Likud Contenders Simmer Down After Netanyahu Nixes Plea Deal

YERUSHALAYIM
Leader of the Opposition Binyamin Netanyahu. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The bubbling up of contenders for the leadership of the Likud party that was seen while reports of a plea deal between Binyamin Netanyahu and state prosecutors in recent days has settled back down now that Netanyahu has nixed the deal with a rejection of moral turpitude.

That means he did not agree to quitting politics for seven years to stay out of jail if convicted of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

It also means that, as he said in a video message that put the kibosh on negotiations with Attorney General Mandelblit, “I will continue leading the Likud and the national camp in order to lead the State of Israel.”

Would-be successors to the party chairmanship—Nir Barkat, Yuli Edelstein, Yisrael Katz, Amir Ohana, Miri Regev, and Tzachi Hanegbi—heard those words and quietly folded their campaign banners.

They immediately changed their tune—or as they say these days their messaging— dutifully expressing support for Netanyahu’s continued leadership of the party.

The notable exception was Yuli Edelstein, the Likud No. 2 and former Knesset speaker, who made no pretense of putting aside his ambitions.

When a source close to Edelstein was asked by The Times of Israel if he still intends to challenge the former premier for leadership of the party, he replied:

“He stated that he was running before there was any talk about [a plea deal]. So why would he go back on it?” the source asked rhetorically.

Even if Edelstein himself was more subdued this week, the other contenders went back to positively cheerleading Netanyahu.

Barkat, for example, tweeted that he spoke to Netanyahu and “sought to strengthen him and his family for the brave decision he made,” and called on Likud voters to unite behind him in order to bring down the Bennett-Lapid coalition.

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