TEL AVIV – The results of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party primaries were published Wednesday evening, with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein coming in first place, Transportation Minister Israel Katz in second place and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan in third.
Netanyahu will be first on the list for the Knesset. Sources close to Netanyahu said he was “very satisfied” by the final results, which he found “strong and high-quality.”
Netanyahu’s main challenger, former number two Gideon Sa’ar, came in fourth place despite efforts by the prime minister and his son, Yair Netanyahu, to persuade party members not to cast votes in his favor.
Sa’ar released a statement thanking the voters for helping him with “the greatest achievement of my political career.”
“As a difficult and challenging campaign comes to an end, I want to thank Likud’s members for renewing their trust in me, especially after a four-year break from public life, and electing me anew to Likud’s leadership,” the statement said.
Coming in at number five on the list is Culture Minister Miri Regev.
Former Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was ranked eighth, ahead of Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel and Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Avi Dichter,
Communications Minister Ayoub Kara was the only Likud minister who did not make it high enough on the list to make it into the 20th Knesset, as indicated by recent polls. Other MKs who were bumped down include Sharren Haskel, Yehudah Glick, Nurit Koren, Anat Berko, Yaron Mazuz, Nava Boker and Oren Hazan.
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