Netanyahu's Likud to choose October election slate Aug 17
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party will choose its candidates for October's general election in primaries on Aug 17. An Agam Labs survey published Aug 11 showed 54.9% of Likud voters wanted a more centrist government than Netanyahu's current coalition. Netanyahu has been recruiting moderate candidates as the party's 140,000 registered members prepare to vote.
Key Facts
- Likud's 140,000 listed members will vote in primaries on Aug 17 to choose the party's candidates for the October general election.
- An Agam Labs survey published Aug 11 found 54.9% of Likud voters wanted a more centrist government than Netanyahu's current coalition, while only about one-third of listed party members preferred centre-right.
- Netanyahu's coalition includes National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, which have advocated depopulating Gaza and resettling it.
- Netanyahu said in a July 22 video that he would work to establish a broad national government after the primaries.
The Primaries
Likud will hold primaries on Aug 17 to select its candidates for October's general election. The party has 140,000 listed members who can vote in the contest. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been recruiting moderate candidates to balance populists who gained momentum in the race. Netanyahu said in a July 22 video that he intended to deepen unity within Israel. He said he would work to establish a broad national government after the primaries.
Voter Sentiment
An Agam Labs survey published Aug 11 found 54.9% of Likud voters wanted a more centrist government than Netanyahu's current coalition. Only about one-third of listed party members said they would like a centre-right government, according to the survey. Two-thirds of party members preferred something similar to the outgoing coalition formed after Netanyahu's 2022 election victory. Reuters reported polls suggest Likud's popularity has plummeted since the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Nimrod Nir, an analyst at Hebrew University's Agam Labs, said the gap between Likud party members, Likud voters, and the general public had increased substantially.
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Netanyahu's Likud to choose October election slate Aug 17
