In a convention of the World Likud assembly that took place online, incumbent World Likud chairman Yaakov Hagoel defeated Netanyahu's candidate, coalition chairman Miki Zohar.
By GIL HOFFMANIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on June 30, 2020. (photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a political defeat on Tuesday, when he officially lost his effort to take over the chairmanship of World Likud, the last bastion in the ruling party that he has never controlled.In a convention of the World Likud assembly that took place online, incumbent World Likud chairman Yaakov Hagoel defeated Netanyahu's candidate, coalition chairman Miki Zohar. The vote came after Netanyahu tried unsuccessfully to change the voting body and give more say to delegates from Israel, who preferred Zohar, at the expense of international delegates, who preferred Hagoel. The win puts Hagoel in charge of the Likud's effort to build a coalition in the World Zionist Organization and divide up top posts like the leadership of the Jewish Agency, Keren Hayesod and Keren Kayemet Le'Israel-Jewish National Fund.Zohar had been negotiating the posts before his defeat. He wanted to give the KKL to Likud MK Haim Katz, who heads the powerful Likud central committee and then run for central committee chairman himself.The posts will formally allocated when the World Zionist Congress convenes virtually in October. Ahead of the Congress, a deal was announced Tuesday on a joint slate by the Confederation of General Zionists and the Noar Zioni-Liberal Center for Zionist YouthNetanyahu last tried to take over the World Likud in 2006, when he ran his confidant Yuval Steinitz for the chairmanship. But he was defeated by independently minded Danny Danon, who kept the post until he became Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, handing over the World Likud leadership to his ally Hagoel.
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