Likud officials: Netanyahu already making excuses

Senior Likud officials, speaking anonymously, blamed party chairman Binyamin Netanyahu for making excuses about his party's status in the polls. Israel Radio reported senior party officials as saying that if Netanyahu failed in his initiative to change the election methods for the party's Knesset list, he planned to blame Likud officials for not helping him. MK Michael Eitan called those same Likud officials cowards. "Whoever thinks that the current process isn't appropriate should speak up in his own name," he said. In an interview with Israel Radio, Eitan called for Likud officials to give up their personal power struggles and concentrate on strengthening the party.