Cohen, Levin, Ohana and Regev top Likud primary as vote count continues

Energy Minister Eli Cohen is poised to win the top spot in the Likud party primary, with over 90% of the vote counted as of Tuesday morning. He is followed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and coalition whip Ofir Katz. The primary saw a 53.5% turnout among the party's 140,000 members, a decrease from the 58% participation in 2022. Given that polls suggest Likud may win only 22 to 24 seats in the upcoming national election, many incumbent lawmakers who failed to secure high rankings are at risk of losing their parliamentary seats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retains the power to handpick eight candidates for the top 30 slots, a move reportedly intended to balance the list with more moderate candidates and sideline internal critics. If these results hold, several high-profile ministers, including Ze’ev Elkin, Gila Gamliel, May Golan, Idit Silman, and Avi Dichter, are expected to be excluded from the party's realistic electoral slate.