Officials in the Likud are preparing for primary elections, amid growing speculation the government could collapse by year’s end over the failure to reach an agreement on a state budget plan.
According to a report by Israel Hayom Monday morning, senior party officials the Likud is gearing up for internal elections.
The report cited sources who claimed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with Likud ministers Saturday night about whether to hold party primaries, or to merely reuse the party’s existing candidate list.
Advocates for new primaries say internal elections could help Netanyahu and the party, energizing the party’s base at a time when public polling shows the Likud plummeting.
Opponents, on the other hand, cited the cost of primaries, which is estimated to be between seven to nine million shekels ($2.09-2.69 million) – money which could be better spent in a general election.
“It is clear to everyone that we’re already in election season – or at the very least just before new elections,” one senior party official said.
“Ministers and MKs are already working as if primaries have been settled on. They’re in close touch with activists, with members of the party central committee. You can see the preparations in the enormous number of messages being sent out to Likud members from MKs.”