The first ten Knesset candidates on the newly-formed Likud list include only one who supports a Palestinian state: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Aside from Finance Minister Silvan Shalom, candidates associated with Ariel Sharon were relegated to lower spots than expected: Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz is #12, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert landed in the 33rd place and is considering withdrawing from the list altogether, and Communications Minister Ruby Rivlin reached only #37. Other Sharon supporters - his son Omri and Yechiel Hazan of Ariel - won the Negev spot (27) and the Yesha spot (32), respectively.
Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi, who received more votes than anyone else in the Likud yesterday and was awarded the third slot on the list after Sharon and Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, says that his showing is "a victory for my long-standing hawkish ideology - against a Palestinian state and in favor of a tough stand against Arab terrorism." HaNegbi is followed on the list by Minister Shalom, Education Minister Limor Livnat, Minister Danny Naveh, MK Yisrael Katz, Deputy Ministers Gideon Ezra and Naomi Blumental, and Public Security Minister Uzi Landau.
Moshe Feiglin of Jewish Leadership, who lost out to Hazan, received enough votes to gain him the borderline #41 spot. The most surprising entry was that of Gila Gamliel, who made it to the 11th spot. Chairperson of the Student Organization in Be'er Sheva, Gamliel was elected this past summer to head the National Student Union. Other new names include ex-Foreign Minister David Levy (17), Netanyahu's former secretary Ruhama Avraham (18), Atty. Roni Bar-On (31), Penina Rosenblum (39), and Avigdor Kahalani (43).
Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi, who received more votes than anyone else in the Likud yesterday and was awarded the third slot on the list after Sharon and Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, says that his showing is "a victory for my long-standing hawkish ideology - against a Palestinian state and in favor of a tough stand against Arab terrorism." HaNegbi is followed on the list by Minister Shalom, Education Minister Limor Livnat, Minister Danny Naveh, MK Yisrael Katz, Deputy Ministers Gideon Ezra and Naomi Blumental, and Public Security Minister Uzi Landau.
Moshe Feiglin of Jewish Leadership, who lost out to Hazan, received enough votes to gain him the borderline #41 spot. The most surprising entry was that of Gila Gamliel, who made it to the 11th spot. Chairperson of the Student Organization in Be'er Sheva, Gamliel was elected this past summer to head the National Student Union. Other new names include ex-Foreign Minister David Levy (17), Netanyahu's former secretary Ruhama Avraham (18), Atty. Roni Bar-On (31), Penina Rosenblum (39), and Avigdor Kahalani (43).