BICOM

The Likud membership will today go to the polls. It is expected to easily return Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as party leader while senior Likud figures are vying for a prominent place on the list of parliamentary candidates.

96,651 party members will be eligible to vote at more than 600 polling stations across the country. They will be asked to choose between Netanyahu and MK Danny Danon, considered a flag-bearer for the right-wing of the party as the Likud leader. Although Netanyahu’s victory is in little doubt, he will be eager for a large winning margin to underscore his authority ahead of the general election on 17 March.

There will be more competition over the Likud electoral list, which is being keenly contested by 70 candidates. The top slots are expected to go to ministers Gilad Erdan, Israel Katz and Silvan Shalom and to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. Netanyahu will hope that those considered his loyalists such as Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz and Deputy Ministers Ophir Akunis and Tzachi Hanegbi will also win prominent slots on the list.

However, Haaretz reports that Netanyahu and his supporters are concerned that the slate will heavily feature those aligned to the right-wing of the party, which has not only been critical of his leadership, but could potentially alienate voters with a more centrist outlook. It has also been reported that some Likud officials are concerned that the electoral list will be dominated by current MKs and party activists, lacking any new and attractive big name recruits. This is in contrast to rival parties Jewish Home and Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu which both recently announced that well-known personalities will be joining their ranks.

Likud members will also be asked today to vote on a proposal to enable the party leader to reserve two prominent slots on the electoral list for candidates of his choice.

The results of today’s primaries are not expected until tomorrow or even on Friday.