Netanyahu secures win in Likud primary as he attempts to reshape party

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the results of the Likud primary held on Monday as a success for his efforts to reshape the party. Netanyahu expressed confidence that the new electoral list would secure a significant victory in the October 27 general election. In this primary, several hardline figures whom Netanyahu feared would negatively impact the party's popularity were pushed to lower positions on the final slate. Given that polls currently place Likud at around 23 seats, only candidates in the top positions have a realistic chance of entering the Knesset. Netanyahu is also utilizing his authority to appoint candidates to reserved slots, aiming to engineer a final list that appeals to moderate voters. Political analyst Nimrod Nir suggests that a large portion of former Likud voters have shifted toward centrist parties, and the composition of the new list could be decisive in winning those votes back. However, some hardline figures such as Tally Gotliv and Boaz Bismuth, despite their popularity among party members, finished in lower positions due to Netanyahu's management of the reserved slots.