Avi Dichter declares intention to challenge Netanyahu for Likud leadership
Member of the Knesset Avi Dichter has stated his intention to seek the leadership of the Likud Party.
Avi Dichter Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS
Dichter served as head of Israel’s General Security Services before he went into politics.
It is beginning to look like Binyamin Netanyahu may have a real fight on his hands if he is to retain the leadership of the Likud Party. Netanyahu has led the Likud since 2005, after its leader at the time and then Prime Minister, left the party to form the new Kadima party. While Netanyahu led the Likud to its worst election defeat in history, gaining only 12 seats in the Knesset in 2006, he made a major comeback just three years leader and returned to the premiership himself in 2009.
Binyamin Netanyahu served as Israel’s prime minister for 12 plus years, a record until he was unseated by Naftali Bennett and a new coalition government was formed this past June. During his leadership, many would-be Likud leaders defected from the party and formed their own new parties. These included the former IDF Chief of Staff and former minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon, Moshe Kachlon, and Gideon Saar, Israel’s current Minister of Education. Saar once served as minister of the Interior from the Likud Party, but this year he led his own party called New Hope and now serves as part of Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s coalition government.
Now things are different because Netanyahu is no longer in power himself. He is just the leader of the opposition. And so, it would seem, the senior members of his party feel that Netanyahu is vulnerable and are no longer intimidated by him. A number of them have already made comments and moves that suggest that they intend to pursue the Likud party’s leadership.
“When there will be primaries, I will run for the Likud leadership – even against Netanyahu,” Dichter said in an interview with Israel Kan News. Dichter added that if he indeed does need to run head to head against Netanyahu, he would be able to easily prove himself a qualified candidate because of Dichter’s past experiences.
“I’ve said a number of times my intention is to run in the primaries for Likud leadership, and from there for prime minister,” he added. “One day, you will have the honour of interviewing Prime Minister Avi Dichter.”
