The members of the ruling Likud party's Central Committee will vote Thursday on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's proposal to amend the party's constitution in a way that would greatly strengthen Netanyahu's internal standing and prevent grassroots pressure on him. As the vote nears, Netanyahu is exuding pessimism, while the leader of the internal opposition – Moshe Feiglin, leader of the Likud Manhigut Yehudit faction – is confident the amendment will be prevented from passing.
Feiglin has said that Netanyahu's attempt to defang opposition in the Likud reflects a determination by the Prime Minister to make far-reaching concessions to the Palestinian Authority, in response to US President Barack Obama's pressure. Netanyahu knows that the Likud rank-and-file as it is today will not accept such concessions, he said. In an interview with Israel National TV (above), he explained that what is really at stake in the poll is the fate of Jerusalem.
Netanyahu needs two-thirds of the vote to pass the amendment – an accomplishment he himself said Wednesday was “close to impossible,” especially in a secret ballot vote.
Netanyahu wants Kadima defectors
Netanyahu's proposed amendment would put off for 20 months the date at which Likud grassroots membership – which numbers in the tens of thousands – holds elections to the party's institutions, including the 2,300-member Central Committee. This time span would allow a large number of former Kadima party members, who left Kadima after it was trounced in the last national elections and whose membership in Likud has not yet gone into effect, to participate in the internal poll.
Netanyahu's adversaries in the internal struggle include rightist MK's as well as Feiglin's faction, which fiercely oppose further concessions in the “peace process.” They are expected to make gains in the internal Likud elections which will be held in late May if the constitution is not amended. Netanyahu hopes to offset these gains with the aid of former Kadima members, who would not be eligible to vote yet in May.
Netanyahu reportedly threatened rightist MK's Tzippy Hotoveli and Yariv Levine with the loss of their posts as heads of Knesset Committees if they continued to oppose the amendment vocally.
The Prime Minister made a last-ditch effort Wednesday to convince his supporters to participate in the vote Thursday. He sounded pessimistic, however, in a press conference with Likud ministers, and admitted that the opponents of the amendment were highly motivated and would definitely show up at the polls.
Likud rightists claimed Netanyahu's camp was preventing the presence of neutral observers at the polling stations and had not handed out the list of registered voters. Fuah instructed activists to picket at polling stations if that occurs until observers are allowed in.