie attempts by potential competitors to run against the prime minister, thus securing Netanyahu’s position as the leading candidate.

A year ago, facing a shaky coalition, Netanyahu brought the leadership primaries forward, in that case, to prevent rival Gideon Sa’ar from mounting a successful counter bid for the leadership. Sa’ar subsequently pulled out of the race. On Thursday, the retired politician announced that he would not run for the next Likud primaries either.

On Twitter, Sa’ar called the snap primary a piece of theater, and said he would not participate.

“I’m not in the habit of being a marionette. I wish Netanyahu success in running, as well as to all of the other actors in the play,” he wrote in answer to a journalist’s query.

After the 2007 and 2011 elections, Netanyahu also announced early party elections.

Primaries, which are conducted by several Israeli political parties, enable party members, rather than internal committees, to elect a leader and the lists of candidates for general elections. In June, Netanyahu fought off a bid to have the power to choose candidates returned to the Likud central committee.