Likud to approve change in primary date

Netanyahu is not expected to face significant opposition to the proposal at the meeting.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Netanyahu 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Netanyahu 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Likud’s central committee will convene at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds Thursday night to approve Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plan to advance its leadership primary from spring 2013 to January 31, 2012.
Netanyahu is not expected to face significant opposition to the proposal at the meeting. His rival, Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, is not expected to speak, and is not expected to run against Netanyahu, though he has made no official announcement.
Likud activist Moshe Feiglin, who is running, is expected to speak.
The central committee is also expected to approve Netanyahu’s proposal for a 30 percent increase in the number of central committee members from cities, in order to dilute the power of residents of Judea and Samaria, who Netanyahu believes are over-represented on the committee.
Feiglin and other Likud hawks do not oppose Netanyahu’s proposal, because they believe the members who have joined the party from cities inside pre-1967 Israel are no less right-wing than members from Judea and Samaria.
The focus of speeches at the event is expected to be on rumors that Netanyahu will try to bring Defense Minister Ehud Barak into the party.
While Netanyahu has said no deal with Barak has been made, Likud hawks have vowed to do everything possible to prevent future attempts by Netanyahu to enable Barak and his party allies to run together with Likud in the next general election.