BICOM

The Likud Party Central Committee yesterday elected Welfare Minister Haim Katz as its new chair, while approving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to hold an early leadership contest on 23 February.

Likud Party regulations state that a leadership contest must be held six months prior to a general election. However, an early vote would potentially catch Netanyahu’s opponents off guard and effectively ensure victory and another term heading the party. Netanyahu advanced the Likud leadership contest following both the 2007 and 2011 general elections. He told his Knesset faction on Monday, that an early vote for party leader would leave Likud “ready for every scenario” and “and ensure that there is no division and partisanship.” It is unclear who might challenge Netanyahu to head Likud, with former-minister Gideon Saar, a popular party figure, currently on a break from political life, having recently ruled himself out.

The Likud Central Committee yesterday also voted in Welfare Minister Haim Katz as its new chairman. 82 per cent of the 3,532 committee members cast their vote, choosing Katz ahead of Netanyahu ally Tzachi Hanegbi and David Amsalem. The coveted position is considered an influential role and it is believed that Katz was heavily backed by Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and also supported by Saar, both considered internal opponents of Netanyahu. An anonymous Likud source told Haaretz that “the moment that some political disagreements surface [between Netanyahu and Haim Katz] and it is safe to assume they will, Netanyahu will need to do some heavy weight political manoeuvring to advance his agenda.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Likud Party’s first openly gay Knesset member was sworn in. Amir Ohana, who heads the Likud’s LGBT faction, replaces Silvan Shalom, who resigned last week in the wake of allegations against him regarding sexual impropriety. Ahead of Ohana’s maiden Knesset speech, Netanyahu said that he welcomes Ohana to the legislature with “appreciation and pride.”