Yesh Atid MK calls for leadership primary, says he’ll challenge Lapid

A prominent Yesh Atid lawmaker said Wednesday the centrist party has an “urgent” need to hold leadership primaries, which would be its first since it was founded in 2012 by leader Yair Lapid.

MK Ofer Shelah announced he would contend for the leadership if primaries are held ahead of national elections, which many analysts believe are likely early next year.

“In the last few days I have presented to Yair Lapid the urgent need to renew the face of Yesh Atid. The postponement of the Knesset elections allows us to do what is needed to build a worthy alternative [to the governing Likud] ahead of the next elections,” Shelah wrote on Facebook.

He added: “That must begin with immediate, open primaries for the role of party chairman. I will contend and I would be happy if there are others.”

Shelah, a founding member of Yesh Atid, noted the party had initially pledged to hold leadership primaries ahead of the elections for the 21st Knesset in April 2019.

“Since then, the date has been moved twice, in secret moves, without the participation of the party’s MKs and activists,” he said. “Today Yesh Atid is mature and strong party, with an excellent group of people. The time has come to do what we promised.

Shelah also said “it wasn’t enough to say ‘we have clean hands'” when challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to the premier’s indictment on corruption charges; instead, the party needed to formulate “an entire ideological alternative.”

Without leadership primaries, Shelah said, “we won’t be an alternative and we won’t win.”

Yesh Atid said Shelah had discussed his call for leadership primaries with Lapid before making it public.

“We’re examining the matter,” the party said in a statement.

According to a report later Wednesday, Shelah has told Lapid associates that Yesh Atid needs a change.

“Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid is at a dead end, both electorally and politically,” Shelah was quoted as saying by the Walla news site. “Yesh Atid needs a change in conduct, statements, and leadership.”

Netanyahu and other political rivals have frequently needled Lapid and Yesh Atid over the party’s lack of primaries for leader and its election slate, which the premier’s Likud and a number of other Knesset factions hold.

Lapid, the current opposition leader, has led Yesh Atid since it was founded, and was later No. 2 in the Blue and White alliance before breaking with Defense Minister Benny Gantz over his decision to join a government led by Netanyahu.

Lapid has insisted he’ll be a prime ministerial candidate in the next elections and not be second on a party’s list as he was in Blue and White. Recent polls have forecast Yesh Atid would receive 19-20 seats if new elections were held, putting it neck-and-neck with the right-wing Yamina party to be the second largest party in the Knesset after Likud.

New elections were narrowly avoided last month after Likud and Blue and White agreed to push off the deadline to pass a state budget until December, but the parties remain at loggerheads on a number of issues and many analysts believe the government is still on life support and will not survive beyond the next deadline.

If, come December 23, the coalition still fails to agree on a budget, the country will head to new elections in March 2021, with Netanyahu not having to hand over the premiership to Gantz as per their coalition deal.