Full Breakdown
Likud Party Primaries Set Stage for Israel’s Upcoming General Election
8/18/2026, 1:28:29 AM
Core Event: Likud Primaries Ahead of Crunch Election
The governing Likud Party will hold internal primaries to determine its candidate list for the forthcoming general election, an event described as one of the most heated in Israel’s political calendar. The primaries are seen as pivotal for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his party, given the election’s potential to reshape the 120-member Knesset.
Background & Context: Likud’s Historical Influence and Current Stakes
Founded as a right-wing alternative that ended the Labor-left monopoly in 1977 under Menachem Begin, Likud has repeatedly shifted Israel’s political centre to the right. Successive Likud governments have overseen major wars—including the 1982 Lebanon invasion and the 2000-onward response to the Palestinian second Intifada—and have pursued settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, actions the party describes as security measures but which critics label violations of international law. Since Netanyahu’s rise to dominance two decades ago, the party has opposed the two-state solution negotiated with the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1990s.
Key Figures & Their Uncontested Slots
- Benjamin Netanyahu – party leader; eight guaranteed spots on the list.
- Gideon Saar – Foreign Minister; placed on the list after his New Hope party merged with Likud in March 2025.
- Israel Katz – Defence Minister; granted an uncontested position and noted for hard-line rhetoric on Gaza.
- Haim Katz – Likud Constitution Committee chair; included through a pre-primary deal.
- Almog Cohen – former Otzma Yehudit MK; publicly endorsed by Netanyahu.
- Oren Dobronsky – tech entrepreneur and TV personality; slated to lead AI-related initiatives.
Data & Statistics: Translating the List into Knesset Seats
In the last election Likud secured roughly 23.4 % of the national vote, which would have entitled the party’s top 32 list members to Knesset seats. The primaries will therefore determine which candidates occupy those realistic slots, while the remaining positions are largely symbolic.
Official Statements & Responses
Netanyahu has not announced the full slate of nominees, but he has publicly backed Almog Cohen for the primaries. He also confirmed the inclusion of Oren Dobronsky, emphasizing the candidate’s role in advancing artificial-intelligence development across the economy, education, health care and finance. Israel Katz reiterated his stance on maintaining a security zone around Gaza and expanding settlements, while Gideon Saar continued to defend restrictions on humanitarian aid that the United Nations linked to a famine risk in August 2025. Earlier this week, Oren Dobronsky apologized for a June social-media comment that called former U.S. President Donald Trump a “morally corrupt piece of s***,” and he previously advocated for the total leveling of Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack.
